Hermione Jean Granger is known to many as a war heroine. She, along with Harry and Ron, defeated Lord Voldemort once and for all. Every girl aspires to be her, and everyone wants to get to know her; but they can't get to know her if she doesn't know who she is herself. In other words, Hermione Jean Granger is lost, lost somewhere inside of herself. It's not as if any of her friends noticed; Harry and Ginny are too caught up in each other, and Ron is loving the fame of being "Harry Potter's Best Friend." Not even Molly Weasley, with her motherly nature, could tell that Hermione was not herself.
Draco Abraxas Malfoy is hated by everyone. He is known as a traitor, evil, a murderer, and a Death Eater. He assisted in the assassination of Albus Dumbledore, the best Hogwarts Headmaster in history, and during the Final Battle, he went over to Voldemort's side. However, Draco Abraxas Malfoy is misunderstood; he is not evil, and he is not a murderer. He is just waiting for someone to figure that out.
"Hurry up, 'Mione!," yells Ron, "You are going to miss the train!"
"I'm coming!," shouts Hermione, "Go on ahead!" she says as she lugs her trunk and cat through the barrier to Platform 9 3/4. She looks around the platform for the tell-tale sign of a Weasley, red hair. After deciding that they are already on the train, she jumps on to check the compartments. Finding none of her friends in the compartments, she decides to claim a compartment as her own. The door to her compartment opens slowly, and she looks up, expecting to see Harry or Ron. She gasps, "Malfoy?," she asks and whips her wand out. He immediately flinches away from her wand, and then quietly asks, "Do you mind if I sit here?"
Taken off guard by his vulnerability, Hermione soundlessly nods and puts away her wand. He then breathes a sigh of relief, and cautiously sits down opposite Hermione. For the rest of the train ride, Hermione patiently waits for her friends who never come. As Draco stands up to leave, Hermione takes the chance to examine him. His face looks gaunt and pale, and his hair, normally styled perfectly, hangs limply from his head. His eyes, thought, is what troubles Hermione the most. Normally shining in arrogance and pride, they now look almost wistful, and she almost begins to feel bad for him. However, she remembers who she is looking at and immediately locks the feeling away in the deepest part of her mind.
As Hermione leaves the train, she spots Harry, Ron, and Ginny. "Where were you guys?" She asks.
"In a compartment, where were you?" Asks Ginny.
"I got stuck in a compartment with Malfoy," groans Hermione.
"Oh, you poor thing," says Ginny, "Was he rude? Did he call you a mudblood? I could go over there and give he one of my famous Bat-Bogey hexes!"
"No need Ginny, he was actually rather nice. I know the war changed a lot of people, and maybe it changed Malfoy, too."
"Bloody hell, 'Mione! The last person that could change would be Malfoy! I bet the git is just trying to make you feel bad for him, so he can stab you in the back." Says Ron.
"Maybe you're right, Ron. That isn't like the Malfoy we know."
"But who is the Malfoy I know?" Hermione thinks.
"Hello, and welcome to another year at Hogwarts School Of Witchcraft and Wizardry. As always, the Forbidden Forest is strictly off-limits. The caretaker, Argus Filch, has posted an updated banned items list. Finally, since the end of the war, everyone who fought has changed, maybe even discovered their real selves. For that reason, I am resorting all the students who fought in the war, the sixth and seventh years. Can all the sixth and seventh years please proceed to the front of the Great Hall." said Dumbledore.
"Abbot, Hannah" said McGonagall
"Hufflepuff!"
...
"Granger, Hermione"
Ah, Miss Granger, as a war hero, you certainly have plenty of bravery. But wait, you seem to have a fair amount of Slytherin tendencies. Well, I'm sure the people wouldn't want their Golden Girl in Slytherin, would they? Better be...
