Lionesses Are To Be Feared ... Right?

Train rides and treaties

Hermione had just boarded the train for her seventh and final year at Hogwarts, School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. She sat down in the usual compartment waiting for Ron, since Harry was away searching for the remaining Horcruxes, Ron would be gone to follow him after seeing and explaining things to Heremione. Hermione lay stretched out on one of the seats reading.

She wore a quilted corset sun dress with her tan flip-flops tossed to the floor; she had her hair in a small pony tail with a white gold stud in her nose. Upon hearing footsteps she leapt to her feet. Expecting it to be Ron she flung the door open; the huge grin on her face faded into a memory.

" Oh, it's just you." Draco Malfoy stood in front of her with a soft smile on his face. Grabbing her expelled book from the floor she sat back down. " Well what do you want?"

" You - well, to speak with you." he said as he sat across from her. Looking over at her he sized her up. Her hair was up in a pony tail and now more tame yet still curled was slightly longer but she could have done better. Mascara on curled eyelashes, eyes tipped with a dab of eyeliner and plucked eyebrows to top it off. Some rouge against pale skin and colored chap-stick, most likely flavored as well. The white gold stud in her nose was just a bit tacky but it went well with her deep blue dress, which looked rather childish in his opinion. Her legs looked so slender and her feet so tiny! How could something so small and fragile looking be expected to hold up an entire being? He asked himself how anyone's feet could keep their entire body's held high. He would dwell more on it later. Why was she not wearing shoes? How old was this train?! How many students have passed through these halls and been in these rooms, and what have they done? All the germs oh these carpets no less! It was just disgusting to think about.

Hermione sat there, mouth wide open with astonishment; Draco Malfoy was sitting talking to her, well attempting to talk to her, in a civil manner and he had a cowlick, that not even all the hair gel could keep down!

" Uh, Granger, are you suggesting something or are you just trying to catch bees?" he asked with an unsure smile.

Hermione quickly closed her mouth, a blush creeping into her cheeks, " So what is it that you wanted to talk to me about?"

" Well as you know after I turned myself in I was tried and found guilty as an associate to murder and with the testimony of Harry Potter was released and am now under probation until Lord Voldemort is defeated. We are, as you know both Heads this year, although I think my gaining this position was more for the plain and simple knowledge of 'Keep your friends close, but your enemies closer.' I guess McGonnagal thinks I am in need of close surveillance. Who better than you to do so.

" Now I want you to know right now that the way I look and think of you has not changed. But, now free of Lord Voldemort's service I am trying to pick up the pieces of my life as best I can. I don't want anymore damage done to my life than necessary, so I propose a truce. No more fighting or name calling or anything like that. Truce?" he held out his hand and looked across at her waiting for her to take it. Glancing down he noticed her pale feet with pink polish on her toes; he laughed inwardly, she had crossed her two big toes, a sign she was nervous.

" Okay," she stretched out her hand to take his, "truce. Now leave, pureblood."

Draco Malfoy chuckled softly, " Are you prejudice against purebloods now?"

" No, only a select few."

He stood up and walked out. She, Hermione Granger, mudblood, prejudice against a select few of purebloods, he, Draco Malfoy, being one of those select few. And after he made a peace offering to her. How rude could one mudblood be? Her blood heritage wasn't even really a fact just the fact that he was a Malfoy. Sure his name had been ran through the dirt a couple of times but the Malfoy name and family has been respected for centuries and then she just demeans it in such a way?! This was unheard of. This has got to be the women's lib of the wizarding world. First she'll do it in private, then in public and then the wrong person could hear her, get ideas and start doing the exact same thing!

He walked back to his own compartment with a stunned look on his face. He couldn't believe it. Times really are changing. He thought back to her, she's too short. She's too small, tiny, so easily broken, but that's just it isn't it, she's not so easily broken. To his knowledge she was strong, clever, and mysterious. There's always a piece of someone that no one knows about, a piece of someone that no one can see. How can anyone know that part of her? Who would it be? Potter? Weasley? No, they're her friends not her life-long companion or a lover of hers... or were they? No, hah!

This year he was not under pressure to join a following that would bring him only pain and despair and unhappiness. He wasn't against the belief just the actions taken to make dream into reality. What was he to do now that his life had ended only to begin. He would do what he wanted to do, and he wanted to know that part of Hermione that no one else knew. Oh what fun that would be to know more about her than the boy he had always despised for always besting and humiliating him.

Constructive criticsim(how ever you spell it) is apprieciated.

Vickey