REPUTATIONS

by MODA

Chapter One

She had been watching the fireplace expectantly, a piece of parchment covered in loopy green writing clutched in her hand. The clock chimed eleven, but the grate remained lifeless. Concern furrowed her brow for a moment, before she reminded herself that it was perfectly acceptable for someone not to come precisely at the moment they had said they would.

However, just seconds later, there came a knock from the front door.

"I'll get it!" She called to her parents as she heard the wheels of her father's desk chair rumble across the floor of his office in the room above. She flipped the catch on the front door, and it swung open.

"Professor McGonagall! I thought you'd come by floo."

"I decided your parents are probably not very positively inclined towards magic right now, after the events of the past few years. It seemed more courteous to arrive in a manner they would be more familiar and comfortable with."

Hermione was taken aback.

"That was...very considerate of you. Thanks." In all honesty, the only magic Hermione had ever done around her parents were the memory charms she had performed on the at the beginning of the previous summer, but that alone had considerably diminished their trust in witchcraft. Hermione did everything at home the muggle way, for that reason and also because she did not think her father would appreciate the effect magic would have on their electrical appliances.

"Please, come in." Hermione led the headmistress into the sitting room. McGonagall took a seat opposite her, clasping her hands in her lap.

"It is not normal procedure for me to visit the head students before the start of the new school year, but as you can understand, the situation is far from normal. A lot of changes are being made to Hogwarts, and I must inform you of the new structures being enforced to improve the wellbeing of our students."

Hermione glanced down at her lap, fiddling with a loose thread on her skirt.

"So, onto the changes. Firstly, a new common room has been created to help encourage house unity. It will be a place for members of all houses to mix comfortably with one another; this was not previously possible within the castle, as the houses are separated at mealtimes, students must be silent in the library and cold weather restricts the amount of time one can spend mingling with those of other houses out in the grounds. This common room will be accessible through a main entrance situated near the great hall and through a series of passages that will lead to and from each house's common room."

Hermione nodded. It was an idea she had considered herself in previous years, when she had noticed the lack of integration between the houses.

"Secondly," McGonagall continued, "There will be a new set of competitions introduced, involving teams made up of members of all four houses, but I will give you more information on those once the term has begun. Thirdly and finally, and possibly most relevantly to you, Miss Granger, is that, unlike in all previous years at Hogwarts, you shall not be sleeping in your normal dormitory."

Hermione looked up.

"Instead, you shall be staying in a tower with the head boy-"

"Ah yes, you didn't mention who the head boy would be in the letter."

"I will get to that in due course. Anyway, this tower will contain your two dormitories as well as a sitting room area that will be equipped for both relaxation and study, much like your common rooms back in your house areas.

"Onto the case of the head boy. I must please ask you to allow me to finish what I have to say before you comment on the decision I have made."

"Of course, Professor."

"The head boy I have chosen for this year is Draco Malfoy."

"Professor!" Hermione blurted, unable to prevent an objection slipping from her lips. The glare McGonagall shot her stopped the words "You can't be serious?" before they, too, escaped.

"I am aware that you and Mister Malfoy do not exactly..." she paused to consider her next words, "see eye-to-eye on most things," Hermione scoffed, "and that is exactly why I have decided to make you both head boy and girl."

"Professor, he's a Death Eater!" She knew she shouldn't have said it, but Malfoy, head boy? The idea was positively ludicrous.

"Miss Granger! I am perfectly sure you are aware of the trials that have been going on since the end of the war and that Mister Malfoy was excused of his charges as the situation was one that was not under his control. I sincerely hope you keep this in mind over the next year as you will spend the entire school year in his presence, performing your duties as head girl with him, and living in the same quarters as him. You shall not show intolerance towards him in any way, shape or form when you are out of your head tower, and when inside it, it would do you best to act civilly towards him. I shall not monitor your behaviour in your private quarters, but I can assure you that if I hear any word of your disagreements, the matter shall not be taken lightly. You are to be leading this school into a new era of inter-house relationships and if the head boy and girl cannot even act politely towards one another, that will not be an encouraging start."

Hermione sat, feeling as though fury were pouring off her in hot, angry waves. She knew her ongoing argument with Malfoy was not worth giving up her position as head girl over, but it just seemed so unfair. It was her final year at Hogwarts, and after the past seven years, all she wanted was a relaxed, uncomplicated one where she could keep her head down and not have to focus on anything but her NEWTs and her head girl duties. Now it looked as though that wasn't going to happen.

"I understand, Professor. I will do my best to behave as amicably as I can towards Malfoy, for the sake of the school."

"And that is all I ask of you."

Hermione leant her head against the window again, looking out at the fields and pastures they were trundling through, the muggle villages completely and blissfully unaware of the scarlet steam train bisecting the land as it wound its way northwards. Her teeth rattled in her head as the vibrations from the window coursed through her. It was doing nothing to help her throbbing headache but it seemed to be shaking all conscious thoughts from her, and that was a good enough reason to keep her forehead pressed against the cool glass.

The compartment was filled with a silence that had started off feeling like a loaded gun, ready to go off at any moment if one of them were to say a single word of the cache of insults that had found their way onto the tips of their tongues since entering. When Hermione had first arrived, Malfoy had looked up, catching her gaze. She had stood in the doorway for at least thirty seconds, a challenge in her eyes that she could see reflected straight back at her in his. Neither of them had uttered a word, though. Eventually, she stepped inside and tossed her bag down on the seat opposite him. She had released Crookshanks from his basket, who then proceeded also to stare at Malfoy for a few seconds, before deciding he wasn't worth it, padding around in circles on the seat, curling up, and promptly falling asleep. Hermione was glad he hadn't put up a fuss, being in a small space with a stranger.

The next few hours had been tense, but neither of them spoke a word to each other, not even when they were called to attend the prefects' meeting and patrol the train.

Now they were just reaching the highlands Scotland, and the sun was low in the sky. They had spent seven hours together and had not said a single thing. She presumed Malfoy had had the same talk with McGonagall as she, and that similar issues had come up. Well, if he continues to act this way, maybe this year will be easier than I predicted, she thought, though not allowing herself to get her hopes up.

Hermione had been right in assuming that McGonagall had spoken with him. On August 16th, the day after the headmistress had visited Hermione, she had come marching down the long driveway between the grand, wrought iron gates and the double doors of Malfoy Manor's main entrance, the tip of her forest green witches' hat bent.

Draco Malfoy had stood in the window of the front reception room, his hands clasped behind his back, watching her approach.

When she reached the entrance, she tugged on the bell pull, and the resounding gong could be heard throughout the manor. In the hall, Malfoy could hear the high pitched squeaks of the house elf who had gone to open the door. A moment later there was a click, as McGonagall was shown into the reception room. He turned.

"Professor McGonagall," he greeted her with a brief nod of his head.

"Mister Malfoy."

"Please, sit." He gestured to a pair of armchairs who ornate, spindly legs did not look as though they were crafted for the purpose of taking one's weight. However, McGonagall sat.

"I presume you already know why I am here?"

Draco nodded.

"Well then, as I cannot stay long, I addressed the majority of your duties as head boy in the letter I sent to you at the end of July. However, there are a few things I would like to discuss in person, namely, the matter of this year's head girl," she paused, "I have appointed Miss Granger of Gryffindor house to work alongside you this year."

Malfoy's eyes narrowed a fraction, and his lips thinned, but he otherwise made no outward reaction to her revelation.

"I understand that you and Miss Granger are not on good terms, but this year is primarily about restoring the relationships between the four houses, especially Gryffindor and Slytherin, hence why I ave chosen you two as heads, and why, this year, you shall be sharing a tower with Miss Granger."

Draco raised a curved, golden eyebrow, but continued to remain silent.

"What happens in the way of hostility between Miss Granger and yourself in the way of hostility within your tower is none of my concern, but in the halls, you will put aside your prejudices and behave civilly towards her, or you will be out of your spot as head-boy before you can say 'Muggle-born'," she finished coolly.

"I understand, Professor."

"Very well, I must depart, now, I'm afraid, but I will see you on the first of September, Mister Malfoy." And with that, she showed herself to the door, and left.

As he rose again to once more stand at the window, he considered the warning he had been given. Of course, he had expected the Mudblood princess to be made head-girl, but he wasn't going to allow her to ruin his chances to scrape back his family's battered reputation. Being head-boy gave him the chance to show the wizarding world that he still had respectability, and he planned to do just that. Hermione bloody Granger or not.

A/N: Thanks for reading! Sorry this chapter wasn't very interesting, it's pretty much all scene setting for the rest of the story, and a glimpse into the differences in character and lifestyle of Draco and Hermione. Until next time, MODA.