Hello to whoever is reading this! I'm a first time writer in the sense that I have never written something of this length nor its magnitude. I would be immensely grateful to anyone who read this and wishes to offer any tips or techniques to improve my writing style. Thanks!

AND I DON'T OWN HARRY POTTER… J.K. ROWLING DOES!

Chapter one: Returning to Hogwarts

While she was on the train to Hogwarts she had to keep telling herself that this was no dream. Everything was so surreal, to be going back after everything that had happened in the past year. It seemed to be a step in reverse, having gotten so much more experience fighting Voldemort and then returning to school. It was also a comforting idea that she would be close to those who had died. For the first year in Hogwarts history there would be an eighth year class.

She was ecstatic when Harry decided to return with her, though less for Ron. Things were really awkward between them since they tried to keep up their relationship, but they ended, well really she ended it after they both realised they had little in common besides a friendship. Ron tried to make it work, but it was Hermione who realised it if they were to stay together any longer the arguments would get worse.

She looked up from the book she had been reading when the compartment door opened. Ginny and Harry walked in sitting across from her hands intertwined. She had especially grown close to Ginny over the summer. When she and Ron broke up Ginny was more than happy to listen to Hermione call Ron everything under the sun, she herself having called her brother many of the same things. Ron sat down in the set beside her and leaned against the wall away from her. This irked her slightly as he didn't look her directly in the eye as though afraid of her for something.

Before she could ask him what his problem was however when their compartment door opened yet again. She was surprised when one of the second years walked into their compartment. The poor boy was blushing furiously as he stuttered out, "I… I h… have a lllet…t…t… ter from professor McGonagall for h... Hermione Granger." Hermione smiled warmly at him and he blushed even further and darted out of their compartment. She opened the letter timidly and started to read the letter when she accidently dropped the envelope. She heard a faint metallic thud as it hit the floor. She hurriedly picked it up and shook out a little silver badge. She let out a rather loud gasp as she read what was written on the badge. Head girl.

Immediately before anyone else could, Harry pulled her into a bone crushing hug, before moving back to congratulate her.

Ginny immediately shrieked when she looked at the badge in Hermione's hand. "Oh my goodness Hermione, congratulations! I was hoping you would get it no one else deserves it more than you!"

Ron grunted unintelligibly getting up and leaving, not even bothering to congratulate her on her accomplishment. Hermione let out a sigh of frustration as he left.

When Harry looked at her confused at Ron's reaction, Ginny offered up an explanation, "Things have been really awkward between them lately and Ron being the complete arse that he is, won't let anything go." She looked at Harry again and seeing the still confused expression she continued, "He still thinks that they had a chance and is angry that Hermione ended it." She paused for a moment before continuing, "Though Hermione had every right to end it, and when I look at it I can see, shit even Goyle could probably see they are too different for each other!"

Harry was silent for a moment before adding, "He's also probably resentful that he didn't get head boy." Pausing he added as an afterthought, "I wonder WHO is head boy."

"I guess we'll find out at the feast tonight." Hermione didn't feel like guessing at the moment contenting herself to revel in her new position. She had kind of hoped she would have a normal year at school this year so that she could devote herself to her studies. Still having a private room would be a huge plus, though she would have to share a common room with the head boy.

Harry looked at his watch before getting up and pulling out his robes. Before he exited the compartment he couldn't resist saying, "You two better change into your robes, I expect we'll be arriving soon!" in the best Hermione imitation he could muster. Hermione grinned at him recalling the memory of her first meeting him before standing and grabbing her robes. Harry stole a quick kiss from Ginny and walked out to the boy's loo to get changed. Hermione and Ginny walked out right after him in the opposite direction to the girl's loo.

When they finally arrived at Hogwarts they ran into Luna and Neville, who had started dating after the battle at Hogwarts. Neville had gained a lot of confidence in the last year and Luna was exactly the same though she no longer lived with her father. After finding out that Xenophilius offered Harry up to the death eaters in return for her freedom they became estranged. She was currently living with the Longbottoms after Neville's grandmother found out she had no place to live.

The five of them shared a carriage up to the castle. None of them had seen Ron yet so they assumed he went up to the castle already. They walked through the gates and Hermione felt a tremble of excitement. She was back at school, back at her home away from home. When they walked into the great hall and sat down, they saw Ron sitting with Lavender and Seamus.

Sitting down they watched doors to the hall open and the first years who looked as though they were about to faint. After the hat sang its usual song about being united and the strengths of each house, the first years were sorted into their houses.

Once all of the first years had been sorted Professors McGonagall stood once more, "Now to acknowledge the new head boy and girl!" She waited till the hall was silent or as silent as it could get before continuing, "I would like to congratulate Miss Hermione Granger who is this year's head girl, and I would also like to congratulate Mr. Draco Malfoy who is this year's head boy." There were many audible whispers among the cheering coming from the Slytherin table at Malfoy's name.

Once she had regained their attention Professor McGonagall announced dinner. The first years looked at the table in astonishment as food magically appeared on the table in front of them.

Ginny, Harry, and Hermione conversed about the subjects they would each be taking while they ate. Harry had decided to follow through on his dream to become an auror, which came as no surprise to Hermione who knew Harry had wanted to do this since fifth year. Hermione herself had decided that she wanted to become a healer at St. Mungo's.

Since the war she had decided to do something beneficial with her life and this seemed like the obvious choice to her.

At the end of dinner Hermione called for the first years to follow her and Ron to the Griffindor common room. When they arrived she showed the girls where their dormitories were while Ron showed the boys to theirs. She stayed to answer any of their questions and once the girls were settled, she headed to where Professor McGonagall had said that her room was.

She came to a portrait of two wizards, which, after she had uttered, "Concordia!" which Professor McGonagall had said was the password till she and Draco decided to change it.

She walked through the portrait hole and was almost amazed at how it looked. The common room's décor was a combination of the two houses she and Draco belonged to. It had the Slytherin way of looking rather fancy and yet that comfortable look that came with the Griffindor way of decorating. The colors had been mixed to but not to the point where it looked tacky. Instead of having everything green, red, silver and gold, they were subtly spread around in the room. All in all she thought it looked amazing. The fire place was in the center of the wall to her right with a large comfortable looking couch in front of it. There were two desks with dark finishes against the far wall each one having a name on them. Behind each of the desks was a four foot wide floor to ceiling bookshelf. These had reference books for all their subjects on five shelves, and the third shelf was left empty, presumably for their own books. She looked to the wall at her right, in which there was a hallway with a door at the end and a door on either side.

Walking to the door with a golden plaque reading "Hermione", she opened the door and found a room looking much the same as the common room save for the fact that there were only Griffindor colors in it and a bed and dresser. The large queen size bed was a definite improvement in her mind from the bed in her old dormitory. On the left was a doorway that led to a walk-in closet which she was immensely pleased with.

Looking at the doorway on the right wall of her room and noting the sound of water running she assumed that Draco was showering, so she decided to start to unpacking her trunk. When she had finished she took the book she had been reading and went to the common room. She sat down on the couch and got comfortable and became quite immersed in her latest literary conquest.

After a while she heard a door open and she looked up to see Draco walk into the common room with a book in his hand. Glancing at her before sitting down he opened the novel to the marked page and began reading. The silence seemed so awkward to her, that after ten minutes she could no longer take it. She quietly got up muttering that she was going to take a shower.

Walking down the hall she went into the bathroom and was once again amazed. The bathroom was a warm white with an in-ground tub nearly as large as the prefects tub was and a vanity for each of them on either side of the room. She got the water running and walked to her room to grab her toiletries.

Pulling off her robes and sinking into the warm bubbly water she sighed as the water relaxed her muscles. She nearly dozed off before she got out, drained the tub, and went to her room. After pulling on a tank-top and a pair track pants she collapsed into her bed and as soon as her head hit the pillow, she was whisked away in a blessedly dreamless sleep.

P.S. forgive me if I take a while with my updates… I procrastinate a lot!