AN:Here is the second installment to Strength. I'm sorry it has been a while but I've had 2 speaking assesments and 2 writing assesments on top of all my usual homework so there's my rubbish excuse. Again, I do not own anything you recognise and sadly probably never will.

Hermione's POV

I managed to get on the train and to the Head's compartment without being seen by anyone who might be able to recognise me even with my new look. All the way there I was thanking Merlin that I was Head girl and Draco was the Head boy. I didn't think I would have been able to cope if it had been anyone else. Since I was pretty early, Draco wasn't there yet so I got my trunk up to the overhead storage section and set up my iPod speakers. I had charmed all of my muggle electronics to be able to work in Hogwarts this summer since I would be able to use them in the Head's dorm. I had even brought a TV, DVD player and a load of DVDs of my favourite TV programmes. It was lucky that the Head's compartment was soundproof because otherwise the whole train would have gone deaf from the volume I was playing y favourite tunes at. This was why I hardly noticed Draco come in and he had to yell to get my attention. I then turned down my speakers so we could have a proper chat, since we hadn't done so since last year because my step-father banned me from sending or receiving owls to or from anyone but Dumbledore.

"I must say, I'm loving the new look." He said as he shoved his trunk up to the storage and sat down next to me.

"Really, well that's a good sign. Personally, I like the stuff I did but the other stuff...well"

"Like being too skinny for your liking. Just so you know, it is barely noticeable and we can fatten you up again this year can't we."

"Can you, like, read my mind or something?"

"Something...there's something else you don't like. Revealiamus"

"Oh no, you can't do that."

"I think you'll find that I just did. Oh Merlin. What did he do to you?"

"It's not really that bad."

"Oh yes it is." He frowned as I desperately tried to cover up the bruises that had suddenly appeared all over my body.

"He got drunk a couple of times, that's all. Now, change them back before someone walks in."

"Fine. Coveliamus. You know I'm here if you need someone to talk to."

I cut him off. "I don't" I knew he was just trying to be nice but it was a touchy subject for me.

"Okay then." He said dubiously. I hastily changed the subject and we talked for the next hour about weird different things that would have bored anyone else but seemed to be important to us. We both knew that it wasn't the topics that were important though, it was the time we were spending together.

Dramione...Dramione...Dramione...Dramione...Dramione

After about two hours of chatting and occasionally singing along to the songs we both knew (yes, Draco was a fan of a lot of muggle music), there was a knock at the door.

"Mione, are you in there?" Uh oh, Ron.

"Hermione, are you OK?" And Harry, concerned as ever. Though I wonder why it took them two hours to come looking for me.

Reluctantly I replied, "Yeah, I'm in here, and yes I'm fine Harry. Come on in." While I was speaking, Draco and I were shuffling around so we weren't sat next to each other but opposite since the boys didn't know about us being together and all that. They didn't even know we were friends.

"So, what did you want?" I asked to try and speed the conversation on. Harry managed to tear his glaring eyes away from Draco for a second to answer me.

"We just wanted to check you were on the train okay."

"Well I am. Anything else?"

"Yeah actually, how come you didn't even come and say hi to us before retreating up here?" That was Ron being his usual grumpy self.

"I had a headache and I wanted to be by myself for a bit anyway. How come it took you two 2 hours to realise that I wasn't there?" I retorted.

Harry answered trying to stop an argument flaring. "We didn't. We started walking down about 5 minutes after the train left the station but we kept getting stopped and asked to come into carriages and stuff so well you know what it's like."

"Yeah I suppose." Harry sighed audibly; it looked like his technique had worked.

"How come you've changed your looks Mione?" Or not. Obviously, Ron was in one of those moods today where he was going to argue with everything. Maybe, me not saying hi contributed to that. Whoops!

"I was fed up with the others. I didn't like how bookwormish they made me look."

"But you are a bookworm. Why wouldn't you want to look like one?" Ron said this as though he was obviously confused.

I tried to explain with the simplest words that "I don't want to be judged straight away as a must-not-talk-to bookworm. I just want someone to get to know me for who I am." He was still confused but he let it drop.

There was an uncomfortable silence but Harry broke it with "You should come back to the compartment with us. I think Ginny wants a girl to talk to."

"Ok, sure. Let me just put my robes on so I'm ready for when we get to school and we'll go. Malfoy, remember, we have to wait until all the students are on their way up to school before we can leave."

As I slipped my robes over my head I heard Draco mutter something that sounded like "Do I look thick?" Thankfully, neither of the boys had heard him otherwise there would have undoubtedly been a huge fight. I shot an apologetic look at Draco and followed the boys out the door.

Dramione...Dramione...Dramione...Dramione...Dramione

Ginny didn't really want to talk about much, just our summers and why I didn't write to her. I made up some pathetic excuse and aimed to keep the conversation on her holidays which, from what I gathered, seemed to have just been spent yelling at Ron and snogging Harry. Well, at least one of us had a good time. She was also wittering something about a ball and dress shopping and fun all in the same sentence. I was going to correct her and say that that couldn't possibly be right but I really didn't have the energy.

AN: Thank you for reading. Please review with any comments on style or plot or anything else you might like to add after the tone. (BTW you will receive a virtual hug this time) beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep