The Boy Who Lived or the Slytherin Prince?

Disclaimer: I own nothing except the story. It's all J.K.'s. Love to chat with Ms. J.K. sometimes. (--')

The Précis:

It's the last year for the Trio. There will be an announcement from Dumbledore that will change their lives. Hermione's worried for Harry. She loved him dearly over the years. Of course, Harry loves her too. But was he hiding something? Something that concerns the Order, her, and someone? And yeah, before I forgot, Head Boy Draco Malfoy was in love with her too. He's changed he says. But did he really?

CHAPTER ONE: Slytherin Prince

The enchanted ceiling of Hogwarts is quite balmy. The sun's rays coming from the tall windows in the corridors are giving its mundane glare on the students' weary faces. They couldn't believe that they were summoned by the teachers. Quite extraordinary is that it's rather early in the morning.

"Why did they do this to us? Can't they be a bit…nice?" a sleepy Ron growled, with his pajamas still on talking to his two best friends.

"Really Ron cant you be a bit understanding here? Clearly, there's something wrong that's why we're being called…" explained the brown-haired lady on Harry's left side. Hermione rolled her eyes on Ron's naivety. Their being on the Order on quite an early age could be something as a nurturing device on them, but not to Ron. At 17, Ron could be so narrow-minded and all, but with a few changes.

The Head Girl switched her attention to the guy in between her and Ron. Hermione noticed that Harry is quiet and agitated. It isn't like him to be like that, she thought. She cleared her throat, loudly.

"…w-what?" Harry said, a bit disoriented. He looked at Hermione but his gaze is still unfocused.

Hermione doesn't like it when she talks to people who don't give their attention to the person who's talking. But as she saw the weird play of emotions in Harry's green eyes, she hesitated.

"What's wrong? You seem a bit…odd."

"No. It's nothing. Really. Don't mind me. I-I'm fine." Harry mumbled averting his gaze in front of him.

Hermione wasn't the least bit convinced. She frowned at being dismissed like that but she thought that it wouldn't help if she started to argue with Harry. They scrambled on the corridors with the other students of their houses. They saw Ron's little sister, Ginny, with her boyfriend Dean Thomas. Ron was actually fine about it but the first few months Dean was having mishaps in their dormitory. Ron kept on sticking papers with threats like: "HuRt my sister…you'll go EXTINCT!", "make her cry, and die…" or "Don't play on her…. OR ELSE! (Do you wanna know what the 'eLse' means? Then read this book: 'Egyptians Life: A Book on Egypt' by Jorge Joggler), Chapter XIII: How they Mummify Mummies, page 269" ((The Chapter contains stuffs on how they remove the organs of the dead before mummifying)) on Dean's bedside. But anyways, Ron eventually stopped it. It's because Ginny would kill him.

"Hi!" a cheerful Ginny chirped on the gloomy bunch. As tall as Hermione, Ginny blossomed onto something they can't quite figure how. The Harry-shy girl became the first class flirt on her level. Her kinda dull hair became curly in a neat way. Of course, Ginny had somewhat rubbed on Hermione last year. The 6th year Gryffindor insisted the Head Girl on making some changes. And…some changes they are!!! Hermione's once uncontrollable bushy hair became wavy and soft. It also wasn't the dull brown anymore but a bit on the blonde side. Brown with blonde streaks. She managed to have the courage to be a bit girly: using stuffs on her face, etc. But underneath all of those things, she's still the same bossy Hermione! A lot of boys had noticed the changes. Compliments, gifts, flirtations and date offers surrounded her. The kind-hearted lady she is accepted them all. She had fun! She couldn't have imagine the things she's missed! But all of those doesn't satisfy her because her heart was already reserved for someone. 'If only he notices me in the way I wanna be noticed…' she once thought. But only time could tell what's going to happen…

"Hi Dean!" the two boys greeted their dorm mate. "Hello, Harry…Ron." He gave them a high-five.

"Hi Gin, what's up?? Hermione inquired the red-head. Ginny's arm was around Dean's waist and his was around her shoulders.

"Nothing much! Just the usual. We've come up with something new this time."

Ginny was talking about the Wizarding Wheezes. Dean and she were making things for her twin brothers. The first ones they've come up with were the 'Farting Smarty Pants'. That's what they called the innocent looking shorts which they charmed to release fart! It's pretty nasty…with the smell and sound effects.

"Dean and me work really great together!" hugging Dean's arms affectionately, Ginny exclaimed.

"Dean and I…" Hermione corrected.

"'Dean and I'. Okay, I stand corrected." Ginny grinned and saluted to Hermione.

Ginny extracted some shining, peculiar-looking cards out of her robes.

"These," she managed to present it to them while they were walking in the corridors, "are Character Cards, right? Each has a character in them. See?" Plucking out one gold-framed card she let them see what it was or who was in it. "This card has Snape." The Trio looked at it. Harry snatched it from Ginny's hand for a better look.

"It's Snape's stony face alright… what's it do?" Ron asked his sister after examining the card closely.

Ginny smiled and began. "Well, you just have to talk to it. Or rather," her smile turned into a grin, "tell it anything you want it to say." Ginny finished with a wink.

The 3 stunned 7th years looked intrigue and amazed. Harry glanced at the creators and said, "Bloody brilliant! You two really hit it off. A brilliant pair…" He turned back to the card he's holding and turned it around to see an inscription: "GD for Whizarding Wheezes 1997" inside a small circle in the bottom center of the golden-framed card.

Although Hermione doesn't approve on the things the Weasley twins have done when they're still at school, she can't help but be proud of their success. "I really like those two…" she mused.

"Now, you tell me!" Ron exclaimed, seizing the card from Harry and expecting it. "I can't believe they're my brothers! Bloody Brilliant, those two." He added while shaking his head in utter disbelief.

Ginny's eyebrows shot at Ron's words. She turned to him and said smugly, "I happen to be a part of their success, at least. Can't you be a tad bit thankful to be my brother too?"

Harry and Hermione laughed at Ginny's sense of humor that is obviously the twins' doing.

Ron pretended to think. "Hmmm, that can be arranged. I will be if you'll give us a card each."

"Na-ah, thanks but no thanks. I believe that I'm a responsible Head Girl and I reckon that it isn't appropriate for me to own such things, not that it's not good." she added hastily to reassure the couple that she still like it.

"Hermione, be a bit loose sometimes." The younger girl reached for another card and gave it to Hermione. "Here, I'll give you one. Just keep it. As a remembrance."

Hermione hesitated but thought 'What the heck! It's just a card.', and reached for the small piece of cardboard.

"Hey Gin, are all your cards like this?" she inquired and held the card for them to see. It's another Snape!

Ginny grinned sheepishly. "Well, I got one with Malfoy," taking out another card with the devilishly handsome Slytherin prince on it. "And…" rummaging for the cards on her pockets, she got "Filch."

"Wicked..." Ron whispered.

Harry whistled. "Look at Filch's face!"

"Not bad. Not bad at all…" Hermione muttered, reaching for the Malfoy Card from Ginny. She stared at the card. Actually, she stared at what's in the card. Draco Malfoy's hair was longer and it ain't sleek no more! 'It looked softer…' Hermione thought. With his famous smirk and glittering blue eyes, he is no doubt the most eye-catching guy ever. 'Not as eye-catching as Harry, though.' She countered her own thoughts. 'I'm already arguing with myself.'

"Hermione. Hermione! What are you standing there for?" Harry returned to her side and reached for her hands. "Where almost near the Great Hall. Come on!" Harry yanked her to move on.

She doesn't realize that she's been standing in the middle of the corridor being dodged by the students rushing towards the Great Hall. Doesn't realize that she still held that damn card which, by the way, was the reason of her foolish state. Doesn't realize that her hand was laced through Harry's hand. And finally, doesn't grasp the thought that they've stopped near a secluded area and that Harry was staring at her oddly.

"Harry, what's wrong?" she asked him, a frown forming on her forehead.

"Hermione, I've been meaning to tell you this."

"What? What is it, Harry?"

"I…" Harry gulped. 'How can I say this?'

"Yes?" Hermione prompted. 'Oh please let this be the time!'

"I—"

"GRANGER!" a cold voice yelled from a long distance from them.

'Damn. That slimeball…' the raven-haired Gryffindor cursed in his mind.

The couple turned to the tall, confident Slytherin prince.

"What is it Malfoy?" Harry growled to the 17 year old Slytherin blonde.

"I didn't recall calling you, Potter. Its Ms. Granger I want." Draco drawled to his face. "Hm, Hermione," Harry discreetly raised an eyebrow. "We were supposed to walk together in front of the Great Hall and wait for the teachers' orders. 'Heads' Duty'." The blonde smiled teasingly to Harry.

"You git…" she muttered under her breath.

"What's it you say, Granger?" Draco incited knowingly, a smirk on his face.

"Nothing. I just said that you're a bit wrong timing because as you can see, Harry and I are having a conversation." She said forcefully.

"Oh well. I'll just stand by here and wait for you and Potter's tête-à-tête."

"It's private."

"Well, if it is, then this isn't the right time to do it. This place is public. Might as well do it after all of this, hmm?"

'Double damn. You git, you'll pay for this.' Hermione counted to ten and took a deep breath. "Fine. Harry, we'll talk about this later. Mr. Malfoy here,"

"Oh, call me Draco."

Hermione ignored the interruption. "…can't wait to start business. Come on." Hermione seethed with anger as she turned towards the crowd and proceeded without waiting for Draco.

"Ta-ta, Potter. See you around." Draco said in a singsong voice.

Harry cursed lightly and sighed. 'It can wait. I can wait. I hope Hermione can too.' As he said this, he stared at Hermione's form as she disappeared along with Draco in the crowd. He got on in finding Ron from the blasted crowd.

'I don't know what I'd done to deserve this kind of punishment.' She prayed to whoever's listening to her. She was talking about Draco's sugary attitude. Not that it's not okay. 'Compared to the way he'd treated me over the past few years.' She frowned as she remembered.

"Hey, don't frown. It makes you look older than you are. Something bad?" a smirking Draco asked.

"As a matter of fact yes. I happen to think of something that's bad. You."

"Oh, thinking of me, eh?" the smirk grew wider.

'I shouldn't have said that, I should not have said that!'

"Not you you. I meant about your… behavior. It's not like you to call me Granger." 'and Hermione'. Now that she'd thought about it, she recalled the incident that took place. Malfoy called her by her first name. 'Slip of the tongue?' She shook her head to erase the thought and continued. "For years, you've called me a Mudblood. Why the sudden change?" she inquired, frowning slightly for even thinking about changes and Malfoy in one sentence.

'Shit. Did I just said her first name?! Bullocks.' He just tilted his chin and looked at her as if she's a child. "Look, I'm being civilized here. Please cooperate."

"Was that your way of saying you're sorry?"

"Well, sort of. Anyway, the doors going to be opened any minute. We have to —"

"Yeah, yeah sure. Whatever you say, Draco." She swirled around to hide the smile forming in her mouth. 'Okay, if you say cooperate, then I'll cooperate. But I'm still going to find out what's gotten into you, Slytherin Prince."

Reviews Please!

(No flames…I hope. Tell me if it's good or bad.)

Thanks in advance to whoever will read this.

Love you all!!!! MWAAAH!

Next Chapter: The Announcement

(AN: I'm working on it!!!)