A/N - Okay. I know it's been a ridiculous amount of time for just one chapter. I really am sorry. Turns out I fared worse from my car accident than anticipated and have been suffering from some really bad whiplash and headaches for quite some time now. Oh, and my car is completely totaled so I had to deal with that as well. Some other things have also arisen in my personal life concerning school and work and the like so I'm in a kind of transition phase of my life right now. Please bare with me for the time being. I have the next chapter written up thank goodness but am waiting on some feedback. Shouldn't be long. But you know how I am with the should's and shouldnt's. I'm also sorry this chapter is a bit short. I wanted to make it longer but chapter 4 composes what I was thinking about putting in this one and then more to connect it further into the story. Alright, I hope you aren't too mad or disappointed with me for the unreasonably long wait. Love always, laDuchesse

Disclaimer - I do not own any of the Harry Potter characters, locations within the books, or any other material originally produced by J. K. Rowling.

Chapter 3 - Meeting

"Ah Miss Granger," McGonagall begins in her heavy Scottish accent. "Welcome, welcome. It's so nice to see you dear. Have a seat if you would; we were just about to begin."

"Of course," I say after a moments pause then move to sit next to that silver-eyed serpent in the lush chair beside him, already wishing I were somewhere else. Preferably with a good distracting book, too.

Malfoy is incredibly still beside me but if McGonagall notices any discomfort in the air, she doesn't show it in the least.

"So!" she says. "I hope the two of you have had acceptable summers and are ready to finish out your last year here at Hogwarts. As I said in my letters, I wanted to welcome you two back personally and to also commend you on returning to finish your schooling as opposed to many other of your peers. Few realize the importance of a good education."

I chance a glance to my left and Malfoy is dead still and eyeing McGonagall seriously. I wonder what's going through his head…

"Because of everything terrible that has happened as of late, here within these walls I have decided to make an effort to change the atmosphere around the grounds and would like to propose a light-hearted informal dance. Trips to Hogsmeade are reinstated for the time being but I think something extra is in order. I would like the two of you to come up with a plan of action and a date for the informal dance to be held. Does this sound acceptable to the two of you?"

"I think that's a wonderful idea, professor. It will give the students something to look forward to." I declare and smile at the thought. The last Hogwarts dance I attended was the Yule Ball back in fourth year. It was all right but I certainly wouldn't mind another. Plus, I'm sure this would really cheer up Ginny.

"Mister Malfoy?" McGonagall probed.

Malfoy took a glance around the room before giving a dreary "fine" for an answer. It was a bit surprising that he didn't put up more of a fight; I had thought he might be opposed to a school dance.

"Excellent! I shall leave the details up to you two, but if you are to be needing any guidance or help, Professor Flitwick or myself will be more than happy to oblige. Any questions?"

I thought for a moment then remembered Ginny.

"Professor, would it be alright if the students from our year who didn't come back were allowed to attend the dance?"

McGonagall folded her hands on her desk and smiled with eyes crinkling under her spectacles.

"Yes Miss Granger, you may invite Mister Weasley and any others from your year may attend as dates as well."

My cheeks reddened and I muttered a quick thanks. I truly wasn't thinking about Ron when I asked the question, but rather Ginny and Harry. It's funny how people assume these types of things though. But it will be nice to be able to see Ron again; it's been hard having him and Harry leave me behind to go off into the world.

"Will that be all then Professor?" Malfoy spoke bringing me from my thoughts.

"Ah Mister Malfoy, yes, almost. There's just one more quick thing about your new dorm. As you have well noticed by now, the two of you are sharing one common room and kitchenette area. Naturally you have your individual bedchambers and lavatories but I expect the common room to be an area that you can divide amongst yourselves in a mature fashion. Now here is the thing; the doors to your private chambers can and should be locked at all times. The system works much the same as the one used with the portrait to get into the common room. You must only assign the password of your choice by speaking it to the lock on the inside of your rooms. From that point on, the door will only open from the outside when your password is spoken to it."

How clever! My mind instantly began racing with the thousands of choices for my own password.

"And as for everything else, I believe you both already have your list of Head's duties and should be making your rounds starting tonight. Now, I don't want to be rude but I do have other things to attend to so be off to class, the two of you, before you're late for your first day."

We stood and thanked McGonagall before heading out the wooden door of her office and down to the main halls of the school. On the way out from behind the large statue guarding the Headmaster's office I tuned around to face Malfoy. He had a hand shoved in his pocket again and in the other he held a textbook at his side. We paused for a moment as the statue turned into place before Malfoy glanced down at me. I was about to say something about our rounds tonight but as his silvery eyes caught mine, something told me to wait. He stared down at me for a long moment and just as I was noticing just how much taller he was, nearly a head higher, he sighed and turned to leave while saying "meet you tonight at the common room then, Granger" and was out of sight down the corridor before I had time to come up with a response.

It seemed kind of strange to me. I've never got alongMalfoy in any sense of the words before or have had more than snide back and forth comments with him, but at least for the past twenty-four hours or so, he seems to be acting differently. He seems more reserved and almost polite. Maybe it's just me, but I'm starting to wonder what's going on in that messy blond's head. I take a breath and settle myself for the day. Ahead of me lay my first class of Advanced Arithmancy and I was not about to miss it, not for the world.