A/N: This chapter is decent-sized in length, but, as I warned, the subsequent chapters will be a little shorter. Happy reading XD

The Seventh Year

Chapter 2

The Heads and the Change of Character

The meeting went off with barely a hitch (Marisa managed to change the color of McGonagall's hair half-way through the meeting, but got away) and the group had separated out into their respective house tables. Erin blew a kiss to her friends Cat and Jin at the Slytherin table and shouted a promise to catch up later before sitting down with Luna and her sister at the Ravenclaw table.

The feast passed in a blur for everyone, the only noticeable part being McGonagall announcing Draco and Erin as Heads.

There was much laughter and applause, because even though Draco wasn't as much liked as obsessed over by many girls, Erin was well liked. Though no one had quite expected her to get Head Girl, Hermione had come back this year after all, the students obviously approved.

Unfortunately, this also meant they two of them had to get up and walk to the teacher's table, and she shot a glare at the blonde, wishing for a moment that looks could kill.

Her look could not kill, but apparently it could cause Malfoy's shoelaces to tie together, and he tripped, nearly falling, but he somehow caught himself with his inborn, inhumane grace. Assuming a regal air and completely suppressing the smirk that was threatening to spread across her face, she reached McGonagall well before the ferret did.

"Ms. Benzene," Professor McGonagall said sternly, in a voice low enough for only her to here. "I expect you to be an example this year, and I certainly hope that Mr. Malfoy's misfortune has nothing to do with you."

Draco was now struggling valiantly with the sleeves of his robes, which appeared to be adhering to each other as he continued towards the Headmistress and the Head Girl. "I'd never, Professor," she said quite sincerely. Then she checked her pockets, before groaning. "And besides, Marisa nicked my wand."

Marisa deftly twirled both wands above her head, her grin mocking as Erin glowered at her, and she earning a glare from McGonagall as well as several titters from the crowd. "You realize that could implicate your sister's involvement, correct?"

"That's impossible, Professor," she said innocently, quickly dropping the scowl. "Marisa promised to give me and Draco a fighting chance at getting along, despite her obvious reservations toward the matter."

McGonagall gave her a very hard look, but she could hardly reprimand the Head Girl she had appointed in front of the entire student body practically right before the semester began. "Very well, Benzene, but I will be keeping a close eye on you. Mr. Malfoy, do counter that ridiculous charm."

Malfoy had pulled his wand from his sleeve and he deftly cancelled the adherence charm. "I'm sorry, Professor, it seems as though my anti-static charm reversed itself. I'll be more careful in the future."

Erin gave him an incredulous look while McGonagall wasn't looking at her. Was Malfoy, Draco sodding Malfoy, covering for her? Or Marisa, but whatever, covering for her?

He smirked at her, and she felt the all-too familiar fluttering somewhere in her chest. This was definitely not good. She'd expected Malfoy to be as obnoxious as he had been last year so that they could continue their strangely balanced relationship of occasional camaraderie and frequent hatred. Although at the end of last year he had leaned more towards camaraderie, which unnerved her in ways she didn't want to think about, she had just thought that with the pressures of the war gone, things would return to normal and she wouldn't have to deal with the startling feelings again.

McGonagall was telling them something, but she was still scrutinizing Malfoy and he was clearly sizing her up. She didn't like the way his smirk was growing.

He smiled brilliantly then, explaining to McGonagall that he was going to be an excellent example for the students and that of course his past sentiments had changed, for why would she have let him be Head Boy again if they hadn't changed? She was so dazzled by his grin, that she barely heard him say that he was positive that Erin Benzene would be the perfect complement to his leadership and that she was not only an outstanding student but a warm and caring person, an excellent choice for Head Girl.

She was unfortunately speechless as the students began clapping and cheering again, and McGonagall motioned for them to acknowledge their peers' approval. Erin turned and smiled sweetly at the congregation, waving nonchalantly, primarily at the Slytherin table, which elicited some laughter. "What was that?" she hissed from between her teeth.

Draco put an arm around her shoulders casually, which made her jump, and raised one arm in a very rock star-esque sort of wave. "Whatever do you mean, Benz?" he murmured, also clearly through his teeth.

"Taking a hit for Marisa like that!" she shrugged him off, smiled politely at McGonagall, and gracefully stepped down from the teacher's dais.

He followed her, but dropped his unusual smile for his normal sneer. "Oh, so it was Benz Two?"

"I can only assume, you git, who else would you expect?"

"Who knows, maybe it was Blaise and I was taking a hit for him?"

She stopped before her seat and glared at him. "Whatever you are doing, Malfoy, stop."

"We can continue this delightful conversation when McGonagall shows us our dorm," he smirked. "You were listening to her, weren't you?"

"What—" she gasped but he returned to the Slytherin table. She spun to plop herself down on her bench again. "What did that mean?" she growled.

Marisa shrugged, an evil grin on her face. "I dunno, maybe that you two are actually sharing the Heads Dorm?"

She gasped. "I thought that was joke!"

Marisa snickered, and ignored her sister. "Oi, Boot, pass some of those chips down here, won't you?"

Terry Boot sneered at her in a way that was oddly reminiscent of Draco Malfoy, but passed the chips. "Yeah, and you're welcome, Benzene."

"Whatever," Marisa waved him off.

"He still has a thing for you?" Erin hissed, momentarily distracted by the look on their blond housemate's face.

"I don't know," Marisa shrugged. "Why would I care?

"That's awful, and I still want to know what I missed about the whole Heads Dorm thing."

"Don't you get it?" Marisa snickered again. "You and ferret have to share a bathroom. And a portrait hole. And a common room. And—"

"Yes, yes, alright, thank you," Erin stood up again as her plate cleared. "What am I supposed to do now? And can you move in with me please?"

"Absolutely not," Marisa refused.

"Please please please?" Erin begged.

This went back in forth for the entire trek to the Ravenclaw Tower with the First Years. "No, and go find McGonagall," Marisa finally said. "I'll come by later."

"Promise!"

"Yeah, sure, ok?"

Erin only had to retrace her steps a short distance before she ran into Malfoy and the Head Mistress.

She half-listened to McGonagall droning on about different rules and regulations, the rules of the Head's Dorm, and what she expected out of them this year. She made some veiled references to the war, patted Malfoy awkwardly on the back when she mentioned the loss of loved ones, and said that it would be up to the two of them to smooth over the still healing wounds that the final battle had left on many of the students.

And then all of a sudden she was gone, and Erin was left alone with Malfoy, who was staring at the portrait who was to guard their dorm. She shook herself to wake up a bit, and focused on the painting, which was of a young woman calmly reading a book. "You need to set the password," she remarked.

There was an awkward silence before Erin realized that something McGonagall had told them had struck her and she abruptly said, although she hated saying sorry when it was so generic and unhelpful, "Sorry, by the way, about, you know. . ."

There was another pause, and Erin was reminded of the occasions when Malfoy and her had talked seriously with each, when they had pretended that they didn't hate each other. She felt she owed him some sort of condolence for the sake of that weird aspect of their. . .enemyship.

"He always liked you, Benz," Malfoy said drily. "I'm sure he would have appreciated your heartfelt—"

"I wasn't crying," she flared, trying not to remember that day, and how she had seen Professor Snape's body and sort of. . .well, lost it. "I just wanted to tell you that you aren't the only one who will miss him, that's all. And that you should be proud, because he was. . .great. He was a really good and amazing person."

"Of course I know that, he wouldn't have been my godfather otherwise," Malfoy tossed out indifferently, but she could tell he appreciated what she had said. "Should we pick a password?"

"Name a subject," she demanded, quickly maneuvering away from what might have been another awkward silence or a shouting match.

He raised an eyebrow, but returned with the obvious response: "Potions."

"Name a letter," she demanded again.

He sighed, clearly humoring her. "A."

"Do you know any potions that start with—"

"Amortentia," he interrupted, a bit smugly.

The girl in the portrait nodded and smiled, but didn't look up from her book. "Welcome," she said, and the portrait swung open.

"What does it smell like to you?" she asked, even more abruptly this time, knowing that now she was just being obnoxious and realizing that living with Malfoy was going to make it a lot easier for her to annoy him.

"I'm not telling you that," he said flatly, stepping through the portrait hole.

"Fine, if you had some, what would you do with it?"

He was silent for a moment, and then said, quite confusingly, "I think I would drink it."

Erin made a face. "What? Why?"

He looked back at her, an infuriatingly smug look on his face. "I'd have to trick you into giving it to me, though, so that would be somewhat tiresome. Night, Benz."

She didn't have to smother her baffled expression, because he headed straight for his door and disappeared.

Having Malfoy following her around under the effects of a love potion would be the most annoying thing he could ever do, more annoying than anything even she could conjure up, so his thought process was sound there. However, she couldn't quite put her finger on it, but she felt like something was wrong.

She felt like their enemyship was changing, and she didn't know what he was playing at, but she was going to put an end to it.

As soon as possible.

A/N: My new favorite word is enemyship. Please review, I could use some encouragement and feedback!