Notes: I'm back! So excited to finally get to post this. I've been working on it for months. I have five chapters already written, have decided what I want to do for the sixth chapter, and have most of the rest of the plot figured out. Thanks to my great team of first readers-ElleMalfoy65, slytherinmomma88, slytherinvillain, and Iloveplotbunnies/sirenofodysseus. You four are the greatest. Thanks for your insight and encouragement.

I'm hoping to post one chapter a week, although the day may vary.

Rated M for later chapters, but just to be on the safe side.

Disclaimer: I own the books, the movies, and the cutest Hermione and Draco figurines, but I don't own the entire wizarding world.

If you had told Hermione Granger five years ago that she would be friends with Draco Malfoy, she would have laughed in your face. Befriending Malfoy (at least then) seemed as likely as Hagrid ever realizing that his favorite creatures were, in fact, extremely dangerous or Voldemort giving up his quest for power and domination.

But life has its own way of laughing back.

X.X

Amid the chaos that characterized the first few months following Voldemort's defeat, a couple of things completely shocked the Wizarding World.

First, both Harry Potter and Hermione Granger had testified at Draco Malfoy's trial—in defense of their former classmate and nemesis.

Harry had previously testified in defense of Narcissa Malfoy, citing her lie to Voldemort as the reason he had not been killed out in that field. Hermione joined him at the Wizengamot for Draco's trial, both of them relating how Draco had not given their identities away at the Manor, even though doing so would most likely have bolstered his standing with the Death Eaters and Voldemort.

For Hermione's part, her willingness to take the stand on the side of the defense was born from her memories of sixth year. When Harry had become so focused on figuring out what Draco was up to during that year, Hermione had begun to watch him too, though not as constantly—she wanted to be able to give a more objective view of the situation if required. Harry may have been her dearest friend, but he was prone to wearing blinders when he became convinced of something. She didn't know whether her observations might be able to convince Harry to scale back his quest, but she had watched anyway.

That year, for the first time, she saw Draco as something other than a mostly one-dimensional bully and bigot. She saw a complex human being who was obviously cracking under the strain of whatever events were consuming his time and thoughts. Whatever was going on, it was eating him alive. He obviously had a conscience, of sorts, and anything that could make the normally composed and arrogant Draco Malfoy break was not something to be taken lightly.

Thus, Hermione had corroborated Harry's story of what had happened at the Manor that horrible day and the role that Draco had played in it.

Secondly, both Narcissa and Draco had scraped by with reduced sentences. Narcissa was placed under house arrest for a year and a half, but was permitted the occasional visitor, provided that person was cleared for admittance by the Minister of Magic's office. She would then serve another year and a half of probation.

Hermione and Harry's testimony had seemed to help Draco's case. He would have to redo his final year of Hogwarts—something Hermione had heard him tell his mother that he had already planned on doing—and then serve the Ministry of Magic in some sort of capacity for at least five years after graduation.

Draco was much subdued at his trial, and Hermione could tell he wasn't just playing it up to try and get a lesser sentence. He still had a touch of his old arrogance, and he was still very much a Slytherin, but the war had definitely changed him. That didn't mean that Hermione was willing to befriend him, however. She did make up her mind to be civil to him when they crossed paths at Hogwarts—since they were the top two students in their year, they were sure to take many of the same classes.

X.X

To her delight—and no one's surprise—Hermione had been named Head Girl. To everyone's surprise—and Hermione's trepidation—the letter welcoming her back to Hogwarts and announcing her appointment to the coveted position had also informed her of the Head Boy's identity.

Draco Malfoy.

To say that his appointment was a complete shock would have been an understatement. Harry and Ron were both returning—they had wanted to jump right into Auror training, but apparently even the Boy Who Lived Twice and his best friend were required to take their N.E.W.T.s. The Aurors had promised them both a spot in the training camp after graduation, so the two young men were biding their time, it seemed, until they could leave school for good and pursue what was left of the Death Eaters.

Hermione didn't think that Harry would have accepted the position of Head Boy if asked, however; he had said multiple times that he just wanted one year where he didn't have to worry about protecting or being responsible for others. And Ron—well, she loved him, she really did, but he didn't have the sense of responsibility required of the head students. Plus, he would most likely turn the Head's common room into an outpost for Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes, and no one wanted that. Well, no one with a sense of decency and order, anyway.

However, in place of Harry and Ron, certainly there were other boys—men, now—who would have been selected before Malfoy? Neville, perhaps? Aside from Gryffindors, surely Terry Boot would have made the list. If a Slytherin was really what the administration wanted, surely Zabini or Nott were preferable to Malfoy.

She might believe he had changed, but the past was still raw.

X.X

She considered writing a letter to McGonagall about Malfoy being named Head Boy, but eventually decided against it. She couldn't think of a diplomatic way to question the new Headmistress' decision, at least not via owl.

September first came quickly, though. At the opening feast after the Sorting, Headmistress McGonagall had announced the Heads. In keeping with the theme of unity, one head student from each house—two from the "eighth year" and two from the seventh—had been chosen. Luna represented Ravenclaw, and her seventh year counterpart was Hufflepuff Rolf Scamander, grandson of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them author Newt Scamander. When the eighth year Heads were announced, there were cheers for Hermione, especially among the Gryffindors, and shocked silence for Malfoy.

McGonagall took it upon herself to answer the unspoken question. "I am sure most of you are wondering about the appointments made this year," she said. "Suffice it to say that Dumbledore—his portrait, anyway—petitioned specifically for Mr. Malfoy to be appointed Head Boy. It was his hope that through the appointment of two of Hogwarts' most well-known students, the rest would come to unity through their guidance.

"It may seem that Mr. Malfoy is an…unorthodox appointment," she continued, "but he has been cleared to return to Hogwarts. It is my hope, and the hope of all the teachers here, that this year be a fresh start for all of us. The time for war has passed; now is a time for peace."

That just made everyone think more, if the whispered conversations going on around Hermione and around the Great Hall were any indication. Ginny tried to catch Hermione's eye, but she didn't want to talk about it until she had talked with McGonagall.

At the end of the feast, McGonagall called for Hermione and Malfoy to come to her office. "I'm sure the two of you have even more questions about your appointments," McGonagall said after they had all set down.

Hermione snuck a look at Malfoy to see how he would react. He looked to be in better shape than the young man who had been wasting away their sixth year. He had gained back the weight he had lost, and his skin didn't have a deathly cast to it. However, from what she could see, his eyes looked haunted.

She could tell because hers looked much the same.

He broke the silence then. "Well, it's obvious why Granger was chosen," he said, a bit of his old snark sneaking back into his baritone. "War hero and the brightest witch of the age—I'm sure no one else was even considered."

To Hermione's surprise, Malfoy didn't seem to be mocking her at all—he seemed to be simply stating a fact.

"We are very glad that Miss Granger is able to serve as Head Girl," McGonagall replied diplomatically.

"Even if it's obvious why I was chosen, that still doesn't explain Malfoy," began Hermione. "Is there some kind of…underlying motive behind his being Head Boy?" There, she thought that sounded diplomatic enough.

McGonagall sighed. "The events of the last two years have changed us all. As I said in my speech earlier, I want this to be a year where all the houses come together. I know it will be nigh impossible for everyone to become friends, especially those among the older students. However, I do expect civility from everyone. I would rather certain students never converse if it means they aren't attacking each other."

Hermione looked at Malfoy out of the corner of her eye; surprisingly, he was looking back.

"I don't mean the two of you," McGonagall clarified. "The two of you should at least attempt civility. As Heads you will have to work together quite often."

"I was already planning on being civil to Malfoy," Hermione said. She saw Malfoy's head swivel to face her, but she kept her focus on McGonagall. "I am tired of fighting, tired of war. I will make every attempt to be civil, whether he does or not."

"Same for me," Malfoy said simply.

"I would just like to have a normal year at Hogwarts for once," Hermione continued.

"Granger, I don't even know what a "normal" year here would be," Malfoy commented in his customary drawl. "Normal for us was filled with more events each year than most people encounter in a lifetime."

"I don't know what a normal year would be either, honestly," admitted Hermione. "I just meant that it would be nice to have a year where the biggest problem is studying for N.E.W.T.s."

Hermione heard a faint snort come from Malfoy's direction, but when she turned to ask what was so funny, he was simply nodding his head.

"You didn't answer Granger's question about why I'm Head Boy," stated Malfoy. "And frankly, I'd like to know the answer to that myself."

McGonagall sighed again. "As I said, this year is all about unity. That means that all the houses need to be on the same side as much as possible—or at the very least leave the rivalries to the Quidditch pitch and the House Cup. That includes Slytherin House, Mr. Malfoy.

"I think it is safe to say that you would have the most influence over your fellow housemates, Mr. Malfoy."

"Do I still?" he asked. "My parents and I—we defected to the Light. There could be some students here who will…hold that against me. I don't think they would follow my direction. They certainly wouldn't follow Granger's."

"Only a handful of Slytherins from your year returned. I understand your concern, Mr. Malfoy, and it may be that some of the fifth, sixth, and seventh years feel this way. If that is the case, as Head Boy you will be living apart from the rest of Slytherin House, although of course you are welcome to visit your friends if you wish."

"So what you're trying to say is that I'm in a position to lead the Slytherins, and even if some do not wish to follow my lead, me being Head Boy offers me some sort of protection?"

"Precisely."

"Am I correct in thinking that you're trying to protect me in other ways?"

"Mr. Malfoy, you and your parents were very high profile before the war. It is safe to say that you will continue to be so—maybe even more—now that the war has ended."

"So that's a yes."

Hermione listened intently, the implications swirling around in her mind. Malfoy's appointment as Head Boy had been a calculated decision to try and promote unity between all the houses; the Slytherins would more than likely follow his lead if he was seen being friendly or at least civil to the other houses, especially Gryffindor. As Head Boy, he would have privileges—or protections—that the other students didn't. In Hogwarts, at least, he would be concealed, at least somewhat, from those who would do him harm. Hermione was sure, however, that some of the teachers would also use this year to watch him and make sure that he wasn't going to defect again.

McGonagall's voice broke through Hermione's reverie. "Remember what I said during my opening speech: Dumbledore specifically stated that you were to be given the position."

Malfoy—Draco; if she was going to be civil, she might as well get used to referring to him by his first name, at least in her mind—looked dumbfounded. "You weren't just saying that to appease everyone?"

McGonagall and Hermione both looked shocked at the accusation. "Absolutely not."

"I don't deserve it," he mumbled, growing pale and taut. Hermione knew he was remembering the awful events of their sixth year.

"Dumbledore, however, did. He, at least, saw something in you that many others did not. What that was, I do not know. He did, however, believe you deserved a chance to redeem yourself."

"And what better place to do that than at Hogwarts?" Hermione interjected, shocking herself as well as the other occupants of the Headmistress' office.

"Exactly, Miss Granger. So, will the two of you accept the position? It will be a hard one during this time of rebuilding, but I hope that by the end of the year, we will at least have begun to implement change here."

"Of course," Hermione answered promptly, wondering how McGonagall had ever thought that they would refuse the posts. Well, Malfoy—Draco—might, but she wouldn't.

"I never said I wouldn't," the Head Boy stated.

"Very good. We can meet again—say the second day of classes—to make decisions about the upcoming year. I just wanted to speak to the two of you to clear up any questions you might have had. If you have no more questions, you are dismissed."

Neither Hermione nor Draco had anything else to ask, so they both rose. "Granger," Malfoy said as they were going out the door. "Just because we're going to be civil and not be at war doesn't mean that there can't be skirmishes of wit, now does it?"

Hermione raised an eyebrow, wondering what he was getting at. "Depends on who is doing the skirmishing," she said cautiously.

"The two of us, of course. You're the only real intellectual competition here."

Shocked that Malfoy seemed to be paying her a compliment, Hermione replied, "I suppose…"

"I look forward to debating with you, Granger," he said, smirking.

X.X

They didn't speak for the rest of the night, except to confirm that the password to their eighth year Heads' dorm would remain "unity". The next morning was the last day before classes began, and Hermione rose early to have another look around their dorm. The night before she had been too entranced by the wall of bookshelves in the main room to really pay attention to the rest of the area, except for registering the presence of a massive couch and an equally huge fireplace. The bookshelves were filled nearly to capacity, and Hermione looked forward to reading as many books as she could over the course of the coming year.

The Heads were also supplied a small kitchenette in case they didn't want to go to the Great Hall for meals, so Hermione decided to whip herself up some breakfast. She was just finishing cooking some oatmeal when Draco entered. She felt a little silly for not having enough to offer him, but he declined, choosing a large apple from the bowl on the counter instead. He began to walk toward the sitting area, then turned around as Hermione was settling on a barstool to eat her breakfast.

"I never thanked you for testifying on my behalf at my trial…so thank you," he said quietly. "You didn't have to do that—I wouldn't have, if I was in your position."

She hardly knew what to say to that, so she just said, "You're welcome, Malfoy."

He nodded and turned to leave again, but just as suddenly turned back. "Granger…I apologize for my actions and the things I said over the years. They were completely reprehensible and unfounded. I was an ignorant prick, though that's not really an excuse. You've….you've more than proved that you belong in the Wizarding World.

"I also apologize for what happened…on that day in the Manor. You didn't deserve that. No one deserves that kind of treatment." She thought she heard him mumble least of all you, but she couldn't be sure.

Her shock must have shown on her face, for he then said, "Look, I'm not going to go voluntarily party with Muggles or something. I just think they should be allowed to live their sadly magic-free lives in peace, and we should have the same."

She didn't know whether "we" meant purebloods or all wizardkind. He didn't elaborate, and she didn't ask.

"I'm tired of war," he continued. "I grew tired of it long before it was actually over. I remember thinking that Potter needed to just kill You-Know-Who already so he would get out of my bloody house and leave my family alone."

"I'm tired of it too," she reiterated. "We lost so much, so many good people. I had to Obliviate my parents and send them across the world for their safety, for Merlin's sake. They don't even remember me," she mumbled. She wasn't sure why she had told him about her parents, but thought it had something to do with the fact that he was opening up to her.

He started. "I didn't know that," he said, looking thoughtful. "I'm sorry, Granger."

She knew he was talking about more than her parents. "Thank you," she said. "I…I accept your apology, Malfoy."

"You do?" he asked. She saw surprise flash across his normally stoic face as his shoulders relaxed. "Thank you, Granger. I don't deserve it, but thank you anyway."

"This doesn't mean you're entirely forgiven," she said. "You need to prove it—prove that you've changed."

He nodded and left, leaving Hermione to her breakfast and thoughts.

X.X

That conversation ended up being the catalyst for their friendship. They were edgy friends—they still bantered, argued, and debated constantly. They debated over inane things like which dessert was better as well as things like literature and which spell was the most useful. A few weeks into the new term, Hermione had dumped a stack of Muggle literature on him one day, and to her surprise, he read her selections without complaint—but not without a barrage of questions and comments. He, in turn, brought her some Wizarding fiction, which led to heated debates about the merits and flaws of both Wizarding and Muggle literature.

As part of the new emphasis on unity, the seventh and eighth years had their own table in the Great Hall. The reasoning was twofold. Having the eldest students sit together regardless of house at every meal would force them to work on being civil and would also set a good example for the younger students, who were encouraged to sit with friends of various houses for at least three meals every week.

Hermione wondered whether the professors considered this decision a mistake, as she and Draco never failed to come up with something to argue about. She knew their barbs were no longer malicious; they simply enjoyed trying to outdo one another with words and ideas. It was invigorating, she admitted to herself, having someone who was pretty much on par with her intellectually, who could follow all the twists and turns of her thought processes as she defended her position fervently and could do the same in return. Plus, sometimes she couldn't help but want to slap that silly smirk off his face. He seemed to find her zeal amusing, and she knew that he wouldn't even bother to answer one of his friends while engaged in an argument with her. She had his full attention, and it was a little unnerving at times.

For the first few weeks, Ginny would try to engage her in conversation to draw her away from trying to prove Draco wrong, but about two months in, the youngest Weasley finally gave up. Ron always grew a little red-faced when Hermione and Draco started in on each other, and Harry always looked like he was sucking on a lemon when faced with the two Heads' arguments. Eventually, everyone just silently agreed to tune the eighth year Heads out when they started bickering. Hermione only barely acknowledged this silent agreement; she was too focused on coming up with her own arguments and counterarguments, trying to predict Draco's stance. It was like a game of mental chess. She did, however, remember hearing Neville muttering to himself something about the two of them and Devil's Snare…

X.X

If Hermione and Draco bickered almost constantly during the day, then the nights were much different. Both of them, it seemed, suffered from nightmares. At least twice a week Hermione found herself waking up, covered in sweat and breathing hard, reliving some of the darkest events of the war—or surmising subconsciously what might have happened if, for instance, Dobby hadn't come to their rescue at Malfoy Manor. She would silently creep down to the Heads' common room, unable to go back to sleep, and more often than not, Draco was already there, woken up by his own horrific memories. If he wasn't there when she arrived, he showed up a few minutes afterward, and they would sit on opposite ends of the couch and wait for the sun to come up.

The first few nights, they just sat in silence; it was obvious why they were both up in the middle of the night. However, after about the second week, they started talking. First just about schoolwork, but then about other things—mostly anecdotes from their childhoods, sometimes a brief comment on their families. Within a couple of months, Hermione had learned more about Draco than she had learned in the previous six years. It didn't take much longer for her to forgive him for his actions (or inaction) before and during the war. His remorse was acute. No one was that good of an actor, she reasoned. He might tease her about some of her childhood anecdotes, especially some of her first brushes with accidental magic, but he never mentioned her blood status. He hadn't for years, she realized.

One night, Hermione brought up an idea that she had been tossing around for a few days; as her fellow Head, Draco was the first to hear about it.

"I've been thinking," she began tentatively, not knowing how to breach the subject.

She heard an amused snort come from the other end of the couch. "And that's different from any other day how?" he teased.

She huffed. "This year is supposed to be about unity, about breaching the divides between houses and classes that were so entrenched before and during the war."

She looked up to see him nodding and turning to face her. She mirrored his movement, snuggling into the corner of the huge couch and pulling a blanket over her legs.

"I just wondered…whether it would be prudent to hold another Yule Ball. The Ministry, I'm sure, is going to want to hold some kind of celebration for the first anniversary of the end of the war. I just think we need something to distract us from all the sadness and pain. Yule and Christmas are times to celebrate—times to celebrate family, friends, good food, and light coming back into the world. And maybe it will help us come together as one. We've all lost someone, whether it was a family member, a friend, a professor, or even simply a classmate. We need to realize that what unites us is much more than what divides us—what has divided us for so long and brought us to war."

He cocked his head, thinking. "It's a good idea, provided you plan it correctly."

"Correctly?"

He nodded. "Some people might put all the focus on all those who fought for the Light. Not you, Granger," he quickly clarified, seeing her glare. "Others, though, who are less…forgiving, I suppose, wouldn't even stop to remember that those on the other side lost people too. It's not that the contributions or sacrifices of the people on the Light side aren't meaningful, maybe even…well, more important, I guess, in some ways. But those on the Dark side—even those who defected—lost family members, friends."

"That's exactly what I'm saying. We are united in loss, in our magic, in the opportunity to move forward. Or at least we should be."

"Were you wanting to get most of the school involved, or just the Prefects?"

"You mean involved in the planning? I think it would be a good idea to get as much input as possible. I don't think we'll invite first or second years to the ball, but they could have a feast or something to take its place."

"Will you invite everyone back who…participated in the war?"

"I would like to. It could be a chance for those who fought to see that Hogwarts has been repaired, that the castle is buzzing with activity, learning, and new friendships. It would also give everyone a chance to see those they haven't kept in touch with as well as they probably should have. It can serve as a reminder that we are looking towards a future where blood status doesn't matter. I'm sure that not everyone who fought will want to come, but for those who do want to attend, I don't see why they shouldn't."

"Do you think they would allow my mother to come?" Draco asked softly after a few minutes of silence.

Hermione felt herself soften at his question. "I'm sure Harry would put in a good word—I know he credits her lie as a big reason why he's still alive today."

Draco nodded again. "Thank you," he said quietly. Then, with a smirk returning to his face, he tried to lighten the mood. "I'll get Blaise and Theo to help plan. Blaise's mother used to throw parties all the time. Can't let you Gryffindors throw red and gold all over the place and call it a party. Plus, Granger, I'm sure you'd try to hide all the Firewhiskey, and then where would we be?"

She huffed. "I'm not sure a bunch of sloshed wizards and witches is a good idea, Malfoy, especially when a lot of them don't like each other."

He just waved her off. "I wonder, if we slipped some Firewhiskey to Filch, whether he'd get so drunk he couldn't patrol. And can you imagine a tipsy McGonagall?"

The thought of an inebriated Professor McGonagall was just too much, and Hermione started to laugh, the last bit of the terror from her nightmare washing away. She saw Draco grin slightly, apparently pleased he'd gotten her to laugh, and laughed even more. Who would have thought she would be sitting with Draco Malfoy in the middle of the night, laughing as she hadn't laughed in years?

X.X

The months flew by, and all too soon it was time for the Yule Ball. Nearly everyone from sixth year and above had offered their help or input into putting the event together, which Hermione was all too thankful for. There was so much to do that she felt she was being stretched at the seams.

It seemed that studying for N.E.W.T.s and recovering from the aftermath of the war was enough to draw at least the eighth years in a way that would have been unheard of during their previous years of school. There were still some people who didn't get along, and would probably never get along, but for the most part, cross-House friendships had become the norm for the oldest Hogwarts students.

Draco had drawn his two best friends, Blaise Zabini and Theo Nott, into Hermione's group of friends, saying that the Gryffindor bunch needed a Slytherin influence. Hermione had countered that maybe the Gryffindors would instead influence the Slytherins, which had sparked yet another debate. Hermione liked Blaise and Theo, however; they told funny stories about Draco's childhood and made a good addition to their study group—when they could be prevailed upon to study, that is. They were no Harry and Ron—no one could replace her boys—but she liked them all the same. Harry and Ron, for their part, got along with the Slytherins better than she thought they would—they had bonded over a love of Quidditch and making fun of Draco. She even got along with Theo's girlfriend, Daphne Greengrass, fairly well, but Pansy Parkinson, Blaise's on-again, off-again girlfriend, was a different story. Hermione could never quite forget that Pansy had wanted to turn Harry over to Voldemort.

The eighth year thus settled into a routine of studying, Head duties, arguing with Draco, trips to Hogsmeade, and researching ways to break the memory charm on her parents. She was exhausted much of the time, but she would rather take this kind of exhaustion over battle and war weariness any day.

Hope you enjoyed the first chapter! Please leave a review and tell me what you thought!