Disclaimer: As you know I don't own any of these characters, and I don't pretend to. They are someone else's ideas, and I just wish to elaborate on them. Please read and enjoy. And reviews are most appreciated.

As soon as he had stepped off the train, his stomach was feeling ill all over again. He could see everything as if it were the day it happened. He was letting himself be washed over with this feeling, until he heard Hermione behind him. "Stop that; don't pick on the first years." She yelled over the loud noise of the bustling crowd of students. She had already started her duties, and with this Draco assumed his must start.

The trip to the castle seemed as long as it ever could have been, he and Hermione weren't allowed to ride in the carriages. They were required to stay behind and round up any slackers. They put the last students in their carriages, in turn started their trek up the ground and through the gate of Hogwarts. The large castle sort of shone, all the lights in the castle were lit giving it a kind of eerie look.

Draco could feel the tension in the air, he had noticed it the second that he had stepped out of that compartment on the Hogwarts Express. It had eased slightly, but still lay very thick around them. He had thought of these moments so many times in his bedroom back at Malfoy Manor, and still the planning had made no difference. Her presence had always left him in a stunned sort of phase, it had always been Potter or Weasley that had caused the great backlash he had against her. The comments, the names, the gestures, were all a result of something that she herself had not caused. It pained him slightly as he thought of this, he wanted to stop her, grab her arm and explain his life, his reasoning's, and his plan to keep her safe. He instead kept his composure, and his arms at his side. She would never believe him if he told her, she had no reason to. He again loathed himself a little more; he had almost come to completely hating himself.

The feast carried on as it always had. Malfoy had taken his seat in between Crabbe and Goyle, in his usual spot, the one he had been sitting in for six years. He glanced up and down the table at the front of the room; Professor McGonagall sat in the place where Dumbledore himself would usually occupy. Snape was nowhere to be seen, Slughorn sat still in the potion teachers spot and a new teacher was sitting in the Defense Against the Dark Arts seat. She was sitting tall and proud in her seat, and she had a very kind look covering her face as she spoke to Madame Hooch. Her hair was of a dark brown and fell neatly on her shoulders. She had eyes that were violet and twinkled in the candlelight.

All the students in the hall quieted as Professor McGonagall stood, they all had taken notice to the authority she now held. Professor Flitwick stepped through the main entrance of the hall, shortly followed by all of the first year students. Most of them glanced around the in a sort of terrified manner, while some of them looked as if they refused to peel their eyes away from the floor. The sorting started as usual and when they were finished McGonagall stood again.

"Welcome, to another year at Hogwarts. As you have all noticed I have taken the place as Headmistress, I will be following the same rules as Dumbledore himself followed for all these years pass. I wish to assist anyone who needs it, and as Dumbledore would have I am willing to hear anything from my students. And with that being said, I would like to introduce our new teacher. She will be teaching all of you Defense Against the Dark Arts. May I now introduce, Professor Lake Calypso Campbell." Professor McGonagall presented the new teacher who stood and made a kind of bow as the students and other teachers clapped. "Now, we will have our meal, and retire to our rooms for the night. You must all be well rested for the first classes tomorrow."

He sat as the food appeared on the tables, and the students began eating. Draco had no appetite, he rarely had these days. Instead he picked at his food, glancing a few tables over and watched Hermione as she ate and laughed with her friends. Draco wondered what that would be like, to have friends, real friends. Friends to have fun with, to laugh with, to not have fear of saying something that would get back to a greater power. He continued to dream about what real friends would be like as he watched her from across the room.

The festivities had died down as the students filed through the doors, and Draco fell back as McGonagall had instructed, and as the students thinned he saw Hermione standing a fair distance away. He kept away from her, and instead gave passwords to the students who needed them. The students had all gone and they were the only two left, as he wonder what to say to her, he realized that he didn't know where their dormitory was. She must have taken notice to this fact too.

"Where is our room?" She strode up to him.

"I have no idea." He stated. "I figured you would know."

"No, I have no idea." She glanced around. "Well what are we going to do now?"

Draco could only shrug his shoulders, basking in the fact they were actually having a civilized conversation. He wondered if she could tell that his heart was beating very fast or that his mind was reeling. He loved that there was no hostility between them.

As if their prayers have been answered, Professor McGonagall came sauntering down the hall. "Hermione, Draco, I nearly forgot your room is on the third floor, the second corridor behind the painting of the house elf. The password is 'unity'." She continued down the hall to her intended destination.

They set off, she barely paid any attention to him on the journey to the room. He had however noticed, that every few moments she would glance at him from the corner of her eye. He tried to act as if he hadn't noticed. If it had been the old Draco, he would have pointed it out the second he noticed, he would have called her a Mudblood. He would have made unrightful accusations, but now he felt a pleased feeling rush through him.

After entering their room, they went straight for their proper rooms.

"Goodnight, Hermione." Draco called as he walked up the stairs to his own dormitory.

Hermione walking up her own stairs, turned at these words, and felt a smile creep to her lips.

A/N: I hope you enjoyed. Please review. I really really really appreciate them.

Love.