Telling Ginny
"Hermione, hey! Come on, we're in the next car." Ginny led Hermione into a car on the Hogwarts Express that was empty, save for Ron and Harry. She heaved her trunk into the overhead storage compartment and sat down. The train was already on its way, and they'd all said their goodbyes to family at the platform.
"Hermione, how was your summer?" Harry asked her.
"Hope it was better than mine," Ron grumbled.
"He got his ass chewed by Mum all summer for not cleaning his room." Ginny explained, giggling.
"It was perfectly fine!" Ron snapped. "Just because she's a clean freak doesn't mean I should be!"
"We found homework from your first year in your closet!" Ginny shot back. Harry and Hermione simultaneously sat up and said,
"Ron did homework first year? Wait, Ron did homework?!" The four of them looked at each other and burst out laughing. As the other three chattered about plans for the new school year, including private trips to Hogsmeade for Harry and Ginny, Hermione looked out the window and wondered about her mystery admirer. Ron's voice brought her back to reality.
"Hermione, are you alright? You've been staring out the window for the last ten minutes. Something bothering you?" She turned her head, and looked over his shoulder at Ginny. She was looking at her strangely.
"Yeah, no, I'm fine. I'm just tired...didn't get much sleep last night." She looked at Ron again and smiled. "Really, I'm fine." Ginny stood up.
"Hermione, could I have a word?" She said, and grabbed Hermione's arm. "Thanks! I knew you'd come." She dragged Hermione a little ways away and pushed her in a corner so they could talk in private. "Okay, what's up? You were not telling the truth." Her blue eyes flashed curiously. Hermione thought for a momnet, then decided to tell Ginny about the letter. She pulled it out of her pocket and handed it to Ginny. She took it and read it, then looked up, eyes wide. "Wow! A mystery admirer! Who do you think it is? Ginny asked excitedly.
"I don't know. They didn't say who they were, what House they were in, anything. Just that I wouldn't believe believe him if I knew who he was, and that he'd see me at Hogwarts." She stood there a moment as Ginny reread part of the letter.
"'...something between you and Weasley...he thinks you and Ron are together? What did you tell him?" Ginny knew about Hermione's emotions and was very interested in the way things were working out. Hermione looked at her shoes, and Ginny gasped. "You told him you guys were together?!" Hermione looked up sharply.
"No, I didn't. I told him me and Ron are just friends, and that if he keeps writing to me, then I will keep writing to him." Hermione said, her eyes blazing with a challenge to tell her she'd been wrong.
"Way to go, Hermione! I think you could just maybe get over Ron if this guy ever tells you who he is." She grinned at Hermione's surprised expression. "Yeah, I know all about you and Ron. It's not exactly hard to tell, considering how well I know you guys." She turned and to go back to the car with Ron and Harry and ran smack into Draco Malfoy.
"Sorry," Ginny said sarcastically. "Are we in Your Majesty's way? I suppose you'll have to find another, because we're not moving." Malfoy frowned and gave her a withering look, but turned and walked away. "Wow, he didn't insult us. I wonder if he's sick? Wouldn't that be wonderful?" Ginny turned back to Hermione and saw that her face had gone blank. "Hermione, yoohoo? Anyone home?"
"Huh? Yeah. Yeah, he must be sick or something. Let's get back to the car." They went back and joined Ron and Harry's conversation for the rest of the ride to Hogwarts.
Eavesdropping? No...
Platform nine and three-quarters was packed with children and parents saying goodbye. Draco and his mother Narcissa were among them. She looked rather teary-eyed, but he was laughing.
"Mother, we go through this every year. I'm at Hogwarts. I'll write you every week. Tell me when, and I'll meet you in Hogsmeade one weekend. I'll be home for Christmas. It's fine." Mrs. Malfoy nodded.
"I know, Draco dear, but...I still miss you. And I do worry about you so. Especially after the Death Eater rebellion and attack on the school last year...true, the - the - Dark Lord took...care of them. But I worry that there may have been some that didn't go last time. I think there could be another attack. Your father's been talking...there's still unrest in the group..." She trailed off. Draco was looking at the ground. "What's wrong, dear?"
"You know I don't like it when you talk about Father and his friends. You know I don't like them." He said sadly. He looked up. "You know I don't want to be like that, like them. I want nothing to do with the Dark Arts." His mother sighed.
"I know. But it's part of your life, at least for now. You have to deal with that. And you know I don't want you in this either. I don't want to be in this. But that's not easy. Once you're in, you can't really get out." She said. "And I know you feel like you weren't given a chance to choose for yourself because you were born into it. But trust me, someday, you'll get out of this. I have no doubt that you'll find a way." The train whistled, signaling its imminent departure. "Now go. Before you miss the train." She waved her wand at his trunk and owl and sent them floating onto the nearest car. Draco kissed her on the cheek and jumped on the train as the doors were closing. He stuck his head out the window and waved until his mother had disappeared. He grabbed his trunk and Lec'ita and stashed them in the closest empty compartment. He let Lec'ita out to fly around the compartment a bit, then went looking for Hermione. He wanted to see her at least once before school.
He passed through car after car until he came to one that seemed empty. After a few moments, he heard voices. A little exploration exposed Weasley, his sister, Potter, and - there. Hermione Granger was staring out the window at the sky, not paying a bit of attention to the other three. Draco let himself silently into another compartment nearby and watched as Weasley said something to Hermione. As they were talking, he saw a strange look pass between the two girls. A few moments later, Ginny dragged Hermione out of their compartment and into a corner. He cracked the door of his compartment to listen.
"Okay, what's up? You were not not telling the truth," Ginny said. Draco listened as Hermione told her all about the letter. He watched her hand it to Ginny, watched as Ginny's eyes grew huge as she read it.
"Wow! A mystery admirer! Who do you think it is? Ginny asked excitedly.
"I don't know. They didn't say who they were, what House they were in, anything. Just that I wouldn't believe believe him if I knew who he was, and that he'd see me at Hogwarts." Hermione replied.
"'...something between you and Weasley...he thinks you and Ron are together? What did you tell him?" Hermione looked at her shoes, and Ginny gasped. "You told him you guys were together?!" Hermione looked up sharply.
"No, I didn't. I told him me and Ron are just friends, and that if he keeps writing to me, then I will keep writing to him." Hermione said. Her voice was shaking, as if she were slightly angry. Draco decided he'd better leave before he got caught. He slid out of his compartment, turned the corner and slammed into the Weasley girl.
"Sorry," Ginny said sarcastically. "Are we in Your Majesty's way? I suppose you'll have to find another, because we're not moving." Malfoy frowned. He glared at her, but as he turned to walk away he grinned. He'd always secretly admired Ginny's spitfire temper and tendency to be in your face with the truth. She had a firey spirit. He respected her for it, and was more than a little afraid of getting on her bad side.
Draco walked back to his car, his compartment, and pulled out Hermione's letter. He reread it and smiled. She's interested, he thought. I wonder how interested she'll be when she finds out more about me. He began writing a reply.
