A/N: Thank-you yet again to everybody who reviewed! I love you all!
Kissin Kate: I made it R because it wasn't quite PG13, more like a PG15, but I wanted to have a safe rating in case! Might be R in later chapters, who knows? (laughs wickedly)
moCha chiLLer: thx 4 the lovely long review! I luvd it! I'll try reading the fanfic you like when I get the chance. And the polyjuice potion might work in this case... I'll try and write it in somewhere.
'Did McGonagall say what she wanted?' Hermione asked Malfoy, but not because she really wanted to know, but because she felt she had to say something.
He shook his head. 'But it's either one of two things; our ridiculous engagement, or the Head Duties.'
Hermione hoped it was the latter.
'Good, you are all here,' said Professor McGonagall, once they had arrived in the Heads compartment. 'I just wanted to confirm the duties and responsibilities of Head Boy and Girl.' She went on to explain the duties, but then paused, eyeing them each. 'You'll also be sharing the Head dormitories, but I suspect that shouldn't be a problem –'
'Professor!' Hermione hastily cut in. Sharing a Head dormitory with Malfoy was what nightmares are made out of, and she didn't think she'd live through it. 'I think that might be a problem actually – '
'But why?' said McGonagall, baffled. 'All the other past Heads have survived, Ms Granger – or should I be calling you Ms Malfoy?'
It was the same question Fred had asked, but with no comical tone. McGonagall was, apparently, dead serious.
'Oh,' said Hermione, and told her the same answer she'd told Fred. 'You heard?'
'I think everybody heard about your summer, Ms... Granger? Alright, then. Anyway, since you two are getting married, it's a great asset in sharing a room. Congratulations Draco and Hermione.'
With a smile they were both unfamiliar with, McGonagall swept out of the compartment.
Hermione turned angrily to Malfoy. 'So what has everyone heard?'
Not the truth, that's for sure! Everyone's probably heard a lie... and unpleasant rumors she didn't want to know about were probably being spread around the school right now. And McGonagall knew about her news a day after she found out! Hermione had never realized news could be spread so quickly and had now identified word-of-mouth as a very dangerous tool, not to be used.
Malfoy shrugged. 'Mum and Dad said something about everyone knowing it to be like this. You found out that you're a pureblood late last year, you decided to not let everyone know, then you fell madly and passionately in love with me.' He gave her a sly grin. 'And that is the way it will stay, understood?'
Hermione ignored his last command. 'In LOVE? With YOU? How, I ask, could anyone ever be in love with you - ?'
'Lots of girls have actually claimed they have,' said Malfoy, his eyes glittering with slight rage.
'Oh, I believe you,' said Hermione dryly, but seriously. 'But those girls wouldn't have been able to tell the difference between you and their pink hairbrushes – '
Malfoy then did something unexpected. His finger closed over her lips as to stem the flow of words (A/N: ooo, did I get you there? (smiles evilly) ).
Hermione jumped, for it was the first time he'd ever touched her bare skin before and the feeling of his finger upon her lips lingered long after he'd taken it off.
'Granger, we shouldn't fight,' said Malfoy. 'Can't you at least try and get along with me – '
'If you would stop provoking me – !'
Malfoy gave a defeating groan and threw his arms up in the air. 'For Gods sake, Granger, stop it! We're going to be married, okay, so we shall not fight! Deal?' he held out his hand for her to shake it.
She did. 'Deal. And I expect you to stick to it.'
Draco shook hands with her readily. It was half true – he had been teasing her, but not maliciously. Flirtatiously, but the Mudblood seemed to be immune to his oozing charms.
Not that he cared, though. He was only trying to break the barriers between them so that this nightmare marriage might be more bearable. Yes, that was it.
Hermione looked up at Draco uncertainly as they shook hands. She had suspected he had been flirting just then, but she had panicked and escaped into what she liked to call; Protective, angry mode. She'd have liked to think that he had been flirting, but he couldn't have. He hated her, after all, and she had to say the feeling was mutual. It would have been flattering, and not to mention nice, if he had been, but he couldn't have been. No way.
By the time they'd gotten to Hogwarts, and unpacked their things it was lunchtime, and Hermione, Ron and Harry were helping themselves to food.
Hermione frowned as Ron tried to communicate with Harry whilst his mouth was full of food, but other than that, lunch went smoothly.
Before she knew it, the classes of the day were over, and she had successfully completed her homework in the Gryffindor dormitory with the rest. It was finally time for her to go to her new Heads dormitory – and she had been dreading this all day.
After dragging things out as long as possible in the Gryffindor dormitory, she finally realized that no matter how much she denied it, it was time to head to her dormitory. It wouldn't be so bad, she'd just pop in, and nip off to bed.
She and Malfoy got there at the same time.
'You – you need to make up a password,' she stammered at him, for she had read somewhere that the Head Boy made up the passwords.
He held his gaze on her a moment longer than turned to face the portrait. 'Pureblood,' he announced, 'is our new password.' Sending a sneaky smile to Hermione, he continued. 'Don't you like that, Hermione? You are pureblood now.'
Hermione coldly brushed past him and into the warm dormitory. 'I still consider myself muggleborn. It was what I'd been taught to think all my life.'
'Well, it doesn't matter what you were taught to think all your life now, does it?' Malfoy softly said. Deciding not to answer him, Hermione quickly selected her room.
'I'll see you in the morning.'
'What – I don't get to give a goodnight kiss for my poor fiancé, now?' asked Draco in a sarcastic teary tone.
Hermione whipped round to face him. Don't go into Protective/Angry Mode, she told herself firmly. Try and make the best of things. 'You're kidding, right?' she said. 'You hate me, remember?'
'We've let that go, remember?' said Malfoy (and if she wasn't mistaken, his voice had a slight husky tone to it) coming over and quickly kissing her on the cheek. The alien feeling of his lips against her cheeks sent warm shockwaves through her body and she fought not to blush. 'We don't hate each other anymore, alright?'
She looked up at him, straight into his eyes, and saw two important things. The first was that he had not completely thrown all the hate of her away. There was still that sliver of hate that lingered, and that's the same way she felt.
The second was that even though he was flirting, he only liked her the tiniest bit. The rest was for show, like a practice, if it was even called that. Getting her and him used to small touches like that. He was just trying to make the best of things, like she was.
She smiled. They were more alike than she'd realized.
'We do,' she said softly. 'Just a bit. You know it.'
He stared at her. 'Granger, even if that's true, let's not argue. Let's forget. Let's pretend we're in love, even though we're not.' He took both her hands in his. 'I hate this marriage as much as you do, but we'll make the best of it.'
She smiled again, and his heart raced, for it was the second time that day that that beautiful smile had been for him. 'Draco, we're more alike than I thought then.'
A/N: So they do hate each other a bit... but they do like each other!! Tell me what you think. And for the next few days, the updates probably won't be as frequent cause there's school starting and homework. sighs But I'll do my best!
Kissin Kate: I made it R because it wasn't quite PG13, more like a PG15, but I wanted to have a safe rating in case! Might be R in later chapters, who knows? (laughs wickedly)
moCha chiLLer: thx 4 the lovely long review! I luvd it! I'll try reading the fanfic you like when I get the chance. And the polyjuice potion might work in this case... I'll try and write it in somewhere.
'Did McGonagall say what she wanted?' Hermione asked Malfoy, but not because she really wanted to know, but because she felt she had to say something.
He shook his head. 'But it's either one of two things; our ridiculous engagement, or the Head Duties.'
Hermione hoped it was the latter.
'Good, you are all here,' said Professor McGonagall, once they had arrived in the Heads compartment. 'I just wanted to confirm the duties and responsibilities of Head Boy and Girl.' She went on to explain the duties, but then paused, eyeing them each. 'You'll also be sharing the Head dormitories, but I suspect that shouldn't be a problem –'
'Professor!' Hermione hastily cut in. Sharing a Head dormitory with Malfoy was what nightmares are made out of, and she didn't think she'd live through it. 'I think that might be a problem actually – '
'But why?' said McGonagall, baffled. 'All the other past Heads have survived, Ms Granger – or should I be calling you Ms Malfoy?'
It was the same question Fred had asked, but with no comical tone. McGonagall was, apparently, dead serious.
'Oh,' said Hermione, and told her the same answer she'd told Fred. 'You heard?'
'I think everybody heard about your summer, Ms... Granger? Alright, then. Anyway, since you two are getting married, it's a great asset in sharing a room. Congratulations Draco and Hermione.'
With a smile they were both unfamiliar with, McGonagall swept out of the compartment.
Hermione turned angrily to Malfoy. 'So what has everyone heard?'
Not the truth, that's for sure! Everyone's probably heard a lie... and unpleasant rumors she didn't want to know about were probably being spread around the school right now. And McGonagall knew about her news a day after she found out! Hermione had never realized news could be spread so quickly and had now identified word-of-mouth as a very dangerous tool, not to be used.
Malfoy shrugged. 'Mum and Dad said something about everyone knowing it to be like this. You found out that you're a pureblood late last year, you decided to not let everyone know, then you fell madly and passionately in love with me.' He gave her a sly grin. 'And that is the way it will stay, understood?'
Hermione ignored his last command. 'In LOVE? With YOU? How, I ask, could anyone ever be in love with you - ?'
'Lots of girls have actually claimed they have,' said Malfoy, his eyes glittering with slight rage.
'Oh, I believe you,' said Hermione dryly, but seriously. 'But those girls wouldn't have been able to tell the difference between you and their pink hairbrushes – '
Malfoy then did something unexpected. His finger closed over her lips as to stem the flow of words (A/N: ooo, did I get you there? (smiles evilly) ).
Hermione jumped, for it was the first time he'd ever touched her bare skin before and the feeling of his finger upon her lips lingered long after he'd taken it off.
'Granger, we shouldn't fight,' said Malfoy. 'Can't you at least try and get along with me – '
'If you would stop provoking me – !'
Malfoy gave a defeating groan and threw his arms up in the air. 'For Gods sake, Granger, stop it! We're going to be married, okay, so we shall not fight! Deal?' he held out his hand for her to shake it.
She did. 'Deal. And I expect you to stick to it.'
Draco shook hands with her readily. It was half true – he had been teasing her, but not maliciously. Flirtatiously, but the Mudblood seemed to be immune to his oozing charms.
Not that he cared, though. He was only trying to break the barriers between them so that this nightmare marriage might be more bearable. Yes, that was it.
Hermione looked up at Draco uncertainly as they shook hands. She had suspected he had been flirting just then, but she had panicked and escaped into what she liked to call; Protective, angry mode. She'd have liked to think that he had been flirting, but he couldn't have. He hated her, after all, and she had to say the feeling was mutual. It would have been flattering, and not to mention nice, if he had been, but he couldn't have been. No way.
By the time they'd gotten to Hogwarts, and unpacked their things it was lunchtime, and Hermione, Ron and Harry were helping themselves to food.
Hermione frowned as Ron tried to communicate with Harry whilst his mouth was full of food, but other than that, lunch went smoothly.
Before she knew it, the classes of the day were over, and she had successfully completed her homework in the Gryffindor dormitory with the rest. It was finally time for her to go to her new Heads dormitory – and she had been dreading this all day.
After dragging things out as long as possible in the Gryffindor dormitory, she finally realized that no matter how much she denied it, it was time to head to her dormitory. It wouldn't be so bad, she'd just pop in, and nip off to bed.
She and Malfoy got there at the same time.
'You – you need to make up a password,' she stammered at him, for she had read somewhere that the Head Boy made up the passwords.
He held his gaze on her a moment longer than turned to face the portrait. 'Pureblood,' he announced, 'is our new password.' Sending a sneaky smile to Hermione, he continued. 'Don't you like that, Hermione? You are pureblood now.'
Hermione coldly brushed past him and into the warm dormitory. 'I still consider myself muggleborn. It was what I'd been taught to think all my life.'
'Well, it doesn't matter what you were taught to think all your life now, does it?' Malfoy softly said. Deciding not to answer him, Hermione quickly selected her room.
'I'll see you in the morning.'
'What – I don't get to give a goodnight kiss for my poor fiancé, now?' asked Draco in a sarcastic teary tone.
Hermione whipped round to face him. Don't go into Protective/Angry Mode, she told herself firmly. Try and make the best of things. 'You're kidding, right?' she said. 'You hate me, remember?'
'We've let that go, remember?' said Malfoy (and if she wasn't mistaken, his voice had a slight husky tone to it) coming over and quickly kissing her on the cheek. The alien feeling of his lips against her cheeks sent warm shockwaves through her body and she fought not to blush. 'We don't hate each other anymore, alright?'
She looked up at him, straight into his eyes, and saw two important things. The first was that he had not completely thrown all the hate of her away. There was still that sliver of hate that lingered, and that's the same way she felt.
The second was that even though he was flirting, he only liked her the tiniest bit. The rest was for show, like a practice, if it was even called that. Getting her and him used to small touches like that. He was just trying to make the best of things, like she was.
She smiled. They were more alike than she'd realized.
'We do,' she said softly. 'Just a bit. You know it.'
He stared at her. 'Granger, even if that's true, let's not argue. Let's forget. Let's pretend we're in love, even though we're not.' He took both her hands in his. 'I hate this marriage as much as you do, but we'll make the best of it.'
She smiled again, and his heart raced, for it was the second time that day that that beautiful smile had been for him. 'Draco, we're more alike than I thought then.'
A/N: So they do hate each other a bit... but they do like each other!! Tell me what you think. And for the next few days, the updates probably won't be as frequent cause there's school starting and homework. sighs But I'll do my best!