A/N: I haven't wrote in a while, but thought what better way to begin again and be able to get reviews from others to help improve my writing. I will leave my first chapter here to see what you think.. if you like it, please review and I will continue on with the next chapter!
I do not own Harry Potter. Just this story line.
Chapter one: Back to where it began.
The castle was quiet, with a cool summer breeze coming through the empty corridors. The sun was beginning to creep through the windows of the castle, giving off the light the students would need to make their way throughout the corridors.
It was the early morning on a September morning. The war had ended that summer; after a courage battle and bravery from Harry Potter and his two brilliant friends. They had made it. Survived everything that had been thrown toward them and they could finally move forward in life to what they had hoped, to a normal and better future.
After what seemed nearly the entire summer, Hermione Granger had begged her two best friends to join her to go back to Hogwarts. Since the beginning of their first year to Hogwarts they had some point needed to battle Voldemort in some form. It was tiresome, and she believed they finally deserved a normal year at their school now that he was gone.
Harry and Ron hadn't seen a point in returning. They after all, had defeated the Dark Lord. What else would they need to learn that they didn't already know? With weeks and weeks of begging from Hermione, they finally agreed. They would take their final year at Hogwarts and share the year with Ginny Weasley.
The seventh years from the previous year had the option of returning to Hogwarts for a true education that they hadn't been able to receive the year before or going forth to what they wanted to do. Nearly all the Gryffindor's had decided to return. The trio also heard of a few Slytherins returning too, such as Draco Malfoy and Blaise Zabini. It seemed that Ron was more irritated than anyone else that the two boys were allowed to come back to the school.
"Any funny business from him and I will punch him in the nose again." Mumbled Ron, the moment he had heard they were coming.
"I would expect nothing else, Ron." Mumbled Hermione, as she rolled her eyes at him smiling.
It was comforting sitting in the Great Hall once again together, things seemed relatively normal compared to what the room was like months before when the final battle took place. Sausage links, eggs biscuits, pumpkin juice laid out throughout their tables, as each student helped themselves to the food in front of them.
Hermione read her book, as she nibbled on her toast. Ginny Weasley sat beside her, too early in the morning for her to hold a conversation as she had Harry sitting beside her, and her brother Ron across the table from her.
"Hermione, what on earth could you be needing to read a book this early for? We haven't had our first class yet!" said Ron as he began to eat his sausage.
"You can never be too prepared. We missed so much last year while we were searching for Horcruxes!" answered Hermione, not looking up from her book.
"I still can't figure out how you persuaded us to coming back." He moaned, as he rolled his eyes at the girl.
"Ronald." Snapped Hermione, "Even if you don't believe so, having an education is important and will help you."
"Hermione, we had a free ride into Auror training immediately if we wanted too. Instead we are sitting here. I don't think any more education for us was really needed."
"Just think of it as another year of Quidditch, mate." Said Harry, smiling.
That seemed to brighten the day up for Ron. As they went on to further discuss Quidditch tactics, as Harry was offered position of captain for the Gryffindor quidditch team. It would've been Ginny, if Harry turned the position down, but she didn't seem to mind, as she linked her hands in his under the table.
Hermione finished her toast and closed her book as Professor McGonagall went around the table to hand out their schedules for the term. Hermione glanced up to the Great Hall ceiling, the enchanted view revealing the bright blue sky and the sunlight coming down on them. She closed her eyes for a moment, enjoying the sun hitting her cheeks.
As he brought her eyes back down from the ceiling she made direct eye contact with Draco Malfoy. He sat at the Slytherin table with Blaise Zabini sitting beside him. They both sat quietly together, noticing that the other Slytherins didn't seem to want anything to do with them. Her breath caught in her throat as she stared into the gray eyes, luckily her friends around her to engrossed into their Quidditch conversation to take notice.
It had been the second time Hermione had caught him staring at her, watching her while she didn't think anyone else was paying any attention to her. The time before, her standing in the hall but months before, hours after the battle.
-flashback-
The Weasley family sat quietly together, hugging Harry as the battle was finally over for them. They cried together silently, not wanting to let go of each other as they didn't want to fully accept that that even in this moment of victory, they felt deep sorrow. Their hearts hurt, the world still seem to crash down from the loss of Fred, Lupin and Tonks.
At the end of the bed that Fred laid peacefully in, Ron and George sat together, nearly holding each other up as they cried together of the loss of their brother. Hermione stood silently, unsure of how else to handle herself and the family around her. The war was over, no more running for them, no more fearing for her life on every day she had. Yet, she now had an empty feeling in her that she couldn't handle.
She was rooted at the spot as Ginny hugged onto Harry for dear life, afraid that if she were to let him go, he would too, would be gone. Hermione could feel the tears stinging her cheeks as they fell. Sadly, Hermione looked through the Hall when she noticed Draco Malfoy sitting alone in the corner and staring at her.
She nearly waited for him to yell at her for staring at him, but she couldn't look away from him. His eyes looked lost as he watched her, empty and broken. Only imaging that the look she saw from him was the same look he saw in her. She wasn't sure how long they stared at each other, but soon Draco gave her a slight smile before he turned away and left the hall.
"Hermione? Are you all right?" asked Harry, breaking her from her trance. Hermione blinked a few times before looking away.
Ginny glanced around to see the direction Hermione had been staring at, noticed who it was to. "What is our first class today?" asked Ginny, as she tried to find her schedule that Professor McGonagall had handed out just a time before.
"It will be strange having classes with my sister now." Said Ron, as they stood from their table and began to exit the hall.
"We have potions with the Slytherins." Said Hermione, finally answering Ginny as she looked down at the schedule. Ron groaned.
"Are you kidding me?! Why?!" he said, trying not to raise his voice. "You would think Hogwarts likes to purposely torture us by always putting us with them for a double class! Why couldn't we have Hufflepuff for a change"
"Oh, come off it, Ron." Said Hermione, leading the way to the dungeons. "It probably won't be as bad as you think. Now that Harry defeated Voldemort, they probably won't even look in our directions and speak with us."
They walked quietly the rest of the way, as they looked silently around the castle as they remembered the way things looked just a short time ago. How some of the castle had crumbled down, stairs had been broken apart. Now, it looked like the gruesome scene that was months before had ever happened. Piece by piece the castle had been put back together throughout the summer.
Hermione was relieved. As many others, Hogwarts was her home. Her year away she truly missed her classes, the teachers, and the library. The countless nights Harry and Ron begged her to help with an essay or write it for them. She was finally back and it helped take some of the weight she felt off her shoulders.
When the four of them arrived at the dungeons, they were the first ones to get to class. Ron and Harry immediately went to a table together and Hermione and Ginny took the table beside them. Not long after, Professor Slughorn, entered the class, immediately expressing how pleased he was that the trio decided to come to Hogwarts for their final year.
Soon after the bell rang for class and the rest of the students began to enter the class. Malfoy and Zabini were the two last students to come in, take the last table that was available, behind Ginny and Hermione. Ron immediately took notice as he looked over his shoulder to see the boys, scowling, not approving at all.
"Stop it." Muttered Hermione, quietly over to Ron. "The last thing I want this year to start with is a fight."
"My dear students, I am so pleased to see that we have been able to return to Hogwarts this year." Said Professor Slughorn, as he stood at the front of the class. "Since last year wasn't as many of us had planned for, we are able to do the potions we are supposed to that I am going to start immediately. Our first potion that we will make today is called Volubilis Potion." He flicked his wand, directions immediately began to write on the black board behind him. "Can anyone tell me what this potion does?"
Hermione's hand immediately shot up in the air. "Yes, Ms. Granger?" beamed Slughorn.
"The Volubilis Potion is a potion that alters the drinkers voice. This potion is also a potion you want to drink if someone has put the silencing charm on you." Said Hermione, smiling as she felt like herself more than she had in the past year.
"Excellent. Five points to Gryffindor. Now everything you will be needing is in the cupboards. You have until the end of class to create the brew."
Hermione looked up to the blackboard to see her ingredients. Honeywater, mint sprigs, stewed mandrake and syrup of Hellebore. Being one of the first students to jump up from her seat, she went to the cupboard and gathered her things. When she went to exit the cupboard with her ingredients, she nearly ran into Draco Malfoy, who stared down at her.
"Excuse me." He said quietly. Hermione gaped at him as she nearly dropped her ingredients and he looked away from her.
Hermione didn't say anything as she walked from him to her seat, glancing back over her shoulder to Malfoy as he made his way back to his own seat.
"What was that about?" asked Ginny quietly, who took notice of the two students.
Hermione shrugged, cutting her eyes to Ginny, not wanting to talk about any of it. Ginny nodded and continued with her potion, taking note to ask questions later. Within forty minutes of class, not very many students seemed to manage to successfully brew their potions. Then potion was supposed to turn a slight golden color. Ron's potion was a bright green, sending off a foul smell of rotten eggs. Harry's smelled of burnt tires but close in color and Hermione's potion was right on cue, with Ginny's close behind as she had a few pointers from Hermione.
"Granger?" said a voice quietly behind her. Hermione glanced around, seeing Malfoy standing at his cauldron looking down. "Can you tell me what I did wrong?" he asked, when he knew he had her attention.
"I thought you were fairly good at potions?" asked Hermione, glancing at Ginny who had her eyebrows up in surprise. Malfoy glanced up to her, as she studied his potion.
"I am good with potions, I just missed something. Would it be too much trouble for your assistance?" snapped Malfoy.
Hermione rolled her eyes, there he was. She thought.
"How many mint sprigs did you put it?"
"I think it were five."
"You're supposed to put in seven." He frowned, unsure of how to fix the potion now since he was further along.
Hermione and Ginny glanced at one another once more, before going back to their own potion as they put some in the vile that Professor Slughorn had handed out. Once Potions ended, Malfoy and Zabini were one of the first to leave the classroom. Hermione, Harry, Ron and Ginny walked out together to head to Arithmancy.
"What was that about?" asked Ron, as soon as they exited Potions and no other ears were around to listen.
"What?" asked Ginny, already knowing what Ron was asking.
"You know damn well what I am talking about. What did Malfoy want? Why were you even talking with him?" asked Ron, as Hermione and Ginny looked at each other. They both knew Ron was asking Hermione more than his sister that stood there.
"What does it matter, Ronald? He asked me a question about his potion. What is wrong with that?"
"I don't want you talking to him." Hermione stared at him, eyebrows raised and her eyes wide.
"Excuse me?" asked Hermione, stopping in her place. "You do not get to tell me who and who I don't speak with. Is that clear?" said Hermione, fuming.
"Alright!" said Harry at once, "You both need to calm down."
"For once I can say there was nothing wrong with how Malfoy was acting with me. The way you are acting now, on the other hand, I can't say the same!"
"I'm just worried about you, 'Mione."
Hermione rolled her eyes, leaving the boys standing there as she continued with Ginny beside her.
"Really, mate?" asked Harry, adjusting his bag on his shoulder to continue walking with or without Ron with him.
"How are you all right with that git speaking to her?"
"I think you are more bent out of shape about this then I am because how you feel about Hermione." said Harry, as he looked at Ron from the corner of his eye.
"You're mental, what are you talking about?"
"Ron, don't act like you don't know what I'm speaking about… I see the way you stare at her when you don't think anyone is paying attention."
"Come on, Harry. Even if I had feelings for Hermione –" Harry began to interrupt, "Not saying that I don't! How are you all right with that prat talking to her?"
"After all the things that have happened to us in the past two years, I don't want to fight anymore. Malfoy hasn't thrown one insult at her, his father is locked tight away and his mother, although she did help me escape from Voldemort, it seems like she never plans to see the light of day again." The reached their next class. "Besides, he tried anything funny we can easily take care of him."
"Believe me, I would enjoy punching him in the face again. I know Hermione can take care of herself. She has proved that many times before."
"Maybe you could start telling her how you feel, before you start coming off as a jealous prat." Said Harry laughing, before Ron punched him in the arm.
The next few weeks of Hogwarts were a blur, adjusting back to school for the trio was easier said then done. The year before at this time they were in the middle of woods, going back and forth trying to figure out the next step in their mission. Now they sat together in the library, Hermione in her zone of studies, as the boys tapped their pencils and talked of quidditch.
"Hello?" said Hermione, finally getting annoyed with the chattering lot. "If you're not going to study with me, what are you doing?"
"Where's Ginny?" asked Ron, realizing his sister wasn't with them. Hermione couldn't focus anymore on her book so she began putting her books back in her bag.
"Oh, she's in the common room. Said she just wanted to relax in there this afternoon."
"I'm going to take a walk."
"Well, we can come with." Said Harry, trying to gather his things together once Hermione stood up.
"No, Harry. I can go on my own. You two stay here."
"No wait, can I come with you?" asked Ron, finally getting the courage to find the moment to speak with Hermione alone. Hermione hesitate, not wanting to tell him no, but no wanting him to come with her either.
"I would prefer you not. I would just like to walk by myself." He looked hurt, but let it go.
"Oh, alright. Well, maybe we can talk later this evening then?" he asked, "We can meet you in the common room later before dinner."
Hermione sighed and smiled before she left the boys at the table. She started her walk with not sure where she was going; after a few moments she found herself at the wood line by the Black Lake. She stood there for a moment, dropping her bag to the ground and walking a short distance as she kicked a few rocks in the water.
"Granger." Said a voice behind her, she nearly screamed, as she jumped nearly falling in the water, but firm arms caught her. The arms let go as quickly as they had grabbed her, as she turned to see Draco Malfoy standing there.
"oh, you startled me." Said Hermione, uncomfortably as Malfoy backed away from her.
"I didn't mean to scare you." He backed away further from her, both of them feeling very uncomfortable to be in each other presence.
"Malfoy, "said Hermione, hesitating before she asked, "Why do you keep staring at me?"
"What?" he asked, clearly surprised she would ask him such a question.
"I've caught you multiple times. You've stared at me, asked for my help with potions. I'm a mudblood, don't you remember that?"
"Yes, you are, I do remember that." The sudden hurt flashed through her eyes, but she didn't let it bring her down.
"You're a-" she stopped herself, not wanting to sink to Draco Malfoy's level of name calling. Of course, yes he had been a death eater, but why? Was it something that was forced on him by his own family? Did he choice it on his own? What if he had wanted out but knew they would have killed him?
"Yes, Granger. You can say it, I was a death eater." he mumbled, he looked away from her, "I was with no other choice, but death. Did you know that? Of course not, I have the Malfoy name so I must immediately be guilty of following the Dark Lord."
Hermione hesitated, sighing as she could see the hurt in his eyes. The amount of harshness he had probably dealt with the last few months were noticed by her. "Malfoy, I never said any of that. I'm sorry."
"I don't need your pity." he snapped.
"Well, then why are you speaking to me then? What do you want?" he stared straight into those brown eyes, for once not seeing disgust, or anger of someone that would like to choke the lights out of him. instead he saw a strong witch standing before him. Even after everything she had gone through, she stood there as if she were ready to take on the world.
"Someone that is worth having as a friend."
"What?"
"I don't need to repeat myself. What am I even saying?" he snapped at himself, looking disgusted that he was standing there speaking to her. Hermione wouldn't let him stop know, wanting to know now what he wanted.
"A friend? Who is this friend you are looking for?"
It was his turn now to kick the rocks in the water as she had done shortly before.
"You."
a/n: what do you think?! Please let me know.