Purple Kangaroo! You're actually reading this! Cookies and a cuddly kitten to you! I feel so loved Anyway, a few notes about this story-
1) Yes, it starts out like its about Harry or something, but it is a HERMIONE/DRACO romance, and will focus on them once the story gets more started.
2) No Voldy. Yup, you heard me. The Tom Riddle diary was the last anyone heard of him. As far as this fic is concerned, he's still floating around as transparent head waiting for another victim to latch on to and hide underneath turbans. Yes, Harry fought in the Triwizard Tournament, but he split the glory with Cedric, who lived on to become a very successful novelist in southern Norway (is that an oxymoron)
3) It's a romance. Yes. Unlikely, I know…but dangit, I will do it…and Draco is not a romance-y person (neither is Hermione, really, but comparatively she is) so I will do my best to keep them behaving IC…just don't kill me if something's a little not…
4) If I make mistakes, please tell me- nicely! I'm fine with criticism, so don't be afraid to give it!
5) Suggestions are welcome as well (no promises that I will use them, though)
6) Draco's a jerk, my friends. Not a lost prince, not a misunderstood romantic-at-heart. He's just another teenage asshole, and will act accordingly, thanks much! I love him dearly, but he has not been harboring long-hidden feelings for our favorite mudblood witch. Nope. This is a long and rocky process, folks.
DISCLAIMER: I don't own Harry Potter or any of its characters/words/etc.
And now...
Enjoy!
Wizard's Chess
Prologue: Dumbledore's Choice
Somewhere in England, on a crimson and gold train, a young man with messy black hair and green eyes gazed quietly out the window of his compartment. Now, despite the fact that this was a very common description and could be any young man, this young man was a very specific young man on a very specific train going to a very specific location. Harry Potter was on the Hogwarts Express- on his way back to Hogwarts, the one place he considered home. It was a peaceful view, and one he much preferred seeing through a train window rather than dangling from a flying car door, thank you very much. The peace was something that reassured the Boy-Who-Lived, yet worried him at the same time, because he always had a vague suspicion it might not last...but for now, it was nice to see something calm.
His thoughts were interrupted by the abrupt sound of a compartment door sliding open, revealing to prefects rocking unsteadily on their feet as the train moved roughly over its tracks. "Harry!"
"We've been looking all over for you!" Harry grinned at the two. One, a towering red-haired-freckled-faced teenager, the other a young woman with bright brown eyes and bushy brown hair the exact length he remembered it framing a familiar face he was glad to see. His best friends- Ronald Weasley and Hermione Granger. "Oy! Harry, guess what Hermione 'forgot' to tell us." Ron said with a smirk, sliding into a seat across from his friend and settling himself in comfortably. The room seemed smaller than it had seven years ago…but then, both Ron and Harry had grown quite a good deal since their first awkward meeting at age eleven. Harry looked to Hermione, then Ron, curious. "She's Head Girl!" Ron burst out, impatient with him waiting. He was grinning proudly, and while Hermione was clearly trying to keep her smile modest, it was hard to hide the pride she felt as well. Harry glanced to Hermione, grinning broadly.
"Way to go, 'Mione." He smirked slightly. "Not that there was any reason to doubt it."
"Maybe that's why she didn't tell us," Ron said innocently. "Maybe she thought it was so obvious that she needn't bother."
"Ron!" Hermione flushed and sat down as well. "Don't be ridiculous, I would have told you, but I only found out myself a little while ago. It seems they were having trouble choosing the Head Boy."
Ron's expression suddenly darkened as he looked sulkily back to Harry. "And guess what bloody git they chose."
"Who?" Harry asked, curious, though Ron's expression gave him a sneaking suspicion who. Hermione made a face, and, to her credit, at least attempted to keep her voice calm and polite.
"Draco Malfoy."
Seventh Year Sorting Hat
Though I may look like a silly hat,
I assure you I'm much more than that.
The Sorting Hat is my lovely name,
And sorting students is my game.
So slip me up upon your head
And heed the words that will be said,
I'll put you and place you where you'll belong,
And there's ne'er been a time when I've been wrong.
If your heart is full of bravery,
True and strong, faith in chivalry.
If you're strong of heart, pride in store,
Then Gryffindor's the home you're for.
To Slytherin will go the keen
If a desire to prove themselves I've seen,
Ambitious and cunning, they're here to win,
It takes wily ones for Slytherin.
Perhaps you're wise, and clever too?
Than only Ravenclaw will do!
There dwells a wise, quick-witted group,
If that suits you, than you'll join the troupe.
Hufflepuff will take them all,
If you're kind, than that's the name I'll call
Hard-working, trustworthy and fair,
Only loyal of heart will be placed there.
But though I'll sort, still listen close
To your wise Headmaster's toast
The time has passed for they and we,
And time has come for unity.
You may be in a House of some renown,
And think that yours takes the crown,
But remember this and if not you'll see,
The price you pay for such bigotry.
Four Houses there may surely be,
Each one standing individually
But when all has been said and done
This school has a name…and it only has one.
Each student in their place, but for how long?
The Great Hall was silent. The Sorting Hat had said something about the Headmaster's toast, yes, but in the excitement of the sorting, few had actually heeded. Every single student at Hogwarts was in the Great Hall at that time, for the Start of the Year feast. And every single one of them was staring, mouths agape at the old man at the podium, who was grinning merrily at them in the wake of his announcement. (Except of course, the newly-sorted first years, who were simply too bewildered by everything else to understand what was going on) Ron's fork had dropped from his hand, Hermione was pale white, and Harry stared slack-jawed. Similar reactions mirrored the trio's throughout the Hall. No one could believe it, no one wanted to believe it...but he had said it. "Please let this be a joke..." Hermione said quietly. Dumbledore looked down at her, eyes twinkling.
"It's true, Miss. Granger. In an effort to promote unity between the Houses, the staff and I have decided that instead of staying in the same room with students of the same House, each student will share a room with a student from a different House. We think it's time for this stuffy old school to try something a little different. Quite fun, don't you think?" The old wizard's grin broadened and he continued. "Each time you and your roommate succeed in doing something effectively together, as a team- without argument or false feelings, mind you, a point will be awarded to each House. If you argue though," He shook his finger. "A point will be deducted from each House."
"Blimey..." muttered Ron.
"Hope I don't get paired with a Slytherin..." Harry said. "We'd lose so many points, we'd go negative." Hermione managed a thin smile.
"I agree, out of Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff or Slytherin, I'd definitely pass on the latter. Imagine being stuck with someone like Pansy Parkinson..." Both boys made a face.
"Yuck!"
"On your plate, there's a popping cracker," Sure enough, as a hundred-odd heads instinctively looked down, there was. "Open it up to see who you will be paired with! Go on now, don't take all day about it…the sooner its decided, the sooner we feast!" Dumbledore continued. With hesitant fingers the students warily picked the crackers up... and opened them up.
... And on the other side ...
"Please let this be a joke..." Hermione said quietly, but everyone in the hall could hear her- that's how quiet everything was.
Everyone including Draco Malfoy, not that he was paying any particular attention to said Mudblood- he was too busy staring at the crazy old coot talking to them. Draco's goblet remained poised in his hand, he'd forgotten about it (though he instinctively managed not to spill anything out of it. A Malfoy never spilt a drink)
"It's true, Miss. Granger. In an effort to promote unity between the Houses, the staff and I have decided that instead of staying in the same room with students of the same House, each student will have a room with a student from a different House..."
Pansy was next to him, and she wrinkled her nose. "Oh how awful!" She whined, her high-pitched voice still only a whisper in shock. "Imagine being stuck with someone like... like ...Granger." She shuddered in disgust, tossing her pretty blonde hair over her shoulder in a whimpering pout.
Draco decided to ignore her as well, and as much as he wanted to ignore the crazy Headmaster, even a muggle-loving old man's ramblings were more pleasant on a Malfoy's delicate ears than the dying-cat whisper-screech of Parkinson. Ah, the old man was talking again. "Each time you and your roommate succeed in doing something effectively together, as a team, without arguing or false feelings, mind you, a point will be awarded to each House. If you argue though," He shook his finger. "A point will be deducted-"
Malfoy's lower lip curled up in a sneer, who knew, that could be useful. If he got stuck with a rotten little Gryffindor, it would be easy to fuel their tempers. He could make their points go negative with some careful plotting!
"-from each House."
...Drat
A/N: There you go, end of the prologue. has...wow...certainly changed since my last foray into its pages. Questions/Comments/Concerns are all appreciated ) Now, this chapter is choppy, but the next will not. This was purely for setting up plot purposes. Righty-o, I'm done, then.