AN: Thank you to all my new followers and everyone who is reading this. This story is helping with my depression so acknowledgement is awesome! Big shout out to my beta for doing this for me, and my alpha for putting up with me second guessing everything. On to the story! Read & Review!

King's Cross was busy as usual, there were families everywhere, adults headed to work, dressed in business suits and hurrying along. Excitedly, I ran through the station towards the platform. "Ron! Harry! Hurry up!" I called over my shoulder. Finally reaching the barrier that separated the muggle world from platform 9 ¾, I stopped and straightened my hair as best as I could and looked back to see my best friends leaning over their carts panting.

"Merlin, Mione!" breathed Ron. "What's the rush?" His face was red and he was clearly out of breath.

"Where'd you get all this energy?" Harry asked, running his fingers through his sweaty unruly hair.

"Sometimes I think you two are dense. I want to find out who the Head Boy is! You both know it has been bothering me for the past week!"

"And that alone justifies your marathon sprint through a station full of muggles pushing your trunk on a cart? With us back here struggling to keep up?" Ron said pointedly.

I blushed slightly. "Sorry guys." I gave them both a brief hug. "Now let's go." Looking around to make sure no one was watching me, I casually leaned up against the barrier and fell through to the other side. Another burst of energy and excitement came over me as I gazed upon the majestic, scarlet Hogwarts train. The boys came through the platform.

"Oh no Ron, there's that gleam in her eyes again." Harry moaned.

"At least this time we don't have a lot of distance to cover." Ron sighed.

"Honestly, don't you two call yourselves athletes? Being on the Quidditch team and all? Harry, you're the captain for Merlin's sake!"

"There's a big difference between riding a broom and running Mione," Ron explained exasperatedly.

"Well, we will just have to add cardio to our DA training," I said, waving them off and turning back towards the train. "Aren't you guys excited? We're going back to school. We're going back home! I can hardly wait to get to the library."

"THE LIBRARY!" came a collective groan as Seamus Finnigan and Lavender Brown came through onto the platform.

"Some things never change." One of them muttered.

I ignored them and pushed my cart to the lift so I could get it on the train. In a daze, I waved at people when they spoke but continued throughout the train to reach the Heads' compartment. Soon I reached it. Okay, Hermione. This is it. You've been dying to know who your right hand was going to be. Whoever it is, is on the other side of this door. Deep breaths…I opened the door and froze. I stood there staring at Malfoy's bare back. Apparently, he was changing shirts. I felt myself want to run my fingers up his back. I took out my wand and quickly muttered the incantations for me to turn into Ivory. I shortened my school girl skirt and took off my jacket that was hiding a rather tight grey tank top. Wordlessly, I did a confidence spell as I was trying to quietly close the door all the way behind me. The door got stuck on the track and made a loud noise. He swirled around abruptly, wand extended. Hands up, I stepped closer to him. "Someone told me I could find you in here," I said shyly. He lowered his wand and put it down on the seat. Nervous from his lack of response, I took another step closer. "Look, I'm sorry for running off yesterday." I stood right in front of him so I could look him in the face. Reaching for his hand, I looked up, putting on my best pouting look. "Do you forgive me?" Do not look at his chest, Hermione. Look at his face.

He sighed and brushed my hair out of my face. "Ivory…" he started and then he brought me close and pressed a soft kiss on my forehead. I could feel myself melting into him. He pulled away, "Of course I forgive you. Just don't make it a habit to run out on me okay?" He smiled and laughed lightly. I was amazed by that smile. Malfoy smiling? No smirk? Wow! "I'll let you slide this time but just know that nobody leaves a Malfoy standing there looking like a fool because Malfoy's are not fools."

"Yes, sir." I saluted him. Giggling and trying to hide my blushing cheeks, I look down at our joined hands. He had interlocked his fingers with mine. His pale, blemish free and unreasonably soft hand stood out against my tanned complexion, with an ink stain on the pad of my thumb.

"Hermione?" Harry called opening the compartment door. "Oh!" He said catching full sight of the situation.

"No Potter. Your mudblood friend is not here." Malfoy sneered. "And if you wouldn't mind could you remove yourself from my compartment I was rather caught up in a moment." I jerked my hand away from his and busted into tears. "Ivory, Belle, what's the matter?"

Furiously, I wiped away my tears. "How could you say that about m-her!" I ran from the compartment.

"Potter, I-"

"Save it, Malfoy." I could hear Harry say as he closed the door and ran after me. I fell to the floor at the end of the corridor. "Hermione, calm down. Shhh… calm down." He said gathering me in his arms and taking me into the nearest compartment. He sat down and cradled me against his chest. "It's okay. It'll be alright. But you gotta pull yourself together because you have to start your Head duties. The train's departing right now." He kissed me on my forehead. "Okay, Mione?" He pulled out the CosmoWitchly magazine and read the instructions for the charm I used to change my appearance and muttered the enchantment and soon I felt my hair lengthen and grow thicker. "Close your eyes." He instructed. I obeyed. He muttered that spell too. "Okay and now to get you into some Hermione clothes." He said another spell and my school robes were on. I opened my eyes and wiped away my tears. "Hermione, I know you're stronger than this. You know you can change Malfoy this year into someone decent. Just keep your head on straight and put up a strong front. Don't let him get to you, and use Ivory to your advantage. Clearly, he cares for her. Just slowly ease him into caring for you." He hugged me tightly. "Also, you need to make sure not to lose yourself. Don't let your feelings get in the way of things. Now go take care of what you need to do. I'll cover for Ivory."

I nodded and stood up off his lap. "Thanks, Harry!" I kissed him on his cheek and headed back towards the heads compartment. Cautiously I slipped in.

"Ivory look I-" Malfoy started as he looked up from where he was seated with his head in his hands. "Oh, it's just you." He put his head back down.

"What? No snide remarks Malfoy?" I sneered mimicking his own demeaning tone of voice. "Something troubling you to where even you, a Malfoy, can't be his usual arrogant self?" No response. "Look, I know what you did." I sat down across from him. "And as much as your petty insults don't affect me in the slightest, especially because you haven't said a thing new since we first started this ridiculous rivalry, it may faze Ivory. She's hurt that you could say that about anybody. Especially me because I'm basically her other half. Besides you two need to talk about her family before you just go spouting off at the mouth talking about mudbloods and any other name of that sort." I stood up and brushed on my robes. "Now, get dressed so we can take care of business." I left the compartment proud of myself. Step one in making Malfoy human…COMPLETE! He was actually distraught by the way "I" ran out on him this time. How sweet. I simply cannot wait for this meeting to be over so I can change back into Ivory. I skipped the rest of the way to the front of the train. Stepping into the communications box I pull out the microphone. "Sonorous," I said pointing at it and my throat with my wand. "ALL PREFECTS NEED TO REPORT TO THE HEADS' COMPARTMENT AT THE FRONT OF THE TRAIN, PLEASE! ALL PREFECTS TO THE HEADS' COMPARTMENT IMMEDIATELY. THANKS!" I muttered the counter-charm and skipped merrily back to the compartment. Seconds later the prefects filed in. One boy and one girl from each house. "Okay students, welcome to a new year. I am your Head Girl and Malfoy here is the Head Boy." I glanced over at him. He stood beside me, head slightly down. He looked deep in thought. "Malfoy, do you have anything to say before we begin?" He shook his head. "Okay, so I know you guys are expecting this long elaborate speech from me right now but surprise! I only have a few words to say and then you can go back to your friends." The look of surprise on everyone's face was priceless. "Okay, so basically all I have to say is abide by the rules you are now role models so there's no more recklessness allowed. At least not to where you can get caught." They all laughed. "If you have a problem with a student you are allowed to give them a detention but it is up to the Head of the House to define exactly what that detention shall be and you are not allowed to take away house points so don't even try it. The first official meeting will be on the first of the month, you will be receiving letters explaining the exact whereabouts." I paused. "Oh yeah and help direct the students where they need to go when we reach Hogwarts. Be nice to the first years. Have fun! Goodbye." And with that I dismissed them.

"Granger?"

"Yes, Malfoy?" I turned to look at him. He had returned to his previous position with his head back in his hands.

"Do you think you can send Ivory back here to me to talk?"

Is he asking me a favor? "Malfoy if I wasn't in such a good mood I'd tell you to go find her yourself but since I see you're already suffering… I guess I can do this small favor for you." With that, I swept from the compartment and dashed through the corridor to Harry's compartment. I opened the door to find him and Ginny in a serious lip lock. I cleared my throat. They jumped apart. "I need to be Ivory again. Right now. Malfoy is upset that he made her cry and apparently wants to apologize."

"Malfoy apologize?" Harry said incredulously. "Isn't that against one of the sacred Malfoy bylaws?"

Ginny slapped his arm. "Oh, shut up you! Come here, Hermione." She quickly did my make up to where it looked like I had been crying. "Change your hair." I changed my hair to the blonde pixie cut. She tousled it to look messy like I had been leaning onto someone shoulder or laying on a pillow. "And your clothes." I simply took off my school robes. She wrinkled my shirt. "There, you're set. You look like you've been crying this entire time." She handed me the mirror.

I looked at myself. Everything was right except-"My eyes!" I quickly changed them to Ivory's aquamarine color and made them bloodshot. I glanced back into the mirror. My face was all splotchy and my mascara was running. My hair on the right side was flat. "Perfect. I'll be right back. Thank you!" I quickly hugged them both and walked slowly head down to the Heads' compartment. I felt a couple people look at me as if trying to figure out who I was.

Finally, I reached the Heads' compartment and slowly pushed opened the door. Malfoy was still in that forlorn position. I sniffed and wiped at my face in hopes of smearing my makeup a little more. He looked up instantly. "Ivory!" He came towards me.

I put my hand out. "Don't touch me." He stopped. "Hermione said you had something to say, so talk." I stood there with my arms around my middle.

"I'm so… Ivory, I didn't mean to. I-" He paused and took a deep breath. "I'm sorry!"

I sat down on the bench and looked at him. He was actually apologizing. "I don't know what to say. I mean, I can't be around someone who thinks like that or talks that way." I pulled on my hair at the nape of my neck. "It's a terrible word."

He came over and sat beside me. "I know. I'll try not to say it again."

I huffed. "Don't make promises you can't keep. I know all about your family. But by calling Hermione that you insulted me as well. I mean you don't even know what my last name is." He looked up. "It's Radcliffe. Ivory Radcliffe." I had some cousins with that last name.

"I've never heard of any Radcliffes." He said looking at me with a confused look on his face.

"Which means…?"

"You are Muggle-born!" He paused. "Oh, Merlin! Ivory I'm sorry!" He reached for my hands and I pulled them back. "I didn't know!"

I raised my eyebrows. "You don't care?"

"Of course not. I like you. You intrigue me. There's no way I'm going to let you go because of your blood. Besides, that's just a silly belief that my father had embedded in me. I really don't care. I just act like it because I know if I don't someone will say something to my father or to me about it and I'll have to show them exactly what makes me a Malfoy."

I rolled my eyes. "And what exactly is that, Mr. Malfoy?"

He pulled back and handed me a bouquet of enchanted roses from behind his back. "Being able to do things like this." I looked at the roses. They glistened and the water droplets that were on them kept flowing through the perfect feather thin petals yet not one drop hit the ground. "Oh, Draco, these are amazing!" I hugged him excitedly. "I've got to go show Harry!" I turned to leave. "We're almost to school, right?" He nodded. "You know this is my first year at Hogwarts, right?" He nodded again. "Okay well, I'll see you at the castle. Hey, you know what you and Hermione should have as your password?"

"No sweetheart, what should it be?"

"New Beginnings." And I left.

I sat there in a daze after she left. Was I really considering being with a mudblood? I guess so since I just fumbled all over myself to apologize to one. My father was going to kill me when he found out. If he found out. I smirked, maybe I can get everyone in Slytherin to keep their mouths shut. The only person I should really have a problem with is Pansy. She is not going to like this at all. I leaned back in my seat and relaxed. It could be nice to just be me this year. Sure, the war is still going on, and everyone is going to be freaked out by the change. Also, there was the huge annoyance named Voldemort. I ran my hand over my face and took a deep breath. "If I'm going to die anyway, might as well die being true to myself," I whispered out loud.

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