Are You Late?

This is going to be my first multi-chapter story, and I am so excited! I hope I did a good job, and I cannot wait to write more! Dramione forever!

Me: Pray tell me, Draco. Who owns Harry Potter?

Draco: Not you.

Me: Exactly my point.

Today was the first day of classes, and Hermione Jean Granger was rushing down the halls.

It wasn't that she overslept, or forgot her books. That was what normal people did. She was tripped by the big Slytherin buffoon, Gregory Goyle, on her way to Potions. It was double Potions with the Slytherins, so Goyle should have already been there, not lurking in the halls, tripping innocent Gryffindors.

She scowled as she remembered his stupid, smirking face walking down the hall after tripping her and kicking her books askew.

~Flashback~

Hermione woke up extra early that day, her first day of lessons. Of course, she had Double Potions with the Slytherins first, but she would manage. It was no doubt all in spirit of inter-house unity.

And of course, some Slytherins didn't care for said unity.

She was rounding a corner not too far from the entrance to the Great Hall, when a big foot came out of nowhere and caused her to fall face flat onto the floor.

She looked up to see the fat, smirking face of Gregory Goyle, resident stupid, Slytherin bully.

He kicked her books out of her bag and spread them all about the hall. Before she could even react, he had run, rather swiftly for quite a bulky frame, mind you, away, down the hall to Potions.

She had to quickly dust herself off and collect her books before she could run off to class.

~End Flashback~

And here she was now, sprinting as fast as her petite legs could carry her.

She ran and ran, clutching her book bag tightly, as to not let its contents spill out.

She was mere feet away from the entrance to the dungeons, when the bell rang.

"Ms. Granger, you're late," said Professor Slughorn.

"I'm sorry, Professor. I had a bit of... trouble in the hallways," she stated, glaring daggers at at the back of the classroom where the aforementioned trouble was seated.

"Well, I'll have to take five points from Gryffindor for that, Ms. Granger. Now go take the last empty seat over there," the Professor said, gesturing toward the left of the class, in the front row.

She followed his finger and found her looking at the one and only Head Boy. And she had to work on her potion with him.

She sighed.

"Okay, Professor," she mumbled, trudging up to the seat and sitting down.

"Pray tell, Miss Head Girl, why were you late?" her partner smirked.

She pointedly ignored him and tried to focus on Slughorn's speech.

"The people you are seated with shall be your partners for the rest of term, okay class?"

Nearly everyone groaned at that bit of news.

"I will not be assigning new ones until after Christmas break and I will not stand for any complaints," he said professionally. After a short pause, he began to speak slowly and very clearly, as if he were speaking to a child.

"You are stuck with them."

Hermione honestly thought that the war could have possibly left Slughorn a mite... barmy.

"Graaanger," her partner drawled, prodding her on the arm with his wand. "You haven't answered me," he continued in a sing song tone.

"Shut up, Malfoy. I'm trying to pay attention," she hissed.

"Today," Slughorn started, "We will be brewing Amortentia," he announced.

The class groaned yet again.

Not only was the scent intoxicating and very distracting, it was an incredibly complex process.

There were mutters if complaint from nearly every corner if the dungeons.

"Now, now, class. Settle down. Turn to page 237 in your books. I expect to have a finished vial with you and your partner's names on it by the end of class."

He clapped his hands together twice. "You may begin."

Hermione opened her book to said page and quickly read the ingredients list.

"You are going to help, right Malfoy?" she asked politely.

The blonde tolled his eyes. "Yea, whatever, Granger," he drawled, lazily perusing through page 237 of his book.

"Just go do your bookworm, know it all thing and get the ingredients," he commanded, swatting her away, not even bothering to look at her.

She sighed.

This was going to be a long lesson, she thought to herself.

Read, Rock, Review

-A. S. Malfoy