Author's note: I've finally decided to post my first and only fic. It's been rolling around my head for quite a while now, so hopefully you will be pleased with the endless tweaking it has undergone these past few months.

Disclaimer: JK Rowling owns the world of Harry Potter, I just play in it.

She had known it had been coming—it only made sense. She was the smartest witch in her year, and he was the only logical wizard to pick aside from Harry Potter, who already had enough on his plate. Still, she knew no amount of time could provide adequate preparation for the moment she read it and it became fact, solid and cold as stone. Turning the envelope restlessly in her hands, Hermione traced her name and address that was scrawled in Albus Dumbledore's own handwriting for the twentieth time while trying to find the courage to break the seal. Finally, she sighed with resignation and quickly cracked the wax stamp and eased the parchment into her hands. Gingerly unfolding the note, her eyes scanned the first few lines which confirmed what she already knew: she had been named Head Girl and none other than Draco Malfoy had been chosen as Head Boy.

Sadly smiling, she read the rest of the lengthy letter in which Dumbledore apologized for the unfortunate match, assured her that Malfoy was the best possible choice, and went on to explain how he knew that she could rise to the challenge and find a way to civilly collaborate with the Slytherin during the course of the year. She already hated the idea of sharing a common room with him, not even considering the fact that she was to be sleeping within 20 yards of him.

She shook her head roughly as she set the letter aside and drew out two identical pieces of parchment. Two matching letters soon sat on her desk while she coaxed the delivery owl to her window, where she tied the two short letters to it's leg and instructed it to find Ron Weasley and Harry Potter. After watching the bird fly off into the night sky, she placed her hands on her hips and surveyed her room. Her trunk stood open at the foot of her bed, neat stacks of clothes piled in and around it, slightly messy as she had been organizing her things after recently returning from Number Twelve Grimmauld Place. She had been stuck for the majority of the summer, researching and working unofficially with the Order to track any useful information to help Harry and Ron as they traipsed over Europe nearly blindly and clearly hopelessly.

She frowned slightly as she remembered her argument with her two closest friends at the beginning of the summer, when she insisted on going searching with the two boys. She had finally listened to the Order when they said they needed her brain at the headquarters because otherwise the three of them would have been roaming aimlessly without Hermione's work at the house. So the two boys took off without her, returning home only a few times, though never for very long or with good news of any leads they were told to pursue. She was still sore for being left behind by her two friends, as was unsure how she would react to seeing them again once school began. Hermione had been stuck at Grimmauld Place with a constantly worrying Molly, restless twins, a good dose of a worn out Remus and a number of other members that drifted in and out. She spent most of her days alone, generally looking for more helpful information or reading, but sometimes she allowed herself to be coaxed out of the library by the twins and their lighthearted shenanigans. She lay down—with the two scant weeks remaining before school started again for her final year at Hogwarts, her head spun as she quickly compiled numerous more lists of things to complete now that she was positive she was head girl. Several hours later her busy mind finally slowed as she was lulled into the first deep sleep she had in several weeks by the noise of the rain falling evenly against her window.

Too soon, it seemed, she was at King's Cross station, kissing her parents good-bye before stepping composedly though the barrier that led her to the Hogwarts Express. Glancing around, she found Ron and Harry standing in a huddle with Luna, Neville, and Ginny. The five were talking animatedly and didn't notice her arrival. She hurried to the group to quickly greet everyone before she was expected in the Heads Compartment to go over her new responsibilities.

"Hey guys," she butted in, a little out of breath.

"Hermione!" Harry and Ron cried before wrapping her in a tight double bear hug.

"Oi, you two, I can't breathe!" she squeaked as she shifted awkwardly in their unusual embrace. The boys were clearly trying to compensate for their lack of communication over the summer.

"Sorry," Ron grinned sheepishly as the two released her. She didn't know if she was glad to see her two friends after watching them wasting an entire summer tracking something they knew they weren't going to find, even with her helping from the headquarters' library.

"Its ok," Hermione said with a small smile, as Ginny wrapped her in another hug, "but I don't have much time; I'm expected in the Heads compartment in—" she glanced at her watch "—three minutes." She received identical looks of sympathy from the 5 students that proved Ron and Harry had told the others who she would be working and living alongside for the next school year. "Apart from just a few letters," she continued in a tone more severe than she had intended, "I haven't heard much from you two all summer." She turned to face Harry pointedly, crossing her arms to show her slight displeasure. He blushed slightly, but didn't avert his gaze.

"You agreed it was best for you to stay home—"

"I know what I agreed to. But I need to know what happened if I'll be able to offer more help."

"Well, ok then. We had a horrible time. If it weren't for your help, we wouldn't have gotten anything done at all. But it's gonna take more than a minute to catch you up," he sighed, and Hermione was ashamed to feel a small flame of pleasure light in her stomach at hearing him admit the summer wasn't as productive as he had assured her it would be.

"Alright, I expect a full report during the feast!" She smiled apologetically one last time before she ran off to find the carriage she was expected in.

When she found it, she stood outside the door for a few seconds, collecting her thoughts before stepping up and sliding the door back. Malfoy already stood inside with his back turned to her, and Professor McGonagall standing before him. She stopped talking and looked over to her when she entered, a small smile tugging at her wary face. The boy made no motion to greet her, let alone any movement to acknowledge her arrival.

"Ah, Hermione. Thank you for making it on time," McGonagall gestured for her to sit on the bench and Malfoy to sit beside her. Unwilling to make a fuss over being so near to Malfoy so soon, she politely sat down and he curtly followed suit, never once turning to look at her. The train lurched and Hermione knew they were on their way towards Hogwarts. After a extensive review of school rules, as well as an explanation of what was to be expected from the two and how they may go about their duties, the elderly witch suggested they patrol the train, then excused herself from their carriage after giving Hermione a quick apologetic look. Now alone with the boy, she sat rigidly in silence for a few moments.

"Look, I don't want this any more than you do," he began nobly, still not turning to face her, "so let's just agree to stay out of each other's way unless absolutely necessary."

"Don't be stupid, Malfoy, you know that can't happen. The point is for us to work together to unify the student body and lead by example." She glanced over, curious as to her word's effect. He sat nine or ten inches from her, lounging back against the seat yet proud and regal as ever. His aristocratic face was turned away from her, towards the scenery flashing by the window. He seemed to have not heard her. "We are going to be working together," she continued, "living together and sharing a bathroom. Can't we at least pretend to be civil?"

"I owe no such thing to a mudblood," was his terse response. She felt heat rush to her cheeks.

"You're such a prat, Malfoy. You were picked as Head Boy. Obviously Dumbledore sees something in you, although I'm not quite sure what. If you want to play that game, go ahead, but count me out." She was proud of how mature she sounded. Truthfully, she had carefully thought of how to respond to the negativity that she expected of him. He yawned, reaching a pale hand up to cover his mouth, but he still stared pointedly out the window. She sighed and turned to face forward again.

"Go patrol the back of the train. I will start up here." He finally turned to face her, fixing her with an icy stare that clearly challenged her to defy him.

"Fine," she yielded, "but don't expect me to follow your orders all year. I'm just trying to avoid conflict on our first day as Heads." She stood and strode to the door, opened it and walked down the hallway.

An hour later, the two met somewhere in the middle of the train. She continued walking after she reached him, however, and made her way up to the front of the train.

"Oi, Granger! Where the bloody hell do you think you're going?" he drawled after her.

"Going back to our compartment so I can change into our school robes. Where do you get off bossing me around?" she shot back, stopping in her tracks and turning around.

"All that talk about working together and you just walk off on your own? Sounds rather hypocritical, even for you," he laughed, taking a step forward.

"Don't even get me started on 'hypocritical', you foul little boy!" Hermione said, a little too loudly, as she too took a step forward. They were now three feet apart.

"Don't you DARE—" he began as he stepped forward, two feet now separating them.

"I'm not going to fight with you before we even reach school, Malfoy. I'm going to get changed. And you should, too," she sighed and turned back around.

"Don't think you can boss me around, you filthy girl," he spat at her retreating back. When she didn't flinch or retaliate, he realized he had to follow her because all his stuff was in that compartment. Irately pushing a second year out of his way, he stalked off after her. He returned to the door and slid it open without knocking. Hermione was already in her school robes, sitting on one of the benches with a small bright blue box in her hand with a thin, white wire extending from the box, splitting in two and ending in each of her ears. He heard faint music coming from her direction. Her head was resting back against the wall and her eyes were closed, but they snapped open when he entered the room. Walking over to his trunk, he opened it and pulled from it his school robes, her eyes trailing him warily the entire time. He looked over at her and caught her gaze. She pressed the paused button on her music player, the soft music coming to an abrupt halt, and waited for him to say something.

"I understand you wanting to watch me undress, mudblood, but I'd like some privacy," he drawled before smirking at her and pulling his shirt off. She caught a glimpse of the flat, pale stomach he flashed at her before looking away, out the window. She heard him laugh and say something, but she couldn't make out exactly what, since she had turned her music back on. He sat across from her and stretched his feet within her sight. Watching the landscapes pass, listening to her music, and feeling the calm rock of the train's movement, she eventually fell into a light slumber. Apparently Malfoy had, too, because although the slowing of the train woke her, she caught a glimpse of him sleeping before the final halting break woke him. She smiled as she saw him sleepily wipe a small trail of drool from the side of his mouth before standing up composedly, all traces of sleep quickly erased. Although Hermione reached the compartment door first, he roughly shoved her out of the way and stepped through it ahead of her.

She sighed and shook her head before following him out.