Hermione Granger was one of the most talented witches of her age – she had often been told as much. To her friends, at least; she could govern the complicated world of feelings and emotions, and seemed to be turning into their "girl consultant". Hermione understood both worlds which her life had straddled, and was only just realizing her place in the world.
As Hermione sank down onto her seat, on the Hogwarts express, she surveyed Harry and Ron sitting opposite to her. Friendship…perhaps one of the few areas in which she could actually summarise feelings – the boys had yet to realise that the advice they frequently sought was accurate, but that Hermione had no idea how to apply it to her own situation.
Harry pulled out his wand, and began sliding it up and down in his hand, flicking the splinters at the base back and forth. He had on that glad and lovesick expression he had worn so often last year, when Cho had dated Cedric. Ron was probably the most innocent of the trio – he had not kissed anyone, and was blissfully unaware of Harry's and her own love stories. Indeed, Hermione doubted that if he knew some of the secret moments that she had shared with Viktor Krum, then he would still be behaving as amicably as he was. Ron was so stupid – she had felt very little with Viktor; it had been a last minute, stab at the moment romance, mostly to seek vengeance on Ron for being so slow and unpleasant. Hermione had ideas about how he felt for her – far more than she had for, for how she felt herself, but since he had done nothing about it for four years; she was beginning to cool from her crush. She just had to accept that he wasn't the boy she had imagined him to be.
"Ron!" Her voice broke sharply through the dull atmosphere, and both he and Harry started. "We need to go down to the Prefect's carriage for a moment…" Harry looked glumly back to his wand, and resume his flicking of the splinters. "Maybe you could sit with Ginny, and Luna and Neville?" Harry grunted and gave a noncommittal jerk of the shoulder – but Hermione paid him no heed.
She slid open the glass door, and marched into the corridor, Ron traipsing behind. They didn't talk much, Hermione found it harder and harder to make contact with him when Harry wasn't there; without sounding as though she longed to love him. He acted as the go between, the easer of the awkwardness that they radiated.
The Prefect carriage was more lavishly decorated than the others, and was hung with the school emblem, embossed on royal purple drapes. Several candles hung in the lanterns, giving it a low, romantic note. Hermione avoided Ron's eyes. The others wandered in, all in pairs. Ernie Macmillan and his new girlfriend Hannah; in particular entranced Hermione. She had watched them be friends for years, and it had still worked out for them…Anthony Goldstein and Padma Patil – both model students; no surprises in the Ravenclaw house. Hermione was almost certain that Pansy and Blaise from Slytherin would be the Prefects. Both were utterly vile, but neither was as cruel as to abuse the role to the level of physically harming younger students – a trait which Hermione was sure that some would exercise, especially-
"Draco Malfoy! As a Prefect, I must declare that you are not showing much promise…is what Miss Edgecomb says true?"
Pansy put on her best simpering smile. "Oh, of course not ma'am! Draco was with me the whole time!"
Malfoy shuffled a little in his seat. "Yeah, sure!"
McGonagall didn't look convinced. "I suppose that there is no one but Miss Parkinson who could clarify this story?"
Malfoy was positively squirming. He looked sharply at Hermione, and raised his eyebrows, before continuing. "Certainly, we were alone…" Hermione did not notice the look, and would not have interpreted it well if she had. She had spent four years of her schooling being tormented by Draco and his cronies, and never could have guessed the reasons behind it.
Ron was not quite so oblivious. All through McGonagall's long talk, which not even Hermione could object to its being called "tedious"; he shot Draco withering looks – but, considering Pansy had her hands intertwined in his hair, whispering sweet nothings in his ear, it was unlikely that he noticed. Malfoy did not pay attention to blood traitors, and muggleborns; with the exception of Hermione. For the majority of the populace, he merely ignored them.
Eventually, the Prefects were dismissed, and everyone hurriedly scrambled to their feet, eager not to be caught up in any "forgotten points". Hermione blurted out a "thank you," as she dived out the room, and Ron stumbled after her. All the students sank into a more relaxed pose, and leant against the corridor wall, breathing heavily.
"Well, that was awfully interesting…" Began Ernie, in his usual pompous manner. "I would go as far as to say that-"
"Oh please Ernie! I mean, even you couldn't have found all of the rules and responsibility gaff interesting?"
Ernie was quiet. Eventually, they began to file away, until it was just the Gryffindor couple, and Slytherins. Malfoy sneered.
"Two households, both alike in dignity." Hermione rolled her eyes, and Ron and Pansy did not appear to have understood. They were both from Pure-Blood families, although the same could be said for Malfoy.
"That's ridiculous…" Hermione interjected, her voice a little shriller than needed. It had only been one line. "Two households, both alike in dignity…but Romeo and Juliet breached that gap! I mean just because-" She stopped.
Ron looked inquiringly at her, but she shrugged him off. Pansy looked too bored to quiz Draco. Hermione's face twisted into a confused expression, not a particular visage she often wore.
"See you around mudblood."
Hermione scarcely noticed the insult, as he and Pansy marched off. Draco Malfoy. Romeo and Juliet. Paris. Ron.
Her world was making a sick kind of sense.