•this is my first Fic. so please be easy on me.

•things will be explained in the next chapters.

•i hope you enjoy it, and forgive me if there are typos in this.

•Disclaimers: I do not own Harry Potter.

This was the fourth night he had woken up frantically panting; his body had instinctively sat up, the nightmares had become more vivid these past few days. So sleep was something he had tried to avoid, though his efforts were wasted for his body would willfully go back and drift into a deep slumber, but he had found a way of distracting himself. Exploring his Manor; he had found quite a lot of hidden rooms and now he was going to the one room he had been strictly ordered not to open.

Ever since he could remember his parents have forbidden him to enter that room. Wards were set up to keep anyone from entering, even when the dark lord had taken residence in their manor. They managed to keep is a secret. He hadn't given much thought why, though out of sheer boredom he had managed to break through the wards; it wasn't easy though. His parents did take that extra precaution and set up charms to harm whoever touches the massive wooden door. But being the bright wizard that he is, he figured out how to cancel it all. With a flick of his wand the door creaked open, a thick layer of dust fell on his black cloak; it must have been centuries since it was last opened. He hesitated for a moment, his parents forbid him to enter that room for a reason. He forced his deadened legs to carry him forward. Each step he takes towards the old room made him feel….. Alive…. and at the same time... chained. But he ignored it and entered before he could mentally convince himself to turn around. The whole room was engulfed by darkness; there were no windows and no source of light. It was rather hard to breathe inside; seeing the only ventilation on that room was that door. He walked further in and silently whispered "Lumus" bright light glowed at the tip of his wand. He used it to scan the room. "Lumus Maxima" he whispered again and the light on his wand glow brighter, now he could clearly see everything inside but to his utter dismay there was nothing there but a sheet of white linen covering something on the wall and a chair located just a few feet away. And it was facing what it looked like a covered frame. He deliberately tugged the dusty linen it glided down revealing a portrait.

The female in the portrait winced at the sudden bright light directed to her…she adjusted her body and got a good look at the person holding that infernal light "Malfoy..." her voice almost a whisper; she uttered the name with reverence, the woman on the portrait moved. "I knew you would come back…" tears welling up on her eyes. "I have missed you so much my love" she continued. But Draco was frozen; it felt like someone had stunned him on the spot that he could not move a single muscle.

"You…" he forced out, his grey eyes fixated on her. She was wearing what it seems to be an 18th century Victorian red dress that hung delicately on her shoulder and hugged her slim waist complimenting the shape of her body so well; her hair was fixed in a neat curls that gracefully cascaded down her shoulder. And those brilliant brown orbs that looked at him with such sad painful longing. He recognized her face, her eyes, and her lips. Everything about her reminded him of…

Narcissa gasped in shock as the wards on the forbidden room had warned her, someone had opened it. She stood up dropping the book she was reading on the floor; panic stricken she strode briskly but still she moved with much grace. Now she was only a couple of steps away and she could clearly see the massive doors wide open. She had desperately hoped that it wasn't her son that had opened that forsaken room; but her hopes was shattered when she saw him stand there facing the portrait; and the woman in it talking to him panicked seeing the state he was in. His face was twisted into what seems to be shock and wonder.

She knew this day would come…but She had never anticipated it to be this soon. But fate had other things planned for her dear son. The past year had been nothing but sheer nightmare, and now this.

"Draco!" he heard her call him but he couldn't quite put himself to concentrate on his mother. She was talking he knows it, he looked at her lips move but he couldn't process the things that was happening.

"Is he alright?!" a voice tore his gaze from his mother to the portrait that hang on the wall; her voice was tainted with concern. She was looking at him intently with those warm brown eyes; it somehow reminded him of autumn… beautiful yet nostalgic... And her face… that perfect porcelain like face. It was the way she looked that rendered him speechless.

"W-what's going on?" he managed to choke out, "That woman! She looked like Granger!" he said pointing his finger at the portrait who was still looking at him with concern.

"Draco.. You're not supposed to see this!" Narcissa held unto Draco's arm and pulled him out of the room rather harshly; she slammed the door shut. But just before the door close behind him, he had a glimpse of her, her face was full of longing and sadness "My love…" he heard her say it in the most heart breaking tone. It almost made him want to go back…. Almost…

"Mother I demand to know what's going on. Why do we have a portrait who looked like that muggle born Granger and earlier she called me Malfoy!" he was in a state of shock that his mind was in over drive it didn't made sense to him as to why they have that portrait and why the woman in it had addressed him so lovingly.

Narcissa however had a stern look on her face. It showed no emotion at all, it was a wonder how she could easily conceal her emotions in a matter of seconds. "You don't have to worry about that dear." She said coldly. She raised her wand and added two more wards to keep her son or anybody else from entering that room again. Though only a fool would trespass the Malfoy manor.

"But Mother.." he started but he was cut off.

"I will hear no more of this." Turning her back at him and walked down the dimly lit hallway.

Draco looked at his mother then his gaze drifted back to the door. He sighed in annoyance, just when he thought nothing could surprise him, this had came along.

Days had passed by and he was on his way back to Hogwarts to complete his 7th year, and yet he still couldn't quite forget what happened that day.

A loud screech elicited by the train tore him out of his daze. he was inside the Hogwarts express not clearly remembering how he had gotten in or why he was standing in front of one of the cabins. "Malfoy!" a voice called out; he turned around to see his friend Blaise Zabini waving at him. "Are you looking for a seat?" he asked as he walked closer to Draco.

"No. not particularly.." he said blankly "I was looking for the head's compartment."

Yes, a few days back he had received a letter from Hogwarts telling him that he had been chosen as head boy. It was quite a surprise really. After his history with the school he even doubted he would be accepted to complete his 7th year.

"Well, if you ever get bored you know where to find us." Blaise patted his shoulder and walked back in. he could hear the loud giggles and laughs of the girls and several blokes inside; among those fits of laugh one stood out, it was rather high pitched and irritating in nature, he figured it must be from one of the girls inside. He sighed, relieved that he wasn't confined in that closed compartment with those people and that infuriating laugh.

Right now he just needed some place to rest, those sleepless nights had finally taken its toll on him. His body begged for rest, and his head dizzy from lack of sleep. He forced his legs to carry him forward; well at least the compartment he was looking for was only a few steps away. He walked in, he didn't even care that there was a person inside. He just wants to give what his body begged for and fall into the luxury of a dreamless sleep. He sat at the opposite of a bushy well not that bushy haired girl. She was sleeping, realizing who she was his mind was now wide awake, and his exhaustion forgotten., it felt like he had just jumped in a pool filled with ice. He wanted to escape, and go out before she wakes up but before he could do so, her eyes snapped open and she lunged forward, flinging them back down to his seat. Her small hands held tightly on his well sculpted arms and her eyes were out of focus. She let out a gasp realizing what she had done her face turned scarlet red. "Malfoy?" she said as she came to her senses.

Draco raised a delicate eyebrow. "Well hello to you too Granger"

"What are you doing here?" she was scowling.

"Well as much as I want to answer that, don't you think the position we are in is rather compromising? I don't think it is right for the students to see their head boy and head girl in such.. well how should I put this… scandalous position." He eyed her. He was sure Granger would be chosen as the new head girl, aside from her brain, she also helped bring down you-know-who. so it was no surprise really.

"What are you talki—"she was cut off as she looked down. She was on top of him, her body was almost pressed against his, and her hands still holding unto his arms tight. Realizing how intimate they looked, she jumped off him, returning back to her seat. "i-I'm sorry." She mumbled; hiding her face in embarrassment.

"It's nothing" he smirked "it's not the first time having girls throw themselves at me."

She snorted in response; she still couldn't believe how egotistical this ferret was. "Well aren't you going to tell me why you're here?" she was rather calm. Though Malfoy had tortured her for years, she had managed to let it go, and forgive him. The war had changed her so drastically; she had seen some of her friends die, and her enemies die in her own hands. That she could never let go. But she realized she couldn't harbor such negative feelings, life was so fragile that in a blink of an eye it could easily end.

"Like what I have said a while back. I'm the new head boy." he drawled.

She opened her mouth to speak but decided against it. She let it sink in for a moment before opening her mouth again. "Clearly we'll be seeing a lot of each other from now on. How about calling it truce?" she smiled at him holding her hand out to him to shake.

"Truce." He smiled back her, it was rare to elicit a genuine smile out of a Malfoy, but it seems like Hermione was drawing it out of him effortlessly.