Author's Note: Hi, everyone who actually still reads my stories after a long absence. So, I'm here, writing chapter 3 and I actually have no clue what it's going to be about, so check in with me at the end of the chapter, okay?

Low on Novocain

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. Wish I did. Never will.

Summary: It's seventh year, and Herm looks better than ever. Will a certain dragon get in her way?

Chapter 3: Why?

When Harry and Ginny had left, and everything had calmed down, Hermione and Draco sat in their compartment, one facing the door, and the other facing out the window. Neither of them said a word to each other until Hermione spoke.

"Why do you hate me?"

Draco turned his head to look at her. "What?"

"I said, 'Why do you hate me?'"

Draco sighed. "Look, I'm just going to be frank with you, but you better not tell anyone what I'm about to say. I pretty much only hate you because my father says I should. My father – he's a pretty powerful man, even while he's locked up in that blasted Azkaban. He can still pretty much do whatever he chooses so to do. So, naturally, if I were to disobey him in some way, do you know what could happen to me? He would hunt me down, beat me, and then curse me until I most likely died. Okay? So that's why I hate you."

Hermione chanced a stolid glance at him. "So, why can't we just get along when no one's there to see? I mean, it wouldn't hurt anyone. So, what to you say, Malfoy? Deal?" She extended her hand.

He looked at the hand, thought about it for a moment, then extended his own, but hesitated, then went all the way to meet hers. They shook. "Agreed. But no one can know."

Hermione nodded. Wow, his hands are soft, not rough like I would expect them to be, she thought.

"Good."

HG DM HG DM HG DM

Harry and Ron pushed their way to the Gryffindor table, knocking the little second years out of they way. They wanted to get a good seat for when Hermione made her speech as Head Girl. It would be her first one of the year.

When everyone was settled, Dumbledore stood up, clapped his hands, and the whole room became hushed. Dumbledore spoke:

"Now, as you all may know, or may not know, this year we are striving for Inter-House Unity. This means we want all of the four houses to be friends with each other, and not have conflicts. So, in order to attempt this, we are placing the current Head Boy and Head Girl in the same common room this year. They will live together peacefully, or they will lose house points. And so, in response to this, let me introduce our Head Boy and Girl! Draco Malfoy and Hermione Granger, would you please come up here?!"

Hermione lifted herself carefully out of her seat and walked up to where Dumbledore was standing, while Draco got up and walked very straightly to him. He nearly tripped on the way up the stairs.

"Our….Head Boy and Girl!" Dumbledore said between the bouts of laughter coming from the student body.

Hermione and Draco smiled at the students.

"Miss Granger, you may step up and present your speech," Dumbledore said, motioning at her.

She nodded and began. "Hello. Welcome to another year at Hogwarts. For some people, it may be your first, for others, it may be your last. But despite that, let it be your best. Get involved. We have so much to do at Hogwarts. Join the Quidditch Team, or a study group, or say, the Potions Club. Do whatever you can to make friends. They'll always be there for you, so get on their good sides. And no matter what anyone says, be yourself and don't let anyone bring you down. Thank you."

The students clapped and Hermione beamed at them, taking a step backwards and bumping into Draco, whose arms went up immediately to prevent her from falling. Of course, this was a very subtle move, and no one caught except for a few teachers, including Professor McGonagall and Professor Trelawney, who looked at each other and smiled.

"Thank you, Miss Granger, you two may go back to your seats."

The feast continued without anything unusual happening, and so when they were told to do so, Hermione, Ron, and Harry went up to the Gryffindor Common Room.

HG DM HG DM HG DM

Hermione laughed to herself as she sat in front of the fire in the common room. It had been so long since she had been here; almost 3 months. She missed it here, and was saddened that it would not be her common room for the remainder of her time at Hogwarts. Instead she would share the Heads' Common Room with Malfoy.

Harry and Ron came over to her and sat themselves on the floor in front of her chair, a bottle of butterbeer in each one's hand. "So, Hermione, how do you think living with Malfoy is going to be? Bet it'll be a nightmare that'll haunt you for the rest of your life. You'll be crying 'Malfoy, sod off and leave me alone' for the rest of your days I bet," Harry said.

Hermione shrugged. "I'll live, I guess. I guess I just have to accept that that's what Dumbledore thinks is best for Hogwarts, so I'll go along with it and try not to complain for as long as I can," she explained. "But still. He's going to be a terror," she said, knowing full well he was going to try not to be.

Ron laughed.

"Hey, guys, well I better be going. I don't want Malfoy to go and change the password on me. I want some sleep tonight. So, I'll talk to you in the morning?" Hermione said.

They nodded.

"Okay."

HG DM HG DM HG DM

Luckily, Draco had not changed the password, so Hermione got in the common room easily and without fail. She was glad he had not, because she was tired and all she wanted to do was go to bed and sleep. Or curl up on the couch in front of the fire. That would work too.

Draco was sitting on the couch, though, when she arrived, so that was out of the question. She muttered a "Good night" to him, then proceeded to go into her room and collapse on the bed, muscles aching and tried from a long day.

Meanwhile, Draco looked at her door and thought quietly to himself.

Author's Note: So, do you like this new chappie? Cause I do. So, review it, put it in your favorites, all that good stuff. Yeah. Good Night. Adios.

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