It was September the first once again in Kings Cross Station in London. A tall lurking figure strode onto Platform 9 and 3/4. He stood at nearly 6 foot tall with near silver hair that was tastefully parted down the middle and had a 'just rolled out of bed' kind of look. He had the palest blue eyes that they too, were almost silver. Wearing all black Draco Malfoy looked as though he had just stepped out of a New York City coffee shop, all that was missing was a set of bongo drums. He reached his hand into his pant pocket securing the nerves eating away at his stomach telling him he was missing something. But his Head Boy badge was still there and he knew he had all the material items he needed, so he knew what it must be. His body guards were missing. Greg Goyle's parents had moved to America where they could hide from the Ministry of Magic for a while. And after the scandal of their fathers, Malfoy couldn't blame them. And after Crabbe's father was arrested Crabbe couldn't handle school any more and his mother pulled him from Hogwarts after the year before and started sending him to Durmstang. So there Draco stood, searching the platform for any sign of friendship or protection.

The cold blue eyes moved slowly across the crowd of people, new First years running to get on the train- even though they had at least a half hour before it left. Older Fifth years talking to friends and comparing study strategies for their upcoming O.W.L.s. He continued scanning until he came upon a familiar face. She had gorgeous straight, long, brown hair that came midway down her back. The few inches left between the ends of her hair and pants revealed a light pink peasant top and a golden brown tan beneath that. Her pants were very low cut leaving just enough up for the imagination to play with. Draco began to move towards her as she turned around. She had an air of fun but seriousness that intensified his need to know who this familiar person was.

As he came into earshot he heard her saying, "Well, really I'm not sure what this year will be like. It's our Seventh year so, they'll be giving us our last lessons before we leave to go into the real world." She turned around laughing and running her fingers through her hair. She stopped laughing in a short like manner and turned away. Looking hard at the mysterious girl Draco realized who she really was. Hermione Granger. Smartest girl in the entire Seventh year, probably the school. She looked so different. So relaxed and controlled. But physically different too. Her hair was straighter, and longer, although it was probably longer because it was straight. Her teeth had been straight ever since their Forth year when he had hit her with a spell that made them grow unnaturally long. She looked beautiful. Full bodied and voluptuous curves made her look so natural with just the hint of make-up to accentuate her natural beauty. Her big chocolate brown eyes were sensual and radiating innocence. All and all she was gorgeous.

Draco mentally kicked himself. Him? Think that that mudblood was beautiful? Yeah right. He never, ever would like her. Ever. But he couldn't help listening to that little voice in his head that doubted himself. He knew that he would need a huge distraction if he wasn't going to think of her this year. She was pretty, smart and so innocent. He wanted to break her. Make her his. But then he wanted to kick himself for even thinking such things.

He was just about to kick himself when a huge, squealing blob in hot pink ran up to him and grabbed him around the middle and shoved her face into his. Pansy Parkinson. Of course. When she finally detached herself from him she squealed in a high pitched voice, "Oh Dracy, I missed you so much. You look so good this year. Have you been working out? Wasn't this summer just completely awful? I mean, not seeing each other all of the holiday? How we survived, I really can't imagine." Draco sighed inwardly. He and Pansy had broken up last year but she still continued to deny it and invite him up in the dormitory every chance she got. He accepted occasionally but even when he did, he didn't enjoy himself. She drove him crazy and he always just wanted to cast a silencing spell on her to make her shut up. Of course he never did, but it didn't keep him from wishing he could. Tuning back into Pansy's babble he heard her say, "So, you wanna sit with me on the train, Dracy? We could play board games..." she added with a wink.

"Board games?" he asked in disbelief

"Yeah... you know... games you play... when your bored." She added another wink and grabbed his ass.

Draco pulled her hand away from his ass and said, "Ummm... Maybe some other time, Pansy. I've got... Head business to attend to. You know, going to be very busy this year. Living in new quarters and all."

Pansy stuck on a pout. "You will come visit me in the common room won't you. I mean, I don't know that we could survive together if we don't spend some time alone together."

After that Draco snapped. He didn't want this fat whore talking to him anymore and was tired of playing her games. He had to set it right and tell her off completely honestly. If he hurt her feelings that was too damn bad. "Pansy, how many times do I have to tell you? We are NOT a couple and haven't been for a year. You need to stop acting like I'm your property and move on! We are through and have been for a year!" Pansy pouted more but didn't say anything and left to get a seat on the train with some other Slytherin Seventh Years. He finally got through to her. She was finally out of his life.

Draco looked up for another sneak at Hermione again, just to get a glimpse of someone more appealing looking than Pansy, but she was gone. He sighed and grabbed his trunk and started heading towards the train.

He boarded the train and heard Pansy saying very loudly, "Yeah, Draco and I are completely over for good this time. I had to break it to him gently, I think he cried a little, but I think he'll be OK."

Another girl piped in, "But, I thought I heard him yelling at you that you were over and had been for over a year."

"Oh, well you know, he was in such a right state that he convinced himself that he was doing the breaking up, not me." All the girls said "ooh" but Draco didn't think that they really believed Pansy. Especially since she said he cried and that he was delusional. That was laying it on too thick. They would know it was a lie. He was almost feeling sorry for her, but then she was awful and such a whore that he really couldn't care.

He started to head back to the back of the train when a man said, "Mr. Malfoy, if I'm not mistaken you are the new Head Boy. Your compartment is up front with the new Head Girl."

Draco turned around. He supposed this man was the conductor. He had a gray-white beard and mustache and was wearing an old fashion conductors uniform complete with hat and overalls. "Ummm... Alright. Thank you, do you by any chance know who the new Head Girl is?" The conductor just shook his head and headed back up towards the front of the train. "Alright then, thanks anyway."

Draco dragged his trunk up to the Head's compartment and opened the door. A very pretty girl looked up at him and grimaced.

Hermione Granger was talking to Harry Potter and Ron Weasley at Platform 9 and 3/4 when Parvati Patil and Lavender Brown came up behind them and wrapped their arms around Harry and Ron's waists. Harry and Lavender and Ron and Parvati had all started dating at around the same time the year before and were approaching their one year anniversaries. Both Ron and Harry turned around to kiss their girlfriends shortly and pulled them around in front of them so that the girls backs were to their fronts. The boys still tried to be good friends to Hermione but it was difficult when they were trying to appease their girlfriends so much. Hermione couldn't blame them. They had liked the girls for a long time and if she had a boyfriend she would want him to pay more attention to her then his usual friends. Not that she was needy... She just wanted a good boyfriend that cared more about her than his friends. It wasn't too much to ask.

She ignored that Parvati and Lavender were hanging on Ron and Harry and they maintained conversation. "Wow, Hermione. You look great this year," Lavender said. It was true... She had changed a lot over the summer holidays. She had found a spell on the train home from school that would straighten her hair and make it sleeker without using loads of straightening serum. Her body had developed quite nicely over the past year and she was finally wearing clothes that would show that off a little more. She had started wearing make-up and dressing like a normal teenage girl. She had also lost some of her innocence over the summer holidays. The world wasn't the same as it used to be in her eyes. There was more to it. More complications and more invitations then ever before for her to see the evils but pure passions in the world. In other words Hermione was finally starting to look more like Parvati and Lavender. Thoughts, on the other hand, were completely different.

Hermione fingered the badge in her pocket. She traced the HG on it with a loving finger. She hadn't put the badge on yet because she hadn't told Ron and Harry that she wouldn't be in the Common Room anymore. She was sure they wouldn't care but she still didn't want to tell them in case they suddenly did care. Harry realizing that Hermione was still there and trying to think of something to say, said, "What do you think our classes will be like this year?"

"Well, really I'm not sure what this year will be like. It's our Seventh year so, they'll be giving us our last lessons before we leave to go into the real world," Hermione responded.

"Only this year will be better. No spiders!" Ron said.

Everyone laughed. Still laughing Hermione felt the penetrating feeling of someone else's eyes on her back. She turned pulling her fingers through her newly straightened hair. Searching the crowd her eyes met cold, silvery-blue eyes meeting hers. She stopped laughing abruptly and turned away. Draco Malfoy was staring at her. He couldn't be though... Could he? She turned back to look. No, he was plastered to Pansy Parkinson. Or at least being molested by her, she looked liked she was doing all the actual making out. Draco looked like he was just trying not to throw up all over Pansy. Ever since the year before, Draco had not only been nicer and more decent, he had finally realized what everyone else had known for years. That Pansy Parkinson was a fat cow and absolutely disgusting.

Hermione turned back to Harry and Ron. "Let's go find a compartment, shall we?" she asked them. They all agreed and boarded the train. They were heading back to a back compartment when a voice spoke out.

"Ms. Granger, I do believe that you are the new Head Girl. Your compartment is up front with the new Head Boy."

They turned to meet the man who was speaking eyes. He was the conductor. Hermione recognized him. "Hermione's not the new Head Girl. She would have told us if she was."

The conductor raised his eyebrows. "Actually, Ron, I am."

"And you didn't tell us?" Harry spoke out.

"I... I guess it just slipped my mind. That's all." Without waiting for the boys to yell that something like that doesn't 'just slip your mind' she turned and dragged her trunk down the train to the Head's compartment. It was nicer than the regular compartments. The seats were a velvet red with silver embroidery and matching curtains on the windows. They were roomy and there was a huge storage area above seating for their trunks and anything else they wanted to store. Hermione sat down on one of the benches and found they were better cushioned that then regular seats, too. She sat back with a sigh and pulled out a huge book: Over-Achieving Witches of the 20th Century.

She opened to her page but couldn't read. Draco Malfoy- The Draco Malfoy- had been staring... at her. She couldn't believe it. He was not only the best looking boy in the Seventh Year, he was smart and, on occasion, funny. She closed the book. But, he was a pure blood, and hated muggle borns, especially those who could out smart him in every class. Mudblood's he call them. He called her. He hated her for everything she stood for. For every breath she had ever taken. For every beat of her heart that she couldn't control. He just hated her. But, then... why had he been staring? Why was the Draco Malfoy- best looking, smartest boy in the Seventh Year staring at the one person he possibly hated the most. Besides Harry. Why was he staring at her.

Because of the change. That must be it. It was because she looked different and dressed differently and was different in general. That had to be it. She closed her eyes, counted to 10 and reopened her book. Hermione began reading and was already ahead 5 chapters when she heard muffled steps outside the door. Trying not to look up she continued reading. The door opened and she looked up. Draco Malfoy was standing in the door way staring down at her. She couldn't help it. Hermione's face contorted into a grimace.