Author's Note: This is my first shot at writing fanfiction. I started one chapter, gosh…. Maybe 3 months ago? 4? I don't remember. Anyway, I decided to try to continue the story so I posted it. But after realizing that my original first chapter was nothing like what I wanted my new story to be, I started over. I kept some concepts, ideas, sentences, paragraphs… But the entire mood is different. If you read the old one, I apologize. I probably won't continue that "mood." I intend this one to be more of a slow burn with some lemony, smutty goodness. Also, there might be swearing. Cuz I swear, damnit.
We are post-war. Everyone is returning to restart and finish their final year at Hogwarts.
And of course, the obligatory disclaimer: I don't own the characters or make any royalties from this story. That's all for JK Rowling.
Draco was not looking forward to another year at Hogwarts. His last year at Hogwarts. The war was over and he had spent his Summer on house arrest at the Manor with his mother. That didn't stop Narcissa from throwing a couple grand house parties. His mother decided it was a good idea to continue as if they had not narrowly escaped prison sentence in Azkaban. And Draco was in no mood to deny his mother anything.
Walking through the crowd on the platform was easy. Parents and students alike skittered away and gave him a wide berth; whispering and braving glances at him when they thought he wouldn't see. Draco swaggered through the crowd, eyes heavy-lidded and focused on looking through people instead of at them, his mouth twitching up at the corner in a signature smirk. Heading towards the last few rail cars, the surrounding witches and wizards reluctantly returned to their own affairs. With everyone back to their own business, Draco slid behind a column, melting into the cool shadows, and observed.
Hermione pulled on the sleeves of her jumper as she waited for her friends. Classmates ambled by, offering warm smiles. One second-year boy pointed while his parents desperately tried to scold him for the gesture. Another wizard was wringing his hands and staring. "She won't remember you, Phinneus. Leave her alone, you're embarrassing me," his wife said, grabbing one of his hands. Hermione let her eyes glaze over and turned, hoping to catch sight of Harry or Ginny or Neville. Even Ron. Anyone, really. Anyone so she didn't have to stand here alone with all of this unwanted attention.
A crowd started to gather a few cars down. Excited murmurs and heads turned away as camera flashes indicated that Harry Potter must have arrived. Outside the swarm of witches and wizards buzzing around her best friend, a group of red heads ambled towards her. The Weasleys. Mr and Mrs Weasley, Ron and Ginny, all grinning ear to ear, freckles and all. Ginny broke into a run and took Hermione off her feet in a bone-crushing hug.
"We missed having you at the Burrow," Ginny scolded her friend. "It wasn't the same without you. We had to rock-paper-scissors who would have to sit next to Percy every night and Ron has been a complete git."
"Ginerva Weasley!" Molly Weasley exclaimed.
"Oi! I have not," said Ron, turning red. "Just because I didn't want to be subjected to you two canoodling all the time!"
"If you're done wallowing in self-pity, Ron," Ginny continued, wrapping her arm around Hermione's, "we'll see you on the platform."
Leaving a furious Ron and amused Harry behind, Ginny pulled Hermione through the crowd. Several classmates called to them but Hermione could only wave and call back "Hi's" and "See you later's" until her friend determinedly pulled her onto a car towards the back of the train.
The compartment was empty apart from Luna Lovegood. Already in her class robes, Luna sported her usual radish earrings and a large waxy green medallion on her lapel with several small eye balls poking out of it.
"Good lord Luna, what is that?" Ginny cried, stopping dead in the doorway. The little eyeballs rolled around in their sockets as Luna looked up from the latest edition of The Quibbler.
"Oh! This is an *Illyrian Lotus seed pod. They attract batterflies," Luna stated, looking up from her reading.
"Butterflies?" Ginny asked.
"Batterflies," Luna repeated. "They like to eat the seeds. Their droppings are useful in certain sleeping droughts. To help give pleasant dreams, you know."
Convinced at least that it wasn't going to jump off Luna's robes and bite her, Ginny plopped down across from Luna, next to Hermione, one leg crossed underneath her. "So tell me. What happened?" Ginny directed to Hermione.
The compartment next to Granger and Weaslette contained several second years. Draco sat down near the door and picked at his nails a few seconds before slowly raising his eyes to the two boys across from him. The three girls were the first to move, the boys quickly following as they all scurried out of the compartment, leaving Draco alone.
Satisfied, Draco pulled an ear out of his pocket. A fleshy cord connected it to another ear he had inconspicuously dropped inside the compartment next door while the Weasley girl had stood in the doorway. It was too easy. Now all he had to do was sit back, relax, and wait for some juicy blackmail-worthy details to pop up. Pottyhead and Weaslebum would surely be along soon too. Four for the price of one! Well, five, if you counted the loony.
–
It felt like hours had gone by. Potter and Weasley never showed and all Malfoy managed to glean was that goody-good Granger had dumped Weaslebum. Apparently it had been suggested that Granger join the favored career track adopted by Potter and Weaslebum, to become an Auror – to keep the Golden Trio alive, no doubt. But before Granger could decline, Weaslebum claimed it too dangerous for the witch and that she had no business working in a man's world. Weaslebum had even asked Granger why she wanted to work at all when she would surely want to stay home and take care of their household full of hypothetical future Weasley brats.
Furious that Weasley had seemingly planned out her future for the next 25 years without reference to her own wishes, weeks of arguments has ensued, followed by another week of the silent treatment, leading to the evident demise of the Weasley-Granger relationship.
Draco had to admit, even he thought Weasley was stark out of line. That is, if he pretended to care. Which he didn't.
Frustrated that he didn't get any information worthy of his time, Draco threw the extendable ear at the window. Forgetting it was attached, the fleshy cord stretched and snapped the ear back, hitting Draco in the forehead with a thwack, before bouncing back into his lap. With a scowl, Draco pulled out his wand with the intention to set the ear on fire, but hesitated. After a long pause, Draco put his wand away in his breast pocket. Probably not the best idea to set the train ablaze before the school year even began. He needed this.
Author's Note: I hope that's much better than my first attempt at chapter 1.
The Illyrian name was borrowed from one of my very favorite books, A Court of Mist and Fury by the one and only, Queen Sarah J Maas. If you like epic fantasy, check out her two series, Throne of Glass and A Court of Thorns and Roses. An Illyrian Lotus pod does not exist, to my knowledge. But Illyrian wing spans are rumored to correspond to the length of another male body part. Pleasant dreams in a sleeping drought? Get it? Get it? Ahhhhh, I crack myself up.
Anyways, feel free to leave a review or advice or ideas or whatever. ;-*