Disclaimer: The Grass is green, the sky is blue, I don't own, You don't sue
A/N: Although in principle I hate this ship, the story came to me so I'm writing it…. So here we go
Too Close For Comfort
Chapter One: Head Of Hogwarts Hell
I, Hermione Granger, am Head Girl. And unfortunately, Draco Malfoy is Head Boy. Which means we have to share a dorm. And a bed. And I was so hoping that Harry or Ron would be Head Boy, but to no avail. Now I have to share a bed with that conniving son of a bitch. For a whole year. It is supposed to help us "bond" and "work better as a team". I think it's going to make me sick.
But at least I am Head Girl. I still remember the day I got my letter.
We, that is to say, Harry, Ron, and I, were staying at Number Twelve Grimmauld Place. I noticed my envelope was considerably fatter than the boys'. I ripped it open. A shiny Head Girl's badge fell into my lap. I squealed and read the letter. There was only one thing to ruin my happiness. "You will be sharing a dormitory and a bed with the Head Boy. It will help the two Heads bond and work better as a team. The Head Boy this year is Draco Malfoy."
"That SCUM?!??!?! I have to share a bed with that insufferable scum?!?!?!" I remember shouting. Ron and Harry stopped congratulating me at this point.
"What are you on about, Hermione?" Ron asked.
"I've got to share a dorm and a bed with the Head Boy!" I shouted, practically in tears.
"How bad can that be? At least Draco isn't the Head Boy…" Harry trailed off when he noticed my haunted eyes looking at him hollowly. "Oh Hermione, I'm so sorry."
Ron was in a rage. I don't think I have ever seen him so angry. Thankfully he has calmed down a bit, since term starts tomorrow. I think Harry and I can manage to keep him from killing Draco on the spot. As I said to Ron, it's not really Draco's fault, is it?
The sunlight streamed through the windows of mine and Ginny's room. Today was the day! I smiled to myself. The morning was hectic, as September firsts tend to be. I didn't eat much, I was too excited.
"Jeez Hermione, are you planning to eat the whole loaf of bread?" Ron was so possessive of food, even if it wasn't his. Maybe I lied, just bit. I ate a lot of toast that morning. I thought it would calm my nervous stomach. It didn't.
We made our way to King's Cross, accompanied by Remus Lupin and Tonks. I think they have something going for each other, but I wasn't going to say anything. Both were teaching at school this year, Lupin as NEWT Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, and Tonks was teaching those not in the NEWT class Defense Against the Dark Arts. Dumbledore thought it imperative that all students be able to defend themselves. I happened to agree. War was upon us after all.
We passed through to the platform without incident, and boarded the scarlet steam engine. Tonks and Lupin made their way up to the teacher's compartment, but I saw them grab hands as soon as they believed they were out of eyeshot from us. I smirked. I knew I was right.
"Don't you have to go up to the Prefect's compartment, Hermione?" Ron questioned, standing in the doorway.
"No, my letter said that I was exempt from the meeting because the heads would be meeting with Dumbledore once we arrived at school. Bye Ron!" I turned to Harry. "So shall we find a compartment?"
We made our way through the train, all the way to the back. We took our usual compartment. Neville was there. I knew Ginny was up in the Prefect's Compartment, as was Colin and Luna. "Hello Neville."
"Why aren't you in the Prefect's compartment with Ron and them?" he asked.
"Head Girl. I'm meeting with Dumbledore later." I replied.
"Congratulations."
The next few hours were spent in silence. Neville nodded off. I reread Advanced Ancient Runes. Harry stared out the window. He did that a lot after Sirius died. Ginny was really his only comfort. It's a shame they aren't together, they would do so well together. But I knew Harry wasn't taking any chances with girls since his girlfriend Susan Bones was kidnapped in sixth year. She was all right, thankfully, but Harry didn't want to risk anything. Until Voldemort was dead, Harry was swinging single. Which was a shame. He would be so much happier with Ginny. I knew he had become close with her. Closer than us. I guess he thought she would understand more. It was a bit hurtful, but I knew Harry would come back to us in the end. If he survived. I pushed that thought away. We were all going to survive. I was going to make sure of that.
Ron made his way back to our compartment, following the food trolley hungrily. "Ronald, do you think of nothing else?"
"I'm hungry, you ate all the toast this morning."
"You know full well you ate much more than me."
"I'm still hungry."
"You are hopeless." But we all pooled our money and cleaned the trolley of all the chocolate frogs, pumpkin pasties, cauldron cakes, and Toadstool Tarts. (A/N: I own toadstool tarts… yay something in this story that actually belongs to me!)
Ginny, Colin, and Luna came back to the compartment a few minutes after Ron.
"We had an incident with Malfoy's goons, sorry we're late."
"Did you hex them beyond all reason, Gin?" Harry had an excited gleam in his eye.
"Yes we did, Harry," Luna had a dreamy look in her eye as she said this. She always had a dreamy look in her eye. But I noticed that she wasn't as 'Looney' as everybody thought. She had saved my life in sixth year, and Ron's too.
"I'll pretend as though I didn't hear that. You guys have to be careful about what you say around me because…" But no one was listening to me.
"What curses did you use?"
"Harry did you know that when you combine the Jelly legs curse and the Hag hex, it makes you sprout tentacles all over your face?"
I zoned out as the conversation deteriorated my brain cells. I was all for hexing Crabbe and Goyle, but I just wasn't in the mood today. The train began to slow, and I realized that we were almost to the school. We filed out of the train, and made our way to the horseless carriages. Which were no longer horseless, and I could see that with my own eyes.
I never really liked Percy, but I certainly never wanted to witness his murder. None of us did. Voldemort murdered Percy in cold blood. He had come to rescue us. Voldemort had us, and was about to start killing us one by one. Percy showing up was just the distraction we needed to escape. But he paid for it with his life. I shook off my dark thoughts, only to find we were still discussing tentacles. Odd, I thought. We started that conversation two hours ago.
Then I saw why we had returned to the topic. I know that as Head Girl you are supposed to act responsible and mature, but even I couldn't hold in my laughter as I saw Crabbe and Goyle, the human octopi.
The carriages trundled along, the rain gently falling against the windows.
I watched the Sorting with passive disinterest. All I wanted was to eat and get to my dorm. Then I remembered that I didn't know where my dorm was, or it's password. As if by magic, a paper appeared on my plate. Then I reminded myself it probably was magic. Six years in this world and I still wasn't quite used to it.
I read my letter.
Hermione-Your dorm is located on the seventh floor. You will notice a portrait of a red a gold snake intertwined. The password is slithering lioness. That will be all.
-Albus Dumbledore
I noticed Malfoy smirking as he read a piece of parchment. I could only assume it was a piece of parchment that bore the same message as mine, although I fervently hoped that it told him that the entrance to his dorm was in the dungeons, and that we really didn't have to share a dorm. And a bed. I shuddered involuntarily.
Before I knew it the feast was over. I made my way up to the seventh floor, following Ron leading the new Gryffindors. He had really developed a sense of responsibility last year. He was calling to them properly and everything. I was so proud.
Ron led the Gryffindors through the portrait of the Fat Lady, and called to me "Good luck not murdering Malfoy, Hermione!" The way I saw it, I would need more luck escaping murder. I knew Malfoy was not fond of me.
I found the portrait with no trouble. It was only a few feet from the Fat Lady's. "Slithering Lioness"
"About time you showed up Mudblood."
"Nice to see you, too Ferretboy."
With a crack a purple envelope appeared, hovering between our faces. It wasn't a Howler. It was a Sonogram. "What is that thing?" Malfoy spat.
"It's a…" But I never got to finish my sentence. The envelope burst open, and it was as if Dumbledore was in the room with us.
"Ms. Granger, Mr. Malfoy, Your dorm is charmed to inform me if you are being less than civil to one another. And you will be forced to hand in your Head Badges if it continues. You are to call each other by your first names, and you are to be kind to one another. Also, come to my office before class tomorrow. You will find that your password works on all the dormitories, and my office. That is all. Goodnight."
Draco was fuming. I ignored him and looked at the room I would be spending the entire year in. It was lavishly decorated in green, gold, silver, and red. The couches were a deep burgundy with silver pillows. I made my way through the door into the bedroom. The bed was stunning. The bedspread sparkled red and silver, and the pillows were green with gold. And it was large. A king size. Which meant there was plenty of room for me to erect a barrier spell in between Mal- Draco and I.
I figured it was safer to call him Draco, even in my thoughts. I knew Dumbledore was a skilled Legilimens, so I wasn't taking any chances. I didn't want to be the first Head forced to resign my position.
With a wave of my wand, I was dressed in pajamas.
"Nice PJs, Hermione." But he didn't even say it maliciously. It was just like nice teasing. Like flirting. Are you insane, Granger? I mentally berated myself. It was then I realized Malfoy was wearing only boxers. Shiny green ones, reminding me of the pillows on our bed.
(A/N: Woo Draco in boxers…yummy…)
I didn't realize I was staring until "Like what you see then, Hermione?"
"Let's just go to sleep." I crawled into bed. Malfoy joined me smirking. With a wave of my wand, the lights went out. My last thought before I feel asleep was that I had forgotten the barrier spell.
A/N: Review please. Then I know I have readers and that posting isn't pointless!!!!