It All Started With Duties

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Chapter One

Can't Believe

"Can you believe Malfoy got Head Boy?" Ron Weasley asked his best friends Harry Potter and Hermione Granger. "I mean, he insults virtually everyone who's not a Slytherin."

"Dumbledore must have thought he was suitable for the job, Ron. He wouldn't have chosen him if that wasn't the case," Hermione said with a small shrug.

"His father could've paid Dumbledore," Ron said bitterly.

"I honestly don't see why you're so cut up about it, Ron," Hermione continued, "at least you don't have to do duties with him. But no Ron, I can't believe Malfoy got the job."

They had arrived at Hogwarts only hours ago, and now, they were sitting in the Gryffindor common room, discussing the year ahead. It would be their seventh, and unfortunately, their last at Hogwarts. Hermione, being the intelligent and sensible witch she was, was Head Girl and she would, yes, have to do duties with their archenemy Draco Malfoy, who was Head Boy.

Harry and Ron both shuddered at the thought of doing duties with Draco.

"God I feel sorry for you, Hermione," Harry said, giving her a look of sympathy. "Here I was, hoping above hope you got the job of Head Girl, and you get it, but he's going to ruin it for you."

"If he ruins it for me, I'll ruin it for him," Hermione said enthusiastically, standing you quickly, her curly and slightly bushy hair swinging madly.

"Good for you, Hermione!" Harry said with an approving nod. "Don't let him ruin it for you."

Hermione nodded and stretched widely. "Well, I'm going to bed," she said with a yawn and walking over and giving each of them a kiss on the cheek good night. "I'll see you in the morning. And mind, don't stay up too late."

"We won't," Harry said, standing up as well, "I'm going to bed now in fact."

"Good night, Harry, Ron," she called, as she started walking up the stairs towards the girls' dormitories.

"'Night, Hermione," both boys called back in unison, before heading up the set of stairs to the boys' dormitories.

'I can't believe Malfoy got Head Boy!' Hermione thought distractedly as she put on her nightgown and climbed into bed. 'Why couldn't Harry get it? Why couldn't someone I got along with get it? Why couldn't someone I liked get it? Why the hell did Draco Malfoy, my worst enemy have to get it? Why?

'God, this is going to be the year from hell!'

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Chapter Two

The Meeting

"Excuse me Professor, but may I borrow Miss Granger and Mister Malfoy for a minute?" Professor McGonagall asked Professor Snape Potions next morning.

Snape nodded rather coldly and gestured Hermione and Draco to follow McGonagall. Hermione stood up and followed her out into the cold dungeon passageway, followed closely by Draco.

" I would just like to inform you that the first Head and prefect meeting is being held in the room at the back of the library just after lunch break, where we will discuss your duties and some other things like the hatred between you, McGonagall informed them in her stern voice.

Hermione nodded understandingly, but Draco was looking at the professor in disbelief. "What about the hatred between us?" he asked roughly. "Why do we have to discuss it?"

"Because, Mister Malfoy, you will be working together an awful lot in the next year, and we do not want you yelling, screaming and leaving hex marks all over each other," McGonagall told him sternly. "You are Head Boy and Girl and everyone expects better of you then that."

Draco nodded at that and turned on his heal and walked back into the noisy Potions dungeon, where Neville Longbottom had caused a great deal of noise and commotion due to his cauldron melting yet again and leaving the stone floor around it soaked in steaming hot, plum purple potion.

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After lunch break, Hermione headed to the back of the library and opened the door to the rather familiar room in which the Prefect meetings were held the year before and the year before that.

Professor McGonagall along with Draco and a couple of Prefects were already in the room. McGonagall gestured for her to sit in the seat next to Draco. Harmione inwardly groaned, but obeyed and sat in the chair, ignoring Draco completely and studied the piece of parchment that lay in front of her, which was a list of the prefects' names and their house.

Soon everyone had arrived and McGonagall started informing them of upcoming events, such as Hogsmeade trips and a Halloween Ball. It was utterly boring, but it finally came to an end, or so they thought.

"...Miss Granger and Mister Malfoy stay behind please. The rest of you may leave," Mcgonagall said and the prefects started filing out of the room, leaving Hermione and Draco with McGonagall.

"Now, your first duty together will be tonight. We had a few problems with the first years wandering around after hours last night and the other teachers and I would like you to patrol the corridors until midnight," McGonagall explained.

"Now about your feelings about each other. We understand that you hate each other, but we need you to get along; we need you to start over, shake hands and forget your hatred for one another. I'm not saying you have to be friends but could you at least get along while you are together?" McGonagall continued. Draco looked at Hermione uncertainly, hardly able to believe his ears.

Hermione looked back at him, also uncertain. Finally they both nodded.

"Shake hands," McGonagall instructed.

They looked at her disbelievingly, before slowly obeying, shaking hands firmly, then standing up, getting ready to leave.

"Also," McGonagall said. "I would like you to talk on a first name basis, not a last name basis."

They both nodded and walked to the door, leaving silently, both totally unable to believe what had just happened.