Another chapter! As always, review if you want more. It makes me happy! :)

I also got a very interesting idea for Malfoy the other night that I'm beyond excited to write, something that will make his relationship with Hermione make a lot more sense (because obviously their hatred cannot be overcome by just anything.) The more you review the quicker it'll be up!

Anything familiar is not mine.

Chapter Five

After the feast was over the prefects ushered the younger students toward their dormitories, but as Malfoy and Hermione were not technically in charge of any Houses they were able to remain in the Great Hall. Hermione hung back at the Gryffindor table watching her friends talk. They were all oblivious to the changes they would face this year. She felt a pang in her heart; it was great that the war was over, but she feared that without that constant worry and common goal they would drift apart. She would no longer be living with her House, and beginning tomorrow would not even be guaranteed to be eating with them.

"You've been very quiet this whole meal," commented Ginny, looking over at the older girl. Hermione was resting her chin in her hand, gazing into the remnants of the plum pudding in front of her. "Aren't you happy to be back?"

The boys paused in their conversation, noticing Hermione for the first time since they had begun eating. They were so used to her being immersed in a book during meals that they didn't even question her silence anymore. She lifted her head and forced a smile on her face.

"Of course I'm glad, Ginny. I suppose I'm just missing my parents a little," she said, quickly making up an excuse. She knew Harry and Ron would overreact to her news of who the Head Boy was, so she decided to simply let them figure it out on their own. Ginny nodded understandingly, knowing that if Hermione needed to talk she would later.

"Well, if these two barbarians are done eating, why don't we head up to the tower? I'm beat." Harry and Ron complained at her comment, but Ginny simply shot them a look clearly stating, 'What, you know it's true.'

Hermione hesitated, not sure how to explain that she would not be accompanying them to the tower. "You guys go ahead. I… I need to do a quick round before bed." The others nodded, accepting her excuse, and pushed their benches back to stand up.

"Night 'Mione," said Ron, smiling at her. She gave a half-smile back at him, then quickly looked down at her plate. The other night had been very awkward, and she hadn't really spoken to him much since. Harry and Ginny waved before taking one another's hands, walking out of the Great Hall together with Ron trailing behind them. Once they left, Hermione laid her head on her arm, wishing she could just fall asleep at the table before anything changed.

"You coming or not, Granger?" Hermione sighed at the sound of Malfoy behind her. He was certainly a Seeker; she hadn't even heard him come up behind her. She kept her head down, hoping he would just go away. "Fine. I was only trying to follow what your stupid letter said and be civil to you, but I suppose if you've gone and died it'll make the rest of the year much more pleasant for me."

Hermione sat up at this, swinging around to face him. They were the only two left in the Great Hall, since everyone else had already retired to their rooms. "Though I'm sure if would make you very happy, I do not plan on dying anytime soon. And in my letter I said we only had to be civil to one another when we're in public. I don't see anyone around here, do you?" She knew she'd regret her words in the morning, but at the moment she just wanted to let her frustrations out on the blonde ferret in front of her.

"Someone's always watching," he said, turning to look at the dark back corner where several ghosts were hovering. At his look they quickly disappeared into the wall behind them. "But if you'd prefer I ignore you, fine. It'll make my day much more enjoyable."

Hermione clenched her teeth together, already annoyed with Malfoy. She stood up quickly, her head lifted, forcing him to take a step back. She crossed her arms over her chest and began walking out of the Great Hall, calling back to Malfoy as she left. "You coming or not, ferret?" She knew he'd be seething at her comment, but he followed her out of the room without even muttering an insult, and they began the long journey to the dungeons.

The two remained silent on the walk down, the only sounds coming from their shoes against cement. Hermione began to shiver as they descended. The Gryffindor tower was always extremely warm, but down here there seemed to be a constant dank feeling, most likely due to the fact that they were actually beneath the lake. She rubbed her arms, trying to smooth away the goose bumps that had appeared.

"Dungeon a little chilly for you, Granger?" asked Malfoy, a smirk on his face. Hermione refused to answer, simply quickening her steps toward the end of the corridor when there was a small statue of a house-elf, which Professor McGonagall had said was the marker of their new dormitories. Hermione paused, staring down it, wondering how it would open the door to her new room – she had given up all hope on it being only an office during dinner. "Unite," she said, the password Professor McGonagall had told her. The statue did not move.

"We have to say it together," said Malfoy, standing behind her.

Hermione shook her head, examining the wall to see if there was any other place to speak the password. "And how would you know?"

"It's obvious, isn't it? The password is 'unite,' for goodness sakes. Dumbledore certainly didn't waste too many brain cells on that one. Inter-House unity or whatever."

Hermione stared down at the motionless marble statue, ignoring his jab at the Professor. "Fine," she agreed unwillingly. "We'll try it your way. On the count of three… one, two, three. Unite."

Just as she said the word, Malfoy did, and at the sound of their two voices mixing together the statue jumped to life, pressed his hand against the wall, and stepped back from the newly revealed door with a bow. Hermione pushed the door open before Malfoy could rub in his success, angry that he had figured out the trick before she had.

After stepping inside enough to allow Malfoy to follow, she paused to examine the room. It was gorgeous. The walls were a deep grey and the furniture a deep burgundy, with cream decorations throughout the room, giving it a very regal feel. It was lit only by a fire on the far wall and some torches scattered around the room. A dark mahogany table took up the majority of one corner where there was a small kitchenette, and overstuffed couches and armchairs surrounded the fire. On either side of the fireplace were doors, one with the name "Malfoy" above it and one with the name "Granger". Hermione smiled; the room would be a welcome relief at the end of a long day, even with the company she was forced to share.

"So these are really our dorms, then," she said. He simply nodded, shrugging off his sweater. Hermione hugged her pink one, both out of cold and nervousness. She hesitated, not sure how to take her new roommate's silence. "It's really lovely," she continued, desperate for some signal from him for how he was taking the news. "And much roomier than the other Common Rooms… I suppose it'll be nice to be able to study in here where we have peace and quiet, yes?"

"Of course that's what you're thinking of, studying. Now if you're done babbling, I'm going to bed," Malfoy said, turning to look at her with a bored expression on his face. "I don't particularly fancy the idea of late night girl chatter." He walked swiftly to the door marked with his name and slipped inside before Hermione had time to see much inside other than an overwhelming amount of hunter green.

Hermione sighed and walked over to the couch in front of the fire, craving its warmth. She fell backward and allowed herself to become immersed in the leather. A few moments later she was in a deep sleep.

The next morning Hermione awoke to a banging on the main door. Sunlight was streaming in the windows, which were bewitched much like the Great Hall ceiling to give the dungeons some light. She stood up, stretching, uncomfortable from the night on the couch. She hadn't even realized she had fallen asleep there.

Reaching the door, she opened it cautiously, her hand on her wand. She peeked out, and, when she saw it was just Malfoy, pushed the door open all the way and stepped back to let him in.

"About time, I've only been knocking for fifteen minutes," he grumbled, shoving his hair out of his eyes. His body was coated with a layer of sweat. "I forgot that stupid door needs both of us to open it. I was out for a run," he explained.

"Sorry, I was asleep," she replied, much more agreeable now that she had rested.

"Yea, I noticed." He walked into the kitchenette and grabbed a glass from one of the shelves, filling it with water from the tap. He had obviously explored while she was asleep. "Couldn't even make it into your room?"

"Yesterday just really wore me out," she replied. She fidgeted in place, unsure how to act after the night before. "Uh, well we better work out a schedule. We don't want to be stuck outside while the other is in class or anything."

"All right," he agreed, placing his glass on the wooden table. "Can I see your schedule?"

Hermione nodded and reached into her back jean pocket, pulling out the slightly rumpled schedule Professor McGonagall had given her the night before. She walked over to Malfoy and smoothed it out on the table. "Do you have yours?" she asked.

"It's in my room," he replied off-handedly. He scanned her schedule, nodding slightly to himself. "Most our classes are the same. Advanced Potions, Advanced Transfiguration… seems they might be separating us by level rather than House this year." He looked up at her. "The only classes we don't have together are Herbology and History of Magic. We both have free blocks while the other takes Herbology, and then I have Muggle Studies while you take History of Magic. And both our Herbology classes are right before lunch, so we can just both come back to the room when the bell rings so we can both drop off our books. Okay?"

"All right," Hermione agreed, but she felt that it wouldn't be so easy. She didn't want to be tied to her room, or have to ask Malfoy in front of all his friends to accompany her back when she had forgotten something. And all those classes with Malfoy…

Hermione paused in her thoughts, having just realized what he had said. "Wait – you're taking Muggle Studies?"

Malfoy rolled his eyes, still scanning the schedule. "Yes. All students who aren't Muggle-born are required to take it this year," he explained. He quickly changed the subject, not wanting to hear Hermione's view on his schedule. "I'll also have Quidditch practice and runs every morning," he added, sighing and looking back down at her schedule. He didn't seem any happier about their arrangement than she was.

"Well, I can make sure not to leave for breakfast until you come in from your run. And then we can just let each other know our plans for the day each morning. I doubt the enchantment on the statue will last forever, but for now we'll just have to humor Professor Dumbledore's memory."

"Yea. Good thing that idiot's not headmaster anymore. A trick like this just shows his worth," he said snidely. Hermione clenched her jaw but decided to let it slide to keep the peace they were managing. "I'm going to go shower. I'll meet you at the prefect meeting in half an hour." With that he downed the rest of his water and placed the empty glass in the sink, then walked back into his room.

Hermione sighed and looked down at her rumpled sweater and jeans; she hadn't even taken the time to change before falling asleep the night before. She walked over to her bedroom, assuming that her trunk had been left there.

If she had been impressed by the common room the night before, she was floored by the bedroom. In the center was a queen sized bed covered with a scarlet comforter accented with gold threads. A sheer canopy with flecks of gold floated down from the ceiling to surround the bed, and mahogany book shelves lined the walls where he books were already piled. There was also a small writing desk next to the large window. Off the right wall was a bathroom, white with endless golden faucets, and at the base of her bed was her trunk. She walked over and knelt by it, opening the lid and letting her hand slide across the soft leather. It had been a gift from her father her first year at Hogwarts.

She quickly selected an outfit from the trunk and laid it on her bed, then went into her bathroom to shower. Twenty minutes later she had managed to calm her hair and get rid of the purple circles beneath her eyes. After glancing in the mirror and deciding that Ginny would approve of her look for the day she left her room and walked down to the library, deciding not to wait for Malfoy whose shower was still on.

"Good morning," Hermione said to the librarian, who nodded curtly in return while placing books on shelves. Hermione found a large table and sat down, taking out her Charms book to read before the other prefects arrived. She had just finished the second chapter when Neville and Luna arrived.

"Hello Neville, Luna," she said pleasantly, closing her book and smiling at her friends. They each sat across from her, greeting her as well.

"Harry and Ron were wondering why you never came to the Common Room last night," Neville said, his voice low so as to not anger the librarian. "They waited until midnight. Were you out that late doing rounds?"

Hermione had assumed the two boys would simply go to bed since they thought she was doing rounds. "Actually, I have a new room now…" she began, deciding that she might as well tell people the truth. "Professor Dumbledore thought it would best promote inter-House unity if the two Heads lived together."

Neville looked alarmed. "What? You mean you have to live with that scumbag, as well as work with him?" he exclaimed, eliciting a hush from the librarian.

"Seems like an improvement on her part to me, Longbottom," said Malfoy, who had just entered the library and came up behind the two prefects. Hermione cringed at his cruel tone.

"Yea, I'm sure anyone would rather live with a pompous jerk like you rather than Gryffindors," Neville replied harshly, getting up to stand chest to chest with the boy.

"Plenty of girls would die to be in Granger's place." Hermione shot him a glare at Malfoy's comment, but he simply shrugged and came to sit beside her. "So where are the other prefects? Not that I don't love sitting with a bunch of blood traitors or anything," he said.

"Here come some more," Hermione replied as Sophie and Dennis, the Hufflepuff prefects, entered the room. Neville reluctantly sat back down, his eyes trained on Malfoy. "Good morning!" Hermione called out. Malfoy made a face at her cheerfulness but she ignored him. Sophie sat in the chair furthest from Malfoy, giving him an uneasy look, and Dennis sat next to her.

"'Morning," Dennis said, grinning. "Last night was real fun. A bunch of first years kept asking me what things were. Some of them didn't even know that wizard pictures moved!" He laughed.

"You'd know all about that kind of ignorance now wouldn't you, Granger?" asked Malfoy. "Being, well, you know." Hermione glared at him.

"And what would that be?" she asked, challenging him to say the word in front of a table of Gryffindors, Ravenclaws, and Hufflepuffs.

He smirked. "Well, Muggle-born, of course," he said, feigning innocence. He turned away from her and nodded his head at the boy who had just entered. "Hey Zabini."

"Hey Malfoy," he replied, taking a seat next to his fellow Slytherin. The female Slytherin prefect, Marissa, followed him in but chose to sit on the other side of Hermione, looking down into her lap. Hermione offered the girl a smile, but she just blushed and looked away.

"Good morning," said Matthew as he entered the room, sitting down next to Neville with a nod. He leaned back in the chair, completely comfortable despite Malfoy's glare. Hermione smiled at him.

"Good morning. Did you have any problems with the first years last night?" She felt Malfoy's gaze on her, but ignored him, focusing her attention on the boy in front of her. She was surprised she didn't recognize him from her previous years in the school, but figured she had been rather distracted. She didn't really know many students from other Houses.

"No, they were pretty good," he replied. "A few seemed scared that they would have to answer a clue each day to get into the dorms, but they'll soon get used to it."

"Hermione!" The librarian glared at the girl who was running into the library, clutching her bag to her chest with her long black hair swinging behind her. "I'm so sorry I'm late! I was waiting for you in the dorms but you weren't there… then Ginny Weasley woke up and told me that you had never come in last night. Where were you?"

Hermione blushed, glancing at Malfoy. He leaned back in his chair, relaxed, his eyes trained on Matthew. "She was in the Head dorms, of course," he said nonchalantly.

"All right, let's set up the schedule," Hermione quickly said, cutting off any shocked reactions. "First, who here has Quidditch?"

Hermione took out the potential schedule she had written up that morning. She purposefully placed Blaise and Malfoy together at all times, knowing that none of the other students would want to do rounds with them.

"This isn't really promoting the inter-House Unity Dumbledore wanted," said Malfoy, looking at the schedule over her shoulder. His voice mocked her. "Shouldn't we be mixing it up a bit?"

Hermione glared at him. "Fine then, you write the schedule," she said, pushing the piece of parchment toward him. He smirked at her as he took it.

"Sure," he replied, quickly scratching out names with his quill. Hermione seethed, angry that he had showed her up during their first meeting. She decided to address the other prefects while he worked.

"I know some of you are new to this, so I wanted to go over what we do on our rounds. First, don't separate from your partner. The castle is usually pretty safe, but things can happen, and it's easy to get lost in. Second, make sure to get the name and House of each student you spot, and escort them back to their dorms. It's much easier to give them a detention the next morning. Finally, make sure to avoid Peeves, and always wear your badge or Mr. Filch will try to stop you." Hermione saw the Hufflepuffs listening to her eagerly, but the other, older students seemed slightly bored.

"All right, here it is," said Malfoy after a short silence. He turned the paper around and showed it to everyone. "Look good?"

Being on the Quidditch team, Malfoy knew most of the schedules, so Hermione assumed the schedule would work for everyone. Leaning over to look at it, she saw that she would be doing rounds every night, with either Malfoy, Blaise, Marissa, or Dennis. She groaned quietly; Malfoy had obviously worked his hardest to put her with Slytherins.

After all the prefects approved the list and Hermione used a spell to make copies for each of them, they filed out of the library to get breakfast, much to the librarian's delight. Hermione hung back, reorganizing her books in her bag.

"Looking for something, Granger?" asked Malfoy, the only one remaining with her.

She stood up, pushing her wooden chair in violently. "What was that about?" she whispered angrily.

"What?" Malfoy asked, whispering back mockingly. Hermione glared.

"That. Trying to show me up in front of all the other prefects. Giving me rounds each night, and never with a Gryffindor."

"I assumed as Heads we should be taking the most rounds. And I'm only trying to live up to Dumbledore's wish," he replied, slinging his bag over his shoulder and standing up. Hermione looked up at his taller figure, straightening her shoulders in an attempt to intimidate him.

"You're up to something," she accused. Malfoy simply smirked at her and left the room.