Luna Lovegood
xxXxXxXx
Hermione woke up feeling extremely well rested, until she glanced over at the clock and saw she had over slept nearly an hour. She rushed around the bedroom, packing up her last minute things and trying to get dressed at the same time.
Returning to the room for Crookshanks after bringing her trunk downstairs, she saw Hedwig at the window with the reply from her parents. She shoved the letter into her pocket to read on the train and scooped up her sleeping at, who did not take kind to being man handled. "Come on Hedwig," she said, and the snowy owl rested herself on the girl's shoulder. Hermione rushed to Harry's room. "My parents just sent back Hedwig," she told him, letting Harry take the bird from her shoulder while she struggled to keep hold of Crookshanks.
"Thanks," said Harry. "Is Ginny okay?"
Hermione could still hear Mrs. Weasley yelling at the twins for knocking Ginny down the stairs with their levitating trunks. "Mrs. Weasley patched her up fine."
"Good, Harry said, coloring slightly as he turned to put Hedwig in her cage. Hermione smiled knowingly an headed downstairs.
After wrestling Crookshanks into his carrier, Hermione choked down her breakfast quickly, glaring at the cowering twins for nearly killing their sister. Ron and Harry soon joined the growing crowd, and Mrs. Weasley announced it was time to go.
"Dumbledore said no, Sirius!" she heard Mrs. Weasley at a large black dog, Sirius' Animagus form. "Oh honestly, well, on you own head be it!"
It was a twenty minute walk to King's Cross Station, which Hermione spent talking with Ginny while holding tightly to Fred's hand. Slowly but surely, the Weasley clan (which included Harry, Hermione, and their Auror escorts) passed through the barrier to platform nine and three quarters.
"Nice dog Harry!" Hermione heard Lee all, who was heading over to talk to the twins. He gave Hermione a quick half-hug before falling into a quiet discussion with Fred and George as they were all ushered onto the train.
Sirius, or rather Snuffles, bound alongside the train as it started to pull out of the station, causing many of the Express occupants to press against the windows to watch, laughing.
"He shouldn't have come with us," Hermione said, the worry in her voice evident.
"Oh lighten up," said Ron. "He hadn't seen the light of day in ages."
"Well," said Fred, clapping his hands together, "can't stand around chatting all day, we've got business to discuss, we do. See you later." He gave Hermione a light kiss goodbye before disappearing with George and Lee.
"Shall we go find a compartment, then?" Harry asked.
Hermione exchanged a look with Ron. "We're supposed to go into the prefects carriage, Ron and I," she told Harry softly.
After protests from Ron and assurances from Harry, Hermione dragged her trunk and Crookshanks down towards the engine end of the train, leaving Harry and Ginny to find a compartment by themselves, settling herself for what she expected would be a long and boring meeting.
xXxXxXxXx
After a very long hour, Hermione and Ron, along with the rest of the prefects, were released from the Head's compartment. The two of them headed straight for the back of the train, walking into the last compartment to find Harry, Ginny, and Neville swapping Chocolate Frog cards, and a blonde hiding behind a magazine called the Quibbler that neither of them recognized.
Ron threw himself into the seat next to Harry, while Hermione sat next to Ginny with Crookshanks on her lap, and tried not to seem disappointed that Fred wasn't there as well. "So, there are two fifth-year prefects from every house, boy and girl each."
"And guess who's a Slytherin prefect," said Ron, his eyes closed and looking exhausted.
"Malfoy," replied Harry instantly.
"And that complete cow Pansy Parkinson," Hermione said viciously. She would never like that girl. "How she got to be a prefect when she's thicker than a concussed troll…"
"Who's Hufflepuff?"
"Ernie Macmillan and Hannah Abbott."
"And Anthony Goldstein and Padma Patil for Ravenclaw," added Hermione.
"You wen t to the Yule Ball with Padma Patil," said a vague voce.
Everyone turned to look at Luna Lovegood, who was gazing unblinkingly at Ron over her magazine. He swallowed a mouthful of Frog.
"Yeah, I know I did," she said, looking mildly surprised.
"She didn't enjoy in very much," Luna informed him. "She doesn't think you treated her very well, because you wouldn't dance with her. I don't think I would have minded," she added thoughtfully. "I don't like dancing very much."
She retreated back behind The Quibbler and Hermione rolled her eyes. The girl was as barmy as the magazine.
Ron was shaking his head, bemused, when he checked his watch. "Were supposed to patrol the corridors every so often," he told Harry and Neville, "and we can give out punishments if we see people are misbehaving. I can't wait can't wait to get Crabbe and Goyle for something…"
"You're not supposed to abuse your position, Ron!" Hermione said sharply.
"Yeah, right, because Malfoy won't abuse it at all."
"So you're going to descend to his level?"
"No, I'm just going to make sure I get his mates before he gets mine."
"For heaven's sake, Ron – I'm going to find the twins," Hermione snapped, frustrated. She stood up, gathering Crookshanks and left the compartment with their laughter carrying through the door.
She walked down the corridor until she found the compartment housing the twins and Lee, knocking shyly before being called inside.
"What's wrong Mi?" Fred asked as she sat down next to him.
She shrugged. "My friends are irritating," she said softly.
Fred chuckled and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. "Well, that explains everything. Good thing you've got a ruggedly handsome boyfriend and his gang of merry men to keep you company huh?"
Hermione grinned up at him. "Was that a Robin Hood reference?"
Fred grinned. "It was bound to happen one day."
xXxXxXxXx
Hermione was forced to head back to her old compartment to change and get her things before they got on the carriages. Passing around their animals, Hermione was about to climb into the first empty carriage when she heard Harry ask Ron about something he spotted. Rolling her eyes, she settled herself in the seat to wait for her boys.
xXxXxXxXx
Warning, long author's note ahead.
Two big things. One, for those of you who remember from last year (can you believe we've been doing this for a year guys?) the month of November brings National Novel Writing Month, which I am participating in again. That means no updates for the month. I am going to try to spit out as many chapters as I can before the end of October though.
Number two…I have written a chapter that's going to show up later in this story. I need someone, preferably someone who's been with the story a while, to read the chapter and tell me if it's believable, because I don't want to kill this story with a shit plot line. So if anyone's interested in doing that, shoot me a pm and I'll email you the chapter.
Thanks for reading guys! Don't forget to leave a review!
