Again, english isn't my first language so sorry in advance... :-)

Disclaimer: I do not own anything.

Minerva didn't have time to knock and the door opened. The room was full of people: all the prefects were there, the Head Boy, the Headmaster, professor Flitwick and professor Sprout. Professor Dumbledore motioned Hermione to sit down on the chair in front of his desk, next to Malfoy. She sat and turned her head to the left and caught Malfoy as he was staring at her with a strange look on his face. She wondered what was going through his mind.

The four prefects were scattered around the room and they were chatting with their Head of the houses. That is when she noticed that Snape was not present. She then realised that the last time that she saw him, he was dying by Nagini's bite. His injuries were so severe, that only a miracle could keep him alive. Or magic. Even though Harry and Ron needed her help, she wanted to stay and help him, to do something, but when she saw him die, she decided to call for help. That's when she sent her patronus to her Head of the House and hoped that it was not too late. Hermione found out later, when the war was over, that the woman had managed to save him somehow and he spent a couple of months at St. Mungo's before returning at Hogwarts.

The Headmaster cleared his throat, interrupting Hermione's thoughts, and all the eyes were fixed on him as he started talking. "My dear students and colleagues. I think you all know why I gathered you here today. As you well know, a new year is about to begin. The last one was a difficult one. We have suffered, we have fought, we all lost someone or something, but that only made us stronger and in the end, the light has won. Now, to return to our present, I think you already know your duty as prefects " at the last sentence, the prefects nodded slowly." As for the new Head Girl and Head Boy, please let me congratulate Miss Hermione Granger and Mr. Draco Malfoy. I hope that the two of you will be an example for the other students and you will try to extinguish the fire between your houses."

Hermione saw a sparkle in Dumbledore's eyes when he added: "May I count on you too, Minerva? Severus?". At that, Hermione turned her head and saw Snape standing in the doorway and she thought that he might roll his eyes at the Headmaster, but his expression remained unchanged. She rested her eyes on him. He looked the same. She wondered if she only dreamt that he almost died in the Shrieking Shack. She heard Minerva say something, but she was too busy staring at the man in the doorway to listen to what the others were talking. She blushed when he caught her eyes on him, and he scowled making her look away. She heard him pacing back and forth in the back of the office while the Headmaster was finishing his speech.

When everything was finally settled, the gathering was dismissed; the only people asked to remain were professor Snape and her Head of the House. The door closed behind the group of students and Hermione found herself standing by herself next to the gargoyle in front of Dumbledore's office. Everything was quiet around her. Outside it was almost dark and she narrowed her eyes to distinguish anything in front of her. She cast a spell to help her find her way back through the darkness and she started walking to her new quarters. Normally, Hermione wasn't afraid of the dark, but the place brought back so many bad memories from the fight, so many losses, so many tears, such darkness… now, for the first time, she wondered if she did the right thing by coming back to the castle. Everything had changed. She was changed. The War had changed her and she hoped that it changed her in a good way. She was distracted from her thoughts by a hand on her shoulder and she jumped back, almost knocking the other person down. When she turned with the wand at the level of her eyes, she was surprised to see the potions master. His hands were crossed under his chest and he had the same scowl on his face. He was certainly not happy. She immediately lowered her wand, her heart still beating like crazy after her shock.

"Did I scare the Gryffindor Princess?" he asked in a low voice with a small curve of his lips. Was he smiling? Hermione was in a loss for words and not only because of the fright. She had never seen him smile. She opened her mouth to say something, but nothing came out. Even though it was dark, he probably noticed her shock for he continued "It seems like I did scare the Gryffindor Princess." he snorted and then continued in his low voice, almost like a whisper. " Come, I will lead you to your quarters." With that, he started walking and Hermione had to run to catch him and then had to jog to keep up with him. When they were close to the portrait that led to Hermione's new rooms, he stopped and she almost bumped into him again. He turned to face her with a scowl on his face again and Hermione had to take a step back to hide from his frown. She opened her mouth to apologize for almost knocking him over again but still nothing came out of her mouth. That's when he broke the silence:" I trust you can find your way from here." and then he took off. Hermione was left there and she finally spoke "Thank you…", but he was already far away, only his footsteps could be heard from where she stand. She sighed and then went to whisper the password to the wizard in the portrait.

The Gryffindor walked in the common room and she was surprised by the sight. On the couch, in front of the fire, Malfoy was soundly asleep with a book on his chest. She had to admit. It was a cute sight and she fought the urge to go and see what he was reading. Instead, she took a book from the nearest shelf and threw it loudly on the table next to him, causing him to jump from the couch with a panicked look on his face.

"Oh, sorry, I didn't mean to wake you" she started innocently.

"I'm sure you didn't…" he responded after he took in his surroundings and figured out what happened.

Hermione noticed that he was hiding his book at his back and she once again wondered what it was that he was reading, so she simply asked: "What are you reading?"

He looked away, blushing slightly, and responded "Nothing, just something I borrowed from a friend of mine, it's none of your business."

At that, Hermione started getting angry. What was the matter with him? It was just a book. She decided to let it go and asked again "How come you returned to school?"

He thought for a second before answering "Father wanted me to finish my education and made me return to Hogwarts. He also said something family tradition…"

"So you didn't want to return to Hogwarts." She voiced her thoughts. He frowned.

"Not really, no."

"I really don't understand you, boys. What could be more important than education? I hate to say this but I actually agree with your father on that one…" she said as she paced back and forth in front of the Slytherin. He watched her with a worried look on his face. She looked like she was going to kill him.

He didn't want to talk about that anymore, afraid that he might say something that he will regret later and he tried to change the subject instead. "I see that your beloved friends haven't returned to school…" he pointed, hoping that she will let it go.

She shot him a quick look of disapproval before responding with a frown on her face "No, they had… other things to do…"

"I see… look, I didn't really have the opportunity to speak with them after the War, or to you, for that matter, but I really want you to know that I want to apologize for everything. I am really sorry for all the bad things I did and for all the… unkind words I addressed to you. I will try to make up for everything if you give me the chance. And I would like them to know that too."

The Gryfindor watched him in silence. She wasn't expecting that confession and she didn't know what to say. She wanted to believe him and let everything behind them, all the bad things and words, she wanted to forget them all, but it wasn't that easy. All those years, she never heard a good word from him and now she couldn't forgive him so fast. "Maybe in time" she thought and then started "I hope that what you say is true and you are truly sorry, but I can't just erase everything and I'm sure my friends can't either. I only hope that time will make it better."

He listened to her speech carefully and only nodded as she finished. She was obviously right, but he really wanted their forgiveness. He promised to himself that he would gain her trust and hopefully the others' as well. He would do anything to make it all go away. "I understand," he started "and I hope that this situation, the living together, isn't very tiresome for you…" he knew that it wasn't easy living with what she thought of him until almost a year back, the enemy. Actually, for all he knew, she was still considering him the enemy. He hoped that she didn't. Even though they were only sharing the common room, the situation could be considered irksome for others, him included. Being the only child in the family could have that effect on him.

"Well, I would be lying if I'd tell you that I enjoy this, but sharing a common room isn't so difficult. I think that everything will work out just fine. " she said as she let out a sigh.

"I think so too" he agreed. "I think so too..."