Okay guys, this is my first Harry Potter fanfic so be gentle, but I do have a Twilight one too, and am working on a second with a friend of mine. Just some background info this is kind of at the end of fifth year in the books at the Ministry, Voldemort, Bellatrix and Lucius Malfoy are dead, but Sirius lived. The story itself really starts with our favorite people back at Hogwarts for their seventh year. So not really fifth year, but that's when the important stuff happened, just to have that cleared up. Please Read and Review. Rated M for…well pretty much everything M is a rating for lol.

DISCLAIMER: I will only post this once since the fact that I DO NOT own Harry Potter will never change

CHAPTER 1

Harry, Ron, and Hermione walked down to breakfast looking tired after a long night. Dumbledore had added holiday dances to this year's schedule, for fifth years and up of course, unless otherwise invited. And so, since Hermione as Head girl had to help, the "Golden Trio" could be found helping set up decorations late at night this last week. Thankfully, the dance was tonight, which happened to be a Saturday so they could perhaps get in a nap before they had to get ready.

"Wow guys, you really did good on the decorations," Ginny complimented, sitting down next to Harry and kissing him good morning.

"Thanks Gin, you know, you could have helped so we hadn't had to stay up so late getting it done," Ron replied shortly.

Ginny frowned, "excuse me?" she asked softly.

"You heard me," Ron retorted, pulling a bowl of eggs closer to him so he could shovel some onto his plate.

"As if you didn't know that I had detention all week! How could you think I didn't want to help? You know very well that I tried to get Snape to let me out to help and you know he said no! What more did you want me to do?" she snapped back.

"It's not our fault you got detention in the first place," Ron threw back.

Ginny let out an angry sound but didn't reply, knowing that Ron wouldn't drop it any time soon. She turned to Harry, "so are you ready for the dance tonight?" she asked.

Harry smiled at her, "you bet. I can't wait to see you in your dress."

"I bet," Ginny replied with a grin. "So what's on the agenda today?"

"Sleep," Ron said abruptly.

Hermione rolled her eyes at him. After her little jealousy streak in sixth year, she had gladly thrown her intimate liking for Ron out the window and moved on to Justin Finch-Fletchly, though this relationship hadn't lasted more than two months. Ron was single now, as was Hermione, but when Ron had asked Hermione to the dance, as friends, she'd refused, saying she'd rather go alone than let it seem like they were a couple, besides, she wanted a partner that would actually dance with her. Ron had stormed off and asked the first person he'd thought to, who happened to be Luna Lovegood. Since Harry had been able to tell that Luna had liked Ron since fifth year he wasn't surprised when she said yes immediately. And so Hermione was indeed going to the first Hogwarts Halloween dance all alone.

"I personally am going to do my essays first, then maybe get some sun, and then maybe take a nap…" Hermione replied.

Ginny smiled and winked at her. "Yeah, I have some homework to do too, maybe me and Harry could sit with you and do it and then we could go to the lake or something…"

Hermione gave her a grateful look. She could almost never get Ron and Harry to do their work ahead of time, so they were always scrambling the night before it was due and she liked having someone support her in this. "That sounds like fun."

"It sounds okay…" Harry said, yawning.

Ron let out a heavy sigh that splattered egg across the table, causing Hermione to stand up with a disgusted little shriek, egg particles in her hair and clinging to her clothes. Before Ron could get out an apology, Hermione glared at him and turned on her heel, walking out the door amidst jeers and laughter from Malfoy and his friends.

She returned to the dorm she shared with Malfoy and went to the shower, washing off all the egg and changing into different clothes before going back to the main dorm room and sitting on one of the couches fuming. Eventually she pulled out her homework and prepared to start her Potions essay. As she finished her first paragraph Ginny and Harry appeared, lugging their bags.

"You alright Mione?" Harry asked, sitting down in one of the armchairs.

"Fine, I just wish Ron wasn't such a child sometimes," Hermione said resignedly, as if she'd given up hope of making him grow up.

"Um, Hermione I think what he did today was an accident," Ginny offered.

"Fine maybe, but that doesn't excuse everything else he does. Like that argument with you this morning, that was so childish of him, he knew perfectly well why you weren't there. And he should have been proud of you, sticking up for Harry the way you did when Snape was bad mouthing him."

"He'll grow up eventually Hermione."

Before Hermione could reply Malfoy's voice interrupted, "I said go away Pansy, I need to think! Don't let her in here, no matter what she does," he instructed the portrait that hid the door to the room. When he finally turned around he glared at them. "Having a little party in our dorm Granger?" he demanded. "Maybe I should invite some of my friends; it'll be more interesting then. Oh but where's poor Weasel? Missing in action?"

Hermione didn't waste her time getting up. "We're doing our work Malfoy, you're welcome to join us if you think it'll help your grades…and you could invite your friends if you think they'll benefit at all…though I doubt it. And I wouldn't know where Ron is, what he does isn't my concern. But where's poor Pansy? You two having a fight again?" she asked, glad she'd seen the scene between the two Slytherins so she could use it against him.

"That's none of your business Granger. And in case you were concerned, she will be going with me to the dance tonight. Oh that's right, that's kind of a sticky subject with you isn't it, since you don't have a date?" he sneered.

"Why do you have to be such an asshole Malfoy?" Ginny demanded.

The blond Head Boy shrugged, "why would I be any different Weasley?" he replied.

"Well, this might seem optimistic of me, but I was under the impression that sharing a dorm would have made you two at least civil to each other."

Hermione let out a laugh this time. "There's not a chance of that Ginny, Malfoy is almost never here. Honestly I'm surprised to see him now, but I guess he had to escape his wonderful girlfriend…"

"I have better things to do than sit here conversing with Granger all day long. Just because we're forced into this doesn't mean I have to like it. Now if you don't mind, I'm going to my room, and I don't want you stupid Gryffindors bothering me."

After he was gone Ginny let out a sound that reminded Hermione of her cat. "That boy is impossible! Why does he have to be like that? You two have lived together for 2 months now; you'd think you'd at least have something civil to say to each other."

Hermione looked down at her Charms essay, "well like I said Gin, he's almost never here. The only time he comes is to sleep; he's even gone before I wake in the morning. With so little contact, it's not surprising that we aren't civil to each other."

Harry had been silent for a while, his quill slightly suspended like he planned to write something, but his face was so unfocused that Hermione knew he wasn't thinking about what new bullshit to write in his essay. "You alright Harry?" she asked finally.