We'll Be Fine

A/N: Okay. This is my first fanfiction in a very long time, hehe. So yeah, I'm sorry if it's awful and now I'd like to ask for help in any way possible D

Disclaimer: I don't own anything you recognise from the Harry Potter films, books, toys, whatever – they belong to J.K. Rowling.

I do own whatever you don't notice – so please don't steal. Thank you (:

Okay then, please enjoy the story and review hehe. All I can do is ask, and please no nasty comments because they just hurt. Constructive criticism is welcome with open arms! Another note here, this is set in the seventh year and continues as though nothing happened. Draco and Snape are still at Hogwarts normally, Dumbledore's all well and good, and no one's in a relationship (Harry/Ginny etc).


Chapter One

Draco Malfoy rubbed his back as he walked toward the Hogwarts Express. Lucius Malfoy was particularly cruel when he wanted to be, especially to his growing son who was more of a sleep-around than Lucius approved of. Still, the beatings he had got the previous night were enough to make Draco wince every time something touched his back. And a good example of that wincing would be that morning, as an over-excited Pansy Parkinson leapt on him. Growling, Draco threw her off him and continued his pained walk to the train – he was not in the mood for her at that moment. Pansy whimpered as she walked alongside him, but as she reached out for his hand, he coldly twitched it away from her grip and began to hurry his pace. A few moments later, the incredibly suave Blaise Zabini stepped beside him and followed his friend's trail, looking amusedly between Pansy and Draco.

"I'm surprised you haven't fired a spell at her yet, Draco m'boy," Blaise chuckled to himself, but as he received no sort of reply from Draco, there was something obviously the matter. Blaise almost asked, but his eyes shifted to Draco's pale hand rubbing his back gently. "You've really got to get some treatment for stuff like that, you know. If it carries on, there's going to be nothing left for the girls," Draco smirked at his friend and Blaise's expression seemed to soften as he finally received a response. The two boarded the train and hurried to find a compartment, but as usual first thing in a morning, they got separated in the horde of students.

"For fuck's sake!" Draco shoved a third year aside, who accidentally dropped his bag which sent Draco tumbling over the rest of the students and landing on something solid that didn't appear to be the floor. "Woops," he muttered, without real care. He stood up and was about to offer the other student a hand when he realised who it had been. Hermione Granger glared up at him from the floor and he smirked, "oh sorry, I would help but touching you might give me some Mudblood disease," Draco laughed coldly to himself, sauntering down the train to find Blaise. Hermione groaned, pulling herself up from the floor and brushing the small amount of dirt that had gathered on the back of her new robes. Looking back at the blonde head of Draco Malfoy, she muttered words of hate under her breath and vowed silently that she would find a way to get him back.

888

Hogwarts couldn't have held more splendour or grandness as the Stagecoaches rolled smoothly toward the castle. Hermione was talking animatedly to Ron, Ginny, Neville, Luna and Harry about her holiday in Rome and even managed to laugh harmlessly at the things Luna came out with. However, her mind was working furiously with revenge as the motivator and she had no idea what it was, but she felt unbelievably risky and active suddenly. The group arrived at Hogwarts and hurried inside for the warmth that greeted them. Nothing raised their spirits more than seeing the bright Great Hall open before them, with the glimmering golden plates and goblets placed neatly on the four long house tables, and the staff beaming down at them from their raised table at the top of the Hall. Following her friends in, someone barged past her, almost knocking her to her knees. Hermione looked around and grimaced as a familiar blonde was chuckling callously to himself as he lead the way to the Slytherin table. Ron and Harry noticed this and were halfway to retrieving their wands until Hermione shook her head and pulled them to their house table.

"He's such a bloody git, that Malfoy," Ron cursed as Hermione giggled at him; Ron blushed and busied himself with fetching the goblet that he had knocked over in surprise. The Hall turned silent as the first years trotted in nervously behind Professor McGonagall, and stood uneasily as she brought back the three legged stool that held the ancient Sorting Hat. Hermione hardly paid any attention to the Sorting that year. The Hat had nothing much to say and she didn't know anyone who was coming up that year so she only paid attention when someone joined their house. As Head Girl, she found it her responsibility to welcome the new students as warmly as possible. Hermione fidgeted with her shining badge and repeatedly took it off to examine it and then pin it back onto her robes. Soon enough, both Harry and Ron got annoyed at her feverish actions and shouted at her to stop.

McGonagall tapped on her goblet lightly with her spoon, and the Hall turned deadly silent once more. It was time for Dumbledore's welcoming speech, which, as usual, Hermione listened to intently for any hidden messages that she so enjoyed to pick up.

"Welcome first years, and welcome back to everyone else. I am delighted to see your faces here once more, and hope not to keep you waiting much longer. Before I begin telling you all of the school rules, I would like to congratulate our Prefects and our Head Boy and Girl. I would also like to mention that the Head Boy and Girl are expected to wait behind in the Hall after the Prefects have taken their houses to their dormitories. Now, onto the rules..." Hermione turned away uninterestedly as if everything else didn't matter. So, nothing worth mentioning was happening after all. But she thought that it would be unwise to mention Voldemort the first second students returned to Hogwarts.

888

After the feast, Hermione bid her friends farewell as she sat stationary in her seat. A while later, she looked around to see who the Head Boy was, expecting it to be someone like Ernie Macmillan. But a disgruntled sigh escaped her lips as the most annoying blonde she had ever met stared amusedly at her from across the Hall. Dumbledore cleared his throat and motioned for them both to go to him, which they did without hesitation. He smiled gently at them both, with the familiar twinkle in his eyes that made Hermione grin with joy at returning to Hogwarts, but that which rather annoyed Draco. After a while of watching them both, he began to speak.

"I congratulate you both on your success, and hope that you will not disregard the duties you both have," he eyed Draco warily, "now, you will not be living together as of yet because there was a slight delay during the holidays and there are still some modifications being made to your living quarters, however there is sufficient room for you both in your respective dormitories with the other students in your year. Here is a list of your duties, and there is another sheet which contains all of the passwords for this month for your houses." Dumbledore handed them both two sheets of parchment and Hermione immediately scanned the list of duties she had. Draco merely pocketed them and decided to look them over later. "Now, with that out of the way, I bid you goodnight and I, or your Heads of Houses, will inform you of when your living quarters are complete. For the time being, I suggest you return to your friends."

Hermione said goodnight to the headmaster and turned on her heel quickly, wanting nothing more to leave Draco Malfoy's company as promptly as possible. However, after muttering a sort of goodbye to his headmaster, Draco strode after Hermione contentedly. He was enjoying the time he had to torment her without her two boyfriends jumping to defence. Ignoring the presence of her enemy, Hermione carried on quickly and noticed that Draco hadn't parted with her to continue on to the dungeons as they both climbed the staircase. Hermione couldn't take it anymore and whipped around to glare at Draco, who was wearing his trademark smirk, as per usual.

"What do you want with me, Malfoy?! Because I have to admit, this is getting unbelievably annoying!" Hermione yelled at him, but in a quieter voice than she would have usually used. Draco looked sarcastically wounded and mocked being hurt by what she had said which only infuriated her more. "Either you tell me or I'll knock you down the staircase on your backside," Draco decided that he would reply this time.

"Oh, I don't really want anything, Granger. I just thought it would be very gentleman-like of me to make sure the Head Girl got to her temporary dormitory safe and sound," Draco drawled in a tone dripping with sarcasm. Hermione glared at him even more and ascended the staircase, continuing upwards to the portrait of the Fat Lady – though she didn't pay any attention to the couple as she was having her own heated debate with an old, bedraggled wizard that was holding a grubby bottle of something alcoholic, as far as Hermione guessed. "Now, do you think we should become study buddies or something, now we're going to be living together?" Draco laughed frostily; Hermione turned on him and almost gave in to the temptation of whipping her wand out and attacking him there and then. "Now, now, you don't want to have your temper ruin this Head Girl status, do you?" Hermione's face became even more ridden with anger.

"Malfoy, I will tell you now and I hope you understand – when we are sharing living quarters, there is no chance in Hell that I would spend more than five minutes anywhere near you, unless there was an important reason behind it, like if Dumbledore was speaking to us," Hermione informed him icily, she noticed a reaction flick across Draco's face for a second, or thought she did, as she took on that tone of voice. "Now good night, and please do not bother me with your ridiculous ideas of being 'study buddies' ever again."

Hermione muttered the password so only the Fat Lady and herself could hear and before Draco could get a word in edgeways, Hermione had disappeared into the Gryffindor Common Room. Draco smirked and almost burst out in laughter at the annoyance he had been, but stopped as he saw the amused look on the Fat Lady's face. He glowered at her for a moment, awaiting an explanation.

"You're going to have to try harder to get that one, or maybe choose a different method of seduction," the Fat Lady suggested, but knew she had presumed the wrong thing from the disgusted look on the young Malfoy's face. However, she saw something twinkle in his eye that she didn't think he was aware of, "but as far as I've known that girl, she wouldn't give her reputation and knowledge up for a whole lot, especially seeing as that's the reason she beats you in everything in the school, practically." Draco glared even more as the Fat Lady giggled away. He stomped down the staircases and as he retreated into the cool shade of the dungeons, he was hit by an idea.

He always hated being second best. And the Fat Lady had just given him an idea on how to reclaim his rightful place at the top of the list.

"You're going to have to try harder to get that one, or maybe choose a different method of seduction..."