The next day was not the best day for Hermione and her two best friends could tell, which was why Harry spent most of the morning trying to keep Ron from making a fool of himself. Of course, Harry was wondering what it was that was bothering Hermione so much but he didn't dare ask because she looked like she was about ready to curse the first person who crossed her. Hell, she'd even shouted at Pansy Parkinson when they bumped shoulders in the corridor after Charms class.

"I'm sure I got an E on that essay," Hermione mumbled to herself as she tossed her satchel bag onto the table in the Transfiguration class room.

Padma Patil plopped down next to her as usual, but Hermione didn't bother saying hello. Her mind was on the fact that she spent most of her time last night thinking about the name on her piece of parchment rather than the essay for Charms she was supposed to be writing. In fact, she had actually written that name on her essay not once, not twice, but three times because her mind was more on that than her work. Draco Malfoy could drive her up a wall without his knowledge and that was part of what bugged her the most.

"Something the matter, Hermione?" Padma asked in her gentle voice.

"Huh?" Hermione let out before blinking. "No, no. Why?"

"Well, you're about to rip the binding of your book."

Padma nodded toward Hermione's hands and she looked down to find herself gripping the edges of the book so tight her knuckles were white. She released the book and took a slow breath, she was going to have to let this go. It was just a gift, so what if he threw it away. He was a git and he deserved nothing so she would just get him something small and insignificant. Like a heart, he would have no use for one of those.

"Good morning, class," McGonagall said, breaking through Hermione's troubled thoughts. "We have a busy class ahead of us, so pay attention. We're going to be working on a group project…"

The class groaned in unison, but McGonagall ignored them and continued.

"Your partners have already been selected by you yesterday."

Everyone looked at each other with a quirked brow before looking back to McGonagall because the only thing they did yesterday was pick names out of a hat. At the realization some peoples faces lit up while other peoples fell in disgust, namely most of the Slytherins. But they didn't voice their dislike instead, Pansy threw her hand into the air and waited only two seconds before voicing her thoughts.

"Whose to say the person we pulled out of the hat is the one who pulled us out?" Pansy said as she glanced toward Ron across the room, but he was too busy looking toward Marietta.

"That's a good question, Miss Parkinson. I've charmed them and the biggest group I've had to do thanks to odd numbers is a group of three. The rest of you have only a partner," she said looking over her glasses to the rest of the class. "So do get up and find your partner or group."

Hermione was already red in the face, she couldn't help it because she really didn't want to have to work with Draco. The gift was bad enough, but having to do a project with him and have his prejudices possibly affect her grade was a bit too much. But there was no helping it as Anthony Goldstein moved to her side because apparently he had pulled Padma's name out of the hat. She took hold of her book and her bag before heading over to the Slytherin part of the room, knowing fully well that Draco wasn't going to move.

In fact, he was leaning back in his seat looking as if he'd smelled something bad as Hermione approached him. His seat as far away from the one next to him as it could possibly get without him sitting in the center of the stairs. It wasn't the most comfortable situation for either of them, but Hermione placed her book and bag on the top of the table before taking her seat. Not bothering to look to the area she'd just left from because she knew that Ron and Harry were looking at her.

She was wrong on one account because Ron was looking at Harry with his best puppy dog eyes because sadly he was in that single group of three. Sitting between Marietta and Pansy, looking as if he were in a den of lionesses. Harry on the other hand was being reminded by Parvati that she had let bygones be bygones when it came to the Yule Ball that year. In fact, she was glad to be working with him and not be stuck where Hermione was and that garnered Hermione an apologetic look from both Harry and Parvati.

The apologetic looks weren't helping the unease in her stomach settle, but Hermione finally looked over to Draco and caught him looking back at her. It wasn't really a fleeting kind of look, more along scathing and judgmental but she turned away from him and opened her book. Her attentions stolen away as McGonagall started to address the class once more.

"Now, this is a project that is worth nearly half your grade. It's going to require teamwork and determination…"

Draco's hand went up into the air, but McGonagall didn't seem to be paying it any mind as she went on.

"There will be no switching of partners, there will be no disrespect, and there will be no telling your parents of my antics. I've already owled them and gotten a few responses from the more unhappy parents, but seeing as how I am the Professor I will choose what is fit and not fit for my class. So I don't want to hear any complaints, not now and not during your Yule break."

A lot of the students sat upright just then, their jaws nearly hitting the floor because they had never had a project last longer than a week and Yule Break was two days away. Some of the students groaned while other students looked at their partners in distaste.

"Do you expect all of us to stay here during Yule Break? We may have plans," Pansy spoke up and was backed up by Marietta, who gave a curt nod.

"No, I do not, Miss Parkinson. I expect you to keep in touch and make sure that each of you is doing their part for the project. The grade will consist some of your own work and then the rest will be of combined work. So if you don't work well with your partner then you will not get the best grade."

Most of the students were groaning in discomfort, but Hermione was the one that was remaining painfully silent. It took all her will power not to stand up right then and demand another partner because there was no way this was going to work out. She was going to the French Alps with her parents for Christmas, they had a cottage there and it was where they were going this year. Skiing and hot chocolate, it all seemed a bit less fun now that she was going to have to deal with Draco.

If only she could read Draco's mind, she could have been privy to knowing that he wasn't looking forward to having to keep in touch with her either. Mainly because she was a mud blood and also because her father wasn't exactly going to condone it. Lucius was not a man to contend with if you were his son or his wife, Merlin only knew what he would say about this.

For the rest of the class, the students were required to take notes about the project they were supposed to be doing. Making a jigsaw puzzle that would require a lot of teamwork and the same level of magical ability. Hermione was weary on Draco's abilities because she knew she was far ahead of him and once again that uneasy feeling was back in her stomach.

By the end of class she was ready to hurl, while Draco was packing up his things in his drangonhide satchel. Hermione looked over to him and once again their eyes met for a tense moment before she took her own bag and left the desk. Making her way toward McGonagall's desk she threw a look over her shoulder to Draco before looking to her professor.

"Professor, I don't know if I can do this," she admitted gently.

"That makes two of us, Granger," Draco interrupted as he moved next to her.

"Why is that?" McGonagall asked as she looked over the papers on her desk.

"I'm going to the French Alps with my parents this Yule Break, we'll be in a very muggle part of France and I can't be sending owls in and out of there."

"That's a poor excuse, Miss Granger. Someone as intelligent as yourself can find a way around that."

"Well, how about my father won't allow me to keep in contact with a -"

"A what, Mr. Malfoy?"

"A muggleborn. You very well know that."

"Well, it's too bad for your father that he doesn't have the final say in the matter."

"But-"

"No, buts. You will figure out a way to do this together and you will do it right. Without prejudice or dislike, or it will show in your work and I'll be forced to give the both of you a grade that you won't like. Don't do it, Mr. Malfoy, and I'll be forced to fail you for my class. And I'm sure your father won't like that much either."

"Professor," Hermione almost begged.

"I've given you your options, Miss Granger. Find a way or do poorly, your choice."

McGonagall gave them a bit of a glare, which meant that was the end of the conversation and Draco turned on his heels to walk away. Hermione took a deep breath and just gathered herself up before going after him, intent on catching up with him so they could discuss the arrangements.

She hurried up the stairs after him nearly bumping into him as she turned a corner to find him just standing there. His gray eyes were trained on her, looking down at her in only the way that Draco Malfoy could look down at someone. That look that could make you feel two inches tall if you let it, but Hermione straightened her shoulders and cleared her throat. Hermione took a step back just to make sure she wasn't breathing down his neck quite literally.

"Look, Draco, we're going to have to work together whether we like it or not," Hermione began.

"You act as if liking it was ever an option, Granger," he said with a roll of his gray eyes.

"Right, whatever. We need to get through this because I'm not going to get my grade down over some git that doesn't know how to behave like an adult and just suck it up."

"Why you little…" Draco seethed as he took a step closer before huffing through his nose causing his nostrils to flare. "If you're going to insult me, Granger, I don't need to stand here and pretend to care about what you have to say."

Once again, Draco turned and started to walk away from him but Hermione sighed and reached to take hold of the strap of his satchel so to pull him around. But he wasn't having it, he brought his arm around to pull his strap out of her hand and caused Hermione to stumble forward. Unable to stop herself she fell onto his back and nearly sent the both of them fumbling to the ground, but Draco was far more solidly built than he looked. So she just rammed into him and he straightened up to keep her from falling to the floor, knee-jerk reaction taking over and he caught her elbow to keep her upright.

"Watch what you're doing, Granger. You don't have to push me just because I don't do what you want, I'm not Weasle-bee or Saint Potter," Draco said snidely before releasing her elbow and stepping away from her.

"I'm sorry, Malfoy. But we need to talk about this. I can't stay here for the Yule Break."

"Well, I can't spend all of my time getting letters from a mud blood. My father wouldn't approve, grade or no grade."

Hermione had to bite her tongue to keep herself from saying anything due to being called a mud blood, but she took a slow breath. "Then why don't you stay here? Your father won't know you're talking to me if you're here."

"Oh, that's convenient for you isn't it?"

"It's the only thing that works! What would you make it inconvenient for me and come along with us?"

Just then a smirk moved over Draco's features, it may not have been his first choice but to give Hermione hell over the whole Yule Break was certainly going to be more fun than giving into her will and staying here rather than going home. He would just tell his parents he was going to stay at school for the project and they would be none the wiser. That way he wouldn't have to deal with his father and get the bonus of making Hermione's life a bit harder for the break.

"No, Draco. No."

"Is your reluctance stronger than your repulsion to a bad grade?"

"My repulsion to you is much stronger than my repulsion to a bad grade."

"Suit yourself then, you can get a bad grade and see if I give a damn."

"It's not like you'd enjoy yourself and I won't have you insulting my parents to their faces," Hermione said threateningly.

"I wouldn't dream of it," Draco said sarcastically.

"I don't want you there ruining our time together. Unlike you and your family, I enjoy the time with mine."

"You act as if I want to be there, Granger. I've got no choice. It's either stomach you and your muggle family or deal with my father. Personally, I would rather stomach you lot."

"What would you tell your parents? You can't just lie to them!"

"Who says I couldn't? It wouldn't be the first time nor will it be the last."

"Do you have any morals?"

"I'm beginning to ask myself the same question. Here I thought one of the few ones I had left was keeping me from mingling with muggles and mud bloods, but looks like I've lost that."

"You're an insufferable twat, Draco Malfoy. And I'd rather fail than spend my Yule break with you!"

"No you wouldn't. And I'm not going to fail just because you're an idiot, Granger. Unlike you, I have a reputation to protect. So do tell your parents I'm coming along, I don't want to crash all the muggle fun," he scoffed and rolled his eyes.

"Oh? And what if I tell Pansy about this? What then?"

"You wouldn't."

"I wouldn't?"

"No, you don't have it in you to fail. And if you did that then I'd be forced to let you fail out of spite. I'm a spiteful git, don't you know that?"

"It's hard to forget," she said while glaring at him.

"At least I'm memorable. Can't say the same for you. Bland and unremarkable."

"Insulting me isn't going to get you what you want, Malfoy."

"Well, fighting me on what I want isn't going to get you the grade you want, Granger."

"You're despicable."

"You say that as if it's a horrible thing," Draco laughed before pushing blond strands away from his forehead. "Look, Granger, we can do this the hard way or the easy. Get it done as quickly as possible and I'll leave you and your family to come back here. You can then spend the rest of your time with your little muggle family and it'll be like I was never there."

"Fine. But if you're cruel to my parents just once, Malfoy, I promise you I'll hex your arse off."

"Talking dirty, Granger? Didn't know you had it in you."

Draco laughed at her blushing expense before turning his back to her once more and made sure his satchel was at his side. For the first time in a long time someone other than Ron Weasley managed to get under Hermione's skin and it took all the willpower she had to keep from throwing something at his big blond head. Instead, she huffed and marched off toward the Gryffindor Tower without a glance back.