Rewritten: 29/12/2012 - I adore this story, and couldn't leave it in the state it's in. My writing has improved exponentially since I started writing this story so long ago.

Disclaimer: This story is incredibly AU, and my characters are OOC. I realise that while the events of this story, had there not been a Voldemort around, wouldn't have happened like this. But this is my story, and I wanted to write a Draco/Hermione where Harry and Ron were the bad guys. This is all from my own imagination, so if you dislike AU, to this extent, just don't read it

Though I do hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoy writing it :D

The year started just the same as all the rest, except that this was to be their last. Then they would be free. Free to be whatever the hell they wanted to be; do what they wanted, say what they wanted, and it didn't matter whether anyone liked it or not because they were adults.

The smoke filled platform was bursting with such students, saying goodbye to parents and hello to friends, smiling and laughing, all dying to go back to their school. An unusual thought by any means, but the school they were travelling to was no ordinary school, just like the platform was no ordinary platform. Platform 9¾ only revealed itself to those of a certain breed; witches and wizards, for you see, magic is as real as anything in the world, though it remains hidden, secreted away from the muggles (that would be none magical folk). So, when these special people lean against the quite solid brick between platforms nine and ten, they pass through it as though it were nothing but air, onto this mysterious platform to face a magnificent, gleaming burgundy stem engine, the Hogwarts Express.

Hermione Granger was one such person, born to none magical parents and she was the first witch in her family. She had incredibly curly brown hair, lightened over the summer to a golden colour, and bright hazel eyes. She was to turn eighteen in just one week, and while she was none too pleased to have to spend it away from her parents, she was rather excited to see her magical friends once more. Levitating her luggage down the carriage behind her, she found an empty compartment and stowed her trunk above the plush leather seat.

She smoothed down her dress skirt before seating herself on the bench and studying her nails. She had painted them a vivid red, to match the new shoes she was flaunting. Her golden brown hair was perfectly curled and coiffed, without looking stiff, and her silky milk white legs were extenuated by a beautiful pair of red peep toe pumps. The dress she had made herself, using white patterned cotton, tucked in at the waist by a bright red bow. She looked hot, if she said so herself.

In the next compartment a blond haired boy was sat playing poker with a dark skinned, dark haired young man and their wiry companion with messy brown hair. All three were good looking, and all three knew it. The blond haired boy, Draco Malfoy, was the ring leader. He sat sprawled on the seat, cigarette hanging loosely on his bottom lip, platinum hair in an 'I-just-got-a-good-shagging' sort of way, wearing blue jeans a white tee shirt, which showed his impressive biceps due to years of playing the wizard ball game called Quidditch.

He was hoping and praying (though Malfoys typically don't hope or pray for anything) for the summer, for the end of school, to be able to leave his parent's home for good. How sick he was of his father harping on about the wizarding world going to the dogs, how they might as well just out themselves to the muggles seen as 'that old crack pot' Dumbledore lets so many into his school. Draco didn't give a damn, and tended not to listen much. Between his father's rants and his mother's meddling he was surprised he hadn't gone mad.

Both students, Hermione and Draco, turned to look out of their compartment doors as they heard a commotion in the corridor. Being of curious persuasion they took a peek outside, both sliding open the doors at the same time and being met with the image of Harry Potter and Ronald Weasley bustling their way onto the train, surrounded by the usual horde of pathetic lonely girls. Both students rolled their eyes before returning to their compartments.

Harry Potter and Ronald Weasley were the 'it' duo of Hogwarts. Harry was that year's head boy and his house teams Quidditch captain. Ronald Weasley was simply along for the ride, but his cockiness and sure footedness made him a hit with the girls. Both boys were tall, and handsome in their own way. They were generally kind to those around them, except when it came to those they didn't like. Both were rather arrogant, and rather sure of their position at the school; they had the rule of the roost.

However, Harry didn't begin his life that way. When he had arrived at Hogwarts he had been just as frightened as the rest of them, but infamy tended to go to one's head. There wasn't a person in the wizarding world who didn't know the name Harry Potter. For when he was but a baby, a terribly dark and powerful wizard, going by the name of Voldemort, attempted to kill him. The curse, however, rebounded off the baby, due to old magic cast by his dying mother. Leaving Voldemort decimated.

None of the students remembered Voldemort as they were all too young to know much about him but they had all grown up hearing tales of Harry Potter, the boy who lived, all the while he lived a rather diminished existence with his horrible Aunt and Uncle. If the papers were to be believed he had been made to live in a cupboard! Hermione thought it was wildly fantastical.

However, Ron had no such fantastical back story. He came from a fairly poor family of seemingly low standing in the community, he had six siblings (all brothers aside from one sister) and lived in a patched up towering house called the Burrow. He was renowned as Harry Potters best friend, though it didn't hurt that he was fairly handsome himself. He had a smattering of bright ginger hair, a face sprinkled with freckles and the brightest blue eyes ever seen. The girls thought he looked mischievous and cheeky.

Neither Draco nor Hermione could stand them. They found them cocky and full of their own self-importance. There was a cruelness to them, which only came out around those they thought lower than them. Though they rarely tried anything against the two students, both Hermione and Draco knew how much they would love to get one up on the best witch and wizard in the school.

Hermione was fidgetting over a chip she had noticed in her nail varnish when a bouncy girl with flowing red hair bounded into the compartment, swiftly followed by a stocky boy and a waif like girl.

"Ginny, Neville, Luna," she greeted them. They were some of her only friends in this school, but they were the best.

Ginny Weasley was unfortunately related to Ron, but where Ron was boastful Ginny was not. She was a wild child, a non-conformist and a total anarchist. She enjoyed blowing up the school toilets and going on animal rights protests. She smoked, she drank and she got many, many tattoos. Her parents despaired for her.

Neville Longbottom, on the other hand, was a calm young man, from a respectable family. His mother, Alice, and father, Frank, were both excellent Aurors and they had raised their son to be just and honest. Two very valuable traits to Hermione. He was stocky, built like a 'brick-shit-house' some might say. He had wonderful soft brown hair that fell to just below his ears in soft curls. Honestly, he was just adorable.

Luna, the last girl to enter and the last to sit down, was seen as somewhat of a weirdo. She was stick thin with the palest skin Hermione had ever seen, she had thin white blonde hair that fell to her waist and she wore the most ridiculous things. A bright green top with a bright orange skirt, over blue tights and thick brown boots. But for however weird she was there was no denying she was beautiful.

The four students sat in their compartment the whole ride to Hogwarts, talking of their summers and their hopes for the year. Discussing other students and teachers, and complaining about their hunger.

Finally the time came to change into their uniforms. Ginny, Hermione and Luna shooed Neville out of the compartment into the boys changing area so they could change in peace, they preferred not to use to designated changing area due to the general bitchiness of other female students towards them. They realised that a lot of the animosity directed their way was not helped by the way they acted, but after so many years they simply gave up trying to get people to like them.

The uniform generally consisted of a white blouse, striped tie (colour co-ordinated to each house), grey skirt, black tights and black shoes. These were usually covered with either a jumper or cardigan and a black cloak. However, the three girls enjoyed toying with the staple uniform.

Hermione had chosen this year to wear an elbow length fitted blouse with the usual red and gold striped tie, her skirt was a knee length pencil skirt in charcoal grey, underneath which she wore mock seam stockings held up by a black lace garter belt. On her feet was yet another pair of three inch peep toe heels, this time in patent black leather.

"Damn 'Mione. You're going to knock them dead," Ginny exclaimed, before doing a twirl to show off her own uniform. She too wore a fitted white shirt and a red and gold striped tie. Her skirt was pleated and grey; however, it rested only about an inch or two below the level of her arse. She then wore thick black tights and black mary-janes, complete with scuff marks on the toes.

"How on earth am I to stand out next to you two?" Luna asked dreamily. She wore the standard uniform, though her tie was blue and bronze. However her long flowing hair was pinned back from her face with two electric blue hair clips, complete with little moving butterflies. Her assemble was completed by radish earrings that she claimed enhanced her ability to accept the extraordinary, which made sense once you got to know her.

"Luna, everyone always notices you. You look divine," Hermione gushed, reassuring her friend.

The train finally came to a stop at Hogsmeade village, where carriages were waiting to take the students to the school. According to some of the older children, who had since left the school, the carriages were pulled by skeleton like horses that could fly, but none of the current students had ever seen them besides Luna, though no one believed her of course.

As she left the compartment, after making sure her trunk was successfully transported to the school, she bumped into Draco. They both looked the other up and down, a hungry look coming to their eyes. She thought he looked incredibly handsome in his shirt, his green and silver tie slung around his neck haphazardly. Hermione noticed his trousers hung particularly low on his hips and when he shifted slightly she could just make out a faint trail of blonde hair heading towards them. She unconsciously licked her lips.

"My, my, Hermione. May I say you are looking delicious this year," he said, leaning into her slightly.

Hermione felt her body flush at his tone, but didn't allow her cool exterior to drop while she placed a hand on his bicep and squeezed it slightly. "You too, Draco. Maybe I'll see you after the feast?" she asked, raising her eyebrows slightly.

"Oh you definitely will. Same place as last year?" He eyes danced to Ginny and Luna who both nodded in agreement. However, before Hermione could open her mouth to reply they were interrupted by the banes of their existence.

"Look who it is Ron, the Death Eater and the Mudblood, who'd have thought. I must say, Granger I'm not sure that uniforms exactly right for you," Harry sneered. "It seems to be covering much too much skin for a whore like you."

He stepped back quickly as Draco threw his way past Hermione, shoving his face into Harry's and making him falter back slightly. Draco watched with amusement as he gulped.

"You wanna watch what you're saying Potter," he spat. "Otherwise someone might just mess up that pretty little face of yours."

"Is that a threat?" Ron growled.

"Think of it as a promise," he said, before turning and placing a hand on the small of Hermione's back. "Come on, girls, you can share our carriage."

The six students made their way off of the train, ignoring the shouts from Ron and Harry behind them. Once on the platform they met Neville and Pansy Parkison. Pansy was a funny sort of girl, she was the kind of person that everyone liked straight away, and she seemed not able to see the bad in anyone. For reasons unknown to Hermione, Pansy enjoyed the company of Harry and Ron, though she did once admit that Draco and Hermione's crowd were much more fun to be around.

"Hey, guys!" she called, bouncing on the spot. "Hermione, what's the matter?" she asked, seeing her friends stormy face.

"Potter," Draco spat, answering for the barely restrained Hermione. She knew if she spoke now there would be some serious damage done to those two twits.

In silence they climbed into the carriage, before heading off for the castle that was to be their home for the next ten months.

Let me know what you think :)