Chapter 1: Hogwarts Express
Hermione Granger breathed in the fresh air of Platform 9 3/4, her large trunk and assorted bags on a cart next to her. After a tearful departure with Mr. and Mrs. Granger, Hermione had barreled through the gateway between transportation to her first home, the Muggle world, and her second home, Hogwarts. Not much had changed about the bookish girl- though her hair wasn't completely straight, it was more of a weighed down curly instead of a poofed out curly (A/N: I think the people with curly hair understand...right?). Her body wasn't super-model thin, but it didn't have to be. Hermione thought she was at the proper body weight and that was that. 5'7" tall with a belly button ring (It'd been a "birthday present" from Ginny. Ginny got one too)...she looked good. The one thing that had majorly changed was not her personality...it was her attitude. When you got Hermione started, see if you could get her to stop.
She wheeled the cart to where a group of people with intense red hair stood in a cluster. One of the people turned and squealed in delight.
"Mione! How are you?" Ginny screamed, tossing her thin sheet of copper hair back over her shoulder so that she could hug her best friend. "You look really great."
"I could say the same for you," Hermione grinned, noticing that Ginny's belly button ring was seemingly missing. "What happened to your...?"
Ginny followed her eyes. "Oh, you mean..." Ginny sighed. "Mum made me take it out...but, believe me, it's going back in once we're at Hogwarts," Ginny assured Hermione, who had a worried look on her face.
"Well, if your mum doesn't want you to wear it, maybe you shouldn't." Hermione, although with a belly button ring, had NOT changed her rule-abiding ways.
Ginny rolled her eyes before leading her to the rest of the Weasleys...plus one raven-haired boy.
"Harry! Ron! I haven't seen you in ages," Hermione exclaimed, though she saw them about two weeks ago. Harry and Ron shot her wide smiles.
"Mione! It's great to see you," Harry greeted her, hugging her closely.
"Yeah, Hermione, lookin' good," Ron said, pretending to check her out. She giggled and pushed him playfully.
"You keep your eyes from wandering, young man," Hermione feigned a stern voice. The three erupted in laughter, although there was nothing funny about it...just nerves, I suppose.
Mrs. Weasley hurriedly took Hermione into her arms. "You're far too thin, Hermione, you need to come stay with us for Christmas," Mrs. Weasley tutted, patting Hermione's stomach. "You need feeding up."
"Molly, leave the poor girl alone," Mr. Weasley said tiredly, hugging Hermione too. "I think she's fine."
Hermione shot a smile of thanks at Mr. Weasley, before saying, "We'd better hurry onto the train before it leaves without us." When the three other students nodded, Mrs. Weasley stopped fussing over Hermione.
"Very well. Arthur, help them with their things," She directed her tired husband, who simply did as he was told. When all of their things had been put on the train, Mrs. Weasley warned Hermione to eat something on the train or she'd die of starvation. After Hermione assured, reassured, and swore that she would eat something, Mrs. Weasley finally gave each of the Hogwarts students a tight hug. The train's whistle began to blow and smoke began to puff out of the big smoke-puff-thingy.
As the train pulled out of the station, Ginny took the belly button ring and some disinfectant from her pocket.
"Oy, Ginny, could you at least wait to put that thing in when we get to school?" Ron scowled, shielding his eyes from her bare midriff.
"Oh, Ron, hush. I think it looks sexy," Harry wiggled his eyebrows, to which Ginny and Hermione rolled their eyes.
"Hm, yes, for once, I agree with you, Potter," A drawling voice said from the compartment door. "The little Weaselette does look like a grown lady."
Harry and Ron turned around so quickly, they suffered from minor cases of whiplash. "Malfoy," Harry spat, as if it were a swear word. "What do you want?"
Malfoy smirked. "I couldn't help but over hear your conversation on my way to the Head Boy and Head Girl carriage." He flashed one of his best smiles at the open mouthed Harry and Ron, who were shocked to learn that he was Head Boy.
"If Malfoy's Head Boy...then who's Head-"
"Er...well, I suppose I should've told you sooner," Hermione confessed. "I'm Head Girl."
"...not like it was a big surprise, eh, Mione?" Ginny shrugged, thinking nothing of it. "I mean, who else to get it but Hermione?"
"You know, Weaselette, you have a point," Malfoy agreed, condemning the stupidity of Ron and Harry. "I mean, who else would get it, Potty and Weasel?"
"I can name a number of people that are better candidates for the Head Boy position other than you, Malfoy," Ron snarled, menacingly narrowing his eyes at the platinum-haired hottie.
"Oh, can you? Let's see, you would name...Ernie MacMillan, though he's a blundering idiot. Perhaps Blaise Zabini, which is understandable...at least he's Slytherin," Malfoy smirked, ticking off the names on his fingers. "And, of course...Prince Potter."
"Shove it, Malfoy, let's just go," Hermione said in an irritated voice. She stalked out of the carriage angrily, waving a hand over her shoulder at Ginny, signalizing a goodbye.
"Granger."
"What, no 'Mudblood'?" Hermione inquired sarcastically.
"No. I have changed, you know."
"Much as I'd like to believe it, Malfoy, I highly doubt you're any different from the prick who tortured me endlessly for the past six years."
"You see there? You just said it yourself- the past six years. Things change, people grow up," Malfoy insisted, his long black robes getting caught in a compartment door. "Damn."
"Oh, yes, I'm sure you experienced serious spiritual enlightenment," Hermione replied sarcastically, finally reaching the Head's compartment.
"Fine, suit yourself," Malfoy shrugged, entering the compartment after Hermione. Professor McGonagall, who'd been sitting and waiting for the two, rose and shook both Hermione and Malfoy's hand.
"Good afternoon, Mr. Malfoy, Miss Granger," McGonagall greeted. "Obviously, you have been chosen for this experience because of your Head of House's recommendation." Here, she beamed at Hermione.
"However," she continued, "that does not mean in any way will you be exempt from your classes for anything but Head Boy and Girl duties. Those duties include balls, patroling the corridors, keeping the hallways sufficiently in order, and doing a teacher's will."
When Malfoy and Hermione nodded, she introduced the priveliges of being at the highest student stature in Hogwarts. "Of course, there are benefits. You may stay up past the seventh-year's 12:00 AM curfew and stay out until 2:00 AM. No later, I presume?" She gave the two her best menacing glare to emphasize that anything past 2:00 will not be tolerated. "The Head Boy and Girl share a common room and a bathroom-" Here, the two groaned inwardly. "-but do have the prefect's bathroom and their House's common room if need be.
"Head Boy and Girl may deduct points, but, Mr. Malfoy, if there are any...unneccesary...points taken from Gryffindor, rest assured, there may be some unneccesary points given. The same goes for you, Miss Granger," McGonagall instructed them. "That is all. For any further questions, please, visit mine or Professor Dumbledore's office. The password is 'sugar quill'. And, Miss Granger, Mr. Malfoy," Professor McGonagall pleaded, "do try your best to be civil to one another."
McGonagall said her goodbyes and left the compartment. Hermione and Malfoy sat there in total silence. Hermione began to play with her belly button ring, fidgety from the lack of talking.
"So, Malfoy...you think you've changed?" Hermione asked quietly.
"Yeah, I think I have," He answered, crossing his arms over his chest.
"Prove it."
A/N: So! What do you think? Is it bad? Terrible? Decent? Good? Great? I NEED A GOOD REVIEW. PLEASE. :D Also, I do use alot of "..." so, yeah. Just saying. I like those...XD