Disclaimer: I am not taking credit for JK Rowling's characters or
settings.
Chapter 2
Malfoy stuck his head into our compartment and looked at me. "Granger. You're wanted in a meeting," he stated.
"What fo-" I stopped. "Oh! Is it about the prefects?" I asked excitedly, my eyes widening.
Malfoy just rolled his eyes. "Just come on," he muttered. With a last glance at Harry and Ron, I followed Malfoy closely out of the compartment and down the hall to wherever the meeting was being held.
I must have been so preoccupied that I wasn't paying attention or something, because I was following Malfoy so closely that when he turned abruptly to head into a compartment, I tripped and almost went flying. Before I hit the ground, though, strong arms reached out and caught me, holding me steady while I regained my balance. I looked up to see my savior, and what I saw surprised me. I found myself staring up into Malfoy's cloudy gray eyes. We held each other's gaze and that was when it hit me. He wasn't leading me here just for no reason. He was the Slytherin prefect. A wave of dread washed over me, imagining the next year, at least, spending my time with Malfoy. But as I stared up at him, I realized he still hadn't taken his arms away from around me, and the dread changed to something else, something strange. But it was soon gone, because Professor Snape came up behind us, and Malfoy extracted his arms and retreated quickly into the compartment, with me at his heels once again.
I took a seat on the edge of one of the cushions and looked around. Malfoy and I were the only students in the compartment, along with Professor McGonagall, Snape, and Dumbledore were all there; we were only missing the students and Professors from Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff.
No sooner had I thought that than the compartment door slid open again, and Professors Sprout and Hooch walked in, followed by Hannah Abbott and Terry Boot. I grinned and waved when I saw them; they were one of Hogwarts' most well known couples, and I was excited that they were going to be prefects with me. At least I would have some friends living with me for the next year, instead of just Malfoy. They smiled back when they saw me, and took a seat next to me, all three of us and McGonagall facing Malfoy and the other teachers on the other side.
"I am pleased to announce that the four of you have been chosen to be prefects for your houses this year," Dumbledore announced. Hannah and Terry grinned at each other, and Malfoy just scowled. "Your first assignment is, of course, the annual Halloween event (A/N: I made that up. Hehe.), and I will need your decision by October 15th, so we will have plenty of time to set it up." He paused. "Also, there will be another special event at Hogwarts this year." All four of us sat up straighter at that, anxious to hear what it was. Last year's event, the Triwizard Tournament, hadn't turned out that well, but surely that couldn't happen again, could it? "In April, all of the classes third year and up will be taking a class trip. Since it is the first year we have done this, I will need you four and the Head Boy and Girl to come up with places to travel. Please provide me with a list of possible places to go, either Muggle or wizard, and I will choose five places, one for each of the years. Please do not tell anyone, it will be announced to them in time. That is all, you are dismissed."
Trying to digest this, we all slowly stood up, and Terry, who was closest to the door, slid it open. "Oh, and one more thing," Dumbledore added. "You might like to know who the Heads are. Katie Bell, and Roger Davies." Great. Another couple. "And also, you will be shown later to your new quarters, after the Sorting ceremony."
This last statement dropped like a ton of bricks on me. Of course I knew that the prefects had a new personal room, just for us, but I had completely forgotten. I wouldn't be able to live with my friends anymore!
"And, Miss Granger," Dumbledore interrupted us leaving once more. "I sincerely hope you will change into your robes before we arrive at Hogwarts, which I expect will be within the half hour." I looked down at myself and saw that I was still in my tight belly shirt and hiphuggers. I blushed.
I got swept out of the compartment, with everyone leaving to go back to whatever they were doing before. I walked slowly back to the compartment I was in with Harry and Ron, but was stopped by a tap on the shoulder. I spun around to face Malfoy.
"Yes?"
He looked rather uncomfortable. "Um... listen, I don't want to go through this whole year living together and hating each other, okay?" he muttered quickly.
I was surprised, to put it mildly. I must have stood there gaping for more than a few seconds, because he grew impatient, shifting uncomfortably from one foot to another. "Well?" he asked anxiously.
"Malfoy, I never hated you." He looked at me, confused.
"But, I thought..."
"You thought wrong. Harry and Ron, yeah, they probably hate you, but not me. It was you, Malfoy, that always hated me. It was you, Malfoy, that-" He cut me off.
"Draco."
"Excuse me?"
"It never was Malfoy. Just Draco."
"Oh. Alright, then."
"So, what do you say?"
"To what?"
"Being decent to each other this year."
"That all depends on you, Mal... Draco."
"Okay, then. It's settled."
"Okay, but you have to be nice to Harry and Ron, too," I reminded him.
He looked at me questioningly, and I laughed. "Okay, well not nice, then. Just tolerable." He still looked skeptical. "I take that as an 'Okay, Hermione, whatever you want.'" He shrugged and walked off. Well, at least it wouldn't be too terrible of a year.
I opened the door to Harry and Ron and resumed my seat on the cushioned across from the two of them, and stretched out my legs. I was bursting to tell them the news about the class trip, but, remembering what Dumbledore said, kept my mouth shut.
"So... you're the new Gryffindor Prefect?" Harry asked.
"Of course! Who else?" I giggled.
"Who are the others?" Ron inquired.
"Well, Terry and Hannah are the Prefects for Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff," I told them.
Ron smiled. "Oh, this will be fun! Both of them have an excellent sense of creativity. Hopefully we'll get some fun activities this year," Harry said.
"Yeah, we will, don't worry," I said, a mischevious glint in my eye that both Harry and Ron missed. "The Slytherin Prefect is Draco," I added.
"MALFOY?" Harry and Ron chorused. Their faces darkened, and Harry scowled. Ron looked sympathetic.
"Oh, man Hermione, I'm so sorry you'll have to be spending the year with him!"
"Actually, he was actually talking like he wanted to be friends. Maybe it won't be all bad."
Harry and Ron both looked shocked. I grabbed my robes from my trunk and excused myself to go get changed.
There was someone in the bathroom, and when the door opened, Malfoy exited, wearing his black and silver Hogwarts robes. (A/N: I made that up too. Anyone know what color they really are?) He actually looked pretty good in them, with his blond hair and gray eyes. I'd never really noticed before, but Draco was actually pretty hot.... Whoa. That was weird. Where'd that come from?
He looked at me when he came out, his eyes sliding up and down me, making me feel uncomfortable. Before walking away down the length of the train, he leant down to whisper in my ear. "I think you look just fine in what you're wearing," he breathed softly in my ear. Shocked, I stared at his back as he retreated to his compartment.
A/N: Hope this is getting good, hopefully Draco isn't too OOC for ya. I'll try to make chapters longer, and update more often.
Thanks go to my ONE reviewer. That's right, ONE.
Blur- X- angel: Thanks, and I will.
That's all. Please review. It makes me want to continue.
Chapter 2
Malfoy stuck his head into our compartment and looked at me. "Granger. You're wanted in a meeting," he stated.
"What fo-" I stopped. "Oh! Is it about the prefects?" I asked excitedly, my eyes widening.
Malfoy just rolled his eyes. "Just come on," he muttered. With a last glance at Harry and Ron, I followed Malfoy closely out of the compartment and down the hall to wherever the meeting was being held.
I must have been so preoccupied that I wasn't paying attention or something, because I was following Malfoy so closely that when he turned abruptly to head into a compartment, I tripped and almost went flying. Before I hit the ground, though, strong arms reached out and caught me, holding me steady while I regained my balance. I looked up to see my savior, and what I saw surprised me. I found myself staring up into Malfoy's cloudy gray eyes. We held each other's gaze and that was when it hit me. He wasn't leading me here just for no reason. He was the Slytherin prefect. A wave of dread washed over me, imagining the next year, at least, spending my time with Malfoy. But as I stared up at him, I realized he still hadn't taken his arms away from around me, and the dread changed to something else, something strange. But it was soon gone, because Professor Snape came up behind us, and Malfoy extracted his arms and retreated quickly into the compartment, with me at his heels once again.
I took a seat on the edge of one of the cushions and looked around. Malfoy and I were the only students in the compartment, along with Professor McGonagall, Snape, and Dumbledore were all there; we were only missing the students and Professors from Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff.
No sooner had I thought that than the compartment door slid open again, and Professors Sprout and Hooch walked in, followed by Hannah Abbott and Terry Boot. I grinned and waved when I saw them; they were one of Hogwarts' most well known couples, and I was excited that they were going to be prefects with me. At least I would have some friends living with me for the next year, instead of just Malfoy. They smiled back when they saw me, and took a seat next to me, all three of us and McGonagall facing Malfoy and the other teachers on the other side.
"I am pleased to announce that the four of you have been chosen to be prefects for your houses this year," Dumbledore announced. Hannah and Terry grinned at each other, and Malfoy just scowled. "Your first assignment is, of course, the annual Halloween event (A/N: I made that up. Hehe.), and I will need your decision by October 15th, so we will have plenty of time to set it up." He paused. "Also, there will be another special event at Hogwarts this year." All four of us sat up straighter at that, anxious to hear what it was. Last year's event, the Triwizard Tournament, hadn't turned out that well, but surely that couldn't happen again, could it? "In April, all of the classes third year and up will be taking a class trip. Since it is the first year we have done this, I will need you four and the Head Boy and Girl to come up with places to travel. Please provide me with a list of possible places to go, either Muggle or wizard, and I will choose five places, one for each of the years. Please do not tell anyone, it will be announced to them in time. That is all, you are dismissed."
Trying to digest this, we all slowly stood up, and Terry, who was closest to the door, slid it open. "Oh, and one more thing," Dumbledore added. "You might like to know who the Heads are. Katie Bell, and Roger Davies." Great. Another couple. "And also, you will be shown later to your new quarters, after the Sorting ceremony."
This last statement dropped like a ton of bricks on me. Of course I knew that the prefects had a new personal room, just for us, but I had completely forgotten. I wouldn't be able to live with my friends anymore!
"And, Miss Granger," Dumbledore interrupted us leaving once more. "I sincerely hope you will change into your robes before we arrive at Hogwarts, which I expect will be within the half hour." I looked down at myself and saw that I was still in my tight belly shirt and hiphuggers. I blushed.
I got swept out of the compartment, with everyone leaving to go back to whatever they were doing before. I walked slowly back to the compartment I was in with Harry and Ron, but was stopped by a tap on the shoulder. I spun around to face Malfoy.
"Yes?"
He looked rather uncomfortable. "Um... listen, I don't want to go through this whole year living together and hating each other, okay?" he muttered quickly.
I was surprised, to put it mildly. I must have stood there gaping for more than a few seconds, because he grew impatient, shifting uncomfortably from one foot to another. "Well?" he asked anxiously.
"Malfoy, I never hated you." He looked at me, confused.
"But, I thought..."
"You thought wrong. Harry and Ron, yeah, they probably hate you, but not me. It was you, Malfoy, that always hated me. It was you, Malfoy, that-" He cut me off.
"Draco."
"Excuse me?"
"It never was Malfoy. Just Draco."
"Oh. Alright, then."
"So, what do you say?"
"To what?"
"Being decent to each other this year."
"That all depends on you, Mal... Draco."
"Okay, then. It's settled."
"Okay, but you have to be nice to Harry and Ron, too," I reminded him.
He looked at me questioningly, and I laughed. "Okay, well not nice, then. Just tolerable." He still looked skeptical. "I take that as an 'Okay, Hermione, whatever you want.'" He shrugged and walked off. Well, at least it wouldn't be too terrible of a year.
I opened the door to Harry and Ron and resumed my seat on the cushioned across from the two of them, and stretched out my legs. I was bursting to tell them the news about the class trip, but, remembering what Dumbledore said, kept my mouth shut.
"So... you're the new Gryffindor Prefect?" Harry asked.
"Of course! Who else?" I giggled.
"Who are the others?" Ron inquired.
"Well, Terry and Hannah are the Prefects for Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff," I told them.
Ron smiled. "Oh, this will be fun! Both of them have an excellent sense of creativity. Hopefully we'll get some fun activities this year," Harry said.
"Yeah, we will, don't worry," I said, a mischevious glint in my eye that both Harry and Ron missed. "The Slytherin Prefect is Draco," I added.
"MALFOY?" Harry and Ron chorused. Their faces darkened, and Harry scowled. Ron looked sympathetic.
"Oh, man Hermione, I'm so sorry you'll have to be spending the year with him!"
"Actually, he was actually talking like he wanted to be friends. Maybe it won't be all bad."
Harry and Ron both looked shocked. I grabbed my robes from my trunk and excused myself to go get changed.
There was someone in the bathroom, and when the door opened, Malfoy exited, wearing his black and silver Hogwarts robes. (A/N: I made that up too. Anyone know what color they really are?) He actually looked pretty good in them, with his blond hair and gray eyes. I'd never really noticed before, but Draco was actually pretty hot.... Whoa. That was weird. Where'd that come from?
He looked at me when he came out, his eyes sliding up and down me, making me feel uncomfortable. Before walking away down the length of the train, he leant down to whisper in my ear. "I think you look just fine in what you're wearing," he breathed softly in my ear. Shocked, I stared at his back as he retreated to his compartment.
A/N: Hope this is getting good, hopefully Draco isn't too OOC for ya. I'll try to make chapters longer, and update more often.
Thanks go to my ONE reviewer. That's right, ONE.
Blur- X- angel: Thanks, and I will.
That's all. Please review. It makes me want to continue.