Chapter 1: Expectations and New Leaves

"I can't get no satisfaction...."

Hermione woke up groggily to her parents singing along to some song on the radio. She'd fallen asleep in the car on the way to the train station. With no luck sleeping the night before, she'd been up all night writing in her diary and thinking about what adventures lay ahead of her this year. While lost in thought, her dad had found a parking space and was unloading her luggage from the back of his BMW.

Her mother turned around, "Well Miss Head Girl, I expect all good marks this year and no goofing off, set a good example," she said teasingly. Sensing a look of worry on her face, Hermione shook her head and smiled weakly. She had totally forgotten she was chosen as Head Girl for her last year at Hogwarts. As excited as she was, she couldn't help but fear the responsibility that came with the badge.

As if right one cue her mother flashed a reassuring smile and squeezed her daughter's hand. "Sweetie, you're going to do absolutely fine, I know it. Professor Dumbledore feels the same way, why else would have picked you? And you even said you had new confidence with you're new look."

Did she ever! Now 16, she'd developed into a beautiful new woman over the summer. She'd almost given up hope during the past couple of years earlier, but her transformation was amazing. She'd never been considered "chubby" or "fat" but she had lost a lot of weight that summer, now very weight conscious. She couldn't help but admire her new figure and more importantly, her chest, what she'd been waiting for and seemed, missing out on for a while.

Her father had been in Rome all summer with business, and when he came home, he was completely stunned. He joked around with her mother telling her he's going to have to lock the window in he room to keep the boys out. This began to give her more spring in her step and courage to make a new reputation, not just "that bookworm in Gryfindor," that everyone took her for.

She took a deep breath and stepped out of the car, gave her parents a final hug and grabbed her things. She looked once more behind her, looking at the past and continued on to the infamous platform 9 ¾ toward her future.

"Draco...DRACO, get out of bed, you're going to be late for the train!"

"Alright Mother..." he said almost bitterly. He hadn't been sleeping after all, just in a sort of trance, thinking, but thrown back to reality by his mother's shouting. Of course he was made Head Boy this year; he's a Malfoy after all. The blond haired boy was actually rather relieved to go back to school. His father had been dragging his literally, all over the wizarding world, introducing him to all his high ranked friends. No doubt trying to do all in his power to put in a good word to the Dark Lord, to make his son a Death Eater. But perhaps he wanted to do something good with his life...no, he really didn't care.

"Draco Lucius Malfoy, I suggest you get ready before your father comes downstairs..." his mother threatened.

"ALRIGHT!" he shouted, annoyed while pulling his silk covers off of his well sculpted and boxered body. He dressed silently into the muggle outfit his mother had found for him. "Not that my mother dresses me anymore but I'm glad she found something for me to wear, I have no idea what muggles wear." He really didn't have any idea, but he was rather curious, though he would never admit it to his father, who hated anything to do with muggles.

He ate breakfast in silence as well, or at least until his father appeared in the doorway, smiling to himself.

"You know, Draco," he said in his usual cool voice, "you remind me so much of myself when I was your age, popular, smart, handsome. So I know you wouldn't do anything to embarrass your father, would you?"

Draco swallowed the last of his cereal and answered "no sir, of course not."

"Good, good" Lucius said, nodding, examining his fingernails. "You know by now I expect you to be thinking about your future. Marry a pureblooded Slythern girl, continue the family name, become a servant of the Dark Lord...anything else you have in mind, forget it. Make me proud my son. I can be your protector or I can put you in harms way, you decide." he continued, emphasizing every last syllable. Mr. Malfoy then noticed the time and scooted his son along. "Get your coat and luggage, you must leave immediately."

Draco shoved his trunk and things into the fireplace and grabbing some floo powder. "Good bye Father" he muttered, but Lucius had already left the room. He sighed and said "Kings Cross Station, platform 9 ¾" and flew off to his last year boarding the train.