Disclaimer: I don't own anything except the plot.

Enjoy! And please review! (

A fair, brown-haired girl sighed happily as she looked out of the train window. It was September 1st and they were now going back to school. The pretty girl suddenly smiled as she thought of the things that awaited her, the new responsibilities that she now have, the result of becoming a prefect. And Hermione Granger couldn't be happier.

She turned around when she heard the compartment door slide open and smiled at the two people who walked in.

"Hi guys!" she said, standing up and giving each of them a hug.

"Hey Hermione," Ron said, sitting beside her.

"It's great to see you," Harry added.

Hermione smiled a closed smile at Harry and Ron. She was very pleased to see Harry, especially. They hadn't had much contact over the summer. He was always at Ron's house, though. And well, she was busy in France, vacationing with her family.

She sighed. Ron and Harry thought they knew everything about Hermione. They were wrong, however. Because there's one thing Hermione would never let anyone know, one thing she would never tell anyone. Not even Ron and Harry.

It was that she was in love.

"How was your summer?" Hermione asked both of them, pushing those thoughts out of her mind.

"Great!" Harry said before Ron could answer.

Ron glanced at him a bit warily then smiled warmly at Hermione. "Yeah. It was good."

Hermione looked closely at both of them, especially at Ron. There was something significant about that wary glance, but she couldn't place her finger on it. She decided it was nothing.

"That's nice. What exactly was so great?" Hermione continued.

"Loads of things," Harry said before Ron again.

Ron glanced warily at Harry again. He turned to Hermione. "How was France?"

"Fun," she replied with a shrug. "I've been there before." Suddenly, the compartment door opened and Ginny walked in with a huge smile plastered on her face. Ron stiffened a bit.

"Hi Ginny!" Hermione said.

Ginny smiled at her. "Hey Hermione! Hi guys!" She rested her eyes on Harry for a while then looked at Hermione again. "How was France? How come you never came over for the summer?"

"I wanted to, believe me. I just couldn't," Hermione replied. "I heard your summer was great, though. According to Harry."

Ginny glanced at Harry and smiled. "Oh it was very. eventful."

"Well, I'm glad," Hermione said, missing Harry and Ginny's looks at each other.

"Oh, Hermione, I almost forgot. You're supposed to be seated near the front," Ginny said, "since you're a prefect and everything."

"Oh yeah! I forgot about that. I wonder who the other prefects are," Hermione said, standing up. "I'll see you guys later." With this, she left.
Hermione happily opened the prefect compartment when she opened her mouth in shock and appalling at who she found in there.

"Well, well, well. If it isn't the know-it-all Granger," Draco Malfoy said with a smirk.

"What are you doing here?" Hermione said, almost fuming. "This is a prefect compartment.

"So it is," Draco replied dully, going back to the scenery outside the window.

"Well. why are you here then?" Hermione asked, trying to keep the disgust out of her voice. She didn't want to fight so early in the year.

"Why don't you answer your own question, Granger? I thought you were smart?"

She gasped. "You mean."

Draco did the classic Draco Malfoy smirk and nodded. "Yes, Granger. You're not the only one who's capable of being a school prefect. I am a Malfoy, after all."

"I don't believe this!"

"I know what you mean," he said. "I can't believe you're a prefect either."

"Malfoy!" she said threateningly. "Don't start now."

"What? You're the one who started it," he snapped.

She sat down on the seat in front of him. "You're. a prefect?"

"This is getting really annoying," Draco said with a yawn.

"But. but."

"Are you saying that I don't have a right to be one? Are you the only one who can be a prefect, mudblood?"

Hermione flinched at the name. She glared at him, stood up and opened the compartment door. But before she left she said, quite arrogantly, "Maybe I am."
"As prefects I expect order from you, discipline and especially being an example to you fellow schoolmates. You four are prefects because we know that you can do this and give out help to the teachers in making order throughout the school," Professor McGonagall said. "I don't want any fights among you." She looked at Hermione and Draco when she said this. "Understand?"

The four prefects nodded in agreement. "Very well," the professor said and handed Draco a piece of paper. "Here are your room assignments." Then she left.

The four students looked at the paper. Hermione and Draco both made a sound of disgust as they saw that they were to share a common room together.

"There has to be a mistake," Hermione said, shaking her head. "I'm not sharing a room with you." She looked pointedly at Draco.

"And you think I'd like to?" he snapped back. "Well, dream on, Granger. The day that will happen is the day the world will end."

Hermione sighed angrily and stormed away, making her way to her-er, their common room. She just hoped that the days would be better after this.

She couldn't help but think, *What a way to start the year.*