Author's note: I started writing fanfics when I was 12 on another website, and when I was 14 I moved abroad, and I kinda fell out of it. But now I feel I'm ready to fall back into it again. This is a Dramione, which I have read alot of, because I actually love them, but never really felt good enough to actually write before, so constructive critisium is very welcomed. This is also my frist fanfic on here too. This first part - to call it a chapter would be like calling a mole hill Ben Nevis - might seem abit dull, but I'm just setting it all up. It should get better, or so I hope. Otherwise, feel free to Avada me, or send me chocolate chips. The latter is prefered, they are my writing tools (:

Read and review please (:

Disclaimer: I own absolutly everything. Harry Potter from his scar to his toe nails is mine. My name is J.K. Rowling and I own Harry Potter everything LOL JK I'm a 16 year old girl who should be studying for exams but would rather sit on her computer all day writing fanfics because she wants to be a writer.

Part 1.

Whoever said that 'absence makes the heart grow fonder,' was an idiot, Draco Malfoy had decided. The person who had said that deserved to have their spleen gouged out with a spoon then thrown off the astronomy tower. Whoever had said it was a liar. Whoever had first said it, was, in Draco's opinion, a hope-destroyer and a heart-breaker. Because, in someone first saying this to an unfortunate soul, said unfortunate soul would then have this 30 letter, 6 word, 8 syllable phrase as their hope, then their prayers, and eventually their demise. And anyone who believed in this phrase was also an idiot, Draco concluded. Well then, the annoying voice in his head pointed out, that makes you a bit of a moron then doesn't it?

Pushing off from the ground Draco Malfoy angrily began what had to be the fifteenth lap of the lake that day. Taking out his anger on a well trodden path of dirt and rocks was neither constructive nor productive, but it gave him something to do, and that would do well enough for now.

The sun was bright and joyful, mockingly so, depending on how you saw it. The lake seemed to glow as the squid lazily floated on the surface enjoying the warmed rays. The grass looked lush, green and fresh, and blew lightly in the breeze. The angst-ridden teen had his hand buried in his trouser pockets and his shoulders hunched against the light and warmness of the summer's morning.

"Promise me you'll write to me?" Hermione insisted as she walked in the middle of her two best friends, down the slopping lawns towards a large tree.

"Hermione, you say that every year, have we failed you yet?" The gangly ginger boy replied.

"No, but you aren't exactly what I'd call consistent with your correspondence," the curly haired girl remarked.

Harry laughed as he two best friends in the world glared at each other. "Hermione, I promise as soon and as often as I can, I will write to you."

"Yeah," Ron continued, "and I'm sure mum wouldn't mind if you came to stay for a bit too. And Ginny will want to do girly stuff with you too." He added.

"I'd love that. I'm visiting my cousins in France with mum and dad for a few weeks, but after that defiantly." Hermione grinned.

They lapsed into a comfortable silence as they walked down towards the lake, and took a seat in front of the large oak tree.

"I still can't believe it." Harry mused.

"What?" Ron asked.

"This is it; another whole year gone. That in a few hours we'll all be on the train back to London, tonight I'll be back with the Dursley's."

"I get what you mean mate." Ron agreed.

"It's been a good year though," Hermione commented. "I mean, exams were harder than I thought they would be, and I didn't do half as much studying as I had planned, and the Frankie the Furry rebellion in History of Magic really had me stumped, and in Potions I really wish I had a chance to finish the fattening and sliming potions work –"

"Don't really see why we had to do that one anyways. Either eat more chocolate frogs, or don't." Ron chipped in.

"Oh hardly Ronald," Hermione scowled.

"The point Hermione?" Harry prompted, eyebrows raised.

"The point," she said, throwing one last glower at Ron, "is that it's been a good year, even if it hasn't lasted long enough. We won the Quidditch Cup, and the House Cup. We passed most of our exams. It hasn't been that bad, really."

"I guess." Harry decided.

They fell into an easy silence again. Harry gazed out toward the lake, Ron was trying to get stones to skim across the lake, and Hermione plaited a lock of her hair.

"Who's that I wonder?" Ron suddenly asked, pointing to a figure on west side of the shore, walking in their direction.

The others squinted, trying to make it out.

"Urgh," Harry groaned. "It's Malfoy. "

"What's he doing out here?" Hermione asked.

"I don't know, I don't care. But he can sod off right now." Ron growled.

As Draco came to complete his sixteenth lap of the lake he hadn't noticed the arrival of the trio. His head was still down as he approached them, unaware of their presence.

"What do you want Malfoy?" Harry snapped.

Draco's head shot up and he looked around dazed. Lost in his own thoughts and memories he came back to reality with a bump.

"I wasn't aware it was illegal to walk around the lake on a bright summer's day." Draco drawled, his voice barely even, angry at himself for being caught off guard.

"Well then, tottle off like a good boy now, why don't you?" Ron suggested sneering.

"How's that pig sty of your house, Weasel." Draco retorted instantly, "I heard a rumour that one of your brothers is working with the minister. How much did you father have to sell to bribe the Minister's assistants? Sell the Weaselete to white slavery? What a shame."

"Shut it, Malfoy." Harry warned, pulling out his wand.

"Look," Hermione interjected, not wanting to spend her last few hours at Hogwarts before summer in Dumbledore's office, "we're just sitting here enjoying the last morning alright, Malfoy? So are you. So just go continue walking wherever you were going alright?"

Malfoy set his jaw, and inwardly kicked himself for leaving his wand on his nightstand. A jeer about Mudbloods came to his tongue, but he bit it back, if Potter wanted to duel, he had no weapon. He scowled, then continued walking past them, he would make it seventeen laps before he would go back to the dormitory and finish his packing.

"Preferably keep on walking, and don't come back." Ron muttered under his breath.

"Let's go and finish packing." Hermione suggested standing and trying to break the tension.

"I guess so." Harry agreed, and he and Ron followed her back up to the castle reluctantly.

:::

As the train began to chug its way back to London, the three companions fought their way down the corridor bustling with students, trying to find an empty compartment.

"Move it midgets." Ron barked, jostling through the crowd.

"Ron, really," Hermione reprimanded him.

"Well, my feet hurt, I'm hungry and this place is full of short people."

"You were that height once too, you know." She pointed out.

"Hermione, Ron was never that height. He's always been a loping giant." Harry mock shook his head in pity of her naivety.

"Watch it." Ron snapped, whilst the other two laughed.

After battling for an empty compartment, they finally found one right at the end of the train.

"At last," Ron sighed, collapsing into one of the seats by the window. "And midget free too. What a bonus." He smiled to himself, before pulling out a liquorice wand, and biting the end of it.

The two boys started talking about Quidditch, so Hermione pulled out a book from her bag and settled down to read it.

"You are kidding right?" Ron asked.

"What?" Hermione asked, looking over the book at him.

"We left school an hour ago, and you're reading already."

"I borrowed it from Paige Marsh in the year above. It's the book for Ancient Runes I'm taking next year, just thought I would get ahead."

"You've been out the building for an hour!" Ron exclaimed horrified.

"Really Ronald, you've known her for five years." Harry said in a mock voice of Hermione's. She frowned at both of them before settling back into the book and turning the page loudly.

They were later joined by Ginny and the twins, who sat with them and joined in their light conversation. And as it always does, the way back to Kings Cross felt a lot quicker than the way to Hogwarts, and soon they were disembarking, gathering relative trunks, owls and cats, before waiting to be allowed through the gate back into the Muggle world.

The group met on the other side, and Mrs Weasley rushed over, embracing them all somehow simultaneously.

"Now, Harry, I expect you over before you're birthday, is that clear? I'll sort something out with Dumbledore. And you too Hermione." She beamed at them.

"I'm in France for a few weeks, but after that I'd love to." Hermione smiled back.

"I'll be in touch. See you soon." She said, before shepherding her heard towards the exist.

Hermione looked around and saw her smiling, waving parents a few meters away, she began to walk over to them, a huge smile on her face.

Out of her peripheral vision, if she had looked, or maybe she did see, but cared not at the time to acknowledge, a lone blond teenage boy stood of to the side, with no waiting family, frowning jealously at his apparent enemies, wishing for nothing more than a part of the attention.