A/N: So this idea has been stuck inside my head for a LONG time now, and it needs out. So I'm making this! Hope you enjoy, and please review so I know if I should continue or not. Constructive criticism IS welcome, but please don't bash my story. :)

BTW; this is a DRAMIONE fanfiction. If you don't like it, don't read it.

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or anything remotely similar to Harry Potter. :(

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Hermione's POV:

"Pffffffhuh," I exaggerated angrily, watching as the curl that ever so stubbornly refused to stay in my ponytail fell into my face again. Ron chuckled at me, and I joined in on his laughter after turning a bit pink. I put my book aside for a second to get a better view of his smiling face. He reached a hand up, as if he were to push the curl behind my ear, but stopped halfway and chose to scratch his neck instead, looking at anything but me. My smile died, and out of the corner of my eye I saw Harry raising an eyebrow at me. I shook my head slowly, lips forming a tight smile.

It's been like this ever since the war, and more importantly, me and Ron's first kiss. The three of us still hang out as friends, and then there'll be times that I think I had a moment with Ronald, but then he'll completely ruin it and we'll be back to square one.

It's really frustrating. Why doesn't he just ask me out? I know we have chemistry together. As in the words of Ginny Weasley, "He just needs to buck up and admit his feelings for you, my bushy-haired buddy."

But enough of my relationship problems; it's not like they can get any worse. There are more important things to worry about. Like career choices. Ron and Harry are jumping straight into the Auror department, whereas I am going back to school to finish my last year at Hogwarts. The fame of being one of the 'Golden Trio' can only get you so far in life, and I want a full education to fall back on when job applications start popping up.

"Mione! Mione! Mione!" Ginny said enthusiastically, seemingly popping up out of nowhere and completely destroying the peace that had surrounded Harry, Ron and I.

"Ginny! Ginny! Ginny!" I countered, letting out a giggle when she rolled her eyes. The youngest Weasley walked over to us, sprawled on assorted pillows that decorated the floor, and in an instant Harry's arm had brought her down beside him. Ron's nose made the tiniest of scrunches.

"Guess. What," she said dramatically.

"What?" I asked, laying my book down neatly to prop my head up with my hands. When Ginevra Weasley wants your attention, it's best to drop what you're doing and comply. In her opinion it can wait.

"We're going shopping tomorrow- just the two of us, and I'm going to help pick you out a whole new wardrobe," she said this like it was the greatest idea to ever sprout in her mind.

I groaned and rolled over from my on my stomach to on my back. I kicked my legs in the air and covered my face with my hands.

"No!" I moaned, sounding very much like a two year old throwing a tantrum. "I don't want to!"

"You drama-queen," Harry said, hitting me lightly with a pillow.

"Oh, like you're any better, Mr. Chosen One!" I said playfully. He opened his mouth to retort, but I turned to Ginny before he had the chance. "And what in the world has possessed you to take me shopping?"

"Oh please, Mione. You've been in need of fashionable clothes since I met you. Trust me. You'll thank me in the end," she said knowingly. After nodding to herself, she added as an afterthought, "And besides, you said you needed some new school supplies, and so do I."

I let out a long breath. "Fine. But I'm not going to buy anything I'm not going to wear."

"Then I'll just have to make sure you wear the fan-tab-u-lous clothes I get you," Ginny suggested with a wink.

Oh joy.

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"How about this?" Ginny asked wearily, holding up a particularly short pair of baby blue satin dress robes. I scrunched my nose up.

"No thank you," I replied instantly.

"Aw, come on Mione! At least try something on," she whined.

I paused for a moment. "Be prepared to throw away your eyeballs," I huffed lamely after seeing no way out of this without pleasing her at least a little bit. She squealed and handed me the robes, and I snatched them out of her grasp, stomping away to a dressing room.

"Are you done yet?" Ginny asked not thirty seconds after I shut the door. The sad part was that I didn't know if she was kidding or not.

Women's clothing is very confusing. I couldn't differentiate the top from the bottom, and once I finally had the thing on I noticed the tag was on the wrong side, so I had to switch it around.

Once I had it on I stood there staring at myself for thirty seconds, contemplating whether or not I should come out. This dress very clearly broke my 'to the fingertips or more' rule by a longshot.

I stuck my head out of the changing room and in an instant Ginny had pulled me in front of a gallery of mirrors. She was ohhh-ing and aww-ing at how 'perfectly it complimented my skin tone.'

I fidgeted inside of the robes. "I don't know, Ginny. It's awfully showy," I complained.

"No it's not! The neckline shows no skin at all, and it's a long sleeve. The only skin showing is the skin on your hands, neck, face and gorgeous legs."

She slapped the back of my thigh for emphasis. I jumped, eyes growing wide as my face reddened.

"Ginny! Don't do that!" I scolded. She rolled her eyes.

"You need to be more appreciative to your body. You can't hide yourself away in rags forever!" she said loudly, and I had to beat away the urge to slap my hand over her mouth, the only reason being I knew she would lick me.

"Sometimes you can be really loud," I commented, staring into my own eyes inside the mirror.

"Sometimes you can be really self-conscious," she threw back at me. I turned so I could look into her eyes.

"But seriously Gin, where am I going to wear this if I buy it?" I asked tiredly. She really looked like she liked how I looked in it. And Ginny doesn't lie to her friends, even in her facial expressions.

She put a finger to her chin and tapped slowly. Then she started clapping abruptly, making me jump.

"What about that banquet the Ministry is holding a couple weeks before Hogwarts is back in session to say 'thanks' to the war veterans and raise money for the overall damage?" Ginny asked excitedly. I opened my mouth, but she continued anyway. "And don't even think about saying that you're not going, young lady, because I'm making you."

I rolled my eyes. "Alright, I'll buy it for the banquet. You're such a bother. I don't know how Harry can put up with you."

I watched as a sly smile crept onto her face. Uh-oh. This is never good.

"I make up for it in other ways...if you know what I mean," she said with a huge smile, wagging her eyebrows like a maniac.

My eyebrows, on the other hand, shot up to my hairline. "Ginevra Weasley! What if Ron heard you say that?"

"I would laugh."

It took one look from her - for once - straight face, and I burst out laughing myself. Ginny quickly joined me, and soon enough we were clutching each other for support. Madam Malkin's head appeared over the top of a clothing rack and glared at us.

I shook Ginny off. "We should probably get going," I said, walking to the dressing room.

"Probably," she agreed.

After we paid (me for the dress, three shirts and a really comfy pair of pants, Ginny for a pile of clothes that made her disappear when she picked it up) we decided to browse the rest of Diagon Alley.

My body immediately gravitated towards Flourish & Blotts, but Ginny pulled me roughly in the other direction, exclaiming, "Ooh! Madam Primpernelle's having a sale!"

So that was how I ended up pretending to browse make-up after I lost Ginny in the lip gloss section in Madam Primpernelle's Beautifying Potions. I should really get a leash for that girl.

"Is everything going OK?" asked a young witch with way too much product on, smacking her gum annoyingly.

"Yes, everything's-" Smack. "Just-" Smack. "Fine," I finished, flinching slightly when her gum seemed to become the loudest thing in the room.

"Are you sure?" Smack, smack, smack. Ugh!

"No, actually-" Smack. "I want five hundred of these-" I grabbed something random from the self and thrust it into her hands. Smack. Smack. "Can you check if it's in stock?"

She stared at me, every two seconds followed by a smack. "Ok." Smack. Smack.

Then she left. I waited to make sure she was really gone before making a beeline for the exit, but it was slightly difficult, seeing as Madam Primpernelle's shop was packed to breaking point with witches of all ages trying to get in on her sale.

Once I made it out of the shop I slumped against the wall and took large breaths with my eyes closed. I heard chuckling coming from beside me. My head tilted to the sound, and my eyes peaked open slowly, hoping my suspicions were wrong, but no; before me lay Draco Malfoy.

Technically speaking he was sitting on a bench, but whatever.

"What?" I asked more tiredly than menacing. My lips formed a frown. I can't seem weak in front of him. That would give him satisfaction. Yuck.

"You'd think that you would have the smarts to wait outside for Weasley, like I am for Pansy," he said with a smirk.

"It's not my fault Ginny dragged me in there," I said, spitting out the last word like it was Voldemort's name.

"Oh, I wasn't talking about the She-Weasel. I was talking about your boyfriend. Everyone knows who wears the pants in your relationship," Malfoy said, his smirk increasing.

"Sod off, Malfoy. I don't feel like quarreling with a two year old today," I huffed.

"But then why do you do it every day with your idiot tag-along boyfriend Weaselbee and the Boy-Who-Won't-Die?"

I hate that haughty smirk of his. "Ron isn't my boyfriend, and Harry is Gin's," I stated simply, overcome with the urge to correct him.

"Oh! Isn't that interesting," Malfoy said, inching forward on his seat with what I assume is excitement. "The only bloke ever to like you besides that furry quidditch player doesn't have the balls to do anything about it. Oh, the woes of a prudish bookworm!"

I scowled at him. "Like you've got anything better. Pansy isn't exactly the essence of etiquette, if you get my drift." I smirked.

He scoffed. "Nice try, but I'm not even dating her. She's just arm candy so Mother will stop hounding me with Pureblood brides."

I was confused by why he'd tell me this, but I smirked before saying my comeback all the same. "Then why don't you take one of them instead? You just agreed with me that Pansy is vile," I said smoothly.

He rolled his eyes. "It's not that easy. Don't go off trying to understand matters that are too complicated for your little Muggle-born brain," he spat.

"Whatever Malfoy; I can't find myself offended when you're using the same material from second year."

Just then Ginny stepped out of the shop, eight bags of product heavier.

"Mione!" she exclaimed, and then took one glance at Malfoy and scowled. "Ferret."

He just shrugged and stared at the shop window across from him. I had a feeling he was eavesdropping on us. I didn't care, as we weren't saying anything of importance anyhow. After much shuffling, Ginny forced one of her bags into my hands.

"Here, I got you some natural potions and hair products. I'm determined to get that nest controlled before the Hogwart's Train rolls in," she said, a very serious expression on her face.

I sighed and shoved it into my enchanted bag. "I don't see the point in wearing any if nothing is already 'natural,'" I retorted.

"Oh shush Hermione, you'll thank me later."

"Just like how I'm to 'thank you later' about dragging me to Diagon Alley? Speaking of which, the only reason I agreed was to get some school supplies. Shall we be going?" I asked, stepping off into the direction of Flourish & Blotts at last. Ginny pouted but followed me anyway.

"So what were you and Malfoy talking about," Ginny inquired.

I shrugged. "Nothing really, just bickering. Normal stuff," I said, breathing in the aroma of books as I took that first step inside.

"So he insulted you?" she asked stiffly. I put down the quill I was examining.

"Of course," I answered shortly.

"He call you the 'M' word?" she whispered softly. I stopped walking, my hand frozen on a book that I was running it over.

"No," I said just as softly. "He didn't."

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I was still wondering whether or not Malfoy just simply forgot to call me a Mudblood that day when the banquet came rolling around. I was really hoping Ron would ask me, but he opted to go in a group consisting of Neville, Seamus, Dean, and himself.

Brilliant plan that was. Bloody brilliant. So I was going alone.

When Ginny found out she apologized deeply, but assured me that when she was done gussying me up for the banquet, Ron wouldn't be able to take his eyes off me.

I stood staring at my reflection with Ginny at my shoulder. From the waist up I was elegant; the blue satin long sleeve did suit my tastes. It was very simple, save a tiny shimmer hidden inside when I moved. But then you looked down and saw my legs.

"You. Are. Gorgeous," was all Ginny could say. She had done my hair into something that could rival my hair from the Yule Ball. An elegant enchanted blue lily, and just the right size, was pinned into my up-do that had a few curls cascading down. I guess I looked alright. Better than normal.

"And those legs!" Ginny was saying when she wasn't telling me how gorgeous I was. I smiled to please her, clutching my beaded blue bag that I had charmed for the occasion against myself.

"Merlin I hate pumps," I muttered once Ginny left and I fell for the fifth time in my flat. I checked my watch. Five forty-three pm. It starts at six, but I'm assuming it's alright to be early.

I'll wait seven more minutes.

I wandered around my flat, trying to practice walking in these horrid shoes.

"Ah screw it!" I shouted to no one as I plumped down on my couch and magically transformed them from three inch to half an inch. I sighed when I stood up. So much better. Heels are too feminine anyway. It's just a Ministry banquet.

I left at exactly 5:50, and was greeted by a smiling Luna once I got over the sensation of apparition.

"Luna!" I greeted warmly.

"Hello Hermione," she answered back in her sing-song voice. "You look good."

"Thanks, and so do you," I told her, taking in her sunshine yellow dress with dancing deer-like creatures at the bottom. But it was really her matching hat that took the show.

She nodded her appreciation of my compliment and looked off into the distance. Typical Luna behavior.

"Hermione Granger!" I heard a familiar voice yell. Oh no! Please, please, please-

"Rita, what a pleasure," I said as Rita Skeeter approached me. My voice said the opposite of my words.

"What a stellar dress you're wearing! May I ask where it's from? And your views on the devastating mess the Minister has gotten himself into?" she asked in a rush, her self-writing quill already out of her bag. I smirked at her.

"Oh, but of course Rita. Right after I tell you all about my true feelings back in fourth year," I said with a gleam in my eye. Her face lit up.

"Yes, yes! Of course. So, tell me, did you and Potter really have a secret romance?" she asked with a knowing look.

I laughed. "No, no, not those type of feelings. I meant the other type," I said with a smirk. She narrowed her eyes at me.

"What other type?"

"Well, the type about beetles! What other type is there?" I said a bit too loudly. Her eyes grew wide, and her lips formed a straight line.

"One day Granger, one day…" she muttered, leaving at the sight of an unoccupied famous quidditch player to pester. I smirked at her retreating form.

"Luna, who else is here, do you know?" I asked.

"I saw Harry talking to Kingsley a while ago. They were quite outraged. I don't know why though. I think the Nargles got to them," Luna replied without moving.

"Oh. That's odd."

"Yes," she said, turning to me slowly with a twinkle in her eyes. "It is."

I half frowned at her half smile. I hope Harry hasn't gotten himself into trouble yet. The night is so young.

"'Ermione! 'Ow are you?" someone called to me. I turned to see Fleur and Bill coming towards me.

"Marvelous. And you?" I asked politely.

"I am good, thank you," she said, taking in my appearance. "'Ermione, you look beautiful."

I was stunned. Fleur actually looked like she meant it. "Thank you," I said sincerely.

She smiled genuinely at me, and I vaguely wondered why I ever hated her in the first place.

"Hermione," Luna said. I turned to her.

"Yes?"

"Harry's back. Would you like you like to go and talk to him?"

"Yes," I said brightly. "Let's go and say hello."

So with Luna at my side, I weaved through the tables to Harry.

Harry and Ginny greeted me with a stiff head nod. I frowned.

"What's wrong," I demanded.

Ginny blew out a frustrated breath and glanced at Harry, who had just taken a shot of Firewhiskey. I raised an eyebrow at them. Why the hell are they so angry so soon?

"Can't say apparently. 'You'll find out soon enough,' is the only thing that Harry will tell me. He wouldn't let me talk to Kingsley with him," Ginny pouted.

I sensed that Ginny was pissed, Harry was outraged, and no answers were going to come at the moment, so I went to go mingle, which in my terms means walking around until someone comes over to talk to me, or approaching a Gryffindor.

I almost groaned out loud when Lavender Brown waved me over. Scratch my earlier statement, any other Gryffindor. My immediate response was a look of fear, which I then had to mask with a smile. So that's what screwed up my chances of pretending I hadn't seen her, and was why I forced myself to keep my smile as I walked numbly over to her.

"Hello!" she said cheerfully. I saw her lip curl up a bit as she saw what I was wearing, but she pushed it down in no time.

"Hi Lavender…" I tried to say with enthusiasm. Least be known, I failed epically.

She didn't even flinch at my tone. "So how's everything going? You and Ron an item yet?"

She said the last sentence like how I greeted her.

"Um, no, I don't think so… It's complicated," I muttered and scratched my neck. Lavender's face shone with true happiness.

"Pity! Maybe it'll happen tonight," she said over-enthusiastically.

For some reason I had an inkling that we both had our own versions of 'it.'

I gave her a farewell smile and looked around, noticing that it was packed. I made my way through the tables, this time looking for the one with my name on the chair. I found my seat at the front with Harry, Ron and Ginny already there. Neville and some others were at a table next to ours. Harry was still acting as before, but Ginny just looked all out depressed.

"Welcome, welcome!" Kingsley's voice announced through his wand. "Would everyone please find their seats so we can get started?"

There was a murmur of agreement over the crowd and a bit of shuffling as everyone was settled. Harry glared at Kingsley as he took in a breath before he spoke.

"Perfect, now, this evening we will be having a three course meal, - " Ron's face lit up. I rolled my eyes. "- then there will be an auction where all proceeds will go to restoring the Wizarding World to its former glory." Kingsley suddenly became very weary. "And at the very end of the night I will be making an important announcement that will apply to everyone. Enjoy!"

A buzz filled the room as everyone began talking, whether or not it was about the announcement, everyone was talking. Well, everyone but our table. Ron seemed to be spacing out while Ginny and Harry were silent, as they have been - mostly - since I got here.

You know something's wrong if Ginevra Weasley has only said three sentences to you in the course of fifteen minutes.

I decided to entertain myself as we waited for the food to come. My eyes fell to the tables around us, and that's where I saw a group of Slytherins in the back. The blonde caught my eye, and I scowled immediately.

What the hell are they doing here? What the hell is he doing here?

I guess the rich will always have their advantages. Lousy rich people, barely working for anything in their lives. Sure some are nice, but the lot of them are rude and arrogant. A prime example of what could go wrong is Draco Malfoy, the spoilt little brat he is.

My glare ventured to his face on its own accord, and I didn't hesitate to strengthen it when his eyes met mine. He didn't glare back, like I thought he would. Instead he smirked at me playfully with a twinkle in his eye. My face blanched of its own accord, and he openly laughed at me from across the room.

I crossed my arms over my chest and turned my red face away from the table of Slytherins. Revenge is too immature for something as immature as this, but if, and I mean if I were to get revenge, I'd definitely do it later.

This room is too public for my liking.

The feast was spectacular. The cook must've been Italian because it was noodles after pasta and noodles and cheese and cheese and cheese. Not that I'm complaining, though. It was bloody delicious.

After the last plate was taken away - surprise, surprise, it was Ron's - the tables vanished and a band appeared. And like most bands do, they started to play music. At first I was hanging out with Harry, Ron and Ginny, but they were all still silent and/or sulky, so I decided to go and mingle again. I probably should've stayed where I was, but I was at risk of boredom killing me. Nasty little wanker boredom is, that one.

Walking around seemed to be even more boring than standing still. Now I had to think of things to say to boring people that couldn't take a hint. I would've left by now, but I'm strangely interested in what Kingsley has to say at the end of the night. But then McGonagall saved me.

"Miss Granger," she greeted.

I smiled brightly. "Hello Professor," I said.

"Congratulations on making Head Girl. You and Miss Quirke will do a great job this year. I trust that you will work together equally in your duties," McGonagall said in the stern but trusting way that only she can pull off. This year two Head Girls and two Head Boys were selected; one from each the returning 7th years and from the new seventh years.

"Yes, and I'm sure Anthony and Damian will help also," I said, remembering the Head Boy's names from the letter McGonagall sent me with only slight difficulty.

Our conversation soon turned boring, and I was sincerely disappointed. Can no one entertain me?

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A/N: Word count: 4,045.

So, what do you think? I promise it gets better. Nothing here should be taken seriously, I warn you. I'm writing this with my inner child in the driver's seat. Should I continue? I probably will anyway. If you don't like this one, check out my other story. That one's completed.

Until next time,

-GG222