Author's Note:
Hello everyone!
Yes, I know. I KNOW. Another fic? Really? Don't you have 2 others that are WIP's? Yes, really and Yes because why not?
This fic is going to be one of very judgmental, boarder-line cruel and to look at a person for who they truly are. I'm warning you of that right now.
Pairings: Draco/Hermione, Harry/Ginny, Harry/ Daphne Greengrass, Ginny/Blaise, & Ron/OFC.
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter by JK Rowling or make any money from writing this Fan Fic.
You're in for a bumpy ride. So Buckle up and hang on.
Alonia143.
Chapter 1.
The platform of 9 and ¾ wasn't busy just yet.
Hermione walked onto the train and walked to the head of it. That was where the Head Boy and Head Girl compartment were at.
The compartment itself was much larger.
She put her coat and purse on the seat as she then walked out of it.
It was so weird to have her school robes on and to be Head Girl. After she and her friends went on a hunt to bring down Lord Voldemort, she didn't honestly think that she would be Head Girl. Let alone, come back and to finish her school year.
It wasn't mandatory for her year to come back, she wanted to do this. In many ways, it felt like she was going backwards instead of going forwards. She should have graduated from Hogwarts by now, but she didn't.
Exiting the narrow corridor and back onto the platform, Hermione found it nice to not be gawked at. Let alone the whispering, the pointing of fingers and being approached by those who were brave enough to do so.
"Granger," she heard the stiff voice beside her.
Hermione looked and saw Draco Malfoy in his fancy all black suit. His eyes were guarded as he walked past her.
"Hello, Draco," she greeted him politely.
He stopped before he could board the train. Tension rolled off of him like a cascading waterfall. But he soon walked away from her.
Hermione was at the trial of his family, voicing along with Harry, that the Malfoy's helped turned the war in their favor. The Ministry, let alone the wizarding community couldn't go against 2/3 of the "Golden Trio".
So the Malfoy family was found not guilty and no one really heard from them since early June. Since the trial really.
Hermione felt bad for Draco. He was just a pawn in this grand chess board that Lord Voldemort had. He destroyed the Malfoy family's creditability in many people's eyes. Ruining what everyone thought were a good couple from the very start.
Biting her lower lip, Hermione didn't know how Draco will be this year.
"Hey Hermione," she heard Harry's voice.
She blinked and then smiled "Harry! You're returning too?"
"Yeah. Molly sort of forced me and Ron to come back," he sheepishly replied.
"I bet. Where's Ron?" she asked, looking around for him.
"Talking to his girlfriend, Kelly Medlow from Ravenclaw," Harry said uneasily.
"Harry, we parted on good terms. Molly understood when I told her that being on the run, trying to avoid death and other things, was just adding to the relationship that was just mostly Friendship between Ron and I," Hermione told him.
"I know. It's just that, you two have wanted to get together for so long…" he trailed off.
"I know. But, add in on the facts of what happened to us. It's something that I can't really do. Plus the real peer pressure from everyone else is overwhelming," she replied, shrugging.
"Peer pressure? Hermione, if I had known that I was-"
"You aren't. It's people like Seamus or Dean that I'm getting it from. And I do mean, Like. Not as if it's those two it's somebody else," she cut him off.
Harry nodded and sighed heavily "Still, I am sorry if I added to it,"
"Thank you and you're alright. Besides, you get to see Ginny this year," She replied, hugging him.
"Erh Yeah," he said vaguely.
Hermione didn't delve too much into his personal life but, it did get her attention.
She nodded and then said "I'm Head Girl,"
Harry smiled hugely and pulled her into another hug "That's fantastic Hermione! I always knew you would get it!"
"Thank you, but I don't know who the head boy is," she replied, pulling back.
"Didn't the letter state it? At least that's what Percy told me when he was Head Boy," Harry asked.
"No, it didn't state who it was. Just that I was made head girl with a lists of prefects. Which by the way, congratulations on becoming a Prefect Harry," She told him, smiling too.
Harry stood there, mouth open and not really saying or doing anything else but being in utter shock. Hermione giggled at this as she reached up and closed his mouth for him.
"I'm …a prefect?" he asked in awe.
"And the Gryffindor's Quidditch Captain….again," Hermione stated, smiling more.
"Alright, what else do you know that I don't? A princess or something?" He said, in disbelief.
Hermione laughed at this with "No, I'm not. But I did realize where my magic comes from,"
Harry looked at her and asked "Who?"
"Professor Slughorn wasn't wrong when he asked if I was related to that wizard who invented that potion," Hermione said, digging into her pockets to get the paper.
Harry nodded and then said "Well, I'm glad that you did find out on it. I wonder what Malfoy and them will have to say on this,"
"Harry, don't," Hermione warned him.
They have been over this many times: Draco and his group weren't the brunt end of any kind of jokes.
"Still," Harry said, smiling.
"Then, you are no better than the Death Eaters and Lord Voldemort himself," she simply told him, turned on her heels and walked back onto the train.
Hermione walked into the Head's compartment and saw that Malfoy was sitting there, reading.
"Uh…Draco?" she asked him curiously.
He looked up from his spot on the page and said "I'm Head Boy,"
Everything seemed to have stopped.
"Y-y-you?" she stammered in shock.
"Yes. Got a problem with that, Granger?" he sneered.
"No. just …shocked. I'm sorry if I came off rude," she told him, walking over to her seat and sat down.
He goes back to his book. Hermione sat down as she thought this over.
Why was Draco Malfoy Head Boy? Last she checked, he was only a Prefect for 5th year. He dropped all of his responsibilities when he tried to kill Professor Dumbledore. But then again, he always came in second behind her.
She pulled out a book and started to read. She had to get her mind off of Malfoy and Head boy all in one sentence.
The train soon pulled away from the station as Hermione had a lot of parchment, ink bottles and quills all over her seat.
Hermione was making a massive list for the Prefects, patrols at night, when the Quidditch matches were as well as the practice sessions and the two balls.
"What are you doing, Granger?" Draco asked, having watched her for the past 15 minutes.
"Doing a lot of scheduling for everyone," she said, looking up as she rubbed her nose.
Draco nodded and then said "And does the Head Boy get to be involved too? Or Miss Smudgy gets all the credit?"
"The Head Boy can partake and I'm not Miss Smudgy," she told him, glaring a little.
He then took out his wand, walked over to her and softly muttered a spell. A mirror appeared before her as she then growled low. She waved her own wand as the smudges disappeared.
"Though I would change the Quidditch practices," he commented, pointing to them.
"Want to do that? And please make it fair. I know you're… all Slytherin and such, but still," she suggested.
"Fine. And All Slytherin and such? When did you run out of words to say?" he teased her, moving to his side of the compartment.
"When my brain is going faster than I can come up with words," she retorted.
It was the first time that she heard him chuckle.
'It's kind of weird to hear or see Malfoy like this.' She thought, smiling as she went back to the scheduling.
"I'm surprised that there isn't a meeting before we get to Hogwarts," Draco stated, crumbling up a scroll and starting a new.
"It wouldn't be right," was all Hermione said back.
Draco looked up and stared at her openly. She slowly looked up and their eyes locked. The energy between them was different. Something had shifted and it was kind of nice.
"We haven't started and we barely just left the train station. But if you would like to do rounds on the compartments, I wouldn't be against it," she explained more.
He nodded and got up. Walking out of their compartment.
Hermione heavily sighed as she knew that this year will be the hardest. She just hoped that it wouldn't be too difficult.
Sometime later, her door opened and she smiled when the person walked in.
"Hey, Harry," she greeted him warmly.
"Hi," he grunted out, sitting in Draco's spot.
"Something wrong?" she asked him curiously.
"Just another argument with Ginny," He answered, leaning against the seat.
"Another argument?" Hermione asked, knowing that he needed to get this off of his chest.
"Ever since the battle, when I faked my death to win for us, she can't seem to trust me on anything," He grumbled.
Biting her lower lip, Hermione stayed quiet.
"I mean, wouldn't you want to win over someone like Lord Voldemort?" Harry snapped angrily.
Hermione nodded, letting Harry have his time to rant.
"All of everything that I had done last year was for people like her and anyone else to live! I understand that I broke her trust, but does she have to shove it in my face at everything? And at any chance that she could get?" He seethed.
"No, she shouldn't do that to you," Hermione finally spoke.
Harry looked at Hermione and said while scratching his head "I don't think I can be in this relationship anymore. I don't know if I can do this,"
"Harry," Hermione began as she looked at her best friend "just try it out for a little longer. I know it's not what you wanted to hear from me, but like you said, Ginny can't trust you right now. To rebuild it will take some effort and if it still doesn't work out in …say 3 months from now, and then break it off. But don't throw in the towel just yet,"
Harry heavily sighed and said softly "Alright. I'll try and rebuild it, but if I can't, Hermione, I'm breaking it off,"
"Alright, then don't get too upset whenever she dates someone who isn't you. Ron is horrible with that with me," Hermione said frowning.
"Still? I can understand that you're his friend….but yeah okay," Harry said with a determined look.
Hermione smiled and then said "How is Ron anyway?"
"Doing alright. Actually talking to Kelly and such and holding his own, which is shocking to be honest," Harry told her the truth.
"That's…good," Hermione said, going back to her scheduling.
"I'm sorry that I keep bringing it up-"
"Its okay, Harry. I'm over it," Hermione cut him off.
Harry nodded as he stayed with Hermione for most of the travel to Hogwarts. Draco came back into their compartment with a slight limp. Hermione didn't say that much on it, seeing how he was scowling and sneering at the ground.
The Hogwarts Express let off a warning sound that it was pulling into Hogsmeade. Hermione had thankfully changed into her robes before getting onto the train and stepped out when Draco was pulling his shirt off of his lean but toned bare back.
The blush hung around Hermione's face for some time as she helped the first years to the boats. Draco just made sure that everyone made it to the carriages.
The black hairless winged creatures were seen by most of the crowd and it was Neville who told them all that they were called: Thestrals. And for only the people, who have seen death, would be able to see them.
Hermione was all alone in the heads carriage as Draco had decided to go with the Slytherins. She wondered how he was faring through all of this to be put back into a "Normal" setting.
Hermione didn't miss the slight limp that he had nor did she miss how he was putting up a front. Though, she wasn't going to tell him this just yet. She made it, right there in the head's carriage, to look out for Draco.
She knew that Ron and Harry wouldn't like it but, someone has to be the adult here.
The glowing of the lamps and candles as Hermione set her eyes on the rebuilt Hogwarts Castle made her wonder if this was a good idea.
The illusion of how she first saw it as an 11 year old was destroyed.
She had doubt now, gazing upon the castle and that should never happen to anyone who attends Hogwarts. But there she was, sitting and gazing with hesitation on what this school year will bring.
'Waiting for the other shoe per se, to drop,' Hermione thought to herself, as the carriages drew nearer to the looming castle.
When her carriage rode up to the castle gates, she got out and walked up the pathway. She bit her lower lip in worry but, she continued up the pathway.
"Draco?" she asked when she saw him resting against a lamppost.
"I'm fine, Granger. Just keep walking," he panted to her.
"What? No you're not. Come on, let me see," she told him back.
He moved his hard marble grey eyes up to meet her warm soft brown eyes, snarling "I'm fine. I just got hit with a hex is all. Now move along,"
"A hex? Draco let me see now," she said, walking closer to him.
"Why? So that you could touch me? I don't think so," He snapped at her.
"Like I would ever do something like that, pervert," she snapped back.
He snorted and ignored her completely.
Shaking her head, Hermione pulled out her wand, waved it around Draco as he looked at her in protest. The hex that he received was gone and his hip didn't hurt that much anymore.
"Now come on, I know that Professor McGonagall will have a speech in order and the food won't eat itself," she tried to coax him to the castle.
"I'm fine," he sneered, walking instead in front of her.
She heavily sighed and counted to 10 in her mind.
When Hermione did get to the castle, the first years were just passing under it. She walked through the large double wooden doors and walked over to her house table.
Her eyes moved over to where the Slytherins were and noticed that Draco was sitting by himself with a 3 foot gap from the others.
The only person that was sitting with him was the Zabini boy that she and her friends rescued in the Room of Requirement. Other than that, no one dared sat next to the turncoat.
'This is going to be a long year,' she sadly thought as she sat down next to Harry as the double doors magically closed themselves.