Author's Notes: Thanks again to everyone who has reviewed. I love seeing them in my inbox! I am looking for a theme song for Percy, if anyone has any suggestions.
I do love me some Weasleys and since she has quite a bit to do in this chapter, I present to you Ginny's anthem: Gone by Kelly Clarkson
"Someone was getting quite chummy with one of my brothers at the wedding," Ginny said, her back to Hermione as the two girls packed up the room to go back to school.
"Well, George said that he was rather desperate to make Alicia jealous. I was the only female on hand that wasn't related to him or taken," replied Hermione, trying to dodge the conversation that she had been dreading for two weeks.
"You know, it really is amazing that you were able to grow yourself a sense of humor in just one summer," Ginny bit, "but I really think that we should avoid all potions suggestions from that enchanted textbook that Harry found." The two girls turned and looked at each other.
"Is there a reason why you are baiting me?" asked Hermione, quite upset, actually.
"The reason is that I am a coward and am unfairly taking all my frustrations out on you," Ginny really did sound repentant, "I'm sorry."
"I understand; TRUST ME!" said Hermione as she flopped down on the bed. Ginny sat beside her and pulled her knees to her chest.
"You two looked really good together," she tried.
"Don't start," Hermione pleaded.
"I can't help it. To some of us, you and Ron getting together has been the most probable outcome going on five years. For it to actually happen would be rather comforting."
"What do you mean?"
"Everything is all out of sorts now, with Harry, with school, with Dum…" she couldn't even finish. After a steadying breath, Ginny continued, "But if you and Ron finally got together, it would give us something to believe in."
"Why is it that everyone seems to be saying things like that to me lately?"
"Because it's true. As much as the boys want to be, try to be, or think they are, you're our real rock, Hermione. You're the voice of reason Even for Harry."
"It's a pipe dream, Ginny. It's my pipe dream too, but we just have to accept the fact that it isn't going to happen." Ginny took her hand, and tried to ignore the tears that Hermione was trying valiantly not to shed.
"Why?"
"Because he isn't interested. I'm never going to look any better than I did at the wedding and that didn't work. All he'll ever see me as is a friend."
"No, I don't believe that," said Ginny, forcefully shaking her head. Hermione sighed. What more is there to say?
She was saved from having to reply by Mr. Weasley calling up the stairs, telling them that the cars to the station had arrived.
Hermione swallowed the worry that had massed in her throat as Kings Cross Station came into view. Gryffindors are supposed to be brave, right?
She had waited until the last possible moment to tell Harry about Draco. Honestly, she just didn't know how to do it. She decided the band-aid method worked best.
"Harry, I have something really important to tell you," she began as the car bumped the curb, "but you have to save you anger for a later time when it can be more useful."
"What?" he snapped at her, upset already due to the very fact that they were returning to school when he had so many better things to do with his time. He felt Ron tense beside him and Ginny looked on with worried eyes. Ah, so they all know already. Great.
"Hurry, now, dears, it's nearly time," called Mrs. Weasley from outside the car.
"Just a bit, Mum," replied Ron, willing her to get distracted. Hermione took a deep breath.
"Draco Malfoy is Head Boy," she exhaled. Harry stared at her in shock. He smiled at her.
"Hermione, that is a really nasty joke," he replied saccharinely.
"I wish I were joking," she said, frowning, "Oh, how I wish I were."
Can your heart break and boil over with rage at the same time?
"How long have you known about this?"
"A while."
"And you two have known about it too, I assume?"
"Hermione and I thought that we would let you enjoy the rest of the summer before dropping all this on you," said Ron, in the calmest voice Hermione had ever heard him use.
"Did you? So what the hell does this mean exactly? That he says 'jump' and we all ask 'how high?' Bugger that! He can suck me sideways!"
"It's not like that," said Hermione in her "teacher voice," "Don't be surprised if he lays very low this year."
"And who exactly is going to be keeping an eye on him, hmm? Down there in the dungeons with all his lackeys just itching to do any delinquent thing he suggests?"
"He won't be in the dungeons," Hermione replied without thinking, "he'll be sharing a dorm with me."
"Sorry?" Ron said in a tight voice. Now both he AND Harry looked at her as though they were about to kill something.
"The Head Boy and Head Girl have separate dorms," she said, wishing Ron would go back to being her ally in this, "they always have. Why are you so surprised? Didn't you know?"
"I guess I just didn't give it a thought," Ron was still as angry as before, and looked to be gaining momentum with each passing second.
"So no worries, then," said Ginny, Bless her, coming to the rescue, "Draco will be separated from his minions and under Hermione's watchful eye most of the hours of the day."
The boys just sat there.
"I don't like this," said Ron through clenched teeth. Hermione sighed.
"I don't either, but we don't have anything to say in the matter. It's done, and for good reason."
"WHAT?!" Harry didn't think it was possible to get MORE upset.
"Dumbledore and McGonagall had very good reasons for choosing him. And he's not like he was before."
"How would you know that?" came from Harry.
"Because I talked to him."
"When did this happen?" came from Ron. Honestly, they could give the Spanish Inquisition lessons!
Hermione paused. Ginny moved closer to her friend to lend support. "When we had lunch together after our meeting with McGonagall," she answered in a very small voice. Ron thought he was going to have a stroke.
"Well, you neglected to mention that little tidbit of information."
"I didn't want to upset you, either of you, any more than necessary. And there really is no reason to worry. Like Ginny said, I'll be there to keep my eye on him. And who's better than me?" Hermione smiled at Ron, hoping beyond hope that he would crack.
He couldn't believe it. Was she serious? She was actually trying to seduce him into doing something? What was going on here? Had he accidentally wandered into another dimension? He could almost hear her begging. Please, Ron, for once, don't make this harder than it needs to be. For Harry…Please…
Ron took a deep breath. "Let's go."
The other three teenagers stared at him. Was it really that shocking that he would be cooperative? Almost afraid to do anything but move with him in such a strange state of mind, Harry, Ginny, and Hermione slid out of the car and walked into the station. Ron followed, and noticed, to his annoyance, that Hermione had fallen back to walk beside him.
"Thank you, …"
"Don't," he interrupted shortly, "I can't believe you didn't say anything about this before. What's gotten into you? You spend all summer acting like…who knows what…you try to flirt with me to get your way, and then, THEN, you tell us that you will be living with Malfoy," he needed to spit to get the taste of that name out of his mouth.
"That isn't fair," she protested.
"Yeah, well, life ain't fair, sweetheart. I thought that you would have learned that by now, what with your freakish intelligence and all."
"What's the matter with you?"
"What's the matter with me? There's nothing wrong with me; I'm the same person I was at the end of last term. You're the one who did all the changing. And I am not at all sure that I like what I see." He stared her down, baiting her. But for the first time, she didn't fire back. She stood there and looked back at him, with an expression on her face that her heart was breaking. Ron started to feel uneasy. Why wasn't she fighting back? She clenched her jaw and looked at him through betrayed eyes.
"Well, what are you standing around for, if you are so disappointed in me?" He couldn't do anything but look at her. "You're going to miss the train." Stomach hurting, Ron turned on his heel and with one final glance back at her, walked onto platform 9 ¾.
"Christ, we're not even back at school yet and you're fighting with your boyfriend already?" came a slippery voice from behind her as Hermione watched Ron walk away. She turned to see Draco smirking at her.
"Are we done?" she asked tiredly. Having your heart broken really takes the fight out of a person.
The change in him was immediate. He dropped the arrogant façade. "Yes." They turned toward the train and boarded.
For the first time in 7 years, Hermione did not sit with Ron and Harry on the train ride to Hogwarts. She didn't look for them, and to be quite honest, she really didn't want to see them. She and Draco held a brief prefects meeting, which Ron neglected to attend (further annoying her), and then retreated to the Head car. Hermione breathed in the luxury as she sunk deeper into her richly upholstered chair. A popping noise behind her made her turn her head sharply. Draco was pouring yellowish fizzy liquid into two tall glasses.
"What's this then?"
"Champagne."
"Well, yes, I recognize it. Why do you have Muggle alcohol?"
"Two reasons: my poncey bastard of a father is hypocritical enough to hate Muggles but love their luxuries on an occasional basis. I don't want him to be able to enjoy ANYTHING that his ill-gotten gains have secured him, so I have been looting the house I grew up in on any occasion. Secondly, I thought that we should congratulate ourselves on a job well done and celebrate what will undoubtedly be a very interesting year."
"Draco, why are you in here with me, drinking champagne, instead of out in the Slytherin cars wreaking havoc on first years?"
"I told you, I have to lay low. And you are the only person I trust to be within two feet of me right now."
"That's interesting," Hermione replied absently, rolling the flute stem between her fingers, "how do you know I won't stab you in the back as well?"
"Simple, my dear, Gryffindors just don't have a treacherous bone in their bodies." She laughed at that, thinking of the irony.
"I could get used to this."
"And this is only the beginning. Stick with me, kid," he replied looking at her with a smile, a REAL smile, "you're about to learn the finer things in life."