**HERMIONE**

"You filthy mud-blood, how did you get into my vault?" I heard her scream at me.

"I didn't go into your vault," I pleaded with her.

"Then how did you happen to come across this sword? You are lying! What else did you take?" she screamed at me.

"I didn't take anything, I promise," I begged her crying. Almost as if I could tell what was coming, I felt it. Pain of my flesh being cut open by a knife along my forearm, and all I could do was scream for help.

"Hermione!" I felt someone call my name, but I was entranced into my dream; I couldn't wake up. Then I felt someone shaking me.

"Hermione, wake up, wake up! You're dreaming," the voice told me. I slowly opened my eyes and saw him leaning over me; white blonde hair, pale blue eyes, stalky muscular shoulders. It was Draco Malfoy.

"How did you get in here?" I demanded.

"You left your door unlocked. I heard you screaming and thought you were in trouble. I'm sorry if I scared you," he said looking down at the floor. "I'll leave you to go back to sleep or get dressed, whichever you like. Im heading down to breakfast," he told me and vanished from my room.

I could not believe it. I hadn't had that nightmare in months, and here I am having it again. Every time I dream it, it becomes more and more real. I shake the thought and get out of bed. Breakfast did sound amazing. I looked through my wardrobe and settled on a pair of jeans, a t-shirt, and a hoodie. It was Saturday and I had no one to impress so I was going to be comfortable today. After brushing my teeth I did a quick glance at myself in the mirror. My hair was a wreak so I just put it into a ponytail. I would have to learn that spell Ginny told me about to make my hair straight. I would ask her later today. I shrugged my shoulders and left for the Great Hall. The smell of breakfast lingered up to the 1st floor. MMMM. It made my hunger even worse so I ran down the remaining steps. I walked quickly into the Hall and surveyed the Gryffindor table until I spotted Ginny.

"Hermione!" she shrieked and jumped up to give me a hug. "How was your night?"

"It was ok. The room is amazing! I cant wait to show you!" I told her, not wanting to bring up the fact that I keep having the same nightmare over and over.

We sat down and I immediately piled my plate with french toast and bacon and dug in. "How on earth did you get the common room to stay quiet after I left?" I asked her, trying not to talk with food in my mouth, although it was hard. The food here was too good.

"I told them they would all get detention for the rest of the weekend if they didn't go to bed right then and there, so everyone cleaned up and was in bed within 10 minutes."

"Very good Ginny, and next time just give them detention," I told her laughing. We continued eating breakfast until we both had our fill. "Uhh I don't think I can eat another bite," I said getting up to stretch.

"Me either, what do you want to do today?" she asked.

"I haven't really thought much on it, are we allowed to go to Hogsmade?" I hadn't thought about going there, but I knew we were both of age, and given the state of things we both went through last year I would hope McGonagall would cut us some slack and let us go.

"It never hurts to ask," she said and grabbed my hand and pulled me running down the hallway to her office, nearly running into the old lady herself.

"Ms. Granger, Ms. Weasley, what on earth is the hurry?" she scolded at us.

"Sorry Professor, we were just coming to find you. We were wondering if we were allowed to go to Hogsmeade today," Ginny asked with a worried look on her face.

"Well, I don't see the problem with the two of you going, but don't tell anyone else and be back by 4pm sharp for our guests," she said winking and walked away toward the Great Hall.

"Who do you think the special guests will be?" Ginny asked me.

"Probably the ministry again, I only hope they keep Umbridge out of here," I said remembering all the trouble that happened that year that she was here. Shoving the bad memory out of my mind, I grabbed Ginny's hand and took off to the front door. We walked to the outer bounds of the school and I apparated us to the shrieking shack.

It was a beautiful September morning. The leaves on the trees were changing into dark oranges and yellows and the birds were beginning to fly south. I absolutely loved this time of year. Ginny and I wandered down the busy streets looking into the little shops, stopping at a clothes store, Honeydukes, and George's joke shop, stocking up on clothes, sweets, and a few pranks for the first years. "Hello ladies," George said happily as we walked in the joke shop.

"Hello George, how are you?" I asked him smiling.

"Great, just waiting for all you ninnies to get a day off to come to the shop. Say, what are you two doing down here anyway, it's not a Hogsmade weekend," George said eyeing us.

"We've just asked McGonagall, and she said we can come down for the day," Ginny answered him beaming.

"Oh, where are my manners? Congratulations sis, mom sent me an owl and told me you got prefect, and Hermione, I think we all knew that you would end up as head girl," George said winking.

"Thanks," Ginny said blushing slightly.

"Say, you should get Harry to give you two the marauder's map. It would be of more use to you two than him," George said smiling. His thoughts were always up to no good.

"Oh, my dear brother, why didn't I think of that!" Ginny shrieked. We bought some puking pasties, candy, and a few other things then said our goodbyes and left to have lunch at The Three Broomsticks.

It was only one in the afternoon, but we didn't want to be late for whatever was in store for tonight and Ginny wanted to see mine and Draco's room, so after we ate we went back to the castle. We walked up to the Gryffindor common room so Ginny could drop her stuff off in her room and went to the 5th floor to my common room. We told Snape the password and walked in.

"Oh Hermione, it's amazing!" Ginny shrieked. We ran across the room to go into my bedroom. It had its own fireplace, as well as a wall of my most frequently checked out books from the library, along with a few others. It had the same four-poster kind size bed as Draco, except my sheets were a deep crimson red with gold outlining and pillowcases. It had dark hardwood floors with an oval white rug in the center, and my wardrobe with all my clothes and shoes. I showed her the bathroom and the pool-size tub and hot tub.

"Oh Hermione, I wish I lived here!"

"McGonagall did good huh?" I asked her laughing.

All of a sudden we heard a door slam, and someone plop down on the leather couch in the common room. "Who could that be?" Ginny asked looking at me.

"Oh, probably just Draco," I told her and we both went out to make sure. He was sitting on the couch his face in his hands.

"I'm gonna go Hermione, see you at dinner," she told me and left.

"Draco, are you ok?" I asked, walking over to him. He looked up startled.

"Hermione, I didn't know you were here. I'm ok, I just had a talk with father," he told me.

"Oh, well how did that go?" I asked him, a million things going through my head as to what could have been said.

"He has changed some. He still thinks that witches and wizards that are born from muggles shouldn't attend school here at all, but he will never get away with doing anything about it. Apparently McGonagall asked him to teach here about a month ago. He was the only wizard she knew that would come close to knowing about Defense Against the Dark Arts, since he was so close to Voldemort. He had to make the unbreakable vow that he wouldn't harm any of the students, or talk to any of the death eaters he once was friends with," Malfoy said and looked up at me.

"Well, it cant be a bad thing, if anything it will make him a better person in the end," I told him putting my hand on his shoulder.

"I suppose," he told me. I sat down beside him staring into the fire. I knew this was a lot of information for Draco to take in. I looked over at him. He was staring in to the fire as I was, you could tell he had a million things going on in his head.

"So, do you have any idea who the guests will be?" I finally asked breaking the silence.

"No, I asked father but he wouldn't tell me anything. He said that we will all find out this evening, but wouldn't say anything more than that," he told me.

I couldn't wait to find out what it was. Apparently it wasn't horrible, or else Draco would have said something. I would just have to wait till supper like everyone else.

**DRACO**

Walking to breakfast, I couldn't help but feel sorry for Hermione. I could only imagine what kind of nightmare she could be having. Hopefully it had nothing to do with the night her, Ron, and Harry were brought to my home and tortured. That was one of the hardest nights I have had to sit through. I didn't know what to say when Aunt Bellatrix had Harry inches away from my face, and to watch Hermione be hurt like that just killed me, even then. My aunt was one of the cruelest, most heartless people I have met. I reached the Great Hall, sat down alone at the Slytherin table, and began to feast on pancakes, sausage, eggs, and bacon. There were hardly any people in here so it was dreadfully quiet.

"Good morning son, may I join you?" father asked scaring me nearly to death.

"Of course," I told him. He sat down beside me and made his own plate and began to eat.

"You know, it has been years since I have sat and had a meal at this table," he said between bites.

"I can only imagine what you were like in school," I answered him and we both laughed.

"Why didn't they make you head of Slytherin?" I asked him as we were finishing up.

"They want to take it one step at a time, as do I. I never thought I would have to teach anything in my life, but here we are," He said laughing. We finished up and left for a walk around the black lake.

"Why didn't you tell me that you were going to be here this year?" I asked him as we got to the edge of the lake.

"I didn't know what you would say, it was so confusing trying to get everything together so quick also, I barely had time to tell your mother. I just assumed that I would tell you everything once school started, so that is what I am doing now," father told me.

"Are you nervous at all? I mean, all those kids saw you on his side last year, now you are going to teach them. If you weren't my father and I grew up differently, I'd definitely be scared," I told him laughing.

"I am concerned about what the Daily Prophet will say, but I think it will all work out," he said.

"So, who is coming to Hogwarts thats so important?" I asked him changing the subject.

"That my son, I cannot tell you," he said in the tone that I knew to well to be the tone that he wouldn't speak anymore on the matter. "Congratulations on being chosen as Head Boy Draco, I don't know how difficult it must be to share a room with that….girl. How are you coming along with that?" he asked me to change the subject.

"Father, I do not understand what it is with all of you and blood status, she is just a witch like everyone else at this school, and you cannot lie, she is brilliant. As far as living with her goes, I have only had the pleasure of spending the night at Hogwarts once, and it was just fine," I said.

"It's just the way it always has been son, it's a hard thing to change how you were raised on what is right and wrong, maybe this year I will see your side of it."

We walked around in pretty much silence after that, commenting on the scenery every now and then, but not much. I stormed off to my room when we walked back to the castle, his thoughts about 'what was right and wrong' made me too angry. I busted through the painting and slammed myself on the couch.

"Draco, are you okay?" someone asked me, scaring me nearly to death.

"Hermione, I didn't know you were here, I'v just had a talk with father," I told her. I told her what he told me. She asked about the visitors and I told her I had no idea, which got me thinking, who could they be?

The afternoon went on, Hermione sat on one end of the couch that let out into a recliner reading some book, and I sat on the other end, pretending to study up on the dark arts book my dad assigned for the year, but truly I was staring at her. The more I looked at her the more beautiful she got. Her dirty-blonde curly hair, her amazingly peach-colored skin, her ballerina type frame; her presence was almost unbearable.

"Should we get dressed for dinner?" she said disturbing me completely of my thoughts.

"Yes, I completely lost track of time," I admitted. I went to my room and changed into my robes which I despised. I wish I didn't have to feel like wearing dress everyday; I wish that I could wear a suit, or at least have casual fridays, so that we could go to class in whatever we wanted to wear. Perhaps I would take this up with McGonagall.

I met Hermione in the common room and we went down the stairs, through the corridors to the great hall. It was decorated more than it was last night. The candles were, as usual, hovering beneath the ceiling, the ceiling itself was a beautiful night sky, stars everywhere, and a beautiful half-moon. The tables seemed longer than usual, but maybe my mind was playing tricks on me. All the fireplaces along the walls were lit and burning. I was impressed. I said goodbye to Hermione, and went to my table. I hated eating alone, I really didn't have many friends at all here. I wish I could sit with Hermione, but it was simply not allowed. I soon had to take her out to tell her how I felt.

We had gotten there a little early, but soon enough, students started pouring in. As most of the tables started filling up, the teachers started pouring in too. Very soon, everyone was in their seats, talking about what all this fuss was about.

"I think they're gonna send McGonagall home and hire someone new," Pansy said.

"Oh, will you shut up!" I told her. "There is noting wrong with her, she did more than any of the other teachers here did last year. Who would you like the headmaster to be?" I screamed at her. This girl knew just what to say to get under my skin. Thank"Someone besides a professor who is in love with mud-bloods, what is the matter with you Draco, you aren't the same person as you were last year," she said looking at me like I was half mad.

"Maybe I have changed, whats it to you anyhow?" I told her. Blaze was sitting beside me staring at me just as she was, but I didn't care. I was done with Salazar Slytherin's 'great ideas'. It was a load of crap in my opinion.

"Can I have your attention please?" Professor McGonagall said above the murmur of everyone, "Thank you. Now before we begin the feast, I want to tell you that this year at Hogwarts will be very different. I need each and every one of you to be on your best behavior; I will not have any one of you embarrass the school in any way, shape, or form. Ah, I think our guests are here now," she said looking towards the two great oak doors.

Almost as if on cue, the two doors opened, my mind was blown as to who walked in the door.

**Sorry I haven't updated! I work 12-14 hour days, and didn't have much time to write the last two days, but I will try to pre-write today since it is my day off! :) oh, and sorry about the cliff-hanger, i am fixing to write the next chapter when i upload this, i just wanted to put you all on edge once more as to what will happen this year! :) hope you enjoy. thank you for your comments and keep sending them to me. be a critic! it's the only way i can improve!

~crys