One Fine Line

Disclaimer: I don\'t own any of it! JK is my hero, please don\'t sue me :)

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Chapter 2

The Great Hall looked as it always did at the Sorting Ceremony. The opulent hall was decorated surprisingly modestly, with simple house banners hanging from the enchanted ceiling, which currently resembled the clear night’s sky. Thousands of charmed candles floated around the hall, illuminating the gold fixtures splayed across the room. The numerous tables were filled with returning students chatting animatedly as they waited for the first years to arrive.

Hermione rested between Ron and Harry, who were currently having a rather heated debate on the teams in this years Quiddich season. She sighed as she idly drew her finger in circles on the wooden table in attempts to ease her boredom. She should have brought her Advanced Potions textbook, as she had neglected to get ahead in her reading.

Her head snapped up as she heard raucous laughter erupt from the Slytherin table. Draco and his pug-faced shadow, Pansy Parkinson, eyed Hermione from across the room as they continued snickering.

“I still can’t believe that Malfoy made head boy; it’s right revolting.” Ron grimaced at the thought of Malfoy doling out detentions as he saw fit. “Scary…”

“You would think that after the events of last year they would have booted him straight out of Hogwarts and into the hands of the Aurors. I still can’t believe that they
cleared him of Dumbledore’s death. The ferret is an attempted murderer!” Harry added with disgust.

“Apparently, they cleared him due extenuating circumstances, something about being at the unfair mercy of his father and Voldermort. It’s all rubbish if you ask me. But as it is, I’m stuck with him for the year. I’m sure that it will be easy enough to avoid him as neither of us wish to deal with each other,” she tried to reassure herself before sending another glare across the hall to Malfoy, who was currently countering with a disinterested, smug expression.

The night progressed as every first night at Hogwarts did. The first years were marched up the middle of the Great Hall to be sorted. In Dumbledore’s stead, Professor, or rather Headmistress, McGonagall gave the opening speech on proper student behaviour and avoiding the Forbidden Forest lest they wished to incur Filch’s wrath. She even took a brief moment to present both Hermione and Draco as head boy and girl before beginning the feast.

As soon as the food materialized before them, Ron tucked in as if he hadn’t been fed in months. Harry spooned some potatoes onto Hermione’s plate, and then onto his own.

“So, what do you do as Head Girl?” he asked as he added a few bits of roasted chicken to Hermione\'s plate.

“Well, we help the professors monitor student behaviour, which includes the permission to give and retract house points. Then there is the nightly patrols, and coordinating school events, and of course, setting an example to the other students.” she said as she ticked off the tasks on her fingers.

She frowned slightly at the last addition. Usually her behaviour was not difficult to manage, yet she realised that she would probably be on edge this year. She supposed that she could always exact revenge for Draco’s transgressions in the privacy of their chambers. She smiled wickedly at the thought.

“Well, I can’t say that I’m jealous,” Ron replied with a nod as he took a rather large bite of his roll, “I don’t think I could stand being shacked up with Malfoy; I suspect I would Avada Kadavra myself before the first night was over.”

“Well, as I agree that he won’t be easy to live with, but I doubt that I will have to resort to such drastic measures to relieve myself of him. In fact, I’m quite sure that we will both avoid each other most of the time.”

“Here’s hoping.” Harry smiled down at her as he raised his glass in a toast.

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The ceremony had gone off without a hitch and Hermione was more than happy when it ended. She had enjoyed being with her friends once again, but the first day back was always exhausting. Not to mention she had to stay up for late night rounds.

She sat quietly at the study table in the common room of her chambers. She had taken advantage of the peace and quiet by catching up, or rather getting ahead, in her reading.

She listened to the faint scratching of her quill on the parchment as she took personal notes. She never used to take notes, but she had decided that being on the brink of a major war and all, it would be better to have useful knowledge easily at hand.

“One part ginger root…” she mumbled to herself as she copied the potion ingredients.

“Already talking to yourself, I see. If I’m lucky you’ll go completely mad by before Christmas holiday.”

“Shove off, Malfoy” she growled; her eyes not leaving her notes. She hadn\'t even noticed him enter the chamber.

“Tsk, tsk. Is that any way to treat your roommate…,” he smirked as he fluidly removed his robe and tossed it over the back of the couch.

“You’re one to talk…”

“Aww, no witty banter tonight? I am truly disappointed. I thought you would be much more of an apt sparring partner than this.”

Hermione glanced up from her book, “Can’t you see that I’m merely trying to get rid of you. If I wanted to verbally spar, you would already be sobbing like a first year.”

Draco threw his head back as he let out a throaty chuckle, “That’s more like it!” He leaned over the table, glancing at Hermione’s work. “You misspelled…OW!”

Before Draco could finish, Hermione had slammed her textbook shut, with Draco’s fingers trapped tightly inside.

“Bloody hell Granger, that was a bit uncalled for!” He wretched his hand from the book and cradled his fingers against his chest.

“I asked you to leave me alone, but you seem to have stuffing in your ears. I say it was perfectly called for.”

She rose from her chair and gathered her materials. As she came around from the back of the table, she stopped in front of him, clutching her schoolwork to her chest.

“I will make you a deal. You stay out of my way and I will stay out of yours. We only need to speak to each other when there is head student work to be done. That way, we will not have to be in each other’s hair,” she lifted her chin defiantly as she matched his gaze with hers. Like hell she was going to let him provoke her.

“And miss annoying the hell out of you? Fat chance! I was thinking at dinner, that despite how much I really dislike you, I’m stuck with you. I figured I would have some fun at your expense.” He remarked casually as he loosened his tie.

Hermione’s eyes flitted from his face down to the small amount of exposed chest that Draco’s ministrations had revealed. Despite herself, her throat went slightly dry; her eyes hastily returned to meet his.

She stood there for a few seconds, willing her brain to work. She hated him; despised him; loathed him even and yet a mere glimpse of skin had reduced her to a brainless sack of hormones. Of course, his current sexy, heavy lidded gaze wasn’t doing anything to remedy the situation.

“You’re such a child!” she squeaked as she turned on her heal and stalked to her room; she slammed the door in hopes of getting her point across.

Draco smirked as he leaned back against the table. He knew exactly what that purposely exposed skin had done to her. He was a master at seducing women, which was one of the only attributes he gladly inherited from his father. He didn’t think that it would actually have any sort of affect on the ice cold Granger, but he figured it was worth a shot.

It had worked and left him with a completely new arsenal.

“Oh the fun to be had…” he grinned to himself as he made his way to his own room.