Chapter one

Harry, Hermione, and Ron sat on the train waiting to arrive at Hogwarts for their sixth year. Harry was looking out the window deep in thought. Hermione was reading the prophet.

"So has anyone seen the new bloke yet?" Ron aked.

He was referring to Draco Malfoy a pureblood whose father was a well-known deatheater. The story was that Draco had been homeschooled until now because his mother couldn't imagine her precious son integrated with half-bloods and muggle-borns. No one knew why he was suddenly transferring to Hogwarts but Harry was extremely suspicious.

"You mean the death-eater we might end up sharing a dorm with?" Harry said bitterly.

"He's not a death eater Harry; he's just a sixth year like us, besides he'll be in Slytherin all his family has for decades" Hermione said.

"What I don't get is how you can get homeschooled if you can't use magic outside of school till you are seventeen? " Ron wondered.

"His family is rich; his daddy probably paid someone to make an exception so he wouldn't be stuck with us mud bloods." Hermione said resentfully.

"We have to keep an eye on him; he's here for a reason." Harry cautioned.

"Harry your barking" Ron said incredulously.

"Ron's right Harry, I know where you're going with this. Draco isn't a deatheater, he's just a boy" Hermione tried to reason with him.

Harry stopped talking then, Ron and Hermione thought he was paranoid, but he knew in his gut that Malfoy was being sent to Hogwarts for a reason.

Hermione was the first one to see Draco, in the great hall. She and Ron had been walking hand in hand, on their way to join Ginny who was sitting with Harry. Draco was sitting at the slytherin table. The hat had not been pulled out yet, so Hermione wondered why he was already there. He was reserved sitting quietly, his expression sullen. No one had bothered to talk to him. Probably because most people thought it was strange that he was homeschooled. Draco looked up at her and they locked eyes for a second. Hermione looked away quickly. Ron noticed him then.

"So that's Malfoy?" Ron asked seeming unimpressed. "He's kind of scrawny for a deatheater" He continued quietly so no one would overhear.

Hermione hit him playfully as to scold him and in response Ron kissed her cheek. They had reached Ginny and Harry then, the two whispering quietly to each other. Ron and Hermione sat down across from them. The four of them cheered when the hat sent someone to Gryffindor and listened intently when Dumbledore spoke.

Later that night in the common room Hermione sighed exasperatedly as she watched Harry meticulously watching Draco's name on the marauder's map. It would seem Draco was in an empty bathroom pacing back and forth.

"Give it a rest mate" Ron pleaded.

"Hi Ron, I heard your trying out for the quiditch team this year, just wanted to wish you luck" Lavender said with a nervous smile as she approached.

Hermione eyes narrowed at her. "Uh, thanks Lavender" Ron said seeming surprised.

"I bet you'll be brilliant" She said enthusiastically.

Ron just nodded gratefully at her seeing Hermione's unhappy expression. Lavender left then, almost skipping off.

"Looks like someone has a crush on you Ron, though I can't see why, no offense Hermione" Ginny joked.

"None taken" Hermione laughed no longer tense now that Lavender was gone.

Harry laughed along with them. Ron just stared after Lavender with curiosity.

Hermione sat in potions class next day listening to professor Slughorn talk about love potions when Harry and Ron entered the class. She had to stop herself from shaking her head at their tardiness. During that class Harry was one of the only ones to brew the potion correctly. Hermione had to admit that she was jealous, especially since he got all the answers from the scribbling in his book. The two of them walked back to the great hall together without Ron, who Lavender was chattering to after class. Harry informed Hermione that He had to go see Dumbledore and then she was walking by herself.

She turned a corner and ran straight into Draco. Both of their books had fallen and they both bent down to gather their things.

"I'm so sorry" Hermione apologized.

But Draco ignored her and continued scrambling to get his books.

Angry she snapped. "I can only imagine what your dear mother would say if she knew you actually came in contact with a mudblood" She began to stride off.

"Shows how ignorant you are." He called after her bitterly.

Astounded she whipped around "Excuse me?" She asked.

"It's ignorant to assume I hold the same beliefs as my family about blood status" He exclaimed angrily.

"Are you saying you don't?" Hermione challenged him.

"I'm saying it was ignorant to assume it…Mudblood" He said spitting out the last word, and with that he left before she could say another word.

Rattled and bewildered she stood there in the middle of the hall. To further her annoyance she looked down and in her arms laid a book for a class she was not in. Brilliant, now I have to go find the tosser and return his book she thought to herself. Her stomach grumbled and she decided she could return the book later and instead continued down to the great hall.

Ron arrived shortly after she did.

"You and Lavender have a nice chat?" She asked.

"Come on Hermione I was just talking to her." Ron said.

"Ron, you shouldn't encourage her when you know how she feels for you" Hermione said "it's just cruel."

"Not to mention it drives you mad every time I look at her." Ron remarked.

"So you've been looking at her have you?" Hermione asked with raised eyebrows.

Ron just rolled his eyes in response.

Harry arrived then and defused the tension.

"Ron you ready for tryouts tomorrow?" Harry asked.

Ron instantly went pale "please don't remind me" he begged.

As Ron was saying this Lavender sat down with them.

"Ron I already told you, you have nothing to worry about!" She said.

"Lavender's right Ron you'll be amazing. I'm your girlfriend I know you better than anyone and I know what you're capable of and you'll do great" Hermione meant her encouraging words but she mostly said them to make a point to Lavender.

Ron smiled at the two girls feeling slightly better about the next day. "I should probably go get to sleep early, big day tomorrow" Ron said.

"I think I'll head up to the dormitories too" Lavender said getting up and following Ron.

"She practically stalking him" Hermione said disgusted.

"You know Ron loves you Hermione, you two are perfect for each other". Harry reassured her.

"I don't know. Things are weird between us lately… it's like I don't know… you know what, never mind I should be going to the library." She said quietly before rushing off.

Hermione always threw herself into homework or reading when she wanted to take her mind off something. Only there was someone distracting her this time. Draco was also in the library lurking in the restricted section. Hermione watched him. She remembered the book and got up to go return it. He heard her approach instantly shoved a book back on the shelf.

"Stalking me now are you? I should have known that you'd get a crush on me. Mudbloods always want what they cannot have." Draco drawled.

"In the restricted section for some light reading?" Hermione asked sarcastically.

"What's it to you?" He demanded.

"I reckon you should be careful since the son of a deatheater wouldn't want to be caught reading books about black magic, at least not by professor Dumbledore." She threatened him.

"Mind your own business Granger?" Draco snapped at her.

"How do you know my name?" Hermione said suspiciously.

"I hear people talk, when I met you I knew you must be Hermione Granger" He said.

"Oh, and what exactly do people say?" She asked curiously.

"That you're brilliant. Though I can't say I agree with them" He sneered.

Hermione didn't know how to reply.

"I don't think you should be messing around with the dark arts Malfoy, especially not at Hogwarts." She warned.

"I was just looking up something, it was purely academic" He replied.

"You are being watched very closely" She informed him.

"By you?" He asked with a laugh.

"Trust me I am the least of your worries if anyone finds out that you're up to something" She glared at him. "Why are you here anyway? Hogwarts is filled with half-bloods and muggle- borns like me. If we disgust so much why don't you leave?" She asked.

"I don't dislike them, just you." He said with venom in his voice.

"The feeling is mutual" Hermione promised him and with that she strode off, she wasn't letting him have the last word this time. It was only after she marched out of the library she remembered Draco's book. "Bloody hell" She cursed out loud. Some first years stared at her wide eyed and she flushed with embarrassment before rushing off to the common room.