Chapter 3: Battleships

It was three days until Draco saw Granger again. He heard her come into their dorm, each time hurrying through the common area to her bedroom and promptly shutting the door. When he went to the Great Hall for meals, he saw the girl Weasel and her friends, but not the Head Girl. They had a few N.E.W.T.S. courses together. Somehow she managed to get to class before him each time, selecting a seat in the most crowded area, surrounding herself with others like a barrier. He knew she was avoiding him. He didn't know what to do about it.

After her outburst in following the Welcome Feast, he realized she was the only one in the entire school that spoke to him. McGonagall seemed to be done with him now that she had publicly appointed him to the Head Boy position. The other professors must have gotten the memo. They were professional and to the point. Not a single one of them asked him how he was fairing after the war or questioned how he was dealing with his family situation. Even Filch ignored him. Granger was the single exception.

Part of him questioned why he cared. She was Muggle-born and he came from one of the Sacred Twenty-Eight Pureblood families. They were from two opposite sides of wizarding society, not to mention they had been on opposing sides of the war. It would be best for both of them if he left her alone. If the past was any indication, there was nothing he could do that wouldn't result in some terribly backfired plan.

If anyone in this school deserved to hate him, she did. Draco could still hear her screams when his aunt had tortured her in his home. He hadn't been in that room since. There were nights when he woke up to that scream. It was always in his mind, but it was always there. He had determined it was his penance for letting that horror happen to her. Despite all of that, she had come to him that first night, trying to help him. She truly was a Gryffindor. It was ironic really. The one person he had bullied the most throughout his Hogwarts career was the only person willing to give him a second chance.

And he had pushed her away.

When he finally did see her, it was at the first meeting of the Heads and the Prefects. It was after dinner and the Great Hall was empty except for the ten of them. He contemplated arriving early to speak with Granger, but decided against it. Instead, he sat in his bedroom until five minutes past, then made his way to the meeting.

"Now that we are all acquainted, let's move on to our first order of business." He could hear her voice as he stopped within the large door frame. She was sitting next to the Gryffindor and Ravenclaw Prefects, across from the other four. Levitating behind her was a calendar of their school year. "The first Quidditch match is next Saturday between Ravenclaw and Slytherin." Weaslette let out a whistle to showcase her enthusiasm. "It is expected that we will all be in attendance. I'm hoping we all look out for the first years, since this will be their first match and some may get lost traveling out to the pitch." There were a few amused looks shared and one of the Hufflepuff girls blushed. "Also the Headmistress has decided that we will be-."

Granger stopped speaking when she noticed him standing in the doorway.

"Late much, traitor?" Horatio Levy sent him a glare.

"My mistake." Draco took a seat at the end of the table.

"Typical," Horatio muttered. "Wealthy Purebloods and your egotistical bullshite."

"Excuse me?"

"We all know how you got the Head Boy position, Malfoy. Daddy bought it the way he bought everything else for you...with his blood money."

"Horatio!" His housemate put her hand on his arm.

"It's true," Doris Marchbanks, the Hufflepuff Prefect nodded.

"That's not fair," Astoria Greengrass spoke up. "My sister didn't come back this year. It was too much for her."

"Was it too much for her because your parents are on trial for being Death Eaters?" Quinton Flaccus of Gryffindor asked.

"That is enough!" Granger shouted, her voice booming in likeness to the former Headmaster. All faces turned to her, Draco included. Her eyes were dark and her fists were clenched tightly, one with a wand. "If anyone here so much as looks the wrong way at another member of this team, I will direct that individual to the Headmistress to be reassigned to another member of the student body who would prefer to be here in that persons place. We are the role models for the student body here. If you can't keep your childish arguments out of this, then you do not deserve to be here. Do I make myself clear?"

No one so much as blinked.

"Do I need to repeat myself?"

A chorus of "no" came out.

Draco watched Granger take a deep breath, close her eyes for a moment, then proceed. "As I was saying before Mr. Malfoy returned from the library, where he was helping me prepare for our first event..." She paused to look directly at Horatio, who lowered his gaze, instantly becoming fixated on his feet. "...which is going to be a ball."

As the girls in the Great Hall erupted into excited chatter, he continue to stare at Granger. She had covered for him. Why? He had not know anything about McGonagall's plans. He certainly did not need to go to the library to prepare for a dance. He had been to numerous unsanctioned parties in the Slytherin Dungeons and his parents had drug him to every fundraiser and society function they were invited to. He could have planned this in a night, if he needed to, not that he was about to announce that fact.

"Historically, the only time we have held a ball at Hogwarts has been as part of the Tri-Wizarding Tournament. However, in light of recent events, Professor McGonagall feels it would serve as a good reminder of our unity if the entire student body was given the night off to celebrate before leaving for the holidays." Granger turned to the levitating calendar and used her wand to flip the pages back to December. She draw a bright red circle around the date. "We will need to be prepared by Thursday, the twenty-third. My plan is to divide up all the required activities between us so no one is overburdened with this event on top of their classwork. Does that sound fair?"

Her proposal was fair, but after her earlier death glare, Draco doubted anyone would object. He was right. No one muttered a word. They all just smiled back and nodded. Damn, Granger was scary when she was mad. He had forgotten the look of pure loathing she had sent him in third year when she had smacked him square in the nose. Looking back, he realized he deserved it. He had not idea she could turn from the shy, know-it-all bookworm into a bloody murderous attacker. In a way, it was kind of sexy.

Wait...what?

He shook his head. This being an island unto himself situation was really messing with his head.

"As you can see on the chart here," she pointed to another scroll that began levitating in front of the group. "We need to come up with a theme, talk to the House Elves about the menu, and work within the budget to include additional services such as music and decorations. I have broken us out into teams of two. Ginny and Hengist, you will be in charge of the menu. Make sure you clear all items with the House Elves before you finalize it. Horatio and Doris, you are in charge of the music. We've been given a strict budget, so we need to stay within that range. Astoria and Quinton, you will have decorations. That leaves Albert and Gwendolyn to work up the theme. I'd like to have weekly meetings to status check on where we are. We can keep it to this time and place, if that suits everyone."

The group nodded.

"Any questions?"

Everyone shook their heads.

"Thank you. Meeting adjourned."

The group disbanded, everyone heading off in toward their respective dormitories. Draco held back, but he wasn't the only one. He noticed Astoria Greengrass waiting by her seat.

"Hermione?"

"Hey Astoria, did you need something?"

"No, I just-," the raven-haired girl looked away for a moment, unsure, then, "I just wanted to say thank you."

Granger's brow furrowed. "Thank you?"

"For sticking up for my sister, Daphne. I know our family was on the other side during the war. I can't imagine what you think of them or me, so thank you." She lowered her head, looking ashamed. Draco wondered if he should leave. The girl looked as though she were about to cry.

Without a second of hesitation, Granger smiled understandingly and said, "We aren't our parents. Their time has come and gone. It's our time now. You get to write your own story. You get to be your own hero."

Astoria's face brightened up. She wiped the back of her sleeve across her face, slowly smiling back. "Thank you."

"You don't have to thank me, Astoria."

"I'm glad you're Head Girl."

"Thank you. I'm glad you're a Prefect and I'm looking forward to your decoration proposal."

"A ball," the girl's smile widened. "It's exciting, isn't it?"

"Yes," Granger replied, gathering up her belongings.

"Goodnight, Hermione."

"Goodnight, Astoria."

Draco watched as the younger Slytherin walked out. Then he approached Granger. She was stuffing the calendar into her bag, completely unaware.

"Granger." Hermione jerked slightly. She hadn't heard him come up behind her.

He chuckled. "Jumpy, aren't we?"

"Piss off, Malfoy."

She had made sure to stay as far away from the Head Boy as possible over the last few days. He had made it perfectly clear that he did not like their arrangement any more than she did. After hearing him complain in their dormitory, she had just snapped. She was disappointed in herself for allowing him to get to her. She was usually better at controlling her emotions. Once she had gone to her bed chambers, she had mentally chided herself. First, she had over shared. Secondly, it was Draco Malfoy. She needed to be cautious when it came to him. Letting him get under her skin and provoke a response was probably exactly what he had wanted. And she fell for it.

That was not about to happen again.

Quickly, Hermione grabbed her bag off the table and rose to leave. In her haste, her foot got caught under the bench, causing her to lose balance and pitch forward. Hmph. She watched the contents of her bag fly across the floor. Her body didn't follow. Malfoy had snaked his arm around her waist, holding her up. The instant she realized he was touching her, she broke out of his hold, turning to face him. He was smirking, looking quite proud of himself.

"And to think that could have been you," he mused out loud, gesturing to her items.

"T-Thank you."

He shrugged. "I owed you."

She raised a brow, as she began re-collecting quills, books, and other things. "Since when does Draco Malfoy owe anyone anything?"

"You covered for me with that prat from Ravenclaw."

Hermione froze for a split second. At the time, she hadn't had time to think about Malfoy's tardiness. She had grown accustomed to covering for Harry and Ron over the years. The lie had rolled off of her tongue effortlessly. "We are co-Heads," she responded. "It wouldn't look good for us to be bickering when we have been asked to show-."

"Unity," he interrupted, with an annoyed tone. "This publicity stint of Shacklebolt's is being forced down all of our throats."

"It's not just a stint," Hermione countered. "We need to overcome our past in order to have a successful future."

"Are you his publicist now?"

"No." She shook her head, rolling her eyes. It didn't surprise her that Malfoy wasn't on board with Kingsley's platform. She finished accumulating her possessions and closed her bag. Rising to her feet, she caught him watching her with a strange expression on his face. Is he smiling?

"I recall when Umbridge was here no one wanted her interfering with Hogwarts. She was Ministry too. It's different now that Shacklebolt is calling the shots though, right?" Malfoy pointed out. "Because he was on your side."

"Sides has nothing to do with it. Look at the bigger picture."

"Which is?"

Hermione could feel him getting to her again. His goading was frustrating her. She took a deep breath, swallowing it. She was not going to let him win again. "We are still divided. We are winners and losers, those who fought against Voldemort and those who fought with him. Until that changes, there will always be a rift in our community. Change is never quick or simple, but without it, we will fall back into the same mistakes that caused this lose of life and destruction to our world. I don't believe anyone wants that again, not even you."

Now he was smiling.

"Same old, Granger. So stubborn but always taking the morale high-ground. It's a bit annoying, actually. "

"Excuse me?"

He ignored her. "So what now?"

"Kingsley has already laid the ground work. If everyone can start making their own efforts, even just small acts, I think in time the world will heal itself. Of course, it would help if-."

"Granger." Malfoy held up a hand, stopping her. "I meant you and me. What can we do?"

We? She found herself staring at him in disbelief. Had he actually just asked what the both of them could do...together? Maybe Malfoy had been late because he had fallen down the stairs and hit his head. He certainly wasn't acting like himself.

"You want to help?" She asked, still not fully processing what he had said. "But you're...you're-."

"Son of Lucius Malfoy, notorious Death Eater; chosen one to assassinate Albus Dumbledore; and all-around Pureblood douche." He smirked. "Did I hit all the major points?"

She wondered if this was a joke. Maybe this was a new attempt to annoy her. Perhaps he was looking for a way to get back in with his old Slytherin pals. Pulling one over Hermione Granger, best friend of Harry Potter, and member of the 'Golden Trio' would certainly get him back into his old clique's good graces. She had to keep her walls up. After all, this was Draco Malfoy she was talking to. She couldn't be too careful. He seemed to sense her indecisiveness and continued.

"Someone said we aren't our parents and that we get to write our own stories, though," he chucked to himself, "I doubt I'll be cast as the hero."

Hermione blushed. He had been eavesdropping on her conversation with Astoria. Truth be told, she had been thinking of him at that moment, but she had also been thinking about Harry. He had shared with her how disappointed he had been in how his father, James, had acted towards other students, particularly Professor Snape when they had attended Hogwarts together. Sirius had gone through a much tougher transition, leaving his family to pursue what he thought was right. She found herself wishing he was around. She believed Malfoy could benefit from talking to his relative.

"There is such a thing as an anti-hero, you know," she told him as they began walking back to their dorm.

"Still has hero in the title."

"Mmmm, you're probably right. There's some things even magic can't fix."

He halted in the middle of the corridor. "I'm trying to be civil here, Granger. You should try it sometime."

She stopped next to him, frowning. "Don't use my lines on me!"

He took a step in her direction, getting closer. "What lines would work?" His tone had changed and she could see the flicker of something mischievous in his gray eyes.

"Oh, please," she rolled her eyes. "Does that really work for you?"

He shrugged and continued walking. "Used to."

Hermione laughed. "Wow."

"What did Weasel do that worked on you?"

Now it was Hermione's turn to freeze. He wore a smug grin on his face. It was a silent dare.

She was aware of how intently he was concentrating on her. There was a chance this was all some dumb game, all a ruse to trick her or make her feel inferior in some way. Despite that, she found that she couldn't break out of his eye contact. There was a strange hold upon her. She realized she was examining him with the same linear focus he had on her. His hair had been trimmed since she had last seen him. It was still pale blonde, but had hadn't bothered to keep the length or the gel to smooth it back. There was stubble on his checks and chin, making him appear more mature. His eyes were the most hypnotizing. The unnatural gray color seemed to change with his mood. Earlier she had noticed they were dark, the way the sky clouded before a storm hit. Now, however, they were a lighter shade, akin to an overcast sky, after the rain. She wondered if he still had his Dark Mark under his robes or if he had had it removed.

"Must have not been too memorable," he teased, breaking her from her thoughts.

Hermione "It was last year, during the battle. Ron told me that he wanted to warn the House Elves."

"Seriously?"

"Yes," she nodded, brushing past him to the stair case. He followed. "Not everyone tries to get into a girl's pants by shamelessly flirting."

"So that's the line he used to get into your pants, huh?"

"No!" Hermione flushed. "No, that's not what I meant. I was trying to make a point that-."

"Kidding, Granger." He waved a hand at her, strolling ahead of her. She noticed the color of his eyes had darkened once again. His tone came out flat and sharp. "Don't get your knickers in a bunch."

She turned her angriest glare on him. He didn't notice. His back was towards her. She felt the desire to hit him surfacing again. Why was it that this prat always got her blood to boil? It had started out as a pleasant conversation. Then he had gone and ruined with. Shaking her head to herself, she told herself she should have been prepared for this. It was Malfoy. A part of her was a bit sad. Prior to him prying into her personal life, she had actually found herself enjoying their talk. He wasn't so bad when he was acting like a human being.

When he had caught her earlier, she had been aware of how quickly he reacted. He had touched her with such ease, as if it didn't go against everything he had been brought up to believe in. It had surprised her. What surprised her more was how nice it had felt. Though the contact had been brief, she had felt the muscles in his arm as he moved. The silent strength there was definitely appealing. Malfoy had always been handsome. Slytherin Death Eater or not, he had caught the attention of many females. Hermione had never allowed herself to get caught up in the fascination because she had been interested in Ron. She was still interested in Ron, she reminded herself. However, after that touch, she could see the appeal. Malfoy was tempting. Stop it, Hermione, she scolded herself.

"Granger." She snapped her attention to where he was standing several yards in front of her by the door to their room. He waited for me? His behavior was becoming increasingly puzzling. Hermione found it both annoying and intriguing. "Are you coming in or not? I haven't got all night," he grumbled.

Quickening her pace, she followed him into their chambers. As she entered, she noticed Pigwidgeon sitting on the fireplace mantle. In his talons was a letter. She retrieved it, recognizing Ron's sloppy script across the parchment. Hermione didn't want to read it in front of Malfoy. She went to her bedroom and locked the door behind her.

Mione,

Neville joined Harry and I in Auror orientation. You should have quit studying to come along. It would have been like old times with the D.A. We all passed our Auror field training this week. Didn't expect anything else, but Mum's proud. She made a fuss when we got home from the Ministry.

We've been asked to speak at the official badge ceremony Friday. Kingsley said there is going to be a huge feast afterwards. I bet they will have steak and kidney pie. I reckon if you ask McGonagall, she'd give you leave from your classes for the day to be there. If she says no, you could always sneak out. Get Gin to cover for you.

It's brilliant here at the Ministry. Everyone is so friendly. Harry is used to being famous, so I told him to send all the fans my way. There's one witch, Corrine Donovan, who keeps baking me homemade treats. I didn't know anyone could make fudge as good as Mum's. You'll have to try some when you visit for the badge ceremony.

See you soon,
Ron

She had always know Ron could be thick but this was a new low even for him. One, she was not leaving Hogwarts to become an Auror and she was certainly not sneaking out for the ceremony. If he wanted her there, why did he wait until now to owl her? A few days was not enough time to prepare the travel arrangements, not to mention ensuring she caught up on her classwork and Head Girl duties. And who was this girl, Corrine? Didn't Ron have any brains at all? It was like Lavendar Brown all over again. The moment she thought that, Hermione regretted it. True, she had been upset when Ron had begun dating Lavendar, but the witch had died in the Battle of Hogwarts. Hermione did not want to feel any ill will towards her.

Hermione re-read the letter from her boyfriend. No matter how she tried, his lack of support and utter disregard for her feelings agitated her. He didn't ask once how she was fairing, question about her course load, or even congratulate her on her Head Girl position. It was as if he didn't notice her at all sometimes. She shook her head. Crumbling the letter up into a ball, she tossed it into the waste basket under her desk. She pulled out a fresh sheet of parchment and penned a reply.

Ron,

Congratulations!

I can't make the ceremony. I have to take an extra N.E.W.T.S. class and I have my Head Girl duties.

Best of luck,
Hermione

Maybe he'd notice if she didn't show up.

A/N: Thank you to Dani and my girl, Skye for their reviews. I'm glad to know someone is enjoying this story. And Skye, thanks for encouraging me to get back to writing fanfics! I may change the title and the description a few times. I'm not sure how best to "market" my story, but I know where I want to take it.