Author's Note: This idea came to me today thanks to a Tumblr post! This is totally AU, maybe OOC in some parts. But I just wanted to write this and have some fun with it. If you don't like it, that's fine. I'm mostly just writing it to play around with an idea of mine. Anyway, I do hope you enjoy it.

Summary: Basically, Harry Potter (Draco-centric) set in modern time, and no wizardry. I know, that's most of the fun. But its hard for me to write the wizarding world correctly so yeah. Give it a chance though!

Disclaimer: AU, OOC, and I do not own Harry Potter or the characters.

Plot: Draco Malfoy is the richest most popular boy at Kingswright Academy and also the biggest jerk. Hermione Granger is the quiet girl who is only at Kingswright due to high grades and scholarships. What happens when Draco is dared to make Hermione fall in love with him by the end of semester break? Will he be able to sweep her off her feet, or will it be him falling head over heels?

Chapter One

Draco Malfoy stood on the cobble stone drive, watching the butler load his silver Mercedes convertible with his black Prada luggage. The summer was finally coming to a close, but the weather was as warm as ever. With a shake of his head, Malfoy tossed the bangs from his forehead. He shifted his weight slightly, wondering what the hell was taking the butler so long to load up his luggage. He wanted to be on the road already. Kingswright Academy was a two hour drive, and he wanted to be there already catching up with his friends. He hadn't seen Vincent and Gregory since the end of last term. Vincent's family had gone off to spend the holiday in Italy and Gregory had been forced to vacation with his grandparents in New Hampshire. Sure there was email but no one ever seemed to have the time or be bothered to write. Malfoy sure couldn't be bothered to. But just the same, it would have been nice to have received some correspondence while on break.

He glanced back at Malfoy Manor, a vast brick structure consisting of the main house, the servants quarters in the back, and the garages which housed the family cars. There was also a tennis court and a swimming pool towards the back of the property. Inside the house, he could have almost anything he wanted. There were flat screen TVs in almost every room. He had his own entertainment den consisting of a flat screen, surround sound, the latest gaming consoles, a pool table, and air hockey. Of course, those things get very dull very quickly when you are the only one using them. Malfoy eyed the structure - it was almost impossible to call it a home - one last time. He wouldn't miss it. At Kingswright, he at least had companions and was away from his mother's shaking, his father's fists, and the sound of ice clinking in crystal - a sound that made his skin prickle.

"Everything is all loaded, Master Draco," the butler, James, bowed and stepped back from the Mercedes.

"Very well," Malfoy took the key from James.

"Have a safe travel, and an excellent semester at school, Master Draco."

Draco stiffened slightly. More of a goodbye than his parents had given him. He had gone into his mother's room to tell her he was off, only to find her in her usual state. She was lying in her king size bed that overflowed with pillows. Her eyes were closed and there was a short crystal glass lying on the carpet, liquid spilling out. She had dropped it as she slipped off to her dream-state. Draco had retrieved a towel from the bathroom and mopped at the spill. He gently put the crystal glass on her night stand. He had bent over her, kissed her cheek, and told her goodbye. Leaving her room, he shut her door behind him. He had thought about going to tell his father goodbye, but could hear him shouting on the phone through the heavy mahogony doors of his home office. So Draco had decided against it. Now here was James, giving him more of a goodbye than his own parents.

"Thank you, James," Malfoy nodded. Showing gratitude and appreciation was something his father told him equated to showing weakness. Draco Malfoy never thanked.

"Again, drive safely," James turned and stood on the cobble pathway, watching Draco start up the car and begin to drive off down the long drive.

Draco fiddled with the radio, finding his favorite station. He blasted the music trying to drown out his thoughts. But they were always louder than anything else. He thought of his mother, alone in that house - that prison. He thought of his father, and his hand went to the fading yellow bruise along his jawline. He thought of James, and how he had been the only one to wish him safe travels and a good semester. Draco chewed at the bottom of his lip. They'll be fine, he told himself, they always get along just fine without me. Mom's got her pills and her booze, Dad's just fine. It'll all be fine. But somehow he didn't quite believe that. They worried him. They had always worried him.

The drive was pretty easy. Traffic was a breeze. When Draco arrived at the large front gates of Kingswright Academy, he felt his stomach tighten with excitement. He was home. Or at least as close to a home as he'd ever known. He would have Vincent and Gregory to pass the time with. They were always all three cooking up new ways to get into trouble. With the Mafloys, Crabbes, and Goyles being some of the most prominent donors of Kingswright, most of the teachers and the school board looked the other way whenever trouble found them - or more correctly, when they found trouble. Draco was looking forward to keeping busy. It'd be totally opposite of his dull summer spent back at the Manor.

He pulled forward through the gates. Off to the North end of the academy there was the student parking. He pulled into the spot right in the front of the lot. Printed on a placard in front of the parking spot were the words, "Re severed Respectfully for D. Malfoy." Draco smirked, loving that. After parking his car, he unloaded his bags - one suitcase on wheels, and two large leather messenger bags. Slamming the trunk shut, Draco locked the car and headed towards his assigned dormitory that he'd shared with Vincent and Gregory for the past two years at Kingswright. They stayed in Slytherin Hall. It had one of the best courtyards and was the most up-to-date dormitories. They had the best amenities on campus.

As Draco was walking towards his dormitory, someone bumped right into him. He turned, angry and ready to lash out at whomever had had the nerve. He saw her, a girl with frizzy brown hair and mousy brown eyes, still looking at her map and not at who she'd just run into. Draco cleared his throat, waiting for an apology.

"Oh," she finally glanced up from the map, "I'm so sorry! I'm still trying to find my way around..."

Draco smirked - new blood, "That's quite alright," he plucked the map from her hands as she opened her mouth to protest, "Where are you trying to go?"

"Um...Gryffindor Hall. Do you know it?"

Draco smirked again, "I know every place on this campus," then, looking her up and down slowly added, "And everyone."

"I'm new this year," the girl explained, "I just transferred. I was waiting on scholarships to come through and for an opening to the academy. I was on a wait list for what seemed like forever!"

"Wait list?" Draco didn't even know they had those.

"Yeah," the girl blushed, "It's only for people who don't have an automatic 'in' to the school. Like children of the donors, the bloodlines, et cetera."

"They let people in who aren't donors or who don't have a bloodline?" Draco was a little taken back. His father prided himself on the fact that Draco was upholding a seven generation tradition, "There's scholarships?" He sort of wanted to tell his father about this. Did he know they were letting whomever into the gates of Kingswright? Surely not. He'd never agree to allow it. The school was founded on tradition and bloodlines. They wouldn't just let anyone be strolling around the grounds, would they? They wouldn't just let anyone in to their academy?

"If our grades are high enough," she explained, "I'm only here on a scholarship. My family could never afford a place like this out of pocket," she laughed nervously, "I'm just lucky to be here. It's one of the best schools..."

"In the country," Draco glared at her, now totally offended. He gingerly handed her her map back, holding it between his thumb and index finger as if it was harmful to him to touch, "Gryffindor Hall is across the East courtyard. About a five minute walk. You'll find it well enough."

"Couldn't you maybe...show me?"

Draco smiled tightly, "I don't think so."

He adjusted his messenger bags on his shoulder and continued his walk towards Slytherin Hall. Still, he could not believe that Kingswright allowed for such a thing like scholarships. He dug his cell phone out from his jacket pocket and dialed his father's number. On the third ring, Lucius Malfoy answered.

"Yes?" The cool voice, slick and silk responded.

"Dad," Draco inhaled, "I made it to Kingswright."

"Good. What did you need to call me about?"

"Well, I was just wondering if you knew that they were allowing...outsiders in. People who don't have bloodlines to the school. People who can't even afford to be here. They...they offer scholarships!" Draco spat out as if the words made him physically ill.

"I know," Lucius sighed, "I tried voting against it, but I was outnumbered. They see it as an...outreach program. They want everyone to be able to have a fair education and access to the academy's program."

"But...that's not fair!"

"I know, son. It's something new they've started. I didn't want to tell you about it because I didn't want it to stress you out before school staring," Draco couldn't help but smirk. Yeah. Like his father ever cared about his stressors in life. Him being the primary one. It was laughable. "Just try to get through the semester. They shouldn't bother you. They are outsiders. If anything, they will just simply keep to themselves."

"We can wish," Draco sighed, nearing his dormitory hall.

"Call me if you have anymore concerns. I can try to talk to the board and see what I can do. I've got to go now."

"Dad?"

"What is it?"

"Is mom awake yet?"

"How the bloody hell would I know what your mother does or does not do?"

"Well...could you have one of the servants check in on her? Just to make sure she's..."

"I don't have time. Good bye, son."

"Bye, dad."

Draco shook his head, depositing the cellphone back into his jacket pocket. He tried to push his parents out of his head. He was finally back at Kingswright. This was going to be a good year. He was going to see to that.