Hello Lovelies! I'M BAAAACKKK! So for those of you who have read my material before, you are in for a treat, because this is the prequel to my other fic, Hermione Malfoy. If you want to know what happened to Hermione and Draco before the wedding, here's where you're going to get the juicy details! Thanks to all of you for your ongoing support and reviews, I owe my writing to you! Enjoy!

The August air was hot and sticky, and Hermione could feel the sweat dripping down her back as she hauled a particularly large box from her bedroom to the tiny car parked in her driveway. She couldn't stand this kind of heat. It felt like walking through an oven anywhere she went, and the air conditioning in the house happened to be broken. She had never been so eager to go back to Hogwarts, especially because the war was finally over and she got a chance to become Head Girl.

"Hermione, love, are you ready to go?" Hermione's mother called from the front door. It was plain on her face that she had been crying. After all of these years, she still couldn't keep herself from crying whenever Hermione left for Hogwarts. Hermione smiled tenderly at her mother and walked over. Her thighs stuck together below the hem of her shorts, rubbing together uncomfortably.

"Yeah, I think that's the last of it, I'm surprised I managed to fit it all in the car…" Hermione trailed off as her father bounded out the door in a Hawaiian shirt, blue cargo shorts, and strap on sandals. Poised in his hand was a rather clunky looking videocamera, which was crammed in the faces of Hermione and her mother.

"My beautiful daughter Hermione and gorgeous wife ready to bring Hermione to Hogwarts for the last time! Anything to say?" he asked excitedly. Hermione smiled at her father's enthusiasm, though she was embarrassed at her appearance. Little ringlets stuck to her neck and forehead in the sweat from her exertion, the rest of her hair pulled into a bushy, and preposterously frizzy ponytail. Her tank top clung to her stomach in strange places, and her shorts were old and bleach-stained, though they were the most comfortable pair she owned.

"We both love you very much, darling," Hermione's mother smiled, hugging her daughter close to her side…

Hermione stopped the video when she heard footsteps, waving the image away with her hands. It dispersed in a sparkling gold poof, and she frantically wiped tears from her eyes. She would conjure these videos often to comfort herself when she missed her parents, who had gotten into a fatal car accident during the war. She always wished that she could have said goodbye to them, but she didn't have the nerve to try to use the time turner to do so. Hermione pushed the thought of her parents from her head, turning toward the door, where Ron stood.

"You ready, Mione?" Ron asked, red eyebrows raised. Hermione nodded, giving her boyfriend the best smile she could muster. Ron hadn't exactly been able to comfort her much since she found out about her parent's death. There's only so much hugs and "do you want to make out?"s could do for her. There was no one she really felt comfortable with talking about her parents, so she internalized the pain their death had caused.

"I'll be right down, Ron, I'm just getting a few last minute things together." Hermione said in what she hoped was a cheerful voice. It was good enough for Ron, it seemed. He nodded and slipped down the stairs, leaving Hermione to her thoughts once more. She looked around the room she had occupied so many times before. It was Ginny's room, painted pink from when she was a little girl but plastered all over with quittich posters, a framed signed jersey, and collages of moving pictures. This room had always felt like home to Hermione, though something seemed off about it this summer. She wasn't quite as comfortable as she had been in the past. Could it be a nervous stomach knowing Ron was in the same house now that they were together? Or was it the strange relief that came with the end of the war and their long- lasting struggle with evil? Whatever it was, Hermione did not know, but she was looking forward to getting her own room in the Head's dormitories at Hogwarts. She knew a room of her very own would be the best place for her to feel safe. Grabbing the handle of her trunk, Hermione wheeled everything to one spot, where she proceeded to shrink it all and put it in a leather satchel that used to be her father's. When she got downstairs, everyone was talking and moving about, trying to get out of the door all at once.

"Ah, there's Hermione, let's go then!" Molly called over the crowd, leading the parade of Weasleys (and one Granger and one Potter) out the door. Hermione decided then to be positive. After all, it was the year she had been looking forward to all her life.

King's Cross was as crowded as always, and the large party of people were able to board the train in record time, finding seats almost immediately. Harry and Ginny occupied one side of the compartment while Ron and Hermione sat on the other, and Hermione couldn't help but grin, remembering all of the time they had spent on this train.

"Do you remember first year? The first time we met?" Hermione asked Harry and Ron. Ron smiled broadly at her and nodded.

"Yeah, I remember. It was Neville. He'd lost Trevor and you were trying to help him find the bloody thing. And you already had your robes on and everything." He said, wrapping an arm about her shoulder. Hermione responded to the contact by scooting closer to Ron until their legs touched. She could feel the pink in her cheeks as her heart sped up a little. It was so strange to think that after everything they had been through together, she was nervous and shy around her new boyfriend. She was sure it would wear off and their deep bond would remain, connecting them in a way that she didn't think possible with anyone else. Except perhaps Harry, but she didn't like him that way. Besides, he had Ginny, and he was head over heels for that girl. He was always holding her hand, asking if she wanted anything, fetching things for her before she had a chance to even wave her wand. Hermione couldn't wait until she and Ron were at the stage in their relationship where they could act that way towards each other. She smiled thinking about it.

"I remember too… seems such a long time ago, doesn't it? Like it was in another life altogether." Harry mused, his fingers drawing invisible circles in the fabric over Ginny's knee.

"Well it couldn't have been that wonderful because I wasn't there." Ginny joked, giving Harry a wink unbeknownst to Ron, who was busying himself with stroking Hermione's mess of tangled curls.

"True enough, Gin. I don't know what I'd do without my best girlfriend." Hermione smiled back at her. Sometimes the testosterone in the "golden trio" was a bit overwhelming for Hermione, so she found herself often seeking refuge in talking to Ginny.

"Yeah, who else would you talk to about these two?" Ginny asked. This time both boy's eyes shot toward the read headed girl.

"What, you talk about us during girl time?" Harry asked Ginny seriously. Ginny shrugged.

"Well of course we talk about you! You do happen to be hanging around a lot, you know. Relax, it's nothing bad," Ginny said nonchalantly, and then when she saw that Harry was still staring, "Oh come on, like you don't talk about us during boy time." She got him there. Harry opened his mouth to say something, then thought better of speaking and closed it again.

The train ride seemed longer than usual due to the fact that Hermione was anxious to arrive, so she tried her hardest to take a nap. Placing her head against Ron's shoulder, she fell asleep almost immediately.

Hermione woke to a hand gentry shaking her shoulder. Sleepily, she opened her eyes and saw that the train had stopped and not only she had fallen asleep, but Ron had too, and he was leaning back against the window, her head resting on his chest. Harry was the one shaking her, and she thought she heard something about arriving escape his lips. When her brain made sense of what was going on, she sat up eagerly, ready to get off the train. She reached over and rubbed Ron's arm firmly but tenderly. His eyes fluttered open after a few seconds and she told him they had arrived. Ron yawned and stretched his arms above his head grandly, then rose to get their bags from the shelf above.

"Ready for our last year of school?" Ron asked them as they stepped out of their compartment to disembark. All four had matching grins. The three older because they were finally going back to finish their last year, and Ginny because she had caught up with them during the war and now shared classes with her best friend.

"I can't wait! I have so many classes that I'm very interested in, and I'm sure it'll be wonderful getting back to work!" Hermione stated happily, straightening her robes. Her three companions rolled their eyes at each other.

"That's our Hermione, alright!" Ron smiled, entwining his hand with hers as they got off of the Hogwarts Express and headed towards the carriages.

Professor McGonagall beckoned students into the great hall and gave them a warm greeting as they entered. Hermione looked up at the night sky and the floating candle and remembered the first time she looked up at the enchanted ceiling. The familiarity of it all made her smile, and then her mood got even better when Neville Longbottom and Luna Lovegood bounded up to them to say hello.

"We looked all over for you on the train, but we couldn't find your compartment anywhere, we ended up sitting with a bunch of first years who were scared out of their mind about sorting." Neville explained. Luna nodded in agreement, radishes swinging furiously from her ears.

"Are you two dating now?" Ginny asked them, smiling her gossip smile. Neville grinned and looked over at Luna, who nodded enthusiastically.

"We just realized it was meant to be." She said softly, giving a knowing smile. They were then cut off by Professor McGonagall announcing for all students to take their seats so the first years could be brought in and sorted. The crowd dispersed and the four of them, now joined by Neville, had a seat at the Gryffindor table.

The sorting and the feast were routine and just as magical as they had been any other year, and the friends were able to catch up, joke around, and tell stories from the summer past. It was while Ginny, who was sitting across from Hermione, was in the lavatory when Hermione noticed another familiar face. Draco Malfoy had returned to Hogwarts as well, sitting at the Slytherin table with Pansy Parkinson, wearing a look that Hermione had never seen on his face before. It was a look of boredom and disgust with Pansy, which was indeed a face Hermione could recognize, but at the same time there was a glint of something in his eyes, perhaps, that she couldn't quite put her finger on. Suddenly, Draco looked over and caught her eye, and she quickly diverted her gaze, hoping he hadn't noticed that she was staring at him. Through the rest of supper, Hermione wondered what that look in Draco's eyes could have been. Maybe it had something to do with his joining the good side during the war. Maybe that meant that there was still some good in him? Hermione didn't know, but she couldn't help but think that anyone who chose the light side must have some good in them. Either way, she knew she still despised him. One act of bravery and moral character wasn't going to fool her into believing he was a changed man. Everything about him said scum, and she wouldn't associate with such a person.

After dinner, when the lot of them were stuffed beyond possibility with every kind of food imaginable, they all made their way to their rooms. While Harry, Ginny, and Neville broke off to go up to Gryffindor tower, Ron walked Hermione to her dormitory before retiring to his. The Head's Dormitories were located on the fourth floor in a tower on the far east side of the castle, and was located behind a portrait of King Arthur and Excalibur. Hermione gave the password, licorice wand, and the portrait swung open, revealing the coziest looking common room Hermione had ever seen. There was a fire crackling in a hearth, overstuffed brown leather chairs and a large soft couch gathered around it. The floor was carpeted in thick, brown material that Hermione squished her toes in after taking her shoes off at the door, wandering around to look at all of the paintings that hung around the room. There were also two short staircases, one on each side of the fireplace, and a small balcony- like area directly above it. Hermione bounded up the Head Girl's staircase and opened the door on the right side, which led to a roomy bathroom, complete with a bathtub that could also be a shower. There was a door on the other side of the bathroom, too, which she assumed led to the Head Boy's bedroom. Finally, she swung the door to her bedroom open, and fell in love with the space. The four poster bed was centered facing a window, a claw footed mahogany wardrobe sitting on one side, a small bedside table on the other. There was plenty of room for her decorations and posters, and the window would let in plenty of light once the sun came up. Hermione happily flopped onto her bed and was marveling at how soft it was when Ron came in and sat beside her.

"Well, it looks like you've really got it made, Hermione. It's a bloody brilliant dormitory." Ron smiled, looking around her room. He bounced on the bed a little, "You're lucky, the beds in Gryffindor tower are nowhere near as comfortable as this!"

"Well, it does seem to pay off, working so hard, doesn't it?" Hermione asked, sitting up again and realizing Ron had a huge grin on his face.

"You know, I could always stay here sometimes…" he said softly, and then his lips met hers roughly. Hermione kissed back, responding to the obvious need in Ron's lips. But the kiss was short-lived. Because Hermione suddenly heard a knock on the door, and someone clearing their throat, making her and Ron shoot up to a sitting position in a matter of milliseconds.

"Pardon the intrusion, but could you at least shut your door if you're going to snog each other's faces off?"

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