Love and Hate: A Dramione

queenofhogwartss

INDEX
Prologue Chapter 21
Chapter 1 Chapter 22
Chapter 2 Chapter 23
Chapter 3 Chapter 24
Chapter 4 Chapter 25
Chapter 5 Chapter 26
Chapter 6 Chapter 27
Chapter 7 Chapter 28
Chapter 8 Chapter 29
Chapter 9 Chapter 30
Chapter 10 Chapter 31
Chapter 11 Chapter 32
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20

Prologue
In an elegant but cold room somewhere in England Draco Malfoy slept blissfully when he
was suddenly awakened by a hand clamped over his mouth.
"Sshh," the delicate face of his mother leaned over him. "It's just me."
"What's happened?" Draco was instantly alert and wide awake.
Narcissa's face became sorrowful. "I'm afraid what we've been dreading is here."
Draco didn't need an explanation for his mother's expression and scowled as he started to
think of the consequences.
"I'm leaving it all up to you now," Narcissa said pulling his attention back on her.
"You have to promise me you will do everything you can Draco," Narcissa pleaded looking
into his eyes. "Whatever happens, Lucius can never know - no one can ever know."
"Of course Mother, you have my word."
Narcissa gave him a sad smile. "I know I can count on you. Now rest, for tomorrow,
everything changes." With that she silently left the room.
Chapter 1
Toot!
Steam billowed around the scarlet train as the horn blew, letting students know it was time to
board. To Hermione Granger, it was one of the most beautiful sounds in the world.
"Goodbye Mum! Goodbye Dad!" she called as she gave her parents a final wave. With a
contented sigh and a big grin on her face, Hermione turned around to board the train. As she
tried to heave her trunk onboard, a pair of arms appeared to help her from behind.
"Thank – Ron!" Hermione's smile grew even wider when she turned around and realized who
had helped her. She immediately enveloped Ron in a big hug.
"It's (grunt) great to see you too Hermione but would you mind putting your hands back on
the trunk and helping me? I think it broke my arm when you let go," Ron said wincing
although he had a big grin on his face.
"Oh! Sorry," Hermione said helping Ron load the trunk. "Are you alright?"
"I think I'll live," Ron said grinning.

"Where's Harry?"
"Ron!" Harry called walking towards them. "There you are!"
"Hi Hermione," Harry greeted giving Hermione a hug. "Can you believe this guy? He's in so
much of a hurry to see you that he left all the stuff with me!"
"We're not at school yet Ron," Harry continued. "Just because you're a prefect –"
A squeal interrupted him. "You got a badge too!" Hermione exclaimed. "Congratulations!"
she said giving Ron another hug.
"It's great to finally have some good news for a change. You should've seen his face when he
got the letter. He couldn't speak for a week! Of course, we were shocked too. Fred and
George actually fainted," Harry said grinning. "Of course, we expected you to get a badge.
We didn't even doubt it for a second. It was a given you'd be a prefect."
Hermione didn't really know what to say to that. Luckily, another blast from the train's horn
saved her from having to reply. The three friends found a compartment and sat down. Once
they had some privacy the mood subtly shifted.
"How are you holding up Harry?" Hermione asked.
"Well, you know, I try. If I learned anything from last year, it's that moping around doesn't
help anyone. He wouldn't want me to do that either. I was quite angsty last year huh?" Harry
asked with a sad smile. "Maybe if I wasn't so..." he trailed off. His friends were afraid that he
would start blaming himself again, but he seemed to remember his new resolution. "The
Burrow is definitely better than the Dursley's," Harry said brightening his tone. "I'm really
glad Dumbledore let me stay there for the whole summer."
"Mum was really glad too," Ron added. "She knows how awful Harry's relatives are. Well, at
least she was glad for the first part of the summer. I'm not so sure about the second half," Ron
snickered. That broke the melancholy spell.
Hermione was about to ask why when Ginny entered the compartment.
"I've been looking all over for you! Hi Hermione," Ginny greeted giving Hermione a hug.
Surprisingly Ron got up from his seat beside Harry and went to sit next to Hermione. Again,
Hermione was about to ask him what was going on when she noticed Harry grab Ginny's
hand once she sat down. Ginny, on her part, had the biggest grin on her blushing face.
"Oh!" comprehension dawned on Hermione. "It's about time!"

Everyone laughed.
"I'm so happy for both of you," Hermione continued.
"I'm not," Ron said. "The summer was awful Hermione. First, Harry was jittery all the time
trying to pluck up the courage to talk to Ginny. Then when they finally did get together, I
hardly ever saw either of them. When I did see them, I would wish I didn't because they were
so mushy! Blegh!"
"Oh Ron," Hermione said laughing. "So from Ron's comment earlier, I take it your mum isn't
"Mum doesn't actually mind it much," Ginny answered. "They're actually both quite happy
that it was Harry. But you know, there's still the whole parents-not-being-happy-their-
daughter-is-dating thing. My other brothers already like Harry so they were cool with it too."
"Ron actually doesn't mind that much either," Harry added chuckling.
"Yeah, well better you than some strange bloke," Ron shot back.
The four friends continued to laugh and talk about their summers and the upcoming year.
An hour later, an announcement was made telling all prefects to come to the front of the train
for a meeting.
"Well, I guess that's us," Hermione said getting up and putting on her school robe and badge.
Ron and Hermione proceeded to walk to the front of the train. Upon entering they saw that
the other prefects were already inside: Hannah Abbott and Ernie Macmillan from Hufflepuff,
Padma Patil and Anthony Goldstein for Ravenclaw, and much to the Gryffindors' dismay,
Pansy Parkinson and Draco Malfoy for Slytherin. Pansy was leaning over Draco and stroking
his arm – to Draco's obvious disgust – when Ron and Hermione walked in.
"Oh surprise, surprise the Mudblood was made prefect. I am actually surprised they picked
you Weasel," Pansy greeted the two disdainfully. "I didn't know you had enough brains to
make sure the badge didn't stab you when you put it on. You know the quality of the school is
declining when they start giving privileged positions to those who are so obviously inferior.
Isn't that right Draco?"
Draco simply sneered at them.
At that moment, the Head Boy and Girl entered the compartment.
"If you don't know us already, I'm Eddie Carmichael and this is Katie Bell. We're the Heads
this year and we're looking forward to working with all of you."
The meeting went on as introductions were made, patrol schedules were distributed and rules
were explained. About an hour later, the meeting ended and Ron and Hermione made their
way back to their compartment.
"Hermione, can you hold on for a sec?" Ron asked pausing in front of an empty
compartment.
"Yes?"
"Umm, I'm not sure about this part of the patrol schedule. Can you go over it again? We can
talk in here," Ron pointed to the compartment beside him. "I'm sure Harry and Ginny
wouldn't want to be bored with prefect stuff."
"Sure. Which part?" Hermione asked sitting down. She looked up at Ron who was still
standing and was oddly the colour of a ripe tomato.
"This one," he said, handing her the paper and pointing to a corner.
"World gout wime?" Hermione asked confusedly trying to read Ron's untidy scrawl.
Ron turned even redder if it was at all possible – he now looked like a radioactive ripe
tomato.
"Would you go out with me?" he mumbled.
Hermione was taken aback. She wasn't quite expecting that. Alright, on some level she did
expect it but she just didn't know it would be now. Her first thought was to say no. Her
feelings for Ron weren't as strong as his was for her. It felt like saying yes would be a
betrayal but she did make a promise. Maybe it's time for her to move on. Who better than
Ron?
"Hermione?" Ron asked, breaking her out of her reverie.
"Yes," Hermione answered smiling. "I'd love to."
Chapter 2
The first 2 weeks of school flew by as Hermione settled herself once again into the routine.
Because they were taking their OWLS this year, the workload was heavier from the start.
Everyone had, of course, already heard the news that Ron and Hermione were a couple. Most
reactions, including Harry and Ginny's, were similar to Hermione's "It's about time"
comment.
Hermione on her part was content with how things were turning out. There were definitely no
fireworks present in their relationship, but she felt right with Ron. She supposed that because
so much drama always surrounded Harry, she and Ron really only had each other to rely on
to pull Harry, and both of them, out of whatever crisis they were in. They pretty much bonded
over being Harry's support system and Hermione found that she was very comfortable with
Ron.
I suppose this is how it's meant to be. Hermione sighed.
Ron, on the other hand, was just happy that when people started to talk about Harry and
Ginny's new relationship, they talked about him and Hermione as a new couple too. Oh, he
liked Hermione too of course. After all, she was the smartest witch of her generation and all
that and everyone always said they were perfect for each other. Who was he to argue with
that?
During Hogsmeade weekends, Ron and Hermione, and Harry and Ginny, went out on double
dates. They walked around all the shops and went to Madame Puddifoot's for lunch. It was
quite fun and it seemed just like when the 4 friends would hang out with each other except
now they were paired off and they chose a more "romantic" place to eat than the usually
crowded Three Broomsticks. Hermione was happy to see Harry smile again and allow
himself to have fun. Ginny was definitely good for him. Her relationship with Ron was also
improving. Now that Harry had Ginny, they were able to focus on themselves and Hermione
learned more about Ron than she did before. She found herself liking Ron more each day.
Because of the heavy workload they were not able to go out on dates aside from the
Hogsmeade trips but to give him some credit, Ron set up what Hermione liked to call "mini-
dates", especially when classes started to become stressful. Sure, all they did was study but
Ron always found a spot in a quiet corner of the library where they could be alone. Ron was
also the perfect gentleman – he carried her books for her and held her hand when they walked
down the halls and went on patrols together.
Don't think for a second that a new romance distracted Hermione from her studies. This is,
after all, Hermione Granger we're talking about. She simply added her relationship with Ron
to her pile and integrated it to her scheduled life as easily as a new school project. Hermione's
grades were as high as ever, teachers congratulated her, students admired her, and her mood
was as bright as could be. All in all, Hermione's life could not have been better.

oOoOoOo
Draco Malfoy, however, was a different story. The day after his mother visited him that
fateful summer night, he woke up to a very different manor than he had slept in the night
before. The already cold manor was somehow colder, even the roaring fire in the fireplace of
his room couldn't warm him inside. The mood was definitely different too – more darkness
and dread than usual hung in the air.
"Master Draco," a house elf apparated in front of his bed. "Master Lucius requests your
presence at breakfast as soon as possible. He said to dress formally for a guest." The house elf
shuddered at mentioning the word "guest".
"Who is the guest Tibby?" Draco asked although he already knew the answer.
"Tibby is not allowed to say sir. My deepest apologies," Tibby bowed and disappeared with a
pop.
Some time later, Draco made his way to the breakfast room of the manor. He really would've
liked to stall some more but he knew that he couldn't delay any more without further angering
his father and that he couldn't leave his mother alone with the new arrival.
"Good morning Draco," Lucius greeted when his son walked in. "I have great news. The
Dark Lord has decided to give us the honor of hosting the new headquarters here in the
manor."
At this point Draco's eyes were drawn to a cloaked figure sitting at the head of the table.
Voldemort turned to Draco and his slit-like red eyes seemed to penetrate down to Draco's
soul when he said, "Good morning, Young Malfoy".
The feeling Draco got with such a seemingly benign greeting made him want to run but he
knew he had to stand his ground. "Good morning my lord," he bowed. "Mother, father," he
nodded to his parents and sat down.
"So Draco, I was just telling the Dark Lord how much you were looking forward to joining
his ranks," Lucius said conversationally as he reached for a piece of toast.
"Yes, I see such potential in you. You could even be greater than your father."
Lucius cringed. "Yes," he said after clearing his throat. "You would definitely be ready for
initiation upon graduation. Maybe even earlier – spies within the school would certainly
weaken the old coot." Both Lucius and Voldemort looked at Draco expectantly.
"Nothing would please me more my lord. I would be honoured to do whatever is needed to be
of service."
In the beginning, everything went smoothly enough. The manor became busier as more
people moved in, rooms were converted, and the dungeons were once again readied for use.
As long as he stayed out of people's way, Draco was able to do whatever he pleased for the
rest of the summer.
In September, he left for Hogwarts without much incident. His father reminded him to uphold
the Malfoy name and his mother coolly kissed him on the cheek at the train station.
The school year itself started normally, if not a bit better than usual. Crabbe and Goyle waited
for him in the train and of course, Pansy showed up moments later, much to his annoyance.
The fact that he was made prefect made the new year a bit better. For once, his father was
finally happy about something he did. The prefect status gave him more responsibilities
which he certainly didn't need, but at least it also provided him with an excuse should he be
caught while roaming the halls at night. Of course the badge also earned him some power and
respect. While people already stayed out of his way, because he is after all Draco Malfoy, he
liked the added insurance that the badge gave. The threat of losing house points and earning
detention certainly made people think twice about crossing him should something go amiss.
Draco, of course, would die first than slip up. In his situation, the smallest crack in his
carefully constructed façade could have deadly consequences.
Things started to unravel near the middle of September. Draco didn't quite realize how much
the workload would increase as a result of the upcoming OWLS. This, added to his prefect
duties, was starting to put a strain on Draco. A lot of students could've dealt with this. Draco
would certainly have been able to tackle this quite successfully. However, towards the middle
of September, the letters started to arrive.

Draco,
How are those grades doing? It would be beneficial to have you as Head Boy next year –
make sure you get extraordinary marks. I am NOT the only one asking you to do this. This is
not merely a request, it's an order.
LM

Draco,
I heard you've been made quidditch captain. Very good. Winning the House Cup and
bringing Potter down a notch could be useful. I will be keeping an eye on your team. Rest
assured, a substandard performance will be punished.
LM

Draco,
I haven't heard from you in a while. Please send me some news of your situation there at
school. Don't hesitate to ask for help in Potions.
Mother

Draco,
Parkinson has been noticing a lack of attention from you. An alliance between the two
families is essential to our status. I know that I will not be hearing any more complaints in
this matter.
LM
Needless to say, Draco's plate was overflowing. Between assignments, quidditch practices,
and his task, Draco barely had time to breathe. At the same time, he had to keep up
appearances by taking Pansy out on (painful) dates and making sure the Slytherins didn't
notice anything different. By the end of September, Draco's grades were starting to slip,
Slytherin had lost its first game – against Hufflepuff no less, and Draco was simply
exhausted. Letters from his father kept coming, ordering him to do better, including a Howler
for the Hufflepuff game. All in all, Draco's life could not have been worse.
Chapter 3
Hermione Granger could say, to the second, the exact moment her life was ruined.
The day in question started out innocently enough. In fact, the whole day was quite benign,
anticlimactic actually, if you think about it. Of course, it didn't really ruin anyone else's life
but hers so people could be biased. In any event, it was a clear, blustery September day –
another ordinary Wednesday in Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Like everyone
else Hermione ate breakfast at the Great Hall and like everyone else she headed for her first
class after – in her case it was Transfiguration with the Slytherins.
oOoOoOoOoOo
"Alright," McGonagall settled the class down. "Today we will be learning about-"
A student walked in, interrupting her introduction. Naturally the whole class looked at the
door and watched the student walk up to the professor. The student was female, tall, and
slender. Sunlight streaming in through the classroom windows emphasized some of the
highlights in her strawberry blonde hair as she moved toward the front with the grace of a
ballerina. She had a delicate, heart-shaped face and stunning blue eyes framed by extremely
long lashes. Everyone, of course, was curious about the new stranger but suffice it to say,
most of the boys were transfixed by her and some of the girls were already beginning to get
jealous.
"Can I help you, Ms...?" McGonagall asked her when she reached the front.
"Genevieve Harrington." She had a lilting, musical voice with a slight accent. "I apologize for
being late but Professor Dumbledore wanted to speak to me this morning as I arrived late last
night. He told me to talk to you and give you this." She handed over a note.
"Very well," McGonagall replied after finding the note satisfactory. "Welcome to Hogwarts
Ms. Harrington." She smiled at the young girl. "According to this note you were sorted into
Gryffindor. I am Professor McGonagall, Head of Gryffindor house and these," she motioned
to the class who were pretending not to listen. "Are your classmates."
"As I'm sure you've already heard," McGonagall addressed the class this time. "This is Ms.
Genevieve Harrington. She is obviously new here and I expect you to show her a proper
Hogwarts welcome." She turned to Genevieve. "At present we have Gryffindors and
Slytherins in this class." Turning to back to the class, McGonagall added, "Ms. Granger and
Mr. Weasley are the prefects for Gryffindor. I expect you both to help your new housemate
settle in." Some of the Slytherin boys looked disappointed at that. "You may sit over there
with Ms. Granger."
Genevieve accordingly took a seat next to Hermione and both girls exchanged smiles as
McGonagall resumed the lesson.
"I'm Hermione, by the way," Hermione said once class ended holding out her hand.
"Genevieve," the student answered accepting the hand. "Can you tell me where the Charms
classroom is?"
"Oh, I'm heading that way myself. I'll show you."
By this time Ron and Harry had joined them and introductions were once again exchanged.
"Ah, Harry Potter," Genevieve commented after Harry introduced himself. "I've heard about
you." She didn't make any further comments for which Harry was grateful.
"So where are you from Genevieve?" Hermione asked as they walked down the hallway.
"I came from Beauxbatons," she answered.
"That explains the French accent."
"I suppose so. Although I was born in St. Mungo's and grew up near Canterbury. We moved
to France when my father's business expanded. My mother is French and went to
Beauxbatons too so she had no problem letting me go there even though I was English and
naturally received a Hogwarts letter as well."
"Beauxbatons... So you must know Fleur Delacour," Ron said.
Harry and Hermione looked at him pointedly.
"Ah yes," Genevieve answered. "Fleur, Gabrielle, and I grew up together. Our mothers are
best friends. You," she turned to Harry with a smile. "Saved Gabrielle's life, among other
things. Gabby couldn't stop talking about you for months!" She laughed. "And you," she
turned to Ron. "Fleur said you helped too. She said she doesn't know where Gabby would be
without you."
Ron blushed.
"And of course, Hermione here managed to snag Viktor Krum, one of the wizarding world's
most eligible bachelors! Although, if girls knew how obsessed he was about quidditch, they
wouldn't even bother. He's a nice enough boy, quite sweet, but so obsessed about the game.
It's the only thing he ever thinks about! I suppose, that's what makes him the best."
"Did you go out with him?" asked Hermione out of curiosity as to how she came to know all
about Viktor.
"Goodness no," Genevieve laughed. "He's more like my brother. My father and his father
have been doing business for years. They always stayed at our place when his father had to
do business here." Genevieve grinned. "You should've seen the first time he tried the Wronski
Feint. His nose hadn't always been crooked you know."
Harry laughed and Ron looked on in amazement, hanging onto Genevieve's every word.
"I haven't heard from him in a while. He's always so busy with quidditch," Genevieve
continued. "Are you still going out with him Hermione?"
"No," Hermione blushed. "He just took me to the Yule Ball, we never really went out. We
still write to each other though.
That broke the spell. "You still write to Viktor Krum?!" Ron asked incredulously.
"Of course," Hermione answered nonchalantly. "You can't expect me to suddenly stop talking
to him just because he left the school."
"How come you never told me?" Ron asked turning red with jealousy.
"You never asked," Hermione said simply. "Besides, I didn't see you complaining when you
got the fully signed Bulgaria Team poster last Christmas." Harry and Genevieve laughed.
Luckily, both Hermione and Ron were spared from further embarrassment as they had
reached the Charms classroom.

oOoOoOoOoOo

As the weeks went by, Genevieve became better friends with the Golden Trio. In fact, "trio"
would not even be the right term to use anymore as the three friends were rarely seen without
the new addition. The more they got to know her the more the original trio liked her. She was
charming, nice, funny, and smart. Despite having changed schools Genevieve was keeping up
with the material quite well and soon she was discussing some of the harder material with
Hermione. Hermione was glad to finally have another girl to balance out the testosterone.
Ginny was a great friend but she was really more Harry's girlfriend and the fact that she was a
year younger prevented her and Hermione from having a lot in common. Genevieve was
exactly who Hermione wanted as a girlfriend: aside from their academic similarities,
Genevieve read as voraciously as Hermione did so they were able to discuss books as well
and Hermione was glad to find that Genevieve had the same opinions she did. Genevieve
even read Hogwarts: A History more times than Hermione which definitely put her in
Hermione's good books. Hermione was also happy that Harry and Ron had both lessened the
amount of questions they asked her since they now had Genevieve to help them with
schoolwork as well. However, that was where the similarities ended.
Unlike Hermione, who was friends with other people merely by association to Harry,
Genevieve quickly became one of the most popular girls in school. Her stunning beauty drew
the attention of the guys at school (and no, she wasn't part Veela) and while they were jealous
at first, her designer clothes and accessories, as well as her outgoing personality, made the
girls want to be her friend. Also, while Hermione was a muggleborn, Genevieve was a
pureblood, and unlike the Weasleys, the Harringtons belonged to the upper echelons of
wizarding society. It didn't take long for people to make the connection that her father was
George Harrington III of Firebolt fame. Her family had been making the best brooms for
centuries and her father obviously inherited the broom making gene when he invented the
Firebolt. To say that Ron's jaw dropped when he learned this little fact would be an
understatement. Some would later say that Ron was standing in the Astronomy Tower when
he found out and his jaw dropped so far that the Slytherins were quite shocked when they saw
the lower half of a mouth rush past them in the dungeons on its way to the Chamber of
Secrets deep below the school. Yes, Ron was beginning to develop quite the crush on Ms.
Harrington, but that's getting a bit ahead of ourselves.
Chapter 4
When Hermione arrived at the Entrance Hall, she was surprised to find it quiet and empty.
The huge clock struck 9.
I must've been outside longer than I thought.
With more urgency, she walked faster towards Gryffindor tower.
A few minutes later, as she neared the tower, she heard Ron's voice farther down the corridor
and around the corner.
"There's my Head Girl," came Ron's voice.
Hermione's heart lightened. He had waited for her, no doubt knowing she would be upset. He
was on her side and thought that she deserved the position. She still mattered to someone.
Hermione brightened a little bit. As long as she mattered to Ron, Harry, and the other people
she cared about, it didn't matter as much what other people think. Hermione quickened her
steps.
"I knew you would get it," Ron said, making Hermione stop in her tracks as she reached the
corner. "I think this is a bad idea though. What if someone sees us? Hermione's coming back
any minute. We should move somewhere else."
"Why does it matter?" Genevieve's voice was unmistakable. It made Hermione furious but
she was rooted to her spot in shock and she couldn't move even if she wanted to. "You said
you were going to dump her tomorrow anyway," Genevieve continued. "What was that you
said? Oh right, that you only went out with her because she was there but she's such a bore."
"It's such a turn on when you're malicious," Ron stated with a grin.
What a sick bastard, Hermione thought still rooted to the spot behind the corner. She could
now
"You're words not mine babe," purred Genevieve now walking up to Ron and in Hermione's
field of view.
"But Hermione's still my friend and I'd like to keep it that way. It wouldn't be good for my
reputation – or yours for that matter – if she or anyone else knew that we've been doing this
for a few weeks behind her back."
"You weren't so worried about that last night," Genevieve laughed lightly. "Or the night
before that." With that, she pressed Ron against the wall and put her lips to his.
Despite what he said, Ron didn't make a move to stop her and kissed the girl with equal
fervor. Hermione on her part was still in so much shock, all she could do was watch. Ron's
moans broke her out of her reverie causing her to gasp. Genevieve stilled and Ron looked up.
Hermione met his eyes for a brief second and ran down the corridor, with tears once again
blurring her eyes.
oOoOoOoOoOo

Without thinking, Hermione ran to the Astronomy Tower. She climbed the steps higher and
higher, with a million thoughts running through her head. She could see now that she had
been so blind. Ron had never liked her. He simply used her. Tired of being the third wheel
when Harry started going out with Ginny, Ron needed to find a girlfriend and had asked
Hermione because, as he so eloquently put it, "she was there". Ron had always been resentful
of the attention Harry received. Hermione was sure that Ron was also happy with the
attention he got once he went out with Hermione and had completed the picturesque scene
everyone had always predicted for the Trio. Now she could see why he never bothered to take
her out on real dates. She finally saw that he only held her hand in the corridor when there
were others present and that he did it to get attention. She saw, looking back, that his "mini
study dates" weren't a way for them to get time alone at all. It was merely his way of using
her to help him with his homework. Even their friendship was a sham. Wasn't he, after all, the
one who never liked her in the first place? He only helped save her from the troll in the
bathroom because Harry felt guilty and pulled him along. Since then, they had always clashed
– staying friends simply because they were both attached to Harry. She was so stupid! Of
course, that fact didn't come as a shock now. She was definitely stupid enough to not get the
Head Girl position after all she did. She thought her world had fallen apart earlier tonight?
She thought life couldn't get any worse. She was wrong. Now her world crashed and burned
right before her eyes. All had worked for, all she thought she had, rained down before her in a
fiery shower of sparks. Her last shred of hope – that she might still matter to someone no
matter what the rest of the wizarding world thought – was taken away from her. Ron
obviously couldn't care less if she never existed. Harry... Harry had Ginny now and he was
too burdened with his own demons to care about her insecurities and failures. And he
shouldn't. Why he should he care about someone who didn't belong in the world he was
trying to save? Besides, he was also (although not at the same level as Ron) captivated by
Genevieve and he had her to help him now. Genevieve Harrington. The girl who took
everything away from her in one fell swoop. She should've known better. Who was she to
compete with a Pureblood? Head Girl did mean "the best of the best" and she was nothing but
a Mudblood.
Hermione was so wrapped up in her thoughts that she didn't even notice that her legs had
carried her to the far wall of the tower. She now looked out into the night sky with tears
streaming down her face as she thought of the one person who saw something valuable in
her.
Her thoughts drifted back to that fateful summer between 3rd and 4th year.
Hermione went out for a walk after feeling particularly upset one morning. She decided to go
to the library and escape into a story. It was a nice, sunny day and Hermione instantly felt a
bit better as she walked inside her local library. She headed for the shelves and within
minutes she was lost in a different world.
Some time later she was pulled out of her reading when she felt someone approach and sit on
the couch across from her. Looking up she saw someone who looked vaguely familiar but she
couldn't place his face. The young man was, for lack of a better word, handsome. He had
brown hair, stunning grey eyes, and chiseled cheek bones. He was dressed in a blue polo shirt
with the collar up and jeans. Aside from his good looks, he was quite ordinary and Hermione
thought he looked Muggle. However, she knew that though she didn't exactly know who he
was, he wasn't an acquaintance from the muggle world. She watched him read The Outsiders
trying to figure out who he was.
The boy must have felt her gaze because a few moments later, he looked up and smiled at
her. His smile made his face light up and made him even more handsome, if that was
possible. Hermione blushed at being caught staring.
"Hermione Granger, right?" The boy asked her still with a pleasant smile on his face.
"Um yes," Hermione confirmed shyly. "I'm sorry, but I don't seem to – "
"Cedric Diggory," he said offering her his hand. Hermione shook it. "It's alright. We've never
been properly introduced but I do know who you are." He laughed. "You'd have to be living
underneath a boulder not to know who you are." He lowered his voice. "I go to Hogwarts too.
I'm in Hufflepuff but two years ahead of you."
"Oh, now I remember," Hermione replied. While he was talking she realized that he was the
Cedric Diggory. The one every girl talked about in Hogwarts. Hermione thought he looked
like a nice enough boy when Lavender pointed him out and had heard only good things about
him. Of course, the other girls didn't care about his grades or personality, all they talked about
was how good of a kisser he must be. Obviously, Hermione didn't tell him this. She merely
added, "Yes, I've seen you around school a few times. I'm sorry for not recognizing you.
Everyone looks different in muggle clothing. Which reminds me, I don't remember seeing
you around here before. You're not muggleborn, are you?"
"No," Cedric replied. "I just needed a break from the wizarding world for a bit. Umm, it's
okay if you want to finish reading your book but I was thinking, the library isn't exactly the
best place to talk. Would you be interested in getting some ice cream with me?"
"Sure," Hermione replied glad to have some company.
They walked to an ice cream shop down the road. Hermione ordered Rocky Road ice cream
while Cedric ordered Espresso Flake. They walked to a nearby park and sat down on the
grass. At first they were both silent, enjoying the feel of the sun's rays on them. Surprisingly
it wasn't an awkward silence at all. Both felt that the other needed some time to simply be.
Hermione's curiosity however, soon got the better of her and she broke the silence.
"So, if you don't mind me asking, why exactly were you in a muggle library reading a muggle
book?"
Cedric leaned back on his arm. "Like I said, I just needed to get out. I've always been
fascinated by muggle books after reading one in my first year. One of my friends is
muggleborn and he lent it to me. Your authors have quite the imagination – some are
certainly better than the wizard books I've read. So whenever I need to escape or just relax, I
read muggle books. Since they aren't exactly freely available in our world I have to apparate
to a muggle library. It's nice to be able to apparate. Before, I had to walk or take the bus to
one which wasn't exactly convenient. However, I didn't know of any specific libraries so
when I went to apparate, I just thought 'muggle library' and for some reason it brought me to
yours." Cedric turned to Hermione. "Funny how that happened, huh?"

Chapter 5
Draco Malfoy should have been on top of the world. Everything was finally coming together.
Despite the setbacks he experienced in the beginning of the year, once he sat down and
scheduled things out, he found life almost do-able. Well, whatever he did, it must've worked
because he was chosen to be Head Boy. Yup, that's right – Head Boy.
Like everyone else, he heard Dumbledore's announcement at breakfast regarding the new
Heads. However, unlike Granger, whom he swore choked on her spoon in excitement, he met
the news with some apathy. Throughout the day, he wasn't entirely sure how he felt about the
upcoming news so he decided to put it out of his mind. The whole day went by as most days
did and if he looked back on it, Granger would probably be the only thing that would've stood
out in that day. Granger choking on said spoon, Granger's bushy head vibrating in class as
she tried to stay still, Granger's shoe turning blue, Granger's bushy head again, whacking
Weasley in the face as she rapidly turned her head when the final bell rang, and Granger
practically running out after Dumbledore after dinner.
The girl couldn't be subtle to save her life. Draco thought with a smirk.
He had gone to his room right after dinner, not wanting to squeeze in with the rest of the
students as they crowded around the Entrance Hall. His robes weren't worth getting wrinkled
for that. He was sure that someone would let him know who the "lucky" ones were and sure
enough, Blaise walked in a few minutes later to tell him that he had gotten the position.
Shock was the first thing he felt. On some level he did expect it but he never thought it would
actually happen. He was sure Scarhead would be Dumbledore's first choice.
I guess the Head Boy duties would've hampered his ability to save the world. Draco
snickered. Can you imagine if all Voldemort had to do to achieve world domination was
make Potter Head Boy?
In any event, Draco excused himself after Blaise delivered the news and went to grab his
broomstick. Once he was up in the air, Draco took a deep breath of the cool night air and
heaved a sigh. Flying always helped him clear his head. He loved flying and he desperately
needed it to sort out his feelings on the matter at hand.
If he was happy with becoming a prefect, he should have been ecstatic after seeing that poster
in the Entrance Hall. After all, it was one of the things his father wanted him to accomplish
and it did tell people that he was the best of the best. However, one, he didn't need another
thing to pile onto his already overloaded plate. Two, if he was being honest with himself, he
was scared shitless of what his father or the Dark Lord would make him do now that he held
such a high position in the school. And three, he wasn't sure why he had gotten it in the first
place. He knew he was the smartest guy in his year (he only came in second to Granger after
all, and even then, his grades were always pretty close to hers) and by all accounts, he
deserved getting the Head Boy position. What bothered him though, was the possibility that
his father – or worse Voldemort – had something to do with it. It's not that he would've given
it to someone else who might've deserved it if that was the case, he wasn't that noble. It's just
that, it would be nice to know for sure that he had gotten it on his own merit. Somehow, it
was hard to believe that Dumbledore would've really picked him on his own merit, seeing as
how he was evil and all that. And if, his father or the Dark Lord had anything to do with it,
well, see reason #2.
On his way out, Draco had stopped in the Entrance Hall to look at the list himself, just to
make sure Blaise wasn't kidding around. He confirmed that he had gotten it and he saw that
he would be working with the new girl, Genevieve, next year. He was honestly floored when
he saw that. He was more shocked than when he found out he had become Head Boy.
Normally, he couldn't care less about Granger but if anyone was going to be Head Girl, it was
her. He thought Divination was a load of bollocks but even someone as stupid as Trelawney
would've put their money on Granger becoming Head Girl. It was just as inevitable as a
Weasley having red hair and being poor forever – it was a fact of life!
Now, he was working with someone new. He didn't know how to feel about that either. He
obviously would rather Avada himself than choose to work with Granger but the rare times
that he entertained the thought of being Head Boy, he also mentally prepared himself for
having a difficult time working with Granger. Though it might all be insults and arguments,
at least with Granger he knew what to expect. Now he was working with Genevieve
Harrington. He remembered when she first arrived at Hogwarts and how all the girls wanted
to be her while all the guys wanted to have her. She was attractive, he'd give her that but he's
seen (and had) lots of attractive girls before and she wasn't all that special. What held his
attention was the fact that she looked vaguely familiar but he couldn't place her. It wasn't
until a few hours later after overhearing other students that he realized she was a Harrington.
Because the Harringtons were, of course, part of the wizarding upper class, they were invited
to all the Malfoy events. Draco realized that he must've seen her a few times in France when
his mother threw all those lavish parties. Aside from that, Draco didn't really know much
about the new Head Girl and he didn't like that one bit. Two of the things Draco hated the
most were surprises and being unprepared for them.
Draco was thinking about all of this while he was flying. The wind had considerably picked
up whipping Draco in the face and making the night even colder which is just how he liked it.
It had started to rain though so Draco decided to call it a night. He was flying back towards
the main doors when lightning flashed illuminating the school grounds. At that moment, he
saw someone fall out of the astronomy tower.
Not her. It was Draco's only thought as he sped toward the falling figure.
The figure approached the ground fast and Draco wasn't sure he would make it. He took a
dive and spurred his broom faster, determined to reach the person before they lay flattened on
the ground. Just when he thought it was too late, he was able to grab the person's collar and
yank them up on his broom. He quickly steered the broom back up higher into the air before
both of them crashed to the ground. The rain was coming down in torrents now. When they
were high enough, Draco let the broom hover as he panted to catch his breath and calm the
adrenaline pumping through him, the person he saved still slumped over his broom.

Chapter 6
Hermione Granger was finally at peace. She closed her eyes after jumping off the tower and
only thought of one face – Cedric. She felt the wind slice through her from below and the rain
pelting her from above but she didn't care. None of that mattered now. Soon, she would be
with him and that's all that mattered. Soon – she felt a violent tug on her collar and suddenly
she was thrown up and over what felt like a broom.
No! Cedric! Hermione thought. She felt the broom rise then hover. She was afraid to open her
eyes. She didn't want to open her eyes. This isn't happening. She should be dead. She should
be with him now.
Hermione heard someone panting – obviously whoever "saved" her. Only with Hermione
would curiosity get the better of her even just after a suicide attempt. She looked up just as
lightning flashed, illuminating shocking blonde hair.
Draco felt the weight shift on the broom and looked down at the same time.
"Malfoy?!"
"Granger?!"
In shock, Draco lost control of the broom and it started to drop fast. Instinct made Hermione
hold on tighter. A few moments after Draco stabilized the broom, Hermione broke the
silence.
"Why did you do it?" she asked as Draco moved the broom toward the school.
"Believe me Granger, if I had known it was you, I would've let you die."
"Why don't you just drop me then?" Malfoy always riled her up and despite the strenuous
circumstances, this time was no different. His answer made anger flood through Hermione
and for that brief moment, she was her old self again.
"I don't want to become a murderer just for you," Draco replied glaring fiercely at her. They
had reached the astronomy tower now.
"You mean you're not one already?" Hermione shot back before she could stop herself.
Draco roughly twisted the broom, unceremoniously dropping Hermione on the floor of the
tower, and quickly flew out into the night.
All her thoughts and emotions hit Hermione hard and she slumped against the cold wall and
sobbed in anguish.

Chapter 7

Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32