I do not own HP.

Dear Hermione Granger,

We are pleased to welcome you back as one of the special eighth year class. As the rumors have spread, we admit some are true. The eight years are sharing a common room and have been stripped of their house status. You are all required to wear purple and white robes. The men will have purple ties, white shirts, and black slacks. The girls have a requirement to wear a black or purple skirt, a black or purple tie, and a white shirt.

You however still have the privilege as Head Girl to have a private common room with the Head Boy. A complete list of books is attached as well as a gift to help with your hectic schedule.

Best regards,

Albus Dumbledore

Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry

Hermione shook the envelope and a silver time turner fell into her palm. She smiled to herself and turned towards her new cat.

"See this Sarah? This is what we call a time turner. It's going to help me attend my two extra classes."

Her pure black cat just meowed back at her. She felt a pang in her heart at the memory of her previous cat but shrugged it off. Her cat had gotten sick during the war and she couldn't take it traveling with her.

She ran a hand down her white cotton t-shirt smoothing an invisible wrinkle. Her smile reappeared as she used magic to pack her trunk. She wrestled Sarah into her pet tote that looked like an over grown purse.

Speaking of which!

Her eyes scanned for her purse she had charmed to be much bigger inside than outside. She locked her apartment behind her and put her trunk in her purse.

She sat in her compartment alone as she waited for Harry, Ron, and Ginny. Sarah was sleeping beside her. Hermione rubbed bare legs and pulled her short shorts down a little father.

Why is this compartment cold?

She muttered a warming spell under her breath and the room became more bearable. The compartment opened to reveal the three stumbling in.

"Hermione!"

Ginny sat on the other side of Hermione and held her close for a second.

"Did you get your letter?"

Hermione flashed her head badge to them and they all congratulated her.

"I can't believe you guys get to wear different uniforms!"

Ginny's eyes flashed dark blue in jealousy, a look Hermione had seen in Ron plenty of times. Speaking of which, she noticed he wouldn't look directly at her. His loss, she had waited years for him and he never asked her out until after war. She turned him down gently having being fed up with boys for the rest of her school year. Krum had mailed her plenty of times over the summer but she answered them half heartedly.

The door opened again to see some first year standing in the door way.

"Uh, Miss Granger?"

"Yeah?"

"You're to head to the front of the train for the heads compartment."

She thanked him and said bye to her friends. Sarah laid in her arms as she brushed past students on her way to the front.

Her but rested on the seat and Sarah jumped off to land across from her.

"Sarah, you're about to meet the meanest boy in this school."

"Talking about me Granger?"

Hermione turned her head slightly to see Draco Malfoy in all of his smug glory. His hair had grown longer since the war. He was already dressed in his uniform, with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. The scent of an expensive cologne filled her senses as he sat across from her. She motioned to warn him about Sarah but the cat instead rubbed her head against the boys arm. He chuckled and scratched behind her ears, her purrs of approval filling the silence.

"Traitor."

She crossed her arms noticing this compartment was cold as well.

"Are you talking to me? Because if I remember right, I was never a traitor, just a spy."

"Not you Malfoy, Sarah! She hates anyone besides me, and now apparently you too."

She stood up and looked down at him.

"What?"

"I need to change!"

"Well I don't see the problem-"

"Out!"

He stood up and smirked at her before standing outside the door way. She pulled the curtain down and slipped her skirt on over her jean shorts before taking them off. Her cotton t-shirt came off fast, but not fast enough before the door opened.

"Granger, theses two idiots-"

He paused mid sentenced and his eyes scanned her body quickly before she threw her shirt at him.

"OUT!"

She furiously buttoned up her shirt and tied her tie before letting him back in. But not soon enough as she saw him and Ron in dueling stance, wands at the ready. Sarah hissed in disproval and she herself crossed her arms.

"What the hell is going on out here?"

"He started it! Standing outside the door like-"

"A gentlemen so I could change? Honestly Ronald, he fought along our side of the war, he saved Dumbledore's life. And Harry's!"

Ron looked defeated, but Hermione wasn't done scolding yet.

"You fought in a war Ron so quit acting so immature! What was it that you needed so badly?"

His wand never lowered but he looked down.

"Ijustwantedtotalktoyou."

"What?"

"I just wanted to talk to you."

Hermione rolled her eyes.

"Later Ron, right now Malfoy and I have head duties."

She shut the door on all of them and landed with a thump on her seat.

"Why are boys so stupid Sarah?"

Her cat meowed softly at her before settling down across from her.

Draco entered and sat across from her with a sigh.

"That was interesting/"

Hermione nodded her head before digging in her purse for a notebook and pen.

"Alright, let's start on this prefect schedule."

"We can't put Ginny and Dean together!"

"Why not?"

"Because he likes her but she doesn't like him!"

"And this matters because?"

"Good god Malfoy, have you no sense!"

"Apparently not."

She ran her hands through her hair.

Sarah rubbed her head against Malfoy's face and Hermione glared at her.

Traitor.

The grand doors of the Great Hall opened up to them and Hermione felt her face flush in embarrassment as they students cheered for their Head Boy and Head Girl. Her hair billowed behind her as she and Malfoy strode up to the shorter, fifth table specifically chosen for the eighth years. She barely listened to the usual speech as she sat across from Harry and Ron.

"So where are your head dorms?"

"Near the prefects' bathroom. It has a door like the Room of Requirement. You have to say the password three times."

"What's the password?"

"I don't know yet. I'll tell you guys at breakfast."

They nodded at her and soon after the speech ended Ron dug into his food while Hermione nibbled on hers. She was too nervous to eat at this point in the night.

When the feast was over Dumbledore himself showed them their dorm. When the door opened she saw a beautiful ivory and dark brown living room with matching kitchenette. Malfoy's door was directly across from hers. She ran to hers and let Sarah out. Her room was pure white with lavender accents. Her books from home were stacked neatly in a small book shelf. Her white desk held a lavender wiztop and a wizpod home. She smiled and quickly threw on Ron's old baggy shirt and a pair of cotton shorts before exiting her room and walking across the room to knock on Malfoy's.

He opened it and she shoved her way in to see his room was a combination of a very dark brown and a dark blue.

"Granger what are you doing?"

She noted he had the same things she had only with his own books.

"Being nosey I guess."

Sarah made her way into the room and laid herself on Malfoy's bed.

"Sarah, what are you doing?"

The only response was the loud purr coming from the cat.

"Granger, I think your cat fancies me."

"I think so too."

There was an awkward silence before Hermione cleared her throat.

"Well I think it's time I get some sleep. It looks like Sarah's going to sleep with you tonight."

"Does she hog the bed?"

"I don't think so."

"Good. Good night Granger."

"Night Malfoy."

Hermione woke up to see Sarah's blue eyes staring up at her.

"Sarah, you're heavy."

Her cat meowed in response and Hermione dug in her handbag that was on her end table and found a hot pink collar with matching bell. She put it on Sarah and moved to sit up as her IM dinged.

ChessMaster : Hermione!

She rolled her eyes and started to get dressed while answering him.

LoveableBookworm: Yes Ron?

ChessMaster: This computer thing is amazing!

LoveableBookworm: Yes Ron, I know. You better get ready for first period.

She appeared offline and put on her tie. Her hair had brightened up in the summer sun and could be called blonde on some days. She pulled it up in a high pony tail with bangs framing her face.

The smell of coffee greeted her and she smiled wide, almost skipping to the kitchenette. She found a thermos with her name on it and filled it with half milk, half coffee, and an eighth cup of sugar. She walked out of the portrait hole to head to her first class, Life survival 101.

"Alright listen up! You all are no longer kids, your adults! You chose to come back and that's great so it's time to teach you about life. First off, marriage!"

Everyone looked at the new professor like she was insane.

"I will partner you us easily! Potter and Brown. Weasley and Parkinson. Malfoy and Granger. Zabini and Bones!"

Hermione's head hit her palm as she looked at Malfoy across the room. He gave her a small smirk before turning his attention to the teacher.

"I will give you all a red binder that starts the marriage life. The final term with have you all wanting to kill me! With that, you all must have noticed we meet once every two weeks to see how progress is. This project may seem like a joke, but its not. Take it as seriously as you take potions. With that, you have the rest of the period to meet today's requirements!"

Hermione groaned and made her way to the desk Malfoy was sitting at. Today's paper had a checklist of their jobs and income. She was a lawyer, and he was an auror.

"Why do you get to be an auror?"

"Well what are you?"

He leaned closer to her and the smell of his cologne filled her senses.

"Granger, you're a lawyer! You only make a little less than I do. Our assignment should be easy!"

They 'bought' a three story house and each owned a muggle car. They had invested in two wizard stocks.

Hermione was glad they were lucky because she heard what a few people were. Lavender got fast food worker. Ron was a teacher. Harry was a sanitation worker. Pansy was a primary school teacher. Susan was a fashion designer. And Blaise ended up being a model.

She looked away from the lost puppy look Ron was giving her. Her attention turned to her partner who was scratching something into the desk. She slapped his arm and he gave her a half hearted glare before slouching down and sighing. Soon they were dismissed and Hermione started to dread the rest of her day.

Sarah and her bell greeted her at the portrait hole and Hermione gave a weary smile before plopping down on the floor with her legs under the coffee table. She spread her books and homework in separate piles each.

An hour into her potions essay and she was done. By that time Malfoy had come to join her and now her stomach was growling in protest.

"You hungry Granger?"

"Do you think we have food in the pantry?"

"They're charmed to give us what we desire."

"How did you know?"

"The new Hogwarts : A History."

Hermione gasped at him and felt generally upset.

"I'll lend it to you."

She smiled and as they stood up she hugged his middle. He stiffened and she let go instantly.

"I'm sorry, I just, I'm a book worm, and I get excited with new books, and I'm such a dork, but I'm-"

"Granger, shut up."

He smirked at her and opened the pantry to hand her a sandwich. They brought them back to their piles of homework and started again.

Hermione slammed her final book for the night and reread her final essay.

"You know, I'm glad to have someone who likes to their homework early like me. Harry and Ron, they procrastinate so badly."

He looked up at her with a smirk.

"I'm only second to you Granger, I am not the average shmoe like Pothead and Weaselby."

She gave him a small glare before their portrait door was knocked on.

"Oh for heavens sake."

After standing up she pulled down her tank top and shorts before opening the door to see Ron standing alone.

"Ron?"

"I still want to talk 'Mione."

She rolled her eyes but let him in.

"What's he doing here?"

"He's Head Boy Ronald! We share this room therefore he has rights to be here too. Let's go into my room and we'll talk. Calmly!"

She dragged him into her room and rolled her eyes at the wolf whistle they heard before she closed the door.

He went to sit on her bed but Sarah hissed very loudly at him. Instead, he sat on her computer chair while she sat on her bed.

"So talk Ronald."

"Why can't we go out?"

"Because I waited years for you!"

"But I want to be with you now!"

"Well that's too bad!"

"So what, you want to be with that snake?"

"What? How dare you?"

"Well you two seem to be all buddy buddy-"

"WE WORK TOGETHER!"

"Whatever! You're fraternizing with the enemy!"

"He's not our enemy! He SAVED Harry's life! Are you that immature that you have to have SOMETHING to be dramatic in your life?"

They were both standing up face to face red in the face.

A knock interrupted the silence and Draco stood in the door way.

"It's almost 8 Weaselby. You have two minutes til curfew."

He shoved past him and Draco gave her a pointed stare.

"YOU CAN FORGET BEING MY FRIEND RONALD WEASLEY!"

She plopped down on her bed and put her head in her hands.

"Rough night?"

"Rough life. I can't stand walking on egg shells around him."

"Then why do you?"

She looked up at him and saw he had sat beside her. Sarah was rubbing herself against him, asking to be petted.

"I don't know. Because he saved me first year from the troll? And then we risked our lives together for Harry and went around the world searching-"

"You're an adult Granger. You can decide who you want to be with. No one else."

He walked out of her room and she realized his cologne filled her bed sheets.

And it was the first night in many that she slept easily.

I sacked my last story. I may bring it back and I may not. Until then, happy reading!