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Hermione puffed in frustration. She had to write two rolls of parchment essay for Transfiguration and she needed more information. She examined her shelf two more times, but when nothing could be found, she groaned in frustration once more. She glanced at the watch. She had three more hours before she had to go to the dungeons for her detention with Snape and her essay wasn't done yet. She wanted to finish it since the following day it must be turned in. The Gryffindor pondered quickly what to do. She wanted to ask for Ginny's help, but the redhead was practicing for the Quidditch match against Slytherin. As much as she wanted to finish the essay, she wanted them to win against Slytherin so she didn't disturb Ginny. Neville was with professor Sprout and Luna was who knows where, doing who knows what. Hermione sighed while she exited the room and walked over to Malfoy's door. She knocked three times, but nobody answered so she returned to her room irritated. She wanted to hex a certain tall, dark, bat of the dungeons.

"No library for a week… How on Merlin's name am I supposed to study and do my essay without the library?" Hermione voiced her thoughts aggravated as she sat at her desk and opened the Map. "I solemnly swear that I'm up to no good" she said as she touched it with her wand and she watched as the Map unfolded and revealed its secrets. It didn't take long to find what she was looking for. In another part of the castle, in what seemed like a deserted classroom, Malfoy was standing still. She watched for a couple of minutes as the footsteps turned to leave only to return to the exact spot he was occupying just a second before.

"Odd…" Hermione thought as she remembered that she spotted him before in the same place not so long ago. She glanced at the watch again and she started pacing to that part of the castle where Malfoy was. It took her almost ten minutes, but she was now standing outside the room in question. She stood outside the door for a second before she finally opened the door. When she walked in, she was surprised to find the room empty. It was, as she thought, a small old classroom. The tables and chairs were removed and now there was nothing there except for a large old mirror. The three small windows were covered and little light could infiltrate into the classroom. She paced around the room and stopped just in front of the mirror. She got closer to arrange a lock of hair that somehow got out of the little ponytail she go, but something happened. The reflection changed and now she saw herself in the Potions classroom. It looked like Snape was asking a question and she was the only one to raise her hand, as usual. That was not out of the ordinary. What happened next, however, was very out of the ordinary. Snape let her answer the question and by the look on hers and his face, he congratulated her for knowing the answer. "That would happen only in my dreams" Hermione thought and then it hit her. "This must be the Mirror of the Erised, for it is the only mirror that can show your deepest secrets." She voiced her thoughts.

"It really is…" a voice from behind the mirror startled Hermione and she immediately got out her wand, only to lower it when Draco came out. "Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you" he apologized.

"It's ok, I'm fine." Hermione assured him. "What are you doing here, hiding?" she asked him.

"I could ask you the same question…" he defended himself.

"I wasn't hiding, and I asked you first." She replied.

"I come here when I need to think. And I was hiding because, well, I didn't want somebody to know I was here" he said, but he partially lied about the last part. In reality, he was hiding because he didn't want a professor to find him there. They didn't know that a student found the mirror and if they knew, they might have taken it away.

"I understand…" Hermione told him.

"Now it's your turn. What are you doing here and how did you find this place?" Draco inquired.

"I was looking for you and that's how I found this place." She explained.

"But how did you knew that I would be here?" he asked thoughtful.

"I… have my methods."

"You… have your methods?" he asked incredulous.

"Yes… look, I will explain it later, but first, I need you to do something for me."

Draco raised a brow in question at that. She never asked for his help before. That was certainly a first. "Ok… What do you want me to do?" he asked in doubt.

"Well, I can't visit the library for a week as part of professor Snape's punishment and I need you to go get something for me…" She explained.

"Oh, I understand, but why can't Weasley or Longbottom go?" he asked curious. He hoped that she thought of him first.

"I wouldn't ask you of this if Ginny or Neville weren't busy…" she told him.

Malfoy felt a little disappointed. He thought that he was finally making friends that someone would ask for his help because they wanted to, not because there wasn't anyone else to turn to."Its fine, you don't need to ask them, anyway. I will go."

"Really? Thanks, I owe you one. "Hermione replied.

They walked to the library in silence before Draco asked her: "So a week without library? I bet my godfather thought of that…"

"Yes, I think that he's behind that one." Hermione replied thoughtful.

"And what else? I don't think you can get away with only that after you threw up on his shoes…" he asked amused. He would have wanted to see his godfather's face at that.

"No field trips for a month and two weeks of detention." Hermione replied short.

"Ouch… that doesn't sound so good… "

"Because it isn't…"

They walked two more minutes and Draco broke the silence once more "So… what did you see?" Hermione shot him a confused look. "In the mirror…" Draco clarified.

"Oh…" Hermione blushed. She thought about what she saw. "Just something I've been longing for… You?" she tried to make him change the subject.

Malfoy noticed that, but let it go by answering her question. "I don't know… I don't know what I saw. I don't know how to interpret that…"

"Well, I suppose you don't want to tell me so I'm sure you'll come to understand what is it that you long for." She assured him with a smile.

"I hope so…" he replied as he shot her a serious glance when she wasn't paying attention.

Five minutes later, they were standing outside the library. Hermione instructed Draco on how to find what she is looking for and he walked in, leaving the Gryffindor behind. She stood there, waiting and curiosity struck her. She wanted to know what it would happen if she tried to step in. Did he go and charmed the entrance, did he tell Madam Pince not to let her in, or did he just trust her not to try to get in? Hermione took a step forward, then one more and she found herself one step away form the entrance. She inhaled once and then she took that step forward. She stood there for a second and then suddenly something pushed her back, making her almost fall on her back. "So he charmed it" she thought.

Hermione leaned back against the wall in front of the library and waited for Malfoy to return. When the door opened slightly, she jumped to her feet, expecting him to come out, but instead professor McGonagall exited the room, followed by professor Snape. He smirked when he saw her.

"Oh, dear," her Head of the House started "do you want something from the library? Can I help you?" she asked concerned and Snape rolled his eyes at that.

Hermione ignored his reaction and instead she responded to the other professor with a genuine smile. "No, thank you, professor, I already asked for someone's help…"

"I'm glad to hear that, dear" Minerva replied relieved, but before she even had time to continue, the door opened again and this time Draco Malfoy walked out, but he stopped when he saw the two teachers in front of him.

"Mr. Malfoy!" McGonagall exclaimed surprised when she saw that he was holding three Transfiguration books. "I am pleased to find that you are researching for my class…"

Draco blushed a bit before answering "Actually, professor, the books aren't for me…"

"He was kind enough to help me retrieve them since I cannot enter the library myself…" Hermione explained as she shot an irritated look to professor Snape.

"Oh, then I'm pleased to hear that. See, Severus, a Gryffindor and a Slytherin can work together after all."

Snape almost rolled his eyes at that. "Yes, it seems so." He replied short, but he was clearly not happy about something.

"Well, we must go. It is nice to know that there is someone to help you, Miss Granger. Thank you, Mr. Malfoy." Minerva stated and then they parted.

"Did you see the look on my godfather's face when he found out that I was helping you?" Draco asked Hermione when they got to their common room. "I thought he was going to hex me."

"Yes, I saw that… sorry…" Hermione replied with a sigh.

"Don't worry about it. I'm sure he will get over it… What did you do to him, anyway? He seems to enjoy making you suffer…" Draco told her thoughtfully. He would certainly ask his father about that. The two men were friends since childhood.

"I don't know. I haven't done anything. If you don't count the 'incident' the other day…"

"Oh, yes, the 'incident'… I don't know, I think it's something deeper…"

Hermione sighed. "I don't know. I've tried my best not to annoy him. Merlin, I even helped saving his life. I really don't think I deserve all of this. Sure, what I did was wrong, but I'm not perfect. Nobody is. I make mistakes. We all make mistakes. We are humans, after all. I'm human and I can't possibly change that so I can finally please him. Oh, and no matter what he says, I know that I'm a good Head Girl. Oh, that man is so infuriating…"

Silence followed Hermione's speech.

"Are you ok?" Draco asked.

"Oh, I am great. If he thinks that a week away from the library or a month without field trips and even two weeks of detention would break me, well he's in for a surprise. I'm not going down that easily." Hermione replied firmly. "Now please excuse me, but I have two hours before I must head to detention and I want to finish my essay. Thank you once more for retrieving the books for me."

"It was nothing…" Draco replied as she returned to her room.

*knock*knock*

"Enter."

Hermione entered the Potions classroom and she faced professor Snape who was grading papers at his desk. She waited in front of the desk for him to say something, and two minutes later he finally raised his head to look at her.

"You finally arrived on time for something. I must say that this is a good change." Snape started.

Hermione didn't know how to react at that. "Thank you?" she stated in an interrogative tone and it clearly was the wrong thing to say for the usual scowl on his face returned.

He rose to his feet and approached her. "Now let's not forget why you are here. For today's detention, Miss Granger, you have to simply clean, rearrange and inventory the ingredients cupboard. And please try not to break something while you are there. Some of those ingredients cost more than you can imagine." He instructed her.

"Yes, Sir, I will try my best not to ruin anything." She promised.

Snape moved toward her even more with a threatening air. "I don't want you to try your best, Miss Granger. I want you to do your best. Now please get to work."

"Yes, Sir." She complied.

It took Hermione almost two hours to clean and rearrange, but in the end, she was just halfway done.

"That should do it for today." Snape started from his seat at the desk. "Tomorrow you will have to finish with it."

Hermione lowered her sleeves and headed toward the desk. "Yes, Sir."

"You are dismissed, Miss Granger." He said without raising his head from his papers.

Hermione sighed and she hesitated before she finally headed to the door, "Thank you professor. Good night." And she exited the classroom.

"So, Hermione, the trip to Hogsmeade for this weekend is still on, right?" Ginny asked Hermione the following morning at the breakfast table.

Hermione raised her head from her plate. "Oh, I forgot to tell you, didn't I?"

"Tell me what?" The redhead asked worried.

"I am not allowed to go on field trips for a month. Sorry…"

"But that's not fair, Harry is coming. And Ron too, I know how much you miss them."

"I know, Ginny, but there is nothing I can do. I will see them the next time they come…" Hermione told her as she returned to her food.

"But… who knows when that will be. Can't you just ask professor McGonagall's permission to…"

"No, Ginny, I can't. Sorry." Hermione interrupted the other girl.

When Hermione headed to the dungeons that evening, she felt happy, but she knew that it was just the effect of the potion they had to concoct in Potions. The fumes of the potions were so strong that everybody continued their day feeling happy and relaxed. All except Snape. Even though he sat at his desk, vapors spreading all around him, he seemed untouched.

*knock*knock*

"Come in."

"Good evening, professor. How are you feeling today?" Hermione asked with a large smile, but the teacher only raised his brow and ignored her question.

"Please get started, Miss Granger." He simply replied.

"Of course, Sir, I will finish cleaning in no time, you will see." She told him cheerful and she walked over to the cupboard.

Half an hour later, Severus watched as she worked and he made a mental note not to let his students brew any mood changing potions. He must have learnt his lesson after the hysteria one… He watched as she started humming a cheerful song. He groaned and massaged his temples frustrated. A headache was already forming before she came in, and now it reached its peak.

"Sir, are you ok?" He was disrupted from his thoughts.

"Yes, get back to work." He replied short as he opened his eyes to look at her. She was standing in front of the desk with the same joyful expression. It was exhausting to even watch her.

"But I finished, Sir." She smiled.

"You're dismissed, then. Good night, Miss Granger." He dismissed her. He wanted to get back to his chambers and take a pain reliever.

"But the two hours…" she started, but she was cut short by Snape.

"Dismissed, Miss Granger."

"Yes, Sir. Good night." She complied cheerful and she exited the room.

When Severus got to his living room, he drank the potion to get rid of the headache and then he headed to the shelves across the room. He found what he was looking for and he opened the book. He wanted to know exactly for how long the potion would affect the students. He hoped that the following day he didn't have to face a class of cheerful dunderheads. It took him just a minute to find what he was looking for. He read the whole page and then he found it. Apparently, the effects of the potions should wear off after three hours. "Peculiar. It certainly passed more than that."

"Checkmate!" Hermione heard when she stepped through the door to the common room. It was like a déjà vu. At the small table in front of the couch and the fire Draco and Luna were playing chess and on the couch, Neville and Ginny were chatting.

"Hey, guys, what are you all doing here?" she asked. She hoped that they were not drunk just like the last time.

"Draco invited us." Luna responded in her dreamy voice.

"Oh, ok…" Hermione replied and she took her seat next to Ginny, all along wondering why she never saw any Slytherin around.

"Um, Granger? McGonagall stopped by and informed me that tomorrow we must attend to a meeting with the Heads of the Houses and the prefects. And of course the Headmaster." He informed the girl as he rearranged his side of the chess table.

"Did she say why?" Hermione asked curious.

"Something about the Halloween party I think."

"But there is one more month until the party." Ginny was the one to reply.

"Yes, but parties mean arrangements and decisions…and a lot of work." Hermione explained.

"I guess you're right." Ginny agreed.

"What are you guys doing this weekend?" Hermione asked a few minutes after. Just because she wasn't allowed to go anywhere didn't mean that the rest had to stay in.

"I will help professor Sprout move some Mandrake plants." Neville was the first to answer.

"I will visit my father "Luna replied short.

"You know where I will be…" Ginny replied. "Are you sure you can't ask professor McGonagall to let you come?"

"No, Gin, sorry…" Hermione replied and then silence set in.

"What about you, Draco?" Luna asked.

He smiled at the girl. She was the only one calling him by his first name and that didn't sound bad either. "I have to go home… Family dinner…" he said and he rolled his eyes.

"I think that's nice. I mean I like my family dinner… I don't know about yours…" Hermione told him thoughtful.

"It's ok, I guess… And what about you? Since you can't enter the library…"

"Yeah, what about you, Mione?" Ginny asked.

"Oh, I'm sure I'll find something to do." Hermione assured her.

"Anything besides reading and studying?"

"Of course." Hermione lied and they started laughing. "What?" she asked in fake annoyance.

"Nothing just let us know how that worked." Ginny told her.

"Oh I will!"