Chapter 1
Draco sat in his compartment, pretending to listen to Blaise jabber on a bout quidditch, when he was really starring out the window. It was his seventh and final year at the blasted school, and he was glad about that.
"What do you think, Draco?" Draco's head swiveled to his friend with slightly widened eyes.
"Sorry mate missed the question." Blaise smiled and re-asked his question. Blaise suggested they changed into their school robes after Draco gave his reply.
"Maybe afterwards we could try to sleep until we arrive." Draco agreed and went to one of the lavatories to change. When he walked out of the door he couldn't bring himself to go back to his friend, so he followed his feet. When he couldn't see anything he looked around and realized he was in the luggage car. As he sat down he slowly went over the events that happened in the past few weeks. Coming to the conclusion that he was worthless he sighed and sent to lay his head back. There was a jump on the tracks and Draco hit his head with a loud 'thwack'.
"Who's there?" Draco jumped up with a start, rubbing his injured head. "Whoever you are, I have my wand at the ready!" Draco smirked.
"Well, whoever you are, I am Draco Malfoy and a student of Hogwarts. I promise not to hurt you."
"Well Draco Malfoy." The girl's voice had changed from a squeaky scared one to one of power and authority. "You might want to run back to your compartment before something bad happens to you." Draco's smirk fell as he shuddered and turned to leave. He heard the girl chuckle and he stopped.
"Who are you, by the way?" Everything around him was dead silent; the only sound was of the wheel running over the tracks. He pulled out his wand and the tip lit up with his unspoken 'lumos'. Almost immediately he jumped back with a yelp. The girl had been standing right in front of him, just staring with a smirk on across her lips. "Uh, what were you doing?" The girl's smirk widened only a little bit, he noticed her eyes seemed to glow in the light.
""Mr. Malfoy, I suggest that you go back to your compartment and be with your friends. You will find out who I am soon enough." A brilliant smile graced her face and showed straight white perfect teeth. All Draco could do was nod and start walking, not bothering to tell her he only had one friend.
"What took you so long?" Blaise asked as Draco walked in and sat down across from him.
"Nothing just needed a moment of quiet." Blaise let it go; he knew that Draco would need it. He reminded Draco that they could sleep now and Draco smiled.
"Will the Head Boy and Girl please go to the Head's compartment, please." A monotonous voice filled the compartment that they were in. The two boys chuckled at the irony.
"That's me." Draco gathered his things and walked through the empty passage of the train.
Upon entering the special compartment for the Head Boy and Girl, Draco sighed and settled into his seat. He waited, wanting to know who the Head Girl was, but after five minutes of waiting he found his eyes closing and still no Head Girl. Draco's eyes closed all the way and his head felt fuzzy and his body felt heavy, he thought that he was spinning and falling and twisting at the same time. Through the heavy haze he heard a click and a gasp. Draco managed to open his eyes and to his unastonishment, it was Hermione Granger.
"Hello Granger. Yes, I'm Head Boy. Yes, I'm coming back. No, I won't hurt you. No, I'm not evil." Hermione just glared at him and closed her mouth, turned and sat down across from him.
"Why did you come back ferret-boy?" Hermione seemed to spit the words out with tons of venom. She hated him, and who could blame her when his aunt had tortured her on his living room floor with the Cruciatus curse.
"Obviously cause I'm Head Boy. I've changed Granger, whether you or your little friends believe it or not. I'm tired of fighting and being evil. I hate myself and what I did and how weak I was. I hate the fact that in the little time I've had to get over this I can't quite seem to comprehend that little fact. Now if you'll excuse me Hermione, I'm tired in general." Hermione 's eyes went a little wide as she realized that he had called her by her given name, not 'mudblood' or 'Granger'. Draco let his eyes fall shut and he felt the familiar wave of haziness cloud his mind and let it take over.
Draco stood in the Astronomy tower again. He stared into old green eyes surrounded by wrinkles and spectacles. His aunt was standing behind him; he could feel her breathy words tickling his ear and the edge of his hair. There was a stinging behind his eyes as he looked at Dumbledore and felt the mixture of feelings; hate and like, the pain of wanting to keep him alive and actually having the irritating old geezer gone. That was the problem though; he only wanted him gone, not dead.
"Do it Draco." His aunt whispered into his ear. He wanted to scream at her, tell her to leave him alone, never talk to him again. Snape came up behind him, the whooshing of his robes betraying his calm face. This time, instead of telling Bellatrix to 'leave the boy alone' and doing the deed himself, he walked up behind Draco, putting a hand on his shoulder.
"Kill the old fool or the consequences will be dire, remember what the Lord has planned for both circumstances." Snape kept whispering all the things Voldemort would do if he didn't utter the words. Draco felt himself panicking and heard the two words slip through his lips.
Dumbledore's face relaxed into a shocked silence, as his body started falling back from the force of the spell. The rail behind Dumbledore turned his body over and in seconds Draco was plummeting to the ground, staring into the face of the man he'd killed. The next thing Draco saw was all the students and teachers who loved the old man, opening all their mouths while a horrendous blasting scream filled the air, shaking him. The screaming started sounding like his name and he felt like running, but everyone was closing in with their hands reaching for him.
Draco sat up with a yelp, not realizing he had been lying down, his head pounding.
"Jesus Draco!" He snapped his head around, seeing Hermione holding her check. "What the hell is your problem?!" Draco was confused.
"What? Was I doing something?"Hermione glared at him. H could see a bruise and slight swelling starting where she had been holding her check.
"The whistle announced out arrival and you starting freaking out. When I called your name you swung at me!" Draco could feel his cheeks starting to burn.
"I'm sorry. I know it doesn't mean much but—"
"No Draco, it does mean something. For one it's an actual apology…from you nonetheless. Also, since you fell asleep I've been thinking. If you're willing, we can try being friends?" Draco stared for a moment, and then a rare but genuine smile lit his face.
"What about Potter and Weasley? I doubt they'll like you hanging out with me." Hermione and Draco started laughing; they both knew the boys couldn't make Hermione do anything she didn't want to.
"Draco, let me tell you something. If you and I explained how you've changed. Well, they'd want to try their best to be your friends, too. Besides you tried to help in the only way you could at your home." Hermione gave a small shudder at her memories. They looked at each other for a few seconds, till Draco looked away, feeling a dread of guilt set in his chest.
"We better get to the school. We have duties." Hermione agreed and hey both got off the train, seeing only a few carriages left. Hermione waved and took a step toward her friends.
"Draco, come on. Don't forget once they figure out your good they'll be your friends." She grabbed his hand and dragged him over to her two best friends. They seemed stunned; with wide eyes and gaping mouths they welcomed their friend back.
"Hey 'Mione! What're you doin' with him?" Ton asked, eyeing Draco warily, with hate in his eyes.
"He's changed Ronald. I trust him, so trust me, okay?" Ron just glared at Draco, not really wanting to trust him.
"Students of the night classes please follow me!" the four students turned at the voice. Professor McGonagall was standing in front of the train while twenty or so people walked off the bus. Draco recognized the girl from the storage car standing in front of the group. As McGonagall moved to leave the students didn't move."Miss Ark, would you please?" She motioned toward the other students and the girl smiled. Draco couldn't take his away from the girl now known as Miss Ark. She seemed to glow in the pale lamplight surrounding her, and when she started walking it was like she was floating above the ground. Almost as if she felt his eyes, she turned and graced him with a smile that looked like it came from heaven.
"Professor, it seems we have some stragglers in our midst." Most of the other students turned and took several steps toward them, turning to her with expectant eyes. Slowly she shook her head and walked to a thestral. The beast started panicking until she laid her hand on its neck.
"Potter, Weasley, Granger, Malfoy! Get to the castle this minute! What shall be done if the Heads aren't even there to welcome the new student?" Immediately they grabbed the little they had with them and practically ran for the school.
"Since when do we do night classes?" Ron asked as they got to the doors. Everyone was holding their knees trying to catch their breath.
"That girl, the one who told McGonagall that we were there, I saw her in the storage car." They all looked at him.
"Really? Do you know what she was doing in there?"
"No, I asked her but all she said was, 'You'll find out soon enough.'"They all thought it was weird and were discussing it as they walked into the restored Great Hall.
"…And I am asking, no demanding that all students remain in their common rooms after curfew. I do this so the new night class will not be disturbed during their classes." McGonagall went to sit in her seat, "Oh yes, I would like to introduce the new Heads, Hermione Granger," Applause broke out through the room, "And Draco Malfoy." All the applause stopped.
All eyes were looking at him, even the few Slytherin students who had returned or been sorted into it this evening.
"Tonight you'll have to sit at your house table, but starting tomorrow you can sit with us if you want to." Hermione quickly whispered before going to her respected table. Feeling almost all eyes on him, Draco walked to his own table and sat in the empty spot by Blaise.
"What happened to ya?" Blaise asked, checking Draco for injuries. Seeing none Blaise physically relaxed. "What took you so long? Why'd ya come in with the Gryffindorks?"
"They aren't dorks Blaise." The matter-of-fact sentence made Blaise's eyebrows rise and caused a small smile to cross his mouth.
"Then what are they? Blaise's smile getting wider as Draco shifted slightly.
"They're my friends." Blaise's mouth dropped slightly, then his smiled returned full force while he clapped Draco lightly on the shoulder.
"'Bout time mate!" They laughed lightly. That night Draco actually stayed up late and talked with Blaise instead of ignoring everyone.
"Tomorrow I'm sitting at the Gryffindor table with Harry and Hermione."
"What made you decide to call them their given names? I thought that would take some time?" Draco laughed heartily.
"I'm ready to change. I want actual friends this year. I think it would be nicer to have more than just one." Blaise smiled.
"Well I'm happy for you. I knew you would do this if everything worked out." They both chuckled and Draco let a yawn escape his lips.
"Well mate I'm gonna go to bed." Not long after going to bed, Draco took a sip of his sleeping draught, waiting for a dreamless night.