Hermione stretched, sitting up in bed. What time had I gone to sleep? She thought, planting her feet off of the bed and standing up. A little after Mr. Big shot got in my way, I guess.

Today was to be another average day at Hogwarts. First day to classes, most of which she had with Harry and Ron, and most likely Draco Malfoy. No matter, she could ignore everyone's snickers like always. It wasn't too extreme when other students made fun of her, but every so often it would get out of hand.

She pulled on ankle high, black boots and a robe. She had taken a shower the night before and put on all of the clothes needed for the next day, as to not waste any time the next morning. She already had her supplies ready, so she grabbed it in her arms and went down to the common room where Harry and Ron were waiting.

"She is actually on time!" Ron gasped grabbing Harry's shoulder.

"I must say, this year may be looking up after all!" Harry joined in on the sarcastic act, "Ron, I'm scared!"

"Please," Hermione replied, rolling her eyes, "I'm always ready when it comes to school! In case you two have forgotten, my finals last year were the highest Hogwarts has ever lived to see."

"Well you had to bring those finals up," Ron muttered, scratching the back of his neck.

"Every year I am shocked you two get a minimal passing grade and make it to the next year!" Hermione said, walking out of the common room.

"Well, like we say, test don't bother us. We don't bother them. And if they do bother us, we get angry and have a fit and fail on purpose for the lack or the test's kindness," Ron stated clearly, acting as though they barely passed a test on purpose.

"Well then, keep it up. Maybe Mr. Finals will go easy on you this year," Hermione replied walking downstairs to the main hall. Everyone was already sitting down when Dumbledore stood up to make his usual morning announcements.

"Good morning, students, good morning! I expect you all slept well and are ready for the New Year of learning?" Groaning and sleepy eyes answered Dumbledore, everyone apparent that they wanted to go back to sleep or summer vacation. "Good! So, as to what I was explaining yesterday at dinner, we have randomly chosen the four selected students to attend Riverbanks Public High School, except the age range has been shortened. This will be a yearly ritual for one student from each house for now on, for the magic folk to understand the ways and district of muggles alike! Half a year you will be there, and a full report will be given to your peers, I expect! But, if you are chosen, you have the chance to object and pass the opportunity on to another house mate."

Dumbledore walked to the front of the stage to announce the four student's names. He snapped his fingers once there and in his hands appeared a yellow, old piece of parchment. "In alphabetical order, from Gryffindor, Hermione Granger!"

The Gryffindor table erupted in applause while Hermione blushed and tried hiding her head from all of the extra attention she was being given. Harry and Ron seemed a little down, but smiled for her sake. "Second, Susan Bones of Hufflepuff!"

The Hufflepuff table then exploded in cheers and claps; Susan Bones beaming with satisfaction, unlike Hermione. "Next, from Ravenclaw, Terry Boot!"

Like the others, the Ravenclaw table cheered Terry on with pats on the back, while Terry looked like he had just been handed a baby from the infirmary. "And last but never least, Pansy Parkinson from Slytherin!"

But the Slytherin table, unlike the others, only laughed and pointed at Pansy for being chosen to attend a muggle school. She blushed and glared at Dumbledore furiously, not looking at all pleased. She had just turned from most popular to mudblood lover in less than a minute.

"If anyone has any objections, please see me after breakfast. Further instructions will be given to the four chosen ones at that time as well. Thank you, and have a pleasant year at Hogwarts Witchcraft and Wizardry!" Dumbledore finished, going back to his seat to eat. Suddenly, the tables filled with food like always year after year, and Harry and Ron did their yearly ritual: stuff as many things as you can in your mouth.

"I do not see what is with you two and food! You act as though they don't feed you around here!" Hermione exclaimed, sipping a bit of pumpkin juice and setting it back down from the sudden loss of appetite. What was she ever going to do the entire year at a muggle school? She did remember going to elementary, like most students did before attending Hogwarts, and still remembered some math, but this was to be an entirely different setting! High School. The name by itself sounded eerie and wretched. Though remembering a line from Edgar Allan Poe's poem, Lenore, 'A vaunt! To-night my heart is light. No dirge will I upraise, but the waft the angel on her flight with paean of old days!' That was her favorite line and she had made sure to remember it clearly. Maybe if she kept to remembering it, it would make her happier during the year.

~~~~~~

Hermione gathered up her stuff in one arm as everyone began to head down to their first class; Harry and Ron staying behind with her. "Be sure to tell us when you're leaving, okay? Come right to us if is today!" Harry instructed her with worried eyes.

"Yeah, here's our schedule. Just burst in and bring us out. And I mean it, hopefully the professor we have by then will feel so bad for us they'll let us take the day off!" Ron added, handing Hermione a piece of parchment with a mess of numbers and letters that would most likely take more than five minutes to clearify.

"It will most likely be tomorrow or something to that extent!" Hermione reassured them. They nodded and bid her good-bye as she stayed behind with Susan, Terry, and Pansy.

"I can not like go to like a muggle school! My like reputation as a like Slytherin will be like ruined! I like demand to be taken off of that like list!" Pansy demanded, stomping her foot to Dumbledore as he was about to leave.

"As you wish, Ms. Parkinson! You only needed to ask," he replied with a smile, pulling the list back out.

Hermione walked up to them with Susan and frowned, adding, "And I highly suggest you lengthen your vocabulary, Pansy."

"Who asked you?" Pansy snapped, cringing then turning back to Dumbledore.

"I found someone who can take your place surely enough, Ms. Parkinson. Draco Malfoy, is he still here?" He looked around at the Slytherin table, only to find Draco with his jaw dropped, along with everything else he possessed. "I suppose he hear..."

Pansy smirked, sticking her tongue out at Draco and laughed, "HAHA!" And with her revolting grin, she strutted out of the main hall with her nose stuck up higher than an elephant on dope.

"Excuse ME?" Draco nearly shouted, not bothering to pick up his supplies, stalking towards Dumbledore. "I refuse to go to some muggle loving school with other teenage idiots that define the decaying of the world's ecosystem!"

"Well, Mr. Malfoy, would you rather be excluded from the ecosystem all year here or learn something new there?" Dumbledore asked curiously.

Draco's face slowly turned from outrage to agreeable, remembering why all of the Slytherins hate him now. Mumbling to himself and shuffling his feet, he looked to the ground and groaned, "Fine. But only for half a year and I refuse to socialize with such insolence." He snapped his head over to Hermione as she giggled. Once she realized he was burning a glare right through her she looked up, shutting her mouth. "What is so funny, Granger?"

"It's nothing. I'm just not used to you having such intelligent quips," Hermione replied, clutching onto her books tightly.

"Yes, and I find just EVERYTHING you state all too extraordinary," Draco snapped, turning back to Dumbledore.

"When are we to leave?" Terry Boot asked, stepping up to Draco.

"Tomorrow morning at seven a.m. You do not have to go to classes today, that would be a waste of time. So you can stay in your common rooms if you like for the rest of the day. Hopefully you guys have not unpacked yet. You will live in an apartment in London during which time and share a room with the same sex as you. A professor will escort you along the way. River Banks High School begins Thursday (that day being Tuesday) so I suggest you catch up on your beauty sleep," Dumbledore told them, nodded his head and leaving the main hall.

"What was that about?" Hermione snapped at Draco, taking him by surprise.

"Define what part of the conversation," Draco replied smuggly, glaring at the other two and storming out of the main hall as well, holding his shoulders in an uptight position. Hermione groaned furiously and stalked after him, equally as stubborn as he was.

"What is with this sudden outcast aura I feel from you? You suddenly understand what it feels like to be left out? Welcome to the real world and spit it out, why does Slytherin HATE you now? Are you too coward to confess?" Hermione bombarded him with questions, speed walking up to him as he pulled his black robe tighter around his neck.

"Why do you give a shit all of a sudden? I shouldn't have to matter to you or any of your precious, gay friends!" Draco replied, making loud smacks of the ground each time he stepped with his huge combat boots.

"Please, if we are going to have to live together under the same roof for now on, I should at least demand a few things. Wait, I get it, you are a coward! A queer, shadowed coward!" She replied, stamping a foot in front of him and folding her arms.

"I am NOT a coward, you stubborn brat! It's just my father made a few... Let's just say a few dastardly decisions that had cost him his fortune and a place next to Voldemort's throne. Pleased?" Draco spat, stopping in front of her.

"Pleased but unfulfilled. Which reminds me, how can you keep such a solemn, 'beware of me' expression, which still shows that you are content yet, unfulfilled?" She replied, as both were acting quite contrary.

Draco completely changed his expression and chuckled lightly, crossing his arms over his chest, "How do you do the same?" Hermione was fuming as he continued to act natural and sly to the argument at hand. "Has any one ever told you that you look entirely sexy when you’re mad?" He brushed a piece of hair out of her eyes playfully, messing with her.

That’s when he crossed the line, "Get the hell away from me, you sadistic fuck! I thought it wouldn’t be too impossible to live with you but now… ERRAGHH!" Hermione snapped, slapping his hand away.

"Like wise. Although I just LOVE to be screamed at in my face, Hermione, I would rather be spending the day sharpening up on my muggle skills and lessons for the high school," Draco smirked and brushed past Hermione, walking more easily down the hall.

"Never call me Hermione again!" She shouted down the corridor.

"It is your name, isn’t it?" Draco replied, peering over his shoulder. Hermione kicked the wall angrily, so mad she could pull out all of her thick layers of hair, until suddenly someone tapped heron her shoulder. Behind her she found Terry.

"Um, he left his stuff behind," he said, motioning for Hermione to take it.

~~~~~~

Well, well, well. Let’s see what we have here, Hermione thought with a sneer, letting Draco’s stuff scatter on her desk. It was all in a brown, leather book bag with a few books tossed atop of it. She was never one to steal, but when it came to HIM, the rules didn’t apply.

She looked at the first few books, which were The Lottery, The Giver, and An Interview with a Vampire. A few on her top choices, but that didn’t change the fact that she still hated him! Although Harry and Ron wouldn’t be caught dead with any of those books, even if they did, not all at the same time anyway. She looked on to the next few books that were for his classes to come and other supplies such as quills and many sheets of parchment. A few ticket stubs were stuck to the bottom of his leather bag (which the bag seemed leather) for a Shakespeare play, A Midsummer’s Night Dream.

So the boy has humor and a love for true art, including the classic Shakespeare play, Hermione thought eloquently, grabbing a crumpled up piece of parchment. It seemed like that a poem he had written down before, entitled ‘A Prick from a Daisy’. She began reading it silently, hoping he was as good as a poet he is a good judge of a book.

Dazzling Daisy planted in ashes

Eyes glowing danger with raven lashes

Freedom flickering with your fire

Yet captive inside from all who laugh

Would care less for thy’s attire

So lost alike a baby calf

Trample, crumple, and stamp on thy hopes

More than me, I can see right through thee

So innocent and free yet she mopes

Dazzling Daisy planted in hell

Fires scream but she failed and fell.

It was as beautiful and dark yet seemed so true, that she furrowed her brow most frustratingly. The last thing she wanted was to like and understand Draco, so she tried remembering all of those times he had made her angry. But none of them helped and she frowned, stuffing his materials back in the leather shoulder backpack. She would have to give him back his books tomorrow, but she kept the poem.

~~~~~~

A vaunt! To-night my heart is light. No dirge will I upraise, but the waft the angel on her flight with paean of old days! Hermione had thought as she had drifted off into a peaceful sleep the night before, dreaming nothing. She wondered if the brain system just turned off entirely until it was time for you to remember to wake up. If it was, she hated it. She liked to dream and fly and drive cars to anywhere she pleased. Dreaming was such a gift, better than reality. In a dream, you can do anything you want, but nothing too much. A dream always meant something, so she supposed if you were not to dream you would not have anything to be reminded or warned about. She knew she had plenty to worry and be warned about, but apparently her mind didn’t agree.

Stretching out of bed yet again, she rubbed her eyes roughly. She was still a little groggy, so her eyes itched badly. She hated it when that happened, since it never seemed to go away. The other girls had probably already woken up and left to the common room to gossip about the most unimportant and air-headed topics their close minds could think up. Laughing a bit to herself in spite of that rude comment, she stood up and yanked on a set of new clothes and shoes to go downstairs herself.

She then remembered she had to go to Riverbanks High tomorrow and leave on a train to London today.

Damn it, she cursed in her head, looking over to her suitcases. She groaned and picked them up, making sure she had everything and dragged them downstairs to the common room.

Harry and Ron looked up mournfully as they watched her drag her stuff towards them.

"I can’t believe you’re going away for almost a year, and with MALFOY of all diseased rats!" Ron exclaimed, resting his head on his fist.

"That just ruined ALL of our plans this year!" Harry added, slumping.

"Don’t worry, you guys! I will be fine, and you two will live," Hermione reassured them as she plopped down on a cushion, "and it’s too early to go on that stupid train!"

"Welcome to my world," Harry replied, sitting down next to her, "Now that I’m the new captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch team, I have to get up earlier than I ever had to!"

"How could you stand it for three years?! Being a beater is fun but the time we have to get up is ridiculous!" Ron asked him, sitting on the other side of Hermione.

"Well, it’s time to go now," Hermione sighed, getting back up and grabbing her suitcases again. "I’m going to miss you guys. But don’t worry, I’ll be back after Christmas!"

Harry and Ron looked down mournfully, only hoping she would have some sudden reason to stay. "Bye, Mione," They gave their farewell.

Hermione smiled a little and stepped forward to kiss both of them on the cheek, "Bye!" She walked wistfully out of the common room and down the stairs all of the way to the door of the main hall. Susan told me we had to wait out here, so where is everyone? Hermione thought. Cringing, she saw Draco come down the corridor in his green, Slytherin Quidditch uniform with gloves and all. All he was carrying was his broom and he looked a bit winded.

"Um, Draco where is your stuff?" Hermione asked curiously as he stopped in front of her. Draco’s eyes turned from tired to wide.

"Oh yea!" He recalled as he turned the other direction again to the Slytherin common room. Hermione only shook her head and stifled a laugh. Susan Bones came down the other corridor with her suitcases, unlike some people.

"Hey, Hermione!" She greeted, setting down her suitcases as well, "Guess what I heard?"

"You heard that you and Hermione will be sharing a room as Draco and I will be sharing a room in a big apartment in London," Terry finished for her, coming up from behind and setting his suitcases down. "Though I hope you two won’t make a complete mess of yourselves and the apartment. I’ll have to teach Draco that a clean room is a super happy room!"

"Me, unorganized? Wait, maybe I am, so I’ll probably need a lesson," Susan told him, turning to Hermione.

"You’re a big clean freak, correct?" Hermione asked him with a grin.

"Correction, organized organism is how I like to put it," Terry replied. His suitcases told it all, they were spotless and neatly closed with not one spec of dust on it.

"I see you all are getting along well, I see?" A familiar voice said. They looked up, then looked down.

"Professor Flitwick?" Hermione asked, confused, "Who is teaching Divination then?"

"A burly man, Professor Black! Though I’m shocked to find that every student steers clear of him!" Professor Flitwick replied, looking around, "There is only three of you! Where is the other student?"

As he said it, Draco came running down the hall with his suitcases in each hand, Milady running in front of him proudly. The cat stopped in front of Terry and looked up at him with her big, watery eyes, rubbing up against his leg.

"Goodness!" Terry shouted, stepping back and pulling out a tissue to wipe off his cat hairs, "I am allergic to cats!"

"I’m…here…" Draco panted throwing down his suitcases and dropping to the ground, Milady coming up to him and scratching his cheek as to say, "Get up!"

"Fantastic! Now we need to go to the carriages!" Professor Flitwick advised, leading the way out of Hogwarts. Draco groaned, still in his Quidditch uniform, and slowly dragged himself back up to his feet, attempting to grab his suitcases.

"I can carry them if you’re too tired, Draco," Hermione insisted, stepping forward.

"No, I can handle a few suitcases!" He snapped, picking them up and following the short professor slowly.

"Ok," mumbled Hermione, following him.

Terry, Susan, Draco, and Hermione got into one carriage as Professor Flitwick got into one all by himself. "Now this just isn’t fair," Draco broke their silence sarcastically as the carriage began pulling off.

"Agreed!" Terry replied, taking his tissue and feathering his seat, making it ‘sanitary’.

"I’m sharing a compartment with Hermione!" Susan claimed, raising her hand.

"Are you kidding me? I’m not sharing a clean compartment with him! He’d make it dirty!" Terry protested, looking Draco up from down.

"There’s no way I’m sharing a compartment with Mr. Clean!" Draco insisted.

"Fine, jeez! Hermione and Draco share a compartment then!" Susan proclaimed, crossing her arms.

"Fine," Draco replied.

"Fine," Terry added.

"Fine!" Hermione finished, hoping it was the end of the discussion.

~~~~~~

Hermione entered the small train with only three compartments, entering one of them. They must have not used the Hogwarts Express, she thought sitting down. Soon enough, Draco stalked in like he always did when he didn’t want to do something, with Milady following. Milady hopped on one side of Hermione, pretending to look like a human. Draco sat right across from her.

"This is going to be hell living with that fruit," Draco muttered, indicating Terry.

"Oh, come on. He’s not that bad," Hermione insisted, patting Milady’s head.

"He sprayed my ass with disinfectant," he replied, moving in his seat uncomfortably. Hermione laughed a little, trying to hold it back.

"Maybe his boat doesn’t rock the right way," she suggested, watching his eyes widen more in amusement.

"Whatever," he replied, lying down on his back with his hands behind his head. "I’m going to sleep. Don’t wake me up."

"Night," Hermione replied, lying down as well. "Oh yea, by the way, you left your backpack behind," she handed him his brown, leather backpack with all of his books inside. He caught it without opening an eyelid.

"Never touch my stuff again, got it? Although…err, thanks anyway," he said, holding it close to his chest.

"Your welcome," she replied as Milady curled up in a ball and closed her eyes as well. "And, oh yes, I like your poem."

Draco’s eyes snapped open with Milady’s as Hermione smiled, closing her eyes.

+TBC+

Chapter Three of Thoughtless: The train starts malfunctioning and they’re there all night until they decide to start walking. No surprise, they miss the first day of school! So they decide to do something else with the day…

BrAnDi’s Note: I couldn’t upload forever since, everyone knows that fanfiction.net likes to screw up. I went to my little sister’s birthday today, and her friends were so cute! Anyway, I’ll answer reviews or something:

ljp: Thank you, and I’ll try giving more information if you want on the next chapters.

apie: Please refrain from ever using the words ‘ficcy’ and ‘dracy’ again. I honestly hate those childish terms, but thanks anyway!

Diamond Angel: Thanks too! Yea, I’m not missing any crap in this story now. All of my other ones are so short and go so fast, so I’m making sure this is long and well written or something…

BraveSpiritGryffindor: Well, welcome to the real world, sorry to say. Teenagers swear! And I HAVE to swear. Swearing gets your feelings out, it can be your best friend! Thanks for reading!

Stephanie: Thank you too, I hope you continue reading.

Hermy-own-ninny: Thanks too. I’ll update when I have the time, since I’m writing Damned Eyes too, and that’s pretty damn long….

GerHPfa: Again, thanks too!

Glittery chunsa: Um, yea, thaaaaankss, but no thanks. I got the feeling you wanted me to have you and Draco flirt to that extent. Well, this is after all a D/Hr so I don’t think there’d be any of that. I also couldn’t identify most of the words; I could only read every other word. So is it impossible to refrain from using ghetto/slang in a review? I’m getting the feeling from some of you that you think this will be a happy go lucky fanfiction. I’m just going to show you all how school is like in the eyes of an outcast or what some of you like to call ‘freak’. I think I should know how Hermione feels later in the story.

M-chan: Oh, yea, I’m always making fun of the D/Hr cliché fic. Most fanfictions I can’t STAND because they re either ‘Hermione, I’ve loved you my whole life!’ or some same old plot with them being head boy and girl, or detention, or them doing something the same as any other plot.

And finally Felicity and Darcel thank you too. I just wanted to get that out of my way, I might not always do a thanks or answer questioning thing, though you can ask me to answer a question if you like. I just hope you people didn’t get the impression they are all going to have fun at that muggle school. If you did, you thought wrong. Well, anyway, see ya. I’ll update whenever.

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