Chapter One

It was the first day into our sixth year and Ron, Harry, and I were all strolling down to our Muggle Studies class together, which unfortunately we were sharing with the Slytherins.

"Honestly, how does one think we can actually work with those smarmy gits?" Ron asked for the umpteenth time that day.

            Fortunately we were at the door to the classroom so Ron was silenced.

"Welcome class!  Take a seat!" The professor called out.

            It was amusing to see the classroom had muggle looking posters hanging up on the walls, there were pencils, pens, and paper on each desk, and the professor herself was wearing muggle clothes.

"I cannot believe this pathetic course is actually required." A familiarly annoying voice drawled through the room.

            The three of us all stiffened, and slowly turned towards where the noise was coming from to see Draco Malfoy leaning up against the bookshelves with some of his Slytherin friends.

"No.  Bloody.  Way." Ron said with his jaw hanging open.

            Sadly Malfoy caught sight of us and I watched with apprehension as his regular smirk took over his features.

"Interesting Weasley, how that look seems to improve your features."

            Harry and I each grabbed the back of Ron's robes and dragged him over to the other side of the room.  We each took our seats in individual desks as Harry and I watched with utter amusement as students with no muggle heritage picked up the pencils by the erasers, using as little fingers and contact as necessary.

"What, are these?" Ron asked disdainfully holding a pen up as if it carried the plague.

"That's a pen Ron, ink comes out of the top of it for writing." Harry tried to explain without cracking up.

"Honestly, muggles have the weirdest objects."

            Before Harry or I could retort, the teacher clapped her hands for attention.

"Welcome to Muggle Studies!  I assure you it will beneficial in its aspects for when the day comes when you have to manage in the muggle world."

            I could hear a distinct snigger from the side of the room, obviously from a certain blonde haired Malfoy.

"Today however, I wish not to fill your heads up with facts and figures, but rather visualizations.  I'll be showing you and allowing you to handle muggle objects, but you must be careful since for safety reasons many of them have been charmed." She explained further on.

            We all walked up to the front of the room and waited for her to hand us something to examine.  I watched as things ranging from cardboard boxes, to handheld metal finders, to pop cans were handed out.  I was handed handcuffs, Harry was handed a guitar, and Ron was handed a stuffed animal that squawked when you pressed its arm.

"Why on earth would anyone want this?" Ron cried out, knitting his eyebrows together as the stuffed animal began to make noise.

            Harry and I just grinned as I wrapped one of the cuffs on my wrist, making sure to not lock it, as the professor made it perfectly clear she didn't have the keys for it.  About a moment later I felt a strong tug on my arm, and was suddenly yanked back, to hear a clang behind me.

            Whirling around I saw Malfoy behind me, having a cross between a smug look and yet an utterly confused one.

"What do you think you're doing?" I asked trying to pull my arm free but to no avail.

            Looking down I groaned as I saw in his hands a rather large magnet.

"Get away from me mudblood!" Malfoy bellowed trying to pull his magnet free, but my handcuffs stayed in place.

"I would have already if you're idiotic charmed magnet hadn't attracted my metal handcuffs!" I declared, but inwardly smacking myself as to how Malfoy would have no idea how the two would coincide.

"Arg!  That's it!" Malfoy yelled whipping out his wand.

            As he was muttering a spell, the Professors yells, my shriek, and Harry and Ron's bellows flittered the classroom.  All of a sudden there was a red light, billowing black smoke, and silence.

            Coughing I used my hand to cut through the smoke while trying to wipe my eyes.  When I lifted my wrist up I felt an added weight to it and a distinct,

"What…?"

            Gasping I slowly ran my hand over the hand that was already cuffed, over the cool metal of the handcuff, and nearly screamed when I felt another human hand after that.

"Don't touch me!" Malfoy hollered.

"YOU STUPID PRAT!" I screamed as the smoke cleared.

            I watched as he looked down and his face became even paler, if that's possible, at the sight.  The teacher came stomping over with an angry scowl on her face and pointed a finger at Malfoy while saying,

"I remember myself distinctly telling you NOT to perform magic on these CHARMED object seeing as how the spells would simply BACKFIRE!"

            I closed my eyes and raised my un-cuffed hand to my forehead, feeling slightly dizzy from the smoke still.

"What do we do now?" I pleaded her after a moment or so.

"There is nothing we can do until I go back to the store and buy the key that goes with it.  Not only was there already a spell placed on it, but also now there's another one that backfired.  For the safety of both of your hands, I do not want anyone tampering with these handcuffs using magic.  Do you hear me?" She asked sternly.

            We both sullenly nodded our heads before I asked once more,

"When will you be able to go to the store once more?"

            She gave me a sad look and finally told us,

"I got them on a trip to America this summer."

"WHAT?" Malfoy yelled letting his jaw go slack.

"I'm afraid until I go back to America to get this specific key, you're stuck."

"But…but…but!  Why can't we just go to some stores in London and see if they have the same make and or model of these handcuffs.  Or what of a locksmith?" I asked desperately.

"It goes against codes of the Ministry of Magic to have muggles tampering with charmed objects.  Also these are rather special handcuffs and without the certain and specific key, they won't open."

            With that she walked off while Malfoy and I stared at each other in complete and unadulterated hate.

"I'm sorry Hermione, that's rotten luck." Harry said coming up beside me while Ron and he shot heated glares at Malfoy as his friends joined us as well in the middle.

"Take you're seats class, write down what you see and observe of your objects.  I want one page done by the end of class." The professor told us.

            Without thinking Malfoy and I both began to move to our original seats, only to be brought back together in the middle.

"Listen here mudblood, we are sitting with my friends." Malfoy said glaring down at me.

"HA!  Doubtful!" I shouted back.

            I shrank back slightly as his glare intensified only to be brought back as Malfoy held still.

"BOTH OF YOU TAKE A SEAT IN THE MIDDLE!" The Professor yelled, clearly put out by our behavior on the first day of school.

            Grumbling we both walked to the middle of the room, and at the easily cold look Malfoy gave two younger Slytherins, we had our seats.  Trying to write proved to be a difficult task, since it was my left one and his right one cuffed together, which he needed.  Consequently I was constantly being yanked by the arm, which I began to see was on purpose.

"Knock it off!" I hissed at him in a low whisper.

            He in turn gave me a smug look and continued on with his writing in the same manner.  Finally getting fed up with it, I quickly scraped my desk over to his, about a centimeter away, but the quick action seemed to surprise Malfoy since he hollered out a yelp, and fell out of the side of his desk onto the floor.

            Before I could even get a chuckle in, I gasped as my arm was yanked down as well and was unceremoniously pulled on top of him.

"FOR GOD'S SAKE!" The Professor yelled.

            I watched with amusement as Malfoy gave her a strange look and said,

"For whose sake?"

            Pretty soon the chuckling of our predicament flooded the room as Malfoy and I stood up.

"That was all your fault mudblood." He snarled as we took our seats again.

"Get over yourself Malfoy, I merely brought my desk closer since you seemed to have the dire need to yank my arm to and fro."

            Finally the teacher cut in with clear annoyance in her eyes and spoke clearly yet tightly,

"Go and see Professor Dumbledore.  NOW."

            Thirty minutes later we were trudging out of Dumbledore's office with sour looks on our faces.  Every other day we were to switch schedules with each other so our schoolwork would even out until our teacher was able to get the key.  We would be sleeping in the infirmary so Madame Pomfrey would be able to look over us as she set up her own quarters in there as well.

"This is nutters." I muttered as we made our way to charms with the Gryffindors, since this was my day for the schedule.

            Upon entering the classroom, very distasteful looks were thrown to Malfoy, who eagerly returned them, while I made my with to Ron and Harry with Malfoy grudgingly in tow.

"Hullo Hermione." Ron said grinning brightly and moving over to make room.

            I offered him a weak smile, as the Professor Flitwick went onto explain the intricate charm we were to perform.  Naturally I got the charm right away, to the disgruntlement of Malfoy, and I was left sitting at my desk, alone…with Malfoy…for the remainder of class.

"I cannot believe you did this." I murmured darkly.

            He slowly turned his head towards me so I could see his icy dark eyes, but he offered nothing, his spiteful eyes were enough for me to understand his resentment to his stupidity as well.  Although he would never phrase the situations place of blame in such a way.

"Hermione, c'mon!" Ron called hailing me over towards him, completely adamant about ignoring Malfoy as much as possible

            Classes went on in this way and pretty soon I found myself relieved that dinnertime was now.  The only problem was that Dumbledore never assigned the table we would be eating at, so now it was up in the air.

"We're eating with my table." Malfoy announced as we entered the Great Hall.

            I stopped on my spot and whirled around with fire in my eyes and retorted,

"I'd loose my appetite if I was forced to eat with such a sight."

            I took an instant step back as he glared menacingly towards me, but was quickly saved as Ron and Harry came up behind me.

"C'mon Hermione, saved you a seat." Harry said taking my elbow.

            Before I could interject however, Malfoy spoke up in my place,

"She isn't eating with you and your clan of ignorant buffoons Potter."

            He began to pull me towards the Slytherin table but as I threw a desperate look to Ron and Harry, they instantly grabbed both of my arms.

"The hell she is." Ron cursed causing Malfoy to spin around and growl.

"I have spent too much time as it is with your ineptness of forming anything close to an intelligent conversation." Malfoy all but snarled.

            Without even waiting for a response, he bent at the knees, and picked me up over his shoulders.

"PUT.  ME.  DOWN." I yelled as the whole hall watched on with slacked jaws as the Draco Malfoy carried Hermione Granger across the hall.

            I was completely surprised at the strength Malfoy had as he very easily carried me towards his table.  He finally sat me down in front of the table full of glaring Slytherins and I smirked at him stating,

"If you actually think that would work in sitting me down at this table, you're more dim-witted then I thought."

            I could hear the growls emanating from his fellow Slytherins.

"SIT." He said in a cold and stern voice.

            Deciding I didn't want to anger him any more then he was, I sighed and plopped down on the bench as he gracefully slid in.  The one thing I noticed while sitting there was that the Slytherins didn't talk, they ate and that was it as there was nothing personal about sitting together for a meal.  Throughout the meal my arm was jerked to and fro as he reached and grabbed for things on the table.  Finally getting completely fed up, I did something about it.

            While he was bringing his goblet up to drink from, I jerked my left hand up as quick as I could, and watched as he dumped his whole drink on himself.  The table went quiet as they watched his slowly turn himself towards me, while I innocently pretended to be fixing my hair.

"Good heavens Malfoy, I thought you'd know how to drink with proper etiquette."

            He slowly placed the goblet down and with a flick of his wand cleared himself of the drink.  He stood up gracefully, roughly yanked me from my seat at the bench, and literally dragged me out of the hall.

            Once we were outside he turned and quickly shoved me against the wall, pinning me there with his body and arms.

"I don't know who the bloody hell you think you are but I can assure you that you are not immune to my rage."

            He said in a threatening voice.

"Is that supposed to frighten me?" I asked trying to hide my uneasiness.

"In a minute, why don't you inform me of that." He hissed as he pinned my hands up above my head.

            Before he could do anything however, the double doors sprang open and I sighed with relief as I saw Harry and Ron glaring at Malfoy.

"The hell are you doing?" Ron snarled yanking me away from him, but with Malfoy chained at the other end of my hand, I was stopped in the middle.

"Nothing of your concern Weasley." Malfoy snarled back.

            And with that he spun on his heel and began to walk away, dragging me with him.

"STOP!" I yelled grabbing onto a nearby gargoyle, trying desperately to stop him.

            He whirled around with fire in his eyes as Ron and Harry ran up behind me.

"We're leaving.  Now." He spoke with controlled anger.

"I'm not going anywhere alone with you!" I yelled out.

            He leveled his gaze at me and picked me up over his shoulders again while Ron and Harry cried out in defense.

"Put her down!" Harry yelled.

"You aren't cuffed to her Potter, leave it be." He said threatening me and jabbed his shoulder upwards to readjust me, causing to me to fall hard on his shoulder blade.

"Knock it off Malfoy!" I shouted trying to spring free but he was just too strong for me.

            He swiftly turned around so I could see Harry and Ron raising their wands at the same time.

"Ron!  Harry!  NO!" I cried out desperately causing Malfoy to turn around.

            I could hear him mutter exasperatedly,

"Oh bloody hell."

            He swiftly dropped me and gripped me by my shoulders placing me in front of him so I would get the bunt end of it.  Ron and Harry seeing this immediately cut their spells short with wide eyes.

"YOU UNBERABLE PRAT!" I shouted turning towards Malfoy and began to pound my fists against his hard chest in rage that he would actually perform a stunt like that.

             He simply just smirked and grabbed my hands in his and began to drag me away.  Seeing that I wasn't moving as quickly as he wanted me to, he bent down and wrapped an arm underneath my legs, and put another one behind my back, and hoisted me up in his arms.

"I CAN WALK!" I yelled kicking my legs around as Harry and Ron ran forth.

"Not as fast as I need you to mudblood, now stop kicking!" He said sternly.

            Before anything else could happen Professor Snape walked out and hissed,

"WHAT, is going on here?"

            Ron, Harry, and I all groaned at the same time to the amusement of Malfoy.

"Well Professor I'm sure you've heard about my rather unfortunate predicament.  However I simply wished to retire to the infirmary so I could sleep but Granger wouldn't comply to my wishes so I resorted to this." He explained lifting his arms up higher as if presenting me to Snape.

            Snape's mouth twisted into a smirk and nodded his head while placing a hand on each of Ron and Harry's back.

"And why are you two out here?  No need to assume that you are causing more mayhem?"

"They seemed hell-bent on not letting me retire to the infirmary." Malfoy supplied innocently.

"Very well, Potter and Weasley, you're to come back to the Great Hall with me." Snape said and began to steer them away.

            I could hear their fading arguments until I was once again alone with Malfoy.  I began squirming around in his strong hold to his utmost annoyance.  He continued on his stride, even with my reluctance.  I was surprised when he was easily able to carry me up all the stairs without even breaking a sweat.

            We finally walked through the infirmary doors as Malfoy finally found it safe to drop me roughly on my feet.  Madame Pomfrey came out and directed us towards the corner of the room we would be sharing.

"Now even after the disagreement of how this would work, we found it impossible to not have you share a bed." She explained cautiously.

            The both of us turned towards her with complete fury on our faces but Malfoy spoke out first,

"WHAT?" He bellowed and I watched with surprise as Madame Pomfrey actually winced at his harsh tone.

"I'm sorry Mr. Malfoy, but you both would be rather uncomfortable with the short distance between your two hands." She said as we followed her to the back corner.

            After a few minutes, we both looked at the bed as if it was our deathbed.

"There is no way I will be sharing sleeping quarters with something like you." He said turning towards me with clear disdain on his face.

"And why would you think I'd like to share anything with you, you…you inbreed!"

            He stepped forward menacingly at the insult, causing me to take on back at the intenseness in his eyes.  By the time it was well past time for bed, we were still standing beside the bed glaring at each other.

"This is silly!" I finally cried out exasperated and climbed into the right side of the bed since I couldn't crawl over to the left.

"What do you think you're doing?" Malfoy cried out incredulously.

"If you have no inkling to what I'm doing you are thicker then I thought." I grumbled.

            I practically yelped with surprise as I felt the bed dip at his added weight and something warm come across my waist.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" I yelled turning over to face him.

            He gave me a withering look and said dryly,

"If you haven't noticed mudblood, your left hand and my right hand are cuffed together.  With you laying on your left side, my right arm came over you, now if you would induce some of your intelligence you'd see we need to switch sides so I have no further need to touch you?"

            Sighing I got up and laid on the left side of the bed, slowly falling into a sleepless sleep.