Hermione sat on the train alone. She hadn't yet recovered from the worse school year of her life. She knew that life would never be the same. Ever. She had lost one of her best friends this year. She wasn't in the mood to talk to anyone about what had happened. Even Ron, the one that was always smiling and joking, was depressed. He hadn't spoken to anyone since it happened. He, too, had lost his best friend.

Harry had been like a brother to both Hermione and Ron. Ron more than anyone. Now he was gone and there was no getting him back. Sure, Voldemort was destroyed, but in the end it had also killed Harry. The boy who lived was no longer living. Voldemort had finally succeeded in what he had set out to do so long ago. He had finally killed Harry Potter.

Hermione could hear a cold, bored, drawling voice outside her compartment. She didn't feel at all like dealing with Malfoy right now. He wasn't exactly her favorite person. Even if he, too, had been changed over the past year. Lucius Malfoy, Draco's father had been killed by The Dark Lord as well. Voldemort had been angry that, although the Malfoys, had come back to him, they hadn't been the one's to find him. Draco's mother, had disappeared with the rest of the other Death Eaters as soon as it was dicovered that Voldemort was at last dead. Since the death eaters were all connected to Voldemort it was assumed that they all died when he did.

Hermione didn't understand why this had to happen in her last year of Hogwarts. She should be happy. She had finally finished school. She could finally start Auror training at the ministry. She had graduated top of her class. She had in fact, set the record for best grades ever. From first to seventh year she had had full marks on everything. There was only one thing she didn't excel at particularly well. She constantly got a 99 in Defense against the dark arts. That class had been Harry's specialty. He had wanted to go into the ministry as an auror ever since fifth year. He had even gotten an excellent grade on his potions OWL in order to continue his least favorite class, since it was required to be an auror.

The drawling voice stopped and Hermione saw Draco Malfoy pass her compartment. It surprised her a bit to see tears streaming down his face. She had not seen him like this since the day he found out about the fate of his parents. He was obviously trying to conceal that he was crying and that was why he was walking away from his friends and girlfriend, Pansy.

"Oh, Drakie, come off it. It's not that bad. My parents are never around. And besides, Potty's finally dead. You should be happy. No more having to deal with "Mr. Celebrity" every day."

Hermione was just about to go into the hallway and tell Pansy off for making comments about her friend when Draco did something very unexpected.

"PANSY, WHY DON'T YOU COME OFF IT! MY PARENTS ARE DEAD! THEY ARE NEVER COMING BACK! HARRY POTTER DIED GETTING RID OF THE MAN THAT KILLED THEM! HE DID WHAT I WOULD HAVE DONE! LEAVE HARRY ALONE!"

Hermione nearly died of a heart attack. Draco Malfoy...defending Harry Potter? Miracles do happen.

Hermione stuck her head out of the compartment. By that time Pansy and the other Slytherins were back in their compartments. Draco however still stood in the hall, shaking with anger. He was muttering under her breath.

"Doesn't know....I hate her...Why did I ever go out with her?....."

"Draco...May I speak with you for a moment?" said Hermione quietly. It was strange hearing her own voice again. She hadn't spoken since it happened. She had used magic to write out her speech as head girl so that the rest of the school could see it and read it.

"Whatever..." replied Malfoy, following her into her compartment.

"Thank you."

"For what?" he asked gruffly, still visibly angry at the people that he called friends for so long.

"Defending Harry like that. I know that for most of your life you didn't like him very much. But....thank you." She didn't know what else to say considering Malfoy had also been her enemy all of her life at Hogwarts.

"I didn't do it for Harry, Granger. I did it for me. They were making fun of the fact that my parents are gone and that 'Hey look. Draco's got himself a killer inheritance.' I don't care about my parents' money. Harry killed the one man that I would have myself killed. And he died doing it. I'm glad Voldemort is dead, but, no one ever had to die to stop him."

"It was inevitable, really. Trelawney made that prophesy about their final fight. She said that they may or may not get out alive. Besides. When was the last time one of that Crazy old bats prophesies actually came true? Never. No one thought it was going to happen but it did."

Hermione could tell that the subject was getting to Draco. In fact she could tell that it was getting to herself. She decided to drop it. She needed to talk to someone. It might as well be Malfoy, even if she never really got along with him. She didn't feel like walking up and down the train looking for her other best friend. She decided then to ask Draco about what he was going to be doing this summer.

" I'm starting auror training," was his reply to her inquiry.

" Thats great. So am I. Ron is, too. We decided to go through with it. Even after that happened. Harry would have wanted us to. He would have wanted us to continue what we had always promised we would do together."

" Weasley? An auror? Did he really pass enough OWLs to manage that?"

This peeved Hermione. She was appreciative to Malfoy for standing up to Pansy but she didnt appreciate it when her remaining friends were spoken about behind their backs. She was looking for a way out of speaking to Malfoy when, thankfully, the train pulled into Kings Cross.

" I guess I'll be seeing you this summer then," was her goodbye for Draco. She felt bad when she saw him walk away all alone. It was the first time since she had met him that he was alone. She saw Ron's family. The usual vibrant quality that surrounded the Weasley's was gone. They had lost their spark as well.

" Hermione, dear," sniffed Mrs. Weasley, pulling her into a hug. Harry had been like another son for them and that was saying something. They already had Charlie, Bill, Percy, Fred, George and Ron. Not to mention their daughter, Ginny.

" Come by the house any time you feel like it. You know you're welcome. You'll be working with Ron and Arthur so come, even if it is for work."

" Thank you, Mrs. Weasley. I have to go now. I see Mum and Dad. I'll tell Ron if I'm coming to visit." She then turned to Ron, " See you in a few days. Oh, and I have news. We're to be working with, Malfoy."

Hermione heard Ron mutter the words " Slimy Git" as she walked away.