I hate you but I love you…
Chapter 1: Another Year Begins
"Mum, I have to go!" Hermione Granger exclaimed for what seemed like the millionth time. "The Hogwarts Express is going to leave any minute!"
"Fine, but promise you'll write, and please don't get into trouble!" Mrs. Granger hugged her daughter one last time before sending her on her final trip to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
"I promise mum." Hermione called out the window of the magic-filled train. As soon as her mother was out of sight, Hermione left with her trunk to find her two friends, Harry Potter, and Ronald Weasley.
Entering the next compartment of the train, she spotted flaming red hair. That had to be them. Walking a little faster, Hermione opened their compartment door and was soon being embraced by the people that loved her the most.
"Harry, Ron, I missed you over the summer!" She shrieked while they let go of her and sat back down.
"We missed you too, the World Cup was great!" Harry replied and Ron nodded in agreement.
"Congratulations on making Head Girl, Hermione." Ron added, looking at the shiny badge on her robes.
"Thanks, and speaking of Head Girl, I have to stay in the Head compartment and check the corridors once in a while." Hermione frowned, "I wish I could spend more time with you on our first day back, I really do."
"That's okay; we'll see you later I guess." Harry said, making her feel a little better. Hermione turned and left to find the Head compartment.
As she entered the door labeled Heads, Hermione saw the last person she wanted as Head Boy.
"Granger thought you'd be Head Girl." Draco Malfoy sneered, leaning his ego-inflated head against the compartment walls.
"Well I didn't think you had enough brains to be made Head Boy." Hermione retorted after placing her trunk on the luggage rack.
"Why? I've been in most of your classes, I was a prefect, and obviously you need decent grades for that." Malfoy said glaring at her, and then put his legs up in the rest of the train seat, "Or you could just be a know-it-all mudblood." He mumbled under his breath while rolling his eyes.
"Maybe you were only prefect because your ape-like body-guards Crabbe and Goyle can't seem to know their left from right! Speaking of them, where are they? Shouldn't they be here protecting you, or are you too good for them now?"
"Will you just shut the hell up, Granger!" Malfoy yelled sitting up. Hermione nervously looked at him as though she might cry.
"I'm s-s-sorry." She said quietly, her voice shaking.
"And by the way, Crabbe and Goyle didn't feel the need to further their education, so it's just me, well and Zabini." He said, adding, "For future reference, I received ten OWL's… that's only one less than you."
The first hour was uneventful. Malfoy had fallen asleep and Hermione glared over the top of her book at him. She couldn't stand anything about him and at least she wouldn't have to deal with him once they arrived at the school.
Hermione decided to join Harry and Ron, seeing as Malfoy wouldn't even notice she had left. As quietly as she possibly could, she opened the compartment door and ventured down the train isle to where she had last seen her friends.
Out of the corner of her eye, Hermione saw a flash of red hair disappear behind a compartment with the blinds shut... Maybe their compartment was closer than it seemed. Hermione thought and made her way to the compartment in which her friends were.
She knocked on the door and hears someone groan from within. To her surprise it sounded a lot like Ginny who had probably joined Harry and Ron.
"Come in if you must!" Ginny yelled through the door and Hermione pushed it open to find Ginny and Harry looking quite disheveled. Ginny moved off of Harry's lap and both blushed profusely.
"You two can get back to whatever you were doing. I was just looking for company other than Malfoy." Hermione said quickly, trying not to look at them and not wanting to embarrass them even more.
"It's okay. We thought it might have been someone else trying to find out what we were doing." Ginny said and Harry nodded in agreement.
"Well, I'll just err… leave now and talk with Ron instead. Sorry for interrupting this … moment. See you later!" Hermione was about to close the door when Harry called her back.
"And Hermione, please don't mention this to Ron. He still isn't fully comfortable with the thought of us being with each other." Harry explained, wrapping his arm around Ginny.
"Sure." Hermione said and left them to continue whatever they were doing.
She traveled down the isle to where Ron's compartment really was. He was sitting alone, looking out the window as rain hit against it.
"Hey Ron, where did Harry go?" Hermione asked trying to cover for her friend.
"Huh? Oh I didn't hear you come in Hermione." Ron said after jumping slightly from his spot at the window. "He went to use the bathroom… Said his stomach was bothering him."
"Well I hope he'll be all right." Hermione sat across from Ron who looked lonely.
"How's it going with Malfoy?"
"Same as usual. Crabbe and Goyle aren't going to be at Hogwarts this year. It just stupid." Hermione laughed and Ron joined her.
"Hermione, if he ever tries to do anything to hurt you, come straight to Harry and me." Ron reassured Hermione as she got up from her seat to leave.
"I can take care of myself Ron, but if I really need you guys then I'll come." She opened the compartment door and stepped outside, "See you at the feast."
"Yeah, see you later." Ron said and heard the door close while turning to face the window again.
Hermione walked back to the Head compartment, making sure everyone she saw was behaving. Harry and Ginny were still locked in their compartment doing who knows what, but Hermione wouldn't get her own friends in trouble.
She thought about what Ron had said. As much as she loved having protective friends that would help her in any situation, they had to learn that she was just as capable of handling a problem as they were. Hermione had faced just as much danger in her life as her friends had, well maybe Harry faced more, but that's beside the point.
Hermione opened her compartment door, noticing Malfoy was still asleep, though not making any attempt to be quiet. The door slammed shut behind her and Hermione couldn't help but laugh at how funny Malfoy looked as he fell to the floor, quite startled.
"What the bloody hell was that for?" He asked loudly, checking his reflection in the window to make sure his hair still looked good.
"I think we're going to be at the school soon so you should get changed, and I didn't mean to wake you anyway." Hermione said. She took her trunk down from the luggage rack and found her school robes within its contents.
"If you're expecting me to leave so you can change then think again." Malfoy said rudely, finding his own robes.
"Well I wasn't. I knew you wouldn't leave so I'm changing in the bathroom." Hermione took her clothes and left the room so Malfoy could change while she was gone too.
Several minutes later she returned to find Malfoy attempting to sleep again. He opened a lazy eye to see if it was Hermione that entered, and then shut it when he saw her.
"Why are you so tired?" Hermione questioned while sitting across from him.
"I was up late last night. Mind your own business mudblood." Malfoy smirked at her disgusted expression, "And I wasn't doing what you think I was doing." He added.
"Good because I didn't need to hear that." Hermione crossed her arms and looked out of the window.
The train gradually slowed to a stop as it arrived at the Hogsmeade station. Hermione nudged Malfoy awake, much to his displeasure, and the two of them left to escort the other students to the carriages.
Harry and Ginny had rejoined Ron, who Hermione met up with. Harry had his hand on Ginny's waist and Ron looked as if he might murder Harry if he did anything with Ginny in front of him.
"How are you feeling Harry?" Hermione asked, smirking at him.
"Much better. The nurse on the train gave me a potion to make the pain go away." He lied and Ginny smiled at him. Ron however was oblivious to all of this.
Once inside the castle, Professor McGonagall approached Hermione with a message in her hand.
"Miss Granger, this is from the headmaster." She gave the parchment to Hermione who read it quickly. She looked in disbelief at her professor.
"But Professor, the letter I received this summer said nothing about sharing a common room with him!" She exclaimed in disgust.
"That is because it is a secret tradition that we give the Head Boy and Girl their private space. You may share this with your friends if you must, but no one else is supposed to know."
"Excuse me Professor McGonagall," Ron started, trying to comprehend what was happening, "Are you saying that Hermione has to live with Malfoy?!"
"Yes Mr. Weasley, but Miss Granger isn't being forced to get along with Mr. Malfoy, though it would be nice if they both tried to make the best of this situation. I am sorry but it is a Hogwarts tradition." McGonagall stated sternly.
"But—"
"No buts Miss Granger. Your trunk is already in your room, and this letter has the location and password to your common room. I shall see you in class tomorrow, good night." The professor left the group, leaving Hermione in a miserable mood for the feast.