Draco had prepared himself for the fact that it would not be easy to just turn up at Hogwarts again. Too much had happened, too little was common knowledge. His parents had been acquitted, mostly because of his mother's suicidal act, but they were subject to strict conditions for the time being and had to tolerate Ministry employees in their estate on a regular basis.

Sighing, he leaned back on the large leather sofa and closed his eyes.

He himself had fought tooth and nail against returning to Hogwarts. He was an adult, he had seven years of school behind him. The fact that the last year had not been completed and the quality of teaching had suffered greatly did not matter to him. He did not want to expose himself to the stares of his classmates who did not know what had really happened. But his parents and the Ministry had made it very clear: if he returned to Hogwarts for a year and conducted himself well, he would be welcomed back with open arms into wizarding society as a working member.

It was part of his punishment for being guilty of Dumbledore's death. No matter what superficial reasons the Ministry and the members of the Order of the Phoenix gave, Draco knew that it was really just to get back at him after the fact.

It started on the train. The horrified looks and the not-so-silent murmurs about his mere presence had been hard to bear. As if he were scum. As if he did not belong there.

He was glad Blaise and Theo had joined him. They had not been forced to repeat the year. They were here by choice. They stressed that they just wanted to be properly prepared for the job market, now that their family fortunes had shrunk considerably due to the war.

Draco secretly suspected that they wanted to stand by him.

But since they said nothing about it, he too said nothing. Snakes were loyal, but they did not talk about feelings. Draco hoped that the same loyalty he felt for his two best friends applied to the rest of the Slytherin students this year. He knew the students from the other houses would give him a hard time, but he could deal with that as long as he could find peace in the common room.

So far, none of the younger students had said anything to him, but the school year was also still young. Maybe he should at least try to make friends with the fifth-year prefects.

His gaze wandered to the group of highly motivated students sitting at one of the desks, doing homework together. The first week was not over yet, so most of the others were still eagerly at work. He looked back into the flames of the fireplace. He could not share this motivation. He knew he was supposed to be producing good grades, but in reality, he was only here as punishment.

The stares he endured every day in the Great Hall spoke volumes. The Gryffindor students in particular made no secret of the fact that they would love to kill him if they could get away with it. Ever since he had overheard the first quiet conversation in which younger students had considered letting him fall down a flight of stairs by accident, he only left the common room in the company of Theodore or Blaise.

The fact that Granger, of all people, was the only one of the Gryffindors to return was the last straw. Most of last year's seventh year students from Gryffindor had been declared war heroes and received direct offers from the Ministry, Gringotts or St Mungo's. All of them had accepted the offers.

Except Granger.

She strutted through the corridors, heavily packed with books, either alone or accompanied by the youngest Weasley, as if it was the most natural thing in the world that she was here again.

When he had bumped into her on the train, he wanted to get off again, no matter what requirements the Ministry had for him. She, on the other hand, had smiled and greeted him and then walked past him as if nothing else was wrong.

"Well, what dark thoughts are you hatching now?"

Draco looked to the side in surprise. He had not noticed that Blaise had sat down next to him on the sofa. There was a mocking smirk on his black-haired friend's lips, but Draco was not fooled by it. Concern spoke from his gaze.

"I was just thinking about how strange it is that Granger is here again," he explained, struggling to make his tone sound casual and relaxed.

Nodding, Blaise rubbed his chin. "Yeah, weird, isn't it? I bet she's been inundated with offers just like the others."

"Surely everyone wants Potter's best friend, who is also Muggle-born, in their ranks," Draco picked up the thread. He could not help but be more than suspicious about the whole thing.

"You'd think you two had no idea what makes Granger tick," interjected Theo, who suddenly appeared behind them, his hands propped on the back of the sofa.

"How are we supposed to know anything about her?" Blaise shot straight back. "How would you know anything?"

Theo did not engage in the provocation, instead rolling his eyes dramatically. "Hermione Granger, often referred to as the brains of the Golden Trio. Hermione Granger, who has top marks everywhere. Hermione Granger, who spends more free time in the library than any of us. Hermione Granger, who still has a question no matter how many times Snape has told her to shut up."

"All right, all right!" Draco waved both hands through the air. "I think we get it. She seriously wants to learn some more."

"Bingo," Theo confirmed as he walked around the sofa and dropped down on the other side of Draco. "I asked directly yesterday and this was her answer."

"Since when have you been so close with her?" Blaise raised an eyebrow in suspicion..

"Since never," Theo replied dryly. "She was alone in the library yesterday when I was looking for a book. So, I just asked because I was curious. And unlike you two," he looked back and forth between Draco and Blaise emphatically, "I'm not a fan of gossip, so I ask others when I want to know something."

"You've become even more exhausting over the summer!" Blaise complained before leaning back and resting his head on the back of his neck. "Get off your high horse."

Against his will, Draco had to grin. Blaise and Theo were always busy provoking the other, but when it was suggested that they just stay out of each other's way, they became even more enraged. At least this way his everyday life was never boring.