Here's another chapter. I'm going to try to upload one every Sunday. Please leave a review, it would mean the world to me.

-Reilly

Hermione had truly missed her two best friends. It had been over a month since she'd seen them, and she was dying to hear about how they'd been. She was delighted to hear that Harry and Ginny were still going strong.

"Where is Ginny, by the way?" Hermione asked.

"She's here somewhere. Probably catching up with some of her other friends," Harry replied with a shrug. Hermione raised an eyebrow but didn't question further. Ron started emphatically telling her about the two Beau-Baton girls he had somehow managed to hook up with over the summer. Hermione laughed until she cried.

Ron and Harry had fallen asleep within the next hour, so Hermione decided to go to the Head's compartment for a while. She still didn't know who Head Boy. Besides, McGonagall wanted to meet with them both as soon as the train arrived.

She started toward the compartment, saying hello to the people she new (receiving puzzled looks in return) and every first year she saw. She finally came to the Head's compartment, and she slid the door open cautiously. Sitting inside was Draco Malfoy.

She looked at him, confused. He met her gaze, raising an eyebrow. "Malfoy," she said. He studied her carefully. "This compartment is for the Heads..." she trailed off, finally coming to the realization that he was a Head. Head Boy. Of course. She would have been furious had this been occurring six months earlier, but now...Hermione simply didn't have the energy to hate anymore. This included Malfoy, despite everything he had done in the past. When she looked at him now, she had absolutely no emotions; no hate, no disgust. She was tired of all that.

Besides, she had heard from George that Malfoy and a handful of other Slytherins had become spies for the Order. She respected that. She had come into the year with a blank canvas for everyone she had ever disliked. So far, she had yet to be disappointed. Then again, this was Malfoy. If anyone were to make her regret this blank canvas thing she was trying, it was him.

She closed the compartment door and took a seat on the bench across from him. He continued to watch her closely. They sat in silence for a good while before he broke it. "I'm sorry," he said. Hermione raised her eyebrows. She had never heard him apologize to anyone the entire time she had known him. "I don't recognize you. What's your name?" She really shouldn't have been surprised. Even her two best friends hadn't known who she was at first.

"It's Granger, Malfoy," she replied, leaning back against her seat. His eyes widened for a moment, but then he smirked.

"Should've known Head Girl would be you, Granger." Hermione shrugged, noticing he had yet to insult her. They sat in silence as they continued on their way to school.

Draco Malfoy's summer had been horrible. It was a series of trials (his, his friends, his parents) and meetings with the Wizengomet and the Minister. Condemning his mother had been the hardest. He absolutely loathed that she had been brought into this Death Eater lifestyle. Now she had to face the consequences of being there, even if it wasn't her first choice. Watching as she was dragged off to Azkaban was the hardest thing he had ever had to endure. He knew she would probably die there, like Lucius. That would be the last of his family.

His only source of happiness were his friendships with Blaise Zabini, Theodore Nott, and Pansy Parkinson; his fellow spies for the Order. They had all made it out alive and were now returning to the safest place on earth. Hogwarts. All he wanted was to lie low this year. Focus on his studies so he could get a good job. There wasn't any trust fund now that his parents were dead and gone.

He stood suddenly, deciding to go find his friends. He hadn't seen them since before his mother was taken away. He hadn't really seen anybody. He glanced quickly at Granger. "I'll find you when we need to meet McGonagall," he said stiffly, and then he left.

He searched for his friends for a good fifteen minutes before he found them. He entered the compartment, grinning at them all when they greeted him excitedly.

"Draco, take a seat," Blaise said, smirking at him. "I hear Granger's looking sexy as hell nowadays." Draco's grin immediately turned to a scowl. Pansy and Theo howled with laughter.

"It's true!" Theo declared. "I saw her. So did every other guy on the platform. You're going to have to act fast if you want her all for yourself, Draco."

Theo, Pansy, and Blaise were the only ones that knew, but Draco had loved Hermione for years. Pretty much for the entirety of their time at Hogwarts, he had loved her. They teased him mercilessly about it.

"Yeah, Draco," Pansy added, "If you don't take a go at her, I will." The three of them laughed at laughed, while Draco buried his face in his hands.

"Okay, seriously though," Blaise stated. "What are you going to do?" Draco shrugged.

"Nothing," he admitted. "It's honestly a lost cause. In fact, you can all just let it go."

"Aw, come on, Draco," Pansy pouted. "You can't give up. It's our last year. After this, you might never see her again."

Just then, the train screeched to a halt. They all gathered their things and began to make their way to the Hogsmeade platform. Pansy grabbed Draco's elbow. "Promise me you'll at least try to be friends," she said. Draco sighed, and Pansy took it as an affirmation. "Smashing," she said, winking at him.

They walked toward the carriages. Draco waited by the Head's carriage, but Hermione failed to show up. He started to look for Potter and Weasley. She was always with them. Find them, find Hermione. When he finally located Potter, however, she wasn't around.

"Potter," he called. Harry looked up. There was no animosity between them when Draco spoke. Harry respected Draco for becoming a spy and contributing to the Light Side's victory, and Draco respected Harry for killing Voldemort. Ron, however, did not share these feelings of respect.

"What do you want, Malfoy?" Ron spat. Malfoy ignored him.

"When was the last time you saw Granger?" he asked.

"She was with us in the compartment before we fell asleep. When we woke up, she was gone. I assumed she went to the Head's compartment," he replied.

Draco indicated for Harry to follow him, and Harry obeyed. They walked back to the scarlet train. It was about to depart.

"We've got to hurry," Draco said. Harry nodded, and they boarded the train and began to run. They came to the Head's compartment just as the train's whistle blew. They had one minute before the train was going to leave with them on it. Malfoy threw open the compartment doors and there was Hermione on the bench, sleeping peacefully.

"Bloody hell," Draco exclaimed. Harry darted in and shook her. The train started to move.

"Hermione, wake up!" Harry yelled. She groggily opened her eyes.

"Harry, what...?" She mumbled.

"Potter, we have to go," Malfoy said urgently.

"Come on," Harry said, grabbing Hermione's hand and pulling her up. They began to run once again to the nearest door. They train picked up speed.

"We have to jump," Malfoy said.

"Are you crazy?" Hermione yelled. "That's incredibly dangerous, Malfoy!"

"He's right!" Harry bellowed. The end of the platform was approaching quickly. They were running out of time. "On the count of three, we all jump," Harry screamed. "One...Two...THREE!"

All three of them jumped from the moving train, and they hit the platform hard, rolling a few feet before coming to a stop.

Both boys were immediately by her side. "Are you okay, Granger?" Malfoy asked. Hermione nodded breathlessly. That jump had really knocked the wind out of her.

"Hermione, what happened?" Harry asked. Standing, and holding out his hands to help her up.

"I don't know," she replied, taking Harry's hands. She stood hesitantly, carefully making sure her legs were alright before letting go. She then patted herself down for other injuries. When she came up with nothing, she looked back to Harry and Draco. "I just fell asleep, and I guess I didn't hear the train stop or anything. I'm really sorry."

"It's perfectly fine, Hermione," Harry said. "Thankfully Malfoy noticed your absence and thought to check the train again."

"Thanks, Malfoy," she said. He shrugged.

They started back toward the carriages. When they arrived, all of the were gone accept the Head's carriage, so they all piled in and headed toward the school in tired silence.

They got to the school and exited the carriage, walking toward the Great Hall. Before Draco could head to the Slytherin table, however, Hermione reached out and touched his arm. "Really, Malfoy. Thank you," she said.

He only nodded in return, before turning away and starting toward his table, furiously trying not to blush.

Let me know what you think in a review!

-Reilly