What a way to start....
She stepped into the train followed by her joking and laughing friends. It was their last year at Hogwarts and she knew somehow that this year would be diffrent; not to say this year she knew was going to be something special. She smiled and entered the little room of their own. Hermione opened the window and waved at her parents for one last time. When she sat back down onto her seat she finally again looked at her friends.
Harry and Ron both had grown up. She had to give in; there was no more chance to deny that any of them finally had reached the official state of an adult in the magic world. She had no idea yet if she was already ready to be an adult but she calmed herself with the fact being adult on paper did not contain being adult in real life. As for now she still had one more year at Hogwarts, one more year to find herself more clearly.
"So then, guys. The last time for us at Hogwarts is just about to start." She smiled a little weak but then managed to turn her smile into a bright grin. The boys nodded at her.
"Yeah the last time. I can't imagine my life yet without Hogwarts. Maybe this will change over the year? Who knows." Harry laughed at his words. Ron grinned without saying anything. He just looked out of the window and back to Hermione every now and then. Each time his face went a little red with light blushes on each of his cheeks. Hermione did not notice. She was again busy with one of the thousands of her books she carried again with her. Harry looked at Ron and grinned. He knew what was going on inside of the red head. He looked at Hermione.
"So you have been in France with your parents over the holidays?"
"Yes, in Paris. It was so beautiful. Got some new friends now and I visited Fleur and her family."
"Fleur is in France?"
"Yes, she and Bill are spending their honeymoon there, Ron. You should know that. After all he is still your elder brother isn't he?" She laughed. Ron immidately looked away. Harry shoke his head. That was typical Ron. Not noticing the facts even if they had spoken about the honeymoon in France for the past few months. Hermione went back looking at Harry.
"So and your holidays? At the burrow again?"
"Yes, just as usual. Even though we spend a lot of time in Siriou's old house too. I mean if I want to live there later after school I should at least keep it in a good state right?"
"Yes, right. So how is that with you and Ginny? Finally found each other! I thought it would take you two the next three hundred years to finally find each other. Honestly at least it was really obvious." Hermione laughed and hugged her friend in a hasty embrace. Ron looked at them without any of the two close friends noticing. He shoot a glare into Harry's direction, then looked back out of the window.
After a while of silence Hermione got up.
"I just gotta go and look for a toilet. Be right back guys." She left the comparetment.
"So, then Harry. Hugging her eh?"
"Yeah, she is my best friend. Why do you sound so nasty?"
"Because I know what you want. She is totally ignoring me on that base, but you she isn't."
"Ron, just to make one thing sure. Hermione is like a sister. A sister never had untill I met her! So shut up and stop believing this crap. And if you can blame anyone for the fact that she isn't a couple with you now I could offer my help and tell you who to blame. Want to know? You! Get your arse up and ask her out or tell her what you feel or you will be nothing more then a good friend for her."
Ron mumbled something that Harry couldn't understand and turned again back to his beloved window. Harry just shoke his head. Ron had changed over the holidays. He had spent the whole holidays at the Dursley's. Just to have one last summer as Dumbledore had called. It was horrible though, just as he was used to. He did not tell Hermione about it because he knew she would have worried about it since she knew is aversion against that family. He left the Privet Drive Number four; sure of that it was the last time ever in his life that he had spend more than three seconds breathing the same air as the Dursley's. Harry turned to his bag; practicly digging himself into it to find what he was looking for. The Daily Prophet. He looked at the front page. Just some of the recently usual articles about Death eaters and their families, a worried minister and some missing people. Nothing he wasn't used to or more nothing no one would expect to happen. Just one thing caught his attention completely. It was a small and almost not noticable article about the Malfoys. He flew over it, barely reading then more catching some of the words. It seemed like Lucius Malfoy had been punished for his fail in the departement a year ago and now he was free again but as it seemed not in the rows of the Death eaters, not in the inner circle; more like a servant. Maybe even less.
Hermione therewhile had no idea about what the boys were argueing about nor did she know about the article. She went down the whole train just to find out that none of the toilets around were open and only one was left at the other end of the train. Directly inside of the wagon that only Slytherins were used to sit in. She stepped forward; more sneaking in hope not to catch the attention of any of the Slytherins. She succeeded and hurried to enter the toilet. There she got stopped again. The toilet itself was locked. She cursed the toilet and then went to wait. She looked into the mirror; trying to smile even though by the thought of were she was. She turned to grin when she finally heard the door opening. She did not expect any Slytherin since she thought they would all be with their friends. She thought of any Hufflepuff or Rawenclaw, maybe a Gryffindor but was badly surprised by the face appearing in front of her.
"Get out of my way Granger. You're blocking the toilet or did you want to have some close moments in here with me?" The pale boy looked at her with an arrowed eyebrow.
"Be sure, Malfoy. That was not my intention. If you could be so nice to step a little aside so I can enter that little toilet itself I would be more then thankful."
She succeeded in being friendly and distanced at the same time. It was one of her personal aimes to end this term without any fight with Malfoy or his friends.
"Oh, sure." Malfoy looked at her and like as a surprise he stepped out of the way as far as could to leave her into the actual toilet. Since the room was still very small they came very close to each others faces. Malfoy smirked as he saw the lightly scared look on Hermione's face.
"Scared, Granger?"
"Not one bit!" Hermione turned around and closed the door. Draco turned around as well; starting to wash his hands. He still kept talking to her even though he had no idea why.
"So then. Last year at Hogwarts, right, Granger?"
"Well seen, Malfoy. Have you had hit your head or what makes you talk to me?" Hermione actually had not planed in anyway to answer, she just did.
"Well I have decided something for the last year at Hogwarts. Since I never know who I might have to work with in future I found myself with the thought of being at least civil with all the people around me and since Gryffindor and Slytherin spend most time together during the classes that contains you as well."
"What a great thought of you, Malfoy!"
He could hear the button get pushed and water flashing down the pipes of the old-fashioned toilet. Hermione stepped out and he stepped back to let her reach the basin. She stared washing her hands while he dried his. When she moved to dry hers as well they changed the sides. Now Hermione was practically caught in the toilet.
"So then, Granger." He held out his hand to shake hers. Hermione looked at him confused maybe a little suspicious.
"What is that for?"
"I just thought after seven years of hatred we finally should grow up and act as the adults everyone expects us to be now. Like a new start on a neutral base."
"Means no insulting, no more mean actions taken by you and your friends against me and my friends?"
"I can't promise that there won't be times when I am back to normal but yeah, you can't assure me that either."
"So, can't I?"
"No, because we are both who we are and nothing will change that. So for the try of new neutral start."
Hermione thought about in one minuten; still looking down at the pale boys hand. Then she took it. He grinned at her.
"Well, Granger. Nice to meet you again. If I might want to call that nice now, we'll see what I call that later." He looked at her one more time, then left the little room. Hermione stared at the door that had just closed right in front of her eyes. She shoke her head and looked into the mirror again. Was that what she had felt when she went on the train with the feeling of a future great and special year at Hogwarts? A year without an annoying insulting Draco Malfoy? At least it was a way good way to start she thought. She went back to her own seat in the front of the train. Harry and Ron were already waiting for her.
"Where have you been?"
"Oh don't ask me. All the toilets were closed and I had to go down to the very other end of the train to enter the only open toilet of the whole train."
"Oh, that's it?"
"Yeah and I met Malfoy."
Now both boys were looking at her worried. She looked back at them; seeing the need of an explanation.
"Malfoy did nothing to me. He was okay. He offered me a new start. A neutral start since we are all adults now, right?"
"He did not?" Harry's mouth was open and Ron looked totally shocked even if it wasn't able to be seen if it was positiv or in total anger.
"And...What did you tell him? You of course said no, did you?"
"No, boys. I accepted his offer because I totally agree to what he said. We all could need a calm year cause we need to concentrate on school and not to the old childish fights every morning on the breakfast table not to forget the Quiddtich pitch."
The boys looked surprised.
"And you think he means it?" This time it was Harry to ask. Ron spoiled the last time and he knew that so he kept quiet.
"I don't know since it's still Draco Malfoy but it's worth a try isn't it. At least we both had to admit that our behaviour was childish but that these old habits won't be replaced by new actions that easily so boys, you got time to get used to that situation." She laughed since the face of the boys in front of her looked shocked more and more. It really seemed like something impossible for them that Draco Malfoy, the arogant mudblood hater and Hermione Granger, the elf-freeing brilliant muggleborn witch have had just a normal conversation minutes ago.
It was dark and as usual the rain had set in when they arrived at the train station in Hogsmeade near Hogwarts. Hagrid was already waiting for them. He caught the first years; that were looking at him frightened. The other students already moved on to carriages. Hermione looked up at the castle. Maybe this would be the last time she would have the chance to look at the castle at this time of the day for her entire life. She stopped walking for a moment. The boys turned back to her.
"Is anything wrong with you, Hermione?"
"No, Harry. Everything is just fine. I was just looking up at the castle and yeah, I remembered how I felt when I was in the shoes of a first year student attendting to my very first year ever at Hogwarts."
Harry felt his stomach ache for a second. She was right. It's been such a long time ago and now he had was so used to the sight of the castle and it's enlightened outlines that he almost had forgotten how beautiful it was and how save this made him feel. He knew what was going through her mind. This was his first home and so he knew what she felt as this was the first home she had ever had in the entire magic world.
Suddenly someone passed them by. It was Draco Malfoy.
"Watch were you are staying Potter. It's dark and someone could run into you just like me." He looked at the so called boy-who-lived. Then his eyes wandered over Ron, who he completely ignored, to Hermione.
"Last year then!" He nodded at her, grinned and turned back to his fellow Slytherins.
Silence enveloped the three of them, broken by Ron.
"Hermione, what exactly have you done to Draco Malfoy and what has gotten into this slimy rat?"
"Shut it, Ron. He just tried to be civil." The girl turned around; her face looking angry. Harry knew that Ron again had gotten too far. She really was right. He just had tried to be normal; nice and civil. Like she said earlier: to be just neutral.
They caught the carriage and Hermione went to sit again on the opposite site of Ron; pulling Harry next to her. Somehow Harry couldn't get rid of the feeling that Hermione had some very serious problems with Ronald lately. The whole way up to the castle none of the three friends spoke a word. When they entered the great hall they were surrounded by the embraces of their friends from the diffrent houses and of course their own. They sat down at their standard places in the middle of the crowded Gryffindor table. Dumbledore entered the hall from the door behind the teachers table. He went to his big armchair in the middle of the table; looking down at all the students; nodding at some, twinkling his special twinkle look at others. Then he went to sit down. The sorting ceremony began and the hall was filled with cheers of joy and moans of anger. Harry just grinned the whole procedure. He knew this and it was just something he was used to every year. He had never missed any of the ceremonies since his second year at Hogwarts.
Hermione bent over to him; talking into his ear to speak aloud over the noisy surroundings.
"Harry, I need to speak with you later! It's important and I think you might be the only person in the entire castle that understands that, so I would be glad if you could offer me some minutes of your time."
Harry nodded. He had a small idea about what she wanted to talk with him but kept quiet. Soon the whole hall followed and silence enveloped them all. Professor Dumbledore had gotten up from his chair and was now looking down to tables filled with silent, curious-looking students.
"Welcome to another year at Hogwarts! Welcome to our new students. Please note that the forrest is still not allowed to be steped into! I thought I should mention that since some students even the elder ones have quiet a high interest to break that little rule in our rule system." With that Dumbledore sent a small twinkle look to the Gryffindors. Harry and Ron had to grin. They both knew exactly what Dumbledore was talking about. Hermione looked strict on to Dumbledore. No adventures this year she had promised herself and she knew she wanted to keep this promise and not break it like all the other years more or less by choise.
"Let me continue! There are some news to mention for this year. Since Miss Johnson left the school last year we need a new captain for the Gryffindor Quidditch team and I am happy to announce that no one less then Harry Potter had been chosen for this job."
Applause sounded up arround Harry. Hermione looked at him; grinning and then hugging him again what send another angry look from Ron at them. Both ignored the look. Dumbledore brought silence back again.
"But that's not all. This year we again need a new Head boy and Head girl. We have chosen Draco Malfoy and Hermione Granger for this job. Congratulations to both of you. You'll get more information after the big feast today. And one more news. I am more happy to announce that no one less then Remus Lupin has returned to Hogwarts to again teach Defense against the Dark arts. Welcome back, Professor!"
Now the whole hall had broken in more cheers of joy and applause that sounded in the ears of everyone even hours after the feast. Harry looked up at the teacher's table and waved at Lupin. The man looked proud.
Now finally to Harry's and Ron's luck the food appeared in front of them and both boys bent down onto the beloved food. Hermione just shoke her head. She wasn't hungry. Her thoughts moved on to her new job as the Head girl of Hogwarts. Soon before the feast ended she looked up to Professor McGonnagall. The old woman smiled at her; knowing what was going on inside of the girl's head. She nodded and finally Hermione was allowed to get up and get all the information she would need for her new job. She turned back to her friends.
"I see you two later, if not tomorrow morning. Have a good night! And Ron.."
"Yes?" Ron looked at her with an awaitng smile.
"Stop eating so much! You look like a caveman!" With that she turned around; leaving a laughing Ginny and Harry and a shocked looking Ron behing.
She reached the table the same time as Draco. She looked at the pale boy. She had no idea if she would be able to work with him a whole year. But after what they had both decided and agreed to in the train maybe there was a small chance that this year would be at least human. She looked back to McGonnagall, who had just stood up from her chair walking around the large table now. She did not notice that the pale boy watched her from the side as well. He did not know what to think about the whole situation either. This was some kind of a very strange dream to him. They had just promised each other to act at least civil but to work together like this was a lot more than they both had planed.
McGonnagall stopped next to them.
"Congratualtions again to your new job. I am really happy to know that it's you two and not any of those sometimes really babarric acting boys and girl down there in the hall."
"You did not know who would become Head boy and Head girl?"
"Oh I had a slight idea about it because each head of each house was allowed to give Dumbledore their ideas of their favourite students but none of us knew exactly who would end up as Head girl and Head boy. That was the Headmasters decision all alone." McGonnagall smiled at the two still confused students.
"So then, what is our task as Head boy and girl?"
"Mister Malfoy, a bit more patience please. I will tell you everything as soon as we reached your dorm and common room."
Again some confused looks were posted down onto her.
"We have diffrent houses, Professor."
"But no diffrent common rooms anymore. The Head girl and Head boy always share one. Come on, I will show you or did you really thought of anything else?" She looked at both and then continued her walk down the stairs to the part of the hall where the students were placed and then out. The two teenagers just followed her; not a word leaving their lips.
McGonnagall stopped right in front of a large portrit.
"Fidelius Flash!"
The portit moved aside. The teenagers again shared confused looks since they never had heard such a strange password. They entered the common room. Hermione let out a silent "oh" and even Draco had to give in that the whole room looked amazing.
The whole room was colored in blue and white and black objects. Larg curtains where in front of the large windows, held by dark black ropes. Some kind of strange but beautiful purple, like orchids looking flowers were placed on a small table in front of the fire. The armchairs were made of black leather and it all looked quiet comfortable.
"Welcome to your home for this year. We hope you find everything as you wish. I am sorry that we had no chance to inform you earlier about you moving to another part of the castle and into a new common room and dorm but here we go."
"I think the look excuses everything."
"Good to hear that, Miss Granger. You will find your dorms up the stairs. You can't mix them up. It is pretty obvious, you will see. But now lets sit down and talk about your taks as Head boy and girl." She pointed offering onto the large couch. Hermione moved on and sat down; waiting for the other two to find their places.
"So, where to start? Your new job does not contain that much new. You just live in here together and you have both the possebility to go to Hogsmeade when ever you want. Your job is to organize the prefect meetings and the plans of where and when who of the prefects are the ones to keep watching as guards in the corridors and of course maybe to organize some feasts out of order if you want. Like for Halloween or for Christmas and of course the prom. I don't have to remember you that the prom dance is some kind of the most important even of this year for you. Don't mess it up. And of course you, as the Head boy and girl will have to open each dance."
Hermione and Draco looked at each other; shocked. They had just statused each other as neutral but that was already a lot to expect of them.
McGonnagall stood up.
"I will leave you two now for the night. Have a good rest. I see you two tomorrow morning in the great hall for your shedules." She walked out of the room; not saying another word. Hermione and Draco still stared at each other.
"Well, I think we have no choise then have we?" She got up as well; looking back down at Draco. He shoke his head.
"No, we haven't but hey. We chosed a few hours ago that we want to have a normal year here at Hogwarts without trouble and I think this is a good way to start." He got up; now looking down at her since he noticed that she was a tiny bit smaller then him. He grinned.
"Good night, Granger."
"Good night, Malfoy." She turned around and walked over to the stairs. When she finally entered her room; not caring for the datails and finally fell down tired onto her bed her last thought was that this was really going to be a strange year. A strange but special year.