A/N – I would like to thank Andrea… my SOUL reviewer. Come on people, this story can't be that bad now can it???? Andrea, just so you kno, i wont be able to update for two weeks... going on vacation. Hope this will suffice for now.

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??

Chapter 2 Shit! Damn! Fuck!

Reveal not every secret you have to a friend, for how can you tell but that friend may hereafter become an enemy. And bring not all mischief you are able to upon an enemy, for he may one day become your friend.

Saadi

I can't believe I'm starting my last and final year here! I thought to myself as I walked through the barrier to platform 9 and ¾. When I got through I looked around in awe, taking in every inch of the place. I didn't want to forget a thing. It looked even more magnificent than it did the first time I saw it.

The large fire truck-colored train glimmered like gold in my eyes. It was a treasure, a treasure that I had taken for granted for the past six years. But this year would be the best year I would ever have, this year I would cherish my treasures. I was going to make this year last forever!

"Hermione!" soon broke through my thoughts. I searched the crowd and soon saw the tell-tale red hair of my best friend, Ron Weasley. He had grown quite a bit and looked almost adult. Then again he was 17, but don't let that fool ya; he's really a two-year-old at heart! But looking at him, you could say he was… cute, a baby face cute. He was much more built than before; Quidditch had done him well, though he wasn't one of the classy handsome/gorgeous men out there.

"Ron! How was your summer?" I asked when he reached me.

"Not bad. Hey! You made Head Girl!" he said, noticing the badge pinned on my robes.

"Yea," I said, blushing.

"'Mione! Don't be so modest! Everyone knew it was gonna be you!" he encouraged, putting an arm around my shoulder. He then did something that made my face turn as red, if not redder, than his hair. "Sonorous," he spoke, pointing his wand at his throat. "Everyone!" his voice bellowed over the train station, "I'd like to introduce the new Head Girl, HERMIONE GRANGER!"

The whole station went silent as everyone on the platform froze and stared at me and Ron as though we were crazy.

"Ron! You're a lunatic!" I scolded once everyone had gone back to their own business.

"It's a gift!" he said in mock pride, his chest swelling.

"What was that all about?" asked Harry as he strutted over. Harry was still short, only about an inch or two taller than me and I was only 5 foot 5. His hair was even more unruly than I remembered and his eyes brighter.

"I was being my lunatic self!" Ron replied.

"You could say that again! Congrats Herm," he said turning to me.

"Thanks Harry. So, did either of you get Head Boy?" I asked, curious as to whom I'd be working with for the greater part of this year.

"Well I didn't, I'm still a lowly lunatic prefect," Ron said sorrowfully with a grin playing on his lips.

"Neither did I 'Mione, instead I got Quidditch Captain," Harry replied proudly.

"Good for you! But I wonder who it is?" I said thoughtfully.

And before I could do any more think9ing about it, I saw a bright flash coming from the barrier. I looked over and saw a tall head of platinum blonde hair that I know oh-so-well. Draco Malfoy, the sun reflecting off his white blonde hair.

I don't really know how to describe him now. Two years ago, if you had asked me what I though of the heir to the Malfoy estates, I would have told you this:

He is the most unbearable, incessant, inhuman person I know! He sits at the right hand of Satan, the devil's spawn. He's pure evil!

But now… now if you asked me what I think about him, I could only tell you this, he's a mystery. Sixth year he stopped criticizing mea and my friends. You could even say he was polite, to me at least. His parents had abandoned him, his father was sent to Azkaban and escaped almost immediately and his mother had gone missing. When I had questioned my thoughts aloud to Harry and Ron, Ron just said that he lost his edge now that he's an orphan. But I think… no I KNOW that somehow, there's more to it.

"Hermione! Hello! Ron to Hermione! Anyone home?" Ron's voice broke through my train of thought. But my attention was still on a certain boy that was a complete enigma to me. By now he was passing us.

"Hello Malfoy," I blurted out. DAMN IT! Why did you do that? What'll the guys think?

"Hello Granger, I'd love to chat but I must get to the Head compartment," he replied. No, Leave me alone Mudblood.

"You're Head Boy? Cool! Maybe we can talk later. Well, see ya then," I said stupidly. Cool? Who says cool anymore? Wait… why do I care? This is Malfoy!

"Bye," was all I got in return.

Stupid! Stupid! Stupid! Did you just offer to talk to him in front of Harry and Ron? Who both despise him? God Hermione, you're a ditz!

"WHAT the HELL was THAT?!" Ron yelled.

"Me conversing with a fellow student," I retorted coolly.

"I don't consider Draco MALFOY a 'fellow student'. Hell, I don't even consider him a fellow human being!" he said in his usual hot-headed manner whenever it was the topic of Malfoy. "He's the reason that Fred and George got in trouble from mom for leaving the school! He's the reason that Harry almost wasn't on the Quidditch Team! He's the reason our LIVES have been miserable!"

"NO! VOLDEMORT IS THE REASON!" I screamed, loosing my temper and not even knowing why I was getting all worked up. Ron gasped at the name of the Dark Lord still at large. Harry just watched. I guess he's gotten used to mine and Ron's many arguments, but this one was different, this time I was PISSED!

"GROW UP RON! YOU ARE SO IMMATURE! YOU'RE 17 FOR GOD'S SAKE! I THINK THAT YOUR CHILDISH FEAR OF SAYING ONE LOUSY NAME THAT DOESN'T EVEN DESERVE THE RECOGNITION IT HAS SHOULD HAVE LEFT YOU OVER TWO YEARS AGO WHEN HE CAME BACK! AND THE WHOLE DEAL WITH MALFOY, ONE: I'M GOING TO HAVE TO TALK TO HIM BECAUSE WE'LL BE WORKING TOGETHER! TWO: HE HASN'T MADE ONE RUDE REMARK TO YOU ABOUT ANYTHING FOR OVER TWO YEARS! THREE: YOU ARE NOT- DON'T YOU DARE INTERUPT ME DAMN IT!" I swore as Ron began to open his mouth. Both of them just looked at me as though I had just muttered the killing curse. I had NEVER sworn in front of then before, in front of anyone before, only in my mind. "What's the matter boys? Haven't you ever heard someone swear? No? Well then hear this – SHIT! DAMN! HELL! ASS! BITCH! BASTARD! AAAAAAAAND THE DOOZY, FUCK!" I screamed. "Now," I said calmer, "Three: YOU… ARE… NOT… MY… BOSS! Understand?" They just nodded their heads as they closed their gaping mouths. "Oh, and as for the 'good girl' act that all of us you think of me, it's GONE! The Hermione who's not aloud to swear and be 'daring' like you boys has died. Say 'hello' to the new Hermione who won't take ANY shit! And that includes copying notes!"

Ron's face fell at that, but I turned on my heel and walked toward the train before he could get a word in edgewise, trolley trailing behind.

I guess people had heard me screaming and cussing at Ron, because everyone moved out of my way as I stormed to the Head compartment. When I got to the compartment, the door was already open and Malfoy's head was sticking out, probably to see what the noise was about.

"Get the HELL out of my way," I said through gritted teeth. He didn't need told twice. In fact, I think the minute he saw me and the manner I was in, he began to make way for me.

I slammed the door behind me and the glass in the window shattered.

"DAMN IT!" I exclaimed.

"Reparo," I heard him whisper. He then turned to me and said, with out his sarcastic jeer, "Well now, I never thought I'd here those words from your mouth!" This was said in all seriousness.

"Oh, and I'm guessing you're just like everyone else and think that I'm a goody-two-shoe gryff who does nothing but read, breathe and eat books right?" I replied, not caring to notice how gentle his voice was.

"Not at all. Unlike those gits out there, I actually think you have a life," he said, ignoring the fact that I just screamed at him. "You just strive to do your best. There's nothing wrong with that. And there's nothing wrong with liking to read and learn either. I prefer that over Quidditch myself," he said, still in his tender voice.

Somehow, the way he was talking to me made me calm down. He wasn't treating me like a savage beast or a baby or even the enemies we really are or… were. He was treating me like an equal, almost as if we were friends. If this were Ron, I thought, he'd be screaming back at me or looking at me like I'd grown a second head or something.

"You'd rather read than play Quidditch?" I asked, stunned as I sat down.

"Yea, my dad forced me to try out. I never really like PLAYING the sport but I do like watching it every now-and-then," he explained. "You want me to put those up for you?" he asked, indicating to my luggage.

"Oh, no, I'll do it myself," I said, getting up again to take my trunks off of the trolley. "You don't mind if I let my cat out do you?" I asked.

"No, that's fine," he replied.

"Crooks, this is Malfoy; Malfoy, Crookshanks," I introduced. Crookshanks was like a person to me, so I treated him so.

"Draco, not Malfoy," he said. I wasn't sure if he was talking to me, or the cat.

"Now be nice baby," I told my cat as I put him down. He jumped right up into Malfoy's lap. I stared at them both, shocked. Crookshanks never tool to someone so quickly, he still doesn't like Ron.

Malfoy began to pet him and he purred in return.

"You know, he doesn't really like many people," I told him as I tried to lift my trunk that was laden with over 30 heavy books. I now had two separate trunks, one for clothes and other things and one full of books, wizard and muggle.

"He doesn't seem like that to me," he said lightly. By now I was straining with just one side of the trunk. Then next time I looked up, Malfoy had gotten out of his seat and was lifting the other side.

When we finished, I was panting and had to wipe the sweat away from my brow.

"Thanks Malfoy," I said as I sat on the bench.

"Didn't I say it was Draco?" he asked as he was lifting my other trunk.

"Okay Draco and its Hermione," I told him.

He put away the rest of my belongings and sat down across form me. Crooks jumped right back into his lap. Mal-Draco's hand automatically went to petting his head and then scratched the place on his chin that sent him into ecstasy.

"You know, he won't even let Ron near him," I told Draco as Crooks began to purr.

"Well I wouldn't either and it seems that neither would you," he said truthfully.

"Yea well, Ron need to learn that I'm just as much of a person as him and not just some… homework machine that does HIS work ALL the time," I said, getting red in the face from the anger. "I mean, you're treating me better than he does and we hardly know each other! Why are you being nice to me anyway?" I asked. This isn't the Malfoy I knew.

"Well… um," he stuttered. Just tell the truth, I saw him mouth to himself. His face was now tinted pink from… embarrassment? "I can't tell you now, but… maybe later on it the yea, okay? Let's just say that I'm not the person you thought you knew. The 'Malfoy' you did know wasn't me at all. Now come on, we've gotta go talk to the prefects."

The train had started moving and I didn't even notice.

"Great! Now I've got to face Ron and Harry's probably convinced him to apologize to me!" I complained, knowing that was always the routine after one of our fights.

"Well, look at it this way; you've got me to get him away!" Draco said evilly. "Now, shall we go malady?" he questioned regally as he offered his arm.

"I believe we shall sire," I replied just as regally and took him arm as we walked out to the next compartment together.