Malfoy slunk through the Head dormitory portrait hole, still fuming over the words that were echoing in his head: "I just don't love you anymore, Draco. You're not exciting like you used to be. I miss the old Draco…"

What the bloody hell was that supposed to mean? The Draco who was irresponsible and arrogant? The Draco who did everything that his father told him to do? The Draco who was full of hate and bitterness? Damn you, Parkinson, you don't know me at all, he thought angrily. He sighed. What a great way to start a Friday night. Being dumped. Good riddance, he tried to tell himself unconvincingly.

As he approached the entrance to the Head common room, he stopped to see Ginny and Hermione giggling on the floor by the fire, looking at old pictures together. They were so engrossed that they didn't notice him standing there in the shadows of the doorway. His scowl faded as he saw the two lying on the floor surrounded by photos.

He couldn't deny that one bonus of being Head Boy was that Hermione and her friends were always hanging around and it was certainly never lonely. The summer before school started had been horrible: Malfoy Manor felt dismal and empty. He was glad to be back at Hogwarts. The Head dormitory was amazing to say the least, and it was nice to have girls around. Hermione and her friends, even Potter and Weasley, had been treating him differently ever since he had joined the Order. It was difficult to get used to, but it was nice, nonetheless.

After the fall of the Dark Lord, with Malfoy's parents in prison, the story of Snape's role had come out and Draco had received a pardon from the ministry. The big shock came when he had received an owl from McGonagall saying that all students who had attended during Voldemort's reign were required to repeat their year under a competent staff and that were he to attend for his seventh year he would be made Head Boy. He had been summoned to speak to the Headmistress two weeks before school regarding his new position.

"Why me, Headmistress?" he had asked, baffled. The elderly witch had looked at him over her spectacles, a smile playing at the corners of her lips.

"Mr. Malfoy," she had said patiently, sounding slightly amused, "Your grades for the past six years have been excellent and have remained the highest in your entire year." She glanced down at her records. "Er..but for one other student, that is," she said, looking up, her eyes smiling. Malfoy had grimaced. Granger, of course, he had thought ruefully. Oh, well, he had thought with a smirk, at least I'll be in close enough proximity to torment her all year.

But it hadn't turned out that way at all. Granger and her friends had let him know in so many words that the hatchet was buried. Hogwarts was a different place now, and he felt at peace for the first time in his life. And living with Granger was actually fun. They studied together, worked on Head duties and prefect scheduling together, and had even walked to Hogsmeade together once, before Pansy had found them talking outside of The Three Broomsticks and pulled him away. He remembered the disappointment he had seen in Granger's brown eyes: "It's ok, I'll see you later, Draco," she had said, walking away.

"Don't hang out with her," Pansy had ordered him flatly as she rudely tugged him away by his arm. He thought of how annoyed he had been with Pansy that day, and thinking about it now made him feel a little better about the breakup.

Granger had gotten very cute over the last year. She looked different, more mature: her hair was quite long now, and she seemed to have grown out of the uptight Little Miss Perfect she had been in past years. Malfoy supposed anyone who had been through what she had would have gotten more laid-back. He admired her, although he had never really told her this. She still had nightmares, probably thought he didn't hear her waking up screaming at night. He frowned as he thought of this. He had almost brought them up several times, but didn't want to embarrass her so he had never said anything.

Now, his face softened as he looked at her, lying on her stomach. She was wearing green knee socks. How Slytherin of you, Granger, he thought with a smirk.

"Eww, look at this one of Ron two Christmases ago," Hermione said. "He looks as if he has about ten sausages stuffed into his mouth. Did I really kiss that?" Ginny giggled and playfully kicked at Hermione.

"Watch what you say about my brother, Granger," she said jokingly. She grabbed the picture from her. "Well, that is pretty disgusting," she admitted, and they both laughed.

"Look at this one, Hermione, it's you and Viktor at the Yule Ball," Ginny said, laughing. "He was so in love with you! Do you still hear from him?"

"No, not since I told him that I have a boyfriend," she said guiltily. "I was getting a bit frightened by his letters. They were starting to boarder on obsession."

"Boyfriend? What boyfriend?" Ginny said, laughing.

Hermione giggled. "I told him his name was Nicolas. Nicolas Flamel." She and Ginny shrieked with laughter, literally rolling on the floor.

Ginny wiped tears from her eyes, her face red from laughing. "Guess he didn't do so well in History of Magic. Or do they teach such mundane subjects at Durmstrang?"

The two girls giggled together over the picture some more. Draco approached them and cleared his throat. They looked up, both of their mouths falling open, then for some reason burst into peals of laughter again. He smirked and shook his head. Girls.

He walked over and sat down on the floor next to them. "Any pictures of me?" he said, picking one up and studying it. He laughed. "Hey Granger, look at this one- remember this?" It was a picture Creevey had taken of one of the Care of Magical Creatures lessons when Draco and Hermione were in second year. In it, Hermione was trying to rip the sleeve of her robe out from between a mandrake plant's teeth, her face furious. Draco was behind her, pointing and laughing hysterically. He handed the picture to her, grinning. She looked at it and rolled her eyes.

"Lovely: a snapshot in time of you making fun of me. There must be dozens of those lying around here," she said sarcastically. "As if I need to be reminded." Ginny laughed and handed a picture to Malfoy.

"Here, Malfoy. This one is Hermione's favorite." Hermione gasped and smacked Ginny on the shoulder, turning red. Draco raised an eyebrow at her and looked at the picture. It was him flying around the Quidditch pitch one rainy afternoon during practice. He was soaking wet and looked angry. The picture showed the stormy sky in the background, and his hair was plastered to his forehead, his eyes darting around looking for the snitch. He looked up and smirked at Hermione, who refused to meet his eyes, still blushing furiously. Ginny laughed.

"You like this picture, Granger?" Malfoy asked with a grin. Hermione finally looked at him, glaring angrily.

"That's not accurate. I didn't say I liked the bloody picture," she said, shooting Ginny a dirty look. Ginny snickered.

"Hermione. What you said was 'Wow, Draco looks sexy in this picture.' To be quite accurate," she told Hermione, and she and Draco laughed together as Hermione scowled at them both, still blushing.

"So what? I have eyes, you know," she snapped. "It's not like I'm the only one who thinks that, for goodness sake." Draco smiled at her, finally catching her eye and she groaned and covered her face with her hands. "Stop looking at me!" she cried, reaching for a pillow and throwing it at him. Ginny and Draco laughed again, and Hermione finally grinned, rolling her eyes.

"Well, it is true that half the girls in this castle can't wait for the day when you're single again, Malfoy," Ginny said, examining a picture of her and Harry from two years ago. Malfoy cleared his throat, running a hand through his hair absently.

"Oh…well…ah," he stammered, "Well, then I guess they'll be pleased when they find out what happened tonight."

Both Ginny and Hermione looked up startled. "You broke up with her?" they cried in unison.

"Uh, no. Not exactly," he said, frowning. "She actually broke up with me. Said she liked the old Draco better. Said I was no fun anymore," he added quietly. The three sat in uncomfortable silence for a few moments before Hermione spoke up quietly.

"Well, Draco, it's her loss, isn't it," she said matter-of-factly. "Now you can find someone who appreciates you for who you really are." Draco smiled at her gratefully, and she looked back at him, her cheeks pink but her expression serious.

"Thanks, Granger. That means a lot. It really does," he said softly. Hermione suddenly looked profoundly embarrassed and, turning an even deeper shade of pink, stood up, brushing off her skirt.

"Well, I'm tired. I'm going to bed. Goodnight," she mumbled. And she abruptly grabbed her wand and walked down the hall to her bedroom.

Draco watched her walk down the hall and looked at Ginny, who raised an eyebrow at him and smirked. The two stared at each other without speaking for a moment before Draco said hesitantly, "Er…Weasley, do you think…" Ginny abruptly got up and began slipping on her shoes, suddenly avoiding Malfoy's eyes.

"Oh, no, Malfoy, I'm not saying a thing," she said, trying not to laugh. "You're Head Boy, you need to work some things out for yourself." She grabbed her wand off the study table and waved it at the photos, making them all fly neatly back into the shoebox on the floor. Draco moved over to the couch and flopped down on it tiredly, closing his eyes and sighing.

"But Hermione's right, you know," Ginny added before she left the Head common room. Draco opened his eyes and looked at her curiously. She smiled at him.

"It is her loss. Parkinson, I mean," she said, walking over to Draco and putting her hand sympathetically on his shoulder. "You're very brave, Draco. Not many people have the courage you've shown. You've been through so much, and you're a good person." Draco looked at her, speechless. "Open your eyes, Malfoy. There are people right under your nose who are better suited to you. People who really care about you." She looked meaningfully in the direction of Hermione's room and winked at Draco. His mouth fell open as he sat up.

"Weasley, do you mean…" he stammered. Ginny turned on her heel and strode out of the Head dormitory.

"Good night, Draco," she said as left. "Sweet dreams!"