"J.K. Rowling has confirmed that Draco Malfoy teased Hermione because he had feelings for her. He was unable to express these feelings because of his family. During the Battle of Hogwarts he almost switched sides because of his love for her. He would always love Hermione"

"I considered for a long time a romance between Hermione and Draco. They're both strong-minded people and Hermione could have helped pull Draco towards the light - been his saving grace - much like Lily was to Snape. However, in the end, I thought it was too much of a plot twist and decided that Ron was her best match." –J.K. Rowling

First Year

"…And the ceiling is bewitched, to reflect what the sky looks like outside. Phenomenal bit of magic, don't you think?"

"Hermione, how do you already know so much about Hogwarts, if you're muggleborn?" A young boy's voice replied.

"I read about it, of course, in Hogwarts: A History." Silence. "It was on our school list? Honestly, don't either of you read?"

"Bloody hell, so we skimmed it." A different boy's voice. This one sounded as though his mouth was full of food as he spoke.

"You two would do well to respect Hogwarts. It's very powerful. Did you know it has a charm on it, so that if a muggle happened upon it, he or she wouldn't even be able to see the castle?"

Just then the door to their carriage slid open to reveal a platinum blonde boy with a bored look on his face. He too, like Hermione, had already changed into his school robes.

"What do they see then?" He asked, picking a speck off his robes.

"Excuse me?" Asked Hermione.

The boy looked up then and made eye contact with Hermione. His bored expression flickered for a second, and he swallowed. "The muggles," he began again, with a faint pink tint to his cheeks. "What do they see when they look at Hogwarts?"

"Oh! Just a decrepit old ruin with a sign saying DANGER:KEEP OUT on it." She continued to talk about it with just as much enthusiasm as before. He eyed her with curiosity. He'd never spoken to a mudblood before in person, much less one his own age. He tried to see some distinctive feature that marked her as different. Boils, possibly. But from the honey colour of her eyes to the wild curls she called hair, she was not distinctly different from any other witch he'd met before. She was quite pretty, actually. He rolled his eyes at that thought.

He took an uninvited step forward into the carriage and offered her his hand. "Draco Malfoy."

She stood and took his hand in her own, shaking it and smiling. "Pleasure, Draco. I'm Hermione Granger."

He bowed his head and kissed the tops of her fingers. The contact was just a moment, but he was pleased that when he looked up she appeared to be as surprised by his actions as he felt, and she had a pretty blush on her cheeks.

The redheaded boy in the compartment cleared his throat. "Oi, Malfoy, I'm Ron, and that's Harry."

"Didn't ask." He replied without breaking eye contact with Hermione. Her blush was growing, but she appeared determined to hold his gaze. He was silently impressed with her boldness.

A voice from outside the compartment broke the moment abruptly. "Draco? Honestly Vincent I just saw him come down this way, it's not as if he's got anywhere to hide on a train."

Draco grimaced. "And that would be Pansy. I'd best be off then. I'll see you at the feast, Granger." He dropped her hand and turned on his heel, sliding the compartment door closed behind him.

"He was pleasant." Harry said, frowning.

Ron swallowed the rest of his corned beef sandwich, and shook his head. "Ruddy git, that one. Watch out for him, Malfoy's aren't a nice lot. You two wouldn't know, coming from the muggle world and all, but trust me. Bloody hell, it's lucky you've got me really, to tell you who to stay away from."

Hermione finally sat back down, and looked out the window thoughtfully. "I guess since I haven't any prejudices against him he'll have to be innocent until proven guilty."

Ron looked at her quizzically.

"It's a muggle term." Harry supplied.

Later that evening after the sorting, while Hermione, Ron, and Harry were eating cheerily at the Gryffindor table, Hermione caught sight of Draco Malfoy pouring a generous portion of salt into someone else's drink at the Slytherin table. She sighed and whispered "Guilty then, I suppose," to herself.

"Tell me, what would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?"

Draco was surprised to see the mudbloods hand shoot up into the air without hesitation. Surely if he wasn't certain of the answer (Something to do with sleeping, perhaps?) a mudblood shouldn't know it.

"Sir, adding powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood would make the most powerful known sleeping potion. It is commonly referred to as the Draught of living Death."

Professor Snape cocked one eyebrow. "That is… correct. Five points to Gryffindor."

Draco was horrified, not only had the mudblood been right but she'd gotten points before him, and in potions! He'd already made potions at home with his mother and he knew he was good at it. His parents had no doubt he'd be top of his class, and now this mudblood has already bested him on the first day.

She rose her hand and began speaking again. "Additionally, the link has been made that since the lily used means in Victorian language of Flowers, 'my regrets follow you to the grave' that the commonly referred to-"

"Miss Granger, while I'm sure the rest of the class has nothing better to do than listen to what I'm sure you think is a very impressive useless piece of information, I on the other hand have a lesson to teach. You will speak when spoken to in my classroom. 10 points from Gryffindor."

She slumped back in her seat looking deflated. Potter sent her a sympathetic shrug. Draco was elated, and felt as though potions would be his favorite class after all.