Chapter 1- An Unpleasant Surprise

A young woman with bushy, brown hair and a rather large book in her hand looked nervously around Platform 9 ¾. Hermione was very excited about attending her 7th year at Hogwarts, but she knew it would be little like the past six years she had spent there. What bothered her most was that she would have to get used to the teaching styles of two new professors. Professor McGonigal's ads had been in the Daily Prophet half the summer offering a job to anybody who was willing to teach Defense Against the Dark Arts or Muggle Studies. As a result of what had happened to the last two teachers who had taught those classes, few people were eager to take the job.

Harry and Ron were not helping her already grumpy mood. They hadn't met her by the train on time, and now Hermione doubted if they would actually make it on the train at all. She looked at her watch for the tenth time in the past 15 minutes. At this rate she would have to get on the train without them, which she hadn't had to do since her 1st year at Hogwarts.

A moment later, Ron, Harry, and a pink and breathless Ginny appeared in front of her.

"Never! Never again in my whole life will I ever do that again," Ginny gasped.

"Oh come on Ginny," said Ron, "side-along apparation can't be that bad."

"It is, and if you guys ever convince me to do it again, let me be struck by lightning," she said looking quite shaken up. She was bending over slightly and her breath was coming in gasps, "Now, hurry up before the train leaves. Oh hey Hermione. Hermione?!"

Ginny nearly tripped in shock. Hermione's face was redder than Ron's ear's had ever been, and her hair was sticking out in odd angles. It seemed that all the stress was having an unnatural effect with her hair. She was frowning now, and she was tapping her foot impatiently.

"It's about time," she yelled, "Where have you been? A minute more and I would have had to get on the train without you!"

"Well," said Ron, "it's a rather funny story, really. You see Harry and ---"

"Oh never mind," said a still upset Hermione, "Come on now, or the train will leave us all. Wait a moment," said Hermione in an exasperated tone, "Harry, Ron, where are your bags?"

Earlier that morning, Hermione had seen Mrs. Weasley drop off Ginny's cart at the station. She had said nothing about Harry or Ron, though she did seem a little unnerved by something, too. Ginny immediately started pushing her stuff to the train.

"See you on the train Hermione!" she said, and walked off hurriedly without a backwards glance.

Hermione did not pay much attention though because Harry had turned quite pale very quickly, and Ron on the other hand had turned a little pink.

"Guys," said Hermione. It was unlike them to try hide stuff from her let alone accomplish it.

Harry was the first one to step up. "Hermione, Ron and I have decided to not to finish are years at Hogwarts."

Ron turned an even deeper shade of red. Hermione was quite perplexed as to why they would ever do such a thing, but she knew they would never joke about something like this. Did they really think she could survive school without them?

Harry, who seemed to have read Hermione's thoughts continued, "Sorry Hermione, but Ron needs to help George and work at the joke shop, and the Ministry still needs me to help them pick up the mess that Voldemort left behind. It's only been a few months, and we know that they are never that good at doing stuff on their own. We want to, Hermione but we've got to think of the greater good."

Hermione hated it when he used Dumbledore's words against her.

Ron stepped forward slowly and he seemed to be trembling, "We're staying Hermione," was all he could get himself to say. Hermione was glaring at him fixedly, and after the day he had found Hermione and Harry again, he wasn't too keen on getting on her bad side again.

"Well then, I guess I'll just have to come with you. You couldn't have thought that you could make me go to Hogwarts alone," said Hermione. She was getting desperate now and she was loosing the battle.

"You have to stay. You know that you would never forgive yourself if you didn't," said Harry. He seemed to be a little uncomfortable too.

Hermione sighed in a defeated sort of way. The ministry had not asked her to be an auror, and she definitely wasn't interested in going into the family business. She didn't really have much of a choice.

"Alright," she mumbled.

Harry hugged her quickly before Ron came over and kissed her lightly on the lips.

"Don't worry," he said, "everything will be fine."

It was a shame really. Hermione and Ron had gotten so close over the summer after they had revealed their feelings. Now all that time was going to go to waste.

Hermione picked up her stuff, and faked a little smile.

"Don't forget write," she said. Then quickly she ran to the train before they could see the tears brewing in her eyes.