Chapter 1- The Train Ride

Disclaimer: I do not own anything.

A/N: I've revised my chapters a bit just to make them a little clearer with my great beta Gayle thanks a ton! ;-)

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Hermione sat with her headphones on listening to a CD in the Head girl/ boy compartment of the Hogwarts express. The train was motionless, she had arrived early hoping to find out who this year's Head boy was. She hadn't caught sight of him yet. She closed her eyes, allowing her honey-colored curls to cascade around her face, drumming her fingers to the music. "Not bad." She thought, relaxed.

            Hermione has been looking forward to coming back to school for a long time now, mainly because she needed to escape from the horrible summer she had. Entering her 7th year at Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry, she had received her Head Girl notice in the mail the week before. She hadn't told Ron or Harry yet. Things were still awkward between them after Ron broke up with her. He said he still wanted to be friends, but Hermione still felt a bit hostile to him after she walked in on him and Lavender Brown, a fellow Gryffindor, making out. Harry was having a hard time going back and forth between both of his friends, but Hermione didn't care by now. Her body had now matured; she had curves in all the right places, and her bushy hair was now soft curls falling to her mid-back, framing her tanned face. She felt powerful with her new look, and was determined not to let anyone take that away from her.

~

            Draco Malfoy walked through the barriers of 9 3/4 to board the Hogwarts express. A shiny Head Boy badge was glistening in the light as he wondered who the new head girl would be. "Probably that Mudblood, Granger." He thought with a smirk, as he plowed his way through some first years. "Well this will be interesting" he thought, with an evil grin.

~

            Hermione's eyes jerked open as someone suddenly lifted off her headphones. She looked up to see Draco Malfoy placing them over his own ears, giving her a look of disgust as he listened to the song that was playing. "Do you actually call this music Granger?" he said with a smirk. "I can't believe you would even take the time charming them to work. But, then again," he added, moving out of her reach just in time as she lunged towards him, "I'm sure coming from a family of muggles you wouldn't know something as simple as good music."

            Hermione face flushed, but she quickly regained her composure so that when she gazed into Malfoy's cold gray eyes he wouldn't be able to detect her pain at the harsh words. Staring him in the eye, she replied calmly, "If coming from muggle parents makes me stupid Malfoy, than I don't know what excuse to make for you since I beat you on every OWL except potions."

Malfoy's eyes flashed and a small blush rose to his cheeks, but he quickly recovered. "Shut your mouth mudblood" he spat.

Taking a step forward, Hermione stretched her hands around Mafoy's neck startling him, until he felt her slip the headphone from his ears, gathering them in her hands. He looked at her in wonder as she whispered in his ear in a triumphant tone, "Five years later and your still singing the same tune, Malfoy. Get some new material." Then stepping back she slipped the headphones over her ears again and sat down as the train began lurched into motion.

~

            "God what has gotten into her!" thought Malfoy, as he sat down in the seat opposite her while staring at her still form, her gaze fixed on the window next to her. "The little mudblood actually caught me off guard with that little comment! "Maybe I do need to start getting more insults for her." He smiled evilly, until he glanced at her again. "She does look really pretty there," he thought suddenly, "she's filling out a lot and her eyes seem to have this golden sparkle to them… I can't believe I never noticed before now. Wait, what am I thinking? I'm a Malfoy for god's sake! And she's just a little know-it-all mudblood!" Malfoy angrily turned to face out the window, avoiding any possible eye contact with the girl across from him.

            Hermione sat still after her little squabble with Draco, looking out the window as the country slide by. "Wow, Malfoy looked pretty shocked… haha that will get the little prat back! He's changed a lot though, his body is pretty well-toned, and his hair kinda falls into his face just right… wait hold up this is Malfoy! And all Malfoys are dirty scum who think they're better than everyone else! Asshole." And with that she closed her eyes again.

            Suddenly the compartment door burst open and Hermione and Draco looked up to see a tall skinny boy with jet-black untidy hair, bright green eyes and a small scar across his forehead run towards Hermione, to hug her.

            "Hermione!" he cried as he stepped back, much to Malfoy's disdain, as there was limited space in the compartment made for two. "You big prat!" Harry practically yelled at her. "Why didn't you tell me you were head girl? I was looking for you everywhere!" Draco looked down at the book he was reading as Harry and Hermione exchanged news.

            "So, um, where's Ron?" asked Hermione at last, trying to sound casual. Draco suddenly looked up, taking notice of the absence of the tall redhead. Hermione, noticing this sudden rapt of attention, gave a meaningful look at Harry, they exited the compartment and finished their conversation there.

            "Damn." Thought Malfoy, thoroughly annoyed that an opportunity for some dirt to use against Granger had been snatched away. About 10 minutes later Hermione arrive back in the compartment, alone, with an apathetic air so as not to let any hint of her turmile be seen by Malfoy. She walked briskly to her seat, and picking up a book from the table, and started to read.  It took Draco about a minute to realize she had grabbed his book, and he was so mad he had to take a moment to calm down. "If you don't mind, Granger, I'd like to read my book so will you please pull your ugly face out of it and give it back to me?"

            Hermione looked up with a start. Then suddenly her face spread into a seductive smile. "Now Malfoy, you don't really think that my face is ugly do you, I mean, you were just reprimanding yourself for admitting how pretty I am." She replied.

            Draco stared at her with his mouth open. Then after a moment he sneered, a "You wish" at her but a voice was nagging in the back of his mind. "How did she know?" he thought in amazement, still staring at Hermione. She, however, was through with their little confrontation, and after flipping her hair behind her head; she snuggled up against the seat, resuming to read Malfoy's book.

~

            Malfoy looked at her for a moment, before settling down in his seat, cursing to himself that Hermione she still had his book clutched in her beautiful, slender arms… "What the hell?!" Draco thought this last part aloud. Turning to Hermione, who was practically hysterical, he asked what was so funny.

            "You are." She said between gasp of breath.

            "Fuck you!" said Draco haughtily, just as Professor Mcgonnagall stepped into their compartment. Hermione instantly shut up to allow her favorite teacher reprimand them and tell them the new rules as head boy and girl. She and Draco didn't share another word throughout the rest of the journey.

A/N: umm ok so before I had Hermione listening to Eminem and some people had a problem with it… umm yeah Eminem rocks and just because Hermione likes school doesn't mean she couldn't like him!! Also I know Hermione would usually be reading Hogwarts a History but didn't she memorize it in first year?? Would she actually still be reading the same book over and over for seven years… lol. Ok I'm done please review and keep reading! ;)