Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters portrayed in this story except Caralynne. J K Rowling is the coolest person ever, and I would never use her works to make myself money.

Great, now that that's all cleared up, I can get on with the story. I was up pretty late last night trying to get this out, and well, so I hope you guys like it. Like I said, I do not plan on leaving this story hanging, because there are some great plans for it in the future. It is meant to end up as a novel length story, so I hope you guys can all handle the fact that it will take a long time to come to completion.

I know that there has been nothing so far that requires a rating of M, but just bear with me.

--

All of a sudden, September came around. Hermione and Cara were finally going home to Hogwarts. Hermione for the last time, and Cara for both first and last.

While Hermione was obviously really excited, she was also fairly nervous, because of Cara's attendance this year. She was not concerned that Cara wouldn't make friends, or get along with people, she was just worried about her sorting.

Cara was not the kind of girl that would generally be in Gryffindor, and she was not intellectual enough for Ravenclaw, or meek enough for Hufflepuff. That only left one house. Slytherin. The home of Hogwarts' reigning scaly Prince, Draco Malfoy.

For obvious reasons, Hermione did not want her lovely cousin in a den of snakes, although, coming from Australia, Cara would likely be able to handle them. The question was, would they be able to handle her?

Hermione and Cara were completely silent as they drove to Kings Cross Station. Hermione, for reasons that were just made known, and Cara for different reasons. Reasons pertaining to one of the most famous Hogwarts students ever known. Harry Potter. Hermione's best friend, and the object of most, if not all of Cara's lust. And now they were attending the same school. She felt faint with just the thought.

When they caught sight of the magnificent station, they were both startled out of their thoughts. Hermione pulled into one of the only empty parking spots, a crazy distance from the entrance. However, when she was taking the keys out if the ignition, she saw a crowd of ginger haired people, with a shaggy black haired man in the middle.

"Harry! Ron! Ginny!" She screamed out, drawing most everyone's attention. Their heads snapped around, hearing the voice of the last member of the Golden Trio. They looked at her oddly for a moment, then took off running towards the car, the two Weasleys almost getting hit by more than a few cars.

When he reached the car, Harry reached in and pulled Hermione out, spinning her around, and placing her, laughing on the ground beside her car. He ran a hand through her hair.

"Where did our little bookworm go?" he asked, smiling. "You changed over the summer, 'Mione. You look amazing." Just then Ron and Ginny caught up, panting heavily.

"Wow. 'Mi. Look. Great." Ron managed to pant out, before leaning heavily on the hood of Hermione's car.

"Hey, hey. None of that. This is a beautiful vehicle. It is meant for relaxing IN, not ON. Hmpf." Huffed Cara, obviously a bit miffed at being left out of the action, and startling Ron into falling onto his arse.

She smiled, and reached out a hand in apology, "Hey, I'm Cara, Mia's cousin from Australia. You're Ronald, I take it?" she introduced herself, dazzling the youngest Weasley boy. "Uh… y-yeah." He stuttered, silenced by Cara's looks.

Looking over to see what was going on, Harry and Cara locked eyes. Cara smiled coyly, and Harry blushed scarlet and smiled back, holding out a hand. "I'm Harry." He said, still looking a bit overwhelmed. "Cara." She replied, and pulled him into a bear hug.

"I'm your biggest fan," she whispered in his ear, seductively, and Hermione couldn't help but giggle as she saw him blush even redder. Then she felt a tap on her shoulder, and turned right into a huge hug from the youngest member of the Weasley family.

"Ginny! How are you?!" she said, excited to see her best girl friend. After a bit of small talk, Hermione glanced at Harry, still looking mesmerized by Cara, and lowered her voice.

"What's going on with Harry? You guys aren't still…" she trailed off, seeing the slightly pained look on the younger girl's face. "No, we stopped that a while ago, but I don't know if I still like the decision… Herms, I want him back." She whispered, struggling to hold back the tears that threatened to fall.

"Oh, Gin, it's alright. Don't worry, everything will work out. We'll talk more about it at school, yeah?" She said, trying reassure the upset girl in her arms. "Yeah, okay." Ginny hiccupped.

Hermione pulled out her cell phone, and made a face. They were only 10 minutes early now. There would be very little time to visit with the elder Weasleys and some of the Order. "C'mon guys, we should hurry up," she said, loading up her and Cara's carts, and starting to lead the way to platform 9 3/4. After a few close calls with muggles seeing them disappearing into the wall, and some amazement (on Cara's part), they made it onto the platform, and met up with the adults of the Order.

Hermione had explained the Order of the Pheonix to her cousin with permission from Professor McGonagall, so Cara wasn't confused when Moody, Lupin, and Tonks came up to the teenagers, giving out hugs and things to "keep them safe". Not that there was to be too much danger this year, Harry and Dumbledore had ended Voldemort's reign of terror last year, costing Dumbledore and a few others their lives.

This year, they all got mirrors to communicate with each other, like the mirror that Harry had from Sirius. Upon seeing them, Harry had to turn away, tears in his eyes. When Sirius had fallen through the Veil, Harry had tried and tried to contact him through the mirror, but it seemed that his godfather had left it in 12 Grimmauld Place, so even if it were possible, Harry would not have been able to speak to him.

The whistle blew, and all of a sudden they were rushing around, trying to get everything organized and on the train. Hermione was just thankful that she had magically enlarged the inside of her trunk so that all of her new clothes fit. Finally, they were on the train, moving closer towards their last, and sure to be eventful last year at Hogwarts.

--

About 15 minutes into their journey, Professor McGonagall came into their compartment, and asked to speak to Hermione. She informed her of her position as Head Girl, and gave her a pat on the back, and her pin. Hermione, of course, was speechless with excitement, and thanked her Head of House profusely, before heading back into the compartment with instructions to report to the Heads Compartment before the end of the ride.

When she got into the compartment, everyone was smiling at her, having guessed what the talk was about.

"Oh, you're so lucky, Mia!" Cara exclaimed, "I am so sure that whoever the Head Boy is, he'll be a erfect match for you! You two'll make the perfect couple!" She said, earning herself a look from Ron, who then turned to Hermione, saying "You're not actually going to consider DATING the guy, right?"

Hermione just laughed. "You guys, I don't even know who it is yet! It could be Malfoy, for goodness sakes, then you'd all be eating your words." At the mention of their old enemy, Ron, Cara, and Ginny made a face, but Hermione was looking straight at Harry when she said it, and he just gave her a "we need to talk" look. She nodded in response.

"Well, I better be going, McGonagall wants me in the Heads Compartment sometime soon, I think," she said, getting up and grabbing her bag, slinging it over her shoulder.

As she was walking down the hallway, she worried about what the year would bring. She had a bad feeling, and the closer they got to school, the worse it got. So lost in her worries was she, that she didn't even see the man standing in front of her until she was flat on her arse, looking at up at his smiling face.

He was tall, about 6 foot 4, and he had beautiful dark skin, eyes, and hair, and the most gorgeous smile. He held his hand out to her, offering to help her up.

"I see you discovered my ability to impersonate a brick wall," he said, in a high class Italian accented drawl. He ran his eyes up and down her body, before looking at her in slight confusion.

"I'm sorry, I don't think I've seen you around here before… are you the new student?" He said, looking slightly confused, as if he thought he knew her face, but couldn't place it. This must be the other half of the Slytherin royalty, Malfoy's right-hand man, and fellow Sex God, Blaise Zabini.

"Oh, you know me, I'm sure," she said, a laugh in her voice, "but if you don't, the name's Hermione. My friends call me 'Mione, though," she said, almost laughing at the widening of his eyes, and the way his jaw almost dropped. She was sure that if he hadn't had manners drilled into him by parents that it would be somewhere near his knees.

"You're Blaise, right? Zabini?" she asked, trying to start a little conversation. He seemed alright, for a snake. And he's pretty, she reminded herself. Maybe Cara was right, maybe this was the year for change and new relationships. Maybe Blaise wouldn't be a bad start.

Finally the man seemed to come out of his stupor, and grinned at her. "Yeah, it's Blaise. I take it you're to be my other half for the rest of the year?" he said, a smile in his voice, and a kind chuckle when he saw her reaction to that little bit of news. "Oh, you're Head Boy? I didn't know that Slytherin bred smart people…?" She said, smiling to show she was teasing him. He just smiled. This was going to be a good year.

--

Hermione sighed for what seemed like the thousandth time that evening. She sat in her rooms, looking around. It wasn't that she wasn't happy with them, it was just that they were too… rich. She had grown up generally not spending more than what she needed to, but this year, what with Cara and all, she had been thrust into the world of the rich and powerful, it seemed.

Again, she looked around, sighing. The rooms were gorgeous, but it was too much for her. They were huge! She thought back to when she and Blaise were brought to their dorms.

.:.:..:.:.:.

After eating the magnificent opening feast, Professor McGonagall had led the two out of the Great Hall, and across the corridor, to a magnificent tapestry, with the Hogwarts Crest at the top, and a painting of a grand lioness with a scarlet collar, and a majestic green python, with silvery designs on his back. The lioness and snake seemed to be conversing silently when they walked up, then they raised their heads and stared at the two.

"This is the entrance to your rooms. I trust you will find everything to your liking, and remember, although you have your own dorms, that the rules still apply to you two. Although we are always hoping for a miracle allegiance between your houses, you are expected to know the boundaries." She said, looking at them pointedly. Looking over at Blaise, she saw him smirking at her sexily, and had the good grace to blush.

"Now, I will leave you two to explore your rooms on your own. We have made sure to add some secret rooms only available to the two of you, to ensure privacy, and safety in the event of something… unsavory. Now, your password may be changed whenever you both wish it, and remember, as the Headmistress, I will automatically be informed. Now you two may choose the password, or just use the existing one, lassez-faire. I bid you both goodnight." With that, McGonagall turned with a swirl of her robes, and strode away.

"Well, do you want to change the password, or are you alright with it?" Hermione asked Blaise, not really caring either way. "Well, in this situation, I feel as though it is appropriate to leave it be." Blaise said, looking over to her for conformation.

"Yes, it means something along the lines of 'let it be', right? I think that is perfect for this situation." She agreed, now turning to the tapestry.

"Lassez-faire." She said in a clear, strong voice, addressing the two animals in the painting. The python looked at Blaise, and after seeming to approve of him, he turned to Hermione. He looked her up and down, before nodding to the lioness, who had just done the same, in reverse order. Then, the two turned to the teenagers, and nodded, wordlessly letting them pass.

The common room was more than Hermione had ever expected in all her years. She looked around, admiring the design of the space. It was very modern, but very plain. They wandered around, looking at the furniture, and the reading material. Hermione noticed that on the coffee table, neatly organized sat every most recent issue of most of the fashion magazines, and the leading news magazines. There were a few huge, comfy arm chairs, situated around the fireplace.

To one side of the room there was a small kitchenette. On the counter there was a parchment. Hermione picked it up and read:

Hello Mr. Zabini and Ms. Granger,

I hope that you are enjoying your accommodations. It was created in such a way that you two may together choose the color scheme for the common room, and you may each do the same for your personal bedrooms, however the rest of your rooms have had the colors chosen for you.

You have both been chosen for a good reason, so keep your wits about you, and remember to encourage House unity. I trust you two to do an amazing job with this.

Good luck with your studies, I wish I could have been there long enough to see you complete your education with us. Unfortunately, if you are reading this, I am likely dead.

Sincerely,

Albus Dumbledore

Hermione felt tears gathering in her eyes, but managed to hold them back, and turned back to Blaise, who had a dumbfounded expression on his face.

"Wow. So I guess the old man was organized, and knew what he wanted to happen." Blaise said, with a small smile in place on his gorgeous face. "Well, either that or he just knew what McGonagall was sure to do," Hermione suggested.

"Hmm, maybe, it's possible. Well anyways, you can choose the color scheme, I'm no good at that kind of thing. Just please don't make it red and gold…" he said, laughing at the end.

Hermione grinned in response, and started thinking of the colours that would look good in that space. She liked the fact that it was very modern deco, that gave her a smaller range of color to choose from. "Do you like purple, Blaise?" she asked, picturing the room in white, black, and violet.

"I don't think I've ever seen a color scheme based around the color, but I guess I trust you not to make the room hideous," he teased, looking around, wondering what she was thinking.

Hermione smiled. She had it. "So you agree with my idea then?" She asked, just making sure that this would work.

"Yeah, totally," Blaise answered, and they both felt the magic in the room acknowledge his answer. In response, Hermione closed her eyes, and pictured the room as she wanted it.

As Blaise watched, things started changing color. The walls remained white, but the shag carpet turned black. The couch turned violet, and the throw pillows were white and black. As it turned out, those three colors ended up being the main ones. There were a few splashes of lime green and hot pink around the room, but Blaise couldn't complain. The girl had an eye for design.

They wandered around, looking at everything, Hermione proud of how it turned out, and Blaise making little sounds of approval at random intervals. They sat on the couch and talked for a while, before deciding to go explore their own rooms. There were two doors through the kitchen, the one on the left in silver, the right in gold. Hermione and Blaise seemed to have the same idea, that the color related to house, and went to stand by their respective doors. There weren't any handles on the door, but there was a pad beside the door, which, at closer inspection seemed to be a handprint reader. Hermione put her hand on the pad at her door, and all of a sudden felt magic travel up her arm. As soon as it came, the feeling was gone, and the door opened.

She walked in, wondering what that feeling was, and all of a sudden it left her mind. She had just walked into the most glorious reception area that she had ever seen. It was tastefully decorated in red and gold, and there were gorgeous tapestries hung around the room. She walked up to one, and saw what seemed to be a family tree. Upon closer inspection, she saw that it was the family tree of one of the first wizarding families. Looking at the rest, she noticed that they were the same. She gasped. She had the family history of all 7 original wizarding families, and their descendants.

At the opposite end of the hall was a moving spiral staircase. Hermione stepped on, and was taken up to the next storey. She stepped off the staircase into what seemed to be a library. There were two storey tall arched windows along one wall, and there were shelves and shelves of books along the other three walls. There was also a fireplace, with a few more comfy armchairs and a coffee table. Just to the right of this there was another door. Through this was her bedroom. Again, everything was in white, giving her the choice of color. This time she didn't have to think very hard about it. As everything was modern, she did mainly the same thing as the common room, but this time the walls were a kelly green, and the couch and chairs stayed white, with black throw pillows. The bed had black and silver silk bedding, and thousands of green and white pillows. If she didn't know better, she would have said it looked almost… Slytherin. But she did know better.

There was a mirrored wall opposite the windows, and on the adjacent wall, hung huge swabs of delicate black and silver silk. Behind this lay a hallway, leading into a huge bathroom, with a bathtub the size of a swimming pool, and a luxurious shower that mimicked rainfall. The hallway also lead to Hermione's own personal gym, which she was very happy for. Boy was it nice to live like royalty.

.:.:..:.:.:.

Hermione smiled, remembering how Blaise had asked her for advice on how to decorate his room, and she had refused. Just recently, he had invited her to look around in his rooms, and she had noticed some huge differences. For one, his reception area was smaller, without the family trees, and there was no spiral staircase, instead there was a huge windowed hallway that was two storeys tall. This hallway branched off into a gym, a bathroom, and a potions lab, complete with cauldrons, stirring rods, and a fully stocked ingredients cupboard. When Hermione went into his bedroom, to many protests from him, she saw that it was decorated in red and gold. When she turned to ask him he just blushed.

He was going to come see her rooms today, she just remembered. As she sat there waiting for him to get there, she wondered how the hell this ever happened to her. Who would've pictured the Gryffindor Princess being friendly with one of the Slytherin Princes.

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A/N: There you go, guys. Finally a full-sized chapter. I am still looking for a beta, so if any of you want to help, my email address is .ca.

Thanks guys! And please remember that little button that says review.

Love you guys

MissCaralynneMalfoy