AN: Hey guys! I know it has been forever, but I am posting this story because I am taking on a challenge from SlytherinPrincessxXx. Hope you guys like it! I am planning to actually finish this story! R&R, por favor! :)

Hermione Granger rounded the corner going into her final class of the first day of term. She desperately needed the break that started as soon as Potions was over. Hermione could almost sense the confidently cruel air about Snape that practically oozed, "Prepare yourselves. I am going to make your life a living hell."

Harry and Ron rushed in behind her after a few minutes, unknowingly late. "Twenty points from Gryffindor. I suggest you take your seats. Quickly." Harry and Ron rushed to sit down in either seat beside Hermione. Snape, still not having turned around from the front of the classroom, continued, "Not there. Ten points from Gryffindor for failing to follow instructions."

"But Professor—," Harry started, but Snape cut him off.

"Ten from Gryffindor for talking back. That is forty points you and Weasley have lost now. Shall we continue?" Snape drawled. Harry fumed in his seat, but said nothing. "Now, we will be brewing a Sleeping Draught with assigned partners over the weekend. I expect this potion to be bottled and ready for me at dinner Sunday evening. Do not even bother turning it in if it is incorrectly brewed. I will know." Her glared at Neville menacingly from above his hooked nose, his oily black hair hanging in his face.

Hermione bit her lip to keep herself from groaning with the rest of the class. Of course Snape would pick this weekend to assign such a difficult potion! It's not that she could not brew it: she was going to be stuck with Malfoy, Parkinson, or someone equally evil towards her.

"Longbottom—you're with Nott. Zabini—Weasley. Potter—Parkinson. Finnigan—Bulstrode. Granger—Malfoy. Thomas—Crabbe. Brown—Goyle. Patil—Greengrass. Get to work."

Hermione stared into space, not entirely shocked, but already beginning to dread the next forty-eight hours. Could this possibly get any worse?

Draco Malfoy shuddered in disgust when his godfather assigned him to the Mudblood. He knew how much he despised the little bookworm, especially after the punch she threw in his face in their third year. That wounded his dignity, and he was not going to let someone so much lower than him in society hold herself so high above him. Could this possibly get any worse?

Hermione looked back at Draco, surrounded by his friends, and waited on him to come over to her table, where there was actually room to work: something they would need. He smirked haughtily back at her, clearly indicating that he was not going to come to her. She would have to go to him. Sighing, Hermione gathered her books and stood, walking over to the group of Slytherins. "Can't take your eyes off of me, mudblood?" Draco sneered, causing all of his friends to snicker at her.

"If you're not going to cooperate with me, Malfoy, I will simply brew the potion by myself. I would much rather do it without you anyway," Hermione stated. She turned around and walked back to her original seat. Draco continued snickering away with his friends, hurling insults at her from behind. Ignoring the mocking Slytherins, she pulled out her Potions book and grabbed her cauldron from the back of the classroom. Reviewing the list of ingredients, flobberworm mucus, lavender, valerian sprigs, salamander blood, eye of newt, and several other things. She spent the entire class preparing the potion, but knew she would have to return in exactly two hours from the time that she had finished the first steps of brewing this potion.

Hermione had changed a lot after the war. She had grown up a little in appearance, her hair smoothing itself out and her barely existent body filling out in a quite flattering way. While her school wardrobe had not changed and her robes remained as baggy as ever, she knew that just because she hid behind her robes during school hours did not mean that she had to do it all the time. She knew that if she tried, she could actually put herself together quite nicely, after Ginny gave her a few tips. She now wore just a little bit of makeup to even out her skin tone and cover up her dark circles from studying late into the night. She had tried dating Ron for a few months, but they both discovered that they would not be a lasting couple. Hermione knew that by marrying him, she would be going directly against her mother's advice: Marry someone smarter than you. Ron was not unintelligent by any means, but she was top of their year, and he was not nearly up there with her.

Draco had not changed much at all in comparison. He was still the same Draco as ever, but he had changed a little physically. His hair had grown out slightly and was no longer slicked back, and he had gained a little muscle, making him a little thicker and healthier-looking. His arm still bore the slithering black mark of Voldemort's followers, and he still sneered and acted like he owned the world from his rich father's position, which no longer existed. In truth, the Malfoy family's assets had been frozen. His father had been investigated, found guilty, and the sentencing had yet to occur. His most likely sentence would be the Dementor's Kiss. Draco could not wrap his mind around it and had resorted to trying to live in his past ways. They were only a few days into the school year, but he had yet to fail in his ways. He still commanded the respect of most of Slytherin house.

Hermione plunked down on the bench across from Ron and Harry and next to Ginny. She had just come from the library, working on her Transfiguration essay for McGonagall. She checked her watch before hastily loading her plate up with a small dinner and eating with a speed that could rival Ron's on a good day. "What are you rushing for, Hermione? Dinner only just started a few minutes ago! It's not like it's going to run out any time soon!" Ron scolded, not liking how she seemed to have a head start over him in eating more than any natural person should.

She swallowed the last gulp of pumpkin juice and answered, "I need to be down in the dungeons within fifteen minutes to continue with the next step of my sleeping draught. If I don't get to it immediately, I am not going to be able to brew it properly by Sunday!" Hermione snapped, already irritated that she could not spend time with her friends even for a few minutes during dinner.

"Isn't Malfoy you're partner though, Hermione? Shouldn't he be helping you on this and running down there to work on this next part of it?" Harry asked, a tone of disgust leaking into his voice when he uttered the ferret's name.

"He isn't cooperating, so I'm going to brew it all myself. I don't care if he helps or not: I'm not going to let him get ahead of me just because I don't finish this potion." Hermione continued eating what was left of her food.

Draco watched bemusedly as Granger sat down with that group of blood traitors and proceeded to stuff her face, reminding him of the pig that Weasley was every night. Weasley asked her something, and she snapped back at him before continuing to eat. Potter then asked her another question, and Granger answered him in a less stand-offish attitude. She checked her watch one last time before sprinting off when he realized where she would be headed: the dungeons, to work on the potion.

Thinking this would be an opportune time to catch the mudblood by surprise and get some extra points in Potions, he followed her. Gathering his books, he made a quick but stealthy exit from the Slytherin table and hoped that Pansy did not notice who he happened to be exiting the Great Hall after. He turned in the direction he figured she had gone, cast a quick Disillusionment charm on himself, and took off after Granger who had already gained a very large head start.

Finally catching up to her, he watched as she took the conventional way to the Potions classroom. Being Snape's godson did have one perk: No matter how late he was running, he would never arrive late to his Potions lecture. He knew of a secret passage that took one from the entrance of the dungeons to the classroom by stepping through one door hidden in the bricks and exiting out a narrow shaft in an alcove hidden right next to the classroom. He removed the disillusionment charm and hid himself in the shadows, waiting for the telltale curly head to come rushing in here and start working on the potion. He smirked as Hermione walked by him, unknowingly coming inches from his reach. Now, he would wait.