Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the characters. JK Rowling is credited with everything.
Ch. 1: Am I the Only One
It had been a long difficult year for Harry, Ron, Hermione, Luna, and Ginny. All were grateful to finally find an open compartment on the Hogwarts Express and relax until they reached King's Cross where their perspective parents were meeting them. Hermione sat next to Harry, who sat near the window looking out. Ron sat in front of him with his girlfriend Luna resting her head on his chest. Ginny sat next to Luna resting her body against the corner of the sliding door. The five of them sat silently contemplating their seemingly long summer when Ron spoke up.
"So Harry, Luna, Ginny, and I can be expected at your house this weekend right?" Ron can see that Harry seems to be in his own world so he enunciates, "Harry?"
"Oh…What?" replies Harry. "What were you saying?"
"Luna, Ginny and I can be expected at your house this weekend right?" repeated Ron.
"Yeah, yeah that's right. My parents, Remus, Tonks and Sirius are all alright with all you guys staying at the manor this summer. It's going to be great. We'll play quidditch, listen to music, throw parties, swim in the pool; Sirius even got us all tickets to the quidditch match at Powell's Pitch."
"Really, Powell's Pitch. How good are the seats?" asked Ron with an obvious tone of excitement.
"Uh…I believe mom said it was a special VIP booth right behind the goal posts. I believe that's what she wrote in her latest letter to me."
"Are you serious? It's going to be bloody brilliant. How did Sirius get such great seats?"
"A fellow coworker gave him the tickets since his daughter's getting married so he won't be in England the weekend of the game. He knew Sirius and the rest of us are such huge of the Chudley Cannons. He didn't want his tickets to go to waste. The Cannons play against the Holyhead Harpies. It should be a great game."
"Yeah, I bet it will be. Ginny, you should be excited you finally get to see your favorite team lose to the greatest quidditch team in the league." No quick caustic comment followed Ron's mean spirited comment so Ron quickly turned to this side to see Ginny's seat empty.
"Where did she go?"
"She left a while ago. I thought she just had to go to the bathroom, but I guess not." replied Hermione as she closed the latest novel she had been reading about a teenage girl living in a futuristic dystopian world where teenagers enter death competitions for the entertainment of citizens.
"And you just let leave without saying where she was going?" remarked Ron angrily as he gave Hermione a nasty look.
"Hey! Stop looking at Hermione like that. She did nothing wrong. Your sister is fifteen. Don't you think it time to just let her live her life without hovering over her every second?" said Harry.
"I do not hover!" replied an outraged Ron. "Besides, I'm her brother it's my job to look out for my younger sister especially since Fred and George moved out I'm the only one she's got at the Burrow now."
"Still, Ron you are way too protective of her. What are you going to do after next year when you're not at Hogwarts anymore? Disguise yourself as one of the professors and keep watch over her until she graduates?" said Hermione with touch of sarcasm in her voice.
"Yes if necessary, I was thinking I could impersonate Snape and give the students a once in a lifetime chance to be taught by a lighthearted affable guy who actually enjoys teaching and being around students" replied Ron.
"Yeah, right like anyone would believe you are really Snape acting like that. You wouldn't last five minutes" said Harry with a smirk on his face.
"Harry's right, sweetie. That would never pass as Snape" stated Luna for the first time since they boarded the train.
"Yeah, I guess you're right, but still how awesome would it be to be taught potions by a guy who actually looks like he likes what he's doing. I mean, he should at least like us since he's such great friends with your mom, Harry" said Ron.
"Oh please don't remind me. The last thing I want to do right now is think about how many times he will be over at the manor. I mean for a guy who couldn't stand my father, godfather, or our DADA professor (Lupin), he spends a lot of time at home."
"Well isn't your mom like his best friend?"
"Yeah, his best and only friend. Dad, Sirius, and Remus (as he was called by Harry and all his friends outside of Hogwarts) do everything they can to be civil and nice to the guy but he is like a bulwark he simply won't budge."
A few seconds later the sound of the train making it official stop into King's Cross Station was heard throughout the train. "Well, I guess we're finally here" said Hermione as she got up to collect her belongings and exit the compartment.
"Yeah now we're off to meet our wonderful parents who have been in tears since spring semester started" said Harry with sarcastic flair as he, Ron, and Luna exited the compartment.
"Where has my sister run off to? Mom will kill me if she sees me without her." Ron stated.
"Don't worry sweetie, we'll exit the train and wait around close by to see her get off. I'll wait with you since my dad probably isn't here yet. He has a knack of arriving late to important dates" said his girlfriend.
"Okay, guess you're right. This way I don't seem like the overprotective brother running off to see where his crazy younger sister has gone" replied Ron.
Harry, Hermione, Ron and Luna were some of the first students to get off the train. Ron and Luna stood to the side out of anyone's way to wait for Ginny while Harry and Hermione looked to see if they could find their parents. Hermione found her parents rather quickly and turned around to say goodbye to Harry.
"Found them so soon, have you?" asked Harry.
"Yeah, they are right over there near that column." replied Hermione with a touch of longing in her voice and a look in her eyes that seem to want something more. Harry noticed this and immediately felt even more nervous than he could ever imagine. It was like she was giving him the signal to act, but he couldn't calm his mind and his heart long enough to understand the message. So with that, they simply stared at each other for what seemed like an eternity but was really five second before saying their goodbyes and each walking in the opposite direction (Harry had already noticed his parents waiting on side opposite of the Grangers). As each walked in the direction of their parents, Hermione turned around real quick to catch a final glance of the back of Harry's head and wonder if he had the same feelings of wanting a relationship with her instead of just a friendship. She considered this really quick and resumed on her walk toward her parents. Little did she know, just a second after she had resumed her walk, Harry turned around to catch a final glance of her and wonder the exact same thing.
