Summary: Just another DM/HG fanfic, but hopefully I'll succeed in making it different:) I reckon it'll be pretty long when it's finished.
Disclaimer: All characters in this story are owned by J.K. Rowling, and this is simply building on parts of the situations J.K Rowling created.

Chapter 1

"And the new Head Girl is..." Dumbledore said as he carefully opened the small white envelope. He shook out the slip of paper and only those beside him saw the faint smile.

"...Hermione Granger!"

The Gryffindor table erupted. It wasn't unexpected, but when Hermione's name had been called out, everyone at the table felt elated and so proud of her. Everyone in the hall knew she deserved it as the most worthy candidate, but the Slytherins still booed and hissed.

Finally shaking off the Gryffindors who had fallen on her when her name was called out, she jumped up from the table, and strode up to the teacher's table. She presented a pretty picture: eyes sparkling, face flushed with happiness, and she practically bounced up to the table, but still managing to appear graceful.

She smiled at Professor Dumbledore as he pinned on her badge, and his eyes twinkled as he shook her hand.

"Well done, Miss Granger. Congratulations!"

"Thank you, sir," she replied, bursting with pride. She turned and came back to her table, a little more slowly, but her face still aglow. Ron hugged her again as soon as she had sat down, and Harry, across the table from her, grinned at her. Nothing could bring her down, except...

"Quiet down, please. I will now read out the name of the new Head Boy," called Dumbledore.

Hermione glanced across at Harry, who was up for election, and was relieved to see him fairly relaxed. His eyes flickered once when Dumbledore stood up again.

"And the new Head Boy is..." Dumbledore paused again to open a similar white envelope.

The whole hall held their breaths. Everybody knew that Hermione was the best contender for the Head Girl position, but there were a few for Head Boy: Harry, a couple of Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs, and...Draco Malfoy. Hermione obviously wanted Harry to win, but if not him, anyone other than Malfoy. It was not to be. Her heart sank, for herself and for Harry, when Dumbledore called out,

"Draco Malfoy!"

The Slytherin table erupted, as had the Gryffindor a few moments before, but the rest of the hall clapped with little enthusiasm, while the Gryffindors barely made the effort.

Malfoy, with the smug grin on his face, swaggered up to the table, received his own badge, and swaggered down again. Hermione tried to keep the feeling of disgust from her face and turned round in her seat to face Harry. She pulled Ron with her, who was staring at Malfoy with open loathing on his face. Harry was busy receiving claps on the back and different versions of "Hard luck, mate" as the Gryffindors sympathised with him on their way out of the Great Hall.

"Are you alright?" Hermione asked.

"Yeh. I knew Malfoy was getting it, so I wasn't too disappointed when his name was called out."

"Y'know his father probably bribed the whole board?" offered Ron helpfully.

"Ron!"

"He's right, Hermione, but I'm actually not that worried. I guess it didn't mean much to me. I'm just happy you got Head Girl," he smiled at her.

"Yeh 'Mione! Nice one!"

She blushed, but before she had time to say anything, she was interrupted by a tap on the shoulder from Professor McGonagall. She smiled at Hermione.

"Well done Miss Granger! The position couldn't have gone to a worthier girl!"

Harry and Ron beamed at Hermione, who blushed again and thanked the teacher.

"I came to escort you to the Head dormitories. There are a few details we need to sort out. I'll wait for you in the Entrance Hall."

When the professor had left, Hermione drummed her fingers against the table top.

"I don't want to share a dormitory with Malfoy!"

Ron was all sympathy. "Know how you feel Hermione. I wouldn't go willingly near that slimy git for money."

Harry frowned at him. He wasn't helping. He turned to Hermione.

"Try not to worry about Malfoy. Everybody knows he's a jerk, so don't let him get to you."

"Anybody but him!" she said, as she rose. They watched her leave.

"I pity her," Ron commented.

Hermione saw Professor McGonagall talking to Malfoy, and her stomach clenched. How she hated him! She ground her teeth, but smiled when McGonagall turned to her.

"Ready, Miss Granger? Then follow me."

The professor turned down a corridor, and as Malfoy had brushed rudely past, she sighed and took up the rear. She followed them further and further away until the professor stopped in front of a portrait of the four founders of the school. They were all sitting in a semi-circle in what looked like a very draughty living-room. They hailed Professor McGonagall and one of the men shouted,

"The new Heads, eh? Let me have a look at them!"

Professor McGonagall stepped back to let him view Hermione and Malfoy and said to them,

"That's Gryffindor, and that's Slytherin, and Hufflepuff, and Ravenclaw," pointing them out. "They're never in this portrait during the year. They only come here to see the new Heads and then they're off."

"It's awfully cold in here...never can seem to heat the place up," Ravenclaw said.

"Have you thought of a password yet for the new Heads?" asked Professor McGonagall. She turned to Hermione and Malfoy. "They always come up with the password for the year. Makes them feel better because they're never here the rest of the time," she smiled at the four.

"Quite. How about Silver Lion? This year we thought we'd combine the images of the two houses," said Gryffindor.

Professor McGonagall turned to the two students. Malfoy shrugged.

"That's a great idea, sir," Hermione smiled. Gryffindor beamed, and the portrait swung open. Professor McGonagall ushered them in, and they heard faint cries of "See you next year". She turned to the two students.

"Well, what do you think?"

Draco had taken one uninterested glance at the room, and then gracefully flung himself on the black and silver sofa. He shrugged again, and watched contemptuously as Hermione walked around the room, amazed at the grandeur.

"This is the social room. Your bedrooms lead off through that door, and that door. One bathroom which can be reached through that door."

Malfoy raised an eyebrow. "One bathroom?"

"One bathroom, Mr. Malfoy, and spells on the door so you can't open it if the other's inside."

"Thank God for that," muttered Malfoy. Hermione glared at him, and returned to her inspection.

The room was lovely. As you walked in, there was an old fireplace on the left, with two sofas diagonally facing it. One was black and silver, the one Malfoy was lounging on, and the other was red and gold. On the other side of the room was a massive oak desk, with two chairs, and then a separate area with just a coffee-table and two armchairs. There were shelves periodically positioned around the room and the whole place was decorated in the two house's colours, but somehow they didn't clash, and Hermione could have sworn the colours were always changing. She had thought that cushion on her sofa was red when she came in, but now it shone a bright gold. Facing the portrait door was a door with "Bathroom" on a plaque on it, and on either side were the two bedroom doors, and even now as she looked at them, similar plaques appeared on each of them with their names in the same curly writing. She went over and traced "Hermione" on her door.

"Incredible..." she whispered.

Professor McGonagall heard her and smiled. "A few rules, then. No other student is allowed to come in here, and there are spells on the portrait to forbid them. These rooms are not to be used as a social haven for your friends, so only you can enter.

"As you will be sharing this room here for the greater part of the year, I beg you will respect the other's private space and adjust quickly to the surroundings."

Here, Hermione thought Professor McGonagall had a double meaning for she gave each of them a look as she said it. Hermione simply nodded, while Malfoy ignored her.

"And of course, your common rooms are still open to you, and can visit anytime. Now, I must get back to the Hall; Professor Dumbledore needed to speak to me."

Hermione turned at this. "Thank you Professor," she smiled. The teacher nodded at her, and after glancing once at Malfoy, who simply stared back, left the room. Hermione took one more look around the room, glanced at Malfoy, who was looking at some books on the nearest shelves, and headed for her own room. She turned the handle, stepped in and closed the door. She gasped. The splendour here was just as magnificent as that of the outside room. To the right was a glorious four-poster double bed, covered in silken gold sheets, and opposite were her own armchair and little table. There was a smaller desk than the one outside beside the bed, and facing Hermione was a glass door, which led out onto a tiny balcony. On its own stood a huge mahogany wardrobe and to top it off, there was a large thick carpet with a red lion on the floor. Hermione sighed in pleasure. She spotted her trunk and knelt to unpack her things. Suddenly she felt hot and sticky after the day's events: today was their first day back after the summer holidays. She rifled through her trunk for a little blue bag and opened her door. Malfoy had disappeared. She sighed in relief. She closed her door and opened and locked the bathroom door. She gasped again. There was a shower and a sink in one corner, and a shower and a sink in another corner, and two cubicles directly facing each other. The "bathroom" on the right was obviously for Hermione, decked out in red and gold, and a huge white tub stood in the middle of the floor. Hermione walked over and turned on one of the many taps. Each had a word on it: hot, cold, bubbles, foam. She stripped and sank into the luxurious froth, forgetting her troubles and completely oblivious to anything outside of the hot water.

Malfoy had waited until Hermione had gone into her room before getting up for his own, which had the same layout as Hermione's. The finery of the black and silver room didn't rouse more than an approving glance, for he was used to such grandeur at home. He started to unpack his belongings, but like Hermione, was overcome with a desire to wash. He stepped out but was annoyed to find the bathroom door locked.

"Mudblood," he growled.

He turned back to his room, but couldn't suppress his irritation at Hermione having beaten him to the shower. He knew it was childish but he tried in vain to rid himself of the feeling that Hermione had won "the first round".

Hermione slowly stood up in the bath, feeling warm and clean and refreshed. She wrapped a towel around her and quickly brushed her teeth. She grabbed her belongings and made sure there was no sign of her having been there left in the bathroom. She hoped Malfoy wasn't in the common room. She peeped out, but he wasn't there. She flew across to her room and shut the door.

Malfoy heard the doors opening, and gathered she had finished. He opted for a shower instead, and so finished far more quickly than Hermione had done. Back in his own room, he glanced at his watch: 11.30pm. He knew he should go to bed, but he was far too restless. He suddenly remembered a book he was reading at home and searched in his trunk for it. Five minutes later he hadn't found it and realised he had left it at home.

"Granger probably has a copy," he said to himself. It was a book the seventh years needed for Defence Against the Dark Arts, Malfoy's favourite subject, and he reckoned Hermione, being the bookworm she was, would have a copy in preparation for class.

He strode over to her door and turned the handle. He realised with faint surprise that it was unlocked. Either she didn't expect him to try anything on one of his mortal enemies, or she didn't care. He pushed the door open and stepped in.

"Granger, I-" he was cut off by the sight before him. Hermione was bent over, her long brown hair flung over her head, facing him, but as the door opened she lifted her head so Malfoy could see her surprised eyes through the curtain of hair. She flipped her head up and raised her hands to push escaping strands back, therefore giving Malfoy the perfect opportunity to glance down her body and back up again to her eyes. She was only wearing her underwear, but as she registered who was staring at her in her semi-naked state, she shrieked and grabbed a towel to fling around herself. Unfortunately, it was not the larger towel she'd used on her hair, so not as much of her body was covered as she would have liked.

"God Malfoy! What is your problem! Don't you ever knock!"

He rolled his eyes. "Like you have anything I want to see. You should keep your door locked if you don't want people to catch you unawares."

"I didn't think I needed to! But obviously you have no respect for other people's privacy!"

"Malfoys don't wait on anybody."

Now Hermione rolled her eyes. "What do you want?"

"So rude Granger. Do you have that Defence Against the Dark Arts book we need this year?"

"No," she replied quickly.

Malfoy simply smiled. He raised his wand and pointed at her trunk.

"Accio book!"

Hermione watched in disgust as her trunk flew open and the book Malfoy wanted sailed towards him.

Totally against her will, she asked, "How did you pick out that one? There are loads of books in my trunk!"

"My wand is of a superior make than yours, and anybody else's in this school for that matter. It knows what I think," he smirked at her. "So in future, Granger, don't lie to me," and he turned and walked out, leaving the door open.

Hermione stared after him, her anger rising. He didn't even have the courtesy to close the door! She rushed over and slammed it shut, locking it as well. She leant against the door, reflecting that if that was the way Malfoy was going to be all the year round, she'd have no peace. She sighed. She really hated him!

Malfoy, in his own room, heard the door slam, and grinned. If getting Granger angry was so easy, he was going to have a great time this year. He threw the book across the room, feeling too tired now to read, and had Hermione seen the way he'd left a school book, she would have charged him with wand out. He slid into bed and the last thing that floated into his head before he fell asleep was that Granger actually had a gorgeous body! It rivalled other seventh year girls, and Malfoy had seen a few. In fact, he thought sleepily, Granger outdid them all...