Chapter 8
Hogwarts needed her? Merlin, McGonagall must be bonkers. How was she, Hermione Granger, supposed to unite an entire school that had just been ripped apart by war?
Sure the idea of Ravenclaws studying with Hufflepuffs and Gryffindors partying with Slytherins sounded bittersweet, but it'd be a tough stunt to pull off. It wouldn't be as easy as sitting students of different houses next each other in classes, or allowing the tables at the Great Hall to merge, no, you'd have to wipe away all blood status', all prejudices, and all hate in order to join people together. She was up for the challenge.
"I'll do it," two pairs of voices chimed. Draco had just ripped open the door and stood beneath the frame. His hair was ever so tussled, his confident eyes met McGongall's astonished ones.
"W-well you both have made a wise decision, if I may say so," she said baffled. "Please, sit down Mr. Malfoy."
Draco sat down next to Hermione, with his hands on his knees, and eyes wide open; ready for anything thrown his way. It was discomforting to see him this confident. It wasn't an arrogant kind of confidence, just a normal ready-for-action kind.
"Now I'm sure you two remember the rules and procedures of being a prefect, seeing as you both were prefects in your fifth year? Well instead going to meetings you will be holding them, take turns writing up patrol hours, scheduling meetings, showing first years to their classes, enforcing curfew and punishments, decorating the castle on holidays, and so on. You may take points from student if necessary and give them detentions if deserved. No taking points away from each other or other prefects. And try to keep Zonkos' and Weasley Wizard Wheezes' products down to a minimum. Share these rules with the prefects, except the ones that only apply to you two, and then patrol the corridors of the Express until we reach Hogwarts. Show the first years to Hagrid and see all other students to the carriages; then you two shall ride the last carriage up to the castle. Do I make myself clear?" McGonagall questioned.
"Yes ma'am."
"Very well, Mrs. Granger you may convey your belongings two compartments over, Mr. Malfoy will join you in a moment."
What was it that McGonagall needed to talk to Malfoy for? To warn him and make sure he doesn't put a toe out of line? It's none of your business, she thought.
Hermione gave a slight nod and grabbed her trunk, beaded bag, and Crookshank's cage, and exited the room without a word.
-•-•-•-•-•-•-•-
Draco's POV
Was this is what the letter meant?
All that was on the measly square of dingy parchment paper were the two little words: Accept it. The anonymous witch or wizard wrote to him to him last night must have known McGonagall was going to offer him the position of Head Boy.
But how? Who would have known other than McGonagall, Kingsley, and a couple of Ministry officials that he was returning to Hogwarts? Or maybe it was was a trap and the group of roaming Death Eaters had sent him this. They could be watching him this very moment. Studying his every move. He should tell McGonagall about his mysterious letter.
Get a grip Malfoy, he thought, running a hand through his platinum blonde hair, your on a freaking train; how the hell could they be watching you?
Speaking of McGongall, what was she thinking, Draco wondered, averting his paranoid thoughts as he roamed the corridors of the Hogwarts Express; making him and Granger Head Boy and Girl? What good would that do? The two of them would just rip each other's throats out and nothing would be done. Then Granger and the rest of the Gryffindors would hate him even more for not being responsible and a model Head Boy like the many before him. Although, he thought, perhaps this would be his moment to allow himself to be his own person. His mind was racing with the pros and cons of taking this position.
Draco thought back to his mother, right before she died. She told him to make her proud, to behave and go back to Hogwarts; find a stable job and settle down with someone he loved and carry on the Malfoy family name with pride.
It all sounded so easy when his mother said it like that, but he was already finding it so stressful just to be accepted back into society. If Draco resumed his old acts of the school bully, it would only prove that he never changed and was still a Dark Arts loving prat. But if he actually tried to get along with other students, including Granger, Pottey, and Weaslbee; then maybe, just maybe would the other students and teachers accept him as an equal.
Draco walked a short length of scarlet train, tussled his hair every once in a while, and glanced out the windows to his left to find a beautiful summer day fly by. The sky was a bright, clear blue, and not a single cloud present. Judging by the position of the sun, it looked like it was late in the afternoon. A good three or four hours left until they would reach Hogwarts.
With the mystery letter in the back of Draco's mind, he made his way back to McGonagall's compartment, and his answer poised on his tongue.
-•-•-•-•-•-•-•-
"Mr. Malfoy you must know why I held you back, am I correct?" McGonagall said sternly.
"I must behave myself and be a role model to the school, get good grades and participate, put effort into my work and my new position as Head Boy . . ." He recited dully.
"Er–well yes you must take this roll seriously, but I was going to say something else," the headmistress said coolly.
Draco raised his eyebrows and stared intently at McGonagall.
"I convinced the Minister to give you another chance Draco. I have spoken recently with the portrait of Dumbledore, and he too said you deserved a second shot. The Ministry is still weary of you attending Hogwarts, however, with much persuasion from countless wizarding families and myself, they have decided—"
"Whoa hold on, countless wizarding families? You mean people actually defended me and want me to go back to school? Who would want me around their kids? I mean aren't I a rotten Death Eater? A disgrace to wizard kind? A scary Slytherin?" Draco asked thoroughly confused and bewildered.
"They preferred to remain anonymous if I ever told you, so I shall keep my word, but let's just say if you wanted to repay them for their acts of forgiveness, you shall mange your behavior towards everyone, especially your enemies. Don't let me down Mr. Malfoy," said McGonagall.
Her words hit him like a bludger. For once in his life, Draco had been given a golden opportunity. He was actually going to try to forget his past and be the good guy he always wanted to be. Even if that meant knocking down walls he spent forever building. Draco was ready to lose the worst of his reputation as the Slytherin badass.
"I won't professor."
-•-•-•-•-•-•-
Hermione's POV
It was a full 15 minuets before Malfoy joined Hermione in the Head's compartment. While she waited she took a good look around.
The Head's compartment was much nicer than the usual one she stayed in with her friends. The room had dark wooded walls with a navy carpeting, the seats where two times as long, as were the windows. A long brown table that stretched out in between both rows of seats. There was a bathroom on the left side wall, along with a mini kitchenette. Inside the mini fridge there were fresh fruits and sandwiches stacked nicely, and on the counter was a bowl of wizarding candy that consisted of Chocolate Frogs, Fizzing Whizzbees, Bertie Botts Every Flavor Bean, Acid Pops, Sugar Quills, and so much more, it would have made Ron jealous with the amount of food that was in this single compartment.
Hermione placed Crookshank's cage on her left and heaved her trunk onto the carry-on.
She then placed her beaded bag on her lap and dug around for Advanced Book of Spells Grade: 7. Hermione felt something furry brush against her fingers and immediately withdrew her hand. She cautiously stuck her head near the opening of the bag and peered inside. As Hermione guessed, it was too full to seeing thing, but she did hear something give a greedy little cackle, and quickly closed it shut. She really had to empty out this bag.
After realizing she had lost the courage of finding her book, Hermione settled for gazing out the window.
Not five minuets later did Draco return with his trunk and eagle owl cage, and his hands rubbing quickly together, "Alright Granger, let's get down to business. McGonagall said to create a list of well behaved students for the roles of prefects, and to officiate a patrol schedule and give a copy to her, so shall we write them up?"
Hermione was very taken aback by Draco's sudden act of initiative, that she wasn't able to string a set of words together, let alone a sentence.
"Alright, alright," Draco said nodding his head quickly, taking a seat across from her, and pulled a quill and piece of parchment from his trunk, "Loving the enthusiasm Granger."
Draco wrote the names of all four Hogwarts houses as Hermione watched the ink bleed into the pale piece of parchment.
"Okay, who do you suppose should be the Gryffindor prefects?" Draco said, staring intently at her.
"Neville and Ginny," Hermione said without a beat.
"Really? Longbottom and Weaselette?" Draco said looking unsatisfied.
If looks could kill, Draco Malfoy would have dropped dead right there in that Heads compartment.
"Fine, fine, fine," he said jotting down the two names.
"What about Slytherin?" Hermione asked.
"Hmmm, what do you think of Blaise and Astoria?" He asked.
"That's a fair choice, but even if I didn't approve you'd still write their names down wouldn't you?"
"You know me too well Granger," Draco smirked, adding their names to the list.
Hermione rolled her eyes as her and Draco finished the list of prefects, and their patrol hours for that month. After deep thought about who should be paired with who during curfew shifts, they agreed to meet each other back in a half an hour along with all the prefects.
Hermione was in charge of Neville, Ginny, Terry Boot, and Padma Patil who they had chosen as the Ravenclaw prefects. Malfoy was to bring Blaise, Astoria, Susan Bones, and Ernie Macmillan back to the compartment.
"Oh and remember to remind all first years to change into their robes," Hermione said just before they went their separate ways.
After sticking her head through countless compartments, telling first years to change, Hermione finally found all the prefects and trudged back to her and Malfoy's compartment with Ginny striding next to her and the rest trailing behind.
"Malfoy's not actually Head Boy is he? How's it even possible," Ginny whispered.
Hermione pressed her lips together and gave a slight shrug, not able to give an answer.
They seemed to have gotten back before Draco, so Hermione told all the prefects to sit as they admired the complexity of the Head compartment.
Hermione paced the room, waiting for Draco to arrive. He was 10 minuets late! She was going to go search for him, they needed to start this meeting soon.
"I'll be right back, all of you stay put, Ginny your in charge." Hermione said, making Ginny give a malicious grin.
Hermione wandered the corridors until she stumbled upon Ernie Macmillan and Susan Bones standing outside a compartment, looking highly agitated.
"Is Malfoy in there?" Hermione asked angrily, motioning to the compartment to her left. They both nodded wearily as Hermione entered.
"What do you think your doing?" Hermione growled at Draco.
"I'm talking to my friends, what does it look like?" Draco retorted.
"What's the rush the Granger?" Asked a lazy voice from the back. It came from a dark skinned boy wearing green robes. In fact everyone in the room Hermione recognized as Slytherins.
"What's the rush Zabini? I'll tell you what the rush is. I have all the other prefects waiting back at our compartment while you are here sitting on your lazy arse!"
"Well how is that my problem? I'm not a goodie goodie prefect," Blaise smirked.
Hermione rounded on Draco then,"Have you not told them anything?" Motioning to Blaise and Astoria.
"Told us what?" Astoria asked.
Hermione had never had an actual conversation with Astoria Greengrass, but from what she had heard, Astoria was about the nicest Slytherin you would ever come across. She had very dark brown hair, so dark it was almost black, it hung just below her shoulder blades, she had beautiful blue eyes and slightly tanned skin, along with a dazzling smile that made every boy's knees go weak.
"You and Blaise are prefects," said Hermione bluntly.
"Come off it Granger," snorted Theodore Nott from the corner. "Who in their right mind would make Zabini a prefect.
"It seems as though Malfoy would," Hermione said dryly. "Grab you belongings and let's go, the Hufflepuffs are waiting outside."
-•-•-•-•-•-•-•-
Draco's POV
Once all the prefects where assembled, Draco let Hermione drone on and on about all their rules and responsibilities. Instead of listening to what she had to say, Draco watched her instead.
As Hermione talked, she motioned with her small nimble hands, waving them every so often at Blaise to wake up. Her curly brown hair had grown a few inches longer and formed large ringlets instead of the crazy small curls she used to have. Hermione's chocolate brown eyes looked almost everywhere at once, and her eyebrows knit in concentration. She had gained few freckles on the top of her small nose, along with a thin white scar halfway on her throat, barley noticeable. Hermione still had a thin and small figure, but after all the crazy stunts her, Potter and Weasley had done, she had obtained much muscle.
Draco though about how much it would hurt if Hermione punched him in the face again, but he was interrupted by Blaise's chuckles.
"Do you have anything to add Malfoy?" Hermione glared at him, knowing full well he hadn't been listening.
"Nope, I think you covered just about everything," he grinned, flattening his robes with his hands.
She scowled at him but carried on, "We must be nearly at Hogwarts by now, so let's go over the plan one last time. Ginny, Padma, Terry, and Neville will be-"
"Ushering first years towards Hagrid."
"Blaise and Astoria?"
"Checking the train for any straggling students."
"Susan and Ernie, what'll you two be doing?"
"Help Hagrid load first years into the boats."
"Very nice, and Malfoy you and I will be doing what?"
Draco, who had been playing with a frayed bit of string from his robes had zoned out once again and glanced around. He saw Blaise grinning across from him, and Astoria giving him a disapproving look.
"Hmm?"
"What will you and I be doing? Once we arrive?" Hermione asked through clenched teeth.
"Wh-er- you and I will be. . . . We will load students into the carriages," he said scrunching up his face and peered at Blaise who was in fits of silent laughter.
"Lucky guess," Hermione muttered.
As the Hogwarts Express pulled to a stop at the Hogsmead station, the prefects sprang into action, the two Heads followed in suit.
First years were led to Hagrid and lowered into the boats crossing the Black Lake. The train was checked for students left behind, and carriages where packed with four to five students each.
It was a beautiful night to return to the castle. Stars shone brightly in the night sky, many constellations could be recognized to students who had any experience in Astrology there at Hogwarts. A soft, tender breeze made ripples in the Black Lake or maybe it was the giant squid, but none the less, Hogwarts glowed in the distance, looking more mysterious than ever with a haze coming in from the mountains.
They where home.