Chapter 1

"You went to school with her?" Hermione stared across the train station at Narcissa Malfoy and then back at her mother with a mixture of shock and horror.

"Oh yes dear. She was such a nice girl. We would have been best friends if it weren't for her father who couldn't stand me. I never did understand why. Anyway, we managed quite well, 'cissa and I. We'd have picnics where no one could see us, and of course, you couldn't separate us during school. But I never saw her after primary school. Oh, I just have to go and talk to her. Come along Hermione, dear."

Hermione could understand perfectly why Mrs. Malfoy's father hadn't wanted her to be friends with Hermione's mother. Heaven forbid his precious baby girl should be friends with a muggle.

"I don't think that's such a good idea, Mum. Let's just go home. I'm tired after the trip and school and everything." Hermione pleaded

"Oh nonsense dear. I simply must go and speak to Narcissa before she leaves. Ooh! Look at her son -isn't he handsome! Are you friends with him dear?"

"God no! I hate Draco. I absolutely can't stand him- and if you make me go over there Mother, I'll never talk to you again!" Hermione only ever used the word 'mother' as a title when talking to hers if she wasn't happy about something and wanted her mother to know it. "I'm serious Mum. Don't make me go over there."

"I'm sorry dear. You'll just have to grin and bear it. Come along." Her mother strode towards where Draco and his mother stood, a twinkle in her eyes and a spring in her step.

"Narcissa! ' Cissa!" Mrs. Granger called out enthusiastically.

Mrs. Malfoy turned around in surprise at the sound of her name. Nobody had called her 'Cissa since primary school. She wondered who could possibly have recognised her. Her eyes rounded in wonder and disbelief as she watched Elspeth Jones almost running towards her at a speed that couldn't be mistaken as anything other than sheer determination.

"Elspeth! My goodness! I'd never in a million years have expected to see you here! How have you been? What have you been doing?"

To Hermione' s surprise, Draco's mother reacted with all the emotions one would expect an old friend would. Draco, however, seemed as unimpressed as she was, and was alternating between staring death stares at her and looking pointedly between his mother and the clock on the train station wall. Finally, after about ten minutes chatter between their mothers –of which both Hermione and Draco took no notice- Draco spoke up.

"Mother I think it's time that we were leaving. You know Father doesn't like us to be late."

"Oh, Draco's right El. I'm sorry. Lucius can be quite romantic most of the time, but our house runs on a strict schedule."

"That's alright. Hermione and I need to be going as well. So, we'll meet here in a week's time to go away?"

"WHAT?!?!"

The cry came from both Hermione and Draco at the same time.

"Oh," Mrs. Granger sighed in irritation. "Haven't you two been listening at all? We're going to a lake in the south together so that Narcissa and I can catch up, and hopefully you two can go back to school next term able to at least talk to each other if you're going to be leading the school."

Narcissa Malfoy stepped forward and hugged Mrs. Granger. "It's so good to see you again El. I've missed you a lot."

Turning to go to their respective cars, neither Mrs. Malfoy nor Mrs. Granger noticed the poisonous looks between their children. A mixture of horror and downright hated passed across both of the young faces.

"There's no way on this earth that I am spending my summer holidays with a mudblood. So the ladies can forget it. I'd rather have to listen to Pansy 24/7 than live within a mile of you or your parents. So have a nice time, Granger, I'll be sure NOT to miss you," Draco spat out venomously.

"Same goes Malfoy. Same goes. Oh, and I'll be sure to tell Pansy how you feel next time I see her." Hermione grabbed the trolley that had her trunk on it and pushed it away, grimacing slightly at the prospect of holidaying with Malfoy, but then brightening when she realised that his mother would never make him do something he didn't want to do –and he definitely didn't want to go to her family's lakeside cabin.

~*~

Draco and his mother were in their chauffeured, air-conditioned black Bentley, and were in the middle of one of the biggest arguments their family had seen since Lucius had refused to go to his own father's funeral, despite Narcissa's pleadings, threats and ultimatums.

"I am not going to that cabin! I hate Granger –it's enough that I have to see her every day at school. And I'm actually going to have to talk to her properly next year –how on earth could they have made a mudblood Head Girl? But I refuse to spend my summer with her!"

"DRACO MALFOY! If I hear you call Hermione that name again I will call up her mother and we'll be at that cabin tomorrow –what's more, I'll send an owl to Professor Dumbledore and tell him that you don't deserve to be Head Boy and that Harry Potter should take your place. Now, we are going to that cabin in a week's time and there'll be no more talk otherwise. And if your father asks, we're staying with my sister –you know he can't stand her even more than he can't stand muggles. And if I hear that you've been telling him otherwise…" Narcissa let the threat hang, confident in her son's compliance to her wishes.

Draco moaned and sulked the entire drive back to their home. Spending the summer with Granger. Wonderful. If his friends ever heard about it he'd be the laughing stock of the school for the whole year. Then Draco grinned. No he wouldn't be. One look from him and no one would ever mention it again; through his six years at Hogwarts he'd acquired a reputation for being ruthless with those who displeased him. Then again, he thought, maybe this summer won't be so bad. After all, in the last year or two Granger has blossomed. Now she's got wonderfully curved hips…and her breasts are so voluptuous…and tempting too. Well, I suppose I should do my part for inter-house relations, especially if we're going to be Head Boy & Girl after the summer. Yes, this summer is going to be mighty interesting indeed.