I'm starting something new with the third chapter! Malfoy's point of view will be present in this chapter and possibly in future chapters. Just a heads up! All of his points of view will be in bold. If it does not say Malfoy's Point of View then it is in Hermione's point of view! Got it? OK! Happy reading everyone!

Chapter 3: Self-Decorating, and Deserted Corridor Discussions

When I stepped into my new common room I was aghast. It was just a bit smaller then the Gryffindor common room and the colors were way different. House unity is right!

I stepped farther into the room and looked around. (Obviously no Malfoy or I wouldn't be standing there looking like a kid on Christmas!) This place is gorgeous! The carpet is really soft and fluffy. I shrieked with delight and looked around me some more.

And here I thought the rooms would be divided where we had our own area to work! How wrong I was. The walls are Gryffinor maroon and the floor is Syltherin green. Gold and silver décor is obvious throughout the room. Silver candle holders are spread throughout the room and the gold Gryffindor crest and the silver Slytherin crest are encrusted into everything! I have to say, despite Gryffindor's and Slytherin's colors being together, this common room is gorgeous.

Yeah, I know this doesn't give you a good example of how the room is set up so let me explain a bit better:

When you first walk into the portrait, there is a fire place to your left up against the west wall which is surrounded by a big, comfortable looking sofa (which is maroon) and a matching armchair (that is green). And in between the two is a small table with a candle burning. My perfect reading spot! And up against the wall in the corner to my left, and to the left of the fire place was a beautiful shiny black grand piano. I shook with excitement. When I was 9 I started to take piano lessons all year around until Hogwarts. Then it was just during the summer until I found out about the Room of Requirement and there a piano would wait for me every time I opened the door. It was my secret passion that nobody knew about except for my parents. And I hoped it to stay that way.

Anyway, continuing my explanation of the room, to the middle of the room, straight ahead is an oak stair-case. When you reach the landing, there is a walk way between the door and the railing so it's a porch type thing so you can look out over the room. On the left (on the side with the fire place) up the staircase and facing the room is a door there is a gold plaque on it that says 'Head Girl'. And above the room on the right (where there is 2 big book cases with excellent reading material, an oak desk and matching chair, and another maroon sofa and green chair) there is also a door that faces the room. It has a silver plaque that says 'Head Boy'.

Smiling to myself, I hear the portrait close behind me and I feel the warmth of the room engulf me and snuggle me close. I walk slowly over to the stair case and walk up the stairs to the room that is obviously mine. And, thinking to myself why there are not portraits with passwords instead of plain oak doors, I open it and feel my face fall. There's nothing there but my stuff!

Stepping in a bit, I look around and raise a brow, wondering why this is. And, wondering if Malfoy's room is the same, I walk over and open his door. It's is! Both floors are plain stone as well as the walls. No furniture, just his stuff.

So I walk back over to my room and there is a roll of parchment floating in the middle of the room that was not there before.

I cautiously walk over to it, grab it and read it:

To Whom It May Concern:

As you should have noticed, there is nothing in this room other then your personal belongings. It is called a Self-Decorating Room! In order for the room to acquire such items as a bed, dresser, etc, you must think of what you would like the room in question to look like. Think about it hard in your mind, close the door and voila! The room of your dreams!

Happy decorating!

Sincerely,

Professor Dumbledore

PS: After the Self-Decorating Room is in effect, and if your room acquires things from the following: Pixies, Ostriches, Sand, numerous Nifflers, or Knarls, please gather all of your things and consult a teacher immediately!

I laugh at the letter and bite my lip. What do I want my room to look like? I smile, turn around, walk out the door, close it and think hard…

'Bed there…dresser there…black puffy chair there…black walls…black carpet…good lighting there…poster there……'

I then open the door and gasp. My carpet is black, my wall paper is black with little red hearts here and there, and my king bed (On the left wall) has a blood red comforter, black satin sheets and a canopy. Black beads surround the whole thing so I'm sort of enclosed. My dresser is straight in front of me with all of my personal items on it such as the make-up that I now use, my hair brush, and so on. My side table is right beside the bed, and I have a big black puffy chair in the corner to my left with a small, waist high book shelf with a lamp on top of it.

I walk over to the closet that I imagined and opened it. All of my school outfits, robes, skirts, ties and shirts are hung neatly pressed on their hangers.

I turn around and smile softly. This past summer, before my father past away, I had changed just a little. I started listening to music (I never really took the time to listen to any before); I no longer liked neutral colors, and instead favored red, black and white. I started to wear make-up and different muggle clothes (No, I do not dress like a slut, and no, I am not gothic.). But then after he left, my personality changed. I sighed. Life seriously sucks. And to think I have to spend the whole year sharing a room and bathroom with Malfoy!

Just when I was about to go down and look at the bathroom, I heard the portrait open and close outside of my bedroom door. I went over to the door, peeked out and saw Malfoy. He looked in a fine mood. His jaw set, his fists clenched and his eyes burning anger.

I smirked and walked over to the stair case and leaned over the railing. "Someone's having a bad day." I mocked.

He looked up at me, startled and his eyes burned more. "Can it Granger!" Ohhh! No threats. How interesting. I smiled evilly. "What's wrong? Someone not get what he wanted for his birthday? Or perhaps your jail-ridden daddy realized what a failure you are to the newly weakened Dark Lord?" Oops. I said the wrong thing. He let out a mangled cry/growl and charged up the stairs. But I had no fear – well, at least on the outside I didn't. I stayed rooted to the spot, my eyes narrowed, but inside, I was overwhelmed with fear. The look on his face was terrifying.

He glared down at me, as he was quite a bit taller then me and got right up in my face. "Don't you ever talk about my father again! Do you understand me?" he seethed. I could feel the anger radiating off of his skin.

I folded my arms over my chest and stared him down. "Why not, afraid I'm right? Afraid that he'll find out that the Dark Lord doesn't want such a failure working for him?" Now I had gone too far. He gave me one more ice cold stare, turned around, and walked into his empty room and slammed the door shut. I winched when his plaque fell off of the door, but it immediately flew back up on the door, magically holding itself in place.

----

On the way to Dumbledore's office, I half-heartedly wondered why Malfoy didn't threaten to hex me across the room when I mocked him and his family. It was actually quite shocking.

Well, I have more important things to worry about, I figured as I approached Dumbledore's office. I said the password, "Lemon Drops" and the giant statue jumped out of place and I walked alone up to his door with the handsome gold knocker. Straightening my skirt, I cleared my throat and knocked twice.

"Enter." I heard his cheery voice call from the other side of the door. Carefully I opened the door and stepped to be, once again, mesmerized by all of the strange objects that sat around his office that were whizzing, buzzing and making odd noises.

He smiled at me from over his half-moon spectacles and motioned for me to sit down. I did and he cleared his throat. "Where is the young Mr. Malfoy?" he asked.

"He should be on his way, Professor Dumbledore. I think he is just now finding out his room is Self-Decorating." I said, smiling. He chuckled and nodded. "Yes, yes. What a fantastic idea it was. I couldn't expect you all to sleep in a room made out of stone, now could I?" he said, his eyes sparkling.

I laughed softly. "No, Professor." I agreed. Just then there was a knock upon his door. "Come in." he said and in walks Malfoy, his face quite expressionless. "Ahh, Mr. Malfoy. Please, have a seat. We were just talking about the Self-Decorating Rooms! Fascinating, aren't they?" He said with his voice full of happiness.

I inwardly laughed once again at Malfoy's situation. He's now sitting in a room with two of his least favorite people; me and Dumbledore. I'm surprised he doesn't pick something up and chuck it at the wall out of frustration.

"Yes, fascinating indeed." He said coldly, but Dumbledore seemed unfazed by the harshness of his voice. He just kept smiling, his blue eyes sparkling with mischievous intentions no doubt.

After Malfoy sat down, Dumbledore folded his hands together like he usually does and looked at us. "Well, first off, I just wanted to congratulate you on becoming Head Boy and Girl. You both must be terribly tickled." He stopped there for us to respond. I nodded and Malfoy jerked his head once. I suppose that meant yes. Jeez, who pissed in his mashed potatoes today? Oh that's right! I beat him up, didn't I? I grinned.

Dumbledore then started talking again, "Well now. Let's go over your duties shall we? I imagine you both are puttered out, so we'll get right to it! You both are in charge of every school function and prefect duties. What I mean by 'school functions' I mean by Balls, and special speeches. And I shall inform you of others if I decide to have them. Now, you are in charge of assigning school prefect patrolling schedules, and you are allowed to give and take away House points and give detentions. But you must have a good enough reason. No point deduction because your day as gone a miss. Are we understood?" he asked more so looking at Malfoy then at me.

We both nodded, Malfoy glaring and Dumbledore smiling. "Good. Now, you are in charge of the decoration, bookings and just about everything that has to do with the Ball we will have. This year, we are going to have a Halloween ball!" he clapped happily, as if this brightened his whole day.

I smiled, knowing I won't have a date unless Ron or Neville find the courage to ask me, so that didn't make my smile quite as bright. But, just like he could read my mind he said, "And don't worry about asking anyone! That's another thing. You need to post this information on your House Bulletin boards. The day of the Halloween Ball, the 5th years and up will have a number magically put on their forearm. You are to find your number on a member of the opposite sex. The person with your number is the person you go with, and will have the best time with." He smiled bright. "And I know you both would want to pick a theme, but the theme is picked by me. And I have chosen for it to be a Masquerade Ball! And, since I will charm every student attending the Ball, nobody will know who he or she is until the clock strikes midnight." he said, and I smiled just to see him so happy.

Before we left, Dumbledore also mentioned the foreign exchange student program that would allow Neville's cousin to come and stay for two whole months. He would be arriving on Halloween, just before the Ball, and would stay until December 31st.

This, to me, was extremely exciting. Other then our fourth year, I had never met any other students from different wizarding schools. And he was coming all the way from America! I beamed with joy, but Malfoy, on the other hand, looked like he wanted to be sick. This just made me smile even more.

----

Malfoy's Point of View –

After the meeting with that overly cheerful crack pot, I lazily took a walk around a deserted part of the castle, my mind on very un-wanted topics.

First, I thought about my father. Yes, my father. That's why I was in such a foul mood earlier. He was released from Azkaban two days ago. Just great! More stress that I do NOT need. I swear he lives to make me miserable!

Second, my mind realized how much I had changed. Yes, me, Draco Malfoy has changed. I used to thrive on pleasing my father. Making damn sure I did everything he wanted, every thing he asked. And now I could care less what my father thinks. I hate him with everything that I am; especially after what he did to my mother. That bastard!

The drastic realization of me changing took place over the summer, and I dreaded the day he was to be released. And then there's Voldemort, that weak, pathetic Half-Blood who failed for the second time!" Great," I muttered to myself. Could my life get any worse, seeing as how I'm supposed to become a Death Eater after graduation (he stated this in his letter also. That's another reason why I was so angry earlier)…No, I will not allow that will not happen! I'll blow myself up before I allow my life to me owned and planned for me.

Then, my mind wandered to this stupid Halloween Ball. What kind of idea is it that you can't choose who you want to go with? Not like there's a single girl in my House who I haven't gone out with. I mean I probably wouldn't go at all if he had stated right before we left that we had no choice! I just pray I'm not set up with Pansy, God forbid. I sighed and I rolled my eyes even though I was very much alone. Or so I thought at the time…

And I mean, what was the point of the whole Masquerade thing? Jeez. He really has lost his touch. And the stupid, idiotic student exchange program! God, another Longbottom in Hogwarts! I don't know how I'll stand them both, let alone one!

And finally, my mind swerved over to think about Granger. That oh-so-perfect bitch! I hate her so. I've had to battle my way to #2 in Hogwarts just to be beaten out by the best grades from a girl! A mudblood girl to boot! And what the hell happened to her this summer? Who does she think she is, talking to a Malfoy like that? I have to put up with a more self-confident Granger then before. She's already beaten me up! God that is something I do NOT want to think about. I cringed.

I sighed with frustration, my fists clenching an un-clenching, my head starting to form a migraine. I tried to calm my breathing, as I became very, very angry.

That's when I heard the quickened footsteps. I grabbed my wand out of my pocket and turned around to find Blaise Zabini smirking at my reaction. "Constantly on the guard, aren't we? Your father sure would be proud." He said sarcastically.

I narrowed my eyes and kept my wand aimed on his chest. "Quit being an asshole, Blaise. You know how I feel about my father."

His smirk fell. "Yeah." He said and stuffed his hands in his pockets. "Sucks he's released. My father is still locked up, and I hope he stays that way."

Finally, I lowered my wand and ran a hand through my hair. "Shit man," I said as I suddenly wanted to punch something. "Why does my father do this crap to me? It's hell enough that I can't even have an ounce of freedom, but now this? When I read that letter, I wanted to break his neck with my bare hands! Look how he beat up my mother! He's like the devil himself!"

Blaise stepped closer and then leaned up against the wall. He was always calm and collected about everything. It made me sick. I, however, inherited my father's short fused temper.

"Did he say what was going on? Or what had to be done?" Blaise asked, ignoring the subject about my mother. He knew that it was a touchy subject and that I loved her dearly. Yes, Malfoy's can love.

I shrugged. "All I know is that he has a son he doesn't know about and that there is some sort of Prophecy. I don't know what about though." Blaise nodded. "I heard about his son. It's hard to imagine him getting jiggy with some bitch." He added. I laughed at his crude remark. I then shook my head and punched the stone wall. "Why the fuck did he put me in this mess? I am NOT going to become my father's clone. I need freedom, my own self respect and a chance at life!" And here my father thinks I'm going to become a Death Eater. Bull fucking shit is all I have to say to that. Sure he's mentioned it before, but my mother has always argued with him. She doesn't want her only child to follow the life of her husband.

At this Blaise narrowed his eyes and stepped away from the wall. "Wait a tick. What is this shit about becoming a Death Eater? I thought your mother wouldn't allow it?"

I sighed and felt the familiar jolt of dread, fear and anger tear at my stomach. And so I commenced telling him about everything he obviously didn't know. Everything the letter held about the prophecy, the statement from my father of what I was to become after graduation, and then I told him what had transpired between my mother and him, at least what I assumed happened. Blaise knows that my father beats my mother. He's done so for years. I'm never there when he does it, as he knows I'd kill him, but my mother tells me during the summer. And in the letter he said that my mother was at St. Mungo's for treatment from an 'accident'. Accident my ass; I know he beat her until she couldn't walk just so she would finally say yes for what I dread that will happen after this year at Hogwarts.

But what I don't get is how he doesn't know about his son. Yes, Voldemort has a son. Fuck, he's probably as evil as he is! How could he not know he even has one? I don't blame that bitch for keeping him away. They probably live off in bum-fucked Egypt somewhere in a shack so they'll never be found.

Blaise nodded to everything I said, his face impassive and blank. "So, in a nutshell, your father's an ass (Although we knew this already,), you mother's in the hospital because of the ass who shares the same DNA as you, and now after this year you'll be forced to become a Death Eater and serve a 'Master' who is a failure, have a life lived for you and until then you're trying to find out about this stupid Prophecy while we now know that Voldemort has a son?" I couldn't help but smirk at this. He said it terribly fast, and yet he got it all right.

I nodded and leaned up against the wall, Blaise following suit. "Shit, Draco." He said.

I sighed. "Yeah..."

----

As soon as we left Dumbledore's office Malfoy seemed to be in deep thought. And so I left him walking towards a deserted part of the castle, for what I expect to be planned for some long brooding. Over what I'm not sure, but after Dumbledore's speech and Malfoy's sudden anger and thoughtfulness I can tell something is up.

'Man am I tired,' I thought and I realized I'm behind on my reading. I pulled up my left sleeve and looked at my watch. 12:46Am. I should be getting to bed. What I really want to do is express my hunches and thoughts with Harry and Ron, but I haven't seen them since dinner. 'I'll just have to wait until tomorrow.' I thought as I walked through the portrait hole to catch up on my reading.

After about 30 minutes or so of reading, I quit, wondering if I should try and play the piano a bit before Malfoy shows up. That's when I heard a whisper outside the portrait and it swung open to reveal a very zoned out looking Malfoy. I quirked a brow, wondering if I should say something, but bit my tongue. Even though he deserves it, I'll stop the harassing for tonight.

But the silence didn't last long. When he heard me close my book he must've realized he wasn't alone and slightly shook his head. He immediately switched his 'on' button for fight mode, because he smirked. I inwardly sighed. I was tired, and that was part of the reason I hadn't planned on harassing him.

I decided just to sit there and stare at the fire, wondering if he'll walk on by, but my luck was not so great.

"Just can't keep your nose out of a book, can you Granger? I swear you'd live in the library if they would allow you to." I rolled my eyes and sighed.

"Well, Malfoy, I'm not sure whether or not I'd want to live in the library because it's people like you who make-out with people like Pansy and annoy all of the readers who are in the same room as you and your snogging session!."

Malfoy glared daggers. "That is bullshit and you know it!" he yelled, fury dripping off of his words. Yes, I knew he had never made out with Pansy in the library; or at least not while I was in there, and I was in there a lot. It was just a rumor that someone made up a year ago.

That's when I pretty much cracked for the night. I stood up and faced Malfoy. I knew my eyes held no emotion, and perhaps that's why he looked at me so funny. I knew I was breaking from the inside out, I had been so ever since the passing of my father, and now I cracked one more step further from complete breakdown. And I would never forgive who killed my father. Even though I didn't know who did it, I knew that I would find out eventually.

"Just…" I sighed. "Can't you ever walk into a room without wanting someone's attention? It's tiring and tonight is just not a good night. So please, hold your damn tongue!" I said this last part rather harshly, and mock laughter shone brightly in his eyes.

"My, my…I never knew you could get tired of our little arguments. It's rather entertaining I will admit, and no. I will not bite my tongue!" he said, narrowing his eyes and daring me to say or do something. But I couldn't. I could feel the tears start to well up for the thousandth time in the past half hour. I wasn't paying attention to my reading, I was remembering. And I wished I wouldn't recall all these things:

'As soon as I realized it was my dead father on the ground, I rushed over to my mother's side and tried to do something, anything. She was sitting there, sobbing in her hands and rocking back and fourth. I didn't know who killed him, but I would find out and end his life; just like he did my father's.'

And so I didn't do or say anything. I just slowly turned around, walked up the stairs, into my bedroom and shut the door quietly. I had grown tired of him for one day.

I now knew one thing. I had changed, and for both the better and the worse. The better was more self-confident, more independent and more sarcastic; a more all around bitch. The worse was cracking at times like this. I loathed breaking in front of Malfoy, and now he saw part of my weakness, he saw I wasn't all who I used to be. And part of who I am now is just an empty shell, lying and waiting for a taste of sweet revenge.

--

There's the end of chapter 3! What do you think? I know that this chapter makes you wonder what the hell is going on lol, but it's supposed to! Don't worry, you'll find out soon! I already have pretty much the whole thing planned out.

Please review! Create criticism is encouraged!

Much luhve 33

Chelsea

Credits: Thank you Mary An for the idea of the Ball. The whole Masquerade, number thing, charming people thing and all that is the work of my bestest friend Mary! XD