Chapter 1

Hermione Granger sat on her bed in Ginny Weasley's room at The Burrow holding a letter that had only just been delivered by owl post. Her hands were shaking and her heart pounding because this was no ordinary letter. It was her seventh year Hogwarts' letter, and she had great hopes it would contain the news that she was head girl this year.

Ever since coming to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry at the age of eleven, Hermione had dreamed of being head girl one day. It was the highest achievement a Hogwarts student could obtain, and Hermione was all about achievements.

She had been made prefect in her fifth year, and that had been exciting, but the big goal had always been head girl. Now the moment had come. When she opened this letter she would know if all her hard work had paid off. She would either be celebrating another great accomplishment or hanging her head in despair.

Her hands were shaking so violently now that she could barely handle her letter opener, but handle it she did at last, and two pieces of heavy parchment fell out of the now tattered envelope. Immediately recognizing the greeting and the book list she got every year, she cast it aside and grabbed the second sheet. Hermione whipped it open so fast she almost tore it. Her eyes bit of big chunks of the print as she read to herself in a higher than normal voice.

"Dear Ms. Granger: It is my great pleasure to inform you that you have been chosen Head Girl for this school year."

Hermione shrieked loudly and shot off the bed in her joy. She could hardly keep reading.

"Your excellent academic record and many accomplishments in your previous years at Hogwarts made you the best choice for this highly valued position amongst your peers. I am sure you will continue to operate to the highest standards of Hogwarts excellence, and look forward to observing your continued growth into an esteemed graduate of our beloved school.

You will be expected at an orientation meeting set up for you and the Head Boy, Mr. Draco Malfoy…" (What!) "…upon your arrival at the school and after the welcome feast on 1 September. I will look forward to seeing you and Mr. Malfoy then.

Again, congratulations and good luck,

Professor Minerva McGonagall

Asst. Headmistress

Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry."

Hermione fell back on the bed, her eyes wide with confusion and disbelief, the hand holding the long awaited letter dangling over her knee.

This cannot be, she thought. I have waited so long for this honor, but now I cannot imagine how I can accept it. Draco Malfoy, head boy! It cannot be!

Hermione let the letter fall from her hand, as great tears of disappointment flowed down her face, as her thoughts continued on their wild rampage. I cannot share living quarters with Draco Malfoy! That is simply impossible! And all those meetings and patrols!

With each new thought Hermione found herself getting angrier and angrier until she shouted, "This just isn't fair! I wanted this more than he ever could have wanted it! Why do I have to share this with the one person on the planet who has made my life and the lives of those I care about miserable?"

Hermione was pacing like a caged animal, bellowing at the top of her voice.

"No!" she stamped. "I just won't do it! I can't."

She was shouting so loudly that she did not hear the many footsteps on the stairs outside of Ginny's room. Suddenly the door burst open and there stood Harry, Ron, and Ginny, looking terrified. Hermione turned to these, her closest friends with fire in her eyes. She looked so frightening in her wrath that everyone backed up a little.

Ron was the first to recover, as silence filled the small room.

"Bloody hell, Hermione!" he said angrily. "What are you bellowing about? We could hear you all the way out in the yard!"

Harry and Ginny nodded, still looking quite alarmed, as Hermione stalked over and imperiously thrust the letter out to them, anguish in her eyes. Harry took the parchment and carefully smoothed it out and began to read silently to himself. Apparently he only read the first line because he looked up at Hermione beaming.

"Head Girl!" he said happily. "Well, congratulations!"

He hugged her, but Hermione remained stiff, her arms folded across her chest.

"This is great……"

Harry, noticing her less than enthusiastic reaction, let his voice trail off. And Ginny and Ron said nothing as they observed Hermione's storm cloud of a face.

"Keep reading," Hermione said in a low voice filled with the sound of threatening tears.

Harry let his questioning eyes fall back to the parchment for a moment, and understanding broke over his face.

"Good night!" Harry said vehemently. "No wonder you were screaming. Draco Malfoy, head boy!"

"Malfoy!" Ron bellowed. "What a bloody nightmare! What was Dumbledore thinking?"

Ginny immediately put a comforting arm around Hermione.

"I'm so sorry," she said, tears of sympathy in her eyes. "I know you were looking so forward to being head girl. What rotten luck."

Hermione nodded, fighting to hold back her own tears. Harry and Ron, thinking that Ginny might be able to comfort her better than they could do, quietly backed out of the room, their demeanor reminiscent of funeral manners. Ginny guided Hermione to her bed and sat next to her, gently stoking her arm and looking sympathetic. Hermione let her tears flow freely now, being unable to stop them.

"I really wanted to enjoy this last year at Hogwarts as much as possible," Hermione wailed. "We'll all have the war to face soon, and who knows what we'll suffer. I just can't imagine sleeping with the enemy right across the common room from me. Oh, Ginny, I just know he'll make my life miserable!"

Meanwhile, at Malfoy manner, Draco, a tall, handsome boy with platinum blonde hair and cool grey eyes, had just finished reading his letter from Professor McGonagall. Swearing loudly, Draco tore the letter into the tiniest pieces possible, as he stomped around the room looking murderous.

"I cannot believe this! Surely this is some kind of joke! Now I know Dumbledore is senile. No one in his right mind would put the mudblood in the same living quarters with me! It's simply insane! We'll never get along. I mean, gods, we'll probably end up killing each other!"

Draco threw himself down on his bed like a petulant child. He thought for a moment and decided what he must do.

"Well, there's nothing for it but to make it work," said Draco. "I'll just have a little discussion with Granger in the head boy/head girl compartment of the Hogwarts express. We'll just agree to disagree. She leaves me alone, I leave her alone. No questions asked and as little contact as possible. It's the only way. Now to tell Mum and Dad."

Draco knew his parents would not be happy, especially Lucius. Dumbledore would undoubtedly be hearing from Mr. Malfoy. Draco smiled mischievously, thinking of the ensuing row.

"Something good may come of this after all," he murmured as he swept from the room.