SUMMARY: DMHG Prequel to Brotherly Love. Hermes decides to take matters into his own hands.

Disclaimer: Anything but the plot isn't mine.

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Hermes Granger was awakened by a sharp tap on his bedroom window. He blinked groggily (it was 4 a.m. for crying out loud) and looked towards the noise. It was an owl. Sighing, he went and opened the window, hoping against hope that no one from Hogwarts discovered his home address. His sister will probably be furious by all the mail they'll be receiving, if ever.

After taking two letters from the owl, he gave it some food and water to eat and to drink then watched as it flew away. Sighing again, he placed the letters at his desk, not even bothering to look at the sender, and promptly went back to sleep.

----

"Hermes."

He ignored his sister's voice, rolling around in his bed and tucking the blankets over his head.

"Hermes!"

For the third time that day, he sighed, sitting up. "Yes Mi?"

Hermione smiled warmly at him. "I just wanted to wake you up for breakfast."

He managed to return a weak smile. Oh Merlin, his head was pounding after that episode with the owl. Waking up terribly early in the morning always gave him a headache. "Thanks, Mi."

She nodded happily, until she suddenly noticed the two letters on his desk. She grabbed those and promptly turned white.

He noticed the sudden change in her complexion and was immediately concerned. "Hey. What's wrong?"

She took a deep breath, her eyes never leaving the papers in her hands. "Hermes, when did you receive these Hogwarts letters?"

He blinked. "Really early this morning. And those are from Hogwarts?"

"Yes. One for you, one for me."

He noticed the barely concealed excitement in her voice, and her face was rapidly becoming flushed now. He resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Girls. Totally capricious people. Besides, why was she so ecstatic over two letters? Maybe it was just the list of books of books that they need. It's not like they're- Oh damn. His eyes widened, and Hermione grinned at him.

"Took you long enough."

In an instant, the two letters were opened, rather haphazardly, and Hermione couldn't contain her happiness.

"I'M HEAD GIRL! Oh my god, I've been dreaming about this since I was eleven!"

Hermes, on the other hand, was completely flabbergasted. He couldn't believe it. He couldn't believe this was happening. HE was HEAD BOY?! "No."

She stopped, an eyebrow raised. "Hermes, what's wrong with you? What did it say? You're Head Boy, right?"

"Right." was his curt reply.

She frowned. "Aren't you happy? We're both Heads!"

He took a deep breath, and another, and another until he trusted himself to be fully calm and can act in a very civil way. "I will kill Dumbledore."

----

There was a loud pop, and Dumbledore was roused from his doze when someone stormed to his desk.

"HERMES!"

He looked towards his fireplace and saw a very flushed Hermione climbing out.

"Headmaster," a furious yet polite voice said.

Dumbledore smiled, looking up at the person standing so formidably in front of his table. "Ah, Mr. Granger. Would you care for a lemon drop?" he offered.

"No thank you, sir."

He motioned for the boy to sit. He did. Hermione bowed politely at the school Headmaster then glared at her brother. "Professor, I'm sorry for-"

"Hermione, sit down." Hermes said with barely restrained fury. "I am going to talk to Professor Dumbledore."

His twin paled. "But Hermes, I don't understand! I didn't mean it. I-I was joking and-" At her brother's derisive snort, she slumped down on a chair, oblivious of Dumbledore's mischievous smile.

"What brings you here, Mr. Granger?" the old professor asked, his fingers clasped in front of him.

"Sir, my sister and I have received two letters about your decision of us being Heads." Hermes said gravely.

Dumbledore nodded. "Of course. I suppose it didn't come as a surprise?"

Hermes raised an eyebrow. "It has, Professor. In fact, I am here to question your decision."

Hermione gasped. "Hermes! Please!" The headmaster raised a hand to stop her protests, urging for Hermes to continue.

"I meant I believe I am not capable on executing this job."

"Really, Mr. Granger? All the professors think otherwise."

Hermes sighed at the headmaster's games. "Sir, I believe my sister and I cannot effectively promote interhouse unity." he replied, stressing the last two words.

"HERMES!" Hermione's voice was shrill.

Dumbledore's eyes twinkled. "Ah. I believe I am catching on now, Mr. Granger. You are thinking somebody else is suitable for the job, hmm?"

"Precisely."

"NO! Professor, please don't listen to him!"

"Ms. Granger, please."

"But, Professor!"

"Mr. Potter?"

"HERMES!"

Hemes nodded gravely in assent. "It is quite possible. I do not question Harry's abilities, but..."

"PLEASE!"

"I'm thinking along the lines of Draco Malfoy."

"Mr. Malfoy?" Dumbledore inquired gently. "Are you sure about this, Mr. Granger? You do know Mr. Malfoy and Ms. Granger's relationship do you not?"

At this, Hermes smirked. "I know, Professor. And I'm dead sure."

Flashback

Diagon Alley

"What else do you need?"

"I need new dress robes, Hermes. You know I always manage to ruin the ones I have."

Hermes grinned. "Yeah. Your Golden Trio escapades."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Oh please. And don't call us that. It sounds like we're some new breed of superheroes."

"Aren't you?" All he received as a reply was a dark glare. When the twins arrived at Madam Malkin's shop, she tilted her head curiously at him when he turned to leave.

"Where are you going?"

"I'm getting some ice cream for the both of us. We both know you take long in this kind of stuff." Her threats of hexes and curses, amidst all the laughter, shooed him promptly out. They both know she was good at backing up her words.

---

As Hermione was waiting for her Gryffindor robes, a beautiful dark robe on a nearby table caught her eye. Curious, she walked closer to it and gasped as she touched the material. It was silk, and just by looking at it, she knew it was the most expensive kind. Looking around to see if someone was watching (and finding none), she slipped the robe over her casual summer dress and almost sighed as she felt the soft cloth caressing her skin.

"Wow. I can't believe you'd actually look good in my clothes, Granger."

She gasped, whirling around to face none other than the owner of the robe, Draco Malfoy.

He smirked upon seeing her shocked face. "Nice to see you too."

Oh Merlin. She flushed in embarrassment. She was actually caught wearing Malfoy's Slytherin robes! "Malfoy," she greeted, putting up her best haughty look. She hoped it work, because she was getting really uncomfortable under his smug gaze.

He bent down to whisper in her ear. "You look like a Slytherin princess, Granger. And a very lovely one at that too."

She didn't know whether to be angry because she was dubbed a Slytherin or to be flustered because Malfoy, her sworn enemy, just complimented her. So she remained impassive, or so she hoped, and simply raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Tired of arguing with me now, Malfoy?"

He shrugged nonchalantly. "Maybe. Or you just look nice."

Her jaw dropped.

"So," he started conversationally, eyeing her up and down appreciatively. "You want it?"

"Excuse me?"

He took out his wand and produced a replica of his emerald robes. After wearing out (Hermione resisted the urge to drool), he conjured a full-length mirror and admired himself. "Man, I look good. Don't I?"

She bit her lip. "You actually expect me to answer that?" Her voice ended in a rather high-pitched squeak.

He smirked, glancing at her. "No." Before she could retort, he grabbed her by the waist and pulled her in front of him, her back facing his chest. "Hmm... we look rather picturesque, don't we, Granger?"

She was stunned by how... attractive... they looked together. Both of them wearing emerald robes, his pale blond hair contrasting with her dark brown locks, both of his hands on her waist. She looked at Malfoy in the mirror and was surprised by the small smile playing on his lips.

"So..." he whispered, looking into her eyes. "Truce?"

She almost shivered. "Truce."

He grinned, and the spell was broken. He promptly backed away from her, and she was faintly surprised to see he was back to wearing his customary black robes. "Wonderful, Granger. So, you want to keep it?"

She was close to being numb by now. "Your robes? I... It's yours."

He shrugged. "Very well. Then it's yours now."

"B-but-"

"Consider it as a token of our newly-founded friendship." With a last smirk at her, he breezed out of the shop, leaving Hermione to wonder. What the hell had happened?

---

Hermes frowned as the ice cream on his hand began to melt. "Oh great." Quickly, so no one would see, he performed a quick little spell so the ice cream will be temporarily frozen.

"Consider it as a token of our newly-founded friendship."

He blinked, and then someone had passed by him. A little more than curious, he entered the shop and found his sister looking like Voldemort had taken over the whole world. "Who was that?" he asked. "And why are you wearing Slytherin robes?" That seemed to snap her out of whatever daze she'd been in, and she quickly removed the robe.

"Stupid, stupid Malfoy..."

He blinked again. "So. That was Draco Malfoy? You're friends now?"

She didn't have the chance to reply as Madam Malkin came in. "Ms. Granger, here are yours." She handed the Gryffindor princess a load of scarlet robes. Hermione very nearly buckled under the weight of it.

"B-but, I only wanted three pairs!" Hermes quickly rushed forward to help, the ice cream cones vanishing from his hand in an instant. "How am I supposed to pay for this?"

The lady raised an eyebrow. "Mr. Malfoy has sent me a note. He has also kindly paid for all your expenses. And he said you can keep his as well. Now, can you please try one so we can make the necessary alterations?"

Hermes' smile widened when Hermione shot him a glare. When Madam Malkin left to wrap her purchases, she turned on him quickly. "You will not speak about this. Ever."

He nodded, putting a hand over his heart for emphasis. "I will never speak a word of how my twin sister, Hermione Jane Granger, Gryffindor princess and member of the Golden Trio, had fallen in love with pureblood Slytherin Draco Malfoy this 25th of July in-"

"Oh you shut up!"

He dodged her weak attempts at hitting him. "So, how did it happen? Did he kiss you? Did you kiss him?"

"NO!" she almost shrieked. "He just said I look nice in his robes, ok? So drop it!" And then she suddenly got this dazed look on her face. "Do you think Draco'll like me in scarlet?"

Hermes bit his lip to keep from laughing his head off.

End Flashback

"HERMES! HOW COULD YOU?!"

Dumbledore smiled. "I see. I will inform the other professors of your refusal due to a very valid reason of course. Then, I will send our newly-appointed Head Boy an owl."

Hermes smiled, shooting his sister a triumphant look. "Thank you, sir."

"Now toddle along. Miss Granger, I expect to see you on the first of September as our new Head Girl, wearing scarlet robes of course."

Hermione groaned in despair.

---

"Granger."

"Malfoy."

Hermione sighed, running a hand through her hair. "Look, Malfoy, you can see we're both Heads, so we better-"

"We've had a truce, remember?"

She stopped. "Oh. Right."

He smirked, offering a hand. Uncertainly, she took it. And he twirled her around, her robes swishing around her. "I must say, you look lovely in crimson, Granger."

And she almost smiled.

---

Author's Notes: hi guys. I'm back! Did you like it? Love it? Hate it? I hope not. Ha-ha. Anyway, I'd appreciate it very much if you'd give me reviews. we all know that it is an author's greatest dream to create a story that will please his readers... or I'm just being plain sappy. Ha-ha. Thank you for reading!