Head Duties

Seven

"Welcome back everyone! I am so glad to see all of your faces!" Hermione addressed the Great Hall with enthusiasm, but while there were a few cheers, the somber mood was tangible. Hermione had to feel it because she glanced at me and then when returning her gaze to the students, she became transparent. Her smile vanished, her shoulders dropped, and you could read the turmoil she had undoubtedly faced. "Fine. No bullshit." There was a collective gasp from the students and professors along with a few hollers from the higher-level students. Hermione was not amused. "Being nice isn't going to get me anywhere. Tried that, Voldemort still tried to have me killed." There were a few nervous laughs. "Everyone wants us to pretend like this didn't happen," her voice rose. "Like our friends, our families, our peers were not slaughtered." She gripped the sides of the podium Dumbledore had not so long ago stood before. "I will not, I cannot forget the horrors." Professor Sommelier stood, clearly upset with Hermione's direction. I shot the woman a glare a took a defensive step toward her. Sommelier pursed her lips and looked to the Headmaster. My eyes went back to the brunette curls. "We will not forget, not the lives lost, not the gory details, we will not forget this war or make it into something it was not. Your brothers, your sisters," she swept her eyes across the room, "they were there too. Whether fighting or hiding we survived together."

She paused and looked back at me. "Today, it doesn't matter what side you thought you were on," she returned her heavy gaze to our peers. "If you stand here today, in this castle, you are on the side of Hogwarts. We are united in this holy grave and we will not disgrace the late soldiers by wasting our time here fighting one another. We are one school, and you best remember that." She gave a curt nod and stepped back, giving me the space to speak.

"As head boy and head girl, Hermione and I are dedicated to you, we are here to guide you, protect you, and represent you. If you have any problems, any questions, I urge you to come to either of us so that we may assist you in this transition back to school after the war. And now, I believe the Headmaster has a few words for you." I, like Hermione, nodded at the students and backed away from the podium. The school applauded, a few of the students cheering our words. As the Headmaster took her place and began to speak, Hermione and I found our seats.

"That was kind of hot." The whisper came from my right, a Slytherin blonde whom I didn't recognize. She wore a sexy smile and my smirk automatically found its way to my lips. I glanced across the room toward the Gryffindor table. I shook my head, why was I thinking about Hermione when a perfectly attractive Slytherin was hitting on me? The girl, probably assuming the movement was for her, leaned in. I acutely felt her left breast push into my shoulder. Her breath, hot on my ear, came out as a purr. "I hear you have your own room this year..." she muttered. I felt a hand slide up my right thigh under the table. Amused, I raised an eyebrow and tilted my head to the girl, or, glancing at her figure, the woman.

"What a rumor." The tenor was deeper than I had intended and feeling the tightness in my slacks I realized that I wasn't really into Hermione. I was into this chick. I cocked my smile at the blonde, maybe it was time I returned to the suave Slytherin she clearly remembered me as.

The hall erupted in cheers and I saw the food appear out of the corner of my vision but I hardly noticed. I was a bit preoccupied. I leaned into the girl mimicking her previous move and slid my own hand from her knee to halfway up her thigh. "Maybe you should find out for yourself, you never can believe the gossip here." Her breath hitched when I squeezed. I moved my pinky so it swung higher up her leg. This was the Draco everyone remembered. This is who I am.

She casually put her hands in her lap only to try and move mine up. But I'm in charge here. I pulled away and smirked when she involuntary let out a quiet whimper. The boy across from her looked up at the blonde's face. I'd deal with her later. Best to keep them wanting.

I jeered with the other boys at the table as they recalled memories from the younger years. I could feel the respect rolling off them. Before, I had been too worried about the Dark Lord and my father to really enjoy the power I clearly held within my house. I hadn't realized it would still be here after the war, and I started to feel I wasn't as lonely as I originally thought.

My eyes once again found Hermione and it was right as our eyes locked that some new blood let out a yell (which was later attributed to a rogue toad). While my table's heads turned, I couldn't pull my gaze away. I was imagining making Hermione scream.

What was with me?