Hermione looked out the window of the carriage she and her friends were currently occupying. She smiled at her reflection in the window, thinking about the year to come; she had one more year with her best friends in the world, in her favourite place in the world. She turned her head slightly and looked at the small group of teenagers sitting with her. There was Dean, Seamus, Hannah, Neville, Luna and Ginny, and of course, Harry and Ron. Everyone in the carriage meant so much to her, but the boy with the dark messy hair and scar and the boy with the red curls and freckles were part of her now. They were the golden trio. Together, with the help of many more, they had finally defeated Lord Voldemort the previous year. Although they had lost many friends and family along the way, and most of them were left with battle scars or terrible images from the war, they had come out stronger, with their heads held high and hope in their hearts. She looked up and noticed that the boy with the freckles and blue eyes was gazing intently at her. He saw that she had noticed and a blush quickly spread on his face to the tips of his ears. Her lips curved, and she smiled slightly to herself. This was going to be an interesting year.
The group stepped off the train, chatting and laughing, their arms thrown around each other in an affectionate way. Neville was giving Luna a piggyback, and she was talking animatedly in his ear about the nargles that she could see with her special purple glasses on. (Courtesy of the Quibblers 100th issue special edition.) Neville didn't really look like he was paying too much attention to her rambling, nodding and agreeing with her occasionally, but it was clear how much he loved her from the small smile on his face and the pride in his eyes from having this beautiful elegant blonde choosing him of all people. The boys walked in front with Hannah, and Ginny and Hermione carried up the rear, their arms linked in the way girls only do if they are gossiping about important matters.
"So, do you really like him then? I can tell by the way you keep looking at him Ginny, don't try and hide it!" Hermione said wickedly with a touch of amusement.
Ginny blushed fervently and nodded her head shyly. They both looked at each other and burst out laughing, squeezing each other closer and continuing their discussion further in excited whispers that only they could hear. A little bit further along the dusty track, a small group of Slytherins were also discussing the year to come and their current love interests. A tall boy with platinum blonde hair and eyes the colour of a stormy sea was laughing and joking with his friend, Blaise Zabini.
"So Draco, who do you have your wicked eye on? Which poor girl will fall victim to your hungry appetite this year eh?" Blaise questioned cheekily.
Draco Malfoy raised a perfectly sculptured eyebrow to his friend and confessed that he didn't have his 'wicked eye' on anyone yet, but that Pansy Parkinson was looking 'fit in that leather jacket.' Blaise laughed and heartily agreed with him, checking out the dark haired girls walking in front of them with a couple of girlfriends. Draco's eyes left Pansy's behind to scan the heads around them, trying to spot someone with a badge identical to the one he was wearing just now. A curly haired brunette caught his eye, and he realised that she was in possession of the badges twin. He looked up to her face and eventually realised that the girl was Hermione Granger, the very same girl who he had been taunting and teasing for their entire career at Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry. He had to double check it was definitely her, because from where he was standing which was to be fair, pretty far away, she looked…well, different.
The next time Draco caught a glimpse of Hermione was in the large crowd of seventh year students surrounding Professor McGonagall, awaiting their instructions to where they would be sleeping and who the head girl and boy were. Since last term, a lot had changed. The castle had been destroyed in some places during the final battle, and had obviously been rebuilt over the break, but the students were still expecting some disruption to their usual routines and living situations, hence why they were all so quiet, they were desperate to hear about the changes to their school lives. The tall, thin witch stepped up to the top of the first staircase and clapped her hands quickly three times. Immediately, what was left of the chatter stopped, and all eyes were on the ageing, but still impressive witch.
"Welcome back, to each and every one of you. I'm so pleased to see how many of you have come back to continue your 7th year of education, although for some of you (at this point she looked directly at Harry, Ron and Hermione) I see no point, as you have already learnt so much from the outside world. However different and disruptive last term may have been, this year will continue smoothly and hopefully, (again she looked at the trio), without so much shenanigans. The castle has been repaired in the exact same way as it was previously built, so you should have no trouble in finding your dormitories. However, there is one difference." The students all remained silent, excitedly awaiting the change that was in store for them. "This year, the Head Boy and Girl's dormitory will be in the same part of the castle, and they will live side by side, in harmony. This arrangement has been put in place to demonstrate that it is possible for the different houses to live in unity, and I hope that you two, Miss Granger and Mr Malfoy, will be lead a good example. The heads all swivelled to get a look at the faces of Hermione and Draco. Both of them were equally as shocked as each other. They caught each other's eye and held a stare between them. What confused Hermione the most about that look was the fact that neither of them was glaring at the other. It wasn't exactly a friendly look, but it was definitely not the worst scowl she had seen coming from Malfoy. The students began their chattering again as Hermione turned to face her friends.
"Bloody hell, has she finally gone off her rocker? No way am I letting them two live opposite the hall from each other, one of them will end up dead! And believe me, it will not be Hermione!" The others laughed at Ron's protective behaviour, and Hermione chuckled too and smiled shyly at Ron. He caught her eye when nobody else was looking and winked slightly at her. She blushed sweetly. Once again Professor McGonagall clapped her hands thrice and the crowd fell silent. "As you are all in seventh year, you have been allowed to enter the castle earlier than everybody else, this extra fifteen minutes will be used so that you may find out your dormitories and unpack, however I expect you down in the Great Hall for dinner in 13 minutes sharp. Will everybody please return to your house common room. Your prefects will debrief you further from there." The crowd started to disperse and head their separate ways; the Slytherins to the dungeons, the Gryffindor's to the North Tower and so on. But then the teacher's three claps rang out once more, louder this time. "Except from the Head of years. I want a private word with you two in my office, come along."