ocean eyes (dramione)

Chapter 3

"And your head boy is Draco Malfoy."

I felt my stomach do a flip as I exchanged a wide-eyed stare with Ginny. Draco Malfoy? Draco Malfoy was head boy?

The applause that greeted his name was slow at first, and in small amounts from the Gryffindor table too. Then Professor McGonagall began to applaud with a glare at some of the more sour-faced, older Gryffindors, and there was louder applause. I craned my neck to look at the Slytherin table, and sure enough I caught sight of Draco Malfoy, looking just as surprised as I was. But his expression wasn't what caught my eye.

He looked...different. His white-blond hair was shining in the candlelight, and his grey eyes were like kaleidoscopes, changing colour every time I looked at them. His lips were heart-shaped, kiss-shaped, almost, and his body was toned and muscular from Quidditch. His shoulders were broad, his jaw set, his skin pale and his features elfish but squared...

"Hermione!" Ginny snapped her fingers sharply under my nose and I turned back to her. I'd hardly noticed, but people all around us were getting up and talking noisily, making their way back up to their dormitories. I shook my head and blinked, and together we made our way out of the Great Hall.

"Can you believe it?" Asked Ginny, her eyes wide. "Draco Malfoy...head boy! You're sharing a dormitory with Draco Malfoy, Hermione!" Ginny squealed.

"It's not a big deal, Ginny," I said, almost in a daze. But it was a big deal. Draco Malfoy was my sworn enemy! He hated me! What had he done to deserve a head boy badge, and what had I done to deserve sharing a room with him, and sharing duties and lessons with him?

"It is," said Ginny, her face serious. "Do you think you'll end up dating? That's what happened with Percy and that Penelope Clearwater girl --"

"Shut up, Gin," I said wearily, but not unkindly. She grinned and was about to step through the portrait hole to the Gryffindor common room when she stopped and turned to me.

"Oh! I'd forgotten, Hermione, you're not in here, are you?"

I stared at her blankly, before remembering that I was sharing a dormitory with Draco Malfoy.

"Oh! Right," I said glumly. I hugged Ginny. "I'll see you tomorrow." I turned away, then added to myself, "If I survive the night."

I walked back down the corridor, pushing against the crowds of students still making their way to their respective dormitories. I remembered that the head boy and girl's dorms were someplace near the headmistress' office, and so I made sure to walk by the griffin-shaped doorway on my way there. Sure enough, I found myself standing outside a door marked 'Head Boy and Girl', and pushed it open cautiously.

A spiral staircase led up to a comfortable-looking common room, much like the one that the Gryffindors shared, though with smaller bookshelves, and both green and red decorations. The green only reminded me of who was waiting for me at the top of the next spiral staircase, and I swallowed anxiously. Nevertheless, I continued up the steps into a cosy bedroom with two four-poster beds opposite one another, each with its own bedside cabinet and wardrobe, one with red bed sheets, and one with green.

And who was sitting at the foot of the green bed?

Malfoy, of course.

"Ah, Granger, about time!" Smirked Malfoy, in his familiar teasing tone. Somehow I didn't hate that voice so much anymore. It was as though a silent, unspoken pact had been made between us during the battle - we weren't friends, definitely not. But we weren't really enemies anymore, either. That was true.

"Evening, Malfoy," I said, sounding as courteous as I could without wanting to punch him in the nose again, just like in third year. I smiled a little to myself as I remembered that day. It was still one of my proudest achievements, even now.

"So, we're fated to share a room together this year," said Malfoy conversationally, reclining on his bed and staring up at the ceiling. He kicked off his shoes and I sat down awkwardly on the end of my bed, beginning to sort through my trunk.

I nodded shortly. "I suppose," I said, with a shrug. I couldn't think of anything to say. My heart was beating fast, but I didn't know why.

"Looking forward to it?" Asked Malfoy. I looked up at him, my cheeks red. He was smirking infuriatingly.

"Are you?" I snapped, without thinking.

"Oh, yes," scoffed Malfoy sarcastically. "I can't wait."

"Very funny," I said drily, without looking up. "But if we're going to at least try to get along this year, perhaps you should try not insulting me?"

"Sounds reasonable," said Malfoy thoughtfully. I was surprised to find that he sounded as though he was considering my proposition. "Fine. I'll try to be a little more...er...civil...towards you, Granger." He smirked again.

I could hardly believe my ears. I could feel my heart fluttering in my chest. I told myself sharply, knock it off. What was going on?

Malfoy checked his watch. "It's getting late," he yawned. "I'm going to sleep."

I nodded. "Night, Malfoy."

Before he could reply, he said suddenly, another smirk coming onto his face, "You're to call me Draco from here on in, then."

I blushed bright red. "What?" I spluttered.

"Oh, yes," he grinned. "You want me to be civil to you, you've got to do something for me. And you've got to call me Draco."

"Fine," I spat. "Then you're to call me Hermione."

He sat thinking for a while. "Deal," he said venomously. "You're good at this deal-making business, Hermione. I think we'd make quite a team."

I stared at him.

"Night." He said, turning out the lamp on his bedside table with a grin.

"Night," I replied. As I buried my head against my pillow, I added in a whisper, "Draco."