Ok this is my first attempt at a Draco and Hermione fic. I'm usually a Harry and Hermione shipper, but lately I've gotten interested in the kind of complex relationship that Draco and Hermione could have. This fic is set in their last year at Hogwarts. I started writing this fic before I read OoTP, and decided after I read it that I was going to ignore the "death" at the end, so everything but that will go along with the book. Some chapters will have a STRONG "R" warning, I'm just telling you now. And like always the added disclaimer- I do not own these characters, J.K. Rowling does! So don't sue me please, I'm just a poor college student, everyone knows college students are broke.

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Forbidden fires

Chapter 1- New beginnings and Old enemies

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She paced in front of the door nervously waiting for it to arrive. "It should have been here by now! It should have been in my hand days ago!" her thoughts ranted. But then her reason took over again and she put her logic before her worries. "Maybe they just sent them late this year. Maybe the owl got a little sidetracked. You're worried over nothing." She calmed herself. Just then, as she had finally reclaimed control of her emotions she heard the mail slot squeak as it was pushed open behind her and heard a flop as the envelope landed on the carpet. She went ridged for a moment and then turned around staring at the floor. She saw the tell tale green lettering and dove at the ground.

"It's here! It's here!" She yelled down the hall to her bewildered parents. They came down the hall to see their daughter sprawled out on the floor viciously tearing open her Hogwarts letter. She threw the tattered envelope at the floor and unfolded her letter, which contained more than the usual amount of parchment. She read thought the first couple of lines in her letter and a brilliant smile crossed her face. Suddenly she leaped up off the floor and threw her arms around her mother grabbing her in a huge hug. "Mom! I got Head Girl!!!!!" Hermione Granger hollered as she uncharacteristically jumped around the room, hugging her parents.

"Congratulations honey" Her dad smiled at her proudly. "We knew you could do it". Her parents knew that their daughter would be Head Girl, she had the best marks in her grade. They watched her prance around the living room in pure delight. And then suddenly she stopped.

" I have to tell Harry and Ron!!!" She squealed before running to her room, throwing herself down on her bed, pulling out a quill, some parchment, ink, and began writing at a furious pace. Her parents just shrugged and returned to fixing breakfast. Hermione finished her letters stuffed them in envelopes and attached them both to the leg of a large gray owl. "Now Athena, please take these to Harry and Ron." She said to the owl she had just gotten over the summer as a birthday present from her parents. The large gray owl cooed softly, nipped Hermione's finger lightly and took off out the window into the morning sun.

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Harry Potter woke to the rustling of wings at the windowsill and Hedwig fluttering around in her cage in delight. He opened his eyes and squinted at the window where he saw a large gray blob. Realizing he had forgotten to put his glasses on he reached over next to his lamp, grabbing his glasses and putting them on his face. The gray blob came into focus and he realized that it was Athena, Hermione's owl. Standing up groggily and walking to the window he patted Athena on the head and untied the envelope from her leg. Harry then opened Hedwig's cage and let Athena share her water and food bowls. Sitting down at his desk Harry opened the envelope slowly and unfolded the letter inside. He noticed that Hermione's usually neat handwriting was hurried looking.

Harry,

Guess what!!!! I just got my Hogwarts letter and I got Head Girl!!! Isn't this exciting!!! Did you get Head Boy? Wouldn't that be great? I wonder if Ron got head boy. Both of your marks are great, maybe one of you got it. Oh I'm so excited this year is going to be so great.

Harry was surprised at Hermione's excitement, she had to know that she was going to be Head Girl; no one's marks were better than her's. "I wonder if I did get Head Boy." he mused in his head. "Maybe Ron got it." He thought as he continued to read her letter.

I hope it's not anyone like Malfoy, although his marks are rather good. Ok well if you find out who it is write me back!

Always,

Hermione

P.S.- Oh and Harry I'm going to be in Diagon Alley in 2 weeks maybe I could see you there?

Harry folded the letter and put it back in the envelope. He suddenly wondered where his Hogwarts letter was. " Maybe it is me." He thought with a smile.

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Miles away Draco Malfoy woke to the sound of wings flapping over his head. He opened his eyes slowly and let them adjust to the morning light that was streaming through his windows. He sat up slowly and saw a huge barn owl flapping its wings above his head. The owl then swooped down and landed on the covers next to Draco's knees. He rubbed his sleepy lids and blinked at the owl looking up and him. He noticed the usual green lettering on the envelope and snatched the letter from the large owl's beak. The owl hooted at him indignantly and took off out the open window. Draco looked at the letter and noticed it's abnormal weight. He opened the envelope and peered at the letter inside.

Mr. Malfoy,

We are pleased to tell you that you have been appointed Head Boy this year. Your responsibilities will be given to you after the start of term ceremony. Blah blah blah.

Draco never read the rest of the letter. A huge grin had crossed his face and he got up out of bed and crossed his immense room, opened the door and practically sprinted down the stairs, still clutching his letter. He walked down a long corridor and entered the dinning room where his mother and father were sitting at opposite ends of a huge table eating breakfast. He walked down to the end where his father sat, reading the Daily Prophet and not noticing his appearance in the room.

" Father." Draco interrupted his father's musings and held out his letter to him.

"What do you want Draco?" His father said waving a dismissive hand towards his son, not taking his eyes off of the paper.

"I just received my Hogwarts letter." Draco said, indignant about his father's lack of attention.

"And.." Lucius said raising one perfect sliver brow, still not looking at his son.

"I've gotten Head Boy" Draco announced, lifting his chin slightly, obviously very proud of himself.

"Good, I expected no less, but I am rather surprised that Dumbledore's golden boy Potter didn't get it. I figured he would be a sure bet." Lucius sneered at the thought, and still didn't look at a very infuriated Draco.

Draco turned on his heel and stomped towards the door. "All he thinks about is "Oh I was sure Potter would get it" Damn him!" Draco fumed in his mind. His hand reached the door handle and he froze as his father spoke at his back.

"Draco, need I remind you about that temper of yours? I'm sure you remember quite well the last time I had to refresh your memory." Lucius Malfoy's cold voice warned.

Draco turned on his heel once again and faced his father. "No sir" He said in a controlled tone and asked to be excused.

"Very well"

Draco gave a quick glance at his mother, who was sitting there picking at her food lightly and seemed not to notice anyone in the room. She was after all made of ice. Draco had expected nothing of her anyway, as usual. He turned and exited the room quickly before he could look at his father again. He walked briskly up to his room and pulled the curtains over the windows, blocking out all the light. He sighed and flopped onto his bed, vowing to someday make his father pay for all his little reminders.

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Hermione strolled up the platform dragging her trunk behind her, with Athena's cage strapped to it's top. She had grown a lot over the last couple of years and was very attractive. Her brown hair had lost its bushiness and now it was wavy, and manageable. She had golden highlights that had been brought out by the sun during her vacation to France. It hung down past her shoulder blades. She had gotten taller by about 3 or 4 inches and her legs were very shapely. She had a gotten a nice tan on vacation and she had a very light strip of freckles across her nose and cheeks. She had curves in all the right places and the males she passed on her way to find Harry and Ron took notice of this. She wore a light blue shirt that had a kind of low cut neck and long sleeves that extended past her hands and fluttered in the wind slightly, with her Head Girl badge pinned to her chest, blue jeans that hugged her hips just right and tennis shoes. She was navigating her way through the crowd of students and parents when she noticed someone standing apart from everyone else talking to a man in a uniform. She just saw him from the back, but she could tell who it was from his hair and the way he held himself. Draco Malfoy was standing there already in his school robes talking to his chauffeur. She tried not to notice, but she found that she couldn't help it. Draco had grownup over the last few years also. Hermione took in all his features and could not deny that he was very attractive. His silvery hair was longer now and he could pull it back into a low ponytail. He was very tall, probably a good four inches taller than Hermione. She could tell that he had a nice body under those robes; years of Quidditch had done him good. He wore his regular school robes but when he turned around slightly and was facing her she noticed something pinned to his breast pocket. The Head Boy badge glittered at her in the sun. She almost fell over. "HE CANT BE!!!!!" she screamed in her head. She was still standing there totally dumbstruck when someone's hands came from behind her and covered her eyes.

"Guess who!" a familiar voice whispered behind her.

"Malfoy" she said blankly

"What! Why would Malfoy be behind you?" Ron said spinning her around and looking at her face.

"Oh no.Ron, um sorry I was just spacing.. Malfoy's gotten Head Boy.. I still hadn't gotten over the shock of it." She explained shaking her head.

Ron glared over toward Malfoy, who now had been joined by his familiar thugs Crabbe and Goyle. He saw the badge immediately and noticed how Malfoy had it proudly on his puffed up chest.

"Well I'm sure he thinks right much of himself now doesn't he?" Ron growled looking daggers at the blondes back.

"Bet he does" Hermione groaned at the thought of having to put up with Draco's taunts toward Harry all year for being chosen over him. The thought of having to work with Draco all year as Head boy and girl made her shudder. Her mind then took a turn that she had never expected; she saw an image of herself kissing his cheek tenderly. She had never thought about Malfoy like that before. She frowned and glanced over at his back, wisp of his silvery blonde hair moved with the wind. Shaking her head to get rid of the image she looked up at Ron and said, "So where's everyone else?" She smiled brightly, covering her up her concern about her "daydreaming".

"Harry and Ginny are on the train, they sent me to find you, and we've gotten a compartment already." Ron motioned her towards the train and helped her lift her trunk up the steps and down the corridor to the compartment where Harry and Ginny were already playing a game of Exploding Snap. They had already changed into their robes. They both looked up and smiled at Hermione.

Harry stood up and made a weird sort of salute to her and smiled. " Head Girl on board!" He punched Ron in the arm and Ron smiled and saluted her too, and Ginny jumped up and followed suit

Hermione laughed at them and shook her head. "Well do I get this kind of treatment every time I walk in the room?" She pushed Harry down so that he flopped back down onto his chair. Ron and Ginny were still standing at attention, straining to keep a straight face and she pushed them too. They all burst into hysterical laughter.

Ginny sat up in her chair clutching her sides. "Well Hermione, how does it feel to be the Head Girl?" she sighed, still giggling.

"I don't feel any different yet, the only thing I've realized is that I will have to get along with Malfoy all year, he's Head Boy," She said with a grimace.

"Oh god, we have to put up with him all year?" Ron groaned, putting his head in his hands. " We'll have detention every day"

"No you wont Ron, I'll be there too, and he wont be able to abuse his powers like that." Hermione tried to sound optimistic.

Ron calmed down a little. " Ok Hermione, but when he gives me a detention for existing then I'd like to see what your gonna do about it." He said frowning slightly.

"Tell McGonagall" Hermione said matter-of-factly. "Or just give you off my self, I can let students off of detention if I feel they don't deserve it. And Malfoy knows not to take points from us for no reason, because I can just as easily take them from Slytherin."

"Oh ok, you know you should take about a hundred points each from Crabbe and Goyle for being thick as rocks." Harry said while searching his trunk for something.

"Is that right Potter?" A familiar drawling voice said from the door.

They all turned to see Draco Malfoy standing in the door way backed by Crabbe and Goyle both cracking their knuckles ready for a fight. Ron stood up immediately and looked Malfoy right in the eye; they were the same height now.

"Get out of here Malfoy" He said defiantly.

"Make me" Draco sneered at him, and then he looked over at Hermione who had also stood up when he had entered the room. His eyes lingered on the Head Girl badge pinned to her shirt. "Going to be nice working with you all year Granger." He said with sarcasm in his voice. "Just hope we can get along." The fake sweetness oozing from him.

"I'm sure we will" Hermione said just as fake sounding.

"You better watch yourself Potter, I'll be waiting for you to mess up." He said while turning his back and slamming the door in Ron's face, who was just about to lunge at him.

Ron stood up straight, rubbing his nose where the door had hit it. "Well this is sure going to be a great year" he sighed sinking back down into his chair.

The train lurched forward and they were all on their way back home.