Disclaimer- I own nothing about this, and that goes for the entire book.

A/N - This book ignores the deaths of several characters and many important events in the last two books of the series. There is a surprising lack of concern about Voldemort here! Much more room for fluff. I think I'll write darker fanfiction later. For now, Dramione!

Chapter One - The Not-So-Great Start to a Dubiously Decent Year

It was the sort of day where the gray of the streets melded seamlessly into the gray of the sky - the type of day where you can only see a hundred feet into the dreary atmospheric haze before everything became an indistinguishable blur. At the King's Cross Station, however, two flashes could be seen, both coming from a teenage girl with unkempt, bushy brown hair and warm amber eyes. The first flash came as a gold glimmer, fastened onto her chocolate brown sweater, with the distinct engraving "Head Girl". The second flash came from her smile. It was a well known fact that at Hogwarts, School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Hermione Granger was top of her class. An exceptionally clever witch, this was the most coveted position Hermione could dream of.

"I'm fairly shocked you didn't get Head Boy, Harry," said Hermione. "Though I suppose Dumbledore can't risk showing favoritism like that-"

"Favoritism?" Ron Weasley exclaimed indignantly. "Harry's saved Hogwarts loads of time, hasn't he? That's a good enough reason to get Head Boy if you ask me!"

Harry Potter, the famous boy-who-lived, merely shrugged. "My grades could've stood to do better. And I haven't exactly adhered to the rules if you think about it."

"Well," said Ron, thinking on it more. "I suppose so. At least I'll only have to put up with one of you trying to dock me points for not tucking my shirt in, or some other rubbish." Hermione flushed red as in that moment, she had been surveying Ron's slapdash outfit with pursed lips.

"I'll bet you Head Boy is in Ravenclaw," chirped a light voice belonging to Ginny Weasley, who had just crossed the barrier into Platform Nine and Three Quarters.

"At least I'll be able to stand them, then," said Hermione, scrunching up her face in thought of a Slytherin Head Boy.

One after another, they climbed aboard the Hogwarts Express, hauling their heavy trunks in before them with groans. It was the first day of their seventh and final year at Hogwarts (excluding Ginny, who was a sixth year) and though excitement coursed through them, a part of their souls seemed align with the soggy weather. Hogwarts was like a home that one had to move away from sooner than one would've liked. It was for that reason Hermione vowed to soak up all the knowledge she could - and maybe get into a few harmless adventures with her two best friends by her side before adult life hit them like a plowing train. Separating momentarily from the two red heads and Harry, Hermione made her way back to the front of the Hogwarts Express where she would wait to meet the Head Boy and the school prefects. She suddenly felt a nervousness hit her through a wave of nausea - was she really cut out for such responsibility? No one had ever paid her any mind when she had previously tried to enforce the rules; thoughts of Slytherin first years sneering at her made her head ache.

Slytherins, thought Hermione, maybe I'll leave them to my probably-Ravenclaw counterpart.

Just then, the prefect compartment door slid open, and Hermione could see that that plan wasn't going to be an option. Looking down multiple times at the badge fastened to his inky black robes, Hermione's face could only truly summarize her feelings of horror. Draco Malfoy, in all his glory. His white-blond, pale skin, ice cold blue eyed glory.

He sneered at her, and for just a moment she considered ripping the badge off her own chest and handing it back to Dumbledore, apologizing for having to disappoint him. But she quickly regathered her resolve, and gazed levelly back at Malfoy.

"Dear God I thought Dumbledore was finally getting some taste when I received my badge," Malfoy shot. "But now I see the old fraud's just trying to torture me. I won't be working with you, Mudblood."

The words were biting, but Hermione had heard them one too many times to let them get to her. "Perfect. Turn in your badge and I'm sure Dumbledore will choose someone more deserving - obviously he wasn't wearing his glasses when he gave you a badge," Hermione scoffed. She was resolved. Fire was in her blood and this year, her last year of Hogwarts, was not going to be filled with jeers from the likes of Malfoy.

"Yeah, and let a Mudblood run the school? I think I'd rather die."

Both their eyes narrowed, staring daggers at each other, and momentarily they didn't realize the compartment was slowly filling with fifth and sixth year prefects - two to each house. Hermione drew her gaze away first, determined to take the reins of this meeting -

"Right, you lot, listen up," came Malfoy's voice before Hermione could even open her mouth. "If you're Slytherin or Ravenclaw, follow me. I'll be giving you your parol duties and thank goodness be getting away from this filth." His cold eyes flashed at Hermione and some of the prefects looked rather indignant.

"Listen here, Malfoy-" came Ginny's voice, as a Gryffindor prefect.

"That's not very nice at all, Draco-" said a dreamy voice that could only belong to Luna Lovegood.

"We're supposed to work together," Hermione groaned, though she would much rather work alone. The thought of something unruly happening on the train because of their lack of teamwork flitted through her mind; she could only imagine Dumbledore's disappointment.

It didn't matter, however, because that exact moment, Malfoy stalked through the door into the hallway, Slytherins and eventually Ravenclaws following him. Hermione got a sympathetic look from Luna before she closed the door on her way out. "Well," said Hermione through gritted teeth, "off to a great start, aren't we?"

"Don't worry Hermione, if anything bad happens because of Malfoy's poor judgement, we'll all back you up." Ginny flashed her a reassuring smile.

Needless to say, it was a horrendous train ride to Hogwarts. The patrols, having been divided and unclear on each other's routes, blundered into each other constantly, and more than a few times were all concentrated on one train car at once, leaving the rest unattended to practice unlawful behavior as they pleased. In the second car, some fourth years had set off some of Dr. Filibuster's Fabulous Wet-Start, No-Heat Fireworks that were a menace to shoot down and left Hermione's robes a little more scorched than she would've liked. In the fourth car, Pansy Parkinson had slipped something in Neville Longbottom's hot chocolate that made him puke relentlessly, and once again, Hermione was left alone to clean up.

By the end of the train ride, Hermione was burnt, puked on, scratch by her own cat, Crookshanks, whose tail had been trodden on by Millicent Bulstrode, and doused in vinegar by a water balloon thrown about by unruly Hufflepuffs. Just when she was about to scream at no one in particular, a tall figure shoved her to the side, trying to get through the hall.

"Jesus, Granger, didn't those Muggles ever teach you about hygiene? Or is that just a wizard thing?" Malfoy sneered. It was lucky Luna popped into the car when she did; her strangeness had a weird way of repelling Malfoy, who took one look at the radishes hanging from her ears and stalked off with a look of disgust.

"I need to get Dumbledore to see this isn't going to work out," said Hermione, defeated. "In fact, I can't believe he didn't see this straight away!" It hurt her to doubt one of her heroes, but enough was enough.

"Hermione, I think Dumbledore knows what he's doing," said Luna wisely. "Draco could do with a little bit of help from you."

Hermione flashed her a surprised look, before remembering dully who she was talking to. Exasperated, she just asked, "How are you on first name basis with that - that rotten-"

Luna's eyes widened. "No one's too rotten, I think. I like to think me and him are friends..." She ended the sentence daintily, like she was nodding off to sleep. Hermione shook her head in disbelief. The look Malfoy would have if he heard that Looney Lovegood thought him as a friend. But the thought faded quickly from her mind, as Hogwarts came rolling into view. In a few hours time, this nightmare would end, because Hermione was determined to have Dumbledore see her way. Draco Malfoy was wholly unsuited for any position of power - Head Boy included.

A/N: This is my first ever time writing fanfiction! I know there's a lot of Dramione out there but I love them together and can you blame me? I would love to hear what you think, I'm a bit apprehensive about sharing my writing with people. Thanks for reading!