Disclaimer: As much as I wish it was mine, it isn't. Harry Potter belongs to JK Rowling, alone.
Summary: It's their last year at Hogwarts. Hermione Granger is the Head Girl and Draco Malfoy is the Head Boy. They have to live together in the Head's Quarters. Will they be able to see each other in a different light this year? Will it lead to a friendship and then to something more or will their ego and pride come in between making them throw everything away? Read on to find out! This is my first story! Read and Review!
A/N 1: Number of Chapters: Three. Number of Beta Readers: None. Anyone?
A/N 2: This chapter was supposed to be set in Hogmeade, with the main focus on Hermione and Ginny. But then, I felt like introducing Draco's angle instead. As I started editing it, the chapter became way too long and therefore I had to push Hogsmeade Sunday, yet again, to the next chapter. I can't believe that I will end up spending four chapters talking about one Sunday! Maybe because it is my favourite day of the week! Anyway, enough of my blabber and let's move onto the story. Hope you guys like it.
Chapter 3: Deep in the train of thoughts.
Hermione wore the clothes she'd placed on her bed. She went to the dressing table, next to her wardrobe. She did her hair, put a little make up and left the bedroom. She found herself looking at Pansy and Draco, who were still snogging. She looked at them for a second, shrugged and quietly left the common room, to meet Ginny.
The small staircase, which descended from the entrance to the heads' quarters, which was behind the portrait of the big pumpkin, lead to the common room. In spite of being spacious, it had a very welcoming, homely ambiance. A beautiful chandelier hung from the ceiling in the center, lightening up the entire room. To the right of the staircase, was a large sofa. At the end of the sofa, next to it was the fireplace, against the wall. On the other side of the fireplace were two cosy armchairs. These were arranged around an intricately carved wooden center table. The library and a small kitchen were to the left of the staircase. Beyond that, there were two small staircases on opposite sides, leading to the bedrooms of the Head Boy and Girl. The area between the two staircases was occupied by the common bathroom.
Draco and Pansy were on the sofa. As soon as Hermione left, Draco broke the kiss. Pansy leaned forward, trying to continue. Draco pushed her away and walked into the kitchen. Pansy followed him there and said, "What? Are we done for the day? Just like that?" She snapped her fingers, to emphasize.
"Yes. Now be quiet or leave." He replied flatly.
Pansy was going to throw a tantrum, because according to her, it was a fool proof method of getting what she wanted. However, something about Draco's tone indicated that pressing the subject further would be futile. So, without another word, she left.
Draco didn't even notice Pansy's exit. He was looking outside the kitchen window, eyes fixed on the Whomping Willow. His thoughts were somewhere else. He was thinking about what happened today with Pansy. Pansy was his girlfriend, sort of. He didn't love her and he wasn't really committed to her. He liked being with her because she satisfied his physical urges and massaged his ego. He ensured that she had a good time too; at least her moaning seemed to indicate exactly that. Pansy was good at it as well, Draco had to admit that. Their sex may not have been passionate, but it was fun. That's all it was and he hoped Pansy knew that.
However, today he wasn't kissing Pansy just for fun. She had shown up at the common room at the right moment and Draco had grabbed this opportunity to gage a certain brunette's reaction, to their act. He saw the look of disgust cross her face the first time she saw them. He also noticed how she stared at them for a second before she left the common room. He didn't know what she was feeling. He didn't understand what he was feeling either. He couldn't comprehend why she was on his mind, moments ago, when his tongue was sparring Pansy's. He shrugged.
He opened the tap at the kitchen sink and splashed some water on his face. He stood there for a while and then returned to the common room and sat on the armchair, by the fireplace. He lit some fire, with the wand. He loved the crackling sounds that the wood made as it burnt in the fireplace. He rested his head against the armchair and got lost in his thoughts, yet again.
Even though Draco had always maintained that Hogwarts was his second choice, he was the only one who knew how much this school truly meant to him. Sure, three-fourths of the school hated him, but at least he was away from his father. Thanks to Hogwarts, he got to meet his father only for two months in a year and had to endure the beating and the berating only for that much time.
Also, he knew the effect he had on the girls at Hogwarts. They may have hated him, but there was no way that he hadn't been a part of their fantasies, at least once, if not more. He loved female attention. Then again, which man wouldn't? He smiled at that thought.
He closed his eyes and pictured that day, a week back, at platform nine and three quarters. It was still fresh in his memory, as though it had taken place a few minutes back. After a boring summer at the Malfoy Mansion, it was finally time to go back. He had reached the platform earlier than usual as he couldn't contain his excitement and also because he feared that if he stayed any longer, his mother wouldn't let him go, and for her, he would've stayed back as well.
He had chosen the smallest compartment, which was at the very end of the train. This compartment could accommodate two people, but Draco wanted to be alone and therefore he decided that he wouldn't let anyone sit in there.
He placed his trunk on the seat. He opened it and picked up a novel from there. It was a historical book about the Salem Witch Trials of 1962. This was a muggle book which he had purchased because he wanted to know whether the muggles actually burnt some real witches or did they fool themselves into killing some of their own.
He closed the trunk and shifted it to the end of the seat, next to the door. He sat diagonally opposite the trunk, and rested his right arm on the window. He placed the book next to him and stretched his legs, keeping them on the opposite seat. He was all settled for the journey.
He looked outside the window and saw Hermione. She had walked onto the platform, alone. She pushed her trolley, on which she had placed her trunk and one extra bag, her cat and a book. He smiled when he looked at the book. 'Does she carry a book to the bathroom also?' he thought to himself.
He was surprised to see that she wasn't surrounded by Potter, Weasel and Weaselette. As she walked towards the train, for the first time in six years, he noticed her body. He thought Pansy's was better, but Hermione was fit and womanly, there was no doubt about that. He gasped at his own thoughts and shook his head. He picked up his book and began reading.
It had been about half an hour since the train had started moving when Draco heard a knock at the door. Without looking up from his book, he said casually, "Get lost or I will hex you."
The door blasted open. "This is not your house. Make place." Said a voice, indignantly and this person fixed the door which she had blasted a few seconds ago.
Draco looked up immediately as he wanted to know this voice, who was extremely unaffected by his warning. He rolled his eyes when he saw her standing in the doorway. 'Of course, it had to be Granger', he thought to himself.
He smiled at her and said sarcastically, " It seems to me that you're in dire need of glasses, like that scar head friend of yours, because you've obviously been unable to observe that there's absolutely no place in here. Wouldn't it be prudent to sit elsewhere, under such tight circumstances? Perhaps, you'd want me to escort you out of here?"
"Make place or I will hex you." replied Hermione, in a no-nonsense tone. She had emphasized on the 'I will hex you' part.
At this, Draco smiled and looked down into his book. He sat there and continued reading as though the events that transpired in the past five minutes hadn't, and she wasn't standing there. Hermione was obviously annoyed at how blatantly he was ignoring her. She decided to take the matters in her own hands.
She cast a spell and moved his trunk, next to him onto the seat. She walked in with her trunk and the other bag and put it, where his trunk was before. She then moved further to sit opposite him. However, his legs were resting on that seat. She hexed him and as soon as he took his legs off, she sat there.
"Ouch! Why did you hex me, you psycho witch?" said Draco, in agony.
"Because, I said I would." She replied calmly.
Draco got annoyed at that. He was going to curse her, but then he thought of something that would irritate her more. He stretched his legs, like before and put them on her lap as if it was the seat. The mud from his shoes, rubbed off on her t-shirt before she jerked them away.
"Now you definitely look the part. Muddy blood, muddy clothes. Don't you appreciate the symmetry?" he asked her innocently.
Hermione cleaned her t-shirt with a spell and did something that she had never done before. She requested him. "Look Malfoy, I enjoy bashing you verbally as much as I enjoy hexing you or even punching you, but today I want some peace. That's why of all the compartments that I could possibly sit in, I chose to this one, because I thought that our mutual hatred would be a sufficient reason to not talk to each other. Can we just ignore each other and spend the rest of the seventh year in harmony? If you know, we have to share Head's Quarters too and I intend to survive without having to serve intense detention for hexing you, because the penalty for hurting a Head out of personal spite would be quite severe and I am sure you are aware of that."
Draco had already guessed why Hermione was in there. He also knew why she wanted an uneventful year. But he was her enemy and it would be against the rules of enmity, if there were any, to let her have the easy way out. So, in response to this, Draco yawned and said "So, why are you avoiding Potter and Weasley? Let me guess, did you guys have a threesome?"
Hermione stared at him in shock, mixed with disgust. "Are you deaf Malfoy? Or has comprehending the simple English Language become an impossible task for that pea-sized brain of yours?" she replied.
"So threesome it is.", concluded Draco.
Hermione sighed. She didn't say anything further. She picked up her book and started reading it.
Draco wasn't going to ignore her. How would he reap the benefits of irritating her if he didn't speak to her? He enjoyed the look of that she had given him. He loved how quick and easy it was to get to her. He didn't like the fact that of all the people, Hermione Granger was Head Girl, but she was meant to be. He knew that she had been perfect for the job ever since their first year at Hogwarts. There was no point in resisting the situation. He had decided to accept it and make the most of it. He knew that he was going to have a lot of fun annoying Hermione and that was a better thing to do than be annoyed at Dumbledore's choices for the Heads anyway.
Draco had drifted off to sleep on his armchair. He woke up at the sound of someone saying the password of Heads Dorms. Blaise entered with a wicked smile on his face.
He sat on the lounger next to Draco and said with a hint of delight, "Tits and wine? That is your password? I didn't believe it when I read it in your letter. How did Granger even agree to that?"
"She didn't have a choice. I set it before she could say anything. Surprisingly, she didn't retaliate or even try to change it after that. I don't like quiet Granger. I like the feisty one. Maybe I'll change it to something more appalling after a while. Let's see what she does then." replied Draco.
"So she still behaves as if you don't exist?" asked Blaise.
"Well yea, pretty much. I know she wishes that I do the same. She had proposed a peace treaty on the train. But I have other plans. I'd be a fool if I let go of this opportunity to irritate her. It amuses me." said Draco.
Blaise raised his eyebrow and replied "I thought Pansy amused you."
Draco smirked and said, "In other ways my boy, in other ways."
Blaise punched Draco on the arm and observed the room. He said, "These living quarters are reasons enough to want to be a Head. Sweet space man. And you guys share a bathroom, don't you?" he asked wickedly.
"Not yet, we don't. But there could be accidental run-ins, if you know what I mean." Replied Draco, casually.
"Oh no, I don't actually. Please enlighten me, my Lord." said Blaise in an innocent, mocking tone.
Draco laughed and explained Blaise the entire incident that had taken place in the morning. He kept the Pansy incident to himself. He didn't want Blaise teasing him with Granger, when there wasn't anything to begin with. But Blaise being Blaise, upon hearing the bathroom incident, teased him anyway.
Draco rolled his eyes and said, "Enough Zabini. I am hungry now. Let's get some lunch." With that Draco and Blaise climbed the stairs, leading to the portrait of the pumpkin and stepped out of the Head's Quarters.
A/N3: Thank you notes
To my first reviewer: disestablishmentaria: This happens to be my favourite pairing too. I love stories where the characters evolve from enemies, to acquaintances, to friends and then finally they take the next step. I hope you'll enjoy reading my story. Thank you sooo much for the review! Also, thanks for adding me to your favourites list! Muah! Muah! Muah!
To missCastiel1864: Oh my God. Here I was, working on chapter three, wondering whether I'm portraying them correctly. Then all of a sudden, I don't know why, I went on to fan fiction to check my reviews. And there it was - your review, answering my question! You're the best! Thanks a lot, missCastiel! Hope you like this chapter! Yaaay! I am on your alert list too! Muah!
To Krystal Alspaugh, TennisRebels15, Rachel-honeycutt, sbqhamil, Sasha2121, loupop: Thanks a bunch for adding me to your favourites/alert list. It feels truly amazing to be appreciated by so many people! Hope you guys enjoy this chapter! Yay! Yay! Yay!
To all the other people who read my story: Thank you so much and do keep coming back for more!
A/N 4: The next chapter should be up by sometime next week. I have an exam coming up in the first week of June, and the course load is heavy! But I love writing! So, I've promised myself, to write little every day, in my break time and put up one chapter a week. Hope this works!
Chapter 4: Hogsmeade Sunday. (Yes, I will make it happen this time. It's time this story got some girly chit-chat.)
A/N 5: Review! Review! Review!
Love,
Jessica.