A/N: I guess I should've done this since the first chapter but it's already quite obvious. Harry Potter and its characters doesn't belong to me, as it was written by J.K. Rowling. Other than that, any OC and this fanfiction belongs wholly to me.

As a side note, before we start: Since it's an AU with no Voldemort, I would like to clarify that Tom DOES exist within this universe and since he didn't become The Dark Lord, major changes in the plot have been made. This means that many characters are alive, including Albus Dumbledore. ETC, ETC. Also, Ron and Ginny have been made fraternal twins for my convenience and nothing else.

A DELIGHTFUL TRIP.

Hermione Granger was not ready for what was coming. She, in fact, was the least prepared to face her magical friends after a long time of keeping herself in a very private but very comfortable low key life style. Emphasis in very private.

Right now she was packing for her 5 day trip back to the school she spent most of her adolescence in, and she was having a full on mental break down.

She wasn't ready to see any of them settling down with their respective couples and their respective children or any of that. Aside from Luna and Neville, whom she kept really close relationships with, the other members of her closest group of friends weren't that close anymore, so she didn't want to dig into their lives and especially she did not want them digging into her life, as a matter of fact.

She did not need Ginevra telling her what kind of witch doesn't marry off before she's 30, or Ron making awkward jokes about her being single for this whole time. Harry wasn't that much of a problem, but at that point his life was so good that she didn't need to make the comparison. Draco was another subject that she didn't like to talk about, but it wasn't as bad as the others, even though that didn't comfort her in any way.

And if you saw it from the outside it was as if Hermione didn't have anything to worry about: At twenty seven she was the head of the Magical Law Enforcement Department in St. Mungo's; a pretty big job that required of her a lot more than what one would think of. The majority of the problems that she dealt with were Muggle complaints, which are much more aggressive than Magical complaints, and being honest she was awesome at dealing with them.

But, something that they don't tell you is that your insecurities grow with you as an adult and that at twenty seven you're still afraid of your ginger best friend who would do anything to set you up so you can have a life as perfect as she has… or something along those lines.

Once in King's Cross she went directly to the pillar just in the middle of the platforms 9 and 10 and crossed the magical barrier. What a surprise would have been for any muggle to see her vanishing into the pillar. But that was not the case.

Her suitcases stumbled a little in a loose brick on the floor. Maybe she hadn't notice it before or it was simply loosen because of the many people that made transit over the entrance to the platform, but it made Hermione to feel a little more nostalgic than scared.

For the first time in many years, she was seeing the platform quite empty, which made her remember her first train ride, in which she met Draco and Harry. She spotted Luna and the Weasleys on the way, but it wasn't until the second night at school that the whole gang met each other. Maybe she was a little more excited about going back than she thought.

"Mione?" a voice asked from behind her, giving her the chills. Harry.

… Or not.

"Heeeeey, Haarry!" She said, dragging the words as she turned, unsure of what to do now. "What a surprise that you're taking the Hogwarts' Express, thought that you'd be brooming with Ginny", Hermione said awkwardly as she approached her friend.

"Oh, you know how work can get me anywhere, and as of right now I'm based in London. Felt nostalgic enough to take the train" Harry laughed.

They both remained in silence for a bit until they broke into laughter. Hermione got herself in a warm hug with Harry. It wasn't that bad, but it was still a little bit awkward. Hermione felt a little bad for not keeping in touch with Harry after all.

"You know, it's great to see you after so long" Harry said. "It's hard to reach you these days".

"Uh-h, well, you know, I like to keep it low after all" Hermione kind of apologized.

"Yeah, I can see" Harry mumbled with half-a-smile. "Uhm, and did you bring anyone with you?" He asked trying to change the topic, to which Hermione only smirked.

"If I had, don't you think I would be with them?" she laughed a bit.

"Well, you could always be meeting someone in the castle" Harry excused himself.

"No, just me" Hermione said, trying to put up a smile that didn't seem as sad. "How's Ginny? To all this".

"Oh, she's doing well… this is try out season and you know, she's kind of going mental on whether she'll be a good captain or not", Harry awkwardly replied. He was afraid of Ginny ever finding out he said so. "Haven't seen her much lately though, I've been busy with work and the quidditch season is about to start".

"Yeah, you guys must be hell busy" Hermione replied, getting out of material to talk about.

Fortunately for Hermione another person crossed the magical barrier… and unfortunately for her, it was Draco Malfoy.

They looked at each other for a longer time than what they should have done it. None of them three knew what to say now. Malfoy looked over Harry's figure to give Hermione an inquisitive look but she avoided it. In the other hand Harry wondered why Malfoy was looking at the brunette like that, feeling like he was over reading a little bit too much or a little bit too little.

"Hello Potter, Mione" Draco said, giving them half a smile. "It's been long".

"Almost three years, Malfoy" Harry smiled and happily went forward to give his hand to Draco. "How's Germany?"

"Well enough, but I cannot say much about it lately. I came back a couple of months ago" Draco replied, rising his eyebrow. "I supposed you hear from M-"

"Oh, Draco! You should've told us before. Luna said something about getting together earlier" Hermione quickly interrupted the blond man.

"Well, it was kind of a secret" he said, seemingly confused but following Hermione's line.

Harry was about to ask something to Hermione, but the signature whistling of the train interrupted them, for the good luck of the brunette.

She quickly put her luggage on the train and went in, followed up by both man. They went to the front of the train, into the Prefects carriage where they sat down comfortably.

"I almost forgot I was prefect" Draco said, looking around in the carriage. "I can remember how lame I thought it was, though"

"Hey! I enjoyed being Head Boy" Harry said, with a smile of complicity to his face. "It had many pros, if you ask. I almost miss being a Prefect".

"Oh, don't get Mione started with that" Draco said when Hermione's smile widened and was about to open her mouth. "She wouldn't shut up about the big responsibility that it meant to be Head Girl. She wouldn't let me get away with mine" he laughed while crossing his legs and stretching his arms along the seat's back. "It was completely annoying… but kind of hot when she got serious" Harry was now the one to laugh, while Hermione turned red of embarrassment.

"True! You guys dated back in the day" Harry said in between laughs, which made Draco glance briefly to Hermione. "Wonder why you guys broke up?"

"Oh, his ego was too big" Hermione said before Malfoy could answer any other embarrassing thing. "And he was too much of an air head as well. I must say his looks weren't that good for me to keep him as a trophy boyfriend".

"Well, the hair slicked back was in deed hideous" Harry said much to Malfoy's disdain. "He still has a little of that…" he reached to touch his friend's hair, but was pushed away by the blond in a jokingly way.

"Oh, your 'I just woke up' look wasn't that good, you know?" Draco said, making Hermione laugh to herself softly. "And it seems like you'll always keep it, which is worse".

"It's not my fault! Ginny has tried, but not even she can make my hair stay into one place. It literally grows back overnight" Harry complained.

"That reminds me of our first ride on the train" Hermione said out loud, but more like if she was talking to herself than to the men. "Harry was trying to cut his hair and it kept growing, and when Draco saw it he just offered magical hair gel" she laughed. "Oh, such cute memories".

"I don't seem to remember why you where there though" Draco said.

"Oh, I just couldn't find an empty carriage" She quickly replied.

"More like the girls didn't like her so she went into one that had none of them" Draco whispered to Harry's ear, who won them both a small punch from Hermione.

…

The train ride was fun as the trio kept sharing memories from here and there, either when riding the train or at school. Memories that included the Weasleys, specially Ron and Ginny; Luna and Neville of course and some other people like Dean and Seamus, Crabbe and Goyle. Even the teachers like Remus and Professor McGonagall, who was appointed Headmistress not long after they graduated.

When it was almost time to leave the train, Harry went out looking for some treats, just for the nostalgic memory of sharing a box of Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans.

"So… you didn't tell him" Draco said to Hermione when he knew they were completely alone.

"We don't talk as how we were used to, so no" she replied, almost angry. "And what was I supposed to tell him? Oh, Harry, just so you know. Draco knocked on my door about a year ago, said we should go back together and disappeared until three months ago, when he came back from god knows where".

"You know I didn't mean for it to be like that, it's just that my p-"

"Parents, yeah, you told me" Hermione said quite harshly to him. "Well, tell your parents to solve this one for you, because it seems like it's all your parents do for you".

"Are you always going to be this mad at me? Told you that it could be solved if you-"

"I am not going to, not even if your life depended on it" she said back.

"What are you not going to do?" Harry said, suddenly at the door of the carriage. "I found them".

"I'm not having Draco's earwax bean, not ever" Hermione laughed off her conversation with the other man.

She continued until they reached the carriages for castle, where she suddenly remembered the reason why she was with them and this time she surely went on that full mental breakdown.

"HARRY! MIONE! MALFOY!"

"I'll need a drink tonight" She said when she saw Ginny waiting next to one of the carriages, with a big smile in her face.