Chapter 1 Innocence

Dobby woke up magically, wondering what was happening. As the house elf, dedicated for the service of the young master of the house, he had yet not woke up this early in the morning. Well, except for when his master was just a baby.

When Dobby heard his master calling his name, immediately apparated to his chambers, afraid if something was off.

"How can Dobby help Master Draco?" he asked with a huge bow. From what his bow would allow, he could see his Young Master was chasing up and down his chamber.

"Dobby, I want eggs and sausages for my breakfast, with some toasts and orange juice, please." then Dobby straightened up his bow.

"Yes, Young Master wants eggs and sausage with toasts and orange juice! Dobby will prepare them immediately for his Young Master." as he was about to apparate down to the kitchens, heard Draco's voice again.

"Wait Dobby, I changed my mind. I want some raspberry jam with butter and biscuits with warm milk." he said.

"Yes, master, Dobby will prepare some raspbery jam with butter and biscuits and warm milk. Dobby will be back short-"

"No Dobby, I want some pancakes with honey and breakfast tea instead… or should I stick with the eggs and sausage…" Dobby was in awe. Dobby had never seen his young master to question his decisions before. Even when he was a baby, he would sellect one toy out of many, and play with that toy only until the end of playtime… Well, the point is, something was off with Draco. He was squeezing his hands until they turn blue. then shaking his arms at his sides, allowing some blood back. Then he would squeeze them all over again… He was pacing up and down in the chamber, and now, he couldn't decide something as simple as what he wanted for breakfast.

"Dobby feels young master is nervous. Dobby prepares warm milk for young master. Then Dobby will prepare eggs and sausage with toasts, raspberry jam with butter and biscuits and pancakes with honey for breakfast. Young master can have whichever he wants. Dobby wish young master be okay." with that, he apparated to the kitchen and hurriedly started preparing everything Master Draco wanted…

When Dobby went back to his young master's chambers, he was just out of shower.

"Dobby brought breakfast to young master." he states unnecessarily.

"Thank you Dobby. Leave it on the coffee table. Then bring my luggage downstairs and to the entrance hall to be ready to leave. Also check if Mother and Father are awake and report to me when they are." he said while dyring his hair with his wand, magically.

"Yes, Young Master. Dobby carries the luggage. Dobby tells young master when Master and Mistress are awake."

"Good Dobby!" Draco said with a crooked smile on his lips. Then Dobby took the luggage with him and disappeared into thin air.

When Dobby finished carrying the luggage and setting them so conveniently to the entry hall, he went back to the kitchens to find Missy preparing something.

"Missy preparing breakfast for Master and Mistress?" Dobby asked .

"Missy preparing breakfast for Master and Mistress." Missy said matter of factly. "Dobby have to iron his fingers again if Dobby will not hurry and prepare breakfast for Young Master." she added with a lecturing tone in her voice.

"Dobby prepared breakfast for Young Master! Dobby was up when it was still dark. Young Master say Dobby, good! Missy knows not." Dobby blabbered then apparated back -yet again- to Draco's chambers to find him again pacing up and down, yet now he was in his school robes and turning his wand in his hands in front of him.

"Dobby informs Master Draco Master and Mistress are awake for their breakfast." Draco sighed a loud sigh.

"Okay Dobby, thanks. I will go down shortly to meet Mother and Father. Check if the living room is ready for us. Also, prepare some tea it will be served in the living room." He paused "And Dobby, you did well today."

"Yes, master. Dobby is honoured master. Dobby will check and prepare the living room, master." and he was gone again.

As Dobby was serving the tea to his masters and mistress, they were talking about leaving.

"But, Father" young master said "I prefer early over late." matter of factly. Master Lucius then gave out an exasperated sigh.

"You are right, son. For business meetings… But, this is your Hogwarts carreer we are talking about. Would you prefer having everyone think that you are so eager to go that you weren't able to sleep at night? It is not Malfoy and you are making your mother sad, by indicating you are so eager to leave! Which you know that I never tolerate." he said as Dobby was about to make his leave.

"I see you have a point, Father." Dobby heard his young master confirming with acceptance after checking his mother.

Standing on the Platform 9 ¾, Finally thought Draco looked around in excitement which did not at all show from his facial expressions. He first hugged his mother witch was one very beautiful, yet solemn witch. She was graceful and loving and Draco cared about his Mother very deeply. He considered Narcissa Malfoy to be the heart of the Malfoy house, where Lucius was the brain. "Mother, I will miss our afternoon tea together." he said. Tears welling in her eyes, Narcissa Malfoy hugged her son back.

"I know you will be great My Dragon!" He turned to his father then, with more caution:

"Father, may I owl you when I would need your wise advice, which I am sure I will?" with a very slight but genuine smile on his lips, Lucius Malfoy, answered his son, while taking his offered hand for a shake "You know that your attention for my advice always is a flatter. I am sure that you will be just fine without them but, I will be willing to offer my words, if they shall be asked for, as always. Take care of you son and have fun!" his heart was feeling so warm, he was trying hard to keep his composure.

"Thank you, father. I will be seeing you on Christmas." He then turned to advance to the magnificent Hogwarts Express! Sensed his father's hand on his shoulder. "Be careful with who you be-friend son!" He whispered to his ear. Then gently pushed him forward.

There were already students occupying the compartments of the train. Mostly 1st years, you can identify them from their all black – grey cloaks, which was unusual, since all students were assigned to one of the four houses on their first day of Hogwarts. While he was searching for an empty compartment, he opened one of the doors and saw the people who he would like to encounter the least. Crabbe and Goyle were sitting and playing with a Chocolate Frog, stupidly bouncing all around the compartment with silly expressions on both of their faces. He closed the compartment door with twice the speed he opened it with. "I'll be damned." He thought, "if I will get acquainted with those silly boys." He was right… And he was certain that the boys had seen him. So he hurried to the next compartment and without a look inside, he jumped in and closed the door behind him. He was breathing heavily. After a few seconds and a loud sigh, he turned around to look in the compartment. There was a girl. With wild hair. With surprised chocolate-brown eyes. With "Hogwarts: A History" on her lap, now shut closed. Draco felt like he was intruding.

"I am very sorry for intruding with your reading. But I am hiding from two dunderheads, whom could turn my life in this school into a hell. Would you let me stay in your compartment?" he realized the girl was still looking at him with wide eyes and a wow. He added hurrying with a hand out for a shake and a slight flush on his very, very white (almost transparent) cheeks.

"Oh, how rude of me. I am Draco Malfoy, by the way." Only then, the girl came to her senses. She smiled –a very beautiful little smile, and took his hand.

"I am Hermione Granger and you can stay, I don't mind at all if you would turn my compartment into your little secret hiding space. I was reading this book the third time out of boredom anyways. I am up for a little chit chat." Her hand was warm in his hand. He was relieved, that she did not start mocking him for playing hide and seek on his first day to Hogwarts. He knew any pure-blood self-centered witch would. And he has never heard the name Granger before. She should be either a muggle-born or half-blood. When Draco heard his thoughts were coming out of his mouth exactly as he had them coming in his head, it surprised him. He wasn't one to speak out-loud everything he thought without considering the consequences and processing them a little, before.

"I am relieved that you are not some self-centered pure-blood witch! Or else, you would be mocking me with my little hide and seek game on our very first day to the Castle and, I am in no mood to tolerate any mocking right now, to be honest…" He sat down slowly to the window-side across from her. "I am sorry to open up the blood-status talk right away. People I am hiding from are same 1st years as us. But they are a disgrace to be around with, they are the pure-blood children of my parents' pure-blood friends. I am too, a pure blood you know, but I am trying HARD to not to become THAT self-centered at least. Those guys are not nice to be around, believe me! It-is-not-nice-to-be-around-them!"

"Oh, OH!" she gasped "And here I was thinking I recognized your name! Of course! You are a MALFOY! I read about the businesses your family is running! They are creating a huge demand in workforce! Oh, so you are the son… I would have never dreamed! What I read, in history books, was that, most pure-blood families would not want to get acquainted with someone like-" she paused a split second "well, someone like me. Actually, I was afraid that they will call me names at some point. I was trying to figure how I should be coping with that, if and when it occurred!" Her eyes had gotten bigger with every word coming down her lips.

"Wow, no, I wasn't raised like that… That would be Crabbe and Goyle you are talking about. They are nothing but a bad influence. They could even force me to behave like them if they would. Even though, my status in the wizarding Britain is way higher than theirs, tch! They can be a real pain, you know. I do not want to get into that mindset for the next seven years! I want to properly educate myself and become a worthy heir for my family. I have responsibilities, farther than their little brains could ever process! Not only for my family of three, but also for my family in the Malfoy Corporations. I should become a worthy wizard to properly run the businesses and not make people lose their jobs due to my inefficiencies."

"Wow! That is a lot to shoulder for an 11 year old! I am at least only responsible for my own life, which I ought to build from scratch. But, still… I would have imagined the heir of one of the most powerful families in the Wizarding Britain to be a kind of a prat. I was being prejudice. And I am sorry for that."

"Oh, not a problem. Most people expect to face a little prat when they first meet me. I suspect some actually want me to be that prat and I have been working hard to not become one! It would have been easier, you know. To be the prat people expect me to be… It's all thanks to my father, though. He would not let me be that!" With that, he gave out a very genuine laugh. "I hope we could become friends maybe… you know, we will probably be taking some classes together, even if we could be sorted in different houses."

"Oh," said Hermione returning his honest little smile with one of her own "I'd like that! I can use some guidance about the wizarding world, since my parents evidently know even less than me about it, my knowledge is only limited to some number of books I was able to read within the last 3 months."

"It would be my pleasure, Miss Granger, if I would be even a little guidance for you into our world." He gave a courteous little bow to her, which earned him a soft chuckle from his new-found friend. They heard the engines start rolling, as they realized their journey to the new era of their lives has been started.

Hermione seemed somewhat uncomfortable at her seat. She still had her book on her lap "Hogwarts: A History", and was holding onto it very tightly that Draco realized her fingertips were starting to get blue.

"Are you nervous?" he asked with his pure innocence. Which caused the girl to uncomfortably shift slightly on her seat.

"Do you want an honest answer?" she asked. When Draco nodded in affirmative with very serious looking eyes with lips pushed into a thin line, she continued "Well, yes, obviously. I am also a little homesick already. It is a lot of unknowns for me, you know. I read this book, and the others I have over and over again, but yet, you can only get too much information from just the books… All this" she gestured around a circle "which I was unaware of its existence until 3 months ago! It is unnerving." Draco gave out another very genuine smile.

"Then just start asking! I will answer your questions for you, if I could." That was the point when Hermione went on mission mode.

"I wonder how magic is even possible to start with! How do you communicate using owls? How are we sorted into houses of Hogwarts? What if I was sorted into Slytherin for God's sake! Does everyone hate people like me? Will I be able to blend in- I-" Draco put up his two hands.

"Slow down a bit, will you? First of, magic is possible because it is a force within one's' soul. It is, though, alive. So when thought properly, one will become able to manage the force within themselves. This is how magic is possible. You will understand better when you keep experiencing it. So, what was your second most important question? I am not going to answer about the owls. You'll find it yourself I believe very shortly. It is common knowledge..." Hermione rolled her eyes.

"What if I will be sorted into Slytherin?" she asked.

"Why do you hold such concern in the first place? All four houses of Hogwarts are very noble. They all have their own values. Slytherin, is the house of intelligence, cunning, resourcefulness and ambition. One will be very wrong to assume because previous dark wizards came from Slytherin, so Slytherin only grows monsters and criminals! Slytherin house had also grown very precious Professors, one of whom you will be able to meet in this castle! You should relax a bit. The sorting hat will sort us according to our best qualities. If one has the potential of infidelity, they will most certainly not be sorted into Gryffindor for example. Do not fear and have faith in your own personal qualities."

Hermione's cheeks flushed slightly from below her gorgeously messy hair. Draco was calmly and encouragingly looking at her hazel eyes for her next question.

"That was very surprising, I must admit. Okay, then I am a Mudblo-" Draco interrupted instantaneously

"Do-not-call-yourself-that-ever-again!" He was breathing heavily. The door to the compartment smashed open when a still very puzzled Hermione couldn't even form a suitable answer.

She saw the disgusted look on Draco's face, when he turned to look at the intruders, his blood was still boiling with anger thanks to this Hermione girl.

"Crabbe, Goyle! What business do you have in my compartment?" he asked. If one could set fire with their eyes, the Crabbe and Goyle boys would be in it right now!

"We'we been lookin' fo' ya all around, mayt-" Goyle started, frantically shaking his hands all around. His face was, well, it was fat. Draco let out a sigh.

"What made you think that, I would want to trash my precious time with you on this very beautiful day, then?" he said. The kind Draco, apparently disappeared somewhere in a matter of seconds.

"Easy mate, we just though-" Draco interrupted.

"Since it is unnatural for you lot to THINK, get the hell out of my life already. I don't have time for this. You lot, are not my mates. Get LOST!" he sat up in mid-sentence. Looking very irritated. He practically pushed the boys out.

Hermione forced some air into her lungs. A very puzzled look in her eyes. Before she could say anything, Draco sighed, and turned around to face her.

"I am sorry about that!" he ran a hand through his hair. "I really cannot stand the two anymore. We did play around in our backyard when we were kids, but those two… I cannot bear their presence." He sighed again. "I don't normally get this irritated at them this quickly… But, you pressed my nerve when you – when you called yourself THAT! How can you think it is okay to insult yourself!" Hermione put a hand up, palm facing him.

"Easy, Draco. It is just a phrase for me which I read in a book, it doesn't mean anything further to me. Well, other than the fact that, some people might not want me around because of what that term suggests, but, l am, really sorry to, irritate you…" she paused "you just shoved those poor guys out of the compartment!" she smirked. And Draco smirked back.

"So what was you saying?" he asked referring to their conversation before interrupted by those dunderheads.

"Oh, well that…" she started.

PS: THIS CHAPTER IS UPDATED! And it will not make sense to you when you read Chapter 2 (obviously, it is yet to be updated!)

Thanks to Lun27 for wonderful comments and support!

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