Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews! I love you peeps!

Chapter 4

Hermione didn't know what was happening to her. When she and Ron had arrived in the compartment, McGonagall had shot her a questioning glance and Ron had muttered an apology. Professor McGonagall had then continued with her yearly speech about Prefect duties, rules, and the like.

It wasn't until the meeting was almost over that Draco arrived.

"Fortunately for you, Mr. Malfoy, I cannot take points away for your tardiness as term has not officially begun. However, I would advise you to be on time for the next meeting."

Draco didn't have time to apologize, if he had even intended to.

"That's a bit harsh, don't you think, Professor McGonagall?" Hermione said, her eyes flashing. "After all, Ron and I were late also."

The whole compartment became unsettled, and Hermione could feel various incredulous looks being sent her way, especially from Ron. Hermione didn't meet anyone's eyes, what had she said? Why had she said that?

"I believe, Miss Granger, that I shall continue with the meeting now," said Professor McGonagall, putting the attention back on herself for the rest of the meeting.

The rest of the day went as exactly as it had the last seven years. The train arrived at Hogwarts just as it was getting dark; the first years (looking so tiny; it was hard to realize that she and Ron and Harry had once been that small) sailed across the water in crisp weather, and were later sorted into their respective houses.

Hermione caught Harry's eye at the Welcoming Feast. This would be their last year here, their last chance to see first years sorted, their last chance to.Hogwarts had become such a big part of all of their lives. Hermione just hoped that the year didn't go by too quickly.

Nothing more was said about her burst of uncharacterized behavior in the train.

****

It wasn't until later, when Draco was reclining in his new room as Head Boy, that he realized the necklace was missing.

Draco searched through his belongings and the pockets of his various robes without avail.

Perhaps he had dropped it somewhere. He last remembered it on the train.Darn it, it could be anywhere from the floor on the train to the pathway and horseless carriages that carried them to Hogwarts, to the Great Hall.

He cursed under his breath, how could he have lost the necklace? His father had told him it was very important, and that it would help revel to him the Lestrange daughter. At least the charm would still work.he hoped.

His room was decorated in Slytherin colors, resplendent in green and silver. Long, dark green drapes hung from his four-poster bed and hung from the large window that looked over the Forbidden Forest. A doorway led to a large bathroom decorated in gold and green, and another led to the Head's common room.

That room was decorated in Gryffindor and Slytherin colors, with two separate couches facing a large fire and two large desks at either side of the room. Two doorways (also on opposite sides) led to their respective common rooms. Draco had laid the rules down strait upon meeting with Hermione in their common room.

"I don't want to see or hear from you, alright Mudblood?" Draco had said.

"Don't you think that nickname is getting a little old, Malfoy? I think we ought to call a truce. After all, we'll have to be working together this whole year," Granger had said in her bossy voice. Her cinnamon eyes danced with the fire reflecting in them, but her eyes didn't hold malice, nor spite. Rather, they held understanding.?

"You really are off your rocker," Draco had said, but for the first time in talking to Granger he didn't sneer. "First you defend me against McGonagall, then you call a truce? What happened Granger, finally realized how good-looking and out of your league I am?"

"No, Malfoy," Hermione spat the words. "I simply thought to make this year a bit easier on us both. A mutual agreement of some sort."

Granger was proposing an agreement? When would a Gryffindor ever make any sort of agreement with a Slytherin? There was certainly something amiss with this girl.

"I have one: You leave me alone, Granger. I leave you alone." And Draco had walked out of the room, his head held high, as always.

And now Draco sat in his chair in his room. It wasn't as grand as his room at Malfoy Manor, but a lot of the times, it was much preferable. Except when you happen to be sharing a bathroom with Granger. Was it really that hard to make a bathroom for each the Head Boy and the Head Girl?

He may as well go to sleep and hope the necklace would turn up somewhere tomorrow. Magical items did have a tendency to disappear and reappear at seemingly odd moments. Draco lay in his bed, the drapes moving softly in the wind from the window that was open a tiny crack, and didn't dare let himself think about the thoughts that continually plagued that caged part of his mind.

****

Hermione didn't know what was happening to her. Why had she stuck up for Malfoy? Why had she proposed a truce?

The only reasonable explanation she could come up with was that her hormones were out of balance or something. Ought she go see Madame Pomfrey in the morning?

It was probably just a one-time thing. At least Ron hadn't told Harry. In fact, no one had said a word about it.

Hermione lay in her bed, comfortably decorated in Gryffindor colors, and thought about that day. She couldn't get to sleep, not with these thoughts swirling around in her head. She may as well read something.

Lighting the room with her wand, Hermione dug into her book bag for a bit of light reading. As she grabbed the book, her hand brushed across something metal and thin.

Curious, she grabbed onto it and took out the offending object. The fine chain was cool against her skin, and the silver of it glowed and sparkled in the sparse light from her wand. On the chain was a pendant of silver woven into a complex knot.

The silver seemed to hum in her palm. There was magic in this object, some old and deep magic that was awakened by Hermione's light touch. She felt the energy from the necklace sweep over her, intoxicating her in a rush of some unnamable force.

Hermione dropped the necklace before she could think. Was this some sort of dark object? She remembered Ginny's stint with Tom's diary in her second year. The same could easily happen to her, Hermione was muggleborn and therefore a target for dark magic.

Hermione left the necklace where it was; she could ask somebody about it in the morning. A brief thought flew through her head before she succumbed to sleep; had she seen that symbol of knots somewhere before?