"Does your incompetence know no bounds!" he growled, reaching for his wand. "I told you, if I woke up due to your stupidy, you would be in for it." Cory shook his head and pointed out the window. Draco, opening both eyes, sat up. A barn owl was flying outside the window, every once in a while coming close enough to the train to tap on the window. "Let it in," he ordered. Goyle got up and opened the window, letting the owl in. Adrian, Draco's eagle owl, squawked and flapped its wings against its cage. Draco glanced up at Adrian.
"What's the matter with you?" he asked. Then it soon became clear. There was another owl outside the window. A great horned owl flew along side the train, staring into the compartment.
"Judas," Draco grumbled. The others nodded. Judas was Lucius Malfoy's owl. "Let it in, Goyle." Meanwhile, he turned his attention to the barn owl, which had landed on Pansy's lap. Reaching down, Draco untied the letter attached to its leg and watched as it flew away. Judas landed on the top of Adrian's cage.
"Who's it from?" Pansy asked, messaging his shoulders. Draco opened the letter and read aloud.
"Dear Mr. Draco Malfoy,
I am pleased to inform you that you have received the position as Head Boy at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. As such, you will be receiving new living arrangements, common room, bathroom and privileges. These will be told to you upon your arrival to Hogwarts. You will also be given the authority to take and give House Points, as well as give out detention. If you are found to be abusing this power, you will be stripped of your Head Boy authority and it will be given to someone else.
Congratulations,
Professor McGonagall,
Headmistress of Hogwarts
Head of Gryffindor House"
Draco looked up, a smirk on his face.
"Give out detention, huh?" he said and the others laughed. Rachel handed him the other letter off of his father's owl. This one he did not read aloud.
Draco,
Severus has already written me about becoming Head Boy. Don't screw up. I have written to tell you that your mother has been hospitalized in St. Mungo's. She did not arrive home when they owled me to say that she had been found brutally beaten. I will be out of town for the next three days so I don't want any letters.
Lucius Malfoy
Pulling out his wand, Draco glared at the letter.
"Incindio," he growled, watching the paper crumple as the flames engulfed it.
"I can guess it wasn't a happy letter," Blaise said. Draco glared at him and stood, glancing out the window. He grabbed Judas by the feet and, ignoring the harsh bites and squawks, tossed the owl out the window. Glancing down at his bleeding hand, he pocketed his wand.
"Get ready," he barked. "We'll be at Hogwarts soon."
Hermione stepped off the train, following Ron.
"First years! Come over 'ere if you're a first year!" Hermione smiled, spotting Hagrid easily over the heads of the students. She waved her hands.
"Hey Hagrid!" she called. He smiled and winked, motioning for them to come over. Harry and Ron followed Hermione as she made her way to the half giant.
"Congratulations, 'Ermione!" Hagrid greeted, holding up a lantern so he could see them better. "Head Girl! Big responsibility."
"Thanks, Hagrid!" Hermione answered. She then bit her lip. "Um, Hagrid, you wouldn't happen to know who's Head Boy, would you?" Hagrid grinned.
"Sorry, 'Ermione," he said. "Can't tell you. Dumbledore wants you both to find out at the same time. But I'll tell you a little something." Leaning forward, he motioned for the others to do the same. "I happen to know that the Head Boy and Girl are going to be able to do things that the previous Heads couldn't, like going into Hogsmeade every week. And I think Dumbledore might be planning a trip for you too. But, I can't say anything on that. Strictly confidential." Hermione smiled.
"Thanks, Hagrid. See you later, ok?" Hagrid nodded and went back to the first years as the trio made their way to the carriages. A tall black man stood by one.
"Kingsley!" Harry called as they approached. Kingsley Shacklebolt smiled.
"Hello, Harry," he said. "Hermione, Ron," he greeted, nodding to the others.
"What are you doing here?" Ron asked.
"Dumbledore needed someone to come here to keep an eye on things, so I signed up. Plus, I brought the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher." Ron smiled.
"Good thing Dumbledore didn't give it to Snape," he said. Kingsley grinned then turned to Hermione.
"Congratulations on getting Head Girl," he told her. She sighed.
"How come everyone knows?" she asked. Kingsley opened the carriage door.
"It's my business to know. Now get in." They piled in and Kingsley got in behind them.
Draco got out of the carriage; arms around Pansy and a girl named Lindsay. Blaise had Rachel and another girl with him. Crabbe, Goyle and several others brought up the rear. Approaching the castle, he smiled.
"Home sweet home," he murmured to himself. Walking into the Entrance Hall, he narrowly missed being hit by a water balloon. Backing up, he pulled out his wand.
"Peeves!" he growled, watching as the little man with the water balloons floated just out of every ones reach. "Throw it again, I dare you!" Peeves smiled and snapped his fingers. Water balloons rained down from no where, with no intention of letting up. People began to yell and scream as they tried to get out of the inevitable line of fire. Draco was pushed back by someone and found himself face to face with the mudblood.
Her eyes widened and her cheeks got red as she tried to push away from him, but only succeeded in getting pushed further into him. His skin was crawling and he knew that he was going to have to take at least five showers to get whatever it was she was transferring to him off. Something tickled his nose and he realized it was her hair. Trying to shove her and it out of the way, a particular scent caught his nose, but he discarded it to the back of his mind, trying instead to think of a way to get her off.
"Mudblood, I know you think I'm hot, but I need you to get off of me before I catch whatever it is you mudbloods carry," he snapped above the commotion of the Entrance Hall. She frowned, glaring at him.
"Oh, like I want to be here!" she snapped back. Taking a deep breath, Draco shoved forward and the mudblood, plus several others, toppled backwards. Straightening his robes, Draco pulled out his wand again and glared at Peeves.
"Incindio!" he growled and Peeves' bum caught fire. Cursing and dropping the last water balloons, he flew off down the corridor. The Slytherins cheered, along with several others from different houses. Only Gryffindor stayed grudgingly silent. Pocketing the wand, Draco walked over to where the mudblood was sitting and towered over her as she struggled to her feet.
"Next time you even get that close to me, I'll make you wish you had stayed away, got it mudblood?" he growled, eyes cold, no humor in his face. "You may have got me out of Azkaban, but that doesn't mean I owe you anything." With that, he wrapped his arm around Pansy and, with the Slytherins following him, he entered the Great Hall.
Hermione sat miserably at the Gryffindor table, her food untouched. Ginny tilted her head.
"Hermione, are you feeling well?" she asked.
"Why did I let him get to me?" Hermione mumbled. Ginny frowned, putting down her fork.
"What?" Looking up, Hermione blinked, realizing she had said that out loud. Giving a small smile, she shook her head.
"Nothing, Ginny," she told the redhead. "Just talking to myself, that's all." Ginny nodded, but looked unconvinced.
Hearing the tinkling of a glass, the students in the Great Hall became silent as Dumbledore stood.
"I'd like to welcome our old students back to Hogwarts and give our new students a welcome in," he began.
"Hey, who's that next to Snape?" Ron mumbled. Harry craned his neck.
"I don't know, maybe the new DADA teacher."
"Shh!" Hermione scolded.
"I'd also like you all to welcome our new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, Ms. Emma Lewis." Some students stood so that they could get a better look at the woman who stood to acknowledge the Hall. She was a bit shorter than McGonagall, with black hair and mocha skin. She had a perfect smile and warm eyes.
"She's hot," muttered Seamus Finnegan. Harry smirked and Ron nodded. Hermione and Ginny merely rolled their eyes. She sat down and Snape leaned over, whispering something into her ear. Emma smiled and blushed, shoving him playfully. Students murmured amongst themselves. Snape? Getting playful? With a woman?
"First years, as a warning, you are not to enter the Forbidden Forest. Hogsmeade trips for third years require the slip sent home last year. Fifth years, you will be reminded, I'm sure, that OWLS are coming up for you. Seventh years will take their NEWTS. Prefects, Professor McGonagall would like to see you in the Entrance Hall after dinner for a few reminders. Passwords will be coming around shortly for you. Also, Quidditch practices will not start until the houses can vote for new captains, as all of them have left. There is a notice about that in the common rooms. Now, I'd like to announce the Head Boy and Girl for this year." Hermione grinned as Harry and Ron took both her hands. Over in the Slytherin table, Draco smirking as Pansy and Rachel held onto him. "This years Heads are Hermione Granger and Draco Malfoy." Hermione's jaw dropped and Draco's face darkened as both made eye contact.
Draco kissed Rachel, Pansy and Lindsay on the cheek and nodded down the corridor. He watched the Slytherins as they made their way to the common room. Frowning, he turned back to the Great Hall, where he was supposed to meet Dumbledore so he could show them where their rooms were.
Granger? He thought. Had the old fool gone barking mad? Giving the mudblood the position of Head Girl was something only someone on crack would do.
I mean, sure, she's probably the smartest damn witch in Hogwarts, but she's a fucking mudblood and belonged at the bottom of a ditch, he thought as he sat down at one of the tables. He looked out into the Entrance Hall and spotted Granger in a heated conversation with Potter and Weasley. Grinning evilly, he stood and walked over, making sure the trio couldn't see him.
"How was I supposed to know he was going to become Head Boy, Ron?" the mudblood said. "I didn't want him to be!"
"Really, Hermione?" said Weasel. "I seem to remember you voting Malfoy innocent and then now, you don't mind him being Head Boy and sharing a common room with him? Don't give me that bull!"
"I voted innocent, Ronald, because I don't believe he did it! I heard what happened, not you! So stop telling me what I think and what I feel, Ronald! You don't know jack shit!"
"Oh, nice language, mudblood," Draco said, stepping out so that they could see them. "Please, there are young ears about." Leaning forward so that only she could here, he smirked. "I liked that you stopped in and paid me a visit earlier. If you had stayed longer, we could have seen what was under all of those robes you're wearing." Hermione blushed furiously and glared. Leaning back against the wall, Draco eyed the trio coolly.
"So, Weasel," he drawled. "You think the mudblood's got a thing for me?" Eyes roving up and down Hermione, Draco's lip curled. "Ugh, Weasel, please! I just ate. I don't need you filling my mind with…weird thoughts." Harry and Ron reached for there wands. Draco rolled his eyes. "Oh please! You're kidding right? Put those away before you hurt yourselves."
"What the hell do you want, ferret?" Ron hissed.
"There's nothing you have that I would even dream of wanting, Weasley, thanks for asking." Harry glared.
"You think you're so freaking cool just because you can scare your whole house into doing what you want," he snarled.
"You're nothing but a coward and a liar," Ron growled. Rage glinted in Draco's eyes, but his face stayed calm.
"I'm a liar, huh?" he asked. He pointed to the thin scar on his face. "Look Potter! You and I aren't that different! One look at us and you would think that you knew what was beneath.You don't know shit." Taking several steps forward, he stopped right when he was only a few inches away from Ron's face. "If you ever call me a coward again, I'll kill you, do you understand me, Weasley?" he growled. Shoving Ron into the wall, he turned on his heel and walked back into Great Hall, cursing himself for letting his anger get the best of him. Hermione helped Ron to his feet as she glared at Malfoy's retreating back, still a little red in the cheeks.
"The egotistical prat," she spat. Ron scowled.
"Who the hell does he think he is?" he asked angrily.
"Wonder who gave him that scar?" Harry mused aloud. Ron snorted.
"Who cares? He probably deserved."
"Ms. Granger." The trio turned to see Professor Dumbledore standing in front of the Great Hall doors, twinkle in his blue eyes. Hermione bid her friends goodbye and waited outside the hall as Dumbledore went to get Draco, who was fuming at one of the tables. Scowling, he shoved past Hermione as he followed Dumbledore up a flight of stairs and down a corridor. Sighing, Hermione followed.
"It has been a long time since we had a Slytherin and Gryffindor as Heads," Dumbledore explained. "So I will be making some rules, seeing as the relationship between the two of you is somewhere less than friendly. If you are both found to be disagreeing in an unreasonable manner, such as using wands, you will be stripped of your Head Duty and it will be given to someone else. You will share the common room in an orderly fashion. There are two bedrooms, marked with your house symbol. In your case, a lion and a snake. However, you will have to share a bathroom." Hermione looked alarmed and Dumbledore smiled. "Do not worry. Doors can only be locked from the inside. You are not allowed to have guest in the Head dormitories or common rooms, as these are for your use only. Your password is Unity.
"Now, I want to tell you about your schedule. You will have the same classes as the others, but in October, I will be sending you to another school as exchange students. I'll tell you more about that as the time draws nearer. I am also letting you both go to Hogsmeade every Friday. You will go together, of course, and stay together the whole time. Others may not come with you, Mr. Malfoy." Draco frowned but stayed silent. "You of course know about your privileges, seeing as Professor McGonagall sent you owls. You will organize the Prefects and will be starting Night Walks. That is when you will conduct searches around the castle. Of course, this will not be every night. You can get the Prefects to do these as well. Oh, here we are." They had stopped in front of a large portrait of a small griffin. It eyed them warily.
"Password," it barked in a rough voice. Dumbledore smiled.
"Unity," he answered. Nodding, the griffin bowed.
"Welcome, Heads, to your new dormitories!" Hermione followed Dumbledore in, Draco sneering at her as he trailed in the rear. Gasping, Hermione's eyes widened.
"It's beautiful!" she whispered. A carpet in dark, rich colors covered the floor. A dark red couch and love seat sat in front of a roaring fireplace. Chairs dotted the common room. Forest green banners hung from the walls. Several bookcases lined the wall in the far right corner. A huge staircase led up to a large landing. Two doors were there; the right one was decorated with lion and the left with a snake. Draco climbed the stairs and entered the Slytherin Head Dorm. Smirking to himself, he shut the door.
"Just like home," he murmured. Dark green and silver was the theme of the room. The king-sized bed was green with silver lining and silk pillows. The walls were painted green with silver snakes and the doors were green. The oak closet sat to the right of the enormous room. There was a mahogany writing desk, already stocked with quills, ink and parchment.
Hermione's room was not much different, only with red and gold colors. Smiling broadly, she opened the French doors that led onto a beautiful, expansive balcony. Taking a deep breath of the crisp night air, she noticed another set of French doors and sighed. Malfoy had access to it also. Going back into her room, she opened a gold door. On the other side was an enormous bathroom, with a wall to wall mirror. There were two porcelain sinks and granite tiling. In the very middle of the room was a huge tub/Jacuzzi. In one corner stood a large shower. Kneeling down, she examined the different taps, as there were more than ten of them. They had names on them.
"Large…small…green?" she read off, frowning. Turning the tap named steamy, she gasped as she stumbled back. In a matter of seconds, the room was filled with steam so thick, it might has well been fog. Stumbling around and praying that she wouldn't fall into the tub, she heard a door click and bumped into something.
There was a scuffle and Hermione found herself on the ground, Draco Malfoy right on top of her. Their noses were touching as they stared at each other. Draco couldn't move. He knew he wanted to but something was keeping him there. And he really wanted it to go away. Hermione was frozen, gazing into the deep, dark, stormy depths of Draco's gray/blue eyes. Her breathing was short and so was his. Then Draco reached over her head and turned off the faucet. The steam left immediately. Pushing himself up, he glared at her, absolute loathing and disgust on his face.
"If this happens again, mudblood," he snarled, "I'll forget that you even saved me from Azkaban, seeing as that's the only thing keeping me from sending you to the Hospital wing in a matchbox and without all your original limbs." With that, he turned and left the bathroom, slamming the door behind him. Hermione pulled herself up into a sitting position and stared at herself in a full-length mirror. Resting her chin on her knees, she frowned.
What in the world possessed me to freeze like that? She thought to herself. Why couldn't I move? Shaking her head, Hermione stood and sighed. Since the trial, Hermione had noticed that her behavior when it came to Draco Malfoy was slowly changing. She was scared of him. And that scared her.