From This Moment On

Chapter: One

For the first time in what seemed like forever, I could relax on the train ride back to my sometimes home. Hogwarts. Ever since I was eleven; and gotten my letter from Dumbledore himself, I had been getting on the ruby red train that took me to the centuries old castle. There I had met my two best friends, Harry Potter and Ron Weasley. Every year I had faced countless dangers with them, from life sized wizards chess, to moving trees that smashed up anything in sight. Just recently, we had also faced our toughest challenge. The three of us, along with all the members of the Order (plus others of course, and also a few surprising guests) had joined together to fight Voldemort. The biggest threat the wizarding world had ever seen. Harry had defeated him, and since then everything seemed to be set right again.

I stared out the window, watching the grass whiz by at an incredibly fast speed. All it once it hit me that this would be the last time I would watch this scenery go by the window. It would be the last year I would be a student at Hogwarts. McGonagall had given all seventh years the option to return and complete our year since most of us were fighting in the war. Most everybody had returned except for the odd two, and those that were killed…

I was jolted out of my day dream when my compartment door was slammed open by none other than previously mentioned best friends. With them was Ginny Weasley (who I had also grown close with over the past six years) the fiery ginger was completely opposite of me, which was probably why we had gotten along so well. She was everything I wasn't and then some. I guess she could say she was my best girlfriend.

She came in beaming, hand in hand with Harry. After the war those two had finally realized how much they cared about one another and have been inseparable ever since. They were the perfect match in everyway. Even Ron had accepted them as a couple.

Ron walked in with Lavender Brown hanging off his arm, and gave a shy smile. They had also started dating shortly after the war, once we had figured out that him and I, although extremely close, just weren't meant to be together in that way. I saw him as more of a brother now, Harry as well.

Neville and Luna were the next couple to squish into the already overcrowded compartment. Again it came as no surprise that the pair had hooked up. They were so perfect for each other it almost made a person sick.

"Oh hello, Hermione, I knew we would find you here. This is the heads compartment is it not?" Luna spoke in her dreamy-dazed tone "Congratulations, by the way, on making Head Girl. It's quite the honour you know."

"Thanks Luna," I smiled at her and my friends, "It means a lot, I know you all know how hard I worked for this position."

" Your going to do a great job 'Mionie, I know you'll do wonders for the school." Harry told me encouragingly.

"Why are you in here all by yourself, where is the head boy?" Ginny quizzed me. "Do you know who he is yet.?"

I shrugged and shook my head and told her I had not been informed of who the Head Boy was this year. It made me a little uneasy not knowing who I would be living with for the rest of the year. What if it was someone who was a completely nuts. Even worse, what if it was a Slytherin boy? I shuddered at the thought. Lavender jerked me out of my trance.

"Can you believe that this is the last time we'll be doing this? Going on the train to Hogwarts! we'll have to like….start life after this."

I laughed, lavender could be seriously dumb sometimes, but she made a valid point. This last trip seemed surreal. We'd probably never be doing something like this as a group again. The thought made me a little sad, and I could see in everyone else's faces, that they were all thinking the exact same thing.

We had finally arrived at school, the ride seemed to be much shorter than what I remember. The rest of my companions went up to the school on the carriages that were pulled by Thestrals. Being in the Head position, I took my own boat up to the castle. Just like on the train, I made the trip alone.

Once we were in the castle, McGonagall had asked me to lead in the first years to the sorting ceremony, since she had more important issues to attend to know that she was headmistress. It was a huge honour, and I felt for them. I felt their anticipation and nerves. I was only in their shoes, 6 years ago. It still felt like yesterday.

As we walked into the great hall I was astounded at how much had been accomplished here since the battle. Everything was as I remember, as if the war had never even taken place on the grounds of the old castle. I smiled as I looked back upon the first years and looked at the expressions on their faces. Was I that shocked at the sight when I first came here? I didn't have long to contemplate the thought, the headmistress had shooed my to the Head's table to join the school prefects. The Head Boy had still not decided to grace us with his presence. Where was he? Who was he? I started looking around the hall, trying to pick out who was missing from our year, but was suddenly interrupted by the cheers and shouts as the kids started being sorted into their houses.

Once the sorting hat had said his words, along with the feast and words from McGonagall, she took me aside and led me down a corridor in a part of the castle that, surprisingly, I had never been. I presumed that I would be getting my own dorm for this year. I wa sled to a portrait of a sleeping professor Dumbldore. The picture almost brought a tear to my eye, but I fought it back, not wanting to look weak in front of my new headmistress.

"Unity." spoke McGonagall sternly. Dumbldore kind of snorted and yawned and the door to the Head common room swung open.

"Miss Granger, I'm terribly sorry, the Head Boy missed the train this morning and is running a tad late, he should be here soon. Please make yourself comfortable in the meantime." She nodded and left me to myself in the semi large room.

It was decorated neutrally, not in house colours, which I suspect our separate bedrooms would decorated in. there were a few steps down into the common room. A large, almost walk in fireplace was roaring to the right of the room. Two arm chairs and a large velvet couch were placed in front of it, for relaxation. Two desks for homework were to the left of the room, with a small attached kitchenette for making small meals between classes. To the back of the room were two staircases. One winding up to the left, and one to the right. I placed my foot on the staircase on the right and it instantly turned into a steep ramp. This, I thought, is definitely not my room as girls were not permitted in boys dormitories at Hogwarts. Turning to the left I made my way up to my bedroom. The way it was so elaborately decorated took my breathe away.

Everything, the walls, floors, furniture, was a dark wood. In the center of the room against the the wall was a mahogany four poster bed draped in red and gold fabrics. From the ceiling all around the posters and the bedspread as well was also decorated in the Gryffindor colors. On the ceiling was a small by stunning chandelier that lit the room in a romantic sort of way. To each side of the bed were also deep brown nightstands for a lamp and to my surprise a muggle alarm clock to wake me for my classes. In front of the bed was a large wardrobe, which was made of the same wood as every other piece of furniture in the room. My trunk and Crookshanks lay in the middle of the room on top of an expensive looking red and gold carpet that finished of the room. It was expensive looking and feminine and beautiful; everything I could have wanted.

I made my way back down to the common room to await my partner for this year. On one of the coat hangers hung a pair of robes, that I hadn't noticed when I walked in. I went over to examine them, shocked and what I discovered. They were Slytherin robes, I was bunking with a Slytherin this year. I ripple of fear passed through me as a velvety voice addressed me from behind.

"Evening Granger. So sorry I'm late."

I could recognize that voice anywhere. I turned around and came face to face with that famous smirk of his. Draco Malfoy was Head Boy, and I was stuck with him for the rest of the year.