Chapter 1:
Hermione stood on the pathway between platform 9 and 10 and nervously tucked her hair back behind her ear. She looked up at her father who smiled encouragingly. Suddenly she turned and threw her arms around him.
He hugged her for a long moment, then stepped back. "Have a good year."
Hermione nodded silently. She gazed back at the wall and watched as an excited eleven-year-old ran straight towards the wall and disappeared, while his smiling parents followed behind him. "Give my love to mum," she finally whispered.
"I will." Her father replied. "I love you, Hermione." She gave a small, yet sincere smile. "I love you." Then, squaring her shoulders, she walked calmly towards the wall, and just as she was about to hit, squeezed her eyes shut, and started to run. Feeling smoke hit her face, she slowly opened her eyes and breathed a sigh of relief. No matter how many times she had walked through the wall, the muggle in her always worried that she would run into it.
The seventeen-year-old looked around the bustling platform. Children were running around yelling and playing while parents yelled out last-minute instructions, and friends met again after spending the summer apart. Speaking of friends . . Hermione stood on her tiptoes trying to locate her own friends that she hadn't seen since she stepped off the train months ago.
Someone ran into her, and without even looking up, quickly murmured an apology.
Hermione looked over at the familiar messy hair and smiled. "Harry?"
Harry Potter looked up at the sound of his name, and his jaw fell open. "Her-Hermione?" He whispered.
She grinned at his surprise. "What do you think?"
Harry gaped at her. Last year her hair had still been busy and unruly, but now . . he almost didn't recognize her. Her hair was long and brown, but she had added a few subtle red highlights to it, and it couldn't be described as bushy any longer, now it was just wavy, flowing down to lightly brush her shoulders. The whole effect managed to soften the features of her face, and drew out her amazing brown eyes.
Hermione's forehead creased nervously, which seemed to pull him from his daze, and he grinned. "You look great."
"Thanks." She smiled. "You haven't changed at all."
Harry smiled and ran a hand through his dark messy hair, giving her a brief glimpse at the lightning shaped scar on his forehead. "Nah. It takes too much effort to change."
Hermione laughed and looked around the platform. "Where's Ron?" "You haven't heard?" Harry looked surprised. "Ron was made Head Boy . . ."
"Ron?"
Harry laughed at her shocked expression. "You should have seen him when the owl came. I could have sworn that he was eleven again, the way he was running around the house yelling at the top of his lungs."
"Ron is the Head Boy . ." Hermione still seemed to be in shock. She looked up suddenly. "Why didn't you tell me?"
"Ron sent you an owl a couple of days ago. I don't know why you didn't get the note." Harry shrugged. "Anyway, there was some kind of emergency, and Ron ended up going to Hogwarts a couple of days ago. He's probably waiting for us now, so we should probably get onto the train before it leaves us behind."
harry guided her up the steps and they found an empty compartment. Ginny passed them in the hallway with a smile and a "love your hair, Hermione," before disappearing with a couple of her friends.
"She seems to have gotten over you." Hermione mentioned casually with a sly grin.
"We're friends." Harry couldn't stop himself from blushing. "Besides, she's been . ." he nervously cleared his throat, "'over me' for a couple of years now."
"O-kay," Hermione said in a tone of disbelief. They entered the empty prefect compartment and settled in for the ride. The train pulled away from the station with a lurch and she looked out the window at the countryside rolling past her in different shades of brown and green.
Harry didn't say anything else, he just settled back in his seat and pulled out a well-worn Quidditch book. Hermione rolled her eyes and dug through her bag to find her copy of "Hogwarts: A History." She had received it as a gift from her mother for her birthday. Her birthday wasn't until the 19th, but they had begun celebrating early when she started attending Hogwarts. Her mother had found the book by accident at a muggle pawn shop. The manager had been quite bored with the piece of 'fiction' and had practically given it to her. Hermione smiled at the memory of receiving it, especially from her mother who just smiled at her look of disbelief and told her to close her mouth.
Opening the cover, Hermione ran her fingers down the page that her mother had written on:
Happy 17th Birthday! I am so proud of you.
Love, Mum
To my own little witch,
Thank you for being my daughter.
She blinked away the tears that formed and looked up as the door opened and Ginny slipped inside. Ginny had already changed into her robes, and smiled in greeting.
"Hey, guys. Do you mind if I hang out with you for a while?" Ginny asked cheerfully. "My friends are off flirting with some Ravenclaw boys," she rolled her eyes.
Hermione smiled and glanced out the window. The countryside had disappeared and was now replaced with dark trees, twisting rivers, and rolling hills. "I'm going to go change into my robes."
She left the compartment leaving Harry and Ginny alone facing each other on the seats. Harry looked up from his book and smiled at her and she grinned back for a minute before becoming serious.
"How is she?" Ginny asked softly.
Harry shrugged, looking at the closed door for a second, before looking back at her. "We haven't talked about it. I don't really know how to bring it up."
Ginny sighed, playing with the end of her braided red hair. She tossed it back over her shoulder before commenting, "Ron is really worried about her."
"I know." Harry replied, lifting his glasses and rubbing his nose. "So am I."
Ginny looked around the compartment and grinned, her playful nature causing her to sit back in her seat and stretch her legs across the aisle, resting them on the seat next to Harry. "You know, prefects have got it made. You get your own bathroom with a swimming pool-"
"How'd you know about the swimming pool?" Harry cut in, but she ignored him.
"-You can take points from other houses, you have more privileges, and even your compartments on the train are more comfortable. A person could fall asleep on these seats."
"You don't have enough time to sleep on the train." Harry pointed out, grinning at her.
"That's true." Ginny agreed, "but you could still do it."
* * * * *
Hermione came out of the bathroom with her robes perfectly in place, running a hand through her hair with hopes that it would make it more presentable. She turned back to close the door and felt someone bump into her.
"Hey, watch where you're-" Hermione saw the familiar silvery-blond hair and instantly groaned.
"Granger?" Draco Malfoy asked, appearing slightly startled by her new look.
Hermione rolled her eyes. "Malfoy."
"Tell Potter that prefects have a meeting tomorrow in the classroom by the bathroom. We're supposed to meet at eleven, and you're allowed to skip whatever classes you have during that time." He spoke quickly, then continued on his way down to the next compartment.
Hermione thoughtfully watched him go. She didn't know when or how it had changed, but they had seemed to get over the stages of name-calling and curses. She, Harry, and Ron still didn't like Malfoy, but instead of fighting they had an unspoken agreement to just ignore each other instead. The school seemed to be a lot quieter now, and Harry and Ron spent more time in the common room instead of off doing detentions.
She turned to go back to the compartment and slid open the door to find Harry sitting on the floor laughing so hard his glasses were dangling on one ear perilously close to falling off, while Ginny sat curled up in a ball with tears streaming down her face from laughing so hard. She was holding her stomach gasping for air when Hermione asked with a confused expression on her face, "Did I miss something?"
Strangely enough, that only seemed to make them laugh harder.
The rest of the train ride was uneventful, and moments after it had stopped, the three of them were stepping out the door and down the few steps to the ground. Hermione stepped to the ground and looked around at the darkening skis. It was colder than usual for September, so with a quick wave to Hagrid who was bellowing for the first years, she hurried off behind Harry to get into a horseless carriage for the remainder of the trip to Hogwarts.
* * * * *
Ron was anxiously waiting outside the castle for the first signs that they were coming. He had been busy the last couple of days, but he missed hanging out with his friends, or even having someone else his age to talk to. Besides, Hermione was coming and he hadn't seen her all summer.
Finally he could see flickers of light on the water, and he watched as the first carriages came around the corner into view. Students began pouring out of the carriages, talking loudly as they entered the school and headed for the banquet hall. Ron didn't even notice when Prof. McGongal came out to stand behind him, welcoming the students back to school.
Ginny was the first person he saw, and she smiled and ran up to give him a hug before hurrying back to her friends and entering the school. Harry was right behind her, and they playfully slugged each other in greeting.
"Hey Harry." Ron grinned. "Where's Hermione?"
Harry looked behind him, then shrugged. "I thought she was following me."
"I'm here." Hermione said off to the side of them. She smiled. "Hey, Ron."
Ron could only stare at her as his jaw moved soundlessly, almost identical to Harry's first reaction. She continued to smile, blushing slightly as he tried to remember how to talk. "Hermione, you . . . you look amazing."
She began to blush. "Thank you. A few of my friends at home took me to get a make-over as an early birthday present. I'm still not sure whether I like it or not."
"Well it looks fantastic." Ron assured her.
Uncomfortable with all the attention she was receiving, Hermione stared at the ground, seemingly fascinated with the cracks. Ron sensed her uneasiness, and quickly changed the subject, while motioning for them to follow him into the school and find seats at their table in the great hall.
Ron looked over at Hermione who, even after 6 years, seemed to be enthralled with the thousands of candles lighting the room. He watched as she looked up to the bewitched ceiling that was bright with stars on the clear night.
Finally the first years arrived, and the sorting began. Prof. Dumbledore waited until after dinner was over before standing up, and there was instant silence as he began to speak. The traditional warnings to stay away from the forbidden forest, and not to use magic in the corridors were given, then he fell silent. Ron watched as his face remained expressionless, and he knew that Prof. Dumbledore was debating what to say.
"I regret to inform you," Prof. Dumbledore continued after an awkward silence, "that there will be no trips to Hogsmeade this year." He continued on through the astonished murmurings. "There is no need for great concern for your safety here at school, but as you are all aware, Voldemort is becoming increasingly more powerful, and we would not be able to protect you on such trips."
The murmurings increased in volume, and Ron saw both Harry and Hermione look over at him questioningly. He shook his head slightly and motioned back towards Dumbledore.
"Please," Dumbledore held up a hand to silence them. "Try not to be alarmed. We must be cautious, but not afraid." His voice increased in volume so much that it rocked the great chandeliers hanging above them. "I will not allow him to take over this school!"
He paused to let that sink in, then quietly dismissed them from dinner. Ron got up instantly and started to lead the new Griffindors to their common room, giving them advice as he went. Hermione led the girls up to their dormitory, and Harry helped to lead the boys up to their rooms.
Back in the common room, Ron pulled Harry to the side for a minute. "Harry, Professor Dumbledore wants to see us before breakfast tomorrow."
Harry looked concerned. "Is it serious?"
"I," Ron hesitated. "I can't talk about it."
Harry nodded slowly. "All right."
* * * * *
Hermione descended the last couple of stairs into the common room and instantly spotted Ron talking seriously to Harry by one of the fire places. She slowly made her way over to them and Ron looked up and caught her eye. He said something to Harry and they both turned to greet her.
"Is something wrong?" She asked them.
"No." Ron shook his head, speaking a little too quickly.
Hermione gave a small frown, knowing that something was wrong, but they would tell her if they could so she didn't push the matter. Suddenly she remembered something. "Oy, Harry! Malfoy told me to tell you there's a prefects meeting tomorrow at eleven in the classroom by the bathroom."
"What's the password?" He massaged his forehead and hoped he could remember everything.
Her jaw dropped for a second, and she looked surprised. "He didn't tell me."
"It's stceferp." Ron smiled as the looked at him in surprise. "I have to be there too."
"You made that up." Hermione accused.
"No." He laughed. "It's just prefects said backwards. Stceferp. Ste-ferp, the c is silent."
"There's no way I'm gonna remember that," Harry shook his head and sighed.
"We'll go together." Ron looked at the rapidly filling room. "Anyone for a game of chess?"
"I was just going to read," Hermione said, holding up an unnoticed book.
Ron caught a glimpse of the title and rolled his eyes. "Hogwarts: A History, what a surprise. I swear you must have that memorized. Harry?"
Harry agreed as Hermione just smiled. They set up the game and she curled up in a nearby chair, close enough to add to their conversation if necessary. A couple of games later Harry stood up and yawned. The room was almost empty again, and he headed for the boys' dormitories.
"Goodnight Harry!" Hermione called out and he replied, then disappeared up the stairs. Ron sat down across from her and she looked up when she felt him watching her. "What?"
He nodded towards her book. "That isn't the regular school copy is it?"
She shook her head. "My mum got it for me for my birthday."
"How is your mother, Hermione?" He asked softly and she looked away with tears in her eyes. He instantly regretted asking. "Hermione-"
"The doctors," she began so softly that he had to strain to hear. 'Well, they don't know . . they don't know what's wrong, or what to do. This summer we took her to doctors all across the country, we even talked to one from America, but they all say the same thing. They don't know why she isn't feeling well."
There was silence for a moment, as Ron watched her trying to decide what to say. Hermione sighed and looked at the orange and red flames that seemed to be dancing together. She hated that it made her feel this way - where every reference to her mother made her cry. She was the strong one, she didn't want people to know that on every stressful night she would cry into her pillow, or that after an exhausting day the tears would cascade down her face, mingling with the water from her shower.
She finally looked back at Ron, who continued to watch her wordlessly. "Since they don't know what it is, they don't know if she'll live through it." She looked away.
"You know, Hermione, you don't always have to be the strong one." Her head sprang around to look at him, wondering if he was now a mind reader. Ron continued, "It is okay to cry."
They stared at each other for a minute, then Hermione slowly nodded. "I think I'll go up to bed now."
"No, Hermione-"
"I just . . I should go. I'll see you in the morning Ron."
They both stood at the same time, and Hermione wobbled slightly, trying to find her balance. Ron reached out and grabbed her elbow to help steady her, and she looked up and sharply inhaled at the intense look on his face. Ron looked down at her and slowly brushed a stray strand of hair back behind her ear. She continued to watch him until he finally took a step back.
"Good night, Hermione." He whispered softly.
"Good night, Ron." She whispered back, then slowly turned and walked up to her room.
He took a shaky breath, then turned and did the same.
*End Chapter 1*
A/N: Before anyone gets offended at the reference to an American doctor, I'm American, so that's why I wrote it. That may also pertain to words or phrases that are American that may have snuck into the story. If you have found any glaring inconsistencies, facts that are wrong, etc., please let me know so that I can fix them. If you liked this chapter, please review. If you didn't, please tell me why (though do it nicely, I don't handle flames very well!) In case you didn't catch it stceferp is simply prefects spelled backwards.
Chapter 2 - Find out why Dumbledore wants to meet with Harry and Ron, Hermione learns something she doesn't want to know, and who in the world is King La Let? There will also be a lot more plot, and hopefully some more romance.
Also, if anyone would be willing to beta read the next few chapters for me, please e-mail me.