Hermione sighed as she slid beside Ginny in the Great Hall the next day at lunch.
"How's it going?" Ginny asked.
"Long, I had to stop three fights already."
"What?" Ginny asked.
"People have been holding grudges against Slytherins for the last year." Hermione explained. "And a few are not so nice about it." Hermione suddenly felt a shiver go down her back. Her eyes widened as she looked around, but no one was looking around either.
"What's up?" Ginny asked.
"I just felt a chill down my back." Hermione said, earning a smile from the younger witch.
"Really? Like Harry did?" Hermione nodded before returning to her meal, trying to loosen the feeling.
"I wonder, oh." Ginny started before rolling her shoulders. "I see what you mean."
"You too?" Hermione asked, Ginny nodded as Neville sat down across from them.
"Did you two get shivers down your back?" He asked.
"Oh, Neville." Hermione grinned. "That's the sign that your soulmate is near you."
"Does it go away?" Neville asked.
"Theoretically when you officially meet your soulmate," Hermione explained. "Once you touch you'll feel a spark and the tingling will stop. Until then every time you are near her."
"This is going to get annoying." Ginny groaned. "Do you have any idea how many students are here?"
"A couple hundred." Hermione replied, earning a glare from the redheaded girl. "What? You asked." Ginny rolled her eyes as Neville laughed.
Hermione sighed as the shivers started as she entered the potions lab. "This is going to be a long year." She muttered as she sat at a station. She took out her textbook and started looking at it, looking up as Theo slid into the seat beside her.
"Figured you would not want to be alone." He explained at her quizzical look. "Now that Potter and Weasley are gone you do not have a lot of Gryffindor friends in this class." Hermione rolled her eyes at the boy. "Has your potion kicked in?" He asked.
"Yes." Hermione groaned. "It started at lunch, and again as I walked into the classroom."
"Well you can cross me off the list. I found my soulmate, Daphne."
"Greengrass?" Hermione asked.
"Yes, I got my shivers at lunch and Daph, who was already my girlfriend thankfully, got hers at the same time. I placed my arm around her shoulders and the rest is history."
"Lucky, Harry and Ginny were dating, but after Harry's potion kicked in it became clear they were not soulmates."
"That must have sucked." Theo shook his head as Slughorn called the class to order and started the lesson.
Hermione groaned as she sat in the library after classes, trying to ignore the shivers that kept running down her spine. "How is anyone suppose to get work done." She groaned.
"Problem Granger?" Parkinson snarled.
"Nothing Parkinson." Hermione snapped before sighing. "Sorry, I hear you had a rough year last year. I swore to myself I'd be nicer to the Slytherins. How was your summer?"
"Boring, not that you care. And everyone had a rough year." Parkinson spat.
"Yes, but I'm guessing it was harder on the Slytherins." Hermione said. "I've had to stop a good number of students from taking their anger about the last few years out on a few of your housemates."
"Thank you." Parkinson said.
"Of course, you weren't responsible for your parents actions, one day the other students will understand that." Hermione groaned as the shivers ran again. "This potion was a stupid idea."
"Yours started?" Parkinson asked.
"Yeah, today at lunch. Have yours?" Parkinson shook her head. "Lucky, it's hard to concentrate."
"Well, see you later Granger." Parkinson said, starting to leave.
"You too." Hermione smiled before returning to her books, only to groan and slam her head into her book.
The following few weeks followed in a similar manner. September was almost done before any change really happened. "I found my soulmate." Ginny said as she sat beside Hermione at breakfast.
"How?" Hermione asked, noticing the stupid grin on Ginny's face.
"I entered the common room, and got the shivers like I always do." Hermione nodded. "And the only one in there was Neville." Hermione coughed on her drink. "We looked at each other and I hugged him, after telling him I wanted to see if it was true."
"And?" Hermione asked.
"I have no idea how to explain it." Ginny said. "But the shivers stopped and the packet wasn't wrong about the increased arousal. I'm sure if a first year hadn't come in we would have been making out on the couch." Hermione made a disgusted face as Neville sat beside Ginny.
"Hey Hermione." Neville greeted.
"Hi, congratulations." Hermione smiled. "Ginny just told me." Neville's face turned as red as Ginny's hair earning a chuckle from the girls. "Oh, you two better hurry, classes start sooner, I have to go. Professor Babbling is making us do group projects and I want to see who is my partner."
"Good luck." Ginny said as Neville said goodbye, only blushing deeper as Ginny slid closer to him.
Hermione entered the classroom and sighed, ignoring as the shivers started. She walked to the desk in the front and groaned.
"Sorry Granger." Malfoy said from his seat. "Looks like you are stuck with me." Hermione shook her head as she walked up the desk and took the seat beside him.
"Just do your part of the work and be polite and I'm sure this will be ok." Hermione said, taking out her quill.
"Do not worry, Theo told me you are easy to work with as long as I behave and do my work." Malfoy stated.
"Aw, he did?" Hermione smiled.
"I still do not understand how you two became somewhat friends." Malfoy shook his head.
"Well he happens to be nicer than the rest of you snakes." Hermione snapped, Malfoy just shrugged and Hermione groaned as Professor Babbling entered the classroom and started the lesson.
"That's not the correct translation!" Hermione groaned at Malfoy a week later in the library.
"Yes it is." Malfoy shot back and showed her his textbook. "See."
"No, because this is it right here." Hermione showed him her own, the two just glared at each other before Hermione groaned. "Where is my Runes to English dictionary." Hermione picked up her bag and started shuffling through it.
"Of course you have one." Malfoy rolled his eyes.
"Damn, it's in my room." Hermione growled before standing up. "I'm going to find one here."
"Have fun." Malfoy drawled, earning an eye roll from Hermione. A few minutes later Hermione returned with a book in her hands, flipping through it.
"See, it's right." Hermione squeaked as she tripped, then groaning as she landed on the floor, not missing the chuckle from Malfoy.
"Should you not be old enough to know better than to walk and read at the same time?" Malfoy chuckled, receiving a glare in response as Hermione adjusted to get back up. "Here," Malfoy got up and offered her his hand. Hermione eyed it suspiciously. "I am not going to hurt you, I was raised as a gentleman, remember?"
"Could have fooled me." Hermione muttered as she took Draco's hand and gasped. Their eyes widened as fire shot through her veins, making her fingers tingle and the breath leave her body.
"You have got to be kidding me." Malfoy said as he pulled Hermione onto her feet. Hermione just stood where she was, looking at him, in too much shock to do anything else.
"Granger?" Malfoy asked hesitantly.
"This has to be wrong." Hermione said finally, shaking her head, trying to ignore the sudden urge to move closer to him.
"I could not agree more." Malfoy scoffed. Hermione shook her head a moment more before going and getting her stuff.
"I'm going away, and we are going to forget this ever happened." Hermoine stated, hastily packing her bag and turning around, causing her bag hitting Malfoy's stomach. "Oh, I'm sorry." Hermione said, instantly and instinctively going over to him. "Are you ok?" She touched his arm only to gasp again as the fire started again, only this time in a central location. Draco looked at her as he straightened, their eyes locked on one another. Hermione licked her lips as she moved closer. "You're not too hurt right?" She asked, squeezing his arm with her hand.
"No." Draco said, placing his other arm on her hip. "Good." Hermione sighed as she moved so close their breaths mixed. Suddenly there was a sound of a cough somewhere in the library and Hermione shook her head. "I'm going." Hermione said, blushing as she backed out of his arms and all but ran out of the library, leaving a groaning Malfoy alone at the table.