Not Over By A Long Shot

"Reunited"

"So how was your summer?" Goyle asked his best friend, Draco, as they lounged in their train compartment. "I didn't see much of you." Goyle was right, Draco hadn't made it to any of the parties that they usually attended during their summer break. This was due in part to his mothers wanting to spend as much time with him as possible and her making him promise to keep a low profile. While Draco would have rather partied, he could understand why his mother was so determined to be with him. After all, they'd nearly lost each other for good, not too long ago. But even if he would have preferred to party his summer away, Draco had to admit, his summer hadn't been all that bad. He'd actually enjoyed the quality time he'd spent with his Mum; that is until his father came home.

"I just kept to myself this summer," Draco sighed, as he lay sprawled across three of the seats. Usually, his head would have been in Pansy's lap, as he lounged in the compartment; but after Draco had officially denounced the Dark Lord and all that he stood for, Pansy had washed her hands of him. Draco had always thought that if things between him and his long-time girlfriend came to an end, he'd be heartbroken over it. After all, they'd been together for as long as he could remember but when she'd walked away from him, Draco had to admit, he didn't really care too much.

"You should have hung out with me more. It sucked not having you or Crabbe with me," Goyle said, stretching his long legs out in front of him. This was the first time that either of them had mentioned Crabbe since his death, and quite frankly it wasn't a topic that Draco wanted to dwell on.

"Aww, how sweet," Draco joked, playfully. "My Mum wanted us to spend some time together. She's convinced herself that after finishing my last year at Hogwarts, I'll head out into the "real world" and never come see her again."

"My Mum was saying something like that too," Goyle laughed, "But I just ignored her."

"Yeah, well, I actually love my mother," Draco replied, rolling his eyes. "Besides, it was actually kind of nice just hanging out with her. At least it was until my father came home."

"Yeah, I heard he'd gotten out of serving any time in Azkaban. It was all over the papers. I'd love to know how he managed that one. I figured he'd be lining up to get the Dementor's kiss. But it seems like Minister Shackelbolt's being pretty lenient on most of the Dark Lord's followers, save for a few." Goyle said, shaking his head in awe that Lucius had managed to weasel out of trouble yet again. "Was your father pissed that you denounced good-ole Voldy's ways publicly?"

"Don't know," Draco said, shrugging. "We kept our distance from each other, and when we did speak, I did my best to piss him off and he did his best to hide the fact that it was working."

"He didn't hex you or anything?" Gregory asked, dumbfounded. Draco shook his head. This was very out of character for Lucius. If Draco so much as looked at his father wrong, he was in for a world of hurt; so to hear that Lucius hadn't so much as raised his voice at Draco for intentionally pushing his buttons, was a hell of a shock for Goyle.

"I think my Mum must have let him have it when he got home," Draco guessed. "I kept getting the impression that she was watching him very closely."

"Well at least your Mum's in your corner instead of his," Goyle replied. "She was always so nice."

"Yeah," Draco nodded.

"So, do you think you and Pansy will hook up this year?" Goyle asked, changing the subject. "I heard that you were named Head Boy, and you know how she is about having the best of everything."

"I don't want her back," Draco said, sounding as if he was set in his decision. "To be honest with you, I don't think she and I have much of anything in common, aside from being rich. She's not even all that pretty, if you really look at her. I've seen Hufflepuff's who look better naked..." Before Draco could finish his sentence, the door to his compartment slid open and very timid looking young boy peaked inside.

"Excuse me... but Headmistress McGonagall asked me to let you know that she needs to see you in her compartment as soon as possible."

"Why?" Draco asked, sitting up in his seat.

"I'm not sure exactly," stammered the young wizard, "but I heard her mention something about Head's duty." As Draco stood, pulling his robe on over his slacks and oxford, the young boy hurried down the hall back to his own compartment, hoping to avoid a run in with Draco.

"Good luck," Goyle said, laughing. Everyone knew that McGonagall did not like Draco, and she'd do everything in her power to make sure that his seventh year was a miserable one. Apparently, the old witch didn't take too kindly to someone trying to kill her close friend and confidante, Albus Dumbledore.

"I'm gonna need it," Draco said, heading out the door.

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"It's about time," Headmistress McGonagall said, tersely, as Draco slid the door to her compartment shut. As he turned to face her, Draco was greeted by the unexpected sight of Hermione Granger, next to her Head of House. "Naturally, that know-it-all would be Head Girl," he thought. He couldn't believe that thought had never crossed his mind, after finding out that he was Head Boy. Suddenly, with the prospect of having to share a common room with Granger looming over head, being Head Boy didn't sound so great. Further inspection of the compartment revealed a haughty looking Zacharias Smith and an unknown girl with shiny, extremely long blond hair. Draco wasn't sure who she was since her head was turned and she was staring out the window at the rapidly passing landscape.

Without so much as a word, Draco flopped down directly across from Granger, which placed him between Zacharias and the unknown blond. For several moments, they were completely silent, not really sure of exactly how to begin.

"Oh, hello Draco," the blond girl said with a nervous look on her face, turning to face the new guest that she just realized was present. "Nice summer?" Draco just rolled his eyes, not even looking up to see that the unknown blond was in fact Luna Lovegood. If he had, he probably would have behaved differently.

"Did you want something?" Draco asked, snidely, "or did you just want the pleasure of my company?"

"Watch it, Mr. Malfoy," McGonagall warned, sounding as if she was just waiting for an excuse to hex him. "I've asked you here because, as you know, you've been elected Head Boy. Unlike during past years, we have a very large seventh year which consists of both last years sixth years and the sevenths who's education was completely disturbed by the war. All of the the sixth years and younger were able to complete their testing, so those who met the standards required of them were allowed to move to the next year. Last years seventh years were never able to complete their final tests. I will not have students leaving Hogwarts without having received the best education possible. Therefore, all of the previous seventh years have been allowed to return to Hogwarts and complete this year uninterrupted."

"Look, I know this stuff already, can I go," Draco snapped, rudely.

"No, you will sit there and listen," the Headmistress said, sternly. "As I'm sure you've figured out, Miss Granger has been elected Head Girl. Due to the circumstances of having two years combined together, we have decided to elect two Head Boy's and Girl's, one pair representing each year. Mr. Smith and Miss Lovegood will also be Head's. I've no delusions about the mutual disdain between you and Miss Granger, so I don't expect you too to sit here and chat. I do however want to express to you both that I will not tolerate any of your usual arguing. You four represent the cream of the crop, or at least you're supposed to, and I simply will not allow you to tarnish the prestige of your position. Are we understood?"

"Yes ma'am," Hermione piped in immediately.

"Yes, Headmistress," Luna and Zacharias said in unison.

"Mr. Malfoy?" McGonagall said warningly. "Are we understood?"

"Yeah."

"Yes, ma'am," the professor corrected, sternly.

"Whatever," Draco sighed, standing to leave. He didn't make it halfway down the hall before he felt someone grab him by the arm and spin him around.

"Look Malfoy," Hermione huffed, shaking her hair in hopes of getting her bangs out of her eyes but failing. The long wispy bangs did wonders to frame her face and show off her newly straightened mane, but it certainly wasn't practical, especially if she was readying. "I don't like you, and you don't like me, but that doesn't mean that our last year has to be hell. I don't want to spend my days dodging your insults. And if memory serves me correctly, which it does, you owe me big time. Twice we saved your life that night. So you'd better..."

"I don't care what you want, Granger," Draco laughed, turning to walk away. He didn't get very far though. Using the palm of one of her hands, Hermione shoved the much larger boy against the wall of the trains corridor, his body positioned between two small windows.

"Malfoy, I've busted my ass these last seven years to earn my spot as Head Girl, and I'll be damned if some sniveling little brat is going to ruin the fruits of my labor. I don't care if the sight of me makes your skin crawl, you'd better just suck it up and move on. If you can't, then maybe you ought to consider relinquishing your title as Head Boy. I warn you, you may be an asshole, but I'm an even bigger bitch and if Voldemort couldn't stand toe to toe with me, I don't think you'll stand much of a chance either." Without giving Draco a chance to respond, Hermione turned on her heels and headed towards the compartment that she was sharing with her friends.

"What a bitch," Draco murmured, storming back to his own cart.

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