Chapter 4

She opened her eyes ever so slowly, hardly daring to believe where she was. Once again she was in that dark, hollow, endless space. Cold. Lonely.

Standing up she surveyed her surroundings. Nothing new. It was still dark as far as the eye could see. No other sign of life. There was only her, one lone and miserable girl in the middle of it all.

Why… she thought, feeling the tears pooling in her eyes. Why am I back in here? I thought I had already left this place forever…

She began to glide about, searching, hoping against hope that she would encounter something other than nothing. But her search was in vain. Well, at least it seemed so. There was absolutely nothing. Nothing at all.

She hated having to return there. How did she even get to that place? Who would want to be somewhere isolated? It's not like she asked to be put in such a place. What crazy person would?

Of course, I'd get out somehow. I always do.

With these words, she began to search again for a way out. It had been a myriad of colors the other time, a black pit before that, and her own reflection before that. There has to be something similar this time that could help her get away from this place. Permanently.

She thought she heard a sound much like a whisper. It wasn't very audible, but she heard it. But of course she heard it. How could she not when it was too quiet and noiseless in there? Nevertheless, she doubted if it was true and if it was only her imagination.

She heard it again, and she turned to her left where the sound seemed to have come from. There was something there. Thinking that it might be the way out, she began to run as fast as she could, the whispers ringing in her ears as excitement flooded through her. She knew now that she did not just imagine it the first time.

She slowed her pace, staring at what was before her. There was a long dark area in front of her, darker than what was around her. It was almost pitch black in there, but she saw something moving about inside. Her eyes widened as the figure became distinct. She was staring at her reflection, only it wasn't her. The girl she saw looked exactly like she did, but was wearing black clothing.

Slowly, a grin formed on the other girl's lips, her mouth opening to say something.

Draco sat on his worktable, writing a letter to his Father. Although he didn't like what Lucius had done for the Dark Side, he still had to make sure that he did not look any less loyal, so he still wrote regularly to him. But he never visited Azkaban, oh no. His treasure trove of awful memories would surely attract the Dementors very much.

He stopped to think of what else to say. He had already written about crap like hating Potter and wanting his dear Father out of prison to take care of wonder boy. Of course, it wasn't entirely crap. The part about hating Lucius was true enough. He can't say he was excited to join their club and was looking forward to it, for it would be too easy to guess that it was a lie. He never said it at home, so there was no reason to say it now.

Sighing, he finally scribbled down about Avery's inauguration, finishing the letter with a "Mother and I are really looking forward to your return." He read his letter again to make sure that he had not written anything that he shouldn't have.

Dear Father,

How are you? Of course, there was no point in asking. I know your life has been miserable ever since Potter got you in there, the annoying git. He is as meddlesome as usual. Always everyone's favorite. I wish you were here to take care of this.

Classes are unusually difficult this year, what with our NEWTs and all. All the Professors have been keeping us so busy I hardly have any time to sleep. And I have all these Head Boy duties to attend to at the same time. As much as teachers think Granger is all responsible, she hasn't really done much as the Head Girl. Honestly… Gryffindors…

Mother and I attended Gerald Avery's inauguration last night. He was made to kill his own Mother right in front of us. And the Dark Lord seemed impressed with him because he did it without hesitation. Frankly, I was impressed that he did not back out.

I can't say much in case the owl is intercepted. Mother and I are looking forward to your return.

Your son,

Draco

Satisfied with his work, Draco folded the piece of parchment and inserted it into an envelope, sealing it with the Malfoy crest in green wax. He stood up from his seat just as Goyle woke up, staring blankly at the pillow that he found on his head. Putting on a robe, Draco went for the door.

"Where are you off to, Malfoy?" Goyle asked groggily, making him sound more stupid than usual.

Draco didn't bother with a reply. He just raised the letter and showed him to whom it was addressed. If Goyle was stupid enough not to understand what it meant, it wasn't his fault. Why did the gods even bother creating such airheads as the Crabbes and the Golyes?

He clambered out of the Slytherin common room and ascended the stairs that led the way out of the dungeons. It was still early in the morning, so it was no surprise to him that he met no other students in the halls. But he did meet Peeves, and before he even got close to the Owlery he was already pissed as hell. Having a poltergeist enumerate his shortcomings and re-enact his "white bouncing ferret performance" during fourth year was not his idea of starting a day right.

He was surprised, though, when he saw that the door to the Owlery was wide open. He went in through the doors at once and immediately wished he hadn't. Of all people to come across with, it had to be Potter and his two aspiring pets. All three of them were hunched over a piece of parchment, laughing as they read it.

"Pipe down, will you," Draco said loudly, cutting through their little moment of joy. "Can't you laugh without managing to wake up the whole school with your voices?" He walked towards his midnight black owl which was perched in one corner of the room as he talked.

All three heads snapped up at the newcomer's voice, and their eyes narrowed all at the same time.

"Can't anybody laugh in here without his majesty, the bouncing white ferret, interrupting?" Ron countered with a glare. "And as far as I can see, no one else is here. Unless, of course, you can see others we can't, Malfoy. Is poor Draco hallucinating now?"

Draco's nose crinkled in annoyance as he heard them laugh again. "Better a majestic white ferret than a distasteful weasel like you," he said. He tied the letter securely to his owl's leg, holding his breath and anticipating another retort. Fortunately for him, neither of the three were in the mood to mess with him right then, and he relaxed his shoulders at that. He didn't feel like having a confrontation with them either. In a moment, he heard their ridiculous laughter again.

He rolled his eyes and sighed, leaning in to whisper to his owl, "Vladimir, take this to my father in Azkaban." Before letting his owl loose, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a few owl treats, allowing Vladimir to eat a while. He smiled. Feeding his owl always made him feel calm and contented, and it was one of the few moments when he felt happy, though he'd never dare admit such a thing to anyone.

He watched his owl take flight before turning to the sound of the laughter. He was surprised to see Hermione looking at him. She wasn't glaring at him or anything of that sort, but just staring at him with genuine interest and curiosity. Too bad for her, he didn't like being observed, so he threw her a scowl.

"I know I'm handsome, Granger, but, really, staring at me like that is so not you. It's pretty freaky, to tell you the truth," he said, unable to resist irking her. "I can't blame you, though. None of the Gryffindor boys are blessed with devilishly good looks as I have."

Harry and Ron looked up at this, glaring at the offending Slytherin. They continued to look at him that way until Draco turned and left the Owlery, leaving the place quiet again.

As soon as Draco was gone, Hermione's scowl dissipated. It was weird, but for a moment it crossed her mind that maybe the Draco Malfoy they knew was not the real Draco. When he thought nobody was watching his bird, his face just changed from cold and passive to soft and gentle. She knew that his smile at that time was truthfully tender, and it was hard for her to imagine that such a kind smile could turn into the unbearable smirk that he always let them see.

She was brought back to reality as Harry nudged her at the side, telling her that he already felt very cold and that they should probably already go. Standing up, she shook her head to gather her thoughts and clear her mind. She walked out of the Owlery with Harry and Ron on either side of her, scolding herself privately along the way.

Honestly, what were you thinking, Hermione? Malfoy, nice? Ha! You have got to be kidding. Not in a million years would that ever happen…

"What's up with you, Hermione?" Harry asked, cutting through her thoughts.

Realizing that she looked awfully serious, Hermione's face eased into a smile. "Nothing. I was just… thinking.

Ron snorted in a good-natured manner. "Of course. How can Harry forget that? You were thinking. That's Hermione, always working her brain into a fit." He grinned and shook his head. "Honestly, Herm… staring at Malfoy like that. What got into you?"

Hermione laughed to cover up the blush that threatened to appear. "I told you, Ron. I was just thinking. You know how I get when I'm thinking. It just so happened that I was staring in Malfoy's direction." It was not exactly a lie. She had been thinking. But she was not about to admit that it was mainly about Malfoy.

Harry grinned as he watched Ron grunt. Of course, Ron… jealous again. He put a hand on both of their shoulders. "Anyway," he said, stopping Ron from speaking. "We've got a lot more time before the house elves start serving breakfast. What do we do now? I'm not exactly in for going back to bed."

"Well," Ron started. "I do have something in mind. I saw our broomsticks yesterday, Harry. Can you believe they are buried under tons of dust and cobwebs? I didn't see any spiders though, if you were wondering. But really, I think the broomsticks are in need of a maintenance check. Who knows what terrible things dirt can do to them."

Harry chuckled. "I get you, Ron. But you didn't have to exaggerate so much. 'Tons of dust and cobwebs…' it's only been two days since we last flew them." He turned to look at Hermione, who put on a bored expression. "Geez, Hermione, don't get too excited," he joked. He knew that Hermione liked broomsticks in much the same way as Hagrid hated dragons, which is to say so not true. "It's just Quidditch. No need to get all hyped up. Are you coming?" His green eyes twinkled with laughter as he invited her, knowing only too well that she would decline.

"Really, Harry," Hermione said, trying to suppress another blush as she looked at Harry in the eyes. "You know I'd love to come, but Professor McGonagall wants me to meet her in her classroom. As much as it pains me, I cannot accompany you two."

Ron laughed. "Right." He slapped Harry lightly on the back. "Come on, mate. Let's just hope Hermione doesn't get too bored speaking to Professor McGonagall." Laughing, he and Harry took off for the Quidditch changing rooms.

Hermione stood still for a while after they had gone, trying to tame the beating of her heart. She knew that Harry thought she was better off with Ron, but she had her own idea of who was right for her. She liked Ron a lot. He had been her best friend for six years already and she knew almost everything about him, but she didn't think she could take on Ron as her boyfriend. Ron had a really bad temper, and usually, between him and Harry, Ron got into more fights with her.

Harry on the other hand had a less explosive temper. Nice, caring, compassionate Harry was always there for her. He probably did not know of it yet, but she had been harboring a major secret crush on him for three years already. His list of good qualities just goes on and on and one cannot leave out the fact that he was The-Boy-Who-Lived. In her opinion, a girl would have to be insane to not like him in even the smallest possible way.

Hermione shook her head as if to clear it of cobwebs, and in a sense she was doing just that. Just as cobwebs on a doorframe hinder a person from proceeding through it, the cobweb in her head that she called Harry hindered her brain from functioning clearly. She had to stop daydreaming, so she quickly made her way to the Transfiguration classroom, where Professor McGonagall was waiting for her to arrive. While it seemed like the elderly Professor's call for her was not exactly urgent, she did not like being kept waiting for long.

She paused just outside the classroom door to catch her breath. Standing straight, she knocked softly on the door. A muffled "Come in" came as a reply, and she pushed the doors open to admit herself inside. Sitting on the teacher's table in the middle of the room was Professor McGonagall, looking as grave as ever with papers in her hand.

"Miss Granger," she said. "A good morning to you. I'm glad you could come this early in the morning." She motioned to the chair in front of her desk. "Please do sit down."

Hermione nodded and sat down opposite of her teacher. "Good morning, Professor," she said in what Harry and Ron would have called her 'sickeningly goody-goody voice.'

McGonagall nodded back. "Please wait for a moment. I have to finish these papers for Professor Dumbledore."

Hermione sneaked a glance at what the Professor was doing, at the same time replying with an "Of course, Professor." The papers looked as if it were a proposal of some sort, much like what she had seen her Muggle cousin, who was the President of her school's student council and stayed in the Granger family household, which was very near her school, bring home a number of times. She watched as the Professor signed the bottom of the parchment, affixing the Hogwarts seal beside it.

McGonagall arranged the papers on her desk, shuffling them and placing them in a neat pile to one side before facing her student. "I am sorry for having kept you waiting, Miss Granger," she apologized. "Do you want anything to drink?" at this Hermione shook her head and the Professor proceeded to tell her what their meeting was about. "Now, as you very well know, the Head Boy and Head Girl get to live in different rooms from the rest of the student population. Well, Professor Dumbledore has decided that it is time you move to the Head Suite. We've delayed the move for a week because we have been doing some changes to the appearance, and now it is complete." She fixed Hermione with a stern gaze. "I know this is quite sudden, but do you think you could move in now? At the most, you can have until tomorrow to move your belongings from Gryffindor Tower. Mister Malfoy has already been informed, and I believe he has started moving in already."

Hermione nodded at the Professor and smiled. "Thank you, Professor. I think I will move in right now."

McGonagall smiled back. "Very well. Your room is on the East Side of the castle, in the corridor containing the statue of Frederick the Frivolous. That statue is the very entrance to your room. Do you know the place?"

Once more, Hermione nodded for what she felt was the hundredth time. She tried to keep her head from bobbing too much in excitement. "Yes, Professor," she said.

"Well, then, off you go," McGonagall said, waving her quill to the door. "Your password is 'Crystal Drops.' I'll send some house elves up to your room to help with your things…"

"Oh, no, Professor!" Hermione hurriedly said, trying not to cringe at the mention of help from house elves. "There's really no need," she continued. "I can manage by myself just fine. Besides, I haven't unpacked much yet, so there's really nothing much they can do to help." She put on a smile and hoped that the Professor bought her act. The truth was, though she gave up on S.P.E.W. a few months back, she still had a soft spot for the tiny creatures that help around the school, and she always tried to lessen their workload by refusing to accept help in anything that she can do by herself.

McGonagall gazed at her for a while, and then sighed. "Very well, Miss Granger," she said, turning to the papers on her table. "If you insist. You may go now."

Hermione stepped out of the classroom and hurried to Gryffindor Tower, hardly able to conceal her smile. She had been waiting for this moment for quite some time, and now it came at last. She could imagine herself in her very own bedroom. A bedroom with no Parvati or Lavender to giggle over boys, fashion, and magazines. No more late night gossips between her roommates and other room hoppers to disturb her sleep in the middle of the night.

She swung her dormitory door open and promptly went in, ignoring the looks that her dorm-mates gave her. She walked over to her dresser and puled out two large beach bags. In one bag she placed all her clothing that have not yet been washed. In another bag she placed her books, extra parchment, quills, ink bottles and all else that had to do with schoolwork.

"Hermione," Lavender spoke just as Hermione opened the trunk that lay at the foot of her bed, stuffing her unused uniforms and robes along with the muggle jeans and shirts that she had brought along with her. "What's with the packing?"

Hermione directed a smile toward the other girl as she snatched her pillows and stuffed Teddy Bear from the bed. "I'm moving to the Head Girl's quarters," she said excitedly. "I can't wait to see how it looks like!" As she said this, she took the family photo that was standing on her study table and carefully placed it in between a couple of pillows to make sure the frame doesn't break. Once this task was accomplished she scooped up the remaining items on her desk and put them in her trunk, shutting the lid and securing it so that it would not accidentally come off, thereby spilling its contents.

A small "Oh" formed on each of Parvati and Lavender's faces at her words. "You mean you're leaving?" asked Parvati, her hands unconsciously flipping through the September issue of T.E.E.N. Witchies she was holding. The cover girl scrunched her face as Parvati's fingernail jabbed into her nose.

"Well," Hermione said, straightening up. "You can say that. I'll still be visiting Gryffindor Tower, of course. The only difference this will make is that I will be staying in a different room in the East Side of the castle." She extracted her wand from her pocket and pointed it at her luggage. As she muttered Wingardium Leviosa to levitate her bags, she took one last good look at her dormitory. For the first time in the six years that she stayed in that room, she noticed the beauty of it, though it may be beauty somehow unusual that some people would find it weird instead. She turned to her four-poster and thought of how much she would miss lying in it at night, with its slightly creaky legs but clean sheets and soft mattress.

Last of all, she turned to her two roommates. "It's be different not having you guys in the same room with me," she said, addressing both. Though she was not close friends with them at all, she realized that she would miss hearing their voices as they giggled and chattered each minute they spend in the room. Then again, she wouldn't miss the giggles all that much, come to think of it. She breathed out and smiled. "I best be off then," she said cheerfully. "It was a nice… experience having the two of you for roommates."

Parvati and Lavender smiled back at this. "That's too bad. We were really looking forward to bonding with you this year!" Parvati exclaimed. "Lavender and I realized it's about time we changed our goal of the year from getting Draco Malfoy to notice us to getting you to relax with us."

"I have an idea!" Lavender said. "You must promise us that we can visit you in your room when you have the time."

Hermione nodded. "Of course. You're always welcome in my room. And maybe we can accomplish that goal of yours." She waved a goodbye at them and flicked her wand to make her belongings follow her. "I'll see you in class."

Parvati and Lavender waved back at her before turning back to the magazine they were looking at.

When Hermione got down to the common room, she saw that only Dean and Seamus and a couple of third years who looked like they were up to some mischief were there. They looked up at her as the girls' dormitory door opened, and Dean and Seamus stared at her bags.

"Where are you off to, Hermione?" Seamus asked. "Some lucky guy convinced you to elope with him?"

"Haha, Seamus," she replied. "I'm moving to the Head Girl's room. Harry and Ron are in the Quidditch Pitch. If they get back here before I do can you please tell them."

Dean nodded. "Sure… but does that mean you won't be staying here anymore?"

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Come on, now, Dean. Percy was a Head Boy and he still spent most of his time in here than in his room, forcing us to go to bed early!" She smiled. "I'll be doing the same, of course." She walked to the common room door and paused. "Don't forget to tell Harry and Ron, okay? Thanks."

"Sure, Hermione. Will do," was the last thing she heard before the Portrait door closed. Turning to her left, Hermione walked down the corridor and descended the stair, all the while thinking about the advantages of having a separate room from the rest of her Housemates.

Privacy, Hermione thought as she turned a corner. No more gossiping freaks to go through my personal belongings at night, hoping to find out about my love life, or lack thereof. And goodbye to those annoying room hoppers from other year levels. She pictured the Gryffindor common room and thought of how much she would miss the parties that were second nature to Gryffindors. Of course, that would mean peace and quiet in the evenings. Maybe I would be able to sleep peacefully now. She went down another flight of stairs and rounded another corner, finding herself in Frederick the Frivolous' corridor. She quickened her pace and reached the statue in no time. She paused, eyeing the statue.

Lastly, no more noise during study time. I would at last be able to do my homework in peace and quiet, with nobody to interrupt and ask me questions every two seconds. She muttered the password to the statue and it hopped out of its place to reveal the door behind it. She held the knob and turned it easily, pushing the door open, feeling very happy that no one would be distracting her from her schoolwork.

"It's about time you arrived."

Hermione stopped in her tracks. Did she just hear—nah. Shaking her head, she stepped back and pulled the door shut, and then opened it again to make sure she did not imagine the voice.

"Granger, you look stupid doing that, just like Crabbe and Goyle. Stop it."

Good feelings gone.

"Malfoy, what are you doing in my room?" she snapped. He wasn't visible in her line of sight, but she'd recognize that lazy drawl anywhere. She swept into the room and shut the door behind her as soon as her bags were inside. With a flick of her wand all her belongings thudded on the carpeted floor.

Draco sighed, standing up from the armchair he was sitting on. "Then again I had the feeling you were always pretty stupid."

Hermione rolled her eyes, choosing to ignore the insult. "I asked a question and I expect to be answered," she said angrily. She had been ecstatic about moving in, and then Malfoy came and ruined her mood.

"Granger, are you sure you've read Hogwarts: A History s good many times like you claim? " he drawled. "I'm fairly certain I've heard you mention that to Potter and Weasley many times.'

Hermione looked at him with a puzzled expression. "What are you talking about? What does Hogwarts: A History have to do with you being in my room? I definitely don't remember anything about any Draco Malfoy being in the Head Girl's common room without permission." She folded her arms across her chest and stared, waiting for him to give an answer.

"What I'm saying," Draco said as-a-matter-of-factly. "Is this is the Head Girl and Boy's common room. In other words, we're sharing it." He shrugged at her and sat back on his chair. "Get used to it, Granger," he said, closing his eyes and resuming the posture he was in before she came.

Hermione stood in her place. Indeed there was something in Hogwarts: A History that said the Head Boy and Girl share common rooms. In her excitement she had forgotten about it. Recovering from her initial shock, she sighed disgustedly. Why? she thought. Why Malfoy? Why a Slytherin? I would have gotten along well from anyone from the other Houses but Slytherin. Sighing resignedly, she whispered Wingardium Leviosa and directed her bags to the oak door with the initials HG in gold letters on it. Before she could turn the knob, she heard Draco's voice again.

"Oh, and Granger," he said. "We share bathrooms, too. I bet you just love having to share it with a pureblood. But make sure you don't leave your Mudblood bacteria in it. And don't touch my stuff. My toiletries are worth more than all your robes combined. From the state of your robes, I'd say they're pretty expensive. Well, for Weasley standards, anyway."

Hermione entered the room and dropped her bags inside. Before she shut the door, she took her time to glare in Draco's direction. She knew he couldn't see her, but she knew he was smirking. She could feel it. Typical pureblood, she thought. He's probably looking smug all over his pointed face right now. Angrily, she shut the door with a loud slam, and she didn't see Draco jump from his seat in surprise. If she had, maybe it would have put a smile on her face.

A/N: Took me such a long time to post the chapters 2-4, I know. Actually it was because I was having my exams. Well, partly. Mostly it's because I don't get to connect to the Internet much these days. Well, that's about to change!

I've only just written until Chapter five, and I haven't even typed that yet. Hopefully I would be able to finish chapter six after chapter five is posted.

The line there by Ron that said "Can't anybody laugh in here without his majesty, the bouncing white ferret, interrupting?" was inspired by a line from the classic To Kill A Mockingbird by Nelle Harper Lee. And the line is this: "Can't anybody take a bath in this house without the whole family lookin'?" the last sentence in the 29th paragraph of Chapter 12 of the story. I love Jem, don't you?

Oh yeah. The quote "Good feelings gone" was taken from the movie Finding Nemo. I was watching it while I wrote this chapter and it occurred to me that it fit rather well in that part!

Next Chapter:

Good Old Voldie is back in action, Harry's scar hurts like hell, and a Prefects' Meeting with the Head Boy and Girl. Not much, but so far it's the longest chapter I've ever written. And reviews!!!