CHAPTER 1~ Friends?
"Don't leave me?" she pleaded. "Please. I need you." That was the last time she had ever heard from him. He turned away from her that night and left her in the dark streets of London. Alone. A fifteen-year-old girl, all hopes of a future with him were left shattered so he could be with another. It was so unfair.
That was a year ago. Hermione Granger had not heard from Viktor Krum since that night in the middle of August before her sixth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
Harry Potter and Ron Weasley, her two best friends in the world had helped her on the road to recovery from the terrible heartbreak. Within only weeks she was back to her normal bookwormish self, always on their cases about class work and homework.
12 Grimmauld Place was so much different with the absence of Sirius Black. Harry still hadn't recovered from losing his godfather, and still had a fairly bad temper, but was working on that aspect of things, especially when it came to Ron and Hermione.
So far, things had been going fairly well that summer. The Order of the Phoenix had been keeping in close contact even though Lord Voldemort had been defeated a few months before.
Harry had been the one to finally bring Voldemort to his end. He didn't use his wand. It wouldn't have worked because of its bond with Voldemort's wand. Instead, Harry stabbed him with the sword of Godric Gryffindor. For the second time, Fawkes and the Sorting Hat came to the rescue. If it hadn't been for the beautiful Phoenix, Harry would have died along with Voldemort.
Needless to say, the wizarding world celebrated for weeks. Well for the most part anyway. There were some families that went into a period of mourning and rage. The Crabbes, Goyles, Parkinsons, MacNairs, and Malfoys were among the many families of Death Eaters.
Draco Malfoy was one that went into horrible fits of rage and terror after the fall of Voldemort. This, of course, was expected by all. His father, Lucius Malfoy, was a Death Eater. He received the Dementor's Kiss (the Dementor's had all returned to the Ministry once Voldemort was defeated).
Every time Draco saw Harry, Ron, or Hermione, he would throw insults and would have thrown jinxes as well had they not been in school. Most of this torture was directed at Harry and Ron although Hermione never left without something being said. He was often reprimanded by all of the professors, even his favorite, Professor Severus Snape.
Snape had known Draco since the day he was born. He was somewhat of an uncle to Draco and hated to see the rage and anguish that was clearly written on the young man's face. They often talked, but it did nothing, for Draco was a very strong-minded, stubborn teenager.
It was true that Draco had been beaten by his father up until the age of fifteen. That was when Lucius realized how strong his son really was. A mutual respect formed between father and son. Draco may not have loved his father like a son should, but he respected him and was very willing and well prepared to follow in his father's footsteps once he had finished school.
Three weeks before the start of term, the Hogwarts letters were sent out to all of the students. Hermione was very excited upon receiving hers because it stated that she would be Head Girl for the upcoming year.
As she read further down the sheet of parchment, however, she became increasingly upset. The Head Boy and Head Girl would be sharing a common room to "improve inter-house relationships." That part did upset her, although not as much as the next bit: the Head Boy was to be none other that Draco Malfoy, git extraordinaire.
She was tempted to step down as Head Girl right then and there, but that would mean she had already let Malfoy win, and she was not about to let that happen.
When Draco received his letter, he crumpled up the parchment that said he was Head Boy into a ball and threw it into the fire. He did not want to share a common room with a disgusting, good for nothing Mudblood for the entire year, especially that Mudblood. Her very being sickened him, although, he had to admit, he liked her better than both Potthead and Weasel combined.
The remainder of the summer flew by that year. Before anyone realized it, it was September first, and they were on the Hogwarts express speeding toward the castle that had become known to so many as "home."
Hermione and Draco sat in the Head Boy and Girl compartment. Neither of them spoke a word to the other. They just sat there and read.
On occasion, Hermione would steal a glance at Draco. She noticed that he looked very different now than at the beginning of the summer. He had grown at least three or four inches and was no longer scrawny. His shoulders were a bit broader and the muscles in his upper arms were defined through the tight black shirt he wore. He was also wearing black dress pants and dragon hide boots. His silver-blonde hair was falling over his eyes (apparently he had lost his hair gel). There were also dark circles under his eyes, indicating that he had not slept in days.
Draco noticed Hermione's glances. He too would glance up every so often, but it was because his vision would become blurry when asphyxiated on the pages for too long.
To him, she was still the same Mudblood-dressed in baggy jeans and a t- shirt. She still had the same bushy hair, only it was now a little shorter and pulled into a ponytail at the top of her head.
Finally, getting annoyed with her numerous glances, he said, "What the hell do you keep looking at, Mudblood?"
Startled at first, she couldn't find her voice, but soon responded with, "Certainly not you, Ferret Boy. My eyes simply become restless and I have to avert my gaze elsewhere."
Draco shook his head and turned back to his book. She really did irritate him-always having a comeback to shoot at him, never caring much for her appearance, just being a goody two shoes. She was totally opposite of everything he admired-pureblooded; straight, sleek hair; revealing clothes; a bad girl.
Hermione, on the other hand, longed for someone like Draco. Sure Harry and Ron had their heroic qualities, but Draco was much more breathtaking. He was from an esteemed pureblooded family; his features were gorgeous, especially his hair and his eyes; and he was a bad boy.
Hermione knew she could only ever dream of one day being with him. She despised him, yet fancied him. He was beautiful, yet utterly horrible at the same time. She didn't think she could ever forgive him after all he had put her trough throughout the years, not even if he begged. That, of course, would only ever happen in her dreams.
As they neared the school, the Head Boy and Head Girl changed into their robes. Neither had ever been more bored on the trip to Hogwarts. The long silence made the few hours seem like days.
Draco had never been happier to see Pansy Parkinson, Vincent Crabbe, or Gregory Goyle when he hopped off the train. Sure Crabbe and Goyle had no brains and Pansy was well Pansy, but at that moment anything was better than the silence shared with Granger.
Hermione wanted to worship the ground Harry and Ron walked on when they got off the train. At that point, she just needed to talk. Her throat had become dry on the long ride and she didn't like that feeling one bit.
Draco got into a horseless, well thestral-pulled carriage with his posse while Hermione jumped in one with Harry, Ron, Ginny, and Luna Lovegood.
Pansy tried to sit on Draco's lap, but he scooted over so she landed hard on the bench. Draco smirked to himself while Crabbe and Goyle guffawed stupidly. Pansy looked very put out as she looked over at Draco.
"Something wrong?" she questioned with a worried glance.
"No, everything's fine. Why?" he responded a bit icily.
"You just seem distressed. Do you want me to.help you with anything?"
"I'm perfectly capable of fending for myself, Pansy, but thank you for the offer."
Contrary to popular belief among the students, Draco didn't fancy Pansy Parkinson. Although she had the look, she didn't have the brains. He had never kissed her or let her touch him in any way even though she often hinted that she wanted him.
In truth, he didn't know why she wasted so much time and energy on him. She had slept with most of the male Slytherins and even some Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs. Draco had always been her main target, but she really couldn't get close to him. He wouldn't allow it.
"All right," she sighed as she took to staring out the window.
At that moment, Draco realized that maybe he was looking for all the wrong characteristics in a significant other. Maybe, just maybe, the slutty, brainless girls weren't what he wanted. He could have any of them, but so far he had not taken one. His thoughts betrayed him. Could he possibly want the modest, bookwormish type?
Hermione laughed along with everyone else in the carriage as Ron did an impression of a squirrel eating a nut. A nervous feeling suddenly overtook her and she stopped laughing. It seemed that Ron was inconspicuously trying to move closer to her. There was nowhere for her to go, however, since she was pressed up against the side of the carriage.
Everybody else was still too busy laughing to realize that Ron had placed his hand on the skin of Hermione's leg and started moving it upward. She tried to slap his hand away playfully, but he continued his journey upward under her skirt.
The carriage suddenly jolted to a halt and Hermione jumped out as fast as she could. The rest hopped out after her and followed her into the Great Hall.
Luna headed over to the Ravenclaw table as the others went to sit with their fellow Gryffindors. Ron sat down next to Hermione, which created a nervous feeling in the pit of her stomach. He was one of her best friends, and she didn't think it was right for him to touch her that way.
As Dumbledore stood to make his announcements, Ron's hand returned to her leg and began its journey once again. If there hadn't been the silence, she would have said something to him, but she didn't want to create a scene.
As his hand moved ever upward, she squeezed her legs shut, so he wouldn't be able to touch her there. That didn't stop him, however. He wedged his hand between her legs, and pushed her panties aside.
The Sorting Ceremony had just started, so Hermione knew it would be a while before she could do anything. She glanced at Ron, who made it appear as if he were paying attention to what was going on.
He shoved two fingers inside her and began moving them in and out at a rapid pace. Hermione bit her lip to keep from crying out as he shoved another finger in her.
Tears leaked from the corners of her eyes. Not only did she dislike the feeling of his fingers in her, but also the pace at which he was moving them hurt. She kept her head bowed. No one was to see her like that. It wasn't right.
As the Sorting came to a close, Ron finally pulled his fingers out of her and began digging into the food that had magically appeared before them.
Hermione felt torn as Ron and Harry began talking casually about Quidditch. She couldn't eat or think straight even. Why had Ron done that to her? They were only friends. That was all she wanted him to be.
Draco was still trying to figure out exactly what he wanted as dinner drew to a close. He stayed behind as the rest of the students in the Great Hall filed out behind the prefects. He noticed Granger still sitting at the Gryffindor table, head bowed, seemingly distraught over something. He glared at her as they approached Dumbledore, who beckoned to them.
"Welcome back Mr. Malfoy, Ms. Granger," Dumbledore said with a smile and the usual twinkle in his bright blue eyes. "As you have been informed, this year we are trying something new to hopefully improve inter-house relations, especially between Gryffindor and Slytherin. I realize that the two of you might not be too fond of this new arrangement, so we took the liberty of creating a portal to each the Slytherin and Gryffindor common rooms. Now if you'll follow me, I'll direct you to the common room."
Finally, after six floors and a few corridors, the trio reached a mirror in the middle of nowhere. Hermione and Draco shared a disbelieving glance as they stared into the mirror.
"This," Dumbledore began, "is the entrance to your common room. The password is 'ignorance spread lies.'"
The mirror's sleek surface suddenly transformed into a silvery substance then became a hole in the wall that revealed a spacious living quarters.
They all stepped through the hole into the common room. It was painted a pale grey and the drapes were a light blue. All the furniture was black- the chairs, tables, desks, couches, everything.
Hermione thought it was magnificent, but Draco was impassive. The rooms in the Malfoy Manor were much larger and more exquisite.
Dumbledore then quickly pointed out the bedrooms and the bathroom that separated them then swept out of the common room, his purple robes swishing behind him.
Draco and Hermione looked at each other for some time without a word passing between them. It was a very awkward situation. They had been enemies since the day they met six years before, and now they had been asked to share a common room for their last and what was supposed to be their best year of school. Both were very uncomfortable.
Finally Draco broke the eye contact and looked out into the starry night sky. "Well goodnight, Mudblood," he said with one last evil glare in her direction before ascending the stairs to his room and slamming the door behind him.
"'Night, Ferret Boy," she mumbled as she turned to her room.
Draco lay face down on his bed silently cursing himself for acting like a jackass once again. As he though about it, he rolled over onto his back and stared up at the canopy of his bed. No, he wasn't a jackass. He was Draco Malfoy. Malfoys don't second-guess anything. What he had said was perfectly acceptable. On that note, he drifted off into another dreamless sleep.
Hermione sat on her bed watching the stars in the velvet sky. She knew she would never understand the inner workings of Draco Malfoy, and frankly, she didn't know if she wanted to. The only thing she wanted to know was what she had done to him to make him treat her that way. It didn't seem fair. No, it wasn't fair, not at all. Her head was pounding as she placed it on the soft pillows. Sleep wouldn't come easy that night; it never did, so she closed her eyes and blocked all thought from her mind in hopes that sleep would soon overtake her body. It did.
Hermione Granger and Draco Malfoy were in for what was sure to be a long year.
"Don't leave me?" she pleaded. "Please. I need you." That was the last time she had ever heard from him. He turned away from her that night and left her in the dark streets of London. Alone. A fifteen-year-old girl, all hopes of a future with him were left shattered so he could be with another. It was so unfair.
That was a year ago. Hermione Granger had not heard from Viktor Krum since that night in the middle of August before her sixth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
Harry Potter and Ron Weasley, her two best friends in the world had helped her on the road to recovery from the terrible heartbreak. Within only weeks she was back to her normal bookwormish self, always on their cases about class work and homework.
12 Grimmauld Place was so much different with the absence of Sirius Black. Harry still hadn't recovered from losing his godfather, and still had a fairly bad temper, but was working on that aspect of things, especially when it came to Ron and Hermione.
So far, things had been going fairly well that summer. The Order of the Phoenix had been keeping in close contact even though Lord Voldemort had been defeated a few months before.
Harry had been the one to finally bring Voldemort to his end. He didn't use his wand. It wouldn't have worked because of its bond with Voldemort's wand. Instead, Harry stabbed him with the sword of Godric Gryffindor. For the second time, Fawkes and the Sorting Hat came to the rescue. If it hadn't been for the beautiful Phoenix, Harry would have died along with Voldemort.
Needless to say, the wizarding world celebrated for weeks. Well for the most part anyway. There were some families that went into a period of mourning and rage. The Crabbes, Goyles, Parkinsons, MacNairs, and Malfoys were among the many families of Death Eaters.
Draco Malfoy was one that went into horrible fits of rage and terror after the fall of Voldemort. This, of course, was expected by all. His father, Lucius Malfoy, was a Death Eater. He received the Dementor's Kiss (the Dementor's had all returned to the Ministry once Voldemort was defeated).
Every time Draco saw Harry, Ron, or Hermione, he would throw insults and would have thrown jinxes as well had they not been in school. Most of this torture was directed at Harry and Ron although Hermione never left without something being said. He was often reprimanded by all of the professors, even his favorite, Professor Severus Snape.
Snape had known Draco since the day he was born. He was somewhat of an uncle to Draco and hated to see the rage and anguish that was clearly written on the young man's face. They often talked, but it did nothing, for Draco was a very strong-minded, stubborn teenager.
It was true that Draco had been beaten by his father up until the age of fifteen. That was when Lucius realized how strong his son really was. A mutual respect formed between father and son. Draco may not have loved his father like a son should, but he respected him and was very willing and well prepared to follow in his father's footsteps once he had finished school.
Three weeks before the start of term, the Hogwarts letters were sent out to all of the students. Hermione was very excited upon receiving hers because it stated that she would be Head Girl for the upcoming year.
As she read further down the sheet of parchment, however, she became increasingly upset. The Head Boy and Head Girl would be sharing a common room to "improve inter-house relationships." That part did upset her, although not as much as the next bit: the Head Boy was to be none other that Draco Malfoy, git extraordinaire.
She was tempted to step down as Head Girl right then and there, but that would mean she had already let Malfoy win, and she was not about to let that happen.
When Draco received his letter, he crumpled up the parchment that said he was Head Boy into a ball and threw it into the fire. He did not want to share a common room with a disgusting, good for nothing Mudblood for the entire year, especially that Mudblood. Her very being sickened him, although, he had to admit, he liked her better than both Potthead and Weasel combined.
The remainder of the summer flew by that year. Before anyone realized it, it was September first, and they were on the Hogwarts express speeding toward the castle that had become known to so many as "home."
Hermione and Draco sat in the Head Boy and Girl compartment. Neither of them spoke a word to the other. They just sat there and read.
On occasion, Hermione would steal a glance at Draco. She noticed that he looked very different now than at the beginning of the summer. He had grown at least three or four inches and was no longer scrawny. His shoulders were a bit broader and the muscles in his upper arms were defined through the tight black shirt he wore. He was also wearing black dress pants and dragon hide boots. His silver-blonde hair was falling over his eyes (apparently he had lost his hair gel). There were also dark circles under his eyes, indicating that he had not slept in days.
Draco noticed Hermione's glances. He too would glance up every so often, but it was because his vision would become blurry when asphyxiated on the pages for too long.
To him, she was still the same Mudblood-dressed in baggy jeans and a t- shirt. She still had the same bushy hair, only it was now a little shorter and pulled into a ponytail at the top of her head.
Finally, getting annoyed with her numerous glances, he said, "What the hell do you keep looking at, Mudblood?"
Startled at first, she couldn't find her voice, but soon responded with, "Certainly not you, Ferret Boy. My eyes simply become restless and I have to avert my gaze elsewhere."
Draco shook his head and turned back to his book. She really did irritate him-always having a comeback to shoot at him, never caring much for her appearance, just being a goody two shoes. She was totally opposite of everything he admired-pureblooded; straight, sleek hair; revealing clothes; a bad girl.
Hermione, on the other hand, longed for someone like Draco. Sure Harry and Ron had their heroic qualities, but Draco was much more breathtaking. He was from an esteemed pureblooded family; his features were gorgeous, especially his hair and his eyes; and he was a bad boy.
Hermione knew she could only ever dream of one day being with him. She despised him, yet fancied him. He was beautiful, yet utterly horrible at the same time. She didn't think she could ever forgive him after all he had put her trough throughout the years, not even if he begged. That, of course, would only ever happen in her dreams.
As they neared the school, the Head Boy and Head Girl changed into their robes. Neither had ever been more bored on the trip to Hogwarts. The long silence made the few hours seem like days.
Draco had never been happier to see Pansy Parkinson, Vincent Crabbe, or Gregory Goyle when he hopped off the train. Sure Crabbe and Goyle had no brains and Pansy was well Pansy, but at that moment anything was better than the silence shared with Granger.
Hermione wanted to worship the ground Harry and Ron walked on when they got off the train. At that point, she just needed to talk. Her throat had become dry on the long ride and she didn't like that feeling one bit.
Draco got into a horseless, well thestral-pulled carriage with his posse while Hermione jumped in one with Harry, Ron, Ginny, and Luna Lovegood.
Pansy tried to sit on Draco's lap, but he scooted over so she landed hard on the bench. Draco smirked to himself while Crabbe and Goyle guffawed stupidly. Pansy looked very put out as she looked over at Draco.
"Something wrong?" she questioned with a worried glance.
"No, everything's fine. Why?" he responded a bit icily.
"You just seem distressed. Do you want me to.help you with anything?"
"I'm perfectly capable of fending for myself, Pansy, but thank you for the offer."
Contrary to popular belief among the students, Draco didn't fancy Pansy Parkinson. Although she had the look, she didn't have the brains. He had never kissed her or let her touch him in any way even though she often hinted that she wanted him.
In truth, he didn't know why she wasted so much time and energy on him. She had slept with most of the male Slytherins and even some Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs. Draco had always been her main target, but she really couldn't get close to him. He wouldn't allow it.
"All right," she sighed as she took to staring out the window.
At that moment, Draco realized that maybe he was looking for all the wrong characteristics in a significant other. Maybe, just maybe, the slutty, brainless girls weren't what he wanted. He could have any of them, but so far he had not taken one. His thoughts betrayed him. Could he possibly want the modest, bookwormish type?
Hermione laughed along with everyone else in the carriage as Ron did an impression of a squirrel eating a nut. A nervous feeling suddenly overtook her and she stopped laughing. It seemed that Ron was inconspicuously trying to move closer to her. There was nowhere for her to go, however, since she was pressed up against the side of the carriage.
Everybody else was still too busy laughing to realize that Ron had placed his hand on the skin of Hermione's leg and started moving it upward. She tried to slap his hand away playfully, but he continued his journey upward under her skirt.
The carriage suddenly jolted to a halt and Hermione jumped out as fast as she could. The rest hopped out after her and followed her into the Great Hall.
Luna headed over to the Ravenclaw table as the others went to sit with their fellow Gryffindors. Ron sat down next to Hermione, which created a nervous feeling in the pit of her stomach. He was one of her best friends, and she didn't think it was right for him to touch her that way.
As Dumbledore stood to make his announcements, Ron's hand returned to her leg and began its journey once again. If there hadn't been the silence, she would have said something to him, but she didn't want to create a scene.
As his hand moved ever upward, she squeezed her legs shut, so he wouldn't be able to touch her there. That didn't stop him, however. He wedged his hand between her legs, and pushed her panties aside.
The Sorting Ceremony had just started, so Hermione knew it would be a while before she could do anything. She glanced at Ron, who made it appear as if he were paying attention to what was going on.
He shoved two fingers inside her and began moving them in and out at a rapid pace. Hermione bit her lip to keep from crying out as he shoved another finger in her.
Tears leaked from the corners of her eyes. Not only did she dislike the feeling of his fingers in her, but also the pace at which he was moving them hurt. She kept her head bowed. No one was to see her like that. It wasn't right.
As the Sorting came to a close, Ron finally pulled his fingers out of her and began digging into the food that had magically appeared before them.
Hermione felt torn as Ron and Harry began talking casually about Quidditch. She couldn't eat or think straight even. Why had Ron done that to her? They were only friends. That was all she wanted him to be.
Draco was still trying to figure out exactly what he wanted as dinner drew to a close. He stayed behind as the rest of the students in the Great Hall filed out behind the prefects. He noticed Granger still sitting at the Gryffindor table, head bowed, seemingly distraught over something. He glared at her as they approached Dumbledore, who beckoned to them.
"Welcome back Mr. Malfoy, Ms. Granger," Dumbledore said with a smile and the usual twinkle in his bright blue eyes. "As you have been informed, this year we are trying something new to hopefully improve inter-house relations, especially between Gryffindor and Slytherin. I realize that the two of you might not be too fond of this new arrangement, so we took the liberty of creating a portal to each the Slytherin and Gryffindor common rooms. Now if you'll follow me, I'll direct you to the common room."
Finally, after six floors and a few corridors, the trio reached a mirror in the middle of nowhere. Hermione and Draco shared a disbelieving glance as they stared into the mirror.
"This," Dumbledore began, "is the entrance to your common room. The password is 'ignorance spread lies.'"
The mirror's sleek surface suddenly transformed into a silvery substance then became a hole in the wall that revealed a spacious living quarters.
They all stepped through the hole into the common room. It was painted a pale grey and the drapes were a light blue. All the furniture was black- the chairs, tables, desks, couches, everything.
Hermione thought it was magnificent, but Draco was impassive. The rooms in the Malfoy Manor were much larger and more exquisite.
Dumbledore then quickly pointed out the bedrooms and the bathroom that separated them then swept out of the common room, his purple robes swishing behind him.
Draco and Hermione looked at each other for some time without a word passing between them. It was a very awkward situation. They had been enemies since the day they met six years before, and now they had been asked to share a common room for their last and what was supposed to be their best year of school. Both were very uncomfortable.
Finally Draco broke the eye contact and looked out into the starry night sky. "Well goodnight, Mudblood," he said with one last evil glare in her direction before ascending the stairs to his room and slamming the door behind him.
"'Night, Ferret Boy," she mumbled as she turned to her room.
Draco lay face down on his bed silently cursing himself for acting like a jackass once again. As he though about it, he rolled over onto his back and stared up at the canopy of his bed. No, he wasn't a jackass. He was Draco Malfoy. Malfoys don't second-guess anything. What he had said was perfectly acceptable. On that note, he drifted off into another dreamless sleep.
Hermione sat on her bed watching the stars in the velvet sky. She knew she would never understand the inner workings of Draco Malfoy, and frankly, she didn't know if she wanted to. The only thing she wanted to know was what she had done to him to make him treat her that way. It didn't seem fair. No, it wasn't fair, not at all. Her head was pounding as she placed it on the soft pillows. Sleep wouldn't come easy that night; it never did, so she closed her eyes and blocked all thought from her mind in hopes that sleep would soon overtake her body. It did.
Hermione Granger and Draco Malfoy were in for what was sure to be a long year.
