For many years, whenever Hermione felt good she would build a tower in her mind. As things got better, it grew stronger and taller. That way, if something bad happened, it couldn't destroy her tower of good. When something bad happened it would crash into her tower, and more often than not, her tower would fall and she would rebuild it. Piece by piece.
Her tower had been growing slowly each day after the night by the fire and by the time she travelled home for the winter break, it was nearing the clouds. However this time, so much as a breeze would make it tremble. She didn't know why. It was beautiful and made of stone that was covered in ivy which trickled down the sides. It was an absolutely perfect tower, but it was built upon something unstable.
Despite the poor structural integrity of her tower, it made it through her winter break and through the rest of the school year. It grew more ivy and people began to reside inside. It was a home for them, and soon it flourished to be a town cramped inside a tall teetering tower.
Those people were happy.
But they were fake.
--
"Ms. Granger, I would like to speak with you," In the last potions class of fifth year, Snape pulled her aside. "Headmaster Dumbledore has put in a special request for you to be Head Girl in the following year."
She nodded slowly, she was excited to be put in this position of responsibility, but Snape's face was scrunched slightly. He only wore this look when saying something he believes is wrong. He looked like this when he told Potter his potion was 'acceptable'.
"That's quite exciting news, Professor."
"He also put in a request for your partner." He paused and looked away for a moment. "Head Boy will be Draco Malfoy."
The top of the tower began to crumble.
"What? He almost killed me!" She backed away. "You can't do this, Professor, he won't live with me, you must know this."
"I would refrain from shouting, Ms. Granger. I have spoken to him, and he agreed. If there are any fights, I will not hesitate to expel the both of you." Snape glared down at her. "After the last incident, I was not planning on assigning Head positions to either of you, but the Headmaster insisted upon it."
The stone walls cracked and buckled.
"I see."
"You will both live in the Prefect's Quarters, if you so choose you may spend no time in it besides a nightly sleep. Do not disappoint me." He gestured to the door. "Enjoy your summer."
It collapsed. The scene engulfed in smoke, nothing remained of the beautiful tower besides a pile of stone.
"Thank you, Professor." She stumbled out of the dark room.
Her head was clouded in pain. She felt her feet guiding her to the dorms, but she didn't want to go. She wanted to curl into a small ball on the cool ground.
Her tower was gone and everything was worse now.
--
The pile of stone stayed put all summer. No new tower replaced the old and she had no energy to even sweep the remains away. It stayed as a harsh reminder of what was to come.
She cooped herself in her room everyday to cram her head full of books, and only paused when her parents called for meals. She finished her summer assignments within the first week and considered mailing Snape to ask for more.
Snape.
She scrunched her face in disgust whenever he crossed her mind.
'Enjoy your summer,'' he told her. He could have waited until the beginning of sixth year to tell her. He could have waited and he could have saved her tower. He had to know.
He had to know that this would kill her.
She will never forgive him.
Dark circles rested beneath her eyes and her skin grew tighter against her bones. The circles under her eyes resembled those under Malfoy's when he slept in her cabin.
It felt like a cruel joke and she stopped looking at mirrors.
Daphne didn't send her any letters and no recommendations from Luna were delivered to her window. The only source of comfort came from Crookshanks. He sat in her lap everyday and would bring her rats or birds in an attempt to make her feel better.
The summer that she needed it most, everyone seemingly disappeared.
Each day passed slower than the last, but she managed to survive the months sequestered in her room.
The day she had been dreading the most had arrived.
It was time to go to Hogwarts.
--
Draco POV: (Before summer, end of fifth year)
He argued with Snape for hours.
He would never share a living space with Granger.
"Draco, you have been living in the same space as her for five years. You can spend all day in the dungeon if you must, just sleep in the Head Boy room." Snape tried for many weeks to get Dumbledore to change his mind. The stubborn coot didn't so now he had to argue with Draco all day.
"While that's all well and good, Professor, I would have to see her ten times as much as I currently do." Draco crossed his arms. "I'm barely managing this much."
"You will do this. If you do not, you will be expelled. If you fight or duel at all during the year, you will be expelled." Snape leaned closer. "You are not in a position to argue, your future is in my hands."
"What does my father think about this?" Surely they contacted him before doing this.
"He said it would be an added challenge for his capable son." He was lying, of course. Lucius was not excited about this decision, but they managed to come to an agreement.
That's what Draco assumed at least.
He left Snape's office and spent the day furiously throwing the snitch and chasing after it.
He decided after many tosses that he would find a way to enjoy this. He would make Granger's life hell.
If she attacked him, then she would get expelled. Her worst nightmare, he was certain.
He would be sure to break her this time, and not make the same mistakes as before.
This will be fun.
--
Hermione POV:
She glanced at the sealed envelope resting on the seat beside her in the car.
This was the only mail delivered to her in the past few months, but she couldn't bring herself to open it.
The Hogwarts crest was stamped into the red wax that dripped across the white envelope. She knew what was inside. Outlines of a Prefect badge creased the paper. She was in sixth year, so they didn't send a Head Girl badge despite the 'special request' sent in by the Headmaster.
Just before they reached the train station, she ripped open the envelope and skimmed the letter inside. It enclosed a list and schedule of duties she needed to perform, the first being to patrol the train.
Wonderful, it began immediately.
--
"Hello, Head Girl." Malfoys voice crowded her cabin. A slimy grin was plastered across his face. "Time to patrol the train."
"We don't have to do it together, Malfoy." She already felt a headache coming on. She barely managed to pull on her wizard clothes before he barged in.
"We ought to set a good example for the young ones." His voice was sickly sweet and he swung his arm out to invite her out.
Hermione pinned the badge onto her cloak and marched out the cabin door, not sparing a glance to Malfoy.
She would ignore him this year. No matter what he said or did, she would give no reaction. It'll surely get his knickers in a twist soon enough.
In a matter of days he'll snap and attack her, then he'll be expelled and she would never have to see him again.
This will be fun.
