"Malfoy?" Hermione said questioningly, walking over to him, "What are you doing here?"
"I have a meeting with the headmistress," he stated boredly, trying to step around her.
She blocked him easily and stood in his way. "Well, you'll have to come back later. We're waiting on the Head Boy so we can go over our duties," said Hermione sharply.
Draco rolled his eyes at her, "When will you get it through your thick skull that I am the Head Boy?"
Hermione's mouth opened slightly with shock. "You? The Head Boy?"
"Trust me, I was just as surprised as you were when I found out," he said with a shrug.
When she just stood there, still staring at him, he raised his eyebrows then said, "Are you going to move or what?"
She glared at him before turning on her heel and walking towards the Headmistress, Draco following behind her.
"Did you really assign Malfoy as Head Boy?" Hermione asked the elderly witch.
McGonagall raised her head and focused on the girl, "Yes. Is there a problem?"
Hermione gaped, "Well, the fact that he's Malfoy is one. He's a Death Eater for crying out loud!"
"Ex-death Eater. Especially now that Voldemort is actually gone," said Draco said cooly.
Ignoring him, Hermione continued, "He let Death Eaters into the school two years ago! He tried killing Dumbledore. He-"
"Enough, Miss Granger," said the Headmistress sternly but quietly. The look she gave Hermione told the young witch she was starting to cross the line.
Hermione frowned, thoroughly confused. Draco just stood there, his hands in his pockets.
"Please, have a seat," said McGonagall motioning to the two chairs.
Hermione sat in the chair she had previously been in while Draco sat in other. McGonagall looked at the two before speaking, "While you do have valid points Miss Granger, it is not your decision who gets to be Head Boy and Girl. That is mine, and mine alone."
"But-"
"Please do not interrupt," snapped the Headmistress, starting to lose patience.
"Sorry," mumbled Hermione who looked down at her hands in her lap.
Draco sat there, suppressing a smirk, happy to have Granger in trouble for once and not him.
"Mr. Malfoy and his mother have been expunged of all charges as of a month ago," began McGonagall. Hermione's mouth dropped open in surprise but didn't say anything as the Headmistress continued, "Potter himself testified for them. Everything Draco had to do was not of his accord. It was either do what he was told or he and has family would die. After the trials, I visited the Malfoy's home estate myself, and told Mr. Malfoy here that if he so wished to come back to Hogwarts to finish school, that he would be able to do so. I was hoping you would be understanding and not treat him like a criminal… are you going to make a liar out of me, Miss Granger?"
Hermione frowned but shook her head slowly, "No ma'am."
"Thank you. That is all you really need to know of the matter. If Mr. Malfoy here would like to divulge anything else to you, that is his prerogative."
Draco shook his head, not saying anything.
"I chose Mr. Malfoy because I felt this would be good for him. It is my way of showing the other students that I trust him and they should too; or at least not treat him like a criminal. I understand there is history between the two of you, but starting tonight, you must put your differences aside and learn to work together. You are Head Boy and Girl after all, and your actions will be noticed by others. You are to set a standard of how students should behave. What better way then for a Gryffindor and Slytherin to team up and show such an example?" she said with a thin smile.
Hermione blinked a few times not saying at first. When she realized that the Headmistress was expecting an answer, she said, "Yes ma'am, I understand."
Draco nodded and added his agreement.
They spent another thirty minutes going over the duties they were required to do and were also informed that since they were Head Boy and Girl, they would receive their own private dormitories and bathrooms, which were located just down the hall from the library. They were also informed that due to "shenanigans" that had happened within the private rooms in previous years, members of the opposite sex are not allowed in their room and an alarm would go off if one set foot in there. McGonagall then told them the incantation of how to set their password and sent them on their way.
Draco and Hermione walked down the corridors together in silence, keeping a few feet distance from each other. Hermione promised McGonagall she wouldn't treat Draco like a criminal, but she never said she'd talk to him if she didn't have too. Draco didn't seem to mind, seeing as he wasn't saying anything either. It surprised her though, when he merely started chuckling to himself as they got closer to the rooms.
She looked at him curiously and he glanced her way before continuing to look ahead of him. "You should have seen the look on your face when I told you I was Head Boy. It looked like you ate a vomit flavor bott," he said.
"Well, do you blame me? After everything you've done..."
"I believe the Headmistress told you not to treat me like criminal," he reminded.
She glared at him, "Listen Malfoy, you may have been expunged from all charges, but that still doesn't give an excuse to how you treated me, and my friends, before all this started. We're supposed to show a united front in front of our peers, that's fine. When we're doing our duties together we will be cordial, same as when we're in classes together. Otherwise, don't talk to me."
She walked faster after her little outburst, wanting to get away from him. He continued to walk at a leisurely pace. "That's fine Granger," he called after her, "You'll just have to deal with me for the year, then you can be rid of me forever, alright?"
"Can't wait," she mumbled, as she got her dorm entrance. She set up her password (Snuffles) and let herself into her room.
She looked around saw that it was easily the size of her dorm in the Gryffindor tower, only there was just one bed. There was a huge desk for studying and doing homework and off to the side was a small bathroom that had a shower, sink, and loo. There was even a little couch along one wall to curl up in, which was exactly what Crookshanks was currently doing. Her belongings were already there and she quickly unpacked her things so it was one less thing to worry about. She changed into her pajamas then curled up into bed. She wrote a quick letter to the boys and then another to her parents that she would send off in the morning. She turned off the bedside lamp and instantly fell asleep.