Hello loyal readers! So I've come up with a fabulous idea for a new story, and I'm really excited about it. I have never shipped this pairing before, but my story is opening my eyes to it, and I really hope you guys will like it, even if you don't normally like this ship. As always, read, review, and enjoy!

"Ginny! Luna!"

Hermione Granger raced toward her friends excitedly, eager to see them again.

"Hermione!" Ginny squealed. "I missed you!"

"Ginny, you saw me two weeks ago!" laughed Hermione as the redhead hugged her hard.

"Yes, but it feels like forever after seeing you every day for the rest of the summer!" Ginny pointed out.

Shaking her head and laughing, Hermione turned to Luna. "It's good to see you, Luna! How was your summer?"

"Oh, very nice," said Luna serenely as they boarded the train. "Daddy and I built ourselves a new house. He couldn't come with me today, but he asked me to tell you that he was sorry for trying to hand you, Harry, and Ron over to the Death Eaters… He only wanted to rescue me."

"Luna, we understand," Hermione said, squeezing Luna's hands. "We didn't mean to cause trouble for him."

"I know that. I'm just happy that we're all together now. Well…almost. Where are Harry and Ron?"

"They didn't want to come back," said Hermione as they found an empty compartment. "They're being trained as Aurors."

"Wow!" Luna said. "How exciting!"

"Yeah. I'm the only one of us who wanted to come back for seventh year."

"Hey, you know what that means?" Ginny asked excitedly.

"What?"

"We get to share a room! There's only one other Gryffindor girl in my year, but she's the new Head Girl, so we'll get the dormitory to ourselves!"

Hermione grinned. "This is going to be the best year ever!"

When the Hogwarts Express pulled into Hogsmeade station, Hermione got off the train. She instinctively reached for Crookshanks' traveling basket, before remembering that she didn't have Crookshanks anymore. He'd been fairly old when she'd first gotten him, and while she'd been gone with Harry and Ron, he'd died while in the care of the Weasley family. With a sad sigh, she pocketed her wand and exited the train after making sure her Muggle clothes were locked in her trunk.

She thought about what this year would be like as they boarded the carriages and began the ride to school. It was going to be so different. Harry had killed Voldemort. Dumbledore wasn't really dead… He had worked it out with Professor Snape that he would fake his death. Professor Snape wasn't really dead either… He'd apparently been taking the antidote to Nagini's venom for years.

Essentially, the year might actually end up being a normal one. She was eager to have a year that wasn't interrupted by war, or by Dark wizards showing up to cause trouble.

"I can't believe how different it feels," Hermione said, looking up at the castle as she got out of their carriage.

"Yeah," Ginny said glumly. "Look how many people can see the thestrals now."

Hermione turned to see nearly everyone pointing at the thestrals, which they'd never known existed until now. They'd all witnessed death.

"Look on the bright side… Perhaps the death they all saw was You-Know-Who's," Luna said as they walked inside. "It was put in the papers."

"Maybe," Hermione said, although she knew that it wasn't the case.

They filed into the Great Hall, and Luna went off to sit at the Ravenclaw table, while Hermione and Ginny went to the Gryffindor table. There were far fewer students than normal, and Hermione's heart ached at the thought that so many students had died, or were being kept home because their parents still feared for their safety.

Once all the students had arrived, Professor McGonagall entered, leading in a very small group of first years. Hermione counted them as they walked past, and closed her eyes with sadness upon seeing only seventeen, instead of the usual dozens.

The Sorting Hat, perched on its stool, sang its song, which was much more cheerful than normal, and the Sorting began.

Gryffindor gained four students – two boys and two girls. Once all the first-years had been Sorted, the feast began.

Hermione looked up at the Head Table to see who all was still there. She was relieved to see that the staff remained unchanged from what she was used to, although she was unsure as to who was teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts.

"Merlin, I've missed this food," Ginny said. "It's even better than Mum's." She grew abruptly shifty. "But don't…don't tell her I said that."

Hermione laughed after swallowing a forkful of chicken. "I won't."

The feast was as delicious as ever, and when it was over, Dumbledore bade them all goodnight and they all shuffled off to their common rooms. Hermione was no longer a prefect, so she didn't need to worry about showing the first-years where to go.

"I'm so full," she moaned as she and Ginny went into their dormitory.

"You and me both," Ginny said, flopping onto her bed. "This is going to be so much fun, though. You and me getting a room to ourselves? This year is going to be so fun."

"Especially since I don't have to share a room with Parvati and Lavender," Hermione said with relief. "I like them, but they're annoying to live with."

"How is Lavender doing?" inquired Ginny. "Do you know?"

"I wrote her. She's been struggling with becoming part werewolf, but her therapy sessions at St. Mungo's are helping, I guess. I can't blame her… If Greyback had attacked me, I don't know what I would have done."

Ginny nodded. "Me either. Oh well. It's good she got the help that she needs."

Hermione yawned. "I hate to do this, Gin, but I'm exhausted. I'm going to go to sleep."

"I was about to say the same," Ginny said, also yawning. The two opened their trunks and dug out some pajamas before climbing in bed. Tomorrow would be a new day.