Disclaimer: I don't own the rights to the characters or anything related to the Harry Potter universe. Mores the pity.

He knew that it would take time for him get used to physical contact that wasn't meant to harm or arouse, that simply just was. That's what holding Granger against the wall had been. There was no motive behind it, nothing either was seeking. It simply was. It had rattled him though, to be pushed so far from his comfort zones, first by that blasted river and then by her gratitude. Another thing he was still adjusting to. He had done some awful things in his past, and he'd like to think of his actions now as penance rather than something that warranted thanks.

Still, not wanting to argue in the state he was in, he'd nodded his acceptance and headed through the door. Only to find himself arrested mid step. He was aware of Granger running into him and briefly frittering on about something, but it was short lived as she stopped to take in the grandeur of their accommodations.

It was like nothing he'd ever seen before, like something from a fairy tale.

The portrait door opened onto a lush sitting room with two low couches running perpendicular to a large stone fire place. A cozy love seat was at the other end of the sofas, and a dark raw wood coffee table ran the length. Just before the fire, there was a foamy pillow pad covered in what looked to be the softest velvet. The small kitchenette held an icebox and a set of dark cabinets, a small sink and a two burner stove. He'd recently learned what a stove was through a muggle children's picture book, but that was no one's business but his own thank you very much.

The small dining table looked the size to fit four, and indeed four comfortably worn wooded chairs with soft cushions on them circled it. There was also a long window bench covered with throws and pillows that looked over a bit of the black lake.

The entire space seemed to be appointed in loamy earth tones. Which was entirely fitting because their room had a patio of sorts which encompassed a small densely wooded area. It was obviously of magical origins, no wild area would be able to survive in an enclosed room, but it was awe inspiring all the same. There was a small wooden deck and a stone path that lead to what appeared to be a spring fed hot tub. The everyday sounds of the natural birds and beasts of the woods played on, but it was almost like a soundtrack, because there were no living things in the faux forest. It was so surreal that he thought for sure he'd never break his gaze, until a small squeal from Granger pulled him from his wonder.

She had turned from the door that separated them from their private forest, and he now followed her line of sight to what had captured her attention so. The wall on which their portrait hole sat was not truly a wall at all. Every spare piece that was not an entryway had been converted into a massive bookshelf. There were great tomes palm sized fairy works, books made of paper and books made of thinly stretched giants skin with the words tattooed into the skin. There were volumes and novels and reference books. Looking at Granger, he thought she might cry.

He wasn't sure he could blame her.

Draco strode toward the bookcase and unpinned a note he'd noticed. It was addressed to the both of them.

Mr. Draco Lucius Malfoy Miss Hermione Jean Granger,

I cannot tell you how glad I am to finally have you here. Professor McGonagall I specifically chose this room to act as your Head-quarters, if you'll forgive the pun.

After everything that has been asked of you, and all that you've willingly sacrificed in the name of what is good, please enjoy everything this room has to offer. The book wall is bespelled to have what you need. If there is a research text you need or a new novel you've been aching for, simply think of it and you'll find it on the shelves.

The kitchenette will always be stocked, though you are of course more than welcome to take your meals in the Great Hall. In fact, for my benefit, I'd ask that on school days you limit your lunches to the Hall. This room is thus that it would make you remiss to return to your studies after a good meal.

There are no creatures roaming the wooded area, though there are the occasional projections. You have nothing to fear from them. The spring will clean itself so do not trouble yourselves with it.

Relax, learn, fulfill your duties as Head Girl and Head Boy. Have a good year, students.

Sincerely,

Albus Dumbledore

Headmaster of Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry

He read the note once more, satisfied that he'd not missed anything, and passed the note to Granger saying, "Apparently these rooms are our consolation prize for being terrorized by an insane dark wizard for years. Who knew the payout would be this good?" he said snarkily, but his heart wasn't in it. She seemed to recognize this and with a laugh, she replied, "If I'd have known I'd get a bespelled bookshelf, I'd have conquered evil years ago." She had a nice laugh, if he was being honest. Not breathy or light like one might expect of a witch her size, but deep and unrestrained. It. was nice.

He left her to read the message and went to explore the rest of the rooms.

The bathroom was truly something of a dream. It had a toilet tucked into the front-most corner behind a wall for privacy. There were racks stacked with fluffy, freshly laundered towels and rags and baskets in which to place the dirtied linens. Convenient, Draco thought, as he had the awful habit of leaving his soaked towels on the bathroom floor for the house elves to gather. He suspected he wouldn't be getting away with such things now that he was living with the founder of S.P.E.W.. The back wall was almost entirely dedicated to the two glass enclosed shower stalls. The tiles of the stalls were multitude of serene blues and greens, and the glass was frosted for privacy. They were separated by a marble vanity with a large mirror and two wash basins, sitting atop a large cabinet that likely held their combined toiletries. They certainly had seen to giving them each their own amenities, he noted. Perhaps they were aware of the likelihood of their Head Boy and Girl refusing to share.

The only exception to the duplicity it seemed, was the bathtub - the as in one - but what a tub it was! Nearly deep enough to be considered a soaking pool, the oval shaped tub was sunk into the floor and appeared to be made of some kind of smoothed obsidian stone. It was big enough to intimately fit two or comfortably fit one, and he couldn't help but think that he really could've used this after quidditch matches to ease his achy muscles.

The thought of quidditch made him wistful. He'd had to drop it last year due to all of his extra curricular activities both with Dumbledore and with Voldemort. Draco had been just exhausted and there was no way he could keep his balance on his broom let alone stay attentive enough to play seeker. Perhaps he'd finally be able to take back up the sport, now that he wasn't running himself crazy trying to save the world. Honestly he didn't know how Potter had done it all those years and still beaten him almost every game. He might've felt a grudging respect for the dark haired wizard if he and his ginger sidekick didn't annoy him so much.

Shit. He'd probably be seeing the wonder twins a lot more now that he and Granger were not only working but living together. He let out a sigh of the long suffering and went to look at his bedroom.

Once she'd tracked down the book about the River of Souls McGonagall had told them about, Hermione went off to explore her room. After the grandeur of the shared quarters, her room was a bit of a let down. It was perfectly nice and not unlike her dorm room in Gryffindor tower, save that she didn't have roommates. The four poster bed bedecked in burgundy and gold seemed quite comfortable, and the various bookshelves were already stocked with her personal book collection. Hermione mused that many would likely be surprised to see she had nearly as many novels as she did research texts. She may always have her nose in a text book, but that didn't mean she didn't like to lose herself in a good story too. There was a small writing desk and stool against one wall and a large armoire against the other where presumably the house elves had already packed away her clothes too. It seemed a touch ordinary given the rest of the rooms but by no means was it lacking.

"How you're meant to sleep in these obnoxious colors is beyond me" a drawling voice behind her said. Silently she cursed herself for forgetting to close her bedroom door behind her. She was exhausted and wanted nothing more than to relax, which didn't include verbal sparring with the Head Boy.

"Well how you're meant to exist with your obnoxious personality is beyond me as well so I suppose we're even," she quipped at him. "What do you want, Malfoy? We may be housing together but my bedroom is expressly off limits to you."

He gave a rather undignified snort. "As though I'd have any interest in your sleeping arrangements. I actually just wanted to see if you wanted to set some ground rules for living with each other. Seeing as how we've never had much cause to be around one another, I thought you might want to make boundaries clear."

She was tempted to say no just for the sake of arguing even though it was childish; she couldn't help that everything he said made her want to fight him. Still, It would be a good idea to get some rules laid down. She nodded quickly and motioned for him to lead the way into the sitting area. They took opposite couches and faced each other across the low coffee table. She almost laughed at how it reminded her of scenes in muggle movies where two negotiators would sit down at a board meeting to discuss the terms of an agreement. Merlin, she really needed some sleep, being this silly wasn't like her.

Malfoy cleared his throat and said, "Well fist things first, we'll agree on basics. No overly slovenly behavior, give each other warning if we'll be having more than one or two people over, no touching each others possessions, no entering the others room without permission. And just to satisfy any curiosity, mine looks nearly identical to yours though with a much more tasteful color scheme." She rolled her eyes at the jab but this all seemed reasonable so she dipped her head and he continued. "We have to both be comfortable living here so I propose we make an effort to keep anyone who hates you or I away from here if they can't behave." She quirked an eyebrow at that.

"Do you recall who we are? Who our acquaintances are? That's nearly the same as saying we seclude ourselves here", she said in a somewhat disbelieving tone. He couldn't really expect her to never have her friends over, and he knew their history. She couldn't imagine not taking advantage of the hot spring for a spa day with Ginny or listening to Harry and Ron crack jokes in front of the fire. Well, maybe she could imagine not having Ron there. She could still see him at meals and in class, and she could obviously still go to Gryffindor tower, but the hurt was still fresh for her and a small part voice in her head said that some distance might do her some good. Healing and all that.

He merely shrugged at her and said "I disagree. I'm sure you have a friend or two who can manage to keep civil and same goes for me. I'm not arrogant enough to try and make you feel uncomfortable in your own living space and I'm not accommodating enough to be made to feel that way myself. My friends don't have to like you but they're keep polite while they're here or won't be allowed back. I'll expect you to extend the same."

Giving a snort of her own, she said, "Well I don't expect you'll have very many visitors then. Can't imagine your lot would be too thrilled to spend time where your cohabitant is a mudblood." The slur still held a lot of hurt for her but she wasn't about to let him see that. She hadn't been looking at him but when she did, she found his slate colored eyes to be stormy and full of anger.

"Do not pretend to know me, Granger. I have spent the past few years learning who I wanted to be and who I wanted to surround myself with as opposed to just who was judged suitable, and I'll not have you standing in judgement of me and my friends based on years old assumptions made when we were children. Who is it you think I'm close enough with to invite here who would disrespect you like that, especially after the stunt I pulled last year? More over, when is the last time you ever heard me use that word, directed at you or not?" He was breathing slightly heavier now, and Hermione could do nothing but stare wide eyed as he dressed her down. "I am not the child I was, or even the young man I was a year ago. I don't expect you to know but as we'll be spending much of our time together, I will at least ask that you agree to my terms and reevaluate your stances instead of drawing conclusions without current evidence. Trust me, I spent years doing just that. It's no way to be."

For a few long moments, all she could do was stare. Had she really just been told off for her prejudices by Draco Snobby-Elitist-Prat Malfoy? And more importantly, had he been right? It was true, he wasn't the pointy faced git who'd called her a mudblood that he'd been. In fact, he was right again that she couldn't remember the last time he'd used the slur period or been directly insulting to her. He'd had plenty of confrontations with Harry and Ron and she;d just assumed herself to be in it as well since they were all a unit, but he hadn't actually said anything cruel to her since...Merlin since third year when she'd hit him. She felt her cheeks start to flame at the realization that she truly didn't know the boy, the near man, sitting across from her. She'd just accepted that he was a bigoted arrogant arse & hadn't given it another thought. Having always thought of herself as forgiving and aware of people's natures, she found herself a bit ashamed that she'd never even considered that he might've grown out of the prejudices he'd been brainwashed with since birth. And she should have, she scolded herself, as his actions had lead to the fall of Voldemort and his death eaters. Why would he do that if he still believed that someones blood status determined their worth as a magical being?

Hermione took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "I don't like you, Malfoy", she said in what she hoped was an even tone, "and I don't trust you. There's too much history. But you're right that I'm not really being fair to you in my assumptions. In truth, we don't know each other at all. I apologize."

He looked mildly shocked at her apology, but he just nodded his acceptance and that was that. "So, we're agreed on the ground rules? We can add more as they arise but they seem like a good basis for this"

She could barely believe that they had just had a discussion without yelling at each other, let alone had come to agreeable terms for their living situation. This truly was going to be a bizarre year, she thought.

"Alright Malfoy," she said, sticking out her hand to seal the deal with a shake. "We're agreed."