AN: I'm sorry it took so long! I had midterms and a lot of studying to do so I couldn't really write anything. And then the holidays had me busy as well. Anyhoo, I hope you didn't give up and me, and let me know if you like this chapter!
Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, J.K. Does :)
After Hermione got on the train she went looking for Ginny and Luna. She wouldn't be able to sit with them for long; she had to attend the meeting with all the Prefects. If she was being perfectly honest, she didn't feel like going at all, she'd much rather read one of her new books or even one of her old ones. She simply wasn't in the mood to be social, not after her goodbye to Ron on the platform. It wasn't particularly bad, but she already missed him and quite frankly she didn't know how she'd get through the year without him. Well, maybe that was overreacting a bit, but she'd never been apart from him during the school year, and the months that she and Harry had spent alone on the run had been the hardest of her life. And that had more to do with the fact that Ron wasn't there than any other factor.
"Hermione! Watch out where you're going, you stepped on my foot!" Ginny all but screamed at her. It was quite funny to see her red-headed friend get mad.
"Sorry Gin, I was just thinking about some things," Hermione told her.
"Please don't tell me you were fantasising about my brother? Because I love you and it's wonderful that you are finally together, but it's weird. So very weird," Ginny said with an obvious tone of disgust in her voice.
"Oh don't worry! I wasn't fantasising or anything like that, I was just thinking. But I could always tell you about what we did on the platform right before the train left, if that's what you want," Hermione couldn't help but tease her friend, it was so easy to get her uncomfortable.
"Keep that to yourself please. I want to be able to have dinner tonight and not be sick while picturing you and my brother, thank you very much," Ginny said while pretending to be sick. It caused Hermione and Luna to laugh.
"You know Ginny, it might be Wrackspurts that are making you feel sick. Not Ron and Hermione's relationship. I think they're quite lovely together," Luna said dreamily.
"Luna, you do know I was only pretending to be sick, I like that they're happy together," Ginny said while laughing.
"Well in that case, it's safe to say you're Wrackspurt free!" Luna stated and Hermione laughed at her friends' little exchange.
"I think it's time I head to the Prefects meeting. I'm quite curious about the new Head Boy. Who do you think it'll be?" Hermione asked her friends.
"I heard it was going to be Malfoy. Although why McGonagall would appoint him is beyond me," Ginny commented. She obviously did not like the idea of Draco Malfoy being Head Boy as he would probably be handing out detentions left and right and deducting House Points from Gryffindor for no reason, just like he did when he was a Prefect.
"I hear it was going to be Anthony Goldstein, he's a Ravenclaw," Luna said while staring outside.
"Well I certainly hope it's not Malfoy. I don't think I'll be able to handle that. Although, I did hear that he is much more pleasant now. Personally, I find that hard to believe. Let's be honest, once a ferret, always a ferret," Hermione stated.
"Talking about me, are you, Granger? Normally, I'm not a fan of petty gossip and I would certainly discourage you to believe everything you hear, but I'll make an exception just this once. You will find I am a great deal more friendly, if you will," Malfoy drawled as he walked up to girls.
"Good afternoon, Malfoy. I trust you had a good summer? I take it you haven't kicked the habit of eavesdropping?" Hermione retorted.
"I can hardly call this eavesdropping, Granger. I just happened to walk by when you said my name. It's only natural that I was curious to find out what the conversation was about, don't you think? Anyway, I must be off. People are waiting for me," Malfoy said as he walked on.
"He really is a ferret," Ginny said somewhat disgustedly.
"I really do hope Luna is right about the Ravenclaw boy making Head Boy. Although, somehow I feel that an easy year at Hogwarts just does not exist, and I'll be stuck with Malfoy," Hermione was getting ready to leave their compartment to go to the Prefect's meeting.
"Good luck then, you'll need it," Ginny snickered.
"See you later Hermione, I'll save you a seat in the carriage," Luna said, completely disregarding the conversation their friends just had with Draco Malfoy.
"Oh, I really must be off now. Here goes nothing," and Hermione left her friends.
Ron was sitting at the dinner table at number 12 Grimmauld Place, staring at the fire place. It had been incredibly hard for him to leave Hermione on the train. That moment he wished he decided to go back to school, just to be with her. He remembered how sad she had been when he told her he'd be going with Harry for Auror training and it nearly reduced him to tears, right then and there. She had only been gone for a couple of hours and already he missed her so much. There was no way he'd ever survive until Christmas without her. He needed her with him, all the time. He needed to hear her voice, always encouraging, sometimes stern. He needed her lovely, rosy scent. He needed to look into he warm, deep brown eyes, to know she was his. He needed her lips, her delicious lips...
"Ron! Are you in there? Are you ready to leave? Your mum told us to be at the Burrow at three, it's ten past three. You know she gets worked up so easily nowadays," Harry had been trying to get Ron's attention for nearly a minute.
"What? Sorry mate, was thinking about Hermione," Ron said, obviously still fantasizing about his girlfriend.
"Of course you were. Either way, it doesn't matter. We really should get going, or Molly will have a fit. And I don't want to be the one to explain to her why exactly we were late. But if you are comfortable with telling your mom that you were fantasizing about Hermione, by all means, take your time. We've got all afternoon," Harry said somewhat sarcastically
"What are you waiting for? Let's GO!"