2- Hermione POV

It was after dinner when I saw Malfoy for the first time. I was saying goodnight to Ron, outside the portrait for my new chambers. We were leaning in for a kiss when the new Head Boy walked by, a muted "Ew," muttered as we walked past us into the Head Common Room.

I sighed and pushed myself off the wall I was leaning on, pecking Ron lightly and rolling my eyes as I turned to follow Malfoy in.

I heard Ron chuckle as the portrait swung shut. It wasn't the goodnight kiss I knew he'd been hoping for, but he knew it was all he was getting now. I turned my attention to Malfoy.

He was waiting for me, arms crossed, in the middle of the common room. "Which room do you want?"

I shrugged, a little surprised by the question.

"Fine," He turned to his right, my left, and his trunk started following him from where it was set by the door. I saw the walls change from white to dark blue before the door shut behind him. With the click of the latch, I was startled from my silence.

"Hey, wait a second!" I reached for his door handle before deciding better and knocking instead.

"What?" The door was opened immediately, making me take a step back.

"We need to make patrolling schedules."

He sneered at me, "I am not patrolling."

"No, we need to make them for the prefects to follow. Didn't you read the packet Headmistress McGonagall gave us?"

"No? I'll do it later."

I huffed, "Malfoy, you can't just-"

"Look," he cut me off, "I'm sorry one of your little Gryffindor Golden Boys couldn't do this with you but-"

"Don't be ridiculous, you're perfect for the job." It was Malfoy's turn to take a step back in surprise, but I went on anyway. "You're a natural leader and the Slytherins will listen to you. You command enough respect that the others will listen to you too. It promotes House Unity. Besides, Ronald would never be organised enough to take on responsibility like this."

"Oh? And what about Potter?"

"Harry's.. Well Harry's having a hard time."

"We all are." Malfoy said dryly.

"He spent a year of his life devoted to killing one of the most powerful wizards the world has known, watching his friends and family being tortured along the way."

"Been there, done that."

I blinked for a moment before regaining my train of thought. "Yes, but he did it after being hunted down by the maniac for six years, and knowing the whole time that he wouldn't have anyone to swoop in and save him from it, AND-" I rose my voice over him when he tried to interrupt me again, "He actually did kill someone. That's a lot to deal with."

Malfoy was quiet before he said bitterly, "What family did he have to see tortured?"

"What do you think the Weasleys and I are to him? A sack of potatoes?" He snorted a laugh before I went on, "Or did you forget what happened in your ballroom? Or the fact that every time a dementor is around he relives his parents' murder - something you mercilessly mocked him for I might add."

"I don't care about the schedule, figure it out." He took a step back, making to close the door, then saying, "Put the Hufflepuff fifth years with the Ravenclaw sixth years tonight; it's the first night back so we can go easy, but they'll need someone to show them the ropes. We can do the rest tomorrow." He said the last almost apologetically before he shut the door.