When Enemies Collide by Kuls

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters or the setting in this story. I do however own the plot.

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Chapter 3: An Interesting Year

The next day dawned gray and foggy. (perhaps an omen?) Hermione got out of bed and got ready for the day, thinking only of one thing the whole time. The day would have went by like an ordinary day in the life of Hermione but this day she was dreading 5 o'clock. After classes she slowly packed her things into her trunk and levitated it downstairs into the common room, waiting.

Professor McGonagall walked into the Gryffindor common room with cat-like reflexes. Hermione immediately knew why she was here. She threw a meaningful look of worry toward Harry and Ron's looks of sympathy, as she left. They walked down corridor after corridor, down to the dungeons to pick up the infamous Draco Malfoy.

He was already ready and waiting when they got there. Without any words they set off following McGonagall toward a place unknown to all students. Stopping in front of a painting of a beautiful couple wearing elegant clothing and jewelry and sitting on beautiful furniture. At the moment they were immersed in a deep conversation, not noticing the three that walked up to them. "Uh uh," came McGonagall's irritated fake cough. They stopped talking and stared at the intruders.

"This," the Transfiguration teacher announced, "is to be your new home." She said the password (wizzle bees) and stepped in, Hermione and Draco as her tails.

The room was decorated in shades of grays, silvers, tans, and browns. From the ceiling hung a very elegant chandelier of crystal that caught every speck of light given off. The walls were a dark tan color with accents of silver here and there. Directly opposite of the portrait hole was a large fire place with a richly decorated, dark mantle and a painting above. Making a semi-circle around the fire place was a dark brown leather couch and two lighter brown arm chairs, in a soft fabric. In both corners on either sides of the fireplace, sat a desk and chair of rich mahogany. To the right of the fireplace there was a full wall length window, enhanced by a dark brown swag of fabric to either of its sides. On the other side of the fireplace stood a simple brown door. On either sides of the room were tall spiral staircases that led up to two different rooms, with the words 'Head Girl' in gold, cursive lettering on one, and the other with 'Head Boy.'

"Hermione, your room is to the right, up the staircase. Draco, yours to the left. Good day to you both," McGonagall instructed before she left.

Hermione went straight up to her room which was decorated in the same theme as the common room only in scarlet and gold colors. She also had a big armoire and king size bed with a canopy of gold. She saw her trunk had already got up there. 'McGonagall must have moved it up here when I was looking around the common room,' she thought to herself, distractedly, taking in every inch of her scenery.

Hermione plopped down onto her scarlet, silk bed and decided to read some before she headed down to dinner that evening.

- - - - - - - - -

Draco went straight to his room, not even noticing Hermione. He paid no mind to the rich and beautiful decorations, him being used to it all his life. He sat down on his bed, already missing being in his room in the Slytherin dungeons. 'This is going to be an interesting year,' he thought to himself, though by interesting he meant horrible. Draco laid on the soft covers of his bed and soon fell asleep.