I don't own Harry Potter, that belongs to J.K. Rowling. Because if I did Draco and Hermione would have been madly in love with each other from the beginning =)

She was a blur of fuzzy hair and black billowing robes as she strode from one compartment to the next; looking for a toad which belonged to a boy named Neville. He was quite nice she thought, the first person who spoke to her at the train station. She'd just met the Harry Potter when she made her way towards the back of the train, the only part she and Neville had yet searched.

"Have you seen a toad by any chance?" Hermione asked the blond boy who was currently sitting by himself in one of the more luxurious compartments of the train.

"A toad?" he drawled, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes. It belongs to a boy named Neville."

"I most certainly have not."

Hermione glared. "Well then, I'll be off." She turned to leave.

"What…What does this toad look like?" he asked.

Hermione paused, "…like a toad."

She gave him a curious glance. He didn't look like any of the other boys she'd met. For one, he had the blondest hair she'd ever seen; almost white. And he looked much too polished. His robes were freshly pressed and his fingernails weren't dirty or bitten. She'd never seen such a clean boy; nothing like her cousins who were praised if they showered at least three times a week. Her eyes drifted to the seat beside him, they widened as she saw what lay in it.

"Is that Hogwarts: A History?" she asked curiously.

"Yes, have you read it?"

"Only about four times." she smiled proudly. She could probably recite chapters one through six by memory.

"Why are you sitting alone? Haven't you made any friends?"

"Of course I have!" he answered indignantly. "But father forbade me from sitting with Crabbe and Goyle, said they were too uncouth to sit in the likes of such luxury." he said, motioning to his surroundings.

"But you seem like a decent girl. You may sit."

Hermione rolled her eyes. Typical boy, thinking he was better than her.

"I'm Draco Malfoy." he introduced himself by extending his hand.

"I'm Hermione Granger." she responded, shaking his callous free hand. Even that was different from what she was used to.

"Granger? Father's never mentioned your family." he spoke, mostly to himself though.

"Chocolate frog?" He asked abruptly, taking a small box from within his robes. He opened the box and a small frog tried to unsuccessfully hop out, but Draco quickly grasped it within his hands and swiftly took a bite out of it.

"What…What was that?" Hermione asked.

"You've never had a chocolate frog?" Draco asked incredulously. His blond eyebrows shooting up his forehead.

"My parents don't let me eat sweets." Hermione answered, softly shaking her head.

"My parents let me eat whatever I want. Although mum says I shouldn't eat too many sweets or else I'll end up like Crabbe." Draco said, cleaning his sticky hands with a wave of his wand.

Hermione wanted to ask where he'd learned to do that spell but the train had suddenly pulled to a stop. She stood from her seat and straightened her robes.

"It was very nice meeting you Draco." Hermione said primly, holding her hand out to him.

"Likewise. I do hope you're sorted into Slytherin though, it would be pleasant if I could have someone with proper manners to associate myself with." Draco responded haughtily.

Hermione gave him her widest smile. He was sort of stuck-up but he seemed rather nice, and she could use all the new friends she could get. Being pushed into a completely different world could be scary, even though she wouldn't admit it out loud.

"I'll see you around then." she told him and promptly walked out and towards her own compartment.

Later Hermione would remember the first time she met Draco Malfoy and smile sadly. He had been such a nice boy, if only he hadn't been so prejudiced as she later found out; then maybe they could have been friends. It seemed silly to think how that day she so desperately wanted to be sorted into the Slytherin house, if only to have Draco there. She'd been so young, and so naïve. A little girl with dreams of changing the world, only to have them spat on by people who thought they were better than her, simply because of where she came from. Hermione remembers the first time she met Draco Malfoy and smiles fondly, because that day she'd been friends with a boy who thought she was well mannered. Nothing more and nothing less.