Disclaimer: I do not own anything in regards to the Harry Potter franchise, sadly.
A/N. This is not a new idea, obviously I'm not the first one to think of returning year, but I do have a bit of a spin that I want to take it down. Not quite as easy. This is also a slowburn. I don't believe in fast burn's. Let me know if you enjoy or have any feedback! More notes on bottom
Updates: Will be once a week at minimum on Mondays.
Dear Mr. Malfoy,
We are pleased to inform you that Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry is reopening it's doors this year. As a result we would like to extend an invitation to you to return to Hogwarts and complete your seventh year and sit through your N.E.W.T. level exams.
We would also like to congratulate you. Based upon your grades and prior performance in school it has been decided to extend an offer of Head Boy for this year. Enclosed you will find details regarding when to meet with the Head Girl and Professors along with instructions regarding what the position offers.
Start of term will be September 1st and attached are a list of books for seventh year courses. We await your owl no later than July 31st.
Sincerely,
Minerva McGonagall
Headmistress of Hogwarts.
Draco Malfoy had read through the letter about three times, his mother standing close to him as well. His grey eyes were wide. His once perfectly set, slicked back, blonde hair in a disarray around his face. Stubble also forming along his chin as he'd spent the majority of the last six months indoors away from the public. His body was still lean; muscular. Having stayed in the seclusion of Malfoy Manor for the past year he'd made a point of continuing daily workouts to burn off energy while also studying in the manor's library.
Truthfully the information he was studying would have resulted in him getting a lashing out by his father. Draco Malfoy, heir to the Malfoy name, was learning about muggles. He had known his decision in the war was faulty, that it was irresponsible, and he blamed himself for all the death. Albus Dumbledore, Remus Lupin, Nymphadora Lupin, Severus Snape, Alastor Moody, Fred Weasley, those were the names that ran through his mind each and every day before he went to sleep and the nightmares started. He knew he'd caused more than just their deaths, but those were the ones that hurt him more than others. Each one of those people had been important, they'd had people who loved them and they shouldn't have died. Because he had been too proud and ignorant, though, they had.
Community service and paying to restore Hogwarts had never seemed like enough to Draco and that was why he was learning about muggles. If he knew about them then he could potentially do something to make a difference in the wizarding world when he had a chance. It hadn't been easy to find books to study but with the help of his house elf, Trini, he'd managed to get some books from Flourish and Blotts and had been studying. He wasn't sure what interested him more; electricity or cell phones.
Staring at the letter in his hands, however, Draco knew that he had to make a decision. But what was the correct decision? He couldn't just return to Hogwarts without seriously considering the resulting problems. Afterall, he'd already made a few attempts to go out into public and it had resulted in panic attacks that were thankfully out of public as he'd just barely managed to get out of the public eye before he had a full crash and Trini could get to him. But at Hogwarts? Would there even be somewhere he could hide if a panic attack happened?
Running a hand through his hair he didn't even realize that his mother had been saying his name. When he finally did he looked up at her, his eyes a little wide. "I'm sorry, mother, what did you say?" He asked in a hoarse voice, seeming as if he hadn't talked in months.
"I said, you do not have to return." Narcissa Malfoy replied gently as she put a hand on her son's arm. "You did well in school, even before your N.E.W.T's. There are a few options still left to you for your career if you do not wish to return.
Draco nodded absently, but that wasn't what he wanted. What he'd actually decided he wanted to do was join the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Office. But...last he heard, Arthur Weasley worked there. Would he even be allowed to join the Ministry?
"I'll return." Draco told his mother, clearing his throat before continuing. "It's an honor to be chosen as Head Boy, if Professor McGonagall is willing to ask me to be Head Boy and return to Hogwarts I'm not going to throw that in her face." He replied firmly.
"What about...your affliction?" His mother's gentle and loving voice asked. "I do not want to be cruel, my son, but if you have one of your attacks while at school what are you going to do when others ridicule you?"
Draco's face hardened for a moment and his hand went to where the Dark Mark was forever branded into his skin, beneath the long sleeved shirts that he'd taken to wearing.
"Then I'll deal with it when it comes."
Dear Miss Granger,
We are pleased to inform you that Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry is reopening it's doors this year. As a result we would like to extend an invitation to you to return to Hogwarts and complete your seventh year and sit through your N.E.W.T. level exams.
We would also like to congratulate you. Based upon your grades and prior performance in school it has been decided to extend an offer of Head Girl for this year. Enclosed you will find details regarding when to meet with the Head Boy and Professors along with instructions regarding what the position offers.
Start of term will be September 1st and attached are a list of books for seventh year courses. We await your owl no later than July 31st.
Sincerely,
Minerva McGonagall
Headmistress of Hogwarts.
The brunette looking at the letter was biting her lip. She was torn. On the one hand, returning to Hogwarts would be nice, it would be a way to escape everything. The drama with Ron, the fact that she still hadn't found her parents and the Australian Ministry wasn't having much more luck, that she was living with Harry and Ron-which was awkward-and that she wasn't doing anything with her life that she'd wanted.
"What do you think 'Mione?" Ron asked in a neutral voice as he looked at the letter he'd also received. "I'm not going back, I've already taken Kingsley up on his offer."
"I have too, but if you want to go back, Hermione we would understand." Harry said gently as he placed a hand on her arm and gave her a warm smile. "After all, we all know how much you always loved school. It would probably be good for you and look, you even got Head Girl didn't you?" He asked amused.
Hermione Granger gave a ghost of the smile she once had. She had been able to focus during the war, helping find the horcruxes and destroy them. Even with the torture at the hands of Bellatrix she'd managed. That was until it was all over and the adrenaline wore off.
It was alright at first, her and Ron attempted to have a relationship. The three of them moved into Grimmauld Place while they just rested out of the public eye but that hadn't lasted. First they were in the papers as the Golden Trio, having saved the wizarding world and while Hermione was grateful for everyone's support and the different awards and acknowledgements they'd received she didn't like the fame. Harry didn't seem to like it as much either, but Ron reveled in it. He hadn't been in the spotlight like that before and it was something he enjoyed, something to take his mind off the loss of Fred.
But because of it their relationship had soured quickly. Too many harsh words exchanged between the two of them and while they were trying to still be friends it wasn't the same. Then her nightmares started, reliving the torture, worrying that something had happened to her parents, and not knowing what she was going to do with a half finished education. So she should be elated about the letter she received, but she just couldn't bring herself to be as happy about it as she wanted to be. It would be good...but the nightmares.
"What about the nightmares?" She asked in a quiet voice, her slightly bushy brunette curls falling over her shoulder to hide her face like a curtain. Her finger tracing the scar on her forearm.
"Hermione, you'll have Ginny. Do you think she'd let anyone treat you badly?" Harry responded as he took her hand to stop her movements. "And you can always write to us. But Hermione, I think it would be good for you. You've been sitting here, pouring over ways to find your parents and having no luck. What better place is there than Hogwarts to possibly come up with more spells to try and find them?"
Hermione looked up at that. That was actually a really good idea. "Alright. I'll go." She gave the two boys a weak smile as she left to write an owl to Professor McGonagall saying she would accept and be returning to Hogwarts on September 1st.
A/N It's a little slow for the first chapter but I wanted to make sure to incorporate how Hermione and Draco both would take to returning and the knowledge of their honor at being Head Boy and Girl along with the current things they're dealing with outside of school. It will move along, promise, and I hope you enjoy it!
And yes, I'm aware I have other fanfics I'm writing. This helps me with my daily stress and when I have an idea they don't disappear xD Thanks for reading!