Chapter 1

**DRACO**

Sunlight poured through the windows in my bedroom. I could hear the songbirds had begun to sing already, dogs barking, and the smell of breakfast lingered in my room. It was a beautiful summer day. In just a few short days I would have to go to London and board the train for my final year at Hogwarts. So much had happened this past year. The dark lord practically living in my house, my father bowing down like some kind of dog to his every command, going back to school and watching younger students be tortured for no good reason at all, practicing unforgivable curses on them; it really just made me sick believe it or not. Everyone expects me to be just like my father, cold, heartless, and completely for the dark side, but truly I am not. I have had to live in his shadow pretending to be something I am not for years to simply keep my family's name in tact. Now that the dark lord is gone for good I don't see that any of that matters anymore. "Draco! Breakfast is ready!" my mother called up to me. Good, I am famished. I get out of the comfort of the warmth of my bed and stroll down the cold stone hallway to the dining room where my mother has a terrific banquet of pancakes, eggs, bacon, sausage, french toast, and fruit all set up on the table. It is still a strange sight to see my mother cook because I am so custom to the house elves cook for us but now that there is no more to worry about, my mother loves cooking and makes breakfast every morning. It looks delicious. I sit at the table and start to make my plate. "How did you sleep darling?" she asks me as I start to dig in. "all right I suppose," I told her. Father had left for work already at the ministry, so it was just me and her. After a few minutes of sitting in silence enjoying my breakfast, an owl fluttered through the open window and dropped a letter onto my plate nearly knocking my orange juice over, but flew away before I could even think to scold it. That damn owl. Swoops had been in our family as long as I can remember, and normally isn't as clumsy as this. I guess he is getting up in age and I should expect no less. It is the same envelope I have received for the last 7 years. This will be my 8th year returning to Hogwarts, given the state of events that happened the past year, I didn't finish any of my exams that I needed to so I must return. I pick the envelope up and notice that it is slightly heavier than usual. "Whats that dear?" mother asks. "Oh, just my Hogwarts letter." I tell her. I open it up and notice that there is some kind of badge, so I suspect they have given me a new prefect one. I am wrong. I take it out and look down at the shiny silver badge. "Head Boy." I freeze. Who could possibly think that I am up to being head boy? Am I not scolded everyday for teasing younger students and knocking their books down and telling them the wrong way to classes? "Whats that hun, new prefect badge?" mother asks. "No," I reply. "well my dear what do you have?" she gets up and walks over to my chair, I am still staring at the badge open-mouthed not being able to take my eyes off of the badge or wrap my head around the responsibility I have just received. Mother walks up behind me and takes it from my hand. "Head boy!" she shrieks and I think she is going to jump up and down on the spot. She wraps her arms around me and squeezes me until I'm practically blue in the face. "mom, mom! Calm down!" "I'm sorry Draco, its just so wonderful!" she practically screams. "Aren't you excited at all?" she asks. "I suppose, I wasn't expecting this."

"It's a huge responsibility my dear. You were picked for a reason. You are an amazing young wizard and you have changed so much over the past year." Mom was right. I had changed. Since the end of the past year I had done a complete turn around. I realized that blood-status didn't matter. There were plenty of good people in the world who didn't have the blood line that my family had. Sometimes I wish that I wasn't born into this family at all. All my friends worry about is how they think they are better than everyone not in slitherine. I cant believe that I used to think just like that. After the war I got a huge slap of reality in the face. Why was I fighting for one person to have power over everyone else? I have been on the wrong side for my whole life.

I sat contemplating this for quite sometime, picking at my food. Mother had left to do laundry or something. I finally got up and decided to get dressed. I had to go to Diagon alley today to pick up all the supplies and new robes I would need, dreading the trip because I knew it would be crowded with students; students who clearly saw me walk across to the death eaters minutes before the dark lord was finally killed. I looked down at my arm. The ugly tattoo was still there. I half expected it to go away when he did, but it was there. I wondered if the tattoo shop at the edge of Diagon alley could do something to cover it up. I would have to try.

The streets were bustling with people running from store to store. I walked with mom until I reached Flourish and Blotts. The list of books I needed was a mile long. I began to wonder who would fill all the new spots that had opened up. And then it hit me, the pain I had relived over and over again. The one person that I always looked up to, more than my father himself, was dead and I would never see him again. Professor Snape was the one person who understood my life more than anyone else and now he was gone. I wonder who the new headmaster would be. I would soon find out. I got the books that I needed then wandered up and down the busy streets with mom getting everything I needed. I noticed Weasley's Wizard Wheezes at the end of the road and decided to go inside. It hit me that they had lost Fred. Death was all around me and it would take all I had to get through the year. I walked inside and my eyes turned to the size of watermelons. I had never been in here before. There were walls and walls lined with products like love potions, portable swamps, extendible ears, puking pasties, and of course the fireworks they set off during owls to chase off that great oaf Umbridge. I picked up a few things and went up to pay. George was at the counter and just scowled at me. "That will be 40 Galleons," he said coldly. "ok," I replied getting the money out of my pocket. My mother was looking at love potions, contemplating if she gave my father one if he would change his attitude about their relationship. In the end she came up behind me and did indeed buy one. We walked out and went to the Leaky Cauldron to grab something to eat. We walked in and who other would we run into than the Golden Trio. I was not ready for this. "Hello," I managed to get out. "Hello Malfoy, good summer?" Potter replied. What? Was this cat being civil to me? I'll take whatever I can get. "It was all right, you?" "Not the greatest but good enough considering," he said and looked down. Hermione, Ron, Ginny, Luna, and Neville just looked at us speechless. If I was going to change my ways this was my moment. "I want to say sorry for the person I have always been. I am no longer that person and never wish to be again. I just wanted to get that out." Holding my breath I waited for some kind of reply. "Thank you Draco. It means a lot," Granger said; smiling actually. Whew that was easier than I thought. "Well, mother and I are going to sit down and have some lunch. Are you all going to go back to school?" I asked. "Yes, all of us but Harry," Ginny said frowning. I never realized what they had was so serious. At that moment I realized if I had something like that with someone I wouldn't be so lonely in this world. "All right, see you on the train," I replied and went off to where my mother was sitting. "How did that go?" Mom asked. "Better than I thought it would. I thought they all hated me for everything I have done in the past," I said. "Everything is going to change now Draco. There is no more battle over power anymore. Just people living in the same world trying to make something of themselves. You should see this, seeings how you were chosen as head boy." Mother had a point. Everything was about to change for the better. The only problem was to get people to realize that i had changed for the better.

After we had all we could eat my mother asked if I needed anything else. "I wondered if there was a chance if we could go to the tattoo shop to see if they could remove this thing on my arm."

I asked her half expecting her to say it was impossible. "I guess we can try," she replied.

I woke up the next day with my arm burning like it was on fire. I jumped up and pulled my sleeve up. My arm was red, but there was no more tattoo. Thank God for that. I went to the bathroom to get the creme I received and put it on. That was much better. I went back to my room and began to pack up my trunk. Tomorrow I would get on the train back to school.

**HERMIONE**

I stretched as I woke up. It was a few days before school started and I was expecting my letter from Hogwarts for my school supplies. Myself, Ron, Ginny, Harry, Neville, and Luna were all supposed to meet up today to get our stuff and catch up. After the war was over I came home to reverse the spell I cast on my parents. I explained everything and they were overjoyed to have me back. Throughout the summer I contemplated the kiss I shared with Ron. We have shared a few letters over the summer but not a whole lot. Im starting to think it was a "caught up in the moment" kiss. I haven't seen him since I apparated to my house after I left Hogwarts, and today I must face him. Interrupting my thoughts was an owl fluttering through my bedroom. It was indeed my letter from school. The letter dropped onto my bed in front of me and I opened it immediately. To my surprise, a shiny new badge fell out of the envelope. I picked it up questioningly. "Head Girl" Finally. All my hard work and dedication had paid off. I had dreamed of getting this role since I first came to school. Now it was mine. I wondered who the head boy would be. Grinning from ear to ear, I raced out of bed to tell my parents. I just knew they would be thrilled.

I apparated myself to Diagon Alley, thankfully I didn't have to use the muggle entrance anymore. I walked down the busy street until we came across Gringotts. I went inside and pulled out enough money to start me out at school and to get my school supplies I would need this year. I always enjoyed walking down the busy streets here. There was so much cool stuff inside the little shops. I made my way to the Leaky Cauldron where everyone sat drinking butter beer waiting for me to arrive. I sat down next to Ron expecting a kiss or something but he didn't even say anything to me. Ginny started up talking about how her and Harry had been talking all summer about getting married and where they would live. I listened intently but couldn't shake the fact that Ron hadn't even said hi to me. I looked at him and his mind was clearly somewhere else. Was this who I really wanted to be with? I had known Ron ever since first year, but until last year didn't think of him as more than a friend. Now that we are supposed to be together. It is all awkward and weird. No, I finally decided. This is not what I wanted. I would have to find a way to tell him. All of a sudden Draco Malfoy came through with his mother. Of all people to run into, of course he would be the one. To my surprise he came to our table. "Hello," was all he could say. "Hello Malfoy, good summer?" Harry said. I was shocked. After all that had happened, Harry was actually speaking to him as a friend? Well, maybe he had changed. I zoned out of the rest of the conversation lost in my thoughts until I heard him say, "I'll see you on the train." I looked up. I had never paid much attention to Draco. His face was very angular, his arms full of muscle beneath his shirt. He might even be attractive. Wait! What was I thinking? How could I possibly see him as this? As much as he teased me over the years, no. I couldn't think of him as that. We finished up our lunch and took off to begin to gather all of our new school supplies. I needed just about everything because I didn't attend one class last year. We went from Flourish and Blotts to Olivander's to get Harry and Ron both a new wand, and then to Eyelops Owl Emporium to get Harry and Ginny new Owls. After running around all afternoon we had all finally finished. Before apparating back home I pulled Ron aside. "Were you not going to talk to me all day?" I scolded him. "I was," he replied. "Ronald I don't think this will work between us. You don't seem like you want anything to do with me now. I cant handle it." I got out. I wasn't expecting to say it like that or that fast but I didn't regret it. "If thats what you want Hermione, than ok." He wasn't even sad or sorry? Now I know I made the right decision. I apparated right there in front of him to go back to my home and pack for school, not thinking twice about if I hurt his feelings or not.

Kings Cross was crowded as usual. Both my parents had to work so we said our goodbyes last night. I strolled into the station looking for that too familiar platform. When I found it I immediately went through and gleamed up at the beautiful train before me. I looked around at the sight of many new faces I had not seen before. Not wanting to waste any time, I got on the train and found a compartment to stow my trunk. I debated on changing into my robes then, but decided I would have plenty of time for that later. I exited the train and quickly found Ginny. Of course she was wrapped around Harry like he would disappear in an instant if she let him go. Surprisingly Ron was nowhere to be seen. I walked up to them. "Ok, break it up, break it up," I teased. "Hermione!" Ginny shrieked. I always loved how excited she was to see me after even two hours of being apart. Once she was done nearly choking me Harry stepped over to give me a hug too. "Uh, so where is Ron? Isn't he coming back to school?" I asked wondering what their reaction would be. Had he told them that I called it quits? What would they think? "Oh, he decided to come join me in auror training. He got the offer before and decided against it because he wanted to finish school with you. After you told him that it wouldn't work he decided there was nothing more for him at Hogwarts so he brought back all his supplies and is waiting for me at the Burrow to leave for our internship," Harry told me. "Oh," was all I managed to get out. I hadn't paid much thought to it since I left Diagon Alley, but I had hoped I didn't hurt him, but how could I? He didn't seem interested in me at all anyway. The train whistle sounded so we said our goodbyes to Harry and me and Ginny boarded the train. "Is he ok?" I asked her as we sat down in the compartment I had claimed earlier. "Actually I was gonna ask you the same thing. He hasn't changed, didn't seem distraught about it or anything," "Well, he didn't seem to care about me at all and I came to reality and decided I didn't want someone like that forever." I replied. "Ahh boys," she said and we both laughed. Throughout the journey we talked about our summers, the places her and Harry had picked out to move after their marriage at the end of the summer, and about me being picked as head girl. "Hermione, I just knew they would pick you as head girl." Ginny said all smiles. "How could they not? You're the brightest witch of the age! Who is head boy?" I hadn't even thought about that. Whoever it was we would have to share a room. "I have no idea." I replied. Just then, we heard a knock on the door. It was professor McGonagall. "Hello professor," I beamed up at her. Ms. Granger, Ms. Weasley, how are you two?" "Wonderful, considering," Ginny replied. "Well, I have something that might make you feel a little better about the school year," she told Ginny. She handed her an envelope just like the ones we receive our letters in at the beginning of the year. She ripped it open and out fell a shiny badge. "Prefect" "Oh professor, are you sure, me?" Ginny shrieked. "Why, yes Ms. Weasley. You are a very bright young witch and I trust you far more than anyone else," she smiled as she said it. "I think you, Ms. Granger, and Mr. Malfoy will make an excellent team to make sure the castle gets back to normal." My heart froze. "Ma..Malfoy is head boy?" I stuttered. "Yes, he is. Believe it or not, I believe he has changed for the better Ms. Granger. You and him will share a separate dormitory on the 5th floor, the password is Severus," she replied and got up and left. "Well this will be an interesting year for sure now," I said. Ginny's mouth was wide open, shocked at all the information she was just given in a matter of 3 minutes. "I can't believe it," was all she could say. "Oh Ginny, you will be just fine. If you have any problems just come and find me. Im sure the two of us can work through anything," and a smile came upon her face. "Yes, I suppose so. I need to write Harry and tell him everything." She tore through her bag until she found a piece of paper and a quill and frantically wrote Harry a quick note explaining everything McGonagall had just told us. When she was done she gave the note to her new owl, opened the window, and the owl took off. "I suspect we better change into robes now," I said. We locked the door and closed the curtains and put on our robes, both of us making sure our pins weren't the least bit crooked.

The train came to a screeching halt as we approached the platform to Hogwarts. We rushed to the door knowing we had to make sure all the first-years knew to go to Hagrid instead of the carriages. As soon as all was settled and just about everyone was gone, we decided to head up to the castle. We hopped in the last carriage, holding only one other person. Malfoy. "Congratulations on head boy Draco," I told him as the carriage pulled away. "Thanks, you too. Do you have any clue where our dorm will be?" "McGonagall said it was on the 5th floor and told me the password." "All right, I haven't seen her yet. I suppose she thought I would find you and you would tell me. Thank you." "Your welcome." The rest of the ride was silent as we looked at the beautiful castle sitting at the top of the hill. They had sure done a lot since the war to get it back looking the way it used to. "Amazing what a little magic can do huh?" Draco said to break the silence. "Yes, I had no clue what to expect coming back here," Ginny replied. Before we knew it we were getting out of the carriage and walking up the steps to the front doors, ushering students to enter the great hall and sit down before the feast began.

**LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK. THIS IS MY FIRST ONE SO WELL SEE HOW THE REST OF THE STORY GOES. ANY IDEAS OF WHAT YOU WANT TO HAPPEN? LET ME KNOW