Chapter One: A Not So Normal School Year

It was another year at Hogwarts. Another normal and confusing year at Hogwarts. You're wrong though. There was nothing normal about this school year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. It has only been four months since the fall of Voldemort and already the school was reopening.

The things that weren't normal about this year was that, last year's seventh years were coming back for a repeat eighth year; among those eighth years was Draco Malfoy. He begged his mum not to make him come back, but she said that it was good for him.

Good for me, my arse, Draco thought as he found his normal spot by a tree near the Black Lake. He liked being alone like this. It gave him free space to think, complain, and especially sketch. Yep, the one thing that no one but Draco's best mate, Blaise Zabini, knew about was his favorite pastime. When he sketched, Draco felt at peace around the castle.

Draco took out his sketchbook and opened it to his current project. He was working on drawing Luna and Neville by the Black Lake. He and the two had gotten close after the war. Well, he got close to Luna, because she was one of the first ones to accept him as Draco, not as a Death Eater. She ended up making Neville understand his situation and that's how he and Longbottom got close.

He smiled when he saw Neville kiss Luna's forehead. Neville and Luna was an item in school nowadays. Draco always knew that the two were going to end up together and he also knew that they were going to be happy together, which was true. Draco looked down at his sketch and started to finish what he needed to finish.

Draco was so in tune with his drawing that he didn't notice someone walking up to him. Blaise smirked when he found Draco sitting by his normal spot by the lake. Everyone always wondered what the Slytherin Prince was doing by the lake, but never figured out what he was actually doing.

Blaise saw that Draco was yet again sketching Luna and Neville. He leaned on the tree and then cleared his throat.

"What Blaise?" Draco asked no need to look up to know it's his best mate.

Blaise laughed, "I always wondered how the hell you do that," he said.

Draco chuckled, "I'm your best mate, Blaise. I also happen to be like a brother to you, so I know the difference between you and our idiot friends."

"Point taken," Blaise said before he sat down next to Draco.

Draco continued to sketch while Blaise watched. He did enjoy having Blaise around when he was sketching, because Blaise was a good help when he missed anything in a sketch.

"So how's the latest sketch going?" Blaise asked.

Draco showed him the sketch and Blaise nodded. "I'm almost done."

"Why do you draw out here?"

"Because unfortunately I can't sketch in my dormitory what with Granger and her group of lackeys coming in and out every so often."

Blaise laughed. Draco was Head Boy alongside with Hermione Granger. The two never got along, not that anyone was surprised, but they had to work together. Blaise knew that Draco didn't understand why he became Head Boy, but he knew.

Draco got the position as Head Boy, because he was just as smart as Hermione. He and Blaise were in the two boys that were suggested for head boy, but McGonagall decided that Draco was the best choice. Blaise remembered laughing at Draco's expression when he got the letter and the pin. Narcissa was ecstatic that Draco was head boy.

"Watch it, mate, one of them happens to be my girlfriend," Blaise said.

Draco smirked, "Don't worry, mate. Ginny isn't the lackey. I was talking about Potter and Weaslebee."

Blaise shook his head, even after coming to a truce with Harry and Ron; Draco still called them by their surnames. Blaise was using their real names since he and Ginny started dating on the first day of classes.

"Aren't you cold, Draco?" Blaise asked rubbing his biceps, because the wintery air was kicking in on this Mid-October.

"Nope," Draco smirked.

"Oh yeah I forgot, you're cold blooded."

Draco scoffed and Blaise laughed. "Don't worry, mate. I bet Hermione can warm you up when you get back to your dormitory."

"You're still on that?"

"Of course I am. Everyone knows that the best sex is when you're angry and Granger is the only girl that can push your buttons to an extreme. Come on, mate, you can't deny that you haven't fantasized about just pushing her up against the wall and shagging the living daylight out of her."

Draco didn't say anything. Of course he has fantasized about that countless times. It was because she wasn't bookworm Granger anymore and she definitely didn't act like a goody two shoes in their dormitory.

"No actually I haven't fantasized anything like that. You're forgetting who you're talking to, Blaise," Draco said putting down his quill and looking at his work.

"Oh right, how could I forget? Draco Malfoy is Slytherin's 'Sex God' and girls fall to his feet whenever he asks them to. I thought you'd be over that."

"Why get over something that feels so good? It satisfies my need and gives the girl just as much pleasure."

Blaise shook his head and sighed. He stared at the now finished picture that Draco was showing him and smiled. Draco always had a knack in sketching and Blaise always admired his work.

He and Draco both had a knack for everything artistic. They were both musicians, both great drawers, and very charismatic. However, Draco was more talented than he was. Blaise was a great keeper, but Draco was an excellent seeker. The only person that has ever beaten Draco in seeking was Harry, but Blaise knew that this year Draco was stepping his game up.

"You still amaze me with this skill, Drake," Blaise admitted.

Draco laughed and got up. "Thanks Blaise. I'm going to give it to Luna. She asked if I could sketch something of her and Neville," Draco said.

"How is it that you call Luna and Neville by their first names and not Hermione and the two knuckleheads?" Blaise said getting up as well.

Draco smirked. "You'd have to pay me 2000 galleons for me to call them by their first names. I'll see you at dinner," he said before leaving Blaise.

Blaise watched his best mate walk up towards the castle since Luna and Neville had left a long while ago back up to the castle. He knew Draco's view on Hermione had changed since she changed over the summer.

"Oh Draco, you have no idea what's up for you in Halloween," Blaise said to himself as he walked up to the castle.

Hermione was in the comfort of the library at her usual spot in the back near the Restricted Section reading a few books when she heard someone or someones coming her way. She looked up and saw that it was Neville and Luna. She smiled at the couple. Hermione was the first to know that Neville and Luna were together.

She watched as the two sat down on a nearby table and took out their books. Hermione loved Luna for helping Neville with his work. Since the two started dating, Neville's grades have been going up. Hermione wanted a relationship just like the two if not better. Out of all her friends, she was the single one.

Harry had his new girlfriend, a transfer from Beauxbatons, Hailey Hunter. Ginny had Blaise. Neville had Luna. And her good for nothing of an ex, Ron had Lavender Brown. Hermione never understood why Ron would dump her for Lavender, but she never pushed the subject. She and Ron were still in speaking terms, but she hated Lavender.

Everyone knew that Lavender was jealous of Hermione and that Hermione hated her, but they never bothered with it. Hermione didn't care about the two snogging very publicly.

She may want a relationship, but none of the boys, well other than Blaise and Malfoy, carries her interest in men.

Hermione knew that she and Draco were the right definition of the type of relationship she wants. They get riled up by each other more than anyone else, they compete, and they were very much alike in so many ways.

"Hey guys," Hermione heard Draco's voice.

She looked up and saw Malfoy walking towards Neville and Luna. "Hello Draco," Luna said cheerily.

"Wotcher Draco," Neville said.

Hermione watched as Draco dug into his bag and took out what looked like a sketchbook. She was curious to what he was taking out from the book, so she kept watching from the top of her book.

Luna squealed and then hugged Draco when he showed her a piece of parchment. "Oh thank you, Draco. This is amazing. I thought you were going to work on it later," she said.

Hermione was shocked that she saw Draco smile for the first time ever. "I finished all my school work, so I decided to do this for you," he said.

Luna hugged him again, "Thank you again, Draco."

Neville shook Draco's hand and smiled. "This really is amazing, mate. Never knew you had a knack for art," he said.

Draco smirked. "Just something I like to do. Well, I'll leave you be, I have to get to McGonagall. She's requested for the heads. That means you too Granger," he said before turning and walking out of the library.

Hermione jumped when Draco mentioned her. She didn't think that he noticed her from where she was, but if McGonagall needed them, she needed them now. Hermione got up and packed her things.

She walked out of the library and went straight to the headmistress's office. When she got there, Malfoy was leaning lazily on the wall next to the gargoyle. Hermione couldn't deny that Draco was gorgeous, because he was. Every girl knew that he was gorgeous. He had smooth platinum hair that fell on his pure silver eyes, his pale complexion, and lean seeker body. Yes, oh yes, Draco Malfoy was gorgeous.

"What are you waiting for, Malfoy?" Hermione asked as she got close enough.

Draco looked up and smirked. "Just waiting for you," he said.

Hermione narrowed her eyes, but just went with it. She walked up to the gargoyle and said the password.

"Chocolate Truffles."

The gargoyle twisted to form the spiral staircase to the office. Hermione and Draco walked up the stairs. Hermione always hated coming to McGonagall's office. It's only been a few months since the war ended and she still felt edgy being inside Dumbledore's office. When they got to the door, Draco knocked.

"Come in," they heard McGonagall say from the other side of the door.

Draco pushed the door open and they saw the headmistress scribbling down something on a piece of parchment. When Hermione closed the door behind her, McGonagall looked up and smiled.

"You two are here, excellent. I needed to talk to you about the Halloween Ball," McGonagall said putting away whatever she was writing.

Hermione and Draco sat down in the chairs in front of McGonagall's desk and sighed. They knew they had to organize a Welcoming Ball and a Halloween Ball, but they just didn't know what to do.

"Professor, we're already trying our best to think of suggestions, but we don't have any in mind," Hermione said.

"We've been busy with classes, need I remind you," Draco scoffed, "we haven't even got time to talk to the prefects about anything new," he said.

"That's why a few teachers chipped in a few suggestions," McGonagall took out the prefect planner that she had, "Half of the staff suggested that the Welcoming Ball and Halloween Ball to be put together. They've also suggested maybe a costume part," she said.

Hermione's eyes turned bright and she was smiling widely. "That's brilliant, Professor! I think that's a great idea to have a costume party."

McGonagall smiled and nodded. "So it's settled, or do you have any objections on this, Mr. Malfoy?" she looked at Draco.

Draco just shrugged. "I think it's good. We don't need to worry about what colors we need to choose. We'll tell the prefects tonight," he said.

McGonagall nodded again. "You're dismissed."

Hermione and Draco got out of the chairs they were sitting on and headed out of the headmistress's office. Hermione was so excited about this latest news of the ball that she already had the whole thing planned in her head.

When they got off the spiral staircase, Hermione turned to Draco. "I think I know what we're going to do for the venue," she said.

Draco knew that he was going to hear the end of this, but he had to work with her. "What are we going to do?" he asked casually.

"I was thinking something dark and mysterious. Like a forest or possibly a garden."

"When you say dark and mysterious, what do you mean?"

Hermione smiled finally getting his attention. "As in fog, eerie, and like unexpected."

"How are we going to do that in the Great Hall, Granger? We only have a week before this bloody dance and we don't even have anything for it," Draco said.

Hermione smiled mischievously and Draco raised his eyebrow. "I happen to know someone who can work great with decorations and everything. She happens to be in this very school," she said.

Draco sighed, "Fine, we'll talk about this dance during the meeting. I have to meet Blaise for dinner," he said before walking away.

Hermione was so cheery that she was skipping towards the Great Hall for dinner. She knew exactly to ask and she knew that she was going to say yes.

When Hermione got to the Great Hall, she spotted her prey and walked towards her. It was Harry's girlfriend, Hailey. Hermione plumped herself right next to Hailey making her jump a little.

"Blimey Mione, give me a heart attack, why don't you?" Hailey said holding her chest.

Hermione laughed, "I need to talk to you about something," she said.

Hailey looked at her friend and wondered what was going on in her mind. "What do you need?"

"What do you say about decorating for the Halloween Ball?" Hermione asked.

Hailey smiled widely. "Really? You want me to decorate for the Ball?"

Hermione nodded and Hailey laughed. "Of course! I've missed decorating terribly. What's the theme?"

"Dark and mysterious. Do you think you can make something like that?"

"Of course I can, I know just where to get the supplies for it."

"What are you two talking about?" Harry asked next to Hailey.

"Yeah, what is it?" Ginny asked sitting on the other side of them.

"The Halloween Ball," Hermione said.

Ginny squealed and clapped her hands. "Yay, so we're really having it?" she asked.

Hermione nodded and Ginny smiled widely. "We're going to talk about it during the prefect meeting and I've just asked Hailey, here, to decorate," Hermione said.

"This is going to be amazing!" Ginny said excitedly.

Hermione, Hailey, and Ginny were talking about the Halloween Ball all throughout dinner. Draco was the opposite. He hated Balls and dances, because they usually never turned out right for him. Well, other than the fact that his date always wants to sleep with him.

"What's bugging you mate?" Blaise asked looking at his best mate.

"Halloween Ball," Draco said.

Blaise nearly choked on his food, but Draco saved him from that. "So they're really having it then?" he asked.

Draco nodded.

"Do you know the theme?"

"Granger said something about dark and mysterious," Draco scoffed.

Blaise smirked. "I think that's a great theme. It means that the girls get to use some sexy costumes. Who's decorating?"

"Not sure, I didn't bother to ask Granger."

Blaise looked over at Hermione and saw that she was talking to Hailey. Of course, he thought. Hailey was an excellent decorator, so it was no doubt that the decorator was going to be Hailey.

"I think I know who's leading the decorating," Blaise said.

"Who?" Draco asked. He wasn't really curious, he just wanted to know.

"Hailey Hunter."

"The transferee? But why her?"

Blaise laughed, "She's great at decorating. Gin showed me some of her previous successes and they are bloody brilliant."

Draco didn't say anything, but nodded. He looked over at the Gryffindor table and saw that Hunter girl. He also saw Potter's arm around her waist and she was leaning onto him. He never knew that Potter had a girlfriend and he couldn't believe that he'd catch that girl. Draco scoffed thinking about it. Potter only got the girls, because of his "Chosen One" title.

"I didn't know she's dating Potter," Draco blurted out.

"Huh? Oh yeah, they've been dating since the first week of school."

"Another girl after his fame?"

Blaise shook his head. "She doesn't need fame, Drake. Hailey's parents are as famous as Harry."

"How so?"

Blaise laughed, "Hailey's mum is an excellent potion's master and her dad is a retired quidditch player."

Draco thought back about Hailey's dad being a quidditch player. And then it hit him. "Her dad is the Eli 'Sticky Fingers' Hunter?" he asked shocked.

"Yup, the one and only," Blaise said.

That specific information made Draco's idea of Hailey's intentions with Potter was nothing about the fame. She was born into fame.

Dinner had finished and Draco walked towards the Prefect Conference Room with Blaise. When he got there, Draco took his original seat in the front while Blaise took one of the seats.

The other prefects along with Hermione and Hailey came filing into the meeting room. Hermione walked up to her chair next to Draco and flicked her wand to have the chalk behind them writing. She looked at everyone and sighed.

"Alright, the major thing we're going to be talking about today and rest of the meetings until the 31st is the Halloween Ball," Hermione started.

Everyone was murmuring and the girls were so cheerful. "McGonagall expects us to make this a double dance as in Welcoming Ball and Halloween Ball," Draco said.

"So what are the jobs for the Ball?" Padma asked.

Hermione turned to the chalkboard. "The jobs are here. There are the decorating groups, the food groups, the entertainment group, the security group, and the publishing group. Four people in decorating and then three people for the other groups," she said.

"Do we get a choice to what group we go to?" Pansy Parkinson asked.

"No," Draco stood up, "Granger and I will decide which groups you go to, no exceptions," he said.

Everyone groaned. Hermione knew that Draco wanted to leave the meeting that was why he was being an authority figure.

"Parkinson, McMillan, Johnson, you work in security. Ginny, Blaise, Patil, you work in decorating. Greengrass, Finn-Fletchey, Brown, you work in publishing. Weasel, Boot, Durgis, you work in entertainment. And Griswold, Masterson, Smith, you work in food." Draco said.

"How do you expect us to do these things?" Pansy asked.

Hermione flicked her wand again and parchments flew to everyone including her, Draco, and Hailey. "This parchment has all the suggestions for what everyone should do. Security, your job is to have 4th years and under leave the Great Hall at 11 and that the 5th years and up leave at 1. However, there is an exception to 7th and 8th years; there will be an after party which I had McGonagall approve after the Ball. The information of that will be given to all those that are already seventeen or older.

Entertainment, I have a feeling we'll be working with the Weird Sisters again, so I suggest to book an appointment with them. If not, then get the Hex Girls.

Food, you will be working single-handedly with the house elves. I've written down the menu that would be a good selection and I want you to go down to the kitchens to explain to the house elves. Do it promptly and nicely.

And publishing, you know what you need to do. Create flyers that will inform the students of the dance. It needs to be something flashy but not too flashy. Something meant for Halloween.

Decorating and publishing will be working with Hailey," Hermione motioned to Hailey leaning on the wall, "she is in charge of both of the groups. What she says goes or we'll not have a Ball at all. Any questions?"

No one dared to speak after Hermione's quick run-through, because they knew she was very persistent if it came to working.

"Good, now you are dismissed. If you have any questions bring it up with me and Draco."

Everyone got up and left except for Blaise, Ginny, and Hailey. Hermione and Draco were fixing their area.

"I swear you scare me sometimes, you know that Hermione?" Blaise said.

Hailey and Ginny laughed. "Yes well I like keeping things on top," Hermione said.

"That's the only way we know you, Granger," Draco smirked.

Hermione's mouth dropped when she heard that. Hailey and Ginny were laughing so hard while Blaise was smirking. She watched as Draco and Blaise walked out of the room. Hailey and Ginny ceased their laughing and looked at their friend.

"I think he's grown a liking to you, Mia," Hailey said.

"Ooooh, I know she's wanted that. Draco is to die for, of course," Ginny said wiggling her eyebrows.

Hermione punched the two playfully and they giggled. The three girls walked up to Hermione's dormitory talking about the dance and Draco. When they got to the portrait, Hailey and Ginny bid Hermione good bye.

"We'll see you tomorrow at breakfast, Mione. Good night, love," Hailey said kissing Hermione's cheek.

Hermione kissed both her best friends' cheeks and said good night to them before turning to the portrait and saying the password. She was completely knackered and wanted rest.

"Hogwarts United."

The portrait swung open and for the first time in a long time, there was no one in the common room. Usually Draco would be sitting on one of the armchairs reading a book or just gazing into the fire or even having a friendly conversation with Blaise, but no one was in the common room. It was quiet and it felt off to Hermione.

She lit the fireplace to give the room some warmth. Hermione gazed around the room and still marveled on its beautiful features. Everything in the head dormitory was neutral. There was no such thing as Slytherin or Gryffindor defining the room. Everything was neutral from the furniture, to the drapes, to the fireplace. Hermione loved the dormitory, because it felt like home to her.

It's been a year since she placed the memory charm on her parents and she missed them dearly. Though she was tired, she decided to look back at her memories. Hermione walked into her room, changed into her pajamas, and then dug into her trunk to find what she was looking for.

After five minutes of looking, she found it. It was a big photo album. Hermione took it downstairs and sat on the couch. She opened it and the tears started filling her eyes. She had opened it up to her fifth birthday; the best birthday of her life.

There was a clown, a swimming pool, a bunch of her neighborhood friends, and so much more. It was the birthday; her parent realized she wasn't a normal five-year-old. No, this was the day she started her magic. Her parents told her countless times when she got older that she did show the signs of being a witch and not just at age 5. Hermione was crying already, because the pictures reminded her so much of them. She missed them so much and she vowed that she was going to find them.

"I love you," Hermione said before falling asleep not noticing the pale blonde haired young man standing on the stairs.

Draco knew that it was Granger that came into the dormitory, because he heard Hailey and Ginny saying good night to her. He had left the common room before she entered and went into his room. He never usually did this, but there was a first for everything. He listened to what she was doing and then heard her go back downstairs.

When he knew she wasn't able to hear him get out of his dorm, he walked down slowly and heard slight crying. Draco wondered why she was crying or what made her cry. And then he heard it. He heard her say the three little words that he wished someone special would say to him.

"I love you."

Draco never heard those words come from someone else's mouth and mean it, but the way Hermione said it, he just knew she always meant it. It didn't matter to whom, but she always meant it. He walked slowly down to the common room to see her lying down on the couch clutching onto a very large book.

He waited a few minutes to make sure she was really asleep. When Draco heard Hermione's soft snores, he took the book out of her arms and placed it on the coffee table. He fixed Hermione so she was lying down better before putting a blanket on her.

Draco knelt next to the coffee table and opened the book. It was a photo album. From the look of the pictures, it was a muggle photo album, because nothing moved. He scanned the pictures from Hermione's baby pictures up to a poem at the last page.

You are our wonderland.

You are our happy ending.

We love you until the end.

You are our daughter, you are our greatest happening.

We love you.

Mummy and Daddy

Draco smiled reading that poem. His mother or father never expressed their love for him the way Hermione's parents did to her. He understood now why she was perfect, because her life was undoubtedly perfect.

He closed the album and got up from where he was kneeling. He looked down at Hermione and knew that there was something changing in his mind about her. He just didn't understand.

He dimmed the fire a bit just to give her warmth before going into his room to rest for classes tomorrow.

Author's Note: Well, I'm still working on Chapters 2 & 3 at the moment, so please be nice when you read this. I haven't been able to post up my stories. I still have a lot more to go. Review & Be Nice. xx Kae