Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters, they belong to J. K. Rowling. I am just using them in my plot.

Chapter 1: Dumbledore's plan

McGonagall was having a really exhausting night. Firstly, she had to deal with another of the Gryffindor-Slytherin fights, which has ended with several students in the hospital wing. Then, Horace Slughorn had informed her of the unacceptable behavior of his Advanced Potions Class. Being a Headmistress really was exhausting and Minerva had tried her best not to just give up and resign. Her attempts to unite the houses and stop the constant arguing and fighting between the Gryffindors and the Slytherins had failed miserably. When she accepted the post, she thought that the so-called "eight-years" would act more maturely and lose their old grudges with the war behind them. But no, they were being more childish than ever and the hostility between the lions and the snakes was growing every day. The oldest students were giving the younger a bad example, and if the Headmistress didn't manage to calm their high-tempered spirits towards each other down, the hatred between the two houses would go on forever, even after the problematic "eight-years" graduated.

McGonagall was sitting behind her desk in her office, trying to figure out a way to stop the fighting, that has been giving her a horrible headache, and unite the houses. It only have been three weeks since the academical year has started, but so many fights had already taken place in the school. The Headmistress was getting really tired of it all and couldn't imagine getting trough the entire year. She had had several ideas to unite the houses, but they didn't seem to work. Minerva was already desperate and as much as she didn't want to do this, she had to ask Albus for his ideas. Well, Albus' portrait. She respected the former Headmaster, but found his ideas strange and not entirely acceptable. Oh, well, she wasn't coping with the current situation really well and it hasn't even been a month, so she came to the conclusion that she didn't have any choice.

She stood up and turned around to face Dumbledore, who was staring at her with a little smile and sparks in his eyes. McGonagall sighed.

"So", she began "as you have noticed, things are getting out of control with our 'eight-years' and I have come to the decision to ask you for your help. I ran out of ideas how to unite them and prevent the fights they daily create and, as much as I don't approve your ideas, I don't have another option."

"Dear Minerva, a new idea has occurred to me and I would be most delighted to share it with you as I see that you're at a dead end." Albus replied, a wide grin on his face.

"Albus, please proceed to your plan."

"I was thinking that we should set our oldest students to give an example by getting closer to the other houses. In order to do that we should pair up the most popular students amongst the 'eight-years' from Slytherin and Gryffindor. They must spend time together with their partner from the opposite house and form a friendship, which would model the rest of the school. I don't reckon they'd do that willingly, so we need to get them to a place, where they will have to talk to each other every day, whether they like it or not."

"You're not actually suggesting we combine Gryffindor and Slytherin's common rooms into one, are you, Albus?" Minerva asked with a disbelieving look.

"Not exactly. We should find a place for only four people, two from each house, which would be their own common room."

"I guess you have already figured who the four students would be?"

"Yes, I say we pair them two-by-two. Two couples, each with one Gryffindor and one Slytherin. I have selected the most uncompatible pairs and we will be giving them a challenge to cope with. Harry Potter and Pansy Parkinson. Hermione Granger and Draco Malfoy."

McGonagall just looked at Dumbledore, thinking if this would work out to be something more than just even more fighting. The other portraits were no longer pretending to be asleep and they were murmuring, some excited, others annoyed. Severus Snape spoke from the portrait next to Dumbledore "I don't really think my house would appreciate this, Albus. You don't actually think that they are going to be fascinated from having to live with the Gryffindors and form a friendship, just because are told to do so? The hostility won't just disappear."

"You're right Severus, it will take time, but it's worth a try. Hogwarts can't continue this way and this is pretty much the only plan we've got." Minerva said and began thinking about how she should tell the chosen 'eight-years' about the situation they were put in. The students were definitely not going to take it well, but it had to be done to get some order in the school. It was her school and she had to do what was best, even if she had to ignore the youngsters' wishes.

Hermione entered the Great Hall and she saw Harry waving to her. She went to the Gryffindor table and sat beside the raven-haired boy. She missed her other best friend, Ronald Weasley, as he chose not to come back to complete his final year in Hogwarts. The girl was sad, because they have been keeping some distance after their break-up and was worried if they would be able to go back to being friends. Nevertheless, she was glad they hadn't really deepened their relationship, which didn't work out as well as she'd expected. It didn't last very long, but she felt like she was getting fresh air once it was over. Hermione got out of her thoughts when an owl dropped a letter in front of her. She looked at it confused and saw that Harry had got one too. They looked at each other for a moment, then the boy just shrugged and they opened the letters. They both had got a note from McGonagall asking them to meet her in her office straight after breakfast. There wasn't anything more mentioned, so they were curious what was this all about. The two of them were focused on their own suggestions and failed to notice that there were two other people in the Great Hall, which had received the exactly same letter and were confused by it just as much. The two Slytherins didn't waste their time in trying to guess what could it be, but just waited until after breakfast to find out.

Harry and Hermione headed to the Headmistress's office and weren't very pleased to find two particular students waiting outside of it. The Slytherins shot them looks of distaste before telling the Gargoyle the password and going up to the entrance. The four of them went in the office after McGonagall had called them in and stood there, waiting to see what they had come for. Minerva offered them seats with a rather uneasy expression on her face.

"You must be wondering why I called you here this morning. I have to inform you that the four of you have been selected to be part of the 'House Unity' project. You are paired up with a person from the opposite house and will live with them in a private common room and dormitory for the rest of the year."

Groanes followed the Headmistress' words and all students in the office felt like protesting. She saw that and prevented them from speaking by quickly adding "You will have to live to form a friendship that would be a model to the younger years. Taking in all the fights and arguments you've had with each other and also the fact that you're the oldest students, who still fail to show some maturity, I think there is a serious need of some actions."

Pansy was the first to break the silence that followed.

"So I'd have to share a room with one of them?! No bloody hell that's happening!"

"I am sorry, Miss Parkinson, but I am not to change my mind. I am sorry I had to take things to such a level, but your whole year's recent behavior left me no other choice, but to take serious measures."

Harry was the next to speak. "Sorry to question your plan, Professor, but do you really think that making us live together would make a change?"

"I do, Potter. You would have to develop some sort of relationship between yourselves in order to manage living with each other. And friendship between Gryffindor and Slytherin's oldest students is just what Hogwarts needs in the moment. Our society is recovering from a war and I need you to understand why this is of such importance."

"So who would I be living with?" Pansy asked, looking as she already gave up fighting the Headmistress' decision.

"I decided to pair you with Mister Potter, and Mister Malfoy with Hermione Granger."

"We won't have to share a bed, right?" Pansy asked, suddenly looking alarmed.

"Don't be silly, Miss Parkinson, I wouldn't encourage such suggestion. But you will have to share a dormitory and a bathroom. You will have a small common room for the use of all four of you, but I will know if you spend all your time there with the other person of your house. So I suggest you don't try to avoid your… partner, because I will have to find another way to force you into friendship. Look, I know it isn't easy for you to just develop such feelings, but on the long term I think you'd be happy to discover the results and so would be the entire school. So, if you don't mind, I'd show you to your new common room now and give you the password. Letting in other people is not allowed. You have to move in till this evening."

Hermione hadn't said a word since she walked in the office, just like Draco. They were both really surprised and couldn't express what they were feeling towards the drastic new change in their life in Hogwarts. After the war, the Slytherins had left their beliefs about blood status and Muggle-borns. Neither Draco, nor Hermione felt hatred towards each other, they had managed to gain each other's respect during last year's events. Though, living together during their final year wasn't going to be easy and they realized they had to put their best efforts to put with it.

McGonagall showed the students their new common room and as they moved in, all four of them shared the same thought.
"This is going to be a tough year."