"Go join your daddy in Azkaban!"

"No one wants you here, ferret!"

"Leave, or we'll make you!"

These we're the threats I'd been receiving since me arrival to the platform. I knew they'd be coming; anyone could have anticipated it. For this reason alone I had convinced my mother to stay home and allow me to apparate to the platform alone. It was worth it not to see my mother's tear streaked face once the foul words started pouring out of my peers mouths.

I continued down the corridor to the Slytherin compartments. They weren't necessarily for only Slytherins but for my entire time here, we were the only ones to occupy the last spaces of the train. As I rummaged past scrutinizing looks and angered glares, I felt a wave of hatred overcome me. Not hatred for the ones sending me these rage filled looks, no, never them. They had reason to feel such things. The hatred I felt was towards my own father who had raised me on biased, blood crazed mania. The same knowledge that was then repeatedly pounded into my head by my Aunt Bellatrix and the Dark Lord himself.

I was pulled out of thoughts when I bumped into a tiny figure.

"Pardon me," I began, helping her off the corridor floor. "I was lost in thought and didn't see you there."

She looked to be about a second or third year, so I extended my hand to help her from her spot on the corridor floor. The look she had when appraising my hand was one of horror. She shrunk back away from me and grabbed her things. She was gone quicker than a bat out of hell.

I rubbed a hand over my face and sighed, continuing down the hall. I made sure not to get too deep into my thoughts, because I did not want another encounter like that to happen. I could only take so much.

Finally, I reached the compartment that was currently being housed by Blaise Zabini, Daphne Greengrass, and Theodore Nott. These were my closed friends; even after the war they had been there for me. I had been there for them as well. Even though Blaise was a neutral party in the war, he was still as affected as the next guy. He lived in constant fear for himself, his mother, and his little sister, Maggie. Daphne's family was also a neutral family and they, along with Blaise, were purebloods. That being said, the Dark Lord spared them, but would eventually call on them if he had won the war. Everyone, believe it or not, was rooting for Potter to win. Lastly, Theodore was in the same boat as me. His father was in the Inner Circle of Death Eaters and he was soon to become one. Luckily for him, the Dark Lord was too distract finding the Elder Wand to fully initiate him.

Slowly I opened the compartment door, as to not startle them. Daphne was first to greet me. She ran towards me and gave me a huge hug that I hadn't been ready for. Physical contact with others was something I hadn't had in several months now.

"You need to eat more, Drake." She said disapprovingly as she looked at my figure. "You're practically skin and bones!"

Blaise agreed with her as he gave a greeting hug as well. We had been corresponding through letters since the end of the war, but I hadn't seen him in person since the the Final Battle.

Theo and I exchanged a quick handshake before I sat down beside him. In his hand, he held the Daily Prophet reading the title, "Hogwarts Reopened, Students Returning Today!" I sighed again and reached over him to grab one of his candy wands.

"We were just talking about the changes Hogwarts has probably acquired." Daphne filled me in. She was a rather welcoming person, which was hard to believe seeing as how she used to be best friends with Pansy.

"What have you suggested so far?" I asked, completely interested.

Daphne then continued to prattle on about the changes stated in the Daily Prophet interview with Headmistress McGonagal. There seemed to be a never ending list of changes and renovations. The only one I had heard about was the Hall of the Remembered, where pictures of the ones who had died during both wars were placed. A special section of the hall was dedicated to War Veterans and Heroes like: Dumbledore, Snape, and Mad Eye Moody.

As the ride progressed, there wasn't much action. No one had come into the compartment to tell me and my friends off and no one sent us scowls and glares through the glass, but that was before we all went to change into our robes.

We left Daphne to change in our compartment, deciding that it she didn't need any heat from the other students. The three of us went to find a changing room. We had to go our separate ways once we couldn't find one for all three of us. Upon my search, I received a whooping total of 13 death threats, 20 snide comments, and at least 50 glares.

I think that's a new record, I thought sarcastically as I walked out of the dressing room. I was once again interrupted by running into someone. I hope I wasn't making a habit out of it.

Without thinking or caring who it was, I reached down on the ground to pick up all the clothes that had dropped along with a books labeled, Pride and Prejudice. I knew it to be a muggle book because the authors name and the title didn't sound at all familiar. I held my arms out with to hand the person their stuff and once they grabbed it, I spun on my heel to leave. I was stopped, however, by a small hand clasping my forearm, demanding me to turn and face her.

Granger's face was light up with an odd combination of surprise and understanding as she uttered two words, "Thank you."

I nodded with my eyes downcast, hoping this would end sooner rather than later. It was awkward enough that her small fingers were grazing my Dark Mark. I didn't need her saying thank yous either.

I looked back up at her, hoping she'd seen the discomfort in my eyes. She apparently didn't because she spoke again.

"Why do you look so frightened to speak to me? It isn't like we haven't had a decent conversation before." She said, reminiscing back to our discussion in the court room.

"I'm not frightened." The words came at so much harsher than intended.

She didn't appear to be stung or shocked by my words though, "There's the Malfoy I know. Of course you aren't too frightened to speak to a stupid little mudblood like me. How idiotic to think so."

Perhaps she was a little stung.

Her words made me clench my teeth together. I roughly pulled my arm from hers before saying, "Don't you dare, Granger. I don't need this shit from you too."

I was gone before she could respond.

"Drake," Daphne's sweet voice flooded my brain. "What's wrong?"

I groaned and plopped down next to her, "What's right?"

Everyone knew what I was talking about. How could they not? Hogwarts was a different atmosphere than before the war. That much was obvious, but none of us had expected such hatred toward every Slytherin. It was completely uncalled for, especially when a good fifty percent of them had nothing to do with the bad side of the war.

"At least there's some light in all this though." Blaise spoke next.

He had our attention now.

"Draco's being announced Head Boy at the feast. Once everyone hears that, they won't be able to mess with him without consequences."

That did brighten my mood considerably.

"I also be able to protect you lot as well." I responded with a small grin. "No one's messing with us this year. I'll make sure of it."

"Be careful," Theo said with a halfhearted smirk. "You almost sound like a Gryffindor."

We all groaned in unison before laughing. It felt bloody fantastic to laugh again. I hadn't done so since an uncountable number of months. And with a quick glance at the three of them, I don't think they had either.

A feeble knock sounded from the door of our compartment.

There stood Hermione Granger, looking oddly uncomfortable and at a loss for words. That was unusual for someone as bossy and know-it-all like as her.

"Malfoy, we have a prefect and heads meeting to attend. We're in charge of it. I was meaning to tell you that early, but we kind of got off on a bad note."

The three others in the room snapped their heads toward me, wondering what exactly she meant by that.

"Uh, yeah sure." I said unpleasantly, clearing my throat. "I'll follow behind you."

"I'll grab your stuff if you're not back in time," Daphne assured me as I was about to grab newspaper and sweets. I thanked her quickly before following Granger down the corridor.

We didn't speak one word to each other before we reached the meeting's compartment.

Inside, a group of at least 20 students had assembled. Among them were the Indian twins, Weaslette, Longbottom, a few people from my house, and some Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws whose names I couldn't recall.

A sudden uproar was heard throughout the cabin from the occupants of all the house except my own.

"Quiet down everybo-" I cut Granger off with some words of my own.

"Look, I know all of you don't particularly like me. It's understandable seeing as how I was a Death Eater and I treated all of you like rubbish, but I'm more than qualified for this position. Professor Dumbledore wanted me as Head Boy for as long as he's wanted Granger as Head Girl. He knew I'd be able to handle the position and all it's responsibilities more than adequately. And if you question Dumbledore's opinion, take it up with McGonagal."

I was then met with silence as the accusing people stared astonished at me. Whether it was for my speech or the fact that Dumbledore himself had picked me, I wasn't sure. Probably the later.

"Moving on," Granger shifted everyone's attention to her. "We need to go over patrolling schedules and partners."

"That being said, here's a spread sheet." I pulled one out of the folder Granger had been carrying and set it down on the table in the middle of the room. "Go ahead and fight over who and when you want your patrol. Granger and I have Monday nights from curfew to midnight."

Granger did the honor of filling in our names on the spread sheet. I automatically noticed that she had the most girly handwriting I'd ever seen. It was basically loops and swirls.

I snorted lightly to myself, thankful that no one noticed.