AN: Hello lovely readers! This is my first fanfiction attempt. Please read and review, it will help me to improve. :)

Disclaimer: Nothing except the plot belongs to me, everything else is Jo's.

Chapter 1

Draco Malfoy paced his room in the Malfoy Manor. The huge Manor was dark and gloomy, like always. But, this time, it looked more dark to Draco. The Second Wizarding War had ended a year ago, and the effects were almost the same to everyone including the Malfoys. Lucius Malfoy was thrown to Azkaban for direct involvement with the Dark Lord. Narcissa was taken there for a two years sentence, where Lucius was to given the Dementor's kiss. Draco was taken to the Ministry of Magic for a trial. He was subjected to 'Legilimency' by the best Legilimens there, the new Minister of Magic, Kingsley Shacklebolt himself.

He saw the events that happened to Draco. The threat of killing his family, the ruthless torture on the Malfoys after Draco had failed to kill Dumbledore. Draco was not a Occlumens, so he could not guard his memory. And in a way, it helped him to get out of Azkaban. He promised the Minister to help rebuilding Hogwarts castle, and the other harmed buildings. Almost everything was restored with the Malfoy money. Several orphanages were built. Draco had agreed to the terms of the Minister which said that he had to go back to Hogwarts to finish his last year. It was not mandatory for anyone else but him.

In June, he spent a quite 19 th birthday, and two weeks after he got a letter from Azkaban, saying that his mother passed away. It was that day Draco Malfoy first showed any kind of emotions. He broke down completely. Draco Malfoy cried, blasted off several artifacts in his father's study. Draco came down to the present, where he was pacing his room with the Hogwarts letter in his hand. It was a welcome letter as always, but it said that there would be no Heads from their year, but the Prefects will be there. Draco and the fellow students in his year would share the classes with the new Seventh years. The Head Boy and Girl would be selected from the new Seventh years.

He put the letter aside and strode to the bookshelf that adorned the wall. He pulled a Potions book from his Fourth year and opened a certain page. He took a photograph from it, of a beauty in periwinkle dress robes. "Will you come back?" The blonde whispered to the picture of the girl he fancied since Fourth year. He put the book in the shelf and laid down on the huge bed, looking at the photograph of Hermione Granger. The journey to Hogwarts was two weeks later.

In her muggle home, Hermione Granger got the Hogwarts letter as well. She practically fainted when she saw that she was not the Head Girl. "What about us then?" She spoke loudly to herself. She paced her room, annoyed with the decision. "But I'll go back. I need to have the NEWTs to get a job in the Magical World." She stated. Last year was a stressful one for her, and the others who helped the light side. 'Well, it was stressful for the Slytherins too.' She thought.

After the war, Harry and Ron were allowed to join the Auror training. Hermione also got the proposal, but she refused politely. She wrote a letter to Harry and Ron (There was no need for two separate letters for them, as Ron never really read a letter), asking if they were going to attend the last year. She already replied McGonagall about her returning to Hogwarts. She had packed the trunk, though school was two weeks later.

She got a reply from her two best friends, but to her dismay, they would not go to Hogwarts. She groaned and went downstair. The house was empty, as her parents were in their chambers. She found them from Australia and removed the memory charm from them, so now they were back to normal. As she went to the kitchen, she saw a old lot of the Daily Prophet. On the first page of the toppest paper, was a moving photograph of Draco Malfoy. She frowned at the photograph and looked away.

She had heard about the trial of Malfoy from Kingsley, the Minister and a close friend of them. She knew about the torture they had to go through. But still it didn't remove the memories of the insults, the taunts of Draco. She sighed. "I guess he will come back as well. Kingsley said so." She muttered to herself. Great, she had to survive a year with Malfoy without Harry and Ron.

Weeks passed, and it was finally the time to board the Hogwarts Express. Draco got up from his King size bed on September First, looking at the clock on the wall. He had plenty of time to get ready. He went to the equally huge bathroom, and brushed his teeth, making them shine. He may have lost everything, but his charming looks were with him. Draco grinned at the thought and went to the shower.

After cleaning himself up completely, Draco put on his white oxford shirt and black slacks. He preferred to board the train in his uniform, though it was not necessary. He sat at the edge of his bed and bent over to tie the laces of his shoe. He stood up and waved his wand at the trunk, levitating it and going downstair. It was 10-30, he had half an hour. Draco held the trunk, now making it lighter with a light-weight charm, and apparated away.

He landed at the platform 9¾, the bustling crowd of Hogwarts students reaching his ears. As he walked towards the luggage compartment to drop his trunk there, he noticed people pointing at him and talking in hushed tone. He bit his lip and hung his head lower, before dropping the trunk into the luggage compartment. He was boarding the train, when he heard someone say, "I didn't know that they were letting Death Eaters in." He didn't look back, instead he found a lone compartment at the end of the train and sat there. His Eagle owl, Zeus was outside, as he didn't like to be inside the cage. Draco sighed and put his head in his hands, mercury eyes somewhat watery.

Hermione was up early, she was a morning person. She brushed her teeth, now even as the others, and sat on her bed, opening up a Potions text book. "Hermione, come downstairs. Breakfast is ready." Her mother, Helena Granger called. Hermione put the book on her bed and skipped downstairs. "Morning Mum, morning Dad." She greeted her parents. She ate breakfast quickly, though it was only 8-30. She got up from the table and went to her room again.

She got inside her bathroom and enjoyed a dip inside. Her hair, still curly but not so bushy, was piled on top of her head and was secured in place with a clip. She bathed for a long time, and finally got out from the tub. She dried herself with a drying charm and wrapped a fluffy green towel around her. She walked in her room and got dressed in a pair of skinny jeans and a pale blue top. As it was not necessary to board the train in their uniform, Hermione packed her uniform in her beaded bag with an undetectable extension charm.

Hermione's father, Steven Granger was out in the driver's seat of their car. They usually drived to King's Cross when Hermione was at home in the summer. Her mother was not joining today, as she had some meeting in her chamber. Hermione put her trunk and Crookshanks' cage at the back seat and sat on the passenger's seat. "Ready dear?" Steven asked. Hermione fastened he seat-belt and grinned. "Ready, Dad." And with that, they started for the station. Once reaching there, Hermione got out of the car and her father helped getting her trunk out. She got a trolley and pushed towards the barrier between platforms 9 and 10, coming up onto platform 9¾.

Hermione was putting the trunk in the luggage compartment, when she heard the taunting voice of someone. Her head snapped in that direction, and she saw Draco Malfoy getting on the train with his head hung low, blonde hair falling into his eyes. A Ravenclaw made the comment about him. Hermione frowned. Draco didn't even turn around. Hermione shrugged and got on the train, Crookshanks' cage in her hands.

End AN: How was the first chapter? A bit long, I know. Reviews will make my day. ^_^