Cut me some slack, this is my first Hermione/draco fic, so please review and tell me what you think! If I only get a few reviews then I wont continue writing as this tells me no one likes my story.

At the heart of darkness

Chapter one: lonley

Hermione looked up at the night sky, as the Hogwarts express approached Hogsmede station. It was beautiful and black, with bright white stars illuminating its darkness.

At the heart of darkness, there will always be light Hermione thought. She looked around their compartment. One of her best friends, Harry Potter smiled at her warmly. He had messy black hair, which stuck up in all directions no matter what he did to it, he had the most piercing emerald green eyes, which always had a hint of sadness in them, now more than ever due to the death of Sirius, his eyes were framed by his round glasses.

Next to him was her other best friend, Ron Weasley. He had bright red hair, and deep azure blue eyes, tons of freckles. His shabby robes were always too short for him. Hermione smiled. He may not be well off but she still loved hims, and how much he wanted to prove himself.

Hermione stood affixing her head girl badge to her black school robes, so it shone clearly on her chest. Draco Malfoy had been made head boy of course.

Probably bought it Hermione thought maliciously. He hadn't said two words to her while they had gotten their instructions off Professor McGonagall, and the passwords for all the living quarters, including their own, in the castle.

This was Hermione's, Ron's and Harry's last year at school, it was also at the very peak of the war. Things looked bad for both sides, but the light side has a secret weapon that they were about to put to use.

"Hey Hermione? You in there?" she looked up to see Ron and Harry gazing down at her, worried expressions on their faces.

"oh yeah sorry, was just wondering what our first homework assignment would be," she had just flat out lied to her best friends, she had been doing that a lot lately, but when they turned at grinned at each other as if to say that's our Hermione, and she hasn't changed a bit She knew they had bought it. But they were wrong she had changed. For better or for worse she wasn't sure of yet.

Hermiones p.o.v.

I watched as Harry, Ron, Ginny and Luna pilled into a carriage. Typical. Well I wasn't going to squeeze in there and watch them all make goo-goo eyes at each other. So I lugged crookshanks, wrapped up in his warm blanket in his basket, he looked so cute!, towards a far away carriage which looked like it was empty. Great I was going to be riding to Hogwarts alone.

In truth I have always been alone. Yeah I have Harry and Ron, but they are both so distant with me, that sometimes I wonder if im actually there. My mum and dad have been working all summer as theie business was finally taking off. I suppose I should be happy for them, but they hardly ever spent any time with me over the six weeks I was there. Now I had a whole year without them, and if I was true to myself, I wasn't going to miss them that much.

"Whats wrong mudblood? Potty and weasel not want to share with you for a threesome? Or do they want to be alone together?"

As soon as I heard that cold, cruel voice I froze. I was sharing a carriage with Draco Malfoy. I immediately jumped up and went for the handle, but I heard the familiar click of the doors locking and the lurch of them beginning the treck towards the castle Oh god. I was stuck with him!

"You never answered my question," he said staring at me with those icy gray eyes.

"They want to bum each other into next week," I replied quoting my favourite t.v. show, bo selecta! This seemed to have an effect on him as he sat up straight and looked at me as if he was looking for the first time.

"A bookworm like you likes bo selecta? Wow I thought you would of spent all summer reading with potty and weasel making eyes at you more than they normally do." His voice wasn't as cold as it had been when he first addressed me.

"Its my favourite t.v.show. who knew a pureblood prick like yourself would like muggle t.v. when you tear into me all the time," it was true though, he was always calling me mudblood, and yet he liked muggle television.

"Yeah well if you tell anyone, I'll have to kill you," and he fixed me with another of his cold stares, which told me he wasn't joking. A silence rung in the carriage and I saw the bright lights of Hogwarts approaching.

"So, whats you favourite bit of the show?" he said softening a little.

"oh erm....micheal jackass was funny, and the celeb stalker bits, especially the one with meat loaf and they are singing!" don't ask me why I was talking to my worst enemy like he was a friend, but its my favourite t.v. show and I have never had anyone to discuss it with.

"Oh yeah they are singing about Danni minouges pants aren't they, and Avid sings "I would do anything for those pants, but I wont do that!" and for the first time, and let this go on the record, I saw Draco Malfoy smile, a true smile not a wicked smile, but a happy one, I wonder what it would sound like when he laughed?

"Yeah then meatloaf sings "then fuck you!"" I say rejoining the conversation "bedtime with the bear can get kinda boring tho, it's the same every week with a different celeb!" I really can't believe it im talking to Draco Malfoy about t.v. programmes, something which I have never done with my other friends especially Ron and Harry, because most of them don't even know what a television is!

"Yeah but I love it when...." The carriage lurched to a halt, stopping Malfoy from telling me his favourite part of the show. He seemed to realise we had actually had a conversation, as he swept his owl up of the seat next to him and walked briskly out of the carriage without another word. Well fine then if that's how he wants it!

I stormed into the great hall and plonked myself next to Harry, who was still making eyes at Ginny down the table. For fucks sake just go hump her already! I looked next to him at Ron who was making eyes at Luna across the hall, they had gotten quite close during the war. I looked around the hall. No one at Hogwarts ever showed me any intreset, no one ever made eyes at me. But as if the fates wanted to contradict me, I felt a pair of eyes on me.

I looked at Harry and Ron, nope they were still busy. I looked up and down the griffindor table. Nope, definitely no one from here. I turned around to the ravenclaw and hufflepuff tables, everyone on their tables was deeply immersed in conversation. I finally looked ahead of me to the slytherin table, to be met with those grey eyes. They were no longer cold however, there was something there which I couldn't place.

As if catching himself Malfoy mouthed at me Like what you see mudblood? I was furious! How dare he accuse me of staring when he had aswell. So I mouthed back No, all I see is a prick he seemed hurt at this and turned away from me. Ha! Serves him right for storming out of the carriage then doesn't it!

"Hermione why didn't you share a carriage with us?" That brought me back to planet earth. It was Harry. So he had finally noticed I was there.

"I wanted to read my book, so I got a carriage alone," damn I love my brain!

"Oh ok," and that was the end of the conversation as Dumbledore stood up to make his speech. Don't get me wrong the first few years I payed attention, but now I just automatically switch off and wait for my food to appear, cause after six years, im bored, I just want out of Hogwarts and away from every one.

After a few moments of drifting through my thoughts food filled every plate in front of me so that my table groaned underneath its weight. I looked up to see all my favourite foods, chicken wings, sausages, mashed potatoes and gravy and pork chops! I piled the lot onto my plate. The house elves deffinately hadn't lost their touch.

As for that, if you are wondering, I gave that up last year, Dumbledore is using the house elves to spy on all the dark witches and wizards, and in exchange they can either be free and live as they like or work here at Hogwarts. And Dumbledore also told me that they get most of the summer off, as there's no one here but him, and they can have whatever clothes they wish to wear. Which may not have been that good an idea because now they all wear the same odd ensembeles as Dobby.

I eat my food as I would when I am in company. When im at home in my room and its just me and a tub of chicken wings, I eat like Ron, a.k.a its all over my face, just like Ron has now actually, a bit of gravy to the left side of his mouth and some sauce to the right. You would of thought his mother would of taught him some manners.

As the final desert trays clear (I had hot chocolate cake, with strawberries and cream ice cream yum yum!) Dumbledore asks us all to go to bed, but then asks to see me and Malfoy. Probably to show us where our house is. I was right as Professor Mcgonagall leads us down a corridor I have never been down before, and by the look on Malfoy's face neither had he.

"You already know the password to your dorm, so I need not repeat it," oh here we go, McGonagalls got her knickers up her bum, at this I resisted the urge to giggle, and I saw Malfoy smirk as if her heard my thoughts, but that was impossible, right? "You will have to share a common room and that is all, you will have your own dormitories and bathrooms to avoid awkward situations. I expect both of you to set a good example to the school and to work hard in this, your final year. That is all goodnight to you both," and with that she was off down the corridor with a swish of her tartan robes.

I looked at the painting it was of me and Malfoy. Typical. At the moment we were arguing.

"Can one of you shut up and let me in?" I heard Malfoy yell. The Malfoy in the painting turned around and asked "password?"

"Chocolate frogs," I said clearly, and the portrait swung open to reveal our common room. I immediately ran forward and threw myself on a huge red sofa with the gold griffindor lion on it, I watched Malfoy do the same on his, which was green with a silver slytherin snake on it. I watched him pull two bottles out of his rucksack for on the train, and two glasses.

"So mudblood, I take it you like Vodka?" he asked with out turning to look at me as he set the two bottles and two shot glasses on the table in the middle of us.

"Yes," I said without thinking, it was my favourite but I always had it with coke, "why?"

He poured a shot of vodka into each glass and said "Race you," I leapt forward and grabbed the glass downing it, there was no way Malfoy was beating me at anything. We both finished at the same moment, and I shook my head and gagged at the hairspray taste in my mouth. Which the prick seemed to find funny, so I scowled at him.

"Ok mudblood, before you look kills me, truth or dare?"