AN: Once upon a time, this pairing really bothered me. I'm a Draco fan, don't get me wrong, but not only is he absolutely wretched to her, but he was raised with a deep seated and thoroughly beaten in hatred of people like her. When you're young, a prejudice like that is far from easy to get over - especially when you're surrounded by people who think the same way. But in the end, they are both intelligent and ambitious people. Hermione is hopelessly forgiving, and there's plenty of room to flesh out what Draco's like around people who have gained his respect. So here is my attempt at a Dramione fic, and my hope that I don't completely botch it.
Disclaimer: All characters and premise for the story belong to J.K Rowling. I simply let my imagination run wild.
AUness: For the purpose of keeping the fic mostly focused on the pairing and school life, they are all attending a 'normal' seventh year. Dumbledore died in a different battle at the end of the last school year, Snape is headmaster, Draco is not - officially - a death eater, and the group does not yet have plans to go horcrux hunting, and Voldemort is not currently winning the war. Because it is my fic and I said so.
In the End
The fact that Draco Malfoy and Hermione Granger had been named head boy and head girl had come at a shock to nobody. Between Hermione's flawless record in both grades and (for the most part) behaviour, and Draco's pet status to the newly appointed headmaster Snape, the choice had been more than a little obvious.
That did not, however, make the news any better for either of them.
"I can't believe you're going to be stuck working with that twat Malfoy all year." Ron griped for the tenth time in the hour they had been sitting on the train. Harry sighed and rolled his eyes, his breath steaming against the cool glass of the window he was slumped against in boredom. Hermione repeated the gesture, tsk'ing as she flipped a page in her book.
"Yes, Ronald. I understood you the first time. Your mind simply cannot process it." She responded dryly, earning a small smirk from Harry and a nice red tinge to Ron's face.
"I'm only worried about you!" He defended hotly. "How many years have we been putting up with him, now? Exactly how much trouble has he caused? You're going to be sharing a room with him!" He spluttered on the last part, his face steadily creeping towards an unhealthy purple. Hermione sighed and snapped her book shut.
"Let's see. We've endured cruel, yet childish words. Pranks, set ups... yet, funnily enough, I can't remember a single circumstance where he's actually hurt us or put us in any serious danger. Can you, Harry?"
"Hey, leave me out of this!" He murmured, putting his hand up defensively. "You know I hate the prat."
"We all do!" Ron raged. "Why are you suddenly standing up for him?!"
"I'm not!" Hermione snapped. "I'm simply pointing out that while he is an annoying, selfish, foul, mean person, he isn't dangerous and rarely violent and therefore I have little to be concerned about. You can only be called a word so many times before it stops hurting. His opinion means nothing to me."
Harry raises his eyebrows at this, perceptive green eyes staring cooly at Hermione. He rarely failed to catch her bluffs, but thankfully he, unlike Ron, was polite enough to mostly keep it to himself. Harry knew full well that his friend had a somewhat fragile self-esteem, and that Malfoy's comments never failed to cut deep at her. He had seen her work tirelessly at becoming the best witch she could be long enough to know just how much the wizarding worlds' opinion of her meant to her.
Hermione kept a calm face, pointedly returning to her book and signalling the end of this conversation. Ron attempted to splutter a few more retorts before he realized that the battle was lost, and began a conversation with Harry about Quidditch this year.
They could hate the situation until they were blue in the face, but in the end the choice had been made and that was that. Hermione could take care of herself, they all knew that much at least. Harry only wondered how long it would be before Draco crossed his last line and got shipped off to St. Mungo's after tasting one of the many complex spells Hermione was capable of.
"A mudblood as head girl, it's an absolute mockery of the school." Narcissa hissed as the Malfoy family walked towards platform 9 and 3/4. The heels of her boots seemed to be clicking extra smartly across the cobblestones today, as if trying to help her express her irritation. Her husband scoffed at her comment.
"Come now, dear. As if the school could really make any more of a mockery of itself." He replied cooly. "It only gets worse every year. Besides, a mudblood was head girl your seventh year, as well."
"I had always assumed it was that fool Dumbledore." Narcissa sniffed. "When Snape was chosen to become headmaster I had hoped that things would start changing. That the Dark Lord's values would actually start spreading amongst our children."
"Severus may have always remained loyal to the Dark Lord, but so many years at Dumbledore's side must have infected his brain. And you know he's never quite had his head on straight about blood status. Just look at his infatuation with Potter - I guess it's too much to hope for a half blood to have proper values." Lucius' son made a choked sound at this.
"Professor Snape is bent?" He gasped, staring wide eyed at his father.
"Watch your tongue, Draco!" Narcissa quipped, earning a properly reproved look from her son. Dark eyebrows disappeared into Lucius' hairline and he smirked, cupping his son's shoulder.
"I didn't mean James Potter - I meant his wife. Severus followed her about, absolutely lovesick for years. It was rather revolting."
"Wasn't Potter's mother a mudblood?" Draco sneered.
"My point exactly."
Well, there goes forty percent of my respect for Snape. Draco thought dejectedly. It was such a shame to see a brilliant man's mind melted by such a sickening infatuation.
Draco's housemates seemed to be, unsurprisingly, in the same boat as his parents.
"You poor thing!" Pansy cooed, her voice dripping with sickening sweetness and sympathy as she settled Draco's head across her lap. He put on his best wounded face and stared hopelessly up at her, sighing when her fingers laced through his hair. Marvellous view of her rack, check. Hot girl doting on him, check. Male friends absolutely jealous? Ha, of course they were, for many reasons. But Pansy was certainly helping at the moment.
"I don't understand why you don't just turn the badge down." Theodore grumbled into his hand. "Better than living with a dirty little mudblooded know-it-all for the school year."
"And give up the glowing advantage on future job applications? The power over the rest of the student body? My own private bedchambers? I think not." Draco scoffed.
"Oh please, Draco." Blaise said evenly. "We all know you won't need help getting a job after school."
"Well of course, I am a Malfoy." Draco preened. "But every little advantage helps."
"But just think of the disadvantages." Pansy said, pouting down at him. He could hardly see her face over her chest - just the way he liked it.
"I prefer to think of it as a constant source of amusement for the school year. It keeps me from getting horribly depressed at the thought of being contaminated by her pressence. Just imagine, all the time I'll have to spend with her..."
The converstation continued much in the same fashion for the duration of the trip. Draco loved both talking about himself and having all attention on him - he was, by far, the most fascinating subject in that compartment after all. All of his companions, with the exception of Blaise and possibly Theodore, had the brains of small rodents. While useful, they could all be rather insufferable if allowed to prattle on for more than two minutes.
If nothing else, Draco wouldn't be forced to listen to Goyle's horrific snoring or endure Crabbe's whining about the strange itching and burning coming from his groin this year. Joy.
As the students filed out of the train, cool silver eyes met warm chocolate ones across the sea of robed adolescents. Draco's eyebrows lifted and his lips pulled into a smirk, only deepening when Granger's cheeks grew pink and her face pulled into a rather angry and flustered expression. Oh yes, she would be quite fun this year. He would just have to play his cards right.
And the Malfoys always knew how to control their hand.
An: That's it for chapter one. Please please please leave me any type of review, I live off of feedback!
And yes, I do favor the Slytherins. Possibly because I'm a Slytherin myself and it's a bit easier to get into their mindset. And yes, Draco IS one of my favorite characters but I'm trying desperately to keep him as canon as possible. Is it working, or am I over doing it? FEEDBACK PLEASE!
I like to be fast with chapters - this romance isn't going to come out of nowhere, but it's not going to take forever, either. Promise 3