Chapter 1: Nightmares and a Train Ride

It was only the second day of school, and Hermione was being pushed to her limits by the one and only, Draco Malfoy. That's what happens when you two have to live alone together. She couldn't believe that she had to put up with him for the rest of the year. He was a bloody Malfoy for goodness sakes. He hated her guts (well, blood), and she knew it. She also knew that he was going to make things worse, but she didn't know how much worse exactly. She was almost regretting accepting the position of Head Girl when she entered the Heads compartment on the train.

The day had started off as usual, or as usual as it could get when you were about to take a train to your Wizarding school. Hermione had woken up at 5:30 and took a shower. Hermione's version of waking up was staying up all night, not getting any sleep, but just going around rearranging her luggage, and trying to fit more books into the compact space. This was a normal thing for her, not getting any sleep, especially in the past few nights. Her new habit was developed for two reasons. First, she was nervous about her 7th year of school. Even though she should've really been out of school for a year, she chose to come back to Hogwarts for her final year after the war was over and Harry had killed Voldemort. Secondly, she still had nightmares about the war and Death Eaters and Voldemort and what could have happened to her, Ron, her other friends and especially Harry.

The last nightmare she'd had was even more vivid than the rest. It started out: Harry, Ron and Hermione had been in hiding since the incident at Fleur and Bill's wedding. They had been Apparating from place to place everyday, setting up camp and staying inconspicuous. Then after a few months of hiding, after Ron had left, and then returned, Harry was stupid enough to say "Voldemort", which then led Death Eaters straight to their hiding place, and they were captured and taken back to the Malfoy Manor. The room that they were brought to was filled with Death Eaters. Most wore masks, but the ones Hermione could identify were: Lucius, Bellatrix, Nott, Dohlov, and Malfoy, who was standing in front of the fire looking very pale and not his normal smirking self, just like the day that the trio had been captured. Hermione was tied to a chair, and so was Ron. Harry on the other hand was being watched closely by a circle of Death Eaters, after being 'Petrifus Totalus-ed' from the shoulders down, while they waited for Voldemort to come, so he could work his magic (no pun intended) and the long feud would soon be over. While they waited, Bellatrix, being the bitch she was, decided that it would be a great idea to start using the Crutacius curse on Hermione over and over while screaming in her shrill voice, "Stupid, dirty Mudblood! How dare you think that you could trick the Dark Lord? You thought that you could run and hide? Ha!" Bellatrix's high pitched cackles could be heard over Hermione's screams from the cruel torture, and Ron's protests.

As Hermione writhed and screamed in agony, Ron was pleading for her to stop and curse him instead. Bellatrix just responded by saying, "Don't worry blood traitor, you're next, since you are just as bad as her, and her dirty blood." When Hermione started to slip into an unconscious state, Bellatrix stopped and kneeled to the ground. Voldemort had arrived. "Ah Potter. The boy-who-just-wouldn't-die. I knew you wouldn't be able to escape my grasp forever. And now, you will die, and I will take over the Wizarding world, like I should have many years ago. Before that night when I killed your precious little mummy and daddy and you just had to become "the boy who lived." Prepare to fight, or would you rather just give up since you are no match for me?" Of course, Harry's Gryffindor courage kicked in, along with his anger about his mother being insulted and he started cursing Voldemort, saying "You will never win, and I will be the one to make sure of it. I will kill you myself. With no help from anyone else." Unfortunately being paralyzed in most of your body doesn't help, especially when your want has been taken away, and Voldemort decided to use that to his benefit. "Of course, Potter my boy. But your friends over here have to go first. You know that they would never want to see you die. So you get to see them die slowly and painfully- and it is all your fault. How do you feel about that Potter? Feeling guilty? A little angry perhaps?" Of course he was angry, he had gotten them captured and now they were going to die because of him, but since Harry was in no position do be protecting anyone right now, he just sat there, struggling as much as he could, and fuming. Bellatrix got out her wand again and started torturing Ron on the Dark Lord's command. Ron's screams and groans of agony made Hermione writhe again. Then another Death Eater, probably Nott started torturing her and she started screaming again.

oOo

That's where she either woke up screaming or someone else woke her up to stop the nightmare. She never slept through the rest of it to find out how it ends. To see if Harry lived or died, if he killed Voldemort, if she lived, if Ron was ok, and that was what probably scared her the most about the nightmare. Not the fact that she was being tortured or had to watch the ones she loved being tortured, or the fact that she was basically face to face with the Dark Lord and his army of Death Eaters, but that she didn't ever find out how the dream ended. That was something that she just couldn't stand. She couldn't just go through something and not find out what the ending is. That was her philosophy with books. Even if they bored her to death, she just had to know how they ended, so she had read many books all the way through, though she didn't like some.

Then, after she had fit two more books into her trunk, she ate her "breakfast" which consisted of toast with marmalade and an energy drink, which her mother basically had to shove down her throat, and left for the station after pacing around her living room for a couple hours, something that made her parents very nervous. They knew most of what happened during the war, but not everything. Some things, like the fact that she one point she was being tortured by Bellatrix, Hermione did not feel compelled to inform her parents of. She arrived at the station at 10:45ish in order to get on the train early for once. It was her final year at Hogwarts, and she had been presented with the honor of Head Girl, and was almost bouncing off the walls. But that wouldn't be the right actions for the new Head Girl to take she had rationalized with herself as she straightened her outfit, – which consisted of worn and torn skinny jeans, a plain white v-neck and black cardigan and her lucky red ballet flats- and kept herself in check. She had spent the last fortnight of her summer - after she had gotten her letter and badge - wondering who the Head Boy for the year was, since that was the only –and when she means only, she means ONLY- thing left out of her very informative letter about the year to come.

As it neared closer to departure time, many other students were boarding the train, looking for their friends in compartments and waving farewell or hugging their parents. There were some first years that were nervously looking up at the older students -and honestly they are getting shorter every year so, they really are looking up at the older students (except for Hermione really, 'cause she was only 5 foot 2, which was tiny compared to most her age, like Ron and Harry who were both about 6 feet tall or taller) - huddling together with some people that they had met or were already friends with. Harry and Ron arrived then, and she hurriedly went to greet them with hugs and a squeal about seeing them, because honestly she wasn't sure if they were going to come back this year. They had been very vague in their letters, not acting themselves at all, except when congratulating Hermione on her new Headship. Harry received many stares, but that was to be expected for the boy-who-had-defeated-he-who-must-not-be-named.

"Not much happened after the war ended. We mostly hung around the Burrow playing Quidditch and eating. You know, the regular, trying to stay out of the papers as much a possible," Harry replied to Hermione's question of how their summer went, blushing a little with a smile, after pulling out of his hug with Hermione. Harry had been living with the Weasleys who had graciously opened up their home to him after the war was over, since he had no other home to go back to. The Dursleys were gone and he had no other family, but he thought of the Weasleys as family and the Burrow as home, and it also helped that Mrs. Weasley wouldn't take no for an answer. For the summer, Hermione traveled to Australia and found her parents, which she then brought back to St. Mungos and had their memories repaired. She spent the rest of the time filling them in on (most of) what had gone on during the war, and conversing to her 3 best friends through post.

"Yes Harry, that's all we did," proclaimed a voice behind Hermione, which she recognized as belonging to Ginny, her best girl friend. "Nothing interesting happened what-so-ever. We sat around watching grass grow, and paint dry…" sarcasm filled her voice.

"What happened? Is everyone okay?" Hermione streamed a dozen questions almost all in one breath, assuming the worst, and started reaching for her wand if a simple healing spell was needed. When she finally decided to breath, Ginny interrupted her.

"'Mione, just slow down, everyone is fine. Put the wand away. Harry and I just have some big news," Ginny confessed, taking Harry's hand with her right, and holding up her left so that Hermione could see her beautiful DIAMOND ENGAGEMENT RING…

"Oh Merlin!" Hermione exclaimed with a bit of shock from the gorgeous diamond in front of her. She was a bit worried at first because they are still really young, but she decided that they were smart enough to know to be safe and all that jazz, but she still decided to talk to Ginny about it later. She quickly recovered her composure, and squealed, "Awwww, guys, I'm so happy for you!!!" Wrapping them in a big hug, she corralled them into an empty compartment on the train and asked, "So, how'd it happen?"

"Well, the war was over, and Ginny and I had made up after our break up, since I had wanted to keep her safe while Voldemort was still at large. I actually made her dinner and with some help from the rest of the family, it was really nice and romantic, and just the two of us. I made a chicken with steamed asparagus and a super secret sauce and some cake. "

"I heard the cake was really impressive mate. Why haven't you cooked for us before?" Ron added. Of course Ron only thinks about the food, Hermione thought with a smile.

"It was my secret talent, but now that it's out…"

"Ok so we had finished eating," Ginny continued with the story as the boys had gotten a little side-tracked, and the train started moving, "and Harry, being the romantic that he is, says…"

"Ginny, they say that 'distance makes the heart grow fonder', and I've learned that it's true. I've spent many nights thinking of you, and I haven't been able to keep you out of my head. Thankfully I haven't lost my last chance to say this, and hopefully you still love me, because honestly I am more in love with you now than I ever have been. I can't stand being away from you, and those months while we were on the run, were the hardest. I couldn't see you, contact you, nothing. I need you in my life, for the rest of my life. I don't know how I'll survive without you if you don't say that you will marry me." Harry recited his lovely speech to the group and after an "awww" from Hermione, and a gagging noise from Ron, he continued, "And then, after I stopped her from choking, she basically screamed YES and I think that the rest can be figured out from there."

After Ginny playfully slapped him on the arm for the last part of the story, and smacked Ron in the back of the head for being an arse, Hermione pulled them both into another hug while saying her congratulations.

"So, 'Mione…. Have you found out who the Head Boy is yet?" asked Ron glumly, changing the subject, jealousy flitting across his face, his ears becoming a little pinker. He knew it wasn't him and was wishing that he could be the one to spend a whole year living alone with Hermione. He loved her and it had become clear as day during the war, but he didn't have the guts to say so yet. Harry had been trying to convince him to share his feelings soon, or she might become taken again like she had in fourth year with Viktor Krum at the Yule Ball. Harry had reasoned that Hermione was gorgeous and that she was basically famous and a hero, so there would probably be a line of guys wanting to win her attention, and maybe win her heart at the same time.

"No," Hermione answered in an irritated tone. "Apparently the five page letter of information of my duties and year could not have been two words longer to include the name of the boy I am being forced to share a dorm with for a full year. But I need to go find out. So I'll see you later, after I've done my Head duties." Hermione nervously left her friends, anticipating who could be sitting in the Heads compartment, who she would be sharing a dormitory with for a full year. As she was walking to the compartment, she started feeling a little nauseous and dizzy, but shook it off as excitement and the movement of the train.

She finally reached the Heads compartment at the front of the train. As she slowly opened the door, his blue-ish gray, very recognizable eyes bored into hers and a sneer grew on his pretty-boy face. The last thing she remembered was him saying, "I knew it would be you."