A/N – Hey people… this is my first attempt at a Draco/Hermione fic, kinda messed up… hope you like. Just so you know, may take a bit for me to update, working on a few different stories at a time.

Summary – The golden trio have entered their seventh year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, but there have been some changes. Voldemort is still at large and Azkaban has been overthrown, same old same old there. But two people have changed at the school, two people who will come together to bring the great war to an end, two people who must fall in love first. DM/HG fic.

Rating – PG-13 for now

Disclaimer – But I SWEAR!!!! My real name IS JK Rowling… I am from the British Isles… I am not a deranged teenager… and everything IS mine! Okay… maybe there are some lies in there. Not everything is mine… but the plot is… and some of the new characteristics are, does that count and make me famous??

The Real Me

Chapter 1 Being Myself

"This above all; to thine own self be true."

William Shakespeare

I walked through King's Cross Station for the last time to head to school. This was also my second time doing it alone. My mother had fled when father was sent to Azkaban. But he didn't stay there long, and luckily for me, he didn't come back to the manor either. He went strait to his only love, the dark side.

Yes, when I was young and naïve I believed him to be the only right person in the world. One would say I loved him. HAH! I never loved that bastard. I worshiped him, maybe, but I have never loved. I was taught not to. Love is a sign of weakness. Then again, so were tears. Tears…

The first time I learned how wicked father was, was the summer after my first year at Hogwarts. He had asked how the year had gone and I told him. I told of how Potter and Weasely were in my year. I was taught to hate them. Potter for defeating the dark lord and Weasley for being, well… a Weasely. Our families have been in a feud for centuries. And then, then I told him about her…

Even though she was part of the Golden trio, she wasn't at first. Yes she was in Gryffindor, but she was different then the rest of them. She was a know-it-all, a bookworm you could say, but she didn't care. She wanted to do well so she tried to do so. I admired her for that. But, since she was a Gryffindor, I had to pretend not to. She was even smarter than me! This surprised me because father had tried to instill everything he could before school.

I guess the way I kept rambling on he thought I had feelings for her. I guess I actually did. She wasn't drop-dead-gorgeous, but she wasn't ugly either. Besides, we were only eleven, right? But after she befriended Potter and Weasley, my feelings towards her diminished on the outside. I still harbored feelings for her, but just friendly feelings.

I then asked father why I never heard of her family before. He asked her name and I told him. I could tell he was mad even before I told him. One: because she was a Gryffindor, Two: because she was friends with the enemy and Three: because she, a Gryffindor and girl, had beaten me in every class, even Defense Against the Dark Arts and Potions. But when I told him her name, he became livid.

FLASHBACK

"Hermione Sir, Hermione Granger," I told him.

"Granger, hmmm, doesn't ring a bell. Hold on a moment," he said, grabbing his wand. "Situer Hermione Granger!" he bellowed, waving his wand in a complex pattern. Soon a patch of fog floated out of his wand. It showed three people, including Hermione, sitting at a table in what looked like a kitchen, which was full of large weird looking boxes. I knew then that she was a muggle. Father's face got contorted in anger and he turned to me. The mist vanished and I suddenly became very scared.

"Father, I'm sorry, I-I didn't know!" I exclaimed, putting my hands in front of me for protection. I knew what was going to happen. I needed to be 'punished'.

"A MUDBLOOD! HOW DARE YOU!?" he screamed. "CRUCIO!"

END FLASHBACK

I cringed just at the thought to that. And it was only the beginning to. After that, whenever I was out in public or at school, I'd be under the imperious curse, so I acted just like him. And at home, I was tortured. That was the first and last time I'll ever cry. I learned quickly that if I didn't cry, the punishments would be more bearable.

But even under the imperious, my feelings were still strong. During second years it was awful. He made me call her a Mudblood! She had cried and it made me feel terrible. And then, I said to Crabbe and Goyle that I hope she died! Inside, my hate was bubbling. I could see everything that he made me do, EVERYTHING! And I remembered it to! I think that my liking of her grew just to spite him.

That summer, when he took the imperious off me, he right away asked if I had learned my lesson. I started at him, not knowing where to start, my emotions to much to handle and put into words. So, I spat in his face. This enraged him and the rest of the summer was painful.

In third year, I had made some rude crack and she slapped me, strait across the face! My hidden opinion of her heightened right then and there. No one had ever stood up to me like that, except for my father. She had my respect, if only she knew. That summer again he asked if I learned my lesson. This time, I attacked him. The only thing I got back was pain.

Fourth year was pivotal. My liking of her turned into a full-fledged crush. This all happened at the Yule Ball. She had turned into a drop-dead-gorgeous teenager. Her hair was straitened and she had applied some make-up. She looked like a whole new person, but I still like the old Hermione better. Which is why I was happy when she went back to her normal look afterwards.

I was not the only one to notice this though, which upset me greatly. Weasely had an obvious crush on her and then, her date for the ball was VICTOR KRUM! I was so jealous of him. That summer was the worst. This time when he asked me the same question like always I gave him actual words instead of an assault.

"No FATHER," I had said with disgust, "not the lesson you want me to learn. I learned the lesson of life! And the main point was that you're a no good, lying fucking BASTARD!" I was punished dearly for that one.

Fifth year was when everything changed. Voldemort was back and no one cared about petty things or anyone else besides Perfect Potter. I was still controlled but there were moments when father had let it slide. I believe that was only because he was now worried more about Voldemort than the Malfoy name. Hermione was developing into a beautiful woman, though no one noticed. They were all concerned about Potter. I noticed though, and I cared. I wanted to show her I cared, but I know I could never do that.

At the end of that year, father was captured for being a death eater. When this happened, they had taken his wand and snapped it. The spell cast over me was broken. But being under the curse for four years had its toll on me. I was still a sarcastic brat and for that, I hated my father even more.

After mother left I had the house to myself. I set up wards to keep my father out and protect me from his curses. I then asked the house elves to help me get rid of everything associated with the Malfoys before me. I was determined to start a new line of Malfoys, a good line.

The house looked totally different when I was done. No longer did it have frightening portraits of evil Malfoys. Not only did it have green, silver, and black colors for the décor, but it also had blue, red and white incorporated into it. All of the Malfoy crests (a snake entwined with a capital 'M') were replaced with new ones of a dragon with a large medieval-type blanket over it with an 'M' embroidered on it.

Sixth year I tried to change my bad reputation into a good one, although it was quite hard. Weasley enjoyed it immensely that he could tease me about being parentless. Ah, poor little Malfoy doesn't have his daddy dearest to run to anymore and his mom was scared shitless and ran! He had taunted. He was shocked when I replied with a good riddance to them! and walked away. No snide remarks, no sarcastic jeers and no trademark smirk. I glanced back and saw their shocked expressions, but Hermione looked deep in thought, a big contrast to the other two. Still, I gave myself a pat on the back. I was making her think twice about me!

Then rest of the year I concentrated on school and being my own person. I ditched Crabbe and Goyle. Lucius may like to hang out with people lower than himself to assure him he's great, but I didn't need that. What I needed was a true friend, intelligent people that I can actually talk to. What I needed was Hermione.

My popularity with the Slytherins evaporated, and I wasn't upset about that at all. I was now a loner. I sat at the end of the Slytherin table, alone. Everyone pretty much ignored me, but my change didn't go unnoticed. The one person I considered family, my father figure since I came to school, noticed I wasn't… the person I used to be. He called me to his quarters one day to question me.

FLASHBACK

"Malfoy, sit down. We need to talk," he stated as he sat behind his desk.

"About what professor?" I asked staring at my knees, knowing full well what he wanted to talk about.

"Your behavior lately."

"Sir, I don't see the point of this," I said, not wanting to divulge into what had happened.

"You're not yourself Draco," he said. At this I lost my temper

"NOT MYSELF?? I HAVEN'T BEEN MYSELF FOR THE PAST FOUR YEARS! Don't you understand that?" I screamed. He looked like he was about to respond but I cut him off. "The only reason I'm 'myself' is because the god damned spell that fucking bastard put on me was broken when they snapped his fucking wand!" By now I was out of my seat, pacing the room and making large gestures with my hands.

"Draco," he started quietly, after I was done yelling, "Calm down and take a seat." I did as I was told; you should never mess with Professor Snape.

"Sorry Professor, I just couldn't control myself," I apologized.

"No need to apologize. I just need you to tell me who cast what spell on you and why."

I took a deep breath. I was about to tell my Potions Master my deepest darkest secret, but I know I can trust him, can't I? And then I remembered my father saying something over the summer of fourth year. I'm going to meet Severus for the gathering!

"NO!" I screamed, "You're with him! You're a death eater too!" I jumped out of my chair and headed towards the door, but he cast a spell that shut and locked the door. "Damn it! I forgot my wand!" I muttered under my breath.

"Let me explain and then you can go, no SIT!" he commanded. But this time I defiantly stood. "Fine, don't sit, just as long as you're listening. Now, I'm telling you this because I'm trusting you not to tell anyone, a secret for a secret. Understand?" I nodded. "Good. Okay, yes I am a death eater, but I'm on the good side. I'm a spy for Dumbledore. I tell him what's going on at the 'gatherings'" he explained. "Now that I told you mine, who put what curse on you and why?"

I sighed. The look on his face as he explained himself was sincere. It surprised me how different he could be around people he trusted.

"Lucius, imperious and because I wanted to befriend a certain muggle-born," I said, very quickly and in one breath. But he caught it. He looked at me in what seemed to be sympathy.

"Anything else?" he asked. I considered telling him about my summers, but decided to keep that secret to myself for a little while longer.

"No."

END FLASHBACK

But he wasn't the only one who noticed, at least I think. Every once in a while, I'd catch Hermione staring at me, be it in the library or at meals or even in potions. And it was always with the same look, it was quizzical, like she was trying to figure me out. She even spared me a 'Hello Malfoy." I'd only respond with 'Hello Granger." And whenever Weasley tried to make fun of me, she'd actually tell him to stop.

Well, no I'm starting my seventh year here at Hogwarts. I mad Head Boy as well, and there's no doubt in who made Head Girl. We'll have to work together. Maybe now I can let her see the REAL me! I thought as I walked through the barrier.

I walked through the crowd, unnoticed. No one yelling, 'Hey Draco! How was your summer?' and that's just how I wanted it. I did however get a 'Hello Malfoy' from the only person that mattered.

"Hello Granger. I'd love to chat but I need to get to the Head compartment," I said, turning around and starting to walk again.

"You're Head Boy? Cool, maybe we can talk on the train then?" she offered. "Well, see ya then."

"Bye."

I continued walking, feeling a little bit happier than before, with a little skip in my step and the beginnings of a smile playing on my lips. I never really smiled in public; then again, I never showed any emotions in public besides anger and hatred. Maybe this year I'll have a friend, maybe it'll be better than before, I thought as I walked into the large compartment.