Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. Some dialogue and all the characters used in this story belong to J.K. Rowling.
Aftermath
Prologue
Draco Malfoy could vividly remember the first time he'd ever laid his eyes upon Hermione Granger. It was only after when he found out she was a Mudblood that his analysis soured. Though he could still remember seeing her, Draco could not recall when or how he decided to deal with Granger. She was, after all, the very first Mudblood he'd ever seen in his life.
Having met the girl in first year, before she'd befriended Potter and Weasley, Draco had been constantly frustrated by her obvious intelligence and superior skills in magic as they went against everything he understood. His father had blamed Draco for lack of trying and persistently told him to work harder. It was no use; no matter how hard he studied, he simply could not beat her. It wasn't right. A Mudblood simply shouldn't have the ability to beat a Pureblood in magical skill and knowledge! Needless to say, he was at a loss as to how to deal with this bizarre scenario. He consoled himself with the belief that Granger was some kind of freak; a one-in-a-million mutation. After a month of school with her, Draco, uneasy though he was, devised a simple three point argument which supported his belief that as a Mudblood, Granger was not worth acknowledging.
The first point stated that Granger, because of her status as a Mudblood would be unable to make any friends. Because she was an annoying know-it-all, she was simply unlikeable. As long as nobody else liked her, there was hardly any reason to be bothered that she was intelligent.
The second point was that as a Mudblood, Granger would always be a meek little mouse afraid of conflict; she would never make the first move or endorse conflict of any sort. She would simply go along with others like a useless sheep.
The third and final point was that because of her Mudblood heritage, Granger would be forever ugly with her buck teeth and wild, out of control hair that resembled a bush. As an eleven year old boy, Draco had put much stock in this point.
These three points kept his beliefs intact and allowed him to continue on with his life, eventually making life hell for Potty and Weasel. Thus far, they had never been contested and Draco was certain it was these three points which would dictate his relationship with Granger for the rest of his life.
Things had changed once it had become clear that Granger was joining Potter and Weasley as a friend. Draco was not certain why the duo had accepted her when he'd been under the impression she annoyed everyone including them but suddenly the duo become a trio. Draco's first point, which he had long forgotten along with the rest of his childish three point argument, was the first to be proven wrong.
He unofficially decided that he would ignore Granger and simply pretend as though she wasn't there. Although Draco would rather die than admit it, he felt another reason he couldn't properly attack her was that she was a girl. He had been taught to respect girls and not to upset them. Try as he might, Granger was not simply a Mudblood but a female Mudblood. He'd felt awkward; especially as an eleven year old boy who usually didn't associate with girls save for his mother. Ignoring her was simple as he could easily lock away the female aspect of Hermione Granger in his mind and she would remain Granger, the jumped up little Mudblood forever.
Author's Note: My first Draco x Hermione story. I've actually already written the majority of this story but I'm still in the process of putting it all together. I figured I might as well post the prologue and let it sit here for awhile. This story will span the entire book series and possibly the seventh year at Hogwarts. I'll let you decide whether or not you feel this story is canon or non-canon. I'll also let you decide whether the characters are in-character or not. Reviews are always appreciated.