Author's Notes: AU -- The only thing that's different is there will be no hunt for the Horcrux's. Dumbledore's still dead, but Voldemort has to die some other way. It will be explained in the story.
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"The two of you absolutely disgust me." Hermione Granger said to a chocolate covered Ronald Weasley and Harry Potter. "You eat as if you've never seen food before in your life when you know in a mere three hours you'll be pigging out in the Great Hall all over again. Could you please just try and pretend you're civilized?" Hermione said in a huff.
"Nope, that's reserved for you Mrs. Head Girl." Harry retorted munching happily on a chocolate frog.
The trio was on the Hogwarts Express headed towards their 7th and final year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry where they'd be sure to encounter another extremely eventful year, but for now, Hermione needed to get away from boys.
"Whatever, I'm going to go find Ginny and Luna or something." And with that Hermione exited the compartment. She was walking through the empty hall looking into the compartments for the girls when she heard a sound emitting from the very back of the train, as she came a little closer it sounded as if someone was crying. In fact, she was almost positive of it. She crept towards the door and listened to see if she could tell who it was, thinking it may be a first year knowing very well what it was like to be made fun of. But as it turns out it sounded like a much older male probably a sixth or seventh year. Hermione didn't know what to do, should she confront them or just walk away? She didn't have to decide seeing as the muffled sobs subsided and the door was pushed open to reveal something Hermione thought she'd never see. Draco Malfoy was wiping a trail of tears off his cheeks. The initial look of surprise on his face quickly turned to anger.\
"What are you doing here? Where you spying on me?" Draco spat at her.
"No I was just walking and was concerned..." Hermione muttered rather feebly unsure of what to say. "I heard crying, I thought perhaps I could cheer whoever it was up. Ma-Mal-Draco, why where you crying?" Hermione asked wondering what had caused her to call him by his proper name.
"Damn it Granger why don't you just mind your own business for once?" Draco pushed past her leaving her to her thoughts. "And don't you dare tell anyone about this either!" He shouted over his shoulder.
"I wouldn't..." Hermione whispered before shrinking down into a seat to think. Why in the world would Draco Malfoy, the spoiled and filthily rich only child of Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy be all alone crying. And then she thought about it and felt like an idiot, Lucius. Malfoy's father had been sentenced to life in prison over the summer. Of course Malfoy would be upset.
Hermione stayed by herself for a little while longer, returning to Ron and Harry only when it was time to get dressed and exit the train. She was considerably more somber than before and the boys both noticed.
"What's wrong with you Hermione?" Harry asked, his voice full of concern.
"Oh nothing, just thinking, it's our last year, rather upsetting thought isn't it?" Hermione said in a fake cheerful voice. This seemed to be a good enough excuse for both Harry and Ron so the trio set out on the walk towards the thestral drawn carriages.
Once inside the Great Hall the three found seats at the Gryfindor table and where soon joined by Ginny who had just said goodbye to Luna.
"Hermione! It's good to be back isn't it?" Ginny squealed and hugged her friend.
"Good grief Ginny, you just saw her twenty minutes ago on the train." Ron said and Ginny's arms barely missed his face.
"What are you talking about Ron?" Ginny inquired.
Ron glanced at Hermione rather confused and then mumbled an incoherant "nothing."
He didn't have time to think about it as the sorting had now ended and piles of food where appearing out of nowhere. The group happily ate away at all the start of term goodies and Ron and Harry dominated the conversation, placing bets on who would be the new Quidditch captain. Ron seemed firm in his belief that Harry would be getting a letter any day now telling him when he was allowed to hold tryouts but Harry seemed to think McGonagall wouldn't want to give him such a responsibility, after all Dumbledore never had. It was only when the food disappeared that they all looked up to the staff table. It looked so small and isolated without the grand old wizard in the middle. Dumbledore's chair remained unoccupied, McGonagall remained to the left of the center chair.
"Welcome students, welcome to Hogwarts. As you all know, we suffered many losses at the end of term last year, but I would like to think that they will not effect our ability to learn and move about at a regular pace. As you all know we are in dark troubled times and a few extra precautions have been set in place. No student is to be allowed off campus this year, which means there have been no Hogsmeade trips schedualed," from this there was a groan of disappointment, "the dark forrest is to be avoided at all costs, and no student shall be on the grounds after dark. Now I beg of you to please follow these simple requests and we shall all stay much safer. If anyone hears or sees anything suspicious it would be best to report it directly to me at once. Now with that said I'd like to introduce this year's Head Boy and Head Girl so if you would please rise, Ms. Hermione Granger and Mr. Draco Malfoy."
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Author's Note: well, you know me. never seem to be able to give you all a very long opening chapter. I've never done a Hermione/Draco fic before, and I'm in all honesty a very big Hermione/Ron shipper. But I thought this might make an interesting little project, and seeing as it's summertime I've got plenty of time to do it, so tell me what you think.