Disclaimer: I own absolutely nothing except for my original ideas/plot and any original characters, everything else is owned by the author of the HP series.
But the other night I had you in my head
Called you on the phone
Want you stealing my time even though I said I wanna be alone
Oh and I should know this could never work
Oh, this could never end well
Know it's only human but I never learn
I want you for myself
-That's Us-
Anson Seabra
Chapter 2: Chances
Hermione
She sat in a compartment with Harry, Ginny, Luna, and Neville. Harry, Ginny, and Neville were in the middle of an Exploding Snap game. Luna was reading the newest Quibbler issue and Hermione had a book she was unsuccessfully trying to read. She had been stuck on the same paragraph for five minutes now. She couldn't focus because as right as it felt being with them it also reminded her of everyone she would never see again. It was a bittersweet feeling, she was content to be going back to Hogwarts because this felt like a chance for at least a semblance of normalcy and stability. She didn't have a solid plan and initially that unnerved her, but she decided that the best strategy was to rely on her studies and figure it out slowly, it would all fall into place, it had to. It's not like she had expectations to fulfill to her parents anymore even if the wizarding world had them and continued to laud The Golden Trio as heroes and speculate what they would all go on to do next. Had she not given enough already? Hadn't Harry? They were all trying their best, but the war left them carrying invisible scars that would take years to recover from if they did at all.
She was startled out of trying to read the last sentence of the paragraph when the compartment door opened to allow a paper airplane shaped memo in. It landed on her lap, they waited for her to open it.
Ms. Granger
Please report to the prefect carriage to confer with myself and the Senior Headboy briefly. I will assign your responsibilities since this position is new and thought it best to conduct this in person to mediate in case there should be any objections from either party.
Professor McGonagall
She frowned. Why would she need to mediate at all? She folds the memo in half and puts it in the pocket of her jeans.
"Senior Head Girl meeting" She smiles up at them. They go back to their game as she stands up and heads out towards the front of the train. She's a bit nervous as to why Professor McGonagall must be there to mediate, who could possibly be Senior Head Boy. She really hopes it's not someone like Zacharias Smith, for all she knew it could be him since she had no idea who else was coming back. Her destination just a couple of steps ahead she resolves to at the very least try before strangling him if it turns out to be Zacharias. She sees Professor McGonagall stand just as she opens the door and smiles.
"Professor—" She never gets to continue her sentence because at that exact moment Draco Malfoy stands up and she's met with those stormy grey blue eyes. She hears someone gasp and realizes it was her.
"Alright there Granger?" He asks her with a hesitant smile. She's flustered momentarily.
"Yes, just didn't know you'd be back this year Malfoy" She stands straighter to appear more composed than she feels.
"I hope this won't be a problem for either of you" Professor McGonagall says, eyeing them both with a calculating look.
"Of course not professor" they say at the same time. He smiles smugly and her heart momentarily stutters.
Draco
She walks in like he knew she would, as if anyone else would be Senior Head Girl.
He stands and she stares and he can't help but think how he never noticed her honey colored eyes before, never noticed anything really. She gasps and he stiffens, maybe he mistook the kiss for an acceptance of his apologies from someone who still has every reason to hate him. She only looks startled though. He greets her and she straightens up, surprised that he was here it seems. Professor McGonagall asks if it will be a problem. They respond simultaneously that it won't be, and he smiles smugly at her.
They sit across from each other as McGonagall explains that their position is for supervision of 8th years only so that the Head Boy and Head Girl still get to do what they usually would.
8th years are allowed to leave Hogwarts on the weekends and go to Hogsmeade after all classes for the day are over provided no one abuses the privilege. She hands them each a small stack of parchment that outlines all the rules and responsibilities trusting us to go over them, or more like trusting Granger to make sure it happens. She seems surprised that we're not at each other's throats yet, he would have been too before the Chamber ordeal.
She asks if we have any questions, he doesn't but is surprised Granger doesn't ask anything.
"Before I go I would just like to say that I am very happily surprised at the display of maturity from the both of you. Interhouse unity will be especially important this year and the two of you working together will go a long way to showing others that it's possible" She gives them a small smile and leaves them to it. It's strange to have someone say that and include him, who would have thought.
"So, let's just read through this and make sure we're on the same page" She offers as she starts reading. He nods and begins to do the same all the while feeling the tension building in the compartment.
For a while the only sound is the shuffling of parchment as they read through their respective stacks. It all seems standard; they'll have shorter patrols as they are only responsible for their year. He raises his eyebrows reading about their extended curfew during weekdays and nonexistent one for the weekends. They were certainly going a long way to make sure it was a transition year for them, of course all of those privileges were subject to student behavior and could be revoked by McGonagall.
"Oh"
He looks up and sees her with a pleasant look of surprise on her face.
"What is it Granger?" He asks.
"They're opening a common room for all the houses" She looks happy about that.
She reads faster than he does, he hadn't gotten to that part yet.
"That will be interesting" he says indifferently. He knows that Slytherins won't be welcome, partially he can't blame people all things considered but even before Voldemort there's always been a collective prejudice against anyone in Slytherin house, deserved or not.
She senses his apathy at the idea and frowns.
"What, too good to mix with the masses or something?" He stiffens, remembering everything he told her down in the Chamber. He can't blame her for her reaction, but it stings, and he can't pretend he didn't hope she would at least give him the benefit of the doubt or not automatically assume that he was just like before. He has to work for that though, so he shrugs it off.
"No Granger, it's just people aren't likely to be very welcoming of Slytherin's"
Understanding dawns on her face and she looks apologetic but doesn't say anything.
He resumes reading and skims to try and catch up to her, the last page is the event calendar. Looks like McGonagall has scheduled four interhouse mixers, great more opportunities for scorn. He had to be there to supervise otherwise he'd miss them altogether.
He looks up to find her waiting for him to finish.
"All done, no questions from me" he says.
"Great then, we can start patrols tomorrow since everyone this year knows where everything is. Just have to meet McGonagall after the welcoming feast to get our Head dorms assigned" she stands up. Guess Granger must know being a prefect before and all. He just nods and she leaves.
He doesn't really know how to feel about the whole thing, could have been a lot worse that's for sure.
He heads back to the compartment he's sharing with Theo and Blaise. Not many Slytherins in their year returned. Not like he cared, he was just glad Pansy hadn't decided to come back because having her fawning all over him would have been exhausting. When he enters the compartment Blaise is asleep taking up all the space on one side, so he sits next to Theo who's reading a book.
"How did it go with Granger? It was Granger, wasn't it?" He doesn't look up from his book.
"Who else would it be" he says dryly. Theo looks up from the book expectantly.
"It went fine, we can essentially do what we want so long as we don't abuse it" He smiles and goes back to reading.
"Not like I ever got into any trouble, now Blaise on the other hand is sure to push the limits on it" Theo laughs.
Great, now he'll have to cover for Zabini with Granger.
"I see you're not complaining about having to work with her" He observes. Draco has told absolutely no one about what happened in the Chamber, not the kissing Granger details and his emotional outburst anyway. The ministry got the Horcrux destruction details at his disciplinary and criminal trial but not the rest. The records were sealed now so outside of the people in that room, his mother, and Granger herself nobody knew the details of everything he had done to help the Order.
"Turning a new leaf over and all that rot I guess" He deadpans. He knows there's more to it, he just hasn't fully figured it out yet.
"Look at our Draco all grown up" Draco glares at Blaise who is apparently awake and seems to have been for at least part of the conversation.
"Can it Zabini it's rude to eavesdrop"
"It's not eavesdropping if you're having the conversation with me in the compartment. It's not my fault you assumed I was still asleep" Blaise shrugs.
Draco groans and both Blaise and Theo laugh. He can feel a headache building.
Hermione
"Everything go alright Hermione?" Harry asks as soon as she enters their compartment.
"Yeah it did, we're getting a common room for everyone and our curfews and visiting privileges are pretty flexible too," She pauses "Oh and Malfoy is Senior Headboy"
"Way to bury the led 'Mione" Ginny exclaims. Harry is already frowning and looking uncomfortable.
"Are you going to be okay with that?" He asks her, looking her in the eyes to read if her answer will be an honest one.
"Yeah, I mean you know he helped plus I think he just wants to keep his head down" She replies and she means it. Harry seems unconvinced.
"Promise if he gives you any trouble you'll come to one of us Hermione"
"I promise Harry" She hopes it won't come to that.
"His aura has brightened considerably already, I saw it when he was getting on the train" Luna volunteers. Hermione doesn't put much stock in things like that but she's known Luna long enough to know she's not just spouting nonsense.
They resume their game and Hermione is finally able to get some reading done joining conversation every so often.
The welcoming feast is solemn but with an air of optimism and brave faces. The Slytherin table is empty compared to previous years, it seems like a lot of people didn't want the association. First years sorted there looked fearful, she clapped as did Harry and Neville which got a few others to follow suit. She had no warm feelings for that house, but first years weren't to blame and McGonagall had said they were to promote interhouse unity.
They eat their fill and though she feels melancholy at being back in the castle given everyone they've lost and what happened she puts on a brave face and smiles. Fake it till you make it becomes her new motto that night.
By the time she has to meet McGonagall and Malfoy outside the Great Hall she feels ready to turn in, her careful optimistic facade starting to fracture.
She says her goodbyes to Harry who gives her a hug and whispers "Remember what I told you, anything you need Hermione".
He gives her a meaningful look as he walks away. Once he's out of sight she drops her smile and sighs. She can keep it together until she's in the safety of her room, a few layered silencing spells would do the trick. She can feel her uneasiness building as she tries to suppress the memories threatening to burst through.
"Granger" She jumps, startled. It's just Malfoy. She nods in acknowledgement, it's all she can manage. Professor McGonagall blessedly turns up right after and asks them to follow her. They walk behind her quietly and end up on the fourth floor stopping in front of a Hippogriff portrait.
"Unitas et fiducia" she says and the Hippogriff bows its head as the portrait swings open.
"I hope I can trust you both not to maim or injure the other, like I said on the train now more than ever this school and the wizarding world at large need unity" She takes her leave after letting them know which room is for who and gives them one last stern look. Hermione is used to that, she doubts that Malfoy is considering Snapes favoritism towards his snakes.
They both make their way in, Malfoy in front of her and as the portrait closes she belatedly realizes that it's possible the choice of portrait was a slight to him and starts laughing. Some of the building tension of the day leaves her body. She tries to stop but can't and Malfoy turns around startled looking at her like she's sprouted an extra head.
"You losing it Granger?" He asks and she tries to stop laughing, she can't properly breathe.
"It's just, the Hippogriff," she laughs again before she can rein it in and at that point she's laughed so hard that there are tears in her eyes "third year, and you exaggerating your injury came to mind"
"And I suppose that's hilarious" His eyes were hard, and she felt breathless as if someone had punched her solar plexus. She suddenly felt ashamed, she thought about apologizing but her mind seemed to have disconnected from her mouth.
"I didn't mean anything by it, even you can admit it was exaggerated and you were an ass about it" As soon as she said it she knew she shouldn't have worded it that way. He glared at her and clenched his hands into fists.
"Yes, and I deeply regret it. However I wish it wasn't thrown in my face as it's just another reminder of – you know what never mind" He stormed off towards his room.
"Malfoy wait" He stops before his door, his posture rigid. She feels bad now.
"Look I'm sorry I laughed, I really didn't mean anything by it"
His stance loosens a little, but he doesn't turn around.
"I just want a chance, Granger. I know I'm filth, but I am trying. I know asking for a clean slate is too much, but I thought after everything you understood. My mistake" He entered his room without once looking back and slammed the door shut before she could say anything.
She stood there feeling broken once again, her darkening mood from earlier returning. She shut herself in her room layering silencing spells and cried herself to sleep. She dreamt of being on an Australian beach, swimming with her parents before the waves took them further and further way and no matter how hard she swam she couldn't reach them.
A/N: Still a bit of a slower pace I feel but it will pick up soon. Thanks for reading! I apologize for any spelling errors or inconsistencies. I don't have a beta and I'm usually sleep deprived when I write so there is that too. Reviews are very much appreciated. I will try my best to make weekly updates.