Call this a whim…
Hannah wandered down the aisle of the Hogwarts Express until she found Hermione Granger sitting in one of the front cars, oriented for an immediate exit upon arrival. Hermione, as usual, was face-first into a book when Hannah entered.
"'Ello, Hermione."
Hermione, rather annoyed by her new, unexpected visitor, quickly replied back with a "Hi." Personally, she was enjoying reading her new book: To Avoid Death: Horcruxes and Such.
Hannah, noticing the book Hermione was reading suddenly gasped in elation, "No way! I thought I was the only one who was interested in that stuff my age! But of course, it is YOU, Hermione, I shouldn't be as shocked. Have you gotten to the chapter where they physically break down the components in unicorn's blood?"
To this, Hermione raised an eyebrow. Eventually, a smile eased from her pursed lips. "That breakdown alone was fifty pages long! I don't know how anyone could have missed it. No wonder unicorn's blood cannot be manufactured, but the scientific healing advances we can make from the information!"
"I know! Did you read the article in the Prophet recently about the experimental salve they have recently started brewing at St. Mungos? Apparently it's based off of the unicorn's blood components and it takes four people and five weeks just to make one batch of salve!"
There was a glimmer in Hermione's eye with hunger for intelligent conversation for just a moment. The moment passed, and Hermione realized who she was talking to. Her face became stoic as she resumed reading, ignoring her visitor.
Hannah took the hint and left the train car to find another girl. The other girls really spaced themselves out a lot. Hannah couldn't stand not having the company of others. Mountains could be moved with the undeniable force of friends. In the very middle of the train, Pansy was busy scratching away at a very lengthy piece of parchment. Silently, she entered, waiting for Pansy to finish.
Pansy wasn't deaf. She heard Hannah enter. She was just more occupied with writing Draco, telling him how miserable she was without him. Hopefully, he could stop thinking about revenge, anger and nobility for one moment to realize that she would care for him no matter what he did. She finished her letter and attached it to Rodney, her well-managed, coal-black owl. She turned back to her unexpected visitor.
"What do I owe to your presence, Ms. Abbott?"
"Well, I was inquiring about who had the pretty broom that was loaded on the train this morning, and they told me it was yours. When did you decide to take up flying?"
Pansy glared at her visitor. She was planning on using the broom this summer to practice and – well – learn how to fly. Although she would be on the Slytherin team no matter what, she wanted to prove to Draco that she had some skill. It was also an excuse to get out of the company of her enemies.
"What's it to you, Abbott?"
"Oh, nothing, I was just looking for some flying lessons for myself."
"Well, you won't find them here. I will also be learning."
"Oh. I'm told that all pure-bloods are naturals at flying. You should be able to teach me after a week."
Pansy smirked. It was true; all of her family learned to fly in less than one week, and well. It took her uncle as little as a day. To this she sat up a little straighter.
"You have a good point there Abbott, the Parkinsons have always been superior flyers. I expect that you will not interfere in my training for a full week, and then I shall instruct you. I trust you have a broom, as you will not be sharing mine. Dismissed."
Hannah waited to smile until she had left the car. She knew she had gotten her lessons, and it would have been insulting to smile at a Slytherin after she had given in. Reveling in her own ability to persuade, Hannah found herself at the back of the train with a faint sound of weeping coming from the last car. She already knew it was none other than Cho in that car as she cautiously approached. She quickly transfigured some parchment in her pocket into some Kleenex as she entered the car.
"Here"
Cho stopped sniffling as she turned to find her visitor offering her some tissues. She gratefully accepted the offering and proceeded to blow her nose and wipe her tears for five minutes. Hannah waited patiently for her to speak first.
"You don't have to be nice to me. Cedric has been gone for over a year now. I really have nothing to cry about."
Hannah paused a moment, looking at her. "But all this time no one really understood why you were grieving."
Now it was Cho's turn to stare. "Yeah, no one ever got Cedric and me. He was from a different house, and very different from myself. He wasn't as smart nor as cunning as the other boys. But he brought out things in me that I never knew I had. He was something I had to look forward to. The Ravenclaw girls never got that. He was always just a 'cute Hufflepuff,' never anything more."
"What about Harry? Most girls would have killed to be in your shoes!"
"I was just a 'cute Ravenclaw' to him. He was never as mature as Cedric. He's happier with Hermione."
Hannah didn't have the heart to correct her. She wouldn't interfere with whatever helped Cho sleep at night, instead of crying.
"You know, Hannah, I'm fine. I was just letting go of him finally before Pansy and Hermione made mince-meat out of me this summer. You better get changed. We're about ten minutes away."
As Hannah was leaving the car, Cho called back over her shoulder, "Thanks for the tissues."
Hannah retrieved her luggage from her much-neglected train car and quickly changed into her school robes. Dumbeldore must have a really good idea for keeping these girls together, because if the train ride showed anything, "house unity" is not going to be an easy task!
