Disclaimer: ** Please note: This is a story using characters from the Harry Potter universe, which is owned by J.K Rowling. I do not claim ownership over the characters or anything remotely Harry Potter. I am just writing a plot for fun - and because Draco is hot af.


Chapter 4 – Regret

Draco's POV.

Draco had been back at Platform 9 and ¾ for a whole three minutes and fuck, did he already regret his decision to come back to school. Blaise was nowhere to be seen, despite Draco showing up a mere ten minutes before the train was scheduled to leave, as to not have to hang around waiting in the company of actual other people.

Pansy Parkinson had already strutted past Draco, chatting with another Slytherin girl, but it had made him smirk how hard it appeared for her to not even make eye contact with him. He knew straight away that she was his for the taking if he ever changed his mind.

He stood away from the train, his back to the wall of the platform, with what he hoped was a disinterested look on his face. But he was really watching the other students and their families. He briefly thought of the past years when his mother and Lucius had seen him off at the platform. By the looks of it, some parents were reluctant to let their children go back to Hogwarts, and this made Draco rolls his eyes. Sappy idiots.

He briefly wondered if his mother had actually been aware of what day it was and that he had decided to return to school, if she would have left her bedroom to see him off. Would she have fussed over him? Begged him not to return to the place they had nearly died only a few shy months ago?

He felt a small stab of guilt when he realized that she probably would have thought badly of him. There perhaps might have even been an argument, if she had of been lucid enough to form thoughts for one. Returning to the place Lucius was arrested, with the people who had created the events that led to his imprisonment – traitor.

He felt a hand grab his shoulder, and saw Blaise grinning at him, his trunk in his other hand.

"Draco, you're about a minute away from missing the train. If you miss it, you can't fly a charmed muggle car there either, that's already been done."

Draco rolled his eyes at Blaise's comment about St. Potter and his dopey sidekick then smirked as he said, "I can actually fly a broom Zabini, I wouldn't need enchanted muggle junk to get me somewhere."

Blaise laughed at Draco's comment then jerked his head towards the train, "let's go find a seat."

Draco followed Blaise onto the train, his trunk in hand, and broomstick tucked under his arm.

They walked down the aisle of the train together, looking for an empty compartment. Draco noted the look of terror he received from the younger students, and the look of disgust from the older ones. Blaise appeared to have noticed too and continued to chat to Draco, as if he was trying to distract him.

"Nice badge by the way. Is McGonagall having a laugh?"

"That's ten points from Slytherin for being a smartass. Actually no. Make it ten points from Gryffindor."

"You have got to be kidding me." Draco heard an angry voice, directed at him, from the compartment to his left. He looked in and saw Potter, Weasel, Weaselette and Granger. Weasley was bright red in the face, and Draco presumed it was him who had spoken.

"Some nerve you've got showing your face here, let alone wearing that badge on your robes" Weasley commented, his face redder than it was five seconds ago.

"I happened to have been given this badge Weasley, got a special letter and everything."

"Just forget it Ron. It will be taken off him within a week when McGonagall sees how much of a power-hungry jerk he is. Well, more so than usual," Granger said, however she hadn't even looked up from her book.

Draco couldn't see her face properly, but he could sense there was something different about her. Actually, now that he was analyzing the group, there was something different about all of them. From what he could see, Granger looked tired and … there was something else he couldn't quite pinpoint. He noticed she was sitting next to Weasley in the compartment, but there was a pile of books in between them. He also observed she already donned her Hogwarts robes, and a gold Head girl badge was pinned to them. Fucking great.

"Yes Weasley. Wouldn't want to be given a detention before you've even stepped foot onto the school grounds." He smirked when Weasley kept quiet. Potter however, commented before Draco had the chance to usher Blaise away.

"I'm sure Ron could deal if he got a detention from you Malfoy. That's only being locked in an empty classroom for what? One, two hours tops. Wouldn't it just suck to be locked away for life though? Speaking of, how's your father Malfoy?"

Draco felt himself stiffen at this comment, but kept his face impassive. "Still better than yours I believe Potter."

He gave Blaise a small nudge, and they both kept walking down the train to find a seat. He was pissed off at Potter's comment about his father, not that he gave a shit about Lucius now, but a little part of him felt comforted. Although absolutely everything had changed in a matter of months, it was a relief to know that some things had stayed the same. And apparently, a dark wizard could try and fail to take over the world, but childhood grudges remained intact and as imperative as always.


The rest of the trip to Hogwarts passed quite uneventfully. Draco had ended up in a compartment with Blaise, Pansy, Theodore Nott and Daphne and Astoria Greengrass. It had appeared the six of them were amongst the few Slytherins who had returned. Draco hadn't ever spoken much to Astoria, who was two years below him, however he had struck up a conversation with her which lasted almost an hour before Pansy 'accidently' spilt the pumpkin juice she'd bought from the trolley all over her. Draco used his magic to clean up the spill as Astoria then gave him a sheepish look, before grabbing her sister's hand to leave to change into her robes.

The feast was also boring in Draco's opinion. McGonagall ranted on about coming together after the war, giving second chances and house unity before introducing Draco and Hermione as the new Heads. As expected, Draco saw most of the student body giving McGonagall the "has she gone mad" look when his name was announced. Pansy patted him proudly on the back, as he did his best not to shrug her off.

At the end of the feast, a tiny third year student whom Draco did not know the name of, timidly tapped him on the shoulder. "Um, e-e-excuse me Mr. Malfoy sir?"

"Yes?"

"P-professor McGonagall would like you to meet her in her office straight after the feast" he stammered, adding nervously, "if that's okay with you?" when Draco cocked an eyebrow at him.

Here we go.

Draco nodded at the third-year student before leaving the Slytherin table and heading towards Dumbledore's old office. He was standing at the gargoyle concealing the staircase when he realized he had no idea what the password was.

Fuck this.

He turned around the leave when he heard a stern voice say, "Going somewhere Mr. Malfoy?"

"Coming to look for you Professor." She almost smiled at his lie, before saying the password ('Fawkes"), and leading him into her office.

"Take a seat Mr. Malfoy, please." She looked so serious, Draco briefly wondered if she had changed her mind, and was now going to ask him to leave the school. He sat down anyway.

"So … I suppose you think I've gone mad?"

"Sorry Professor, but I think the whole school thinks you've gone mad."

"This was actually an instruction I received from Professor Dumbledore before his death-"

"-Well then, it all makes sense now-"

She cleared her throat before resuming what she was saying, "Before his death. I was to give you responsibility if you showed any degree of change. Any glimmer of seeking redemption. Professor Dumbledore appeared to believe that you were – are – a good person. He also believed that given the right circumstances, you could excel."

Draco laughed at this. Didn't Dumbledore remember this "good person" that had almost killed him in the Astronomy tower? The same person who became a Death Eater, and worked for Voldemort for almost a year. In that moment right there, he was more aware of the Dark Mark underneath the sleeve of his robes than he had ever been before. Although he knew the mark was now inactive, nothing more now than what muggles called a tattoo, he swore he could feel it burning him.

"Professor, I'm not sure what you think you see, but I'm sure as hell not seeking redemption," he made a face at the word. "Am I happy the Dark Lord is dead? Yes. Why? Because I'm selfish. I may be a lot of bad things Professor, but I am smart. Smart enough to know that my life was going to be better-off and easier in a world Saint Potter helped save."

McGonagall's face softened, although he wasn't sure why, considering the turn the conversation had taken.

"If you knew this all along Draco, why did you join Voldemort's cause?"

"Because I am not a good person, Professor." Because family was everything.

She appeared to consider this for the longest moment, before clearing her throat and looking him in the eye.

"Well Mr. Malfoy, in line with Professor Dumbledore's wishes, I will allow you to trial the Head boy position. However, I meant what I wrote in that letter. I will be keeping a close eye on you. Any reports from the Head girl that you are abusing your privilege and I will re-assign the role quick smart."

He was just about the argue – and he wasn't completely sure why he was pushing his luck, he just really wanted to understand what the fuck was going through McGonagall's head – when the Headmistress interrupted. "And speaking of, here is Ms. Granger. Congratulations."

Draco saw Granger smile at McGonagall, although he was sure the smile didn't reach her eyes, before she locked eyes with him and frowned. He tried to look as though the last 10 minutes with McGonagall had bored him, rather than confused the hell out of him.

"As I was just saying to Mr. Malfoy, Ms. Granger, I will be keeping a close eye on the pair of you, to ensure you are creating a positive influence on the student body, and assisting with rebuilding the school to its former self."

"Pardon me if I'm out of line Professor, but how exactly do we expect someone who has had nothing but a negative influence on the school, to promote such things?" Granger shot him a dirty look before looking expectantly at the Headmistress. Well how about that, applause for Granger. He had never heard her question a teacher, let alone undermine a decision from one. He had noticed on the train she was different somehow – was this new kind of audacity it?

If it was anyone else questioning her authority, Draco assumed McGonagall would have been pissed off. But it was Gryffindor Princess Granger, so the Headmistress just smiled at her and nodded.

"In the interests of encouraging second chances this year Ms. Granger, I have decided to lead by example. You should try too." She continued before Granger could get a word in, "Now, your new dormitory. Let me take you there now."

She took them down to the second floor, to a corridor not far from the main staircase leading from the Great Hall on the first floor. She stopped in front of a large portrait of an Arctic wolf, pacing in the snow. The wolf regarded each of them calmly, as if waiting for something.

"Canis lupus" McGonagall said clearly, and the portrait swung open. "That will be your password until you change it."

As they stepped through the portrait, Draco examined his surroundings. He grudgingly admitted his new dormitory was nice enough. The common room was a midnight blue, with couches, chairs and other furniture alternating colors of white, grey and various shades of lighter blue. It was almost as if the room was mirroring the snowy portrait that guarded it, although it had a warm feeling to it. Draco noted the fireplace to his left. To his immediate right, there was some bookcases, and a desk. In the far-right corner of the room, there was a small kitchen, boxed in by benches that had stools at them. Lucky the stools are there, otherwise where would Granger and I eat breakfast together, Draco thought sarcastically.

He noted three doors in the furthest left-hand corner of the room. The one on the left had a small portrait of a lion on it, Draco assumed this was Granger's room. Straight opposite him, the middle door, was blank. The door to the right of this one, had a small portrait of a snake.

"Each of your rooms will also have a password, you can set these after I leave. The middle door between your rooms is the bathroom. I have left your bedrooms undecorated, there is a bed, dresser and desk, but you can decorate them as you please." She paused as she looked at them both, "any questions?"

Draco shook his head as Granger replied, "no professor".

"Good well, I shall leave you too it. A reminder that you have both come back to school this year for a purpose, and going to Azkaban for murder is not it. Please, do not kill each other."

And as the Headmistress turned to leave, Draco felt that it didn't bode well that all three of them hadn't laughed.


Author's note: Draco's getting his sass back! Please drop me a quick review!