Hermione sat at the Gryffindor table on a Saturday morning for breakfast. Ron sat three seats down from her with Lavender Brown. Harry sat across from her, surrounded by fifth year girls. And Ginny sat much farther down the table with her boy of the week. Hermione didn't know his name, but she was pretty sure he was a fifth or sixth year chaser for Hufflepuff.
Hermione was correcting Harry's transfiguration homework when the mail arrived. She received her usual: a copy of the daily prophet, a letter from her parents, a few magazines, and a small package usually filled with some extra money or food. She pushed her newspaper to the side, she didn't feel like reading whatever crap the Ministry was pushing out today. She stuck the letter and magazines in her bag to read later, and opened up the small cardboard box. She found 7 galleons and a pair of earrings she had asked them to send her after she left them at home during winter break.
After correcting the rest of Harry's assignments, she decided she would take a few minutes and read one of the magazines. As she pulled one out of her bag, an extra letter fell out from between them. She could tell by the yellow parchment envelope that this was no ordinary letter. She shoved her magazines back into her bag and opened up the letter. There was a small, neatly written note that read:
Miss Granger,
Please come see me today
immediately following breakfast.
-Professor Dumbledore
"Who's the letter from?" asked Harry.
"Dumbledore, he wants to see me after breakfast. What do you think he wants?" Hermione asked.
"No idea."
—
Meanwhile, at the Slytherin table, Draco Malfoy sat amongst a herd of students. Pansy Parkinson glared at him as she sat with Blaise Zabini. Now that Draco had made it clear that he wasn't interested in dating Pansy, she had moved onto his best friend. He tried to make as little eye contact as possible, but it's hard when your closest friends are snogging two seats down.
He was eating his toast when the mail arrived. As everyone around him opened gifts from their parents, he opened a letter from his parents urging him not to screw up, as always. There was another letter too, which he assumed at first to just be an extra one from his father. He was surprised however, to open it a find that it was from Dumbledore.
Mr. Malfoy,
Please come see me today
immediately following breakfast.
-Professor Dumbledore
He shoved the letter away before anyone could notice and ask what it was. As people started leave, he stood up and bolted out the door. He breathed a sigh of relief as he walked out of the Great Hall before any of the other Slytherins noticed.
He walked to the entrance of the Headmaster's tower until he stood in front of a large stone bird.
"Neapolitan Dynamite!" he said, but the statue didn't budge. The password must've changed.
He waited outside the the office for only 30 seconds before he heard another set of footsteps coming towards him. To his surprise, the footsteps didn't belong to Mcgonagall or Dumbledore. Instead, he saw Hermione Granger walking towards him.
"Well, well, well!" he sneered. "If it isn't the Gryffindor Golden Girl herself!"
"Buzz off Malfoy!"
"Wow, she's feisty today! Where's the rest of the trio? Did you come here because weasel and scarhead were getting it on in the Gryffindor common room without you?"
"Ugh. Actually, I'm here for a private meeting with Dumbledore, so I think you should get going."
"Hey, not so fast Granger. What do ya think I'm here for?" he laughed as he held up the note.
"Dear god. Pomegranate seeds!" The eagle began to rise up and reveal a large spiral staircase. Malfoy nudged Hermione out of the way and walked in ahead of her. Dumbledore was pacing around his study as the pair walked in.
"Mr. Malfoy, Ms. Granger, pleasure to see you both! Come in, have a seat over here." The pair was as confused as ever. "I'm sure you're wondering why I called you both here today on such short notice. Well, I'm pleased to inform you that last night the staff and I made the decision that the two of you will be next year's head boy and head girl."
Hermione didn't know what to think. She was thrilled about becoming head girl, but why did Malfoy have to be head boy?
"I'm sure you two already understand the responsibilities that come with these titles. In addition to your badges, you will each receive your own private dormitory on the 9th floor once next term starts. As you know, head boy and girl don't wear a house uniform, so you'll be expected to wear robes with silver lining instead. You may choose to sit wherever you'd like in the great hall, but you must always be the first students to arrive for dinner and the last to leave. And while I'm aware that the two of you aren't the best of friends, I strongly encourage you to put your differences aside. You will be the ones that all of the students look up to next year. It's imperative that you get along for the good of the school. Understood?"
"Yes professor," they said in unison.
"Good. You will also have to arrive at the school a week before term starts. I'll send you an owl with further details as the time gets closer. Now get to class then, hurry."
"Thank you professor," smiled Hermione.
"Uh- thanks headmaster," said Draco as he followed her out. The two started downstairs towards potions with Slughorn.
"Can you believe it?" asked Draco. "I'm going to be head boy!"
"And I'm going to be head girl," added Hermione, making sure he didn't take all the spotlight.
"So how are ya going to tell Merida and Snow White that the threesome is over?"
"If you're talking about Ronald and Harry, I don't think it's any of your business what's going to happen in our friendship. And don't act like your friends and you have been getting along just fine either, because we all know that's a lie."
"Harsh Granger. Well, tell strawberry shortcake and his boyfriend that they better get used to calling me head boy!"
"Tell Pansy- oh wait, I'll ask Blaise to pass my message on actually," she laughed. Draco's face went white.
"You don't even talk to Pansy so I don't know what you'd have to say to her."
"Hmm, maybe I'm just happy that she stopped obsessing over the blonde ferret and found someone who actually cares for her."
"You think Blaise cares for her? No way, she's gonna come crawling back to me the minute he breaks her heart. I'd give their, 'relationship,' two weeks max."
"And you're going to do the same thing as always, push her away." He went quiet.
"Don't act like you're any better Granger, you crawl right back to Ron and he pushes you away everytime. He even chose Lavender Brown over you, and that's saying a lot."
Hermione ran down the stairs ahead of him, tears filling her eyes. And for the first time in his life, Draco Malfoy felt a little guilty. And not just because he made Hermione cry, but because she was right about Pansy. All he ever did was play with her feelings. And although he wouldn't admit it, he had a deep feeling that Pansy wasn't going to run back to him like this time. And just like that, the guilt he felt grew into an instant regret.