Chapter One
The Return
Author's Note: In advance, I would just like to apologize for how much dialogue is in this chapter. It is just to set up the character's attitudes and the situations they are put in. I promise to have more filler paragraphs in future chapters. Thank you so much for reading!
It had been a year since the war. The castle was rebuilt to it's original condition (with the exception of a few add-ons). Many students were happy to go back, while others were dreading the return of a new school year. Some students decided not to return to Hogwarts at all. Thankfully, quite a few students were offered jobs shortly after the war. It gave students more opportunities to decide what they wanted to do with their newfound freedom.
"You guys, I still think it's ridiculous that you don't want to finish out our last year. There's still so many courses we weren't able to take." Hermione turned around to see her two best friends standing before her.
"School never was my thing, Hermione. I've got a job lined out, though. We've talked about this already." Harry chuckled as he looked over to Ron.
"It just doesn't feel right...going back without the two of you. I mean, it just seems...lonely." Hermione looked away from Harry and then caught Ron's attention. "You will be okay, won't you, Ron?"
"Yeah," Ron's eyes fell towards the ground. His demeanor wasn't very convincing. Hermione jumped at the sound of the train's whistle.
"Write me, both of you," She leaned forward and hugged Harry.
"Have fun," Ron said a bit bitterly before walking away. Hermione was slightly wounded that he didn't give her a hug or show her any kind of affection. But she knew that this was his way of trying to get back at her for leaving.
"Well, he isn't taking it very well, is he?" Hermione tried to lighten the mood, but she failed.
"No, but he'll get over it. He loves you, Hermione. He's just having a rough time with this. I can't really blame him, though. I wish that Ginny had decided to stay instead of going back. But it's what she wanted." Harry's eyes scanned the students passing by.
"Tell me to stay." Hermione suddenly said.
"What?" Harry turned back towards her.
"Tell me to stay. Tell me this is a dumb idea and I'll leave right now."
"I can't do that, Hermione." Harry shook his head.
"Why not?" She questioned.
"This is what you want. This is what you deserve." Harry smiled before walking away to catch Ginny before she got on the train.
Hermione brushed her hair behind her ear before calling Crookshanks name. She boarded the train in a promptly manner, giving one last look to her red headed boyfriend who had already made his way across the platform. Turning through the long hall of the train, Hermione began searching for open compartments. As the train started moving, Hermione found an empty one and put her bag up on one of the shelves. Staring at it for a moment, everything began sinking in. She was going to be back at Hogwarts...by herself. Sitting down in a defeated manner, Hermione picked up the envelope Harry had given her and opened it. Crookshanks nestled up on her lap.
"Dear Ms. Granger..." She read aloud, "We are pleased to inform you that you are this year's Head Girl. Based on your previous grades and excellent academic achievements..." Hermione folded up the letter and smiled at herself. It took her all of these years, but she finally did it. All of that hard work had finally paid off.
Hermione fell asleep within thirty minutes of the train ride. The compartment door slowly opened and two figures came in. They sat down across from her and exchanged glances. She shifted her head over towards the window before Crookshanks hissed. This alarmed Hermione, causing her to wake from her slumber immediately. Her eyes widened as she saw the faces before her. Quickly, smiles among all ensued.
"George! Ginny!" She reached out and hugged them. "George, what are you doing here? You've already completed-"
"This year I was asked to help out around the school. McGonagall thought that I would be a good assistant teacher. So I agreed to help out. I figured after everything...it was the least I could do." George replied, looking mildly excited.
"That's wonderful," Hermione looked over towards Ginny, "How have you been?"
"I've been alright. Going back is a little...tough." Ginny's eyes drooped sadly for a few moments.
"At least we have each other." Hermione reassuringly told her younger friend. Suddenly, the door opened up and two fellow students stood at the doorway with grins.
"Hermione, it's been ages!" Luna lounged at Hermione, giving her a tight squeeze around her waist.
Hermione quickly noticed Neville and Luna's hands intertwine after the hug. She smiled at this and then made room for them to sit down.
"You guys will never believe who I just saw out in the hallway." Neville spoke up.
"Who was it?" Ginny leaned forward to hear him.
"Draco Malfoy..." Neville said under his breath.
"He should be banned!" Ginny shouted, getting red in the face.
"Don't make a big deal out of it," George told his sister, "Let's just look at this as an opportunity to get back at him. We have all year."
"George, that's silly. We can't seek revenge...it will only make things worse." Hermione was doing her best to be the mature one in the group. (Clearly this year would be similar to all the previous ones).
"Pansy Parkinson is back too..." Luna added, "I think I saw an engagement ring on her finger..." The group ignored her last comment and continued on with their conversation.
"How could McGonagall let them in after what they've done?" Ginny started to go off again.
"They had to sign a contract." Cho Chang opened and then closed the door behind her. The compartment was starting to get quite crowded. "The whole train is in an uproar about it. Apparently every student who was affiliated with the Dark Lord was forced to sign a contract vowing to change their ways. I even heard some of them had to depart from their families."
Cho and Ginny shared a long, awkward glance.
"Does she actually think that's going to work?" George questioned, trying to break the tension that was starting to rise.
"The contract had some sort of spell on it. It's hard to explain...but McGonagall said that if the signer wasn't honest, their name wouldn't stay on the paper." Cho explained.
"Malfoy's definitely up to something." Neville shook his head.
"Maybe he has changed, guys." Hermione piped up.
"A leopard never changes its color," Ginny crossed her arms.
"Its spots," Hermione corrected.
"Spots? Why would spots change their color?" Ginny became confused by the muggle reference.
"Never mind," Hermione looked out the window at the passing trees. "Hey, we're almost there."
"I better get back," Cho nervously took a step back, "For what it's worth, it was nice to see you. All of you." Her eyes met Ginny's before she left the compartment.
"Neville and I should get our suitcases in order," Luna left with Neville practically attached to her hip.
"Yeah, um, I guess I'll grab our things, George." Ginny left.
Hermione watched George standing in front of her. She had never allowed herself to look at him for this long. When she was younger, she always favored George over the other Weasley children. Of course, she would have never admitted it. But there was something about how serene he could look, or how boldly honest he could be without being rude. It was how he could hold a serious conversation and then pull of a ridiculous prank within a matter of minutes. Over the years, he happened to help Hermione quite a few times. No one really knew about their friendship, but it really didn't matter. It was probably better that way. Looking at him as he rubbed his forehead and leaned forward, Hermione felt her stomach tense. Then she forced herself to look away.
"Are you alright?" George noticed her fidgeting.
"Yes," She responded too quickly. "Ron's just really disappointed in me. He wanted me to move in with him, you know. But instead, I came back here. I'm beginning to wonder if this was a mistake."
"It wasn't," George put his hand on her knee in a comforting motion. "You need to do this for you, Hermione. Ron will understand that...even if he is a little upset at first." He helped her get her suitcase.
"Well, this should be an interesting year." Hermione took her things from George as the train came to a stop. "George..."
"Yes?" He looked down at her.
"For what it's worth...I'm really glad you're here." She felt her voice waver.
"Me too, Hermione." He gave her a tight hug.
When everyone began exiting, Hermione moved into the long hallway. Looking across the crowds of students, Hermione caught a glimpse of the Slytherin boy. He was standing, talking to Blaise. She could tell by the look on his face that they were discussing something serious. Theo was standing nearby and quickly tapped Draco on the shoulder. The boy looked towards his friend for a moment and then turned back, staring straight at Hermione. Something deep within her shifted and she felt at a loss of breath. Draco started towards her, taking large strides. Hermione pushed through the crowd of people and tried to blend in with everyone around her. She continued to run until she reached the castle and found the new Headmistress, McGonagall, waiting for her.
"Ms. Granger, are you quite all right?" McGonagall looked concerned for the younger witch.
"Y-yes," Hermione tried catching her breath.
"Did Harry give you the letter I sent?"
"Yes, and I am so honored, thank you." Hermione nodded.
"I'm glad you're excited. I'm sure you've heard about the reconstruction and addition to the school. We have added a separate building for our Head Boy and Head Girl. It is set up more like a house. We unfortunately weren't given as much time as we needed, so it is still quite small. You will be sharing a living quarter, but you have separate bedrooms, of course. The building is right over there." She pointed across the way, "It is also attached to a library we've added which separates your place from a few sets of dorm rooms. The first set is for our staff. The second set is where we put our returning, last year students. But don't worry, you will have keys to your place, so privacy will never be an issue." The Headmistress handed Hermione a shiny, big key.
"Wow, it's...beautiful. Thank you." Hermione laughed in disbelief.
"I'm glad you're still so excited. I was afraid you'd be let down."
"Of course not!" Hermione laughed again, "But there is actually something I want to discuss with you."
"I have to go, Hermione. I'm sorry. But if you come by my office later, we can make an appointment to discuss any concerns." McGonagall smiled before walking away.
"Hermione!" George finally caught up to her, "Are those the keys to your dorm?"
"Yeah, I'm Head Girl this year. They added some additional buildings to the school and my head quarters is one of them. Want to come with me to check it out?" She grinned at him.
"Of course," He followed alongside her.
"I have to share my living quarters with the Head Boy though." Hermione added as they reached the door. She turned the key and pushed open the wooden door.
The inside was absolutely beautiful. There was a big fireplace in the corner of the room and a large brown couch facing it. There was a small kitchenette at the far side of the room. Then there was a bedroom on the left, a bedroom on the right, and a bathroom to separate them. George went to the kitchen first and grabbed an apple. Then he followed Hermione into the bedroom on the right. She began pulling out her clothes and putting them away in the drawers and her closet. This dorm gave her a lot more space and privacy than what she was used to. Hermione pulled her hair up into a messy bun as she began unpacking a few pictures to put on her desk.
"Look how young we look here..." George picked up a picture of the gang at a big quidditch game they had attended several years ago.
"That was a fun night," Hermione giggled as she reminisced.
"It feels better now though...doesn't it?" George asked out of pure curiosity.
"It feels...safer," She bit her bottom lip and pulled out a few of her favorite books.
The front door opened and someone walked in. Hermione glanced over towards the boy and then quickly shut and locked the door. She turned to George before he could say a word. Grabbing her wand, she whispered a few words to place a silencing spell on the room. After placing her wand down on her bed, she took a few breaths.
"Hermione, what is it?" George wondered.
"Draco kind of...came after me today. He saw me on the train and he started running after me. Thankfully, I was able to get away. But...that's who just walked through the door. George, he was mad when he was chasing me. I don't want to chance anything." She felt her chest tighten.
"Relax, Hermione. Everything will be okay. I'll go out there and talk to him." Here headed towards the door.
"Please, George. Just stay here." Hermione pulled him back by the hand.
"Fine...but if he tries anything..."
"Don't worry. "He'll probably take a few minutes of searching, give up, and then go back out." She sat down on her bed and looked around at her half arranged room.
The two talked about old memories for over an hour. When they had finally ran out of topics, Hermione went back to arranging her room. George noticed the letter McGonagall had wrote to Hermione that was now placed on her desk. He reached over and began reading it to himself. Hermione began talking about Ron and how much she was going to miss him. But George wasn't paying attention to her anymore. Instead, he was re-reading the letter over again.
"George, are you even listening to me?" Hermione put her hands on her hips.
"Hermione, did you read this?" George looked up at her.
"I didn't read all of it. It's just a letter explaining..."
"Hermione, Draco is the Head Boy." George interrupted her.
The two stared at each other silently for a few moments. Hermione took the envelope from him and read it a few times. She sat down, still in shock. After processing that for a few moments, she began to nod.
"I'm going home now. I'll move in with Ron. I had a lot of job offers..." She started rambling.
"Hermione, you aren't thinking this through." George told her, "You're just upset."
"I can take my OWL's. It's not like I won't pass. I could have graduated last year if I had wanted to." She continued.
"Hermione, take a deep breath, "You're not going anywhere."
"I didn't have to come back this year. It was recommended, not required. The school board cannot force us to do anything that we don't want to do." Hermione shook her head.
"You need sleep, Hermione. Sleep on it and then we'll talk about this in the morning." He got up and then headed towards the door.
"George, wait...please don't go. Don't leave me alone." The words came out weak in her throat.
"I should probably get back to my dorm. It's getting late, Hermione. I still haven't unpacked anything." George reminded her.
"It won't look good, George," Hermione quickly said, hoping to convince him into staying. "First off, if Draco sees you, he'll assume the worst and tell everyone. Even if he doesn't see you, there's a chance that other students may see you leaving here. It won't look okay either way, especially since you're a staff member, now." Hermione watched him consider his options. "Please, George...just for tonight."
"Okay, fine...I'll stay. But only because it would be awful to be fired on my first day."
"I'll make a cot for you on the floor." Hermione gave him a bunch of blankets to cover up in.
In the morning, Hermione woke up to the sound of running water. It took her a few moments to comprehend what was going on. Hermione got to her feet and realized that Draco was in the shower. She nudged George awake and helped him to his feet.
"He's in the shower, this is your best chance to get out without anyone seeing you." Hermione whispered as she led him to the door.
"Will I see you at breakfast?" George buttoned up his shirt.
"Most likely," Hermione nodded with a small smile across her face.
"See you later," He left the room and started heading towards his dorm.
When Hermione turned around, she saw the bathroom door open. Draco was wearing a pair of black trousers and a black button up shirt. His hair was wet and long enough to cover up his eyes. He looked upwards to see Hermione standing across the room. She went to go back to her room, but Draco blocked her pathway.
"Granger," He put his hand on her wrist.
"Let go of me!" She demanded, yanking her arm away from his grasp.
"I'm not trying to hurt you I just want...I want you to hear me out." Draco tried to get her to listen.
"We share a dorm. That's it! I don't care what you have to say." Hermione shouted, "I lost so many people because of you and your pureblood family. Just stay out of my way, Draco."
She brushed passed him rather roughly and headed back to her room. Taking a minute to find her towel, she headed to the bathroom and took a shower. When she finished, she quickly got dressed and got her bag ready for the first day of school. Upon entering the kitchen, Hermione saw Pansy entering the dorm.
"N-no, this is not happening." Hermione looked over at Draco who was standing up from the couch.
"Draco, I still can't believe you have to share a living space with such a freak." Pansy kissed Draco for a long moment and then gave an evil stare towards Hermione.
"Granger, since the war...Pansy and I got engaged." Draco stated, looking from his bride-to-be to his new roommate.
"What? Do you expect me to say congrats?" Hermione rudely questioned.
"Look at the ring," Pansy flaunted the massive rock on her ring finger. "I'm sure you've never seen such a beautiful ring before."
"Draco, she has to leave." Hermione crossed her arms, "This is my living space too."
"Have you and that Weasel gotten engaged yet?" Pansy changed the subject.
"No," Hermione was baffled by the question.
"Well...there's still time for him to come to his senses." Pansy paused for a brief moment. "There are plenty of other girls much better suited for him...you know, successful, rich, pretty girls, that is."
"If you do not take care of her, I will." Hermione hollered at Draco, as she gripped onto her wand.
"You're cute when you get all angry." Draco slyly stated.
"Watch it, I'm still in the room." Pansy playfully slapped Draco on the chest.
"Draco, I think it's only fair that we establish a no visitor policy unless we have permission from each other in advance." Hermione said loudly.
"Well...consider us even, then." Draco put his arm around Pansy.
"Excuse me...even?" Hermione walked around the kitchen counter.
"You didn't ask me about your visitor last night." Draco boldly announced.
"You had a visitor last night? What a filthy mudblood..." Pansy giggled in a devilish way.
"It's not like that," Hermione felt anger building up inside of her.
"Well I sure hope not...for the Weasel's sake. His girlfriend and his brother...how scandalous." Draco grinned.
"Fred?" Pansy's eyes became wide.
"No." Hermione gripped onto her bag tightly, trying to refrain from engaging in a physical fight. "Fred's dead." Hermione stomped out of the dorm and slammed the door loudly behind her.