Disclaimer: Although I wish I owned Draco wink I don't, nor do I own any other Harry Potter characters….Unfortunately they belong to the brilliant Jo Rowling.

a/n: Okay this is my first fanfic, so go easy on me, but please review! Enjoy! This fic (not necessarily this chapter though) will have lots of allusions to other things, but I'll explain, I promise…Oh and I already have a beta (much love)…so ummm yeah, enjoy.

Chapter 1: Prologue

Everyday he watched her. Everyday he saw her recently tamed curls bounce as she walked down the corridors in Hogwarts. Still, even now from his suite, he watched her every time she came to the little café outside his window to meet with him, the person he despised more than anything in the entire world. She seemed happy- her beautiful brown eyes glistened and a perfectly straight, white smile complemented her lovely face. But Draco knew better, as he continued to watch. He saw the way she flinched at her boyfriend's touch, and how when they kissed, her eyes remained open and searching. He knew better than to think she was happy. He knew Hermione could never be happy with Blaise Zambini, and he knew that Blaise could never love Hermione. He wanted to tell her to get away from him while she still could, and he desperately wanted to kick Blaise's arse because he knew what was going on. Unfortunately for Draco, and fortunately for Blaise, all he could do was watch the seemingly happy couple as they parted ways. Walking away from her boyfriend, Hermione's features shifted to a look of relief and relaxation, while Blaise's contorted into a smug evil smirk that sent an involuntary chill up Draco's spine.

Draco watched as Blaise walked across the street and right into the arms of Pansy Parkinson. Her horribly bleached hair fell in a frizzy mess around her and Blaise's heads as they kissed passionately. He took her by the hand and led her away, and Draco lost sight of them. Draco had never hated Blaise more. He had taken the woman he loved from him, and then cheated on her with that…tramp. He was right- Blaise could never love Hermione.

After her "date" with Blaise, Hermione was miserable. She couldn't believe Zambini hit her. She had always been the strong, smart, independent girl. She could not, could not, COULD NOT be a battered girlfriend. Yet here she let Blaise take out his frustrations out on her face, and she stuck around. Sure, he apologized countless times, and took her to lunch in a quiet café in Diagon Alley, and she forgave him the first time. But when he continued to hurt her, she knew there was no excuse. She had let it go on all summer, and she had no idea why she was still faithful to the Slytherin bastard. She ran her fingers over her Head Girl badge, wondering who the Head Boy would be, and hoped beyond all hope that it wasn't Blaise. Hermione could only find solace in the fact that tomorrow Harry and the Weasleys would pick her up to go school shopping. Hermione loved Harry, Ron, and Ginny like the siblings she never had. And those feelings were amplified tenfold after she found out about hertrue heritage…

"Hermione, dear…" her mother began, "Your father and I have been meaning to tell you- our family name isn't Granger, it's Evans."

"I'm Lily Potter's older brother, and I'm a wizard, 'Mione. And Lily Evans wasn't a muggle born. Harry's aunt Petunia was just a squib, and a very jealous one at that. Actually, Evans is a pureblood name. It's distantly related to the Black clan."

"How distantly?" she asked, although she couldn't fathom why she would want to know.

"Sirius Black was my eighth cousin twice removed by marriage, if that gives you any idea. What does it matter? You're a pureblood, 'Mione," her father answered calmly.

"But what about Mum?"

"You'll be surprised to know that James Potter had a twin sister. Fraternal twins of course, I don't look a thing like the poor bloke, God rest his soul." her mother interceded.

"So Harry's my cousin?" Hermione asked incredulously.

"That's right pumpkin, and you're both 100 pureblooded. If I were you, I'd rub it in that Malfoy boy's face. That'll shut him up," said her father cheerfully.

"See, we wanted to protect you. Even though the prophecy only directly involved Harry, after Lily and James died, we just didn't feel we could take any chances. Not even Dumbledore knew we were hiding in the muggle world, until you came of age…then Hagrid found you."

"We were so saddened when we realized that our cowardice caused Harry to spend eleven years of his life with the Dursleys. Petunia was a horrible sister, I can only imagine who she might have married, and the offspring they produced."

Hermione giggled and said "Well at least the Weasleys were there to help Harry to get away from my awful Aunt Petunia"

"Yes…er…about the Weasleys," her mother stuttered.

"Arthur and Molly Weasley are undercover aurors assigned only to protect you and Harry. They work with us at the ministry. We're aurors and undercover members of the Order."

Hermione remembered that day with a surge of pride. No wonder she and Harry were such good friends, she thought. They had a blood bond. She smiled as she thought of the people she loved so very much, and then…suddenly, she thought of Draco Malfoy. Even in her thoughts, the Slytherin Prince had the ability to ruin her mood. And then she realized that there was a good chance he'd be Head Boy. Ugh. Well then, Slytherin Prince versus Gryffindor Princess it is. "Bring it on, Daddy's boy," she thought smugly.