Some Things Weren't Meant to Figure Out

Disclaimer: Harry Potter belongs not to me, but to the wonderful J. K. Rowling. Bah.

Hermione Granger nervously fingered her Head Girl badge as she waited on Platform 9 ¾ . She had been watching the gateway for at least twenty minutes and had yet to catch a glimpse of Harry or Ron.

Not like it's the first time they've found some other way to get to school and left me out, she thought bitterly. No matter how long they'd been friends, Harry and Ron would always have some kind of kinship that she could never hope to be let in on.

But I have other friends! Hermione furiously reminded herself. Harry and Ron just happened to be the only ones who didn't drive her insane all the time.

Her aggravated thoughts were jarred to an unpleasant halt when something collided with her, sending Hermione sprawling onto the ground. Amid the loud laughter and jeering, she regained her composure and glared venomously at the cause of her fall, who was laughing loudest of them all.

"Really, Granger. You ought to look where you're going," Malfoy cackled. Hermione turned and walked away, feigning deafness.

Ignore them, ignore them…She chanted inside her head like some soothing kind of mantra.

According to her watch, the Hogwarts Express would depart in four minutes, with or without her and her still absent friends.

Oh well, she thought sadly. At least I patrol the corridors so I don't have to sit all alone again. Hermione trudged dejectedly on board, luggage in tow.

She stowed her trunk in an empty compartment and headed towards the front of the train, attempting to look the confident yet authoritative position of Head Girl. A few scathing whispers that barely classified as whispers followed her along the train.

Depressing, she thought. But not surprising. People rarely take well to change, especially when it's someone else that has changed. True, her look had changed a tad over the summer, but not all that much. Her outfit was simple; cuffed denim capris, a white shirt scattered with sequins, and white ballet flats lacing around her ankles with silver ribbon. She found it pretty and simple, apparently others thought otherwise.

It's only because it's me, Hermione thought disgustedly as she arrived at the first compartment.

Upon entering, one quick glance around the room confirmed her foreboding sense of doom; Draco Malfoy was Head Boy.

"Shocker," she muttered acidly as he smirked at her. All but two of the eight prefects were present, so the debriefing had to be put off. As she waited, she tried to figure out who was missing. Two Hufflepuff, two Slytherin, two Ravenclaw, so who were the Gryffindor prefects?

Just as that thought entered Hermione's mind, Harry and Ginny burst through the doorway. Both looked flushed and out of breath. Hermione smiled inwardly.

Those two are so perfect, She thought as Ginny and Harry sat down very close to each other. Harry deserves to be happy after what happened last year.

"Alright then, can we begin?" She asked with a scolding yet approving smile towards Ginny, who blushed furiously and took Harry's hand in hers.

Ron must've actually gone through with it and resigned, Hermione registered in mild shock at seeing the two new prefects.

"Now, your prefect duties are astoundingly simple, but I'm sure that some in here are bound to screw them up," Malfoy began with a drawl, making the prefects cringe with apprehension. He went on to perfectly describe the prefects' duties, to the astonishment of Hermione. When the prefects had filtered off and left the compartment empty, Hermione gaped at Malfoy in shock. He looked anywhere but at her for at least two minutes, and when he finally met her glance he acted as if he'd just realized her presence in the room.

"Something for you, Granger?" He sneered in contempt at her.

"Nothing," she replied evenly, determined not to explode at her unfortunate partner for the year. "We should get our rounds done and get it over with."

"What do you mean by 'we'?" Malfoy asked incredulously with his smirk firmly in place.

"I mean that we're supposed to patrol the train together once or twice, do you want to see the letter?" Hermione was already sick of him.

He rolled his eyes, oozing distaste. "Of course I know it's there. I memorized it just like you did. I didn't get Head Boy by slacking off all the time!"

"Could've fooled me," Hermione replied coolly and started for the door. Her hand was not yet at the knob when Malfoy opened the door for her. She eyed him suspiciously and he said in exasperated tones, "It's a reflex. I was raised to be a gentleman." He paused, and then added, "But for you, Granger, I can make an exception." With that, he swaggered out the door like royalty to adoring public.

A/N: Well welcome to my very first fanfic. I hope you didn't want to gouge out your eyeballs after reading this first chapter. I have several more written and they'll be longer. Please review and tell me what I did wrong and how to improve this, I tried hard to keep in character. Well I shall update soon if anyone cares!