Recap
She had no idea how long she'd been there until she began to notice the light of the sun fail. It was starting to get dark. Sighing as she rose from the park bench she started to make her way home. Tomorrow she would be back at school. Away from her drunken father, away from the painful memories of her mother leaving her. This time it was Hermione who was leaving. And if the plans in her head played out correctly, she wouldn't be coming back anytime soon.
Stepping on to the platform, Hermione glanced around her. Everywhere she turned, children were greeting their friends, and parents were making sure everything in their off springs trunks were packed. Owls squawked and steam blew slightly from the train. Hermione smiled quietly to herself. There was finally a piece of familiarity in her life.
Boarding the train she found a compartment to herself. When Ron and Harry wanted to find her, they would. She leant back on the tight leather seat and put her hands over her eyes. She felt all stresses over the summer disappear, even if it was only for a moment. She hadn't noticed how incredibly tired she was until she had sat down. She decided to rest her head on the seat and she would move if someone else needed a seat, but for now she just wanted to close her eyes...
"Any candy?" asked the witch with the candy trolley.
"Yes please!" Ron exclaimed eagerly.
Hermione opened her eyes groggily and looked around her. She was still in the same compartment, except sitting right beside her head and stroking her hair was Harry and standing near the door way exchanging money for treats was Ron. She sat up and blinked slowly a few times and let out a long, tiresome yawn.
"How long have you guys been here?" she questioned.
"Hello to you too Hermione," Harry said a little peevishly.
"Oh, hello too," she smiled at him. "I just didn't know you were here. How long has the train been going for?"
Harry smiled back. "Well we'll be there pretty soon, so you might want to put your school robes on," he explained.
"Oh I made Prefect again too!" exclaimed Ron through a mouthful of chocolate frogs.
"That's wonderful Ron," Hermione congratulated. "I made Head Girl."
"Hermione," Harry laughed. "You honestly didn't need to tell us. We've known since first year that you'd get Head Girl."
Hermione couldn't help the smile that crept on her face at the thought that everyone already knew she'd be Head Girl without being told. She reached for her bag that had her school robes in them and excused herself to go and change.
She wandered down the corridor until she reached the bathrooms. As she was changing she read the graffiti written on the bathroom walls. This really is disgusting for a place that could be cleaned off quite easily with a simple spell, she thought to herself. Suddenly one particular piece of graffiti caught her eye.
Meldrum sux!
Meldrum was her mother's maiden name. Hermione's heart started beating in her chest. Calm down she told herself. Meldrum can't be that uncommon of a last name. Anyways I don't even know when this was written. Mum told me the name of her muggle high school.
Hermione almost completely dismissed the thought seeing how unlikely the occurrence of that small piece of graffiti was about her mother. However being the information gatherer that she was, she stored the information at the back of her mind.
She exited the bathroom with her casual clothes tucked under her arm. As she was walking she was making sure she had taken each article of clothing with her and hadn't forgotten anything when – oof!
She stumbled as she ran into someone's back. She managed to not drop her clothes and steadied herself.
"Watch out," declared the nonchalant voice of Blaise Zabini. "Last thing I need on my hands is an injured Granger. Wouldn't look good for the reputation, being in Slytherin and all. I don't think I'd hold up in court."
She looked at him, trying to stay looking annoyed but ended up with a smile on her lips forming against her own will. Blaise looked victorious at having made her smile against her will. His eyes travelled down from her lips past her neck and landed on her chest. Suddenly Hermione stopped smiling and felt rather uncomfortable.
"Made Head Girl I see," Zabini gestured to the badge attached to her robes.
Hermione sighed in relief. So he hadn't been checking her out. That fact almost bothered her for a second until she reminded herself that she didn't want him to be looking at her breasts.
"Yeah," she replied. "Did you make prefect? Or did Malfoy manage to buy himself that again?"
"Don't you think you're being a little unfair on Draco there?" questioned Blaise. "Or Dumbledore for that matter? I don't particularly think that the Hogwarts headmaster accepts bribes for the position of hall monitors."
Hermione suddenly felt foolish for thinking that Malfoy had bought his position as prefect, the thought that Dumbledore would have been the one to receive the bribe in the first place had not even occurred to her. She mentally chastised herself for even taking it into consideration. And anyways, as much as she hated Malfoy, he did have pretty high grades, the second highest to be exact, and that was a large contributor for being chosen for prefect. Wonder how Ron managed to get prefect then she thought dubiously to herself.
"Yes well that's true," she admitted to him. "I supposed I'm just too wrapped up in the rivalry still. So did he make prefect again?"
"Yes," Blaise confirmed.
"Well that's too bad," Hermione pitied. "I wouldn't have minded working with you."
"Well that's definitely a good thing," Blaise said amusedly. "Because I made Head Boy," he opened the front of his robes to reveal the badge pinned on the inside.
Hermione laughed, "Congratulations, but you do realise that makes you look like you're trying to sell me a watch right?"
Blaise raised an eyebrow at this, "It seems you already have an appropriate, working watch. Actually that watch looks oddly... familiar."
"Yeah, I have a feeling it's more than a watch," Hermione admitted. "I actually need to figure a few things out about it."
Blaise put his hand out towards her. "May I?" he motioned towards her wrist.
"Sure," she replied as she placed her wrist in his outstretched hand.
"Ah yes," Blaise almost sighed. "We have one of these at the manor. However did you come across one of these?"
"You see, that's what I'm trying to figure out," explained Hermione. "I need some help finding out exactly what it is and what it's for. Do you know what it's for? Or do you know anyone who might know?"
"I have heard a vague explanation before," he told her. "I can owl my mother and ask if you like?"
"Oh that would be fantastic Zabini," she replied giddily.
"Call me Blaise," he said in a smooth, low voice. Suddenly Hermione became aware that he was still holding her wrist. She looked up into his dark brown eyes. There was something that seemed so overwhelming about the way he was looking at her. She was starting to feel uncomfortable again but thought it might be rude to yank her hand away. Just when she was thinking a million thoughts a second on how to get out of this uncomfortable situation she heard the sound of a compartment door next to them open.
"Zabini," drawled the stuck up voice of Draco Malfoy. "You are wanted in this compartment, maybe you should allow Granger back to hers."
"Of course," replied Blaise. He pulled her hand closer and placed his lips on her knuckles and then left without a word.
Hermione looked up blushing to see Malfoy still standing there looking at her. She noticed his expression looked almost strained. All of a sudden she found she didn't know what to say after corresponding with him by mail over the last few days. Were they still enemies or on a truce? Were they alright with each other in private at least?
"Granger," Malfoy acknowledged her.
Hermione made eye contact and found her heart beating rapidly. She almost felt drawn to him. She could admit to herself years ago that he was slightly attractive, but this was something else. She felt she should do something to impress him.
"Malfoy," she breathed. She abruptly snapped out of it. The hell is wrong with me? She berated herself. She suddenly felt violated, as if Malfoy had entered her head and made her feel overly attracted to him. She turned on her heel and strode back to her own compartment. She felt angry with Malfoy, because it felt as if he had literally cast a spell on her or something of the like.
"Why do you look so angry?" questioned Ron.
Hermione looked around and saw Harry and Ron looking at her with concerned faces.
"Oh, just ran into Malfoy," Hermione explained. As if this explained everything the boys visibly relaxed.
"As long as nothing happened," Harry said protectively. "Well we're here anyways and it's bloody raining again."
To confirm what Harry had said, Hermione looked out the window and lo and behold it was raining. She smiled to herself; she loved it when it rained. She somehow felt personally connected to the rain. But she knew it was silly and selfish to think that the rain was hers.
They got off the train and made their way to the not so horseless carriages anymore, through the rain. Mud stuck to their shoes and Ron nearly slipped over. Students were running this way and that, trying to get away from the freezing water bombs that the sky was pelting at them. Hermione, still smiling, stayed calm and walked at the same pace. When the trio reached a carriage Harry opened the door to find a group of fourth year Hufflepuff's.
"Sorry," said a boy when he looked at all three of them. "We only have two seats left."
"Umm, well," Ron tried to think. "Hermione can sit on the floor then."
Harry looked at Ron annoyed. "No, we're not making Hermione sit on the floor," he said as if explaining to a young child. "You two go, I'll find another carriage."
"No Harry its okay," Hermione smiled. "I really wouldn't mind wandering about in the rain for a while longer. You two go ahead, I'll go find another carriage."
Harry tried to protest, "But Hermione- "
"No Harry, it's okay," she assured him and walked away before he could argue further.
After just standing in the rain for a few moments, she realised she had actually better find a carriage before they left her at the gates. Looking up, panic suddenly sank into her chest when she realised that there appeared to be no carriages left.
To the left she heard the sound of wheels slowly starting to roll. Sprinting to catch the carriage before it took off completely; she grabbed the door handle and jumped in.
"Nice to see you again Granger," sounded the unmistakable voice of a Slytherin.
