United Lions
Hermione's hands were cold and moist when she got off of the Hogwarts Express. The day had turned into night; the weather was brisk. She looked up at the smiling stars, which seemed to welcome her back. Around her, students of all sizes bustled around. Some were chatting away with their newfound friends. Harry and Ginny came up to her moments before and said that they would see her up the castle. They were riding up in the carriages. She had to stay with the first years because it was one of her jobs as Head Girl. The little first years were looking around in confusion. They had no idea where to go just like her.
"Come Hermione, we have to show the first years to the boats," Ron explained in a hurry.
"The boats?" she whispered to herself. She saw Ron gather a bunch of frightened eleven-year-olds into a big group. Her face lit up in shock as she saw a gigantic man standing next to him. His voice was deep, his body thick, and his face red and merry. Perfectly harmless. This must be Hagrid. Her face turned into a smile and she started to walk towards the group. She remembered Hagrid just a little. Mostly the flobberworms he used to make them take care of. She stopped in her tracks. She didn't know about flobberworms, until a few moments ago. She couldn't believe how fast little bits of her memory were coming back.
Hagrid turned to greet a bushy-haired girl. Hermione didn't expect to be enveloped into a bear hug. She was slightly alarmed at first, but dissolved into a fit of giggles.
"Put me down!" she finally managed to gasp.
Hagrid gently placed her feet upon the platform. " 'Ow are you doing 'ermione?" he grunted.
"I am doing all right" she replied heartily. She gave Ron a warm smile, who was positively beaming at Hermione's rosy complexion. She was absolutely radiant and joy emanated from her body. This joy was contagious. She was happy to be back. She sighed in relief.
"I guess we better get going. We don't want the first years to miss their ceremony." She gave a stunned Ron a knowing smile and a noticeable wink. She remembered Hogwarts.
--
Hermione recalled her first time on the Hogwarts boats. It wasn't a pleasant experience. She got a little seasick. Well, it didn't escape her the second time. The rocking of the boats made her stomach queasy. She tried to hide it as much as she could, but she couldn't hide her green face. No one noticed in the dark. The only light came from the small lanterns that bobbed on posts that were connected to the boats and from the castle straight a head. Hermione gasped in amazement when she saw it again. How could she ever forget a castle this beautiful? They were slowly closing in on their destination.
She felt the boat come to a stop when they reached the shore. She told all of the first years to form two lines, so they could get to the castle without any problems. She saw Ron trying to handle a bunch of first years and laughed at the chaos.
After ten minutes, they were all walking up the path to the front doors.
"Remember stay close and don't let anyone out of your sight," Hermione bellowed out to the horde of first years following her and Ron. Hagrid went of in another direction. He had to be with the rest of the teachers in the Great Hall. He trusted them to complete their duties.
They all walked up the grand stairs. Hermione smiled at the little gasps that sounded behind her. She remembered her first day at Hogwarts, walking up these stairs. She felt like she was in a fairytale.
Ron stuck his fist out to knock on the large, mahogany door. This was tradition and will always be for years to come. The door opened directly after and Headmistress McGonagal stood there and ushered everyone in.
--
The ceremony finished smoothly and the feast was delivered. Hermione stuffed herself, but left a little room for some treacle fudge. She had loads of fun talking to all of her friends. People greeted her and welcomed her back, asking how she was feeling. Everyone knew about her accident. Hermione didn't care about all these people. She wanted one person to come up to her and say hello, but he didn't.
Hermione downed the rest of her dessert with Pumpkin juice and brought her gaze to the teachers' table where the Headmistress was preparing for her yearly speech. She felt something burning on her neck, like someone was watching her. She knew who it was. She averted her gaze from the table and directed it towards the Slytherin table. Sitting in the middle was Draco and his eyes were directly on her. There was no warmth in his gaze, only heat, like a fiery passion kept contained. She issued a glare ten times worse, making her cheeks turn red.
Ron noticed that something wasn't right. Hermione wasn't talking, which was a bit unusual. She was always talking. He saw that Hermione had her attention elsewhere. He followed her gaze and found Malfoy at the end of it. He couldn't believe the looks they were giving each other. Anyone could get burned walking between them.
"Hermione? Are you all right?" a concerned Ron asked.
Hermione knew that Ron was talking to her, but she continued to ignore him.
"Herm--"
McGonagal cut off Ron. "Welcome back students. I know that this has been a tough year and we have suffered many losses, but let's not lose hopeā¦" She continued for the next five minutes.
Everybody was leaving the Great Hall in a rush to get to their dormitories, so they could all talk about nonsense. Hermione and Ron would have their own Heads' Dorms. She was happy to have a friend with her in all of this. She caught sight of Draco leaving with his two cronies and I her /I . She stared at the back of his head, trying to burn a hole through it.
She watched him walk towards the dungeons without looking at her once. This made her furious. He was being indifferent towards her. Well, two can play this game. Ron and she followed McGonagal to the fifth floor, where their room was.
They came across a portrait of two lions nestled together. One was a female and the other a male. It seemed a bit too intimate and the thought made her stomach flutter.
"Here you are and you will find the list of your duties in the common room. Your password is 'Lucid Licorice'. It's a new Weasley product. I thought I would give it a shot," she explained. She left leaving Hermione a small wink.
"Lucid Licorice," Ron muttered, half-scared, to a rather ferocious female lion.
The lion roared, making Ron jump back a few feet in alarm. The lion eyes were laughing at him and Hermione was as well. The portrait swung open, giving them access to their rooms. Ron let Hermione in first.
They both entered the common room, which was adorned with scarlet and gold colors. The fireplace was already lit and alive. The sofa and lounge chairs were overstuffed and comfy looking. There were two doors that led into separate rooms. The beds were king-sized and covered in fresh down. Her wardrobe and desk were both made from mahogany. The bathroom was huge. The tub was made of the finest porcelain and the floor made of marble. They each had their own bathroom, which would be a relief. She no longer had to share it with a swarm of girls.
She walked out of her room to see what Ron was doing.
"Isn't it beautiful?" she sighed. Ron walked out smiling in agreement.
"I feel rich. This is so much better than being cramped up with all the guys," he replied. He plopped down on the sofa and patted the spot open next to him. Hermione took the invitation and sat down. She was so tired.
"I can't wait for classes tomorrow," she said jubilantly.
Ron stared at her pretty, flushed face and chuckled at the excitement it revealed.
"What?" she gave him a confused look, but blushed furiously at the warmth in his eyes.
"Nothing," he lied.
"Tell me," she prodded. She brought her legs underneath her body and turned so she was facing him.
He couldn't hold back any longer. She wanted to know. He wanted her to know how he felt. He met her gaze and couldn't find his way out of their alluring trap. He reached over and placed his hand on her cheek. She didn't cringe or pull away. He brought his lips to hers. A liquid heat surged through his body. He wanted to deepen the kiss, but didn't want to frighten her away. He broke the union and sat back down waiting for her to say something.
She didn't know what to say or how she felt. She had to admit that it was a nice kiss, but it was missing something. She felt a tingly sensation when Ron kissed her, but not the same passion as she did with Draco. She cursed herself mentally. She promised herself that she wouldn't think of him anymore. She wanted to forget about him, so she decided to get lost in kissing Ron.
She grabbed Ron's neck and pulled him to her, so she could kiss him more thoroughly. The force of her kiss jolted Ron. She asked for entrance to his mouth and roughly continued to snog Ron. No feelings went through her body. She was trying to drown herself in lust. She wanted to forget him.
