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The Assignment

This World or Any Other: Book I

Clean

Summary: Malfoy's handsome face was contoured into a condescending smirk. "No faith in that giant brain of yours, Granger?" She looked up at him defiantly. "Maybe I don't have faith in you!" she said, raising her voice. Malfoy only looked at her. "You'll find I'm very surprising." Dramione AU, Year 6 with a slow burn and a killer twist. Book I of "This World or Any Other" series. COMPLETE.

Disclaimer: I own nothing, these characters were created by J.K. Rowling and sadly, I was not involved in any way.

a/n: This work is the first in the This World or Any Other series and must be read prior to Book II, Marked.

Post-submission edit, November 2020: While this fic was originally written January-March of 2016, the volume of my fics recently reposted to Wattpad without my permission has led me to believe it would be easiest to just make my stories available here. I am not making any changes, and I'm leaving in all my original author's notes. They are probably embarrassing... ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ it is what it is. Enjoy!

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Chapter One: The Assignment

Ron and Harry were late; no surprise there. Hermione drummed her fingers absentmindedly on the desk, simultaneously bored and anxious. As much as she disliked being late, she especially disliked tardiness in others.

She glanced up, biting the inside of her cheek as she narrowly avoided the direct blow of Professor Snape's signature scowl. His eyes darted quickly from her to the empty seats beside her, and she shifted uncomfortably to avoid his sullen glare.

"Not minding Potter and Weasley quite so successfully this term, are we, Miss Granger?" Snape drawled lazily. "Perhaps the Christmas holidays have had a detrimental effect on their ability to travel through space and time?"

She heard a snicker behind her, and she turned sharply to glare at Theodore Nott and the Slytherins that made up the minority of the class. As soon as she did, she regretted it; she should have known that the simple act of acknowledging Nott's derision would have been fuel enough for his usual taunts.

"Temper, temper," Nott mused condescendingly, his eyes narrow slits under his furrowed brow, "Or are you upset that Gryffindor's golden boy and his weasel boyfriend have finally chosen each other and left you on your own?"

Hermione moved to turn coldly away, reminding herself that neither Nott nor any other member of his house was worthy of her time or attention. She was troubled, however, at the slight pang that resounded from his words. She had, after all, just been with them in the common room; why would they now disappear on their own?

"Hit a nerve, have I?" Nott snickered, garnering the appreciative jeers of his fellow Slytherins. As he turned to the seat next to him, however, his haughty face twisted in surprise to find that its usual occupant – his teammate in pathetic sneering and derogatory heckling – was absent.

"Malfoy not so perfect either then, Nott?" she scoffed, turning her back on him decisively. She grinned slightly to herself then, relishing in the moment. She didn't expect much wit from Theodore Nott, and was pleasantly surprised by the ammunition of Malfoy's absence.

She had had just about enough of Malfoy this year; his absence was out of character – he had, after all, come close to her performance in his O.W.L.s and seemed to find a bit more value in academia than did her two best friends – but Harry simply would not stop talking about him since their run-in on the train. Hermione found Harry's preoccupation with Malfoy utterly laughable; at his best Draco Malfoy was competent. Maybe intelligent. Possibly – and this was already a major stretch - skilled in some areas of wizardry. But capable of carrying out serious damage to anyone, particularly while under Dumbledore's watchful eye?