Disclaimer: i own nothing but the plot, everything else is the creation of JKR.


HPOV

I knew we were still moving when I woke up. As my eyes adjusted to the yellowish light in the carriage I realised that we were close to Hogwarts, it was dark outside and the lights were on inside the train. I suddenly appreciated the comfort of the Head's carriage, when I'd fallen asleep I must've fallen asleep on one of the firm yet soft cushions on the seats. I turned to bury my face in the cushion only to realise that it wasn't a cushion at all. I'd fallen asleep on Draco Malfoy. I immediately tried to move myself without waking him. God it felt so strange! One minute we hate each other the next I'm falling asleep on him and he's got his arm around me. Wait...he had his arm around me the whole time!? What the hell was going on!? I quickly shuffled myself to the other side of the bench and looked at Draco. I had to admit he even looked good whilst he slept. His hair flicked over his face and he looked peaceful. There were ruffle in his shirt from where I'd been lying but he didn't look untidy, he looked irresistible. I looked out of the window and saw the first lights of Hogsmeade. A sigh of relief escaped my lips, the tension in the carriage was getting to an ultimate high and that was with Draco sleeping!

'Draco, wake up, we're almost at Hogsmeade.' I whispered whilst giving him a gentle nudge.

'I'm coming, I promise.' He grabbed my hand at that point.

'Er....Draco?' I said a little louder. His eyes shot open and he followed my gaze to look at our hands which were perfectly entwined.

'Oh, sorry Hermione.' He sounded embarrassed. I was suddenly glad that I wasn't the only one who knew what that felt like.

'We're almost at Hogsmeade; I thought you'd appreciate the heads up.'

'Yeah thanks. I don't think it would look to good if the Head Boy didn't get off the train.' He let out a nervous laugh, a rare sound from a Malfoy.

I grabbed my robes from the shelf above the window and waved my wand. My robes were fresh on my person whilst my jeans and hoodie combination sat folded on the shelf.

'How did you do that?' he asked me amazed.

'Like this' I replied and did the same thing only whilst pointing my wand at him. He stood looking at me and then at his robes before smiling.

'You'll have to teach me that one, it's a much easier way to get dressed in the mornings.' I beamed at him. I'd never thought I'd get such a compliment from Draco before.

'Draco?' I asked

'Yeah?'

'Did you say something to me right before I fell asleep?'

'Yeah...' he said taking a sudden interest in his shoes and the floor surrounding them.

'I knew you did. I thought...well I thought I'd.....'

'Thought you'd what?'

'I thought I'd imagined and it was in the dream I was having.' I blushed furiously.

'Sorry to disappoint but it was a compliment that came from these very lips.' He said with the infamous smirk creeping onto his face.

'Well I'll take the opportunity to thank you and let you know that you don't look to bad yourself these days.'

'Is that so Granger?' he asked taking a step towards me.

'Mhm.' was all I managed to say. He leaned in closer towards me and I could hear his steady breathing and I looked into his piercing blue grey eyes to see him looking right back at me. I felt his hand reach out to mine and I took it. Once again our fingers entwined with each other and his other hand held onto my waist. I felt myself melt into his arms and our lips were merely inches away when....

'Hermione the prefects are done patrolling and we need you and Mal.....What the bloody hell's going on here?' It was none other than Ron Weasley coming to tell us about the prefects.

'I...er....You should learn to knock Ronald.' I said was I felt my cheeks redden.

'I was merely telling Granger what was to happen if she got to close to me. Personally I think it'd be a mighty shame to have to break pretty little mudblood's fingers, but if she can't keep her distance then she'll find her self more in Madame Pomfrey's company than yours.' He spat at Ron.

'You break her fingers I'll break your neck. You hear me?'

'That's no way to talk to Head Boy Weasel. 10 points from Gryffindor.' He let go of my hand and pushed me gently but firmly onto the seat behind me.

'Run along Weasley, and tell the rest of the prefects that the Patrol Rota starts on Monday.' Ron gave Malfoy one more look full of malice before closing the door and returning to his own compartment,

'I'm sorry Hermione.' He whispered not even looking at me.

'It's fine. Keeping up appearances right?' I gave him a weak smile.

'Yeah. 'Mione, what happens between us at the moment has to stay that way. I'll lay off you in classes and when I see you with my friends but I won't stand and defend you either.'

'Sure. Just don't pick me up and drop me like I'm just some other slag. I need to know that there's something worth keeping a secret.'

'There will be.' He finished. I grabbed my wand and opened the door to go and find Harry, Ron and Ginny. I had to make sure that Ron didn't become too suspicious.

'Hello?' I said as I entered the compartment where I could hear the familiar voices.

''Mione are you alright? He wouldn't actually break your fingers right? It was just a threat wasn't it?' Ron was the most concerned.

'Yes I'm fine. I reached over to get my robes and Malfoy thought I'd gotten a little too close to him so he decided to threaten me to teach me a lesson. I swear that boy's getting worse.' I said as I sat down in the space next to Ginny.

'You'll tell us if he threatens you again though?' it was Harry who spoke next.

'Yes I promise I will but I get the feeling that he's going to be avoiding me as much as I want to be in the same room as him.' I caught Ginny's eye and she slyly raised her eyebrow at me. We felt the train beginning to slow until it gradually came to a stop. Finally we had arrived.

I was first to reach the door out of the train so I opened it and held it open, waiting for one of the many prefects to continue my job. My wish was soon answered as Hannah Abbott stepped out to grab the door handle and to point the first years in the right direction. I caught up with Ron and the others to go and grab one of the many waiting carriages. The ride up to the castle was both quiet and uneventful. No one had much to say and I was avoiding looking at Ginny in fear that she tried to get something out of me in the enclosed space. I was glad to be out of the carriages and into the Great Hall where the smell of the food caused my stomach to roar in hunger due to the lack of food during the day. We placed ourselves on the bench at Gryffindor table and awaited the first year's arrival. We didn't have to wait for too long.

They entered behind Professor McGonagall, each one looking for scared than the last. I tried to think back to when we had come in as small and terrified eleven year olds. I remembered absolutely loathing Harry and Ron and then being flung into incredibly dangerous situations with them.

I was brought back to the present day as the Sorting Hat began its annual speech.

I looked over at the Slytherin table, urgently trying to find Malfoy for some reassurance that he meant what he'd said. I eventually found him, surrounded by the usual low lives that followed him around and Pansy Parkinson who was hanging off of his arm. He looked incredibly uncomfortable. He looked up from his empty plate to meet my gaze. He gave me a quick smile and a wink before turning back to the sorting process. I smiled as the new Gryffindor pupils joined our table one by one.

There was chatter and laughter as the Sorting Hat was put away, every person thinking about the feast that lay ahead of us all. Dumbledore stood up and raised his hand to signal silence.

'Welcome to all students, new and old. I'm sure you're dying to tuck into this food as much as I am but I would like to say a few words. We are delighted to say that Draco Malfoy and Hermione Granger will be taking the posts of Head By and Girl this year. They are to be treated with as much respect as any member of staff and prefects are to see them with problems concerning duties first. Students are reminded that the forbidden forest is out of bounds unless you don not wish to find your way back to the castle. Many items are banned from the corridors; Mr Filch has a full list for anyone who would like to see it. Curfew is 10.30pm and 11-11.30pm on weekends. Please have a wonderful year and dig in!' As he said the words all of the golden plates filled with magnificent foods of every size shape and variety.

It wasn't until over and hour later that we began to file out of the Great Hall to our dorms. On the sixth floor I bade my fellow Gryffindors goodnight and headed towards the Head's living quarters. I reached the corresponding door and quietly whispered 'Hippogriff'. The door clicked open and I entered into what would be my home for the next year. I let out a gasp of amazement as I stepped into the common room. It was decorated with red carpets and gold and silver pinstriped wallpaper. The squashy sofa and armchairs were a deep mossy green colour and the fire was roaring, giving out warmth that heated the entire room. A door in the centre of the back wall indicated a bathroom and doors on either side pointed to our bedrooms. I instantly recognised mine to be the door on the right because there was a gold plaque with a red border with the inscription 'Hermione J. Granger'. I pushed the door open to reveal my new room.

Wow. The floor was a simple red and gold carpet and the walls were a plush, thick red. In the centre of the room there was a large bed, king-sized or maybe bigger, and a large bookcase sat next to the writing desk, already filled with all of my text books. I noticed my trunk sitting and the foot of my bed and sighed. I'd finally come home again.


Thanks again to everyone who's reviewed this for me! All of the positive feed backs given me a real boost in writing this :) and to everyone who gave me criticism or pointed out a fault, thank you to you too! it's kept me focusing and caused me to double check everything a bit more thoroughly. Keep the reviews coming and I'll give you another update soon :)
Li x