Hermione sat on the Hogwarts Express by herself, leaning her head against the cool glass window. Why hadn't Harry and Ron come to complete their education? Harry wanted to be an Auror, for goodness sake. Ron, well, he needed all the help he could get. Thank Merlin Percy has sense to do something actually worth the amount he got paid. The bushy haired girl sighed as she saw the one and only Draco Malfoy's reflection. "What do you want, Malfoy?" she forced in a polite tone.
"There's noo where to sit, Mudblood," he seethed.
"That's nice. A bit lost without Crabbe and Goyle?" she scowled straight back, turning to Malfoy.
"Oh, it's not as if I want to sit next to you!" Draco growled, sitting opposite Hermione, refusing to look at her.
She glared at him for a moment, and shook her head. He wasn't worth it. She reached into her bag, and pulled out a book. "I'm so excited for the new Hogwarts: A History book. . . it'll be incredibly interesting," she muttered to herself.
"Taking every subject, Granger? As if you can keep up, it's an. . . an eighth year, basically," Malfoy said.
"Leave me be. You do whatever you do, just don't talk to me. Don't look at me. I hate you, and I wish you'd go away," Hermione said, though she was taking every subject, and it would be hard.
"Touchy beaver," he mumbled.
Hermione ignored the Twitchy Ferret, and glared down at her book. Tears welled up in her eyes. She felt so alone. She wiped her chocolate eyes vigorously. Just because Harry and Ron weren't there, didn't mean Malfoy could get the better of her. She felt a tear trickle down her face, and gulped. A piece of cloth flew at her, and she looked up as another tear fell down her face. Malfoy was staring at her. She wiped her eyes and nose, and flung it back at the Slytherin. He looked disgusted, and flung it back. Hermione sighed, and it flew back, and almost immediatly, it was at her hands. It continued for a while, and Hermione started to giggle. Malfoy was about to chuckle too, but the smile quickly disolved, and he forced his face back to the usual scowl.
"I'm not your friend, Mudblood," he snarled. Hermione stopped giggling, and looked at him. She stared at his scowl, and looked at her book once again, as she heard the sound of the trolley pass. She heard Malfoy's careless words of "I don't eat that rubbish."
"You, Miss Granger?" asked the trolley lady.
"Oh- I have no money, sorry," she said, and just as the words escaped her lips, a clatter of galleons fell in front of her. "Or," she smiled. "May I have two packets of Every Flavour Beans, and two Pumpkin Pasties, and two bottles of Butterbeer. She handed over the money, and got a jangling amount of Knuts back. She passed them back to Malfoy, and smiled at him, a big, teeth-baring smile. "If you'd like anything, just ask, alright?" she said.
He raised an eyebrow at her, and began coughing, though the words Mudblood clearly escaped from his mouth. Hermione coughed back, and Twitchy Ferret came out of hers. He kicked her beneath the table, and she winced in pain. "Look, I didn't do anything. I try and be nice, but you go on about my Mudblood germs or whatever. It's childish, Malfoy, it really is!"
She received no answer, and looked at the clock. Almost two. She stood up, and put her book in her bag. Malfoy glanced up at her. "I'm going to. . . to the bathroom," she announced, cheeks reddening. Stumbling off, she made her way to the cramped cubicle and tears started pouring out her eyes. Why was he being worse than usual? He wasn't even saying anything. Silence. Yet, she wanted to hear him. Why, she didn't know. But he just seemed so different. The handkercheif, the money. It was so kind, yet so unusual. She bit her lip, and dabbed her eyes with some toilet paper. She felt so tired, and she just wanted to sleep. . .
The train jerked, and Hermione opened her eyes. "I fell ! I'd best change into my robes," she gabbled, yanking her purple sweater off, and replacing it with a shirt. She ran out, pulling on one shoe, and straightening her eyes. She bumped straight into Malfoy. "You've been gone four hours, I wondered where you were. The train just stopped," he shrugged, and handed her a blue suitcase, and a few extra bags. Her bags. She thanked him, but he was already half out the door. "Wait, can I walk with you? Harry and Ron, they aren't here, I'm just a bit alone. I don't know if anyone you know is here?" she rocked on her heels, cocking her head to one side. He stared at her, and shrugged. She smiled sweetly, and tapped behind him, lugging slowly. "Was your father taken to Azkaban? And you're mother?" she ask curiously.
"Yes," he replied shortly. "Dementor's kiss on my father. My mother wasn't a Death eater, so she just has a few months. Granger, why am I telling you of all people? Leave me alone, you freaking Mudblood," he strode quickly away from her.
She swallowed back the coming tears. Why was she so fricking emotional? "Okay, Hermione, he isn't worth your tears. Ignore him. Just ignore him."
She held her head high, and walked on her own, bags clasped in her hands. He was some freaky, pureblood obsessed Slytherin who didn't give a toss about her. So why cry? She was just a bit lonely, Harry and Ron weren't coming to Hogwarts. It was obvious why Malfoy was. His father in no state, dead, his mother in Azkaban. He was lonely. Just like Hermione. Oh God, she'd have to share the eighth year common room with him, and a table, and everything. She shook her head violently, brown curls falling across her face. "Neville, Hannah, Ernie, Terry, Hailey," she paused. "Cormac. . . I don't need a Malfoy to keep me company," she chuckled silently, as her chest heaved.
She continued her slow walk, and got into a carriage, staring at the beautiful Thestral.
"Hello, Hermione! We were just wondering where you were!" Hannah said brightly, next to her friend Hailey, a Ravenclaw. Neville, Ernie, Terry and Cormac were with them, and Hermione took the last seat. "I'm sure Eighth Year will be fun!" Hermione nodded, hair bouncing on her shoulders.
"Yeah," Cormac said, Hailey staring at him contently.
"For sure," Neville smiled.
Authors Note: There we are, first chapter. I've been wanting to write this for ages, so I finally finished. And don't worry, the relationship won't begin for a while, Draco and 'Mione are just getting feelings! :D So, review, and I'll get the next chapter for this and Ron x Avery up soon! :3 x jada