Chapter One
"So, excited for this year, Hermione?" asked Ginny, who was leaning on Harry.
"Yeah," Hermione replied with a grin. "I'm kind of hoping to try out the love department this year."
"Well, our bookworm has a dark side," teased Ron.
"Oh, shut up, Ronald," she replied, turning pink with embarrassment.
"So, who do you think it'll be?" Ginny asked with a grin.
"How am I meant to know?" Hermione asked. "I can tell you for certain who it won't be, and that would be Harry, Ron, or Malfoy."
"That makes sense," said Harry. "Why not Ron, though? I get me and Malfoy, but Ron?"
"Well, for one thing, he's a moron..."
"Thanks," Ron muttered.
"...but even if he weren't, I still wouldn't like him. He's one of my best friends, and he's one of my best friends' brother."
"Point taken," Harry said, grinning at Ron, who looked disgruntled.
"Imagine, though! You and Malfoy!" Ginny teased. "The Head Boy and Head Girl! You'll have such cute kids. They will have your brain, his smirk, and will make the Sorting Hat tear itself in two trying to decide between Gryffindor or Slytherin."
"Yeah, that'll happen on the day that Ron becomes a ballerina," Hermione retorted.
"Oh, so there's an actual chance, then," snickered Harry. Ron tried to hit him, but Harry dodged it, and Ron's fist went slamming into the wall. He yelped.
"Seriously, though, I really want to find love." Hermione looked at Ron. "Not like that cheap crap you had with Lavender."
"It wasn't cheap!" Ron protested, rubbing his hand.
"If one party hates it and will do anything to get out of it, it's cheap," Hermione retorted. "My point is, I want real love. Like you guys have," she said to Harry and Ginny.
Ginny smiled. "It's not all it's cracked up to be."
Harry glared at her.
"Love you...?" she tried.
Harry couldn't keep a straight face and smiled amusedly, kissing her on top of her head.
"See, like that! Even if one of you pisses the other off, you can't stay mad at each other, because you love each other too much."
"Well..." said Ginny.
"Ginny," Harry said warningly.
Ginny smiled. "Oh, calm down," she said, snuggling closer to Harry. "You know I love you more than anything." He kissed her softly.
"Sickening," Ron said in a revolted tone of voice.
Hermione rolled her eyes. "And that is why you are on my Not list."
"Anything from the trolley, dears?" asked the little witch who ran the food trolley.
"Yes!" Ron nearly shouted, darting to the door.
"Boys," muttered Hermione, standing up.
She waited until Ron was back inside, but before she could say what she wanted, another voice spoke.
"Two chocolate frogs and a box of Bertie Bott's Beans."
It was Malfoy, who was surprisingly alone.
"There you go!" said the witch cheerfully, handing him his change.
He glanced at Hermione. Silver eyes met chocolate brown, but it was only for a moment as he turned away.
Hermione blinked as he walked away without a single insult, or even a dirty look.
"What would you like, dear?" asked the little witch.
"Oh... Right... Two pumpkin pasties and a sugar quill, please," Hermione said, coming back to herself.
"That will be five sickles, please," she said as she handed the food over.
Hermione handed her the coins and reentered her compartment. She sat back down and thought about what had just happened. It was Malfoy, for Merlin's sake. Why hadn't he insulted her or shot her a glare?
And more importantly, why did she care?
"Hey, are they still selling Drooble's?" asked Harry.
"What?" she said wildly, forgetting where she was. "Oh... Um, I think so..."
"That changes things!" Ron said. He and Harry headed for the door at the same time, crashed into each other, tussled a little, and then went down the corridor.
Ginny shook her head and turned back to Hermione. "Spill. Who was he?"
"What? Who?"
"You're so bad at hiding things, Hermione. Who was it that has you all confused and flustered?"
"I'm not flustered, just confused. I was out in the corridor and Malfoy walks up. He looks at me, doesn't glare, doesn't say anything, just looks at me, orders his food, and walks away."
"That's weird," Ginny remarked. "Has he ever looked at you without glaring or not insulted you?"
"Not as far as I know," said Hermione. "It was just... Weird."
"Go figure," said Ginny.
Just then, Harry and Ron came back, laden with sweets.
"Either way, having two sugar quills is better than having three chocolate frogs," Harry argued.
"No way!" protested Ron. "You get cards with the frogs!"
"Yes, and when was it you outgrew those? Third year?" Ginny asked dryly.
"Oh, forget it!" snapped Ron, turning to face the corridor.
The rest of the ride was uneventful-literally. Malfoy didn't come in with his little friends to bother them, like he usually did.
Hermione could tell perfectly well that Ginny was now just as puzzled as she was for Malfoy's lack of rudeness this year.
"Come on, I'm starving!" Ron moaned as the train slowed at Hogsmeade station.
"How?" Hermione asked incredulously. "You ate close to my weight in sweets!"
"I'm a growing young boy!" Ron said haughtily.
"Growing young boy, my ass," muttered Ginny. "Pig is the word I would use."
"Enough!" Harry said as Ron opened his mouth to argue. "Yes, Ron, you are a pig, but you're no hungrier than the rest of us! Now both of you, chill!"
Hermione rolled her eyes as Ron pouted. He sat there looking annoyed until the train stopped. He nearly hit Hermione with his trunk as he pulled it down. Hermione was sorely tempted to hex him.
"Oh, is Snape still our DADA teacher this year?" she asked as they boarded a carriage.
"Yeah, I heard Lupin talking about it. Slughorn is still Potions master," said Ginny.
"What are you gonna do now your precious book is different this year?" Hermione smirked at Harry.
"I'll do my best," he retorted.
"And you, Ronald?"
"I dunno, I'll wing it."
"And what, may I ask, are you planning to do if a potion you fail is on the exam?"
"Copy off you."
"No, you won't! Study this year, Ron! You'll do fine if you just apply yourself and study sufficiently!"
"Yes, Mum," he muttered.
"Anyways," Harry said hastily. "At least we won't have to worry about being killed by Voldemort this year."
"Yeah, but there's still Bellatrix running around somewhere. She might try to do you in, so be careful," Ron warned Harry.
"Yeah, please be careful," said Ginny, wrapping her arms around Harry's neck. "I don't want to lose you."
"I'm not worried about me," said Harry. "My main concern is that if she finds me, you might be with me, and she might hurt you."
"Don't worry about me, I can handle myself," insisted Ginny. "You just be careful."
Harry kissed her. "I will. I don't want to leave you."
Ron rolled his eyes, but Hermione's stomach twisted slightly as she longed for love of her own.
She didn't get to dwell on it for too long, however, because the carriages pulled up at the gates.
It was, predictably, raining. Harry gave Ginny his jacket to keep warm, and she kissed him gratefully.
Thankfully, the door to the Great Hall opened. They were a few of the first people in, so they got good seats.
The Sorting commenced and Dumbledore gave his announcements, including his announcement that Hermione and Malfoy were the new Heads. Ron and Harry dove for a platter of chicken as the food appeared.
Ginny and Hermione smiled and shook their heads as they filled their own plates with food.
"Ahhh, tha's be'er," Ron said thickly, like he did every year.
"So, see anyone you like?" teased Ginny quietly so that Harry and Ron wouldn't hear.
"Um, nope," said Hermione. "But I can't see very well, so maybe later."
She turned back to face her plate, and happened to glance over Ron's shoulder.
And saw a certain blonde ferret looking at her. Studying her closely. Not with a sly look or a malicious look, just looking at her.
Ron turned around to see what she was looking at. "Oi! Something bothering you?" he called at Malfoy scathingly.
"Yeah, a certain Weasel King being nosy!" Malfoy snarled back.
"Well shove it and quit staring at us!"
"Yeah, because you're REALLY worth staring at!" Malfoy retorted. His eyes flickered to Hermione once more before going back to his food.
"God, I'm so sick of him! I'm glad we don't have to put up with him after this year."
Hermione was puzzled. Usually he threw some "Mudblood" comment at her but hadn't said a word. Why?
Dessert arrived and Ron flung himself at a large pudding while Harry helped himself to his favorite treacle tart.
"So what's up with Malfoy, d'you reckon?" Ginny asked Hermione in an undertone.
"No idea," said Hermione. "Maybe he's changed...?"
"Yeah right," snorted Ginny. "Change? Gimme a break! No way he can change THAT fast."
"Well, he did fight on our side during the battle," said Hermione slowly.
"Really?" Ginny asked, surprised. "How d'you know?"
"He... He saved my life," said Hermione quietly.
"What? How? When?"
"During the battle, Amycus attacked me and Malfoy stopped him and told me to run."
"Really?" said Ginny. "Wow! Why would he?"
"I don't know," Hermione replied. "But I suppose it doesn't matter. I'm alive, and that's all that counts."
"True," said Ginny. "Hey, I have to go show the first-years where to go. I'll see you at breakfast."
"Bye!" called Hermione. Ginny kissed Harry and departed.
"I'm off to my dormitory," Hermione told the boys. "See you."
"Bye!" Harry called after her as she walked out to the entrance hall.
The Heads' common room was on the third floor. She ascended the marble staircase slowly, not wanting to deal with Malfoy.
To her surprise, he wasn't there when she arrived. At least not outside, anyway. She said the password, and the unicorn which guarded their portrait hole reared and swung forward.
The common room was lush, far nicer than the one in Gryffindor tower. The couches were leather, the furniture was made of cherry wood. The walls were lined with portraits of all the past Heads. Hermione recognized Harry's mother, Lily, and Ron's brother, Percy.
There were two staircases. One had HG engraved on a plaque beside it; the other had HB. Hermione walked up her staircase and opened her door.
"Oh!" she whispered, surprised.
It was decorated just like her bedroom at home. Her bedding, white with purple flowers, was spread across her bed. The posters she kept on her wall at home were pinned to the walls here. Her dresser, her desk, her fluffy white rug... It was all here. She smiled, elated, and opened the door to the bathroom.
The smile dropped from her face instantly at the sight of the blonde ferret standing in front of the sink, brushing his teeth.
"What are you doing here?" she shrieked.
"Jesus, Granger, don't do that!" he said, jumping.
"What are you doing here?" she demanded.
"Well, I needed to brush my teeth and I did. There's only one bathroom. See? Two sinks." And one toilet. And one shower.
Great. Just great. "I'm not sharing a bathroom with you."
"Fine. Have fun using the day restrooms. And enjoy using the lake to take a bath." He went back to brushing his teeth.
Muttering under her breath, Hermione angrily dropped her bag of toiletries by the other sink, then proceeded to wash her face and brush her teeth, not once looking at Malfoy.
But even so, she couldn't miss the smirk he was giving her.
"Do you want to say something?" she snapped, turning to glare.
"No," he said, not completely hiding the laughter in his voice and eyes.
"Well, quit staring at me!" she said, whirling and stomping back to her bedroom and locking the door so she could change.
She flung herself down onto her bed and glared at the ceiling. Stupid Malfoy! she thought savagely as the shower began to run. Who does he think he is, king of the world? Well, he's just a stupid ferret who loves pissing people off.
Fuming, she turned off her light and went to sleep.