Chapter 1: Change?

It all started on an evening in early September. Being the know it all that I am, I was reading about the elf enslavement in the library. Of course I have read this particular book before, but I wanted to do Something to help the elves, so I was refreshing my knowledge about the matter. Now that the second wizarding war has finished, there are a few things that could be changed.

My muggle watch had let out a beep, indicating that a new hour had started. I looked down at my wrist, to check the time. My eyes bulged out. It had just turn midnight! I have never stayed out so long before. What if I had gotten caught for being out past curfew? I could have gotten a detention, or even worse, house points taken away. I quickly waved my wand to put the books around me back onto the shelves. I rushed over to Madam Pince's desk, and grabbed the key that she had left me to lock up with.

As I turned away from the door, I bumped into something, causing me to drop onto the hard ground. I started to look up to see what I had knocked into, only to find out that it wasn't a what, but a whom. As I dragged my eyes up, I saw black shoes and pants, with green and silver robes and tie. Perfect. It's a Slytherin. As I finished examining the boy in front of me, I notice that he had a strong jaw, and stormy blue eyes with a hint of a silver swirl in them. My eyes widened, as I had let out a quite gasp of shock.

"Like what you see, Granger?" Draco Malfoy smirks down at me.

I glare up at him. But I was a bit shocked that he hadn't called me Mudblood, well, at least not yet he hadn't. "What are you doing out so late past curfew, Malfoy?" I started to interrogate him.

He stepped forward towards me. "I could ask you the same thing, Granger. But I'll humor you. You see, I was sitting in our common room- 'cause you know with the whole interhouse dorms this year- and I noticed that a certain bookworm hasn't returned yet. So I thought maybe I should retrieve said person; we wouldn't want the precious Gryfindor Princess getting in trouble now would we?" he winked. Yep, that's right, Draco Malfoy had winked at me, Hermione Jean Granger, a Muggle born. He stretched his hand out to me, waiting for me to take it so he could pull me up.

"What are you playing at?" I asked, suspicious of his actions.

Malfoy rolls his eyes at me. "I don't bite too hard, Granger. Just take my bloody hand," he replied.

I started to wonder if he actually did bite, I mean, rumor has it that he's the Slytherin Sex God. I felt the blush start to creep onto my cheeks at the thought of Draco Malfoy in bed. I accepted his challenge, and grasped his soft, but slightly calloused hand.

He pulled me up close to him. We would have been nose to nose, but I'm shorter than him so it was more like chin to chin since I was looking up at him. Our gazes locked on one another, as if it were a contest at who would look away first. Our hands were still clasped together, another challenge we had. I thought that Malfoy would pull away first, disgusted at the thought of touching a Mudblood.

His gaze seemed to cut right through me, looking right at me, through me. I pulled my hand away from his, looking away. I had now lost both challenges to Draco Malfoy, great. I looked back into his eyes, glaring at him. I wondered what his ulterior motivation was.

He raised both of his hands up in a surrendering position, and took a step back from me. "Bloody Hell, Granger. If looks could kill, then I'd surely be dead by now," he said in a joking manner.

"I know you're up to something, Malfoy, so what is it?" I replied bluntly.

"Fine, you caught me Granger. I've betrayed my family, and the Other Slytherins hate me now since I'm trying to turn over a new leaf. Happy?" he answered, crossing his somewhat muscular arms over his chest, a slight scowl had appeared onto his pale face.

My eyes widened slightly, shocked at his answer. I would have never guessed that the little school bully would ever betray his Slytherin beliefs, just to try to start over new. I mean, if he actually meant what he said, that is. At the thought of betrayal, my mind went to the last battle.

Voldemort had just announced that Harry was dead, and he was letting people change to go onto the dark side. Malfoy had hesitated to go to Voldemort's side, but the worried look that his mother gave him made him drag himself over to her side. Maybe it was possible that Malfoy wanted to change. People can change, can't they, even if their whole life had been filled with hatred?

"Let's just get back to the common room before either of us get detention," I told him.

We were walking in silence for about five minutes or so, until he broke it. "Where has your side kicks, Potter and Weasel-bee, been? Haven't seen them around yet," he questioned.

"That's because they didn't come back this year. They both got a job offer to be aurors," I told him, still a bit heart broken that they had left me behind, even though I decided to reject the offer.

"And you didn't get the offer, as well?" he asked in disbelief, his eyebrow slightly raised in curiousity.

I had no idea why Draco Malfoy was being nice to me of all people. Sure, he wanted to start a clean slate, but he didn't absolutely need to with me. He had hated me for seven years now, bullying and pestering me every minute that he could. Why not just leave me in the dust while he made nice with the other students? "I got an offer, I just turned it down. I wanted to finish my education first before I got a job," I answered him.

He chuckled slightly. I had never heard him laugh before, I mean, unless it was a cruel snarling laugh. But that little chuckle seemed friendly. "Of course you decided to finish school, you couldn't resist being top of the year one last time could you?" Even though the words may seem like they could be mean, he had said them in a friendly joking way. They were words that could make people shirty, but they didn't because of the way he said them. "What about you and the weasel? I heard a rumor about you two, the distance could put a strain on the relationship so why do it?" he asked.

My eyes now bulge out. How exactly did he know about Ron and I being together? And why would he ask such a question? The thing is, that Ron and I had kissed during the final battle. But after a month of awkwardness, we had both mutually agreed that it was just too weird, and that we were better being friends than lovers. "There is no relationship other than friendship," I told him after a moment of silence.

"I see..." he trailed off, leaving us in another silence until we reached the portrait. The only word being said was the password.

I was headed towards the girl's dormitories, but was stopped by his voice before I could leave. "Night, Granger," he said quietly.

"Night," I replied softly, not wanting to wake the girls who were closest to the door. I then went upstairs to go to sleep.

A/N: I was planning on making this a one shot, but it turns out that it will be a multi-chapter since it turned out differently than I was originally going to write it. Thanks for reading.