Friends and Foes

Hermione woke with a start when the carriage door was opened. Seeing people approaching her she jumped from her seat and reaching towards her pocket before realising where she was. The small group of first years squeaked a quick apology before scurrying away. Hermione berated herself for her quick over reaction and as soon as the next group passed by her carriage she was quick to invite them in to use the space that she wasn't occupying.

Draco pushed Harry into a seat in the first carriage they came to. He sat down opposite Harry and stared at him, willing him to attempt to get back up. Harry on the other hand knew if he stayed where he was he was likely to bump into less people and therefore decided to stay put where he was. As the train started moving he looked up at Draco, who had visibly relaxed now that Harry was on his way to school, where he belonged. 'Why did you do that?' Harry asked. Dracos head snapped back up to Harry 'What?' 'Why did you stop me from leaving the station?' 'Because Harry, you are a good person. You wouldn't have been here if you hadn't signed up to come back. You deserve more than anyone to be able to hold your head high and get on with your life as you want to.' Harry was surprised at this answer. He had never seen Draco show any compassion before. Maybe the war had affected him too.

Blaise looked down at Pansy. He felt bad for the girl. She was clearly still smitten. She had been since he had first met her. He pulled her towards him, hoping to offer some sort of comfort. Pansy squirmed and tried to pull away. 'It's ok Pans.' Blaise comforted. 'I'm here now. I'll look after you.' She pushed away harder. 'Leave her alone!' Another voice piped up. Blaise spun around to find Ginny standing, hands on hips, face red but clearly meaning buisness. 'It's alright Ginny. Pansy's a bit distraught. I'm helping her out.' Ginny snorted. 'Yeah. It really looks like it.' During this exchange Pansy had darted for the door and was halfway down the corridor before Blaise even noticed. Blaise cursed Ginny for her interruption and was about to slate her again until he saw the rugged bundle of red hair crumpled in the corner of the carriage. 'Ginny, is that...' 'Leave now.' 'You don't mean that.' 'I do. Now get out. Leave.' Blaise stumbled backwards, momentarily taken by surprise, not by the fiery temper of the ginger female, but by the start of her elder brother. What had happened to him? He looked awful. He almost looked like Professor Lupin Blaise mused.

Looking through each window as she rushed down the train, she was getting more and more worried that he wasn't coming back. Pansy was surprised at how few faces she recognised. She had been at Hogwarts last year. The second years, thirds, fourth and fifth years. The sixth and seventh years too. She should recognise them all. Everyone returning for the seventh year over again. There shouldn't be so many people she didn't know. She looked into the next carriage and her heart leapt. There he was. Sitting there deep in conversation. She tried to compose herself before she entered the carriage. Next thing she knew she was inside. A bubbling bundle of nerves and excitement.

Harry and Draco looked up from their conversation as their carriage door opened. 'Drakey Poo!' Draco groaned openly. Of all the people he hoped wouldn't return this year. 'What do you want Pansy?' Pansy stumbled. 'I thought you might like to catch up with you fianceƩ to be.' She replied sitting down and snuggling up to Dracos left arm. Draco shook her off. 'I'm busy Pansy.' Draco said abruptly. 'Leave us alone will you.' Pansy took the knock and she straightened her short little dress, plumping up her breasts in the boys faces as she stood up to leave. Draco coughed uncomfortably. 'Oh and you are not my fianceƩ.' He called after her. Seriously what did that girl think? How many times did he have to tell her he wasn't interested? Draco rearranged himself and Harry looked away out of the window. 'She's stubborn that one isn't she.' Harry commented. Draco mumbled in agreement. 'Does she always get you this hot and bothered?' 'Leave off Potter. I've told her so many times I want nothing to do with her' Draco growled. 'You have to agree that she's gotten hot don't you?' 'Have her if you want Potter. I'm not interested one little bit.' Draco finalised before storming out of the compartment.

Draco strolled up the corridor for a while before the snack trolley caught his eye. He decided to buy something to eat for himself and, as an afterthought, for Harry to informally apology for getting grumpy with him. If he could just stay out of his private business. He turned around straight into Blaise. 'Hey buddy!' Blaise greeted. Draco pulled on a smirk and turned back to the trolley for a third Pumpkin Pasty. 'Here.' He offered the second purchase to his, could he still call him a friend. Blaise had been quite distant since, well since the war Draco guessed. He plastered his smirk back on and led Blaise to his carriage. He saw the slight falter in the Italians complexion as he spotted Harry already in the carriage, but he took it in his stride and sat down in Dracos former seat.

Ron was still fast asleep. Ginny took the opportunity to grab some lunch for herself. Her father had slipped her a couple of coins, almost as encouragement that her parents would be ok without her and her brother around for a few weeks. She bought herself a sandwich. She felt bad spending her fathers hard earned cash when she knew the family were barely scrapping by with the mortgage payments on top of the new build they were having to accommodate after the fire. She sighed, pulling open a window in the corridor and sticking her head outside into the wind rushing past as the train whisked them further away. Her eyes still stinging and watering she pulled herself back inside the train and, feeling refreshed, she returned to her brother. On the way another door captured her attention and as she looked closer she notice Hermione. There she was in the middle of the carriage casting spells, showing a group of first years basic wand work. Ginny smiled to herself. At least someone seemed to be none the worst from the war. As she turned away she missed the gaunt hollow face of Hermione as she turned around to face the doorway. The empty eyes and cheerless smile on her brave face.

Hermiones train journey had been far from quiet. She had wanted to sleep so desperately but with the laughing chatter of the first years whom she had invited to join her, she felt obliged to join in and ended up flourishing her wand and showing the first years how to perform simple magic. Their first ever. They were all muggleborn. They had no magic in their background and Hermione could relate. She reminisced of her first journey to Hogwarts. The excitement, the joy, the nerves. Unlike these first years she had read every book she had bought, practised every spell she had read about and learnt everything she could in preparation. These kids had done nothing. Too scared of what might happen they hadn't raised their wands since the day they had purchased them. Hermione found this odd. She could not understand how these tiny being could find out they are wizards and witches and not do everything in their power to prove it to themselves. She was so tired. She just wanted to sleep, but there was now a little spark of hope in her life as the train pulled into Hogsmeade station.

Ron, supported by Ginny grumbled and groaned as he was forced to exit the train and take up residence in one of the horse drawn carriages. Ginny paused before entering the carriage herself. She was sure there was nothing pulling the carriages before but now she could see them clear as day. Shaking her head she climbed up behind Ron and they were soon on their way up to the castle. She wiped the mist off the window and stared out into the dark, watching all the other students chattering with each other clambering into carriages. She watched Hermione surrounded by her new posse of first years. The moonlight gave her face an eary, sallow glow. Ginny shook her head, sure she was seeing things, that the moon was playing tricks on her eyes. She looked out again and saw Harry mounting a carriage with Draco and Blaise. Right that was it. The moon was playing tricks on her. She glanced back at Ron just as their carriage door opened to reveal none other than Pansy Parkinson. She didn't bat an eyelid when she saw the occupants, she merely greeted them with a cheery hi and sat down opposite the pair.

Harry couldn't believe his luck. Draco and Blaise, two Slitherins were sitting with him. Draco had encouraged himself to get on the train. He had stayed with him throughout the journey, leaving only to buy Harry a pasty out of his own pocket. Even when his best mate had appeared on the scene Draco had returned to Harrys side and the three of them were now making their way up to the castle together. Ahead he saw the bushy head of Hermione. In the dark of the night her hair looked less bouncy and quite limp. It made him falter momentarily, wondering if maybe he wasn't the only one affected by the war. He quickly dismissed his thoughts as he realised she was communing with a group of first years. Same old Hermione he smiled to himself. Education inspired she was in her element back here at Hogwarts. He turned around and pulled himself up the steps.

Pansy was a little thrown by Dracos reaction to her on the train. It was just a hitch. Draco was stressed. He clearly had some hidden addenda with Harry, so he was clearly thinking of other things. They were sure to catch up in the common room. Sure to reconcile in a couple of hours and before she knew anything more they would be cuddled up in Dracos bed. She smiled to herself, taking in the shivering form of Ron Weasley. 'What's wrong with him?' She asked Ginny. 'Is he sick?' Ginny nodded in agreement. 'He just needs a good nights sleep, he'll be fine.' She said, anxious in her own words of positivity. Pansy wasn't so sure. She knew what she had to do. As the carriages drew to a halt she waved a cheery goodbye to the siblings and leapt down, stumbling as she landed, barely staying on her feet as she made a bee line for the steps up to the castle. Reaching the top, she stood by the stone gargoyle, eyes darting across the sea of students heads looking for the tall dark Italian. When he got close enough to her she pulled him to one side. Making sure Harry and Draco continued on into the castle Pansy turned to Blaise. She had always been jealous of the dark boy towering above her but she was a nosy cow and she needed to know.

Sauntering up the stairs with his best friend and Dracos new ally he was satisfied that he was in good stead for a decent year. Suddenly jerked out of his thoughts he found himself pulled behind a large stone monument by that bloody Pansy. 'What do you want?' He growled angrily. 'I have some information for you.' 'It better be good after you ran off on me earlier on.' 'It's that Ron Weasley.' She continued, ignoring his comments. 'I think he's on something.' Blaises ears perked up. 'On what?' 'I don't know.' She deflated. 'He's just, coming down off, something.' She finished a little pathetically. Blaise looked at Pansy for a moment. Deciding she had told him all she could he turned and passed on through the castle doors. He barged into the Great Hall and stopped still.