The Great Hall had brought back many different memories. Mornings before quidditch matches, laughing with Harry on one side and Ron on the other. Sharing stories and giving Ron (and Harry) last minute homework for Transfiguration. Warm, rich foods and the most delicious pumpkin pasties Hermione's ever tasted.
But it also brought back other memories. Images of bodies lying in a row, eyes open wide and staring. Chunks of stone that had been blasted off the wall from rebounded spells had littered the big room, some places being splashed with blood, all fragments of a war Hermione seemed to never be able to forget. She wasn't the only one that had stopped at the doors to the Great Hall to just, look around and remember. Younger students had walked past them, some in reverence and others in confusion. Not immediately recognizing that the hoard of returning 7th years were in fact war veterans that were battling new ghosts and demons that were entirely their own.
Hermione had taken a deep breath, and after accepting the hand Harry offered, walked into the room with her head held high, the rest of the 7th years trailing behind them. The Welcoming Feast had been like any other, Hermione was most interested in the Sorting Hats song of overcoming opposition and potential reform, and of division being mended by love, of all things. It made no sense to her for once, how was love supposed to mend the broken houses? It could be strong, sure, she wouldn't doubt it's effect after what Harry's mother had done for Harry himself, but it just seemed so obscure that Hermione didn't know whether to make heads nor tails of the Hat's confusing tune. But after, the Sorting started and a whole new unsettling event unfolded before her eyes.
As she watched students get sorted, she noticed the heated whispers and glares the Gryffindors would shoot at each new Slytherin classmate, and the equally stony and distasteful glances the Slytherins shot their rivaling house. The Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs however, seemed to get along merrily. It was making Hermione upset, considering she had just fought a war for equality, and it seemed there to be a new one raging inside the very walls the war was fought in.
Her and Harry shared a few glances silently acknowledging the work they'll have ahead of them keeping peace in the school, and she unintentionally caught Malfoy's gaze from a across the room at times. For some reason every time Hermione sneaked a peak at the Slytherin table, he was staring right back at her with an inquisitive and brooding look on his face and she would immediately face forward not wanting to draw his attention.
After the feast, she had said her goodbyes to Harry, promising to meet him and tell him everything McGonagall had said in the common room after their meeting. She had made her way slowly to the old headmasters office, and stood outside the statue, realizing that she had no idea what the password was.
"Oh bloody hell."
"Watch your language there Granger, someone might find out that the Gryffindor Princess isn't all rainbows and puppies."
Hermione whirled around and spied Blaise Zabini walking towards her from down the hall. "What are you doing here Zabini?"
He shrugged and dug around in his pocket. "Same reason as you I reckon." He said, and pulled out a red and gold Gryffindor Prefect badge.
Hermione looked down at the Slytherin one she held in her palm and scrunched her eyebrows.
"It's Drooble's by the way."
She quirked an eye brow. "Excuse me?"
"The password, sweetness. It's Drooble's." Blaise repeated with a smirk and as he stood next to her, Hermione heard the deep rumbling of the passageway opening. She eyed him for a second and he gestured to the stairs with a flourish. "Ladies first."
Hermione snorted and turned on her heel, stomping up the stairs she worried her lip between her teeth. It seems like her own personal theory was becoming even more possible by the second, and Hermione was extremely nervous. She didn't know if she'd be able to handle the stress, and she didn't know if Zabini would be up to the task she had no doubt McGonagall was set to putting them too. She heard the shuffle of his feet behind her and saw him settle into step next to her on the last stair. They looked at each other, and he raised his fist to knock.
But before he could it was sung open to reveal McGonagall, a small grin on her face. "Ah, yes. Miss. Ganger, Mr. Zabini. Please come in. You are right on time!" She opened the door wider and made her way towards her desk. "I hope you are both well, and are excited to be back in the halls of Hogwarts!" she asked brightly, and Hermione glanced over at Blaise who merely nodded. "Erm, yes Professor, or well, Headmistress. Quite well, thank you." Hermione stuttered and she saw Zabini shoot her an amused glance to witch Hermione made a face at.
McGonagall smiled. "Yes, well, sit. Please. I assume you both want to get straight to the point?" Hermione saw Blaise settle into his chair, more like sprawl and she sat in her own. She looked down once again at the Slytherin badge she held and then back up.
"Well yes, I am quite curious as to why I have a Slytherin badge and Zabi-Blaise has a Gryffindor one."
"That's very easily explained Miss. Granger." McGonagall adjusted in her seat and peered at the both of them. "That is because those are both your new houses for this school year."
Hermione's eyes closed and her heart clenched as what she feared had been proven true.
"Uh, excuse me. Headmistress McGonagall. I'm not sure I heard you correctly. I thought you said that I now belonged in Gryffindor." Blaise said, sitting up from his slouch to move to the edge of his seat and Hermione opened her eyes to see McGonagall lean back in her chair.
"You heard me correctly, Mr. Zabini. For the remainder of your 7th year, you will be part of Gryffindor house and Hermione will be part of Slytherin house." As Blaise's mouth opened in protest, McGonagall held her hand up to stop him. "Let me explain first, before you both try to change my already made up mind."
Hermione also moved to the edge of her seat, listening to every word her former Professor had to say. "As I am sure you have already noticed, our school is still in a bit of opposition." She sighed and leaned forward on her desk, rubbing at her temples. "It seems that even war cannot fully erase the stubborn elitist views many pureblooded children had grown up to know. Now I have tried and tried to rewrite the opinions and destructive views these children have clung too, and let me tell you it is the most frustrating thing I have ever come to know. The worst issues seem to be with the Gryffindors and Slytherins of course. Both houses being so different, it causes many of the students to…argue and debate on certain aspects of each other's lives." McGonagall eyed them bother over her spectacles and spoke very seriously. "This is why I have chosen you both to switch your respective houses. They need to be shown that unity can be reached, and that the certain teachings they have been taught to know are not entirely true. I have chosen the two students I thought would be the most competent in this particular circumstance, and I believe them to be the both of you." McGonagall sat back in her chair once again, and Hermione felt her mind reeling. She understood where the older witch was coming from, she understood that there were many issues still to work through in the halls of Hogwarts, she had seen the evidence first hand in the Great Hall at dinner. But what she didn't understand was why it had to be her. All she wanted was a normal year at Hogwarts, a quiet one to finish her N.E.W.T's and to go on and graduate and live her life. But it seemed Hermione wouldn't be granted life's such simple pleasures.
She glanced over at Zabini to see him looking up at the portrait behind McGonagall, and Hermione was startled to notice Dumbledore looking after her with twinkling eyes. Tears sprung up as he offered Hermione a warm smile and she smiled back at him softly. She now knew this wasn't entirely McGonagall's idea, and that her former Headmaster had something to do with it. She saw him nod at them both, an Zabini took a deep breath.
"Fine. I'll do it." He said, and McGonagall beamed at him. "Brilliant!" she chimed, and looked over at Hermione. Her gaze became sympathetic as she saw Hermione's conflicted look, "I understand it might be a bit more difficult for you, Miss. Granger-"
"Difficult? It'll be downright painful." Blaise said blandly, and McGonagall shot him a look. Hermione couldn't help but to agree with him. The Slytherin's wouldn't be the most…welcoming bunch, and she was positive a few might be outright hostile. Hermione was terrified about going to live in the dungeons with people that hated and absolutely detested her, but she felt as if she had no choice. Hogwart's unity seemed to be entirely dependent on the two of them, and she be damned if she started another war because of her cowardice.
"I'll do it." She said, much to McGonagall's glee and Zabini's curious stare. "I…It'll take some getting used to. But I believe I-" Her gaze shifted to Blaise, "that we, can do it." She turned back towards McGonagall and nodded her head, glancing up at the approving gaze of Dumbledore.
"Wonderful, you both will be expected to integrate yourselves entirely into your new houses. Sit at their tables in the Great Hall, share the stands with your fellow classmates at Quidditch matches, so on and so forth. You will also both be prefects for your respective houses. Mr. Zabini, you will share prefect duty for Gryffindor with Ginny Weasley," Hermione let out an involuntary snort, and Blaise shot her an annoyed gaze, he was sure going to have his hands full with that one.
"...And Miss. Granger you will be sharing it with Draco Malfoy." Hermione immediately choked on her own snort while Blaise let out a bark of laughter.
"Oh this is going to be a brilliant year." He said in between chuckles and Hermione shot him another glare.
"Headmistress, do you think-"
"Yes, Miss. Granger. I do, and I know you and Mr. Malfoy have had…difficulties in the past. But for the sake of your school and your classmates, I am sure you can find it in your heart to move past your issues and continue on for a brighter future!" She said cheerily and for once Hermione sat speechless. She knew Malfoy would never be one to 'move past their issues' as the elderly witch had so simply put it, and she also knew she was in for one difficult year.
McGonagall stood from her seat, and the two students rose with her. "Now, you both will be starting tomorrow, after the prefects meeting and your respective partners will be escorting you to your new dorms. You will also receive your new school uniforms and robes tomorrow as well." She ushered the two of them to her door, and smiled fondly at them. "Now go enjoy the rest of your evenings and say goodbye to some of your fellow classmates. I understand you won't be able to keep this from a certain few," McGonagall eyed Hermione and she blushed, knowing full well she was going to blurt out everything to Harry and Ginny the second she entered the common room. "but I would appreciate it if you exercised some discretion as to whom you tell this information too."
Hermione nodded and Blaise also agreed, and as they said their farewells and made it down the steps, Hermione and Blaise stopped to look at each other before they had to go their separate ways.
"Well, this is going to be one interesting school year, don't you think?" Blaise asked and Hermione nodded reluctantly. She was still a bit worried about how this all was going to pan out and was practically worrying her lip raw.
"Look, Hermione." She started at her name on Blaise's lips and looked up at him. He eyed her warily and was that a hint of concern she spied in their depths?
"I know, it's not going to be difficult for either of us. Least of all you and I just want you to know, that if you have any…issues, with certain people. You can come to me. If you'd like." He said, and folded his arms across his chest. "I was neutral in the war, but that doesn't mean I won't protect certain ideals. So I'll try to make your…experience a little easier by giving you the offer of friendship." He offered his hand and Hermione was once again struck speechless. She had no idea whether his offer of friendship was legitimate, but she was willing to take the chance. Considering they were in the same boat, it would only help the cause if they were to fight for the same team. Hermione took his hand and shook it firmly, nodding. Blaise smiled and released her hand, turning to leave and Hermione did the same a little stiffly. She heard him call her name again and Hermione paused to look back to find him watching her intently, a playful smirk on his lips. "Also, don't be too afraid of Malfoy. I promise, his bark is much worse than his bite. Give him a chance." And with a wink, he turned back around leaving a confused Hermione in his wake.
When she entered the Gryffindor common room, she was tackled by Ginny who was questioning her, rapid fire, not giving Hermione the ability to get one word in. When she caught Harry's eye behind Ginny, she saw him frown at the look at her face and gently pried Ginny off her. "Come on, don't crush her Gin. Let her speak." Harry pulled her over to a set of couches near the fire, where not many people were congregating, and Ginny and Harry sat next to Hermione.
She pulled comfort from their presence as she gathered the nerve to tell them what had happened in McGonagall's office. She took a deep breath, and just plunged ahead.
"Starting tomorrow, I'll be a part of Slytherin house for the rest of my 7th school year."
Silence.
Then…
"WHAT?" She heard Ginny shriek and Hermione tried to hush her. Harry whispered in a hurry. "No bloody way. Has McGonagall lost her mind?"
"How could she do this to you-"
"What is she thinking, throwing you in the dungeons with that lot-"
"This is insane, why would she do this-"
"Mental, that woman is. Don't worry Hermione, I'll speak to her myself. There is no way she can do this to you!" Ginny said in a huff and stood up, to which Hermione caught the fiery red-head's arm and pulled her back down.
"No you two, it's alright. I agreed, and it's for a good cause." Hermione said, and proceeded to tell them everything that happened in McGonagall's office. When she was finished, they both held reluctant looks of acceptance, and Ginny's face was mildly flushed.
"McGonagall made me Gryffindor Prefect?" she asked, and Hermione grinned and nodded, taking her friends hand.
"Yeah. It'll be great, you'll be brilliant! I just know it." Ginny smiled, but she heard Harry speak up from her other side. "But you'll be sharing it with…Zabini." He said, and Hermione saw a peculiar look on his face. Ginny's face deepened in color and she shrugged, "He's not too bad." Hermione knew that look, Ginny had always had a small crush on the cool Slytherin, and Hermione wasn't too surprised at her calm acceptance of her predicament.
"At least it isn't Malfoy." Ginny said defiantly, and Hermione flinched.
"Oh, hell. I'm sorry Hermione. I didn't mean…" Ginny patted her friend's knee. "Maybe it won't be too bad, eh? Maybe he's changed?" she asked hopefully and Harry snorted, earning a pretty nasty glare from Ginny.
Hermione shrugged, "I doubt it, but I'm trying not to worry too much about it. I have to do this, if not for myself then for the school." Harry wrapped his arm around her comfortingly and Hermione snuggled into her best friend. "But anyways, I want to forget about all that tonight and just enjoy the time I have with you two right now." Hermione smiled as Ginny leaned back against the side of the couch and draped her feet over Hermione and Harry's lap.
"Well did you hear about what happened when Neville escorted the first years to the common room?" Ginny asked and Hermione heard Harry snicker.
"No, what happened? Please don't tell me he forgot the password."
"But he did! Had to knock on the door and Dean opened it for him and everything. No matter how much Neville's grown, looks like he's still the forgetful bloke we know and love." Ginny said affectionately, and Hermione laughed.
"Well it's good to know not everything changes."
The next evening, Hermione was going to vomit or pass out. Her hands felt clammy, and her mouth cottony and she just knew it was going to happen. She and Blaise stood in front of the other prefects in the meeting as McGonagall explained what was going to happen this school year. She avoided everyone's looks except for Ginny's encouraging ones, and she was most definitely avoiding Malfoy's glare altogether. She felt it, like an actual heat radiating from his seat near the back. She knew he wouldn't be too excited about their predicament, but it also didn't help any when he sent her such hostile glares so openly. It made Hermione even more nervous than she already was, and definitely made her rethink her decision of going along with this, completely bonkers idea.
"Now Mr. Malfoy, Miss. Weasley, I'll now ask you to escort your new Prefect Partners to their respective houses and help them get settled." McGonagall said, and Hermione saw Ginny stand up smoothly, she walked up to Blaise and eyed him. "Right, well. I suppose you should follow me then?" she asked and Blaise gestured out towards the door. Ginny flushed and Hermione caught Blaise's smirk as they walked out the door. Hermione shifted back into the room, which was now alive with the whispers of the other prefects and before she could take her first step towards Malfoy she caught him as he stood stiffly, straighten his robes and stride confidently out of the room. Hermione stood there for a second before she hurried out the room and after him, his long strides making her practically jog to keep up with him.
"You're supposed to escort me." Hermione said haughtily and she heard Malfoy snort, "Yes well, you're following, are you not? Seems like I'm doing my job to me." He said in a droll tone and Hermione shot him a glare.
"You didn't even wait in the room for me, just strolled right out of the room expecting me to follow. I'm not some house elf that follows it's master Malf- and would you slow down! You're legs are like a bloody giraffe's!"
Hermione's voice was raised angrily, and saw him walk even quicker not even bothering to answer her remarks. She let out a growl and tried to grasp his wrist, "Now listen here Malfoy-" she started, but was caught off guard by her back slamming into the hard stone and her head cracking against the wall.
"Ow, bloody hell." She cried and tried to get her wand out of her robe pocket, but he caught her wrist in his grasp and sneered down at her. "No, you listen here, Granger. I will not be ordered. I will not be nice, I will not be pleasant, because I do not like you. I most probably hate you, but I will do my duty and I will continue my service to this school so I can get the hell out of dodge and get on with my miserable life." Something flashed deep in his eyes, but it was gone before Hermione could catch it. "The best you can hope for is civility, but in the meantime, do not expect us to get along, because it will not happen. Understand?" Malfoy spat and Hermione glared at him defiantly
.
She felt his grasp on her wrist tighten and pain started to shoot up her arm, she felt a flash of panic and Malfoy's grasp loosened significantly till he let go all together. He watched her for a few minutes more, before he pushed himself off the wall and away from her, calming his breathing and straightening his robes he turned on his heel. Hermione rubbed at her wrist and watched him walk away till he paused at the stairs that led to the dungeons.
"Are you coming or not?" he asked, the bored and uninterested tone back in his voice and Hermione almost stomped her foot in frustration. Instead, she bottled everything up, and followed after him. He escorted her straight to a portrait of Severus Snape, whom looked them over with bland disinterested eyes and Malfoy turned to Hermione, an unidentifiable look on his face.
"The password is DuMort." Malfoy said, and Snape's head dipped his head in acknowledgement making the door swing wide into a green tinted hallway. Malfory took a step in first, and Hermione climbed in after him. When she stepped into the common room, it fell silent and every eye was on Hermione, Malfoy's back looked tense and he positioned himself near her as she let everyone soak in the sight of her. She saw a movement to her left, and Pansy Parkinson walked towards her, a small but open smile on her face.
"You'll be sharing a room with me, Granger. I can take you down there and let you get settled." She offered and Hermione eyed her with surprise. She wasn't expecting a warm welcome, of course, but she was also not expecting the first person to extend a friendly hand to be Pansy Parkinson. She didn't quite know how to deal with the current situation, and Pansy seemed to pick up on her mood.
"I know we're not the best of friends but I figured since we'll be rooming together, might as well call a truce, yeah?" she asked hopefully, and Hermione found herself nodding. She caught Malfoy's smirk out of the corner of her eye and was about to question it, when a nasty voice spoke up in the back of the crowd.
"Well, well, well. Look who we have here." The tall lanky figure of Theodore Nott emerged from the crowd with the nastiest sneer Hermione's ever seen. Nastier than even Malfoy's, who had now positioned himself halfway in front of her and she saw Pansy shift to stand next to her.
"The Gryffindor Princess has graced us with her presence." He sneered, "and what, pray tell, do we owe this honor?" He asked, and Malfoy glared at him.
"Come off it Nott. Leave her alone."
Hermione, completely surprised at Malfoy defending her, didn't notice the flash of hostility that ignited Theo's glare.
"No, I don't think I will Malfoy. But please, keep barking at my heels, little guard dog. It amuses me." He smirked and Malfoy took a step towards him.
"Keep talking, Nott and you'll regret it immensely."
Hermione flinched as Theo glared in her direction.
"Since when are you so defensive towards the Mudblood, Malfoy?" and Hermione didn't catch the moment Malfoy shoved Nott against the wall and punched him in the face. Pansy shrieked, but still stayed at Hermione's side, noticing something odd going on with the bushy-haired girl.
Hermione knew it would happen eventually. She knew she could never run away from that word or the curse attached to it, but even as she had accepted it long ago, she still wasn't ready for the pain and fear and absolute agony that that word brought her. When Bellatrix had carved her reminder of what she was in her arm, she had done so with a cursed knife, causing the scars on her arm ignite a pain like no other in her arm every time someone called her a 'Mudblood'.
So in response, a fiery burning flashed up Hermione's arm, and she whimpered clutching at it as if to stifle the flickering flames she felt as if were crawling up and into her chest.
"Granger? Hermione? What's wrong? What is it?" she heard Pansy ask, and Hermione couldn't open her mouth to answer her. If she unclenched her teeth, she was most definitely going to scream. In a flash Malfoy was next to her, taking her arm and pushed up the sleeve, his cool fingers dancing across the searing skin of her arm. She tried to pull it out of his grasp, but he held on tight and looked up at her.
"I can help." He said simply, and Hermione just looked at him, pain swimming in her eyes and her breaths coming out in between moans and gasps.
"Let me help." He said, still looking at her, and Hermione nodded slowly. Remembering that he had been there, that he knew what Bellatrix had done and that maybe he could actually help with the pain. He pulled out his wand and muttered something under his breath, and Hermione felt the flickering flames slowly recede back and finally stop all together. She let out a shuddering breath, and tried to calm herself down.
Malfoy still held her arm in his grasp as he stared at the words carved into her skin. She quickly pulled her arm away and hastily yanked down the sleeve of her robes muttering a quiet thanks. He just blinked and ignored her completely, turning towards Pansy and Hermione glanced over at a crumpled and bleeding Theo on the ground. He glared at the three of them and Malfoy sneered right at him before speaking to Pansy.
"Take her to her bed and get her settled." He said, and Hermione's head shot up. Why, after just insulting her in the halls, was he worried about her well being and beating up his fellow housemates defending her honor? It just made absolutely no sense to Hermione.
But before she could ask him what exactly he was playing at, Pansy nodded and pulled Hermione after her and away from the spectators that had gathered in the Common Room.
"You share the room with me, Daphne Greengrass and Millicent Bulstrode." She informed as they descended down a small flight of steps into the girls dormitory. Pansy opened the first door on the left to a room decked out in green and silver hangings.
"They're not so bad, as long as you stay away from Daphne in the mornings, she's a snarky bitch on her best days, but mornings are when she's at her worst. Millicent is, well…Millicent. You shouldn't have any issues with her I don't think." Pansy escorted her to the bed next to the wall and Hermione grimaced at the green curtains.
"You're next to my bed." She said and Hermione nodded already had spotting her trunk, opening her curtains on her bed she saw that her new Slytherin uniform was laid out nice and neat over the sheets. Her eyes watered at the sight of it and Pansy looked Hermione over, "Erm, right. Well, I suppose you're tired. Might as well head to bed, you'll have an even longer day ahead of you I'm sure."
Hermione nodded, "Thanks." Her voice came out scratchy and it was hard to get out through the thickness of her throat, so she cleared it and tried again. "Thanks, for everything." Hermione smiled softly at Pansy and she shrugged. "No problem. 'Night Granger." She said as Hermione climbed into her bed.
"'Night." She said and closed her curtains. She pulled out her wand and cast Silencing charms, before she crawled onto her side and started to cry. Not only had that gone horribly, but her emotions were terribly raw and she still couldn't figure out why or how Malfoy could go from assaulting her one minute to defending her the next. It made absolutely no sense, and Hermione didn't even know if she wanted to figure out why.
She ended up drifting off to sleep with wet cheeks and dreams of blonde hair and cool fingers that looked and felt like new fallen snow.
A/N:
I promise not every chapter will end will Hermione falling asleep. lol.
So I've been told people like authors notes at the end rather than the beginning so here it is I suppose. First I want to thank EVERYONE who favorite, followed, and reviewed. You seriously made me so happy, and I just love you all. For realsies. I also would like to express a few things that you might have noticed already but I feel I need to bring up anyway. My characters, tho still essentially the same character you know and love, are broken little things that desperately need fixing. The war had left a LOT of scars and a lot people are going to be messed up for some time. That's why I say it'll be a slow burn Dramione story because they have to learn how to fix themselves, and the school somehow while unintentionally falling in love. So it's going to take a while. I plan on making this fic around 30-35 chapters, but I'm not entirely sure yet. I'm not a very good…planner-aheader and usually just go with the flow. ALSO, I've been wondering if you wanted a chappie or a part in Draco's POV or anyone else's, and if so just let me know and I'll try to make that happen. ANYWAY sorry for such a long note, but I had a lot to say. Thanks for reading, and please review and let me know if you like it or hate it, but please constructive criticism, only. Flames suck monkey butt.
(ALSO let me know of any errors or mistakes. I do this myself with no beta and I ain't perfect. So yeah. Review!)