Author's Note: Whoo.. Read and Review.. pretty please? XD

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter...

Sitting down on the wooden bench, which accompanied their table, all but one Griffyndor paid attention to the Headmaster's speech.

So as not to make a bad example for first-years, she made sure her eyes never strayed from the Headmaster, but inside, she wasn't taking in one word of the whole thing. Even when Dumbledore announced her as the new Head Girl and her table roared in appreciation, she barely focused enough for two seconds to smile in thanks.

Her insides were in turmoil, knowing what was to come as soon as the speech and feast were over.

For the first time in 7 years, she wouldn't be heading up the marble stairs to the familiar and cozy Griffyndor common room, sitting in front of the fire with Harry and Ron. This year, her last year, she was going who-knows-where and being in a new, unfamiliar common room with the ferret, her nemesis since her 11th year of age, and almost the holder of her first kiss.

It was this last part that was tormenting her the most, especially when she saw out of the corner of her eye the new way Ron looked at her, appreciatively.

'I know I would say yes if Ronald asked me out, but the guilt of almost kissing our worst enemy would either drive me mad,' Hermione thought, 'or I'd have to tell him, and HE'D go mad… Besides... Malfoy's dad is a Death Eater, and Malfoy probably will be too if he isn't already, and that makes him the enemy of Harry and the good side, my side, my enemy… My enemy...'

'Right,' said that nagging little voice, 'that's why you can't stop glancing at him out of the corner of your eye every few seconds.'

'I am not glancing at him every few-oh.' With a burning face, she realized that this whole time, she had been. Defensively, she told herself, 'It's only because I'm curious about earlier today.'

That made the voice quiet down, and Hermione was free to let her intellectual side loose at herself.

'How do you look at something repeatedly without realizing you're doing so? Perhaps it's the length of the look, and whether it's a body reaction or a mental command...'

Seeing even Ron paying attention to Dumbledore, Hermione berated herself and tried to focus in on the Headmaster's speech.

But just then she felt as if someone had dumped a bucket of ice down her back. Dumbledore had just said: "Right then, that's about all of it. Good night students, I'm sure you are all anxious to get to your common rooms. Prefects lead the way for your First Years. Mr. Malfoy and Ms. Granger, come here please."

'Shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit…' was the basic drone of Hermione's thoughts as she trudged up to the Teacher's Table where Dumbledore awaited with a knowing twinkle in his eyes.

Malfoy was already standing there, hands in his pockets, sneering at the wall and refusing to look at the old muggle-lover.

After what seemed like forever, though much too short for Hermione ('Come on girl, where's the Griffyndor bravery?' she asked herself), she got to the table, standing a few feet away from Malfoy, horribly aware of his presence.

"Well, now, it's your last year you two," said Dumbledore. "I know you're not…well, let's say, particularly fond of each other (Draco sneered more), but I want you both", giving an extra look in Malfoy's direction, though it could have been Hermione's imagination, "to try and be civil with each other in public, for the sake of Inner House Unity. You will have the liberty of taking away when necessary, or giving when deserved, house points to any house, but know that this will be monitored. I ask you to use your best and fairest judgment."

"Now, since your original locations where at the highest, and lowest, points of the castle, I've decided your shared dormitory shall be in the middle. So, if you will follow me now," Dumbledore said striding off out of the Great Hall, leaving Malfoy and Hermione to try and catch up with the suprisingly fast man.

"I shall show you the tapestry behind which your rooms will be located." He brought them up to the second floor, where there was a large, ornate, and door shaped floor-to-ceiling tapestry hung, depicting the story of 'The Shoemaker and The Elves', with the little elves running around, doing various jobs.

"Emhrhm." Dumbledore cleared his throat to bring then out of the hypnotizing spell the tapestry put them under.

"Yes, hopefully, you two will eventually get used to that…right, well, the current password is Slythindor, an obvious combination of your houses. You two may change the password whenever, and to whatever, you wish." He lowered his voice to a whisper "However, the tapestry will only accept the new password if Mister Malfoy says "Finnidum" and then the new password, and Miss Granger says "Territum" and then the new password. However, at the moment, the tapestry has heard no one's voices, so as soon as it hears a male say "Finnidum" and a female say "Territum" those voices will be the only ones allowed to change the password. To say these things, or your password, you must say it into the Shoemaker's right ear at the top of the tapestry here."

He cleared his throat and whispered even quieter.

"Let's have it learn your voices. Mister Malfoy first please, the word is 'Finnidum'." Malfoy sauntered up to the tapestry, and muttered "Finnidum" into the Shoemaker's ear, then jumped back when a green streak swirled out from the Shoemaker's right eye and wrapped itself around his neck, though he couldn't feel it, where his vocal chords were. It shined there for a moment, and then became a solid silver chain around his neck.

"What the heck is this?" he exclaimed, trying to take it off. He couldn't though; it was as if it was much too heavy (A/N: think of the way InuYasha couldn't lift off the rosary beads Kaede put on him.).

Dumbledore chuckled and spoke in a normal tone now that the tapestry knew Draco's voice. "That, Mr. Malfoy, is a sign that the tapestry has accepted your voice. I suppose it was first green and then silver as those are the Slytherin colors. My, I must say, you look most dashing with that chain", he said, amusement clear in his voice.

Malfoy glared, but gave up trying to take the thing off. 'At least it's not green, that would look ridiculous, silver is an ok color for a chain I guess.' he thought.

"Right then, Miss Granger, your turn. Clearly say "Territum" into the Shoemaker's ear please."

Nodding hesitantly, Hermione walked up to the tapestry, carefully avoiding looking at the Elves. "Territum" she recited. Though she expected it, she also jumped back a bit when a red streak flew from the Shoemaker's right eye, and settled around her neck where her vocal chords are, and then became a solid, gold chain.

'Phew. I was worried I would have to wear a red one. A gold chain is fine though, kind of pretty actually' she thought, admiring it.

"Well, I suppose that is all. Remember the password now is Slythindor. Oh, and you may both go to your House common rooms to visit whenever you wish, but you must sleep here, in your own. As for letting people come here, well, you may invite them, and it's useless to tell you not to tell them the password, wouldn't do them any good. Now then, why don't you try out the password so that you can go to your beds as I'm sure you're anxious to do." Said Dumbledore, looking a bit tired himself.

Since Malfoy didn't look like he was going to trouble himself to say the password any time soon, Hermione said it instead, and watched the tapestry swing back with a dramatic swish.

'WHOA.'

Even Draco, who had promised himself he would sneer at whatever the fool had made, was impressed. The bottom floor was covered by a crème colored plush carpet, which Hermione was aching to squish her toes into. On the right side of the room, there were 3 tall cherry-wood bookshelves, covered with everything from standard text books to books which she had never heard of and was itching to open, to muggle books, both fiction and non-fiction.

Making a П shape, starting from the most to the right bookshelf, and ending at the most to the left, were 6 plushy light violet chairs.

On the opposite side of the room was an enormous fireplace, which stood 15 feet tall and 30 feet across, covering the entire wall, every inch of it. There was a slab of beautiful green marble running the entire length in front of it, and with a full pot of Floo Powder attached to the wall.

Along the other walls were various paintings of famous-for-their-intelligence witches and wizards. There were floating lamps every few feet along, floating about a third of the way up the wall, and about a foot away from it.

Somehow, Hermione knew if it was needed, one could simply grasp hold of one of the lamps, and take it with them if they needed light. There was also a 4-piece set of couches that were beige.

Past this room, down a short hallway that also had more floating lamps, was the kitchen. It was lovely, with lots of muggle kitchen pieces, everything from a coffeepot to a blender, and fully stocked cupboards and fridge/freezer.

To the right ('Why is it always the right?' Hermione wondered) was a small room which held only two red couches and a much smaller, normal-sized fireplace. The centerpieces, were two white marble, with dark wooden rails, staircases. One led to an Oak door, with 'DM' engraved on it insilver, outlined in dark green. The other led to a Walnut door, with 'HG' engraved on it, in gold, and outlined in deep maroon. Both monograms were done in cursive that ended in a flourish.

The two doors were about 30 feet apart, with a light blue door in the middle that Hermione assumed was the bathroom.

Climbing her staircase, they found that her room held a four-poster bed with sheets and pillows in (what else?) gold and scarlet. Her carpet was jet black, with a vanity desk on one side of a large bay window, and a considerably larger writing desk on the other. There was a small fireplace with another pot of Floo powder, and a large wardrobe where her clothes and trunks were already stored.

There was also a door that led to what Hermione had correctly assumed as the bathroom. It was done in light violets, powder blues, and cream colors. It was pretty standard, 2-part, with a green flecked-with-silver sink on the farther side from their current point of view, and a scarlet flecked-with-gold one.

In the second part, there was a shower stand with opaque walls that, if looked at from the top, made a pentagon, and a large bath, a perfect twin of the one in the prefect's bathroom, right down to the different jeweled taps.

There was another door directly across from the one that had been in Hermione's room that must lead to Malfoy's room. He sauntered over to it, and opened it. It was almost the same as Hermione's, except the bed sheets and pillows were (what else?) green and silver, and there was no vanity desk, in its place, a comfy black chair, with a small silver throw pillow on it.

Smiling, whether from their obvious satisfaction, or from his own that the tour was done and he could go lie down, no one knows, but Professor Dumbledore led them back downstairs, to the back of the tapestry, which from this side, looked like a normal wooden door. "Well, this where I leave you two. I'm sure you wish to go to your most comfortable beds now as you have classes first thing tomorrow. Nitwit, oddment, blubber, tweak to you. Good bye."

And with that, Hermione found she was breathing in the moment she had been dreading all this time. Slowly turning around, Hermione met those grey eyes for the first time since the platform…

A/N: MWAHAHHAHAHAHHAHAHAAA! Yes, I know, cliffy, please don't kill me (dodges flames from rabid readers). I would update sooner, but I need those reviews people!