Author's Note: Hello again peeps! Sorry for leaving you sorta like in the lurch with A Different You, A Different Me. Well this is the much awaited/anticipated (I think) sequel to that first Hermione/Draco fic of mine. Let me just take this opportunity to say thanks to all those who reviewed my first HG/DM fic--it really meant a lot to me. BTW, for all those first-time readers/reviewers, for a much better understanding as to what the hell's going on in this fic, I suggest you read the first part of it so you won't get lost, alright?

Disclaimer: I can't believe I have to go through this every time!

Summary: Draco & Hermione were suppose to start their 7th year at Hogwarts as a couple, but due to a misunderstanding the previous year that dream soon crumbled and now they are to start their 7th year picking up the pieces of their tattered lives...

Setting: 7th Year

~*~*~*~*~

I. First Day Back

Hermione met up with Harry, Ron, and Ginny at Platform 9 and 3/4 at exactly 11:00am on the morning of September the first. This would be her final year at Hogwarts and she was relieved. Only ten more months to go and then she was free off him. She would go elsewhere to work and never stay in London. She could live in France and work for one of the Ministry of Magic's offices there. She would go anywhere just to be away from here--and him.

"Hello Hermione." Ginny greeted cheerily, taking her place beside her closest friend. "How was your summer?" she asked as she led Hermione towards the red steamroller train.

"My summer was fine, Gin. How about yours?" Hermione managed to sound enthusiastic for the sake of keeping up appearances, but deep down inside she wasn't feeling the usual glee that washed over her every time the beginning of the school year at Hogwarts approached.

"Oh, it was swell. My brothers--and Harry--kept on bugging me a lot. I really wished you were there so that I have someone to help me bug them back." she sighed as she lugged her luggage into the luggage compartment next to Hermione's equally big luggage.

"I'm really sorry for not being able to make it this year." Hermione apologized wholeheartedly, "But did you get the owls I sent you while I was in France visiting my relatives?"

"Yeah. And I envied you basking on the beaches in the south of France!" Ginny sighed and leaned against the side of the giant train for a while, "I'd rather be basking underneath the sun with you than be stuck at home with all those rambunctious boys!" she replied irately.

Hermione smiled at her friend and let out a heavy sigh. She watched Ginny with all her innocence showing on her face. She used to be like her not too long ago. She was as innocent and naive as Ginny Weasley was...until that night almost night months ago when everything changed in her life.

~*~

Draco was dreading his return to Hogwarts for his seventh and final year. He knew as soon as he graduated from school that his father already mapped out the rest of his life for him, something Draco wished she had any say in, but knowing Lucius, he'd have full rein of the direction Draco's life will take.

"I'm glad you finally knocked some sense into that thick head of yours, lad." Lucius bit out as soon as Draco returned home for the summer holidays. "Finally we can continue with your impending betrothal." he announced casually, making Draco gag at this newsflash.

"Betrothal?" he echoed.

"Yes." Lucius nodded his platinum blond head, "You are to marry one of the finest girl any Pureblood family should be proud of six months after you graduate."

"You can't be serious!" he exclaimed.

Lucius raised a questioning eyebrow at his son, "You question my integrity, lad?"

"Yes!"

His first stand against his father earned him a resounding slap from the man he has grown to hate so much.

Draco was quietly seated in the last cabin on the train when he was jolted back into reality when the door to his cabin opened and four pairs of surprised eyes looked at him. Draco's breath got caught in his throat when his gray eyes fastened on the brunette girl standing behind the two guys he had been butting heads with since his first year at Hogwarts.

"Let's go find another cabin. This one's already occupied." Hermione said and turned her back to the room.

"Everywhere else is full." Draco told her retreating back.

She stopped and her face came back to view, an eyebrow quirked as she looked at him, "We can always find people who'd love to share with us." she told him coldly.

"Why go through all the trouble of finding another cabin that will be able to accommodate you four when this one can fit you all well enough?" he questioned.

"Right now it can fit us, but what happens when your two goons shows up?" she questioned back.

"They're currently busy running after some poor, unsuspecting newbie. This cabin's free off Crabbe and Goyle for the rest of the trip." he gave a careless shrug and slouched against his seat, his arms crossed over his chest.

"C'mon Hermione, let's just share with Malfoy. Besides he's right. Everywhere else is full. We've checked all the cabins, remember?" Ginny reminded her friend.

"But--" Hermione didn't get the chance to object when Draco cut her off.

"I insist. And Weasley's right. It's a futile attempt if you try and squeeze in with other students."

Left with no other choice, Hermione gave in and entered the cabin with Ginny. Ron and Harry followed suit and seated themselves beside Draco, leaving the two girls with no other choice but to sit across from them. Ginny insisted that Hermione took the window seat--which incidentally was right across from Draco--while she sat near the door.

Silence and tensed atmosphere fired up inside the cabin shared by the four Gryffindor and one Slytherin. Ginny decided to catch up on some reading while Ron and Harry decided to pick up their conversation about the upcoming Quidditch season where they left off. Hermione, on the other hand, sulked deeper into her seat, arms crossed over her chest, and looked outside the window at the passing scenery. She didn't want to read anything nor does she want to join Harry and Ron talk about Quidditch. She'd rather let her mind wander off thinking of the upcoming year and her life after Hogwarts. She was busy thinking of what career at the Ministry she should take when Draco's voice broke into her quiet reverie.

"How was your summer?" he asked pleasantly, surprising the other three occupant of the cabin when they heard him spoke.

Ginny put down the book she was reading and stared at Draco while Harry and Ron's gaze traveled back and forth between Draco and Hermione--the person he obviously asked the question to.

"It was alright." was Hermione's curt reply.

"Did you go to France to visit your relatives?"

"Yes."

"How was it?"

"Why are you asking?" she snapped, tearing her gaze from the window and met his. "What do you care what I did this summer anyway?"

Draco raised an eyebrow but kept his cool. "I was just merely starting a conversation. But if you're not up to chatting that's fine with me. You just looked bored and I thought might as well talk to you since your three other friends are currently busy doing something else."

"Why don't you just mind your own business, Malfoy?" she snapped irately.

"Whoa! No need to bite my head off, Granger." he snarled, glaring at her.

They engaged on another one of their famous glare-fest for almost five minutes before Ginny decided that enough was enough and occupied Hermione's attention. Meanwhile Draco remained seated where he was and watched the girl who has put his life through hell for the past nine months.

So this was how she wanted it to be. Fine. She wanted to be enemies with him, then her enemy he shall be.

~*~*~*~*~

to be continued...

A/N: ALRIGHT! My first chapter for the sequel to A Different You, A Different Me is finally up. I am true to my words. Besides, I'm so pumped-up writing this fic right now that I don't want to torment my loyal readers/reviewers by not keeping my word. This first chapter kinda sucked (I know, I know, I always say that about every other chapter of my story), but I'm just setting-up the pace for what is yet to come between our star-crossed lovers. As usual I would so very much love to hear/read your reviews so keep 'em coming...