The walk to the common room was utterly silent. The only sounds were the footsteps of the three.
SNAPA bright, blinding flash of light lit up the darkened hallway instantly and blinded them for a moment.
"Colin!" shouted Hermione, as she regained her sight.
Colin Creevey stood before them, his camera raised into picture taking position and a proud smile playing on his lips.
"Didn't mean to catch you of guard there. But Dumbledore's made me head of the yearbook committee and I've got to take all the pictures for it," he explained quite happily.
Draco glared at him through slit eyes.
"Why you-" he began.
"Malfoy, don't be so mean," Hermione hissed.
"Carry on then Mr. Creevey," said McGonagall.
"Yes, Professor," said Colin as he trotted down the hall in the opposite direction, snapping a photo of a group of Ravenclaw girls coming from the bathroom as he went.
"Well here we are," announced McGonagall.
They had stopped in front of a portrait of a handsome knight sitting on top of a white horse. Hermione looked upon the horse intently, imagining what it was like to ride one. She'd never had the chance to even when she was young. To busy being caught up with schoolwork as always. She glanced up at the knight who was smiling down at her. As McGonagall stated the password, he winked and flashed her a dazzling smile (Lockhart would be very proud). Hermione felt her cheeks instantly begin to grow pink, McGonagall took no notice, but after glancing in Malfoy's direction, she found him to be looking even more furious than he had in the corridor.
The common room before them was just like all the others. A small stone hallway led into the main part of the common room where to the right of the room a large fire resided, along with a couch and two armchairs surrounding the fireplace. On the other side of the room were two desks facing each other, and a nice bookcase with many collections of different books.
Straight ahead was a staircase that split in the middle and went off into two separate directions.
"Mr. Malfoy, your room is to the right and Miss Granger, yours is to the left," said Professor McGonagall, leaving the two alone in the common room.
Draco started forward towards the staircase.
She headed up the staircase after him, Draco feeling utterly exhausted from the long train ride, Hermione itching to sit down and read.
At the top, he turned to her.
"Don't get too comfortable here, Granger,"
"Well as McGonagall said, we represent unity,"
"Unity my ass,"
"Malfoy, I don't like this either but we're going to have to be… well…"
"Yeah?"
"It's not my choice you know but if you want to be Head Boy and get to take away points from houses-even though you'll probably just take points away from just Gryffindor anyways but-"
"Granger. I don't have time to listen to your constant babbling so would you just get on with what you were saying?"
"Right… well we're going to have to be …friends… not that I would want too,"
"Well that's not going to happen, Granger. Trust me." He walked up the remaining stairs leading to his dorm.
"Well… goodnight," Hermione called after him. He stopped and his head turned ever so slightly.
"Whatever…" he said after a moment of silence before disappearing into his room.
!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!
Draco found the dormitory to be exactly identical to his old Slytherin one down in the dungeons. But of course, this one had real windows. Apparently, his clothes had already been brought up for him and packed away into the dresser. The house elves had even placed a strange muggle object on the dresser. It was square and a metallic silver. He poked it cautiously with a strange interest but it didn't budge nor utter a word, which he was sure it would do.
He sat on the edge of his bed, contemplating what were the advantages and disadvantages of being Head Boy. He had already begun to miss his friends. Right now, they'd probably be spread out on their beds in the dormitory, Blaise babbling on about girls (what else) while Crabbe and Goyle have a row over Pansy (yuck).
He flopped down onto his new bed and slowly drifted off to sleep, these thoughts still running through his head.
!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!
As Draco was sleeping in his bed, Hermione was doing the complete opposite.
Her new room had proved to be beyond her expectations, and to enlighten her mood even more, she decided to sit down and read a nice book.
At Diagon Alley, she, Harry, and Ron had come across the strangest bookshop. Upon entering (which Ron and Harry were forced to do), a stubby little man greeted and led the three to a selection of books he thought they'd be interest in. In fact, they were interested in them. After several minutes of browsing, Harry had decided on buying a book entitled: All you ever need to know about Quidditch. While Ron ended up running out of the store, swearing he had seen a section of books covered in humungous black spiders. Hermione on the other hand had settled on a book called: Dealing with your new Pressures.
She opened the book slowly, it made a warmly familiar crackling noise as the spine was bent slightly and she began to turn the crisp pages as her thoughts slowly drifted off…
Am I crazy? Why did I suggest to Malfoy that we should try to be friends?
Because you know you want to.
Are you crazy too? Well you are me… but that's not the point!
Come on. You haven't even tried to be nice to him… ever.
Yes I have.
When?
Er…
Exactly.
But he calls me a mudblood and he's the cause for that period when I had stupid beaver teeth!
Well if it hadn't been for him you wouldn't of gotten to shrink your teeth to a more normal size.
What about calling me a mudblood? There's no excuse for that.
Playful teasing?
Oh why do I have a little voice inside my head like you?
So there she lay, relaxed and lying on her stomach and thinking about what her last year at Hogwarts was to bring. So relaxed, that she began to drift off to sleep as well. Before she new it, Hermione was sound asleep, book in hand.
!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!
She woke to the sound of her bewitched alarm clock ringing in her ears. Groaning and half asleep, she placed the book she had been reading the night before on her bedside table and slipped her feet into a pair of comfortable fuzzy slippers. Making her way to the bathroom door, she reached out and grasped the doorknob to steady her before opening it.
!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!
He woke to an annoying high-pitched sound in his ear. Turing onto his side, he saw his alarm clock buzzing and sputtering on the small table beside his bed.
"Bloody hell," he muttered, pulling the covers off himself and tumbling out of the bed, punching the alarm clock to make it silent once more.
Rubbing his eyes unconsciously, he nearly tripped over the edge of the green rug before landing face flat in front of the bathroom door. He grunted and stood up unsteadily and opening the door.
!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!
"AAAAAAAAAAH!"
"Get out of my bathroom!" she yelled at him.
"This is my bathroom. Not yours!" he retorted in another yell.
"No it's not! I was here first!"
"No you weren't!"
"Yes I was so, get out!"
"Why don't you get out of my bathroom?"
"Because it's mine!"
"No it bloody isn't!"
"Just shut up and get out, Malfoy!"
"You shut the bloody hell up and get out!"
"No I won't!"
"Get the fuck out, Granger!"
"Ugh!" shouted Hermione, swearing under her breath as she stormed back into her room, "Wait till McGonagall hears this."
"No you don't!" Draco shouted back, rushing into his own room.
She shut the door and quickly changed into her school robes, stumbling down the staircase and into the common room. He wasn't far behind her, having already had his white button down shirt and pants on.
"Professor McGonagall!" the two yelled in unison upon entering the Great Hall. The students already sitting down for an early breakfast looked up.
"Please don't tell me I have to share a bathroom with him?" asked Hermione.
"It's not like this situation is any better for me," he spat at her.
"Only twelve hours and you two can't stop fighting!" she exclaimed from her seat up at the staff table.
"But Prof-"
McGonagall held up her hand to silence them.
"That is enough!"
Professor Snape, having overheard the conversation butted in.
"If you don't mind me saying so, Minerva. I think a proper punishment would be, perhaps, helping the house elves prepare the Halloween Feast?"
"Now now Severus, that is much to drastic for now," she told him before turning to Hermione and Malfoy, "But if I ever catch you two fighting again, then I shall greatly consider Professor Snape's proposal."
Hermione sighed to herself and headed off to her house table as Draco did the same.
Plopping down between Ron and Harry, she found herself staring at her plate once more. Immediately some cooked eggs and a piece of toast appeared on it. Pushing it away for she wasn't hungry, the food disappeared.
"What was that all about?" asked Harry.
"I have to share a bathroom with Malfoy," she muttered so only they could hear her.
"SHARE A BATHROOM?" exclaimed Ron, standing up and drawing the attention of the whole Great Hall to himself.
"Ron! Sit down!" she hissed at him.
"What do you mean 'share a bathroom'?" Ron asked her frantically after sitting down.
"We have share a bathroom, Ronald," she said to him for the second time in a row.
He looked at her with a confused and angry expression on his face.
"It means, Ron," she said a little too impatiently, "that Malfoy and I share a room where people brush their teeth, comb their hair, take bat-"
"I don't want to hear anymore!" he said, cutting her off.
"Ron, you're being so immature about this. It's not like Hermione would do anything… right?" asked Harry.
"Honestly you two. I think I'm old enough to look out for myself, thanks," she said.
"Isn't that illegal though?" asked Ron with a hint of hope in his voice.
"I don't think so Ron. Don't worry though Hermione I'm sure Dumbledore can do something about it," said Harry happily.
"Dumbledore has to do something about it!" said Ron, glancing over at the Slytherin table with an evil glare.
"According to McGonagall, I can't complain at all otherwise I'll get detention with the house elves," she said dully.
!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!
"Draco, what's with all the shouting mate?" asked Blaise as he sat down across from him.
"I don't want to talk about it," he mumbled.
"Oh come on! Whatever it is it can't be as bad as having to share a dormitory with these blokes," said Blaise, motioning towards Crabbe and Goyle.
"I have to share a bathroom with her," muttered Draco.
"Even if she's annoying, Sara's quite hot. Remember that Quidditch game? She was so scared when you hurt yourself and she was first to the Hospital Wing to see you-"
"SHARE A BATHROOM?" they heard Ron shout from the table next to theirs.
"Well I guess her boyfriend's found out," Draco muttered again.
"Wha-"
He was about to explain to Blaise about how he was talking about Granger and not Sara Smith, one of the girls Blaise would love to get his hands on. But unfortunately for him, Sara was only interested in Draco… well more like obsessed with him. But he decided not to. He'd rather just like to eat.
"Blaise. Can we just eat in peace?"
"Oh, sure thing."
!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!
"Well at least you'll get a chance to try and persuade the house elves to free themselves," said Harry encouragingly.
"I'll be too busy making chocolate éclairs for everyone," said Hermione sadly.
"That sounds fun. Maybe you'll get to sample all the food!" said Ron, his smile growing wide with the thought of all those sweets.
"Ronald…" she began.
"What? Just trying to make it sound more positive,"
"It doesn't even sound positive to begin with! I'll be stuck in a kitchen with Malfoy who has probably never even touched a kitchen appliance in his life!"
"Well if you put it that way it's not going to sound the least bit positive at all,"
"Oh never mind… let's just go to class,"
"Okay Herm," said Harry and Ron together.
!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!
"So how're Quidditch trials going?" Blaise asked, trying to break the awkward silence.
"Well we've got only one new position to fill and right now, I don't think we should count on winning the Quidditch Cup,"
"I bet those stupid Gryffindors will,"
"Don't they always?"
"Hello."
Draco turned around to find Sara Smith behind him looking absolutely gleeful. He looked at Blaise who simply smirked and leaned back to watch.
"Oh hello Sara,"
"I… I was wondering if-"
"Wondering what?" spat Pansy Parkinson as she slid into the seat next to Draco.
When Sara did not answer, Pansy shouted at her again.
"I asked you what you were 'wondering' about, Smith!"
"Pansy calm down we were just talking," said Draco.
"Well don't talk to her again,"
"You can't tell me who and who not to talk to," he said, raising his voice.
"She was hitting on my Drakie poo!" Pansy squealed.
"I am not yours or anybody else's,"
"Listen, Pansy," Blaise piped up, "Draco was just talking to Sara about Charms homework."
"We haven't had any classes yet, Blaise!" she exclaimed.
Blaise you dumb ass.
"Did I say homework? I meant charms in general," he said quickly, a little to quickly.
"Sara just get the bloody hell away." Pansy shouted after her as she scampered off like a wounded dog.
"Pansy, listen, Sara was just talking to me. And I'm not going out with you in the first place."
She looked like she had been slapped but lowered her head in defeat and started to pick at some of bacon that had appeared on her plate.
"I need to find a way to get rid of Pansy!" Draco hissed.
"Maybe you could try getting an actual girlfriend for once?" said Blaise.
"What would that do?"
"Well Pansy wouldn't try to be your girlfriend if you had one,"
"But I've never had a girlfriend, and even if it did, who would it be?"
"Draco, you've got girls who would kill to be your girlfriend,"
"Like who?"
"Do I have to name all of them?"
"Okay, okay,"
"But you have to make sure she's someone you can't get to easily,"
"Why?"
"Because that'll make it even more fun,"
"Blaise, you never cease to amaze me." Draco said as he slipped out of his seat.
"As always,"
!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!
The trio walked down the deserted corridor to their first lesson. Charms.
Ron was still chewing a humungous mouthful of food and whenever he tried to talk, it only resulted in spots of partially chewed food on the floor.
Harry was reading his book once again. But strangely enough, he hadn't turned a page since they had left the Great Hall and was curiously glancing up every so often.
Hermione couldn't help but laugh at her two best friends. There was Ron, spraying food everywhere and Harry pretending to read a book. She would have thought her life was perfect until…
"McGonagall said we've got Head duties tonight," came a smooth and sexy voice from behind her.
She was almost in a daze before she saw who it was.
"…W-well I'm not going, Malfoy,"
"And why not?"
"Because I'm going to Hagrid's with Harry and Ron,"
"Those two idiots?"
"We're not idiots, Malfoy."
Ron and Harry had caught on to why Hermione had stopped right in the middle of the corridor, and if they didn't hurry, they'd be late.
"I wasn't talking to you, Weasley. Or you, Potthead,"
"Why don't you just leave and stop bothering us?"
"Granger and I were having a little talk till you two interrupted,"
"Shut up Mal-"
"I think we'd better leave. I'll talk to you in the common room…"
Ron shot him a final glare before being dragged by Hermione to Charms.
Maybe she might just give Malfoy a chance at being friends… a very sexy friend of course.