"Bloody hell!" Harry choked on his pumpkin juice as he stared at the Daily Prophet. "Ron, 'Mione, look!" he croaked out between coughs.

Hermione frowned and glanced over to see what had her best friend all wound up. Her honey eyes scanned the Daily Prophet, widening with every word she read. She nearly choked on her own spit from the shock. "Impossible!"

BABIES AT HOGWARTS

On July 16th, Albus Dumbledore, headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, announced that there will be a new mandatory parenting class for all incoming seventh year students. Sixth year students will be allowed to take the class earlier, and will not have to take it in the following year. Students involved will be matched with a significant other, and undergo a simulation in which the female counterpart will be 'pregnant.' It has been said that a child will indeed be created with the DNA of the two students, but will not be real. The children produced in the class will grow at a rapid rate, and will disappear once the year is over. Turn to page 3 for further information...

"Harry, this is mad," Hermione said, appalled.

Ron, who was still eating, gave his two best friends a quizzical look. "Wha?" he asked with his mouth full.

Hermione grimaced and scrunched up her nose. "Ronald, don't speak with food in your mouth," she scolded. "Dumbledore has gone mad. There's a new mandatory parenting class," Hermione added to answer his question.

Ron's blue eyes widened and he swallowed his food quickly. He snatched the Daily Prophet out of Harry's hands from across the table. He stared bug-eyed at the news with disbelief written clearly on his face.

"Ginny! Come look at this!" he called out.

A few moments later, his sister came strolling down the stairs with an annoyed look. "What is it, Ron? This better be important."

Ron rolled his eyes at the younger witch and waved the Daily Prophet at her. "Have a read at this."

Everyone watched as her expression morphed into one of shock, just like everyone else's. She shook her head and snorted. "This isn't a funny joke."

"It's not a joke, Ginny!" Harry said.

The red haired witch turned to Hermione with questioning eyes. She was hoping that the curly haired brunette would say that Harry was merely trying to get her knickers in a twist.

"It's true, Gin," Hermione said softly.

Ginny shook her head and ran her hand through her fiery red hair. She sat down at the table next to Hermione and tossed the papers in her hand towards Ron. She and Hermione shared a look, and seemed to be having a silent conversation. Hermione raised her eyebrows to which Ginny shrugged.

"I'm not sure if I'd like taking the class this year. Who knows who I'd be paired with," Ginny said.

"Please, Gin. I'd be nice to have you with me through this," Hermione pleaded. "Wouldn't it be better to take it now and have it over with rather than later?"

Ginny pursed her lips and thought about it. "I suppose," she muttered. "Just wait till Mum hears word of this though."

"Draco, darling have you read this nonsense?" Narcissa asked her son. She held the Daily Prophet between her thumb and forefinger, away from her body, as if it was dirty and infectious.

The platinum haired boy shook his head and grabbed the papers from his mother. His quicksilver eyes read through it. An incredulous look was plastered on Draco's face and he crumpled the paper in his hands. "Bullocks!" he swore, only to receive a narrowed look from his mother.

"What's bullocks?" asked a deep voice. Lucius Malfoy walked into the dining room and sat in his seat at the head of the table. He pulled out his wand and with a flick of his wrist, the papers in Draco's hands straightened out and flew over to him. Lucius read through the Daily Prophet only to have the same reaction as his son and wife. "That old loon as surely gone mad now!" Lucius hissed.

"Oh, I hope you're not paired with a Hufflepuff or Gryffindor," Narcissa murmured.

Draco nodded in agreement. Suddenly there's a knock and Twinkle, a house elf, came running into the room with her head down. "Master Malfoy, Master Zabini is here to see young Master Malfoy." Draco walked out of the dinning room and towards the parlor to see his Italian friend sitting on an armchair.

"I take it you've seen the Prophet?" Draco drawled.

Blaise nodded and smirked. "Pansy hounded me all morning once she saw. Nearly talked my ears off, she did. She wants to be partnered with one of us." He shook his head at the memory of the angry brunette. "That woman is mad, Drake. All of her hopes and fantasies come true if you're stuck with her."

Draco shuddered at the thought. Pansy was a close friend, but that's all he saw her as. Her several advances towards him over the years were annoying and childish in his eyes. He couldn't stand the thought of having a child (fake or not) wth her.

"Blimey, who knows what will happens if she sinks her claws into me? That woman will be picturing weddings and baby showers before we even start the blasted class," Draco groaned.

"Dumbledore has gone bonkers. This class only proves it," Blaise said. "How much of the article did you read?"

"Only the front page. Why?" Draco asked, sitting down in a chair across from his friend.

"I figured as much," Blaise muttered under his breath. "There's a lot of nonsense afterwards, but it mentioned that the living quarters will change. The 'families' will be living in dorms and share common rooms. All of the families will be like this, except the Head Boy and Girl. Those two will be paired together and live in their own personal quarters."

Draco's blood ran cold. "By default, the Head Boy and Girl are together?"

Blaise nodded. "It makes sense. The two role models of the school should be compatible." A smirk graced the Italian's face. "And you, Drake, is this year's Head Boy. Must I remind you about the bushy haired Head Girl?"

Horror crossed Draco's face and he stood up in alarm. "Blaise this better not be a bloody joke of yours!" He couldn't be stuck with her. She stood against everything he was brought up with. Not only was she a Gryffindor, but a muggle-born as well.

Blaise held his hands up and shook his head. He didn't even try to stifle his laughter at Draco's reaction. "I'm telling the truth, mate. You and the Gryffindor Princess are stuck together."

"This is bloody mad," Neville said. He leaned back in his seat and ran his hand through his hair. "'Mione, you must feel even worse about this."

Hermione frowned at her friend. "Excuse me?" Hermione placed the pitcher of lemonade onto the table and stood in front of Neville with a confused look. Ron immediately grabbed the pitcher and poured himself a glass, muttering a thank you to the witch.

Neville raised an eyebrow at the witch. He handed the copy of the Daily Prophet to Hermione. "Read page three, Hermione," he told her sympathetically.

The witch grabbed the paper and flipped to page three. "Living quarters...Head Boy and Head Girl..." she mumbled, skipping over a few words. "No," Hermione whispered after she was done. She shook her head and shoved the Daily Prophet back at Neville. Her head spun at the thought of him, the platinum haired Slytherin that has made her life miserable. He rivaled her in all of their studies, and loved to gloat when he bested her in a subject. Worst of all, he seemed to flaunt his money and blood-status everywhere he went. The word Mudblood was always used when he referred to her.

Hermione didn't realize that she was shaking until she felt arms being wrapped around her. A familiar musky scent filled her senses. Harry. "It's just a class, Hermione. None of it will be real," Harry whispered softly.

"I'll have to live with him, Harry," she whispered back.

Harry rubbed her back soothingly. "He won't hurt you. I'll make sure of it."

"'Oo on't 'urt 'Mi-on-e?" Ron asked between bites of his food. He washed down the food with the lemonade after the disdainful look Hermione sent him. "Pardon," he muttered with a small boyish smile. "Now what's this talk about some bloke? Do I have to beat the arse?"

The corners of Hermione's lips twitched up into a smile. "No, Ron. Not yet, anyways." She remembered the time when she used to picture the two of them together. She always had a crush on the mindless fool, but after it became obvious that he wasn't interested, she gave up. Having a boyfriend seemed to drift into the back of her mind since school became top priority. "And it's Malfoy. I'm paired with him for the parenting class."

Ron spewed out the lemonade in his mouth and began to laugh boisterously. "For a moment, it sounded like you said Malfoy!" he chortled. He began to laugh so hard that tears formed in his eyes. He couldn't believe that Hermione would be stuck with a stuck up Slytherin. Hermione was Hermione after all, and she deserved a lot more than Malfoy.

"Ronald!" Ginny hissed at her brother before punching his arm. "She's serious."

Ron's laughter died down and he shook his head. "No," he said firmly. "That prat can not possibly be with 'Mione!"

Luna hummed from her seat next to Neville. "I suppose it is a valid choice. You two do compliment each other," she said in a far away voice. She swayed slightly in her seat. "Perhaps this can be good."

Hermione wanted to agree with the blonde, but Luna seemed to be forgetting all of the horrible things Malfoy has done to all of them. "Perhaps..." she muttered, leaning against Harry for support.

"There are far worse choices," Ginny tried to reason, hoping to make light of the conversation like Luna. "He's not sore on the eyes, that's for sure. And he's brilliant like you." She smiled at Hermione, who slowly nodded in response.

The red haired witch was correct. Draco Malfoy was one of the most eligible bachelors in and out of Hogwarts. He had grown out of his lanky boyish body and matured (physically at least.) He practically oozed sex appeal. All of his qudditch practice seemed to come to good use. His hair was no longer slicked back, but cut shorter and left in an attractive mess. His pale skin finally grew some color, and drew taut against muscles he never had in his previous years. When Hermione had saw him over the summer in Diagon Alley, she couldn't believe her eyes. Draco Malfoy looked like a man.

"You would have cute babies," Luna added with a giggle.

Ron spewed out his drink again and swore under his breath. "Bloody hell. Enough about Draco Sodding Malfoy!"

"But it's true," Luna continued, oblivious to everyone's discomfort to the topic. "A girl with your hair and Malfoy's eyes would be gorgeous, though any child is beautiful."

"I think that's enough, Luna," Neville muttered.

The blonde ignored him. "Or with his blonde hair and your curls, with his eyes. Or your hair and eyes. Your nose will be better than Malfoy's. His is much to pointy for a child."

Ginny laughed at this, but Hermione merely flushed with discomfort and embarrassment. "Err..okay," Hermione said.

"Oh what if you actually do get married? Though you'd have to date first. Would Malfoy be a good boyfriend?"

"Enough, Luna!" Ron snapped. "Enough about Malfoy!"

Luna frowned, unsure of what she did wrong. "I wonder if he's any good in bed..."

A/N Hey! I'm back. I've been gone for awhile, and I'm sorry. I hope you guys liked the chapter! Sorry for any errors! Anyways... I'm already working of the second chapter.

Thanks for reading!

~KittyKat