Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, everything you recognise belongs to J.K Rowling.
Hermione sat up in the spare bed in Ginny Weasley's small yet comfortable room, she looked at her watch and it was just past four in the morning. She quickly dug in her bag and with a happy smile she ran her fingers down the cover of 'Pride and Prejudice'.
"Nothing beats Muggle books," said Hermione quietly, taking care that she didn't wake Ginny.
Hermione took her wand and whispered, "Lumos."
A bright beam of light erupted from the tip of her wand; Ginny flinched slightly but turned to her side away from the light.
Hermione's eyes quickly skimmed through the pages, her mind filled with the sweet yet insulting first proposal of Mr. Darcy to Elizabeth. Her favourite part was when Elizabeth declined Mr. Darcy's proposal.
"You tell him," Hermione quietly cheered, even though she'd read the book at least thirty times. She didn't know why she'd read it so many times, she guessed that deep down she wanted to live Mr. Darcy's and Elizabeth's romance. To despise someone so much and then eventually grow a profound love for them. It was Hermione's dream romance.
She continued on reading till Ginny stirred and yawned again, the red haired girl rubbed her eyes and looked at her friend.
"My god, you're reading that again?" Ginny exclaimed. "Is that Muggle book that good?"
Hermione smiled. "I can lend it to you if you want, I'm almost finished."
Ginny got up out of bed and shrugged her brand new dressing gown on; it was a present from Harry…her boyfriend.
"You woke up early to read didn't you?" Ginny guessed correctly. "You know, I used to think Ron was joking about your abnormal reading habits."
Hermione scowled. "I'm sure whatever Ronald has told you has probably just been highly exaggerated. I just couldn't sleep so I chose to read."
Ginny sighed at the mention of her brother. "How are you two doing anyway?"
Hermione looked away. She and Ron had tried to date, the key word being 'tried', Ron was too laid back and Hermione…well…she wasn't. She'd realised that she enjoyed the idea of her and Ron being together more than actually being together and once they were, she didn't feel right…like they didn't connect. Sure the kiss they'd shared during the war at Hogwarts last year had been exciting and thrilling, but there was never the feeling of love. Never that sense of right or the little voice that said 'he is the one'.
So a month ago, Hermione decided to end things. Of course Ron didn't understand her reasons but he respected them, the two have hardly ever talked since.
Hermione put her book aside. "If he'd grow a pair of balls and man up, we could get past this awkwardness and go back to what we were. Dating your best friend and then breaking up sucks," Hermione complained.
Although she didn't love Ron as a man, she loved him as brother. She saw both Ron and Harry as her brothers, and she now wished that she'd realised earlier that her and Ron were never meant to be.
Ginny passed a sympathetic look to her. "I'm sure he will 'mione. Right, I'm going to go and wash up before breakfast. If Harry sees me in this state I think I'll die of embarrassment."
"You know Harry thinks you're beautiful," Hermione told her but Ginny rolled her eyes.
"Of course he'd say that," Ginny said before leaving the room to shower. Hermione decided to pick out her clothes for the day; she stared at the slanted mirror that hung on the wall.
She lifted her hand and touched the faint scar that marred her neck, as soon as her cool fingers touched it the horrifying memories of being at Malfoy Manor flooded into her mind. Hermione had never felt so much pain in her life, the Cruciatus Curse felt like it was ripping her insides out.
She shivered and let her hand drop back down to her side. Hermione took steady, deep breaths to calm herself. But she couldn't stop thinking of the empty cold blue eyes that watched her suffer, the blue eyes that belonged to Draco Malfoy.
"Hermione?"
She wheeled around to face Harry whose hair stuck up in odd places as usual.
"Ginny's in the shower," she told him.
"Actually she's downstairs helping with breakfast. She asked me to tell you that the bathroom's free if you want to use it."
She gave him a smile. "Thanks Harry."
"Breakfast is in an hour, Mr. Weasley insisted that Mrs. Weasley cook it 'Muggle style'. So I think we're going to be roped in to help," Harry warned jokingly. Hermione gave a hearty chuckle; her eyes flickered to her Hogwarts trunk. On top of it were her Hogwarts letter and a shiny badge.
If she stepped closer she'd be able to clearly read the words 'Head Girl' written in an elegant gold script on the badge.
"I can't believe we're going back to Hogwarts tomorrow," Hermione said quietly to Harry. He walked towards her and gave her a hug.
"Are you excited, Head girl?"
Hermione giggled.
Harry, Ron and herself had received a letter from Professor McGonagall (who was the new head teacher) inviting them back to Hogwarts since they spent their 7th year searching for the Horcruxes. Apparently, this was an opportunity for those who missed their 7th year last year. It was pretty much everyone from the trio's year, since they were under the schooling for the Death Eater's.
"Do you think we should go back?" Harry asked his two best friends the night they received the letter several months ago. "I mean…do you think we should go back, after everything that happened there?"
Harry looked especially at Ron, who's older brother Fred died during the war.
Ron seemed casual as he lounged back in the seat. "Nah, there's no point going back. I mean we've probably done way more than a lot of the adults out there. We were after Voldemort's horcruxes for Christ sakes!"
Hermione lifted her chin. "Well I think we should go back, nothing like an official certificate to impress our employers even more. What if we want to work in the Muggle world?"
"She does have a point," Harry agreed. "Besides, if we go back to school I can hang around with Ginny more."
Hermione giggled. "Harry, that's only an advantage for you."
Harry grinned and looked at Ron. "I think it's safe to say that Hermione and I are going back to school, care to join us Ronald?" Harry asked sarcastically.
Ron sighed. "I might as well, we aren't the 'golden trio' if Ron Weasley isn't there."
The three of them laughed. And it was the next day that Hermione had been told she would be Head Girl, she'd boasted about her new status and shoved her shiny badge in Harry's and Ron's faces.
Even to present day, Hermione was still unsure who Head Boy was. She just hoped it wouldn't be anyone she disliked or someone who slacked off.
Harry went back downstairs and Hermione went to the bathroom to wash. When she was done she picked up her wand and cast a hair drying spell that made her hair dry soft and slick. She'd finally lost the bushy mane that was her hair and found a spell that made her wild curls into softer ones, which framed her face wonderfully. She looked sophisticated and grown up, perfect qualities Head Girl should possess.
She hurried downstairs to find the kitchen in a total mess. Though The Burrow was small it held that 'homely' feel that she loved, it made her feel as if she was back home with her own mother and father.
"Thank goodness you've come Hermione!" Molly Weasley panted. "We need your help! Arthur has taken our wands off us, making us cook the Muggle way!"
Ginny was by the kitchen counter covered in flour, Hermione slipped on an apron and stood beside her.
"What the hell is that?" she yelped at Ginny's unpleasant concoction in the bowl.
She frowned. "It's supposed to be a pancake mix, why is it not edible?"
Hermione laughed. "If you eat this, you'd be doing time at St. Mungo's."
Ginny glared at her friend. "I grew up using wands and spells not…what do Muggle's use to cook with anyway?"
Hermione rolled her eyes and pushed the sleeves of her shirt up, sighing happily. "Right let's get cooking."
~ Malfoy Manor ~
The Malfoy Manor was not a pleasant place, not that it wasn't grand or extravagant but it was cold, empty and lifeless. The dim corridors were daunting and the winding marble staircase that led up a level to the bedrooms seemed to go on forever.
The door at the end of the top level was opened slightly and inside was a large and luxurious bedroom, the walls were painted a luminous white and the floor was covered with a thick and soft black carpet that looked expensive. The room had minimal furniture inside and the king sized bed contained only one body. Draco Malfoy.
He was shirtless with his left arm behind his head; his alabaster skin set a wonderful contrast to the black silk bed covers. His arms and torso was lined with defined muscles giving him that sex appeal. His natural platinum blonde hair had grown over the summer making it fall into his eyes in a stylish 'bad boy' way. His pale blue eyes were once again empty as they stared up at the ceiling.
A knock sounded.
"Draco?" Narcissa called. "May I come in?"
She didn't wait for a reply; she entered Draco's room anyway.
"Yes mother?"
She sat down on the end of his bed. "Accio shirt," she said and waved her wand. A drawer flew open and a shirt danced towards her waiting hands, she passed it to her son. Even though he was almost 18, she still treated him as if he were 8 years old.
Despite hating the way his mother babied him, he took the shirt from her. "Thank you."
"I had the elves fetch you your new school books, and a new set of robes."
Draco sighed as he buttoned up his shirt. "What's the point mother? No one in their right mind would ever want a Malfoy working for them, not with father in Azkaban. There's no need to go back to school."
That was a lie. Draco missed the socialising, the gossiping, the annoying first years. Hell, he even missed Pansy Parkinson!
Narcissa put a bony but well manicured hand on his shoulder. "We need to forget the past Draco, the Dark Lord has fallen and we're free from worry of death. The Death Eater's have been put into Azkaban and though I weep every night that your father is not by my side, I rejoice that they did not take you as well."
She kissed his cheek and he stood emotionlessly.
Narcissa sighed. "Please, no trouble this year at school Draco. Enjoy it, have the life you should have had."
And with those words she left his room, Draco went to his window which were draped with black velvet curtains. He had a thing for black. The windows in his room were from the top of his ceiling to the bottom of his floor allowing natural light into his room, but the atmosphere remained dark and solemn.
Draco took out the letter from his pocket asking him if he wished to return to Hogwarts.
He ran his hand over his face. "Sod it. I'm going back to Hogwarts; I wonder what this year has in store for me?"
I have posted this story on another Harry Potter fanfic site under the username HP_pencil, so I am definitely not plagiarizing a story.
But I hope you like the first chapter :D Let me know what you think! Please review!