Disclaimer: All characters and setting belong to J.K. Rowling
Chapter One:
"You'll be careful won't you? Take your medication and not to work yourself too hard. If you get too tired or if you start hurting you'll go see Madam Pomfrey." Jean Granger stood on platform 9 ¾ with her husband and daughter.
"Mum don't worry. I'll be fine. All the professors know as well as Madam Pomfrey. There's nothing you need to worry about." Hermione Granger rolled her chocolate brown eyes. Her hair, now tamed, flowed down her shoulders in soft curls. Head Girl badge pinned on her Hogwarts robes. A touch of makeup covered her face to hide the bags under her eyes from lack of sleep.
"Oh I know, I'm just fretting. You should get on the train." Hermione's mother embraced her gently, and turned to her father.
"Your mother is right. Be careful pumpkin. And don't forget to write as well. And try to eat more. You're losing more weight and you know that's not good." Andrew Granger hugged his daughter.
Hermione bid her parents goodbye and made her way onto the train and to the head's compartment, where she would meet the Head Boy, Draco Malfoy. As if she didn't have enough to deal with, now she had to share a dorm with him for her final year at Hogwarts.
At least he isn't so rude anymore, after joining the Order during the war. Lets just hope he doesn't notice anything about me. Or Harry and Ron for that matter. She thought.
When she reached the compartment, she opened it to find Draco already there, sitting and reading a book. She couldn't see the book cover. Hearing the door open, Draco looked up at Hermione.
"Hello Granger. Good summer?" he asked.
Odd. He's actually being nice to me. "As well as it could be. And you? How are you holding up with your father in Azkaban?"
She didn't say it rudely. She was curious and Draco knew that, but he still slightly winced when he heard her say that.
"As well as it could be, like you said." He turned back to his book as Hermione put her luggage on the rack and sat down with her own book. The train lurched on the tracks and they were on their way to Hogwarts. Once Hermione was fully settled, Draco allowed himself to look at her.
She's different. He thought. Hermione had grown into her body. She had more cures and her face was more mature. It was more than that though. She was pale and had lost a lot of weight. Bruises lined her arms, but they were from falling or bumping into things. Not abusive bruises. Draco knew what those looked like. She was so fragile that it looked like she would break.
Suddenly the compartment door opened to find Harry Potter and Ron Weasley standing in the doorway. Completely ignoring Draco, they both gave Hermione a bone crushing hug at the same hug. She gave a tiny shriek of pain, pain that only Draco heard.
"Thanks for coming and saying hi 'Mione." Ron looked at her, smiling.
"Yeah. We though Malfoy here kidnapped you or something." Harry looked at Draco and nodded a greeting. The four made a truce after Draco joined the Order. They weren't exactly friends, but not enemy's either. Not anymore at least.
"Now why would I go and do that Potter? There's not a place I can really take her." He said nodding back.
"That's true. You ok 'Mione? You look pale." Ron asked, turning back to Hermione.
"Yes Ronald. Just have a little motion sickness. And you know that I hate that nickname." She sighed.
"But its so much easier to say that than Hermione. Anyway, we should get back before Luna gets worried." Hermione laughed. Ron and Luna started dating at the end of the war. She barley ever saw them apart. Harry rolled his eyes and hugged Hermione again, this time a little gentler because of her 'motion sickness'. Ron however gave her another bone crushing hug, making her gasp in pain. Then they left.
She sat down and picked up her book again, with a small smile on her face. After a moment of trying to read, Draco put his down and looked at her.
"I don't believe you." He said. At his voice, Hermione jumped slightly and looked up at him.
"What?"
"I don't believe that you have motion sickness. After all these years of riding the train you just say something about it. Even I know you've never had motion sickness. So what is it?"
If possible, Hermione got even paler. She looked back down at her book and didn't say anything for a minute.
"It's nothing. Just had a bug last week and hasn't left my whole system yet."
"You're a horrible liar Granger. Now, are you going to tell me the truth? It must be kinda big if you won't even tell your best friends. Considering the fact that I am going to be your roommate for the whole year, I should know what's going on with you." She started to rub her right wrist from pain of gripping the book to tightly. There was another silence that lasted five minutes.
Draco sighed and laughed softly. "It can't be that bad, Granger. It's not like your dying or anything."
A tear escaped Hermione's eye and she looked up. "Your wrong about that."
The door opened and Professor McGonagall entered. "Oh good your both here. I have some announcements for you two."
Hermione hastily wiped her eyes and forced a smile at McGonagall. "Yes Professor?"
"Well for starters, your duties. They will mostly be the same as prefect duties. Though you will be making schedules, finding Hogsmeade weekends, and this year, you will be planning a few dances. A Halloween, Christmas, and Valentine's Day dance. For 5th years and up. As you know you will be sharing a common room and bathroom. Separate sinks of course. After the welcoming feast wait by the Great Hall doors and I will show you your dorm. I think that is everything unless you have any questions?" Hermione and Draco shook their heads. "Good. Ms. Granger I will not say anything for you but you should share some… concerns with Mr. Malfoy." With that, Professor McGonagall left.
"Concerns?" Draco asked turning to Hermione, who was staring at where McGonagall was just standing. She shook from her daze and glanced at him.
"It's nothing. I'm going to go patrol the halls." With that, she left the compartment and didn't comeback until the train was almost to the station.