I had this written out for so long I decided to just say screw it and finally post it.

Story Synopsis: Hermione Granger gets put into the Slytherin House and has to learn to deal with the Purebloods of them all- especially Draco Malfoy. But what happens when she tries to adjust to their lifestyle and begins to grow a bond with Draco? Nothing but trouble, of course.

A/N- AU, a little OOC for Hermione (obviously because she grows up in the Slytherin House; I tried to stay with her personality as realistically as I could). The first five years of what went on in Harry Potter happened, except Hermione was not present for all situations, as because she is not with the Gryffindor's all the time.

A/N Warning- This story contains a lot of flashbacks, there will be many to show what happened and explain everything better, might ease up later on in the chapters.

Rating: M- Language, alcohol, and sexual content.

Disclaimer: I have no ownership to Harry Potter.

Becoming a Slytherin

Misplaced, Mistreated, and Miserable

The first years walked into the Great Hall for the first time, taking in the mass windows and the high ceilings, their mouths in awe.

Hermione was more than anxious as she followed Professor McGonagall up to Professor Dumbledore who was waiting at his stand for them. She scanned the row of teachers sitting at the table behind him. She couldn't wait to start the year. Hermione scanned the four different house tables, in only a few short minutes she would be sitting at one of them too. She held her breath for Gryffindor.

Hermione and the rest of the students stopped at the foot of the stairs that led up to Dumbledore. Professor McGonagall walked up the few and Dumbledore smiled down at them. McGonagall held up what was called the Sorting Hat and explained what was going to take place. She looked around at the anxious students. McGonagall called the first name and she directed her attention back to the Professor.

One by one, the students got called up and placed in a house. The last person before her was Draco Malfoy. He got put into Slytherin and she hoped that she would not be put in there too. "Hermione Granger," she looked at the hat and nervously walked up the stairs and sat down in the chair. She felt McGonagall put the hat down on her head and she couldn't help but hold her breath.

"Hmm," she heard the hat say. "Yes I've got it." Hermione's heart pace quickened. "Yes okay… no wait, you should be in…" the Sorting Hat seemed to hesitate. "Ah, Slytherin!" The hall quieted down, she felt her heart skip a beat and saw McGonagall give a nervous glance at Dumbledore.

"Um," she said nervously. "You don't think I would fit in better somewhere else?" She asked.

"No," the hat snapped. "Slytherin is where I'm putting you and that is where you shall go." Hermione felt her face drop and looked over at the crowd of people, who stared back. Hermione Granger was now a Slytherin.

6th Year- Present time***

Hermione hurried to her first period, she was going to be late. Lately, she had been sleeping in and was not able to wake herself up. Her shoes clamped down on the floor, and the noise echoed behind her. She quickened her pace, knowing full well what Snape would do if she were late again. Hermione turned down the hallway, nearly colliding with another student; they gave each other a look that only you could give another person who was also about to be late too. One that said, "We're screwed, good luck!" It was like a secret language she had discovered.

Hermione sprinted into the classroom, just on time. "Thank god," she mumbled to herself.

1st Year***

Hermione eased herself up from the chair as McGonagall slowly removed the hat above her head. She had noticed the uneasy glance she gave towards Dumbledore. Hermione felt herself gulp as she looked over at her house table. How was it possible? A Muggle-born in Slytherin? Hermione staggered down the few steps and slowly made her way to the Slytherin table. She felt everybody's eye on her especially the Slytherin's who all seemed to be shooting daggers at her. She quickly looked away.

Hermione knew that it was not forbidden for a Muggle-born to be put into Slytherin. It was just highly uncommon. "Mudblood," she heard somebody spit at her. She looked down the table, the stares she got from all of them, she would never be able to figure out who called her that. It did not matter; she knew they were all thinking it.

"What am I doing here?" She whispered to herself, looking over at the Gryffindor table, the one she knew she belonged to. She clenched her fist, focusing her attention on her nails digging into her skin so she would not cry.

"-some mistake," she caught the ending of a sentence. Hermione titled her head to the side. "A Mudblood, my father will hear about this." She flashed her eyes at the boy who spoke, it was Draco Malfoy. She looked down at the table, tears blurring her vision. This was supposed to be the best seven years of her life; but now they looked doomed.

6th Year- Present time***

"Almost late again," Draco Malfoy rolled his eyes as his assigned desk partner; Hermione Granger sat down next to him.

"As you tell me every time," Hermione sighed, not feeling like dealing with him right now. Draco mumbled a 'whatever' and looked over at Snape who began his lecture. Hermione snuck a glance at Draco, his chiseled features, pale skin, slick blond hair, she frowned. This man had made her life a living hell for the past six years. First year, he tried to get his dad to have her reassigned to another House, which she was all for, but the school policy was once you were assigned to a House, that was it, no exceptions. She was shunned first and second year from the Slytherin's. She was forced to make friends with people from other Houses. This was where Harry and Ron came along. They were the reasons she even survived the first couple of years, with their moral support and all. She owed them a lot.

Third year the Slytherins began to ease up on her, only making her life terrible every so often- except for Draco, who would torture her any chance he got. She thought back to the time at the end of third year when they were partnered together. They had spent a few nights working together in the Slytherin common room, and Draco seemed to warm up to her. But once the project was done, so was she.

Fourth year was easier. Everybody in the Slytherin house was getting bored of her, and they just seemed to forget about her existence. The only real slack she got was from being friends with the Gryffindor's. She had to stay out of the common room, which was where she was the easiest bait for them.

4th Year***

Hermione descended the stairs to the Slytherin common room, excited to be meeting up with her Gryffindor friends. She came to a stop once she entered the common room, Draco Malfoy, and his group- Pansy, Crabbe, and Goyle, were all sitting around on the couches. These were the only people left in the Slytherin House that really hated her and still gave her shit when they could. Everybody else just ignored her; she wished they would do the same. "Well, well, look who it is, the Purest of them all," Pansy Parkinson joked. She frowned. Draco looked up from his spot on the couch at her, and she tensed. He was the one that really made her skin crawl. "Going to meet up with those loser Gryffindor's?" Hermione lowered her head and began to walk towards the picture frame. "Excuse me, fried head, I'm talking to you." Hermione stopped walking and clenched her teeth. Her hair was not nearly as bad as it was in the past few years. It bugged her when people spoke of her old looks, she really believed she came back this year looking a bit more together and older, at least that is what Ron and Harry told her.

"Yes," she spoke to Pansy. "And they aren't losers." Pansy scoffed,

"Right, how did you even get friends in the first place? I mean look at you, you don't belong anywhere. No place to go, nobody wants you. Why did you even come back?" She tried to ignore Pansy's harsh words and chewed on the inside of her mouth.

"She's not worth the time, just let her go." Draco rolled his eyes. That was odd, Hermione thought. This was the first time in the history of Draco and Hermione's encounters in four years where he was decent to her.

"I don't know," Pansy stated, standing up. "Looks like she could use a bit of roughing up, don't you think boys?" Crabbe and Goyle nodded in agreement.

"Look, I'm just trying to go see my friends." Hermione said.

"No, no you're really not going anywhere, filthy Mudblood." Pansy walked over to her and Hermione stepped back. She pulled out her wand from her robe and pointed it at Hermione. "Let's have some fun, shall we?"

"Please," Hermione said, jumping back, not wanting to do this. Pansy shook her head.

"Don't talk," Hermione shut her eyes, she had left her wand upstairs, what was she thinking? Walking around without it. That was suicidal in the Slytherin House.

"Okay, enough," Draco got up from his spot on the couch. "We have better things to do, and honestly Pansy, what the hell are you going to do with her? You'll get yourself expelled if you try anything damaging." Hermione opened her eyes, and found Pansy squinting at her.

"But it all just seems so worth it," she poked her wand at Hermione's shoulder. Hermione let out a small whimper. "She shouldn't even be allowed to enter this common room, let alone breathe this air and live in here."

"Let's go," Draco walked over to them and pushed down Pansy's arm. "This is lame. If anyone's going to do this, it's going to be me. And right now, I want to leave." The girls looked over at Draco. "Now," he ordered Pansy one last time. Pansy frowned at him then looked back at Hermione.

"This isn't over," she rammed her shoulder into Hermione's as Crabbe and Goyle followed her out of the common room. Hermione let out a shaky breath; that was too close. Draco scanned her over, with a disgusted look on his face and she froze up again. He saw her body reaction and he seemed to ease up.

"Watch yourself," he warned her and followed suit behind them. Hermione was taken aback once again. Why did that sound more like a warning for her to be careful than a threat?

6th Year- Present time***

"Turn to page 587," Snape said, startling Hermione from her thoughts, she looked down at her book and opened it up to the instructed page. She began to drown Snape out when he started up his lecture again. Hermione tapped her fingers on her book, bored. Her eyes began to wander around the room and they stopped on Harry. He glanced over at her and gave her a small smile. She awkwardly shifted in her seat, narrowing her eyes, ignoring him. She felt like a complete asshole. It was at the end of fifth year where she realized if she was ever going to make the rest of her school year tolerable she was going to have to ditch her Gryffindor friends.

As horrible as it sounded, she really could not handle to live the way she was. She was always nervous to go back to school, afraid of being alone in the Slytherin common room, afraid of behind around any Slytherin student without being bullied; she had to take some of the harassment away somehow. When she got in a disagreement last year with Harry and Ron about how dangerous Voldemort was and how they were dealing with everything with him would get them killed, she had not spoken to them for a few weeks. She began to notice her Slytherin classmates lighten up on the torment since she was not hanging out with her old friends at the time.

Of course she knew she was not the kind of person to just drop her friends, she decided to tell Harry and Ron that their friendship would have to seize to exist in public and they went along with it- as if they weren't friends anymore. They knew how bad she had it. But eventually as time went on, the fake public display of affection seemed to take a toll on all of them and eventually grew real and now they barely spoke to each other. She was lonely. Though, she did now have it easier she lost all her friends in the process. And she finds her asking herself every now and then if it was really worth it.

Hermione afterwards realized what she had to do. She had already taken the steps and lost her friends for an easier life at Hogwarts, she might as well continue to try to figure out what was the next step in moving forward. And that is when she figured it out. She remembered how back in fourth year when Draco told everyone to back off of her, and they listened. She had to get Draco Malfoy to find her decent enough not to torture her anymore and hopefully most of the Slytherins would follow suit. All though she knew it would be difficult, she had to make it work.

"Granger," Draco whispered, as he stared down at his textbook.

"Hmm?" She said, in her dazed state, looking over at him.

"A few of us are going to have a little get together tonight, you in?" He flashed his eyes at her and then looked back down. Hermione bit her bottom lip. This was the first time he ever included her in his plans.

"Um okay," she whispered back, pretending to read too.

"Alright," he said. She tried to hold back her smile.

5th Year***

Hermione sat on the Slytherin couches and stared into the fire that was blazing, the only light in the room. There was nothing for her to do, no place for her to go. She had no friends left. This was her fault. This was what she wanted. Nobody else to blame. She frowned. Would she be alone for the rest of her school career? That could not be the only resort. There had to be something else she could do. It was almost the end of the school year; she liked to at least have something to look forward to when she came back next year. But what? What was next?

"Well don't you look… sad." She heard an all too familiar voice say behind her. Hermione closed her eyes and sighed. Perfect, exactly what she needed.

"Go away, Malfoy." She tried.

"Hmm, I think I have more right to be here than you, so how about you go away and never come back?" He threw himself on the opposite couch from hers.

"Whatever," she said, trying to ignore his comments.

"Whatever, really?" He made a face at her. Hermione looked over at him and couldn't help but giggle. She thought back to third year when she punched him in the face, he ran away scared. For weeks whenever he'd see her, he'd stay as far away from her as he possibly could. She knew she could take him, wand or nothing. "What's so funny?" He asked snottily. Hermione pursed her lips and her eyes trailed back to the fire.

"Nothing, Malfoy," she shook her head.

"Better be," he flung his legs up on the couches armchair and leaned back against a pillow. Hermione began to nibble on her bottom lip, this was awkward. She glanced over at him, and she saw he had his eyes shut. She slowly turned her head to look at him. Draco Malfoy. Pureblood. Evil. Leader. Slytherin.

Hermione thought back to her words, pureblood, evil, leader… Slytherin. That was exactly who she needed on her side to be able to make the rest of these last few years tolerable and not a living hell. She needed to get Draco Malfoy to befriend her.

She knew she was crazy.

Draco opened his eyes and all of a sudden they were staring at each other. She quickly looked away. "Can't keep your eyes off of me?" He chuckled.

"You w-" she held back her comment. She needed to try to get along with him.

"Nothing to say, Granger?"

"No, Malfoy, nothing to say." She turned around on her seat on the couch so she was facing him. "Where are all of your followers tonight?" She asked. Small talk.

"I do need a break from all of the attention once and awhile." She held back an eye roll. "I would ask where Scarhead and Weasel were tonight but then I would remember that I don't care and you wouldn't know, anyway." He crossed his arms. "How does it feel having no one?"

"I could ask the same for you." The words had slipped out before she knew it. Nice plan, Hermione, she scolded herself. Draco abruptly sat up from the couch, and she flinched.

"I have plenty of people in my life, and you have no right to talk to me like that filthy Mu-"

"Okay, sorry," she tried to recover her tracks. Draco was clearly taken aback from the unexpected apology.

"Did you just… I mean damn right you are." He relaxed again, and leaned back onto the couch, staring at her.

"You know, I hate being in this House as much as everybody hates me being here." She told him.

"You should have never been placed in here." He glared at her. He really did hate her guts. How was this going to work?

"It's been real rough," she blew out a breath.

"That's great," he said, beginning to grow uninterested.

"I bet if you spent more time with me, you would actually find me to be okay." Where was she going with this? Draco cocked an eyebrow.

"I highly doubt that," he scoffed.

"Really?" Hermione stood up, a flash of uncertainty spread through Draco's face, but he quickly covered it up.

"What are you proposing?" He asked a little disgusted.

"Nothing," Hermione shrugged. This was reverse psychology at its best. "I'm just saying," she began to head towards the stairs to go to her room. "That," she looked behind her shoulder at him, "you're afraid to get too close to me. Because really, Malfoy, you're the follower and your leaders wouldn't like it at all if you got to know me." He frowned at her. "And now you'll never know what it would be like to be friends with the smartest Slytherin witch of our time." Hermione smirked all the way to her room.


A/N- Well there you have it; I hope it was not too confusing with all the flashbacks. If you guys have any questions or comments please just ask.

Until next time

Brittany