It was a fine evening at the Weasley's shack. Harry, Ron and Hermione stayed in a cozy living room lit by the yellow lights that hung on the ceiling. Brightly shinning stars were seen through the wide windows of the shack, giving them a good view of the outside world. A family portrait of the Weasley's clung onto a rusty old nail right on top of a well-lit fire place, reminding its guests of who owned the small-looking but spacious cabin. The three of them talked about the past few days' events, on how the twins along with Hermione were able to score against the gullible team of Ron, Harry and Ginny in Quidditch which took place right outside the shack. The owl posts also came last morning and with them were the letters about what the students needed for the following school year. Hermione opened her envelope with delight, she then found a list of books regarded in the letter and also a glimmering prefect pin that says, Hermione was appointed as head girl. Everyone congratulated her. Mrs. Weasley even prepared a special lunch as a tribute to her unfaltering hard work and patience.

"Honestly Hermione, I'm not surprised that you're a head girl, you know. You're really worthy of that position," Ron said, while tinkering with the Hogwarts' head girl pin.

"Yeah. Ron's right. Congratulations Hermione," Harry said cheerfully.

"Thank you. But I guess I should also congratulate you Harry for being able to survive another dreadful summer with the Durlsey's again," Hermione replied teasingly with a big grin plastered on her face.

"You're right. Haha! If it weren't for the twins' Sleepy Pillows and Flexible Keys, it would've been much harder to get out of my room and steal food in the fridge. The both of you were also the very ones who helped me survive that famine in my own life. Thanks to you both," Harry grimaced to the other two. During the break, the other two sent him food and sweets and also other stuff for his birthday.

"Don't mention it mate. By the way, Hermione I've got a question for you," Ron sounded eager.

"What is it Ron?" Hermione asked, interested.

"Since you're a head girl now, would you still be hanging out with us? And… will you still be with us if… we're breaking the rules… sometimes?" Ron asked, carefully choosing his words. He understood Hermione very well. He knows that she wouldn't be easily breaking the rules as often as before because now she has to set a good example. It was the typical Hermione. But still, he had his hopes up.

"Of course I'd still hang out with you. I don't think there was ever a rule wherein I would always have to do rounds in school. I would still have time for you both. And help you in manning your studies," Hermione replied speedily. It was really obvious that she was trying to avoid the second question.

"What about us breaking the rules?" Ron asked again. He looked worried to find out the answer but still hope that she would reply to the question.

"Well, I would have to let it go if it is really about You-know-who. But if it were pertaining on school matters, I would have to really reprimand you about it. Oh god, I would die if I get caught. It would be the end of my school life." She sounded calm but it can be seen through her eyes that she was panicking. Almost every studious person wouldn't really want that.

"Okay Hermione. It was just a question… I guess it would really be hard to make you come with us sometimes," Harry said with a chuckle.

"Harry!" she exclaimed. "You're supposed to help me out be a good leader. When you say that, it feels like I would really flunk it. And… c'mon, I've been with you since first year. And I promise that I would still be the same Hermione," she assured him, didn't even feel a single doubt about what she said. She trusts herself that no matter what the consequences may be she will still have faith in her best friends. They were people who she can't abandon in times of trouble. Loyalty was one of the greatest things about her.

"Thanks Herm. Just pray that the head boy wouldn't go off telling everyone about what you're doing with us. By the way, who do you think would he be?" Harry asked both of them.

"I don't know. I just hope he could control stuff well enough. And not power tripping too. 'Cause if he does tell the teachers, I could pay him back with almost the same humiliation," Hermione said with a determined look.

Later on, dinner was served and the three of them were called by Mrs. Weasley. That night, their dinner was special to celebrate Hermione being a head girl.

"Tonight, we will have cream of mushroom for appetizer, cottage pie for maid dish and the apple pie which Ginny and I baked for dessert," Mrs. Weasley said while bringing to the table all the delicious foods.

"Mom's apple pie on the table! It's been a long time since we've had that, right George?" Fred said.

"Yeah, you're very lucky Hermione. Congratulations by the way." George replied as they hungrily anticipated for the scrumptious apple pie.

"Thank you…" Hermione answered without mentioning either of the twin's names, making sure that she didn't call out the wrong person. Because even though she has been with these people for a long time now, it was only with the twins she had trouble speaking with since they were too identical and too mischievous to even understand. And put into mind that they were men… young men at that matter. And to make it worse, they were twins. Anyone might accidentally commit a mistake on calling a particular twin with the other's name… even Fred and George's own mother couldn't tell.

"But don't you think that Ginny might have destroyed it? I remember she once burned the—" George's babble was cut short by Ginny.

"Shut up, George! Just eat," Ginny was slightly red and sat stiffly beside Harry. Everyone laughed.

"The last one we had was when Percy was a head boy," Ron confirmed. He sat on the right side of Mrs. Weasley and was across Hermione. He gave her a smile and she returned the smile as well.

"That's right dear. Now then, have a good dinner. We made two apple pies, since I know how much you have been missing this one. Dad will be home late so we'll just go on ahead," Mrs. Weasley said.

"Thank you Mrs. Weasley," Hermione said with a wide smile on her face. She always like the way Ron's mom cooked the food.

"You're welcome dear," Mrs. Weasley told her with gratitude.

"Head boy, I guess for the first time the Dumbledore has made a right choice," Draco said with a smirk. He slumped back on their black leather sofa, thinking about how much power his position held. Stuff he could do to the other students, especially the muggle borns. Like the filthy muggle born, Granger, he thought.

"Dinner's ready master," Their butler said. He was stout and bald. He was like the ordinary type of butler. He wore a long-sleeved polo and black slacks with a towel hanging over his arm.

Draco didn't reply and just walked to the dining room with a big grin on his face.

Poor Granger.

Their dinning room was spacious. They had a long wooden table and he sat on a bishop's chair with cushioned seats. It was quite dark. The room was only lit by three candleholders. It was really quiet. You wouldn't even be able to hear the cicadas outside the mansion. The house-elves and the butler were already serving the food when Draco asked his mother where his father was.

"In the bank. He wants to make sure that when you buy your school needs, he would have extra money to buy for himself. He'll be back in a few minutes," Narcissa Malfoy said dryly as she took a fork out of her plate.

"It's been hours since he left, mother."

"And so he'll be here in a few minutes."

"Oh whatever, does he know about me being-"

"Head boy? No not yet. He already left when the owl came in. Just tell him later. Okay? Now eat," Nacissa told her son without looking at him. She just continued eating her steak.

"Good. Then he'll just be really proud about me and I could make him buy me new stuff again," Draco whispered to himself. Counting in his head what he could ask his father to buy. Quills, ink, robes, shoes, broom, and a billion things more.

Throughout dinner, there was only silence. The sound of the utensils hitting their plates was the only thing that can be heard. This was the typical dinner time in the Malfoy manor. Draco didn't feel indifferent about this. It was normal for him that during dinner, no one ever greets each other or asks how their day was. Even that simple talk was something abnormal during supper.

They had done eating but his father, Lucius Malfoy, still hadn't come home. Draco was about to go to his room and sleep when he heard his fathers car beep outside the door. He ran down the long flight and waited for him to get out of the car. His father's chauffer opened the door for his well known father and then Draco suddenly said "I'm he-" he wasn't even able to finish what he wanted to say when his father suddenly answered him.

"I'll be going upstairs; I'm too tired to listen to your stories," he showed no sign of attention or interest. Not even a gaze was lent to his son.

"Fine. Tomorrow then," he wasn't disappointed though, because some how he thought that his father was not going to make the effort to lend an ear. He went back to bed determined to wake up three hours before his usual time just to be able to meet his father.

It was already four in the morning when Draco got up from his bed. He still lied on his bed and tried to remember his resolution last might. He turned on the light of his room and went straight to the bathroom. He washed his face and combed his hair. Later on, he went out of his room and stayed on their sofa to wait for his father.

Their butler saw Draco when he was about to go to the kitchen and ask the house elves to prepare the breakfast of the family. He went near Malfoy and said "You woke up so early master, would you want to eat you're breakfast now or will you wait for your father?"

"I'll wait for him," Draco replied lazily.

"As you wish master."

It was almost two hours after he woke up but still Lucius still hadn't waken up. He was starting to get hungry and grow impatient. He went to the kitchen and saw their house-elf, Ginber.

"Ei," Draco kicked the house elf on the thigh when he sat on their high chair in the kitchen. "What time does my father wake up?" he asked the elf. He was 3 feet high, had very wide ears and round black eyes that looked very old and his pale skin was worn out. He wore a dirty white pillowcase as his clothes and this showed that he has been doing a lot of chores in Malfoy's mansion.

"Ginber knows master wakes up at four am," the elf answered weakly.

"Why the hell is he not awake now?" he sounded as though it was the elf's fault for not knowing.

"Ginber is sorry master. Ginber don't know what time he would wake up today," the house elf replied with a croaky voice.

"Piss off," he scowled at the elf. Useless servants, so stupid, Draco thought. Ginber looked absent-mindedly and went to the sink to clean up the utensils.

"Oi Patrick, what time will he wake up? I guess you should know."

The butler was near the door going to the garden to ask the other two house elves to water the plants when Draco asked him the question. He turned around and politely replied "Today is a Saturday sir, your father has no job or meetings today, so he will wake up at around six-thirty." He bowed down and continued to his previous work.

"Argh! So I just woke up three hours before my usual wake-up time and end up waiting for nothing," he rolled his eyes and laid his head on the counter, spinning a glass round and round. He felt really annoyed inside but then he can't scold at his father since he was older and if ever he did so, he might not be able to ask his father to get the things he wanted. Nice way to start the morning eih.

After an hour, Malfoy heard someone come down the stairs. He saw his father walking down with his wife. They both wore bathrobes and their eyes still seemed sleepy. They went straight to the dining area. The curtains were tied up but only cracks of light came inside the room because of the trees in their garden are blocking it but good enough though for them not to use the candles anymore. Their breakfast was bacon and eggs, coffee for the parents and hot chocolate for the son.

Draco started walking towards the dining table. His parents sat at both ends of the table and he stayed in the middle on his father's right side.

"Father, I wanted to tell you….I am head boy," Draco started to break the silence. His father didn't even take half a second to reply to him. This made him feel easy, but then his reply wasn't what he was expecting though.

"Good. I wasn't expecting any less than that," his father said while stilling looking at his food and not at him.

At least he's satisfied, Draco thought. "Well then, I can get rewards," he stated.

"Yes, buy it tomorrow when we get to Diagon Alley."

This brought a smirk to Draco's face.