Disclaimer: Me no own Harry Potter, only own plot.
Chapter 4

Harry, Ginny, Ron, and Hermione stepped out onto the platform. The sting of the cold night air hit Hermione's face, and she pulled her cloak closer to her body.

"Firs' years! Firs' years over here!" Hermione heard the familiar voice above all others. The group made their way over to their favorite gatekeeper.

"Hey, Hagrid," Harry waved at him. Hagrid looked around and when he saw who had spoken, smiled widely.

"Hello, Harry, Ron, Hermione, an' Ginny." He nodded at them as he said each person's name. "Have yerselves a good summer?"

They all nodded.

"Well, yeh best run along. Don't wan' ter be left behind, eh?"

They said good-bye and all got into an empty carriage. Hermione couldn't wait to get into the castle. She was excited about seeing her own common room. Well, not her own, but the only other person that would be in there was Malfoy. Usually, that would mean very bad news, but after the way he had acted on the train, Hermione was not sure what to expect.

When they arrived, and they were situated in the Great Hall, the sorting began.

"Adams, Audrey," McGonagall called.

"Hufflepuff!" The Sorting Hat yelled.

Hermione remembered her first year, being terrified, not knowing what to expect. She couldn't believe that this was the last year she'd spend at this place. It had become her home away from home. She felt so comfortable and safe here. She was really going to miss it.

After the last student had been sorted, Dumbledore stood up, and everybody quieted down.

"Welcome new students, and welcome old students. I hope your summer went well; however, it is time to begin learning again. So, as always, the Forbidden Forest is forbidden to all students, and Mr. Filch has a list of other forbidden objects in his office. Well, that's all, so dig in!" And the plates magically filled with food.

There was small chitchat here and there throughout the whole feast. Hermione caught up with what Lavender and Parvati did over the summer, which was went shopping, and also Dean Thomas and Seamus Finnigan, which was Quidditch and not much else.

After the feast, when everybody's bellies were full and they were good and tired, it was time to go to bed. Hermione stayed while the prefects showed the first years where their common rooms were. She could see Dumbledore make his way over to her, with Malfoy not far behind.

"Ms. Granger, you and Mr. Malfoy will be sharing a common room. I am going to show you where that is now. If you'll follow me please..." and he strolled out of the Great Hall.

They followed Dumbledore down several corridors, and ended up in one in which she'd never been. They stopped in front of a jungle picture. They stood there for a few seconds, and Hermione wondered who would be asking for the password, but then she heard the leaves rustle and two people stepped out. It was Tarzan and Jane. Tarzan, in his loin cloth with his bulging muscles and long hair, made Hermione blush a little bit. Jane wasn't wearing much either, and when Hermione glanced at Malfoy, she saw that he was staring at Jane.

"Ah, Professor Dumbledore, the new Head Boy and Girl, I presume?" Tarzan looked at Hermione with a twinkle in his eye.

"Yes, Tarzan, this is Hermione Granger and Draco Malfoy." He turned to them. "The password is 'Merlin's beard'. I hope you have a good year," he added, smiling at them. He then nodded at Tarzan and Jane, who bowed and curtsied back, and walked away.

"Merlin's beard," Malfoy mumbled, and the picture swung open.

Hermione stepped in and gasped. It was the most beautiful room she's ever been in. The common room was huge, with a red and gold couch in the middle, and two silver and green chairs on each end of it. There was a tall bookshelf filled with books, and a big, elegant fireplace. Two staircases were towards the back, one leading off to the right, and one to the left. As Hermione got closer, she saw the one on the right had a sign that read "Hermione Granger". That must be my room, she thought. Without a backwards glance, she ran upstairs and opened the door. The first thing she saw was her bed. It was a king sized with all four bedposts reaching the ceiling, and a canopy above her bed. The comforter was red, and the throw pillows were gold, and there was a huge lion emblem on the wall above her headboard. There was a big desk in the corner, and a walk-in closet. She even had a vanity against the far wall.

Wow, she thought to herself, this is great! Everything was already packed, and since she was really tired, she changed into a pair of red athletic shorts and a black tank top and when right to bed.

Draco's POV

Draco's first reaction to the common room was, This looks like our living room at the Manor, but he had to admit, it was decorated nicer. There were tapestries along the walls of lions and serpents. The floors and walls were made of a dark wood, and there was a big black rug that covered most of the room. Seeing Granger run to her room, Draco casually climbed his staircase and opened his door. The room was slightly bigger than his bedroom at home, and everything was decorated in green or silver. He opened a side door and found himself in another small hallway. There were only two doors, one at the opposite end, and one in the middle of the other two doors. Hopefully this is the bathroom, I really need to piss.

Draco's wish was granted. Just as they had with the common room, they went all out with the bathroom. Everything was a pearly white and gold. The bathtub was more a small swimming pool with a bunch of faucets in the middle. There was also a good sized shower in one corner, and in another corner, Draco even saw a hot tub. There was a toilet with one of those half- walls beside it. This is nice, Draco thought and when he was done, he went back to the hallway. The other door must be Granger's. Draco slowly crept down the hall, and slowly turned the knob so as not to make a sound. Peering in, he saw Granger changing into her pajamas. His first thought was to look away, but curiosity got the better of him and he watched her as she changed into short shorts and a skimpy tank top. She climbed into bed and went right to sleep.

Draco watched her sleep for a little bit, thinking of how peaceful her dreams must be. He slightly envied her and her ability to fall right to sleep. He himself hadn't been able to sleep a full night for a while. His dreams were marred by images of death and darkness and feelings of hopelessness. Things he knew awaited him if he became a Death Eater, unless he did something to change that. He became somewhat upset at the realization that Granger's past hadn't been as horrifying as his own. Her parents probably loved her and cared for her. His brow furrowed at that. Even though he knew it wasn't her fault, he couldn't help but feel detached from her for that.

Silently closing the door, he went back to his room. He changed into a pair of black sweatpants, not bothering to put a shirt on, and climbed into bed. After several hours of just thinking of what his life would be without the evil that ran in his family, he fell into a shallow slumber.