"Are you sure you are all packed?" Maura asked for what seemed like the thousandth time.
"Yes!" came two sleepy voices, it was too early to be up. Especially on a Monday morning.
The Hogwarts express was due to leave at 11 am as usual, and for some strange and unknown reason to the Head Boy and Girl of Hogwarts they weren't Flooing to the Leaky Cauldron, they were catching the train up to Victoria and then taking the under ground to Kings Cross.
Draco guessed that Maura must have had a flash again, otherwise she wouldn't be putting them through this. It was 7 am for Merlin's sake! On a Monday!
"Where's Nate?" Hermione asked, trying not to yawn.
"Oh he'll be down in a bit." Maura said pushing the two into the front room. "Sit down you two, and try not to fall asleep." Draco glared at her but he was too tired to make it threatening. So they sat. Nate arrived 5 minutes later, with a bundle in his arms.
"Catch Dray!" Nate said throwing one to the blonde, who still had electric blue tips. Draco' seeker reflexes automatically reached out and grabbed the parcel thrown at him.
"Nate? What the?"
"Open it." Nate said grinning. Draco' did, jaw dropping when he saw what it was. His very own long black leather coat almost identical to Nate' s. He stood up and pulled it on, it fit perfectly.
"Wow, thanks mate."
"No prob, now little angel, here is your present."
Hermione blushed, "Guys you didn't have to get anything for me! You've given me so much this week already!"
"We know dear, but here you go." Maura said handing over a thin package to her.
Hermione took it and started unwrapping it carefully, inside was a long thin box, covered in green velvet, slowly Hermione opened the box. She gasped when she saw what was inside.
On a silver chain was a snake coiled around a deep blue Sapphire.
"I can't except this." Hermione said, looking to Maura. The older woman stood up and motioned Hermione over to the mirror that hung above the fire place. She took the necklace from Hermione' s hand and undid the clasp, holding it against Hermione's collar bone.
"This necklace is over 2000 years old Hermione." Maura said, doing the clasp up around the younger girls neck. "It has been passed down from generation to generation. I was meant to give it to my daughter, but it was too late, so now I am giving it to you."
Hermione looked at Maura in the reflection of the mirror, there were unshed tears in her eyes, turning around Hermione pulled her into a hug.
Maura pulled back, "The necklace has every protection spell known to the magical world, even some that have long since been forgotten, every generation we add a new spell to it that we feel can help the wearer. She is yours."
Hermione hugged Maura once more, "Thank you. You don't know how much this means to me."
They pulled apart again and the two men came over. "Are you two sob stories done? The children have a train to catch." Nate said smirking at Draco.
Draco pouted, "I resent that!"
"I know you do, well are we all set? Nate said moving towards the door.
"Wait." Hermione said, the others turned to her. "Are you two coming with us?"
Maura smiled, "Up to Victoria yes, we can't come onto or anywhere near Kings Cross though."
Hermione smiled, "Well then, what are we waiting for?" Trunks had been shrunk, well first they had been enlarged to fit everything in them, including the TV, DVD and CD player they had bought two days ago, they were going to try and hook it up at Hogwarts, Hermione had a book that might help, Maura knew what they were doing and smiled knowingly at them as they left. The trunks were then shrunk and made feather light, so they didn't have to carry anything. Once in London the trunks would be enlarged again, but still kept feather light.
The four left the house and headed towards the bus stop. The bus came a little while later and they all scrambled on. It didn't take them long to get to the station or onto a long 8 carriage train.
As soon as they sat down the train pulled away from the station. It was an express to London and the only other stop besides Victoria was Gatwick airport. The journey was a short one and to pass it even faster Hermione and Nate started playing snap with a set of muggle cards. Maura watched them play with a smile on her face and only Draco noticed the flicker of fear cross it as they pulled into Gatwick Station. As they left it Draco pulled out his wand.
"Dray?" Nate asked him uncertainly glancing at his friends wand.
"The trains sped up." He replied. Hermione who had been talking quietly to Maura since the game finished looked around.
"But Victoria isn't too far from here!" Draco looked at her,
"I know and at this speed we'll go straight through to the road on the other side!"
"So what do we do?" Nate asked, pulling out his own wand. Hermione looked around the train, a few other people had noticed the increased speed too.
"Get ready with shield charms." they all looked at Maura.
"But the muggles?" Hermione said.
"It can't be helped. Just try and get everyone to the front carriages." They nodded and Hermione and Maura pulled out their own wands, then the four spread out down the train.
"Excuse me!" Hermione and Draco heard Nate shout from behind them as he stopped in the first carriage. They continued into the next one, Hermione stopped, leaving Draco the last one.
"Can I have everyone's attention please!" Hermione called, everyone looked at her. "I'm sorry to disturb your journey but can you all please move down to the front of the train!"
At first no one moved, Hermione tried again, "Please, this isn't a joke." Once more no one moved. Stupid muggles, can't they tell I'm trying to help save their lives here! She was about to start again, cutting off her own internal grumblings when the train jumped and began to go even faster, a few more had now noticed.
"Please, can you all move to the front of the train."
This time an elderly couple moved, then a family. About half the carriage had moved down the train and Hermione was helping them along. She looked up when she heard screams from Draco's carriage.
"Please keep going, I'll go check that out." She said to them before breaking away from the door and moving into the last carriage. A tall man broke away too. As she opened the door she saw that three teenage boys had Draco pinned to the wall, and a fourth was hitting him, he was bleeding – so that could have caused someone in the carriage to scream.
Calming her anger she raised her voice and got the attention of the half empty carriage.
"Can everyone please move down the train into the front carriages!" Hermione called, slipping her wand into her hand. No one in the carriage moved.
"You heard the lady! Move!" the man that followed her barked. His sharp tone of voice woke everyone up and they scattered through the door to the other carriages. The four boys stayed where they were. Hermione moved forwards, the man tried to grab her but he missed.
"What in Merlin s name do you think you're doing?" she spat angrily. The four boys looked at her.
"What do you want Goth?" one sneered. She took in their clothing.
"Bloody chavs, think they're the best." She muttered to herself, she glared at them and one took an uncertain step back.
"At least we're not Goth's!" the one who had been hitting Draco said turning around to face her.
"Thank Merlin for that!" she replied dryly, looking over to Draco. She glanced at his hand, his wand was in it. Curious she raised an eyebrow at him and he shrugged. She looked back at the boy, he looked about their age.
"Why are you doing this?" she asked him, the boy didn't answer. He just shrugged. "Are you going to let him go?" the boys laughed. Hermione sighed, "Just let him go and move down to the front of the train." They laughed again.
"Er … no." one of them said mockingly.
"Stupid pathetic muggles" she mumbled under her breath, she sighed again and lifted her wand.
"Ooooh, going to poke us with a stick? I'm so scared." One taunted her. The others laughed again. Hermione pointed her wand at the one who had been hitting Draco.
"Stupefy!" he let go of Draco and fell to the floor. The other three now looked scared, and they loosened their grip on Draco who stepped away, but not before he punched the remaining three in the face and kicked the stunned one on the floor. He stood next to Hermione glared down at them.
"Now, take your friend and move down to the front of the train." They nodded and picked up the stunned boy.
"Bloody muggle politics" Draco mumbled. A slow clapping from behind them caused them to turn sharply.
"Impressive" the man drawled. Draco glared at him.
"Dolohov! What are you doing here?" he spat. Antonio Dolohov, recently re-escaped Azkaban Death Eater smirked at the pair.
"Looking for you Draco. Your father's been worried sick about you." Draco sneered.
"I doubt that." He replied.
Dolohov smiled. It was a sickening smile that made Hermione's stomach turn. "Though I didn't expect to find you partnered with a mudblood. Really Draco, I thought you had better taste then that."
Draco glared at him and moved to stand in front of Hermione, "What do you want Dolohov?" he spat.
"Not just you, tell me where is your friend? Nathaniel wasn't it?"
"I don't know who your talking about Dolohov, I've been with Hermione all summer." Dolohov laughed, it was a cold cackle that sent shivers down Hermione's spine. Fourteen years in Azkaban with the extra year he served last year didn't look like they had effected him, but his laugh told them different.
"You're lying Draco." Dolohov spat moving towards them. "you were with Philips whore of a wife and that bastard of a son Nathaniel!"
"You know" said a voice behind them "My parents were married when I was born so that means I'm not a bastard, unlike you Antonio Dolohov, who is the result of your sleaze bag father shagging his mistress." Nate looked at hermione and Draco. He moved to the side, drawing Dolohov away from the door, giving the two teenagers a free path to the exit. "And also" Nate continued "I would appreciate it if you didn't call my mother a whore," Hermione and Draco didn't hear any more of the conversation as they darted through the door and ran down the now empty carriages.
"Oh thank Merlin! You two are okay. Draco how did you get that black eye?" Maura pounced on them as soon as the entered the now very full carriage.
"Muggle politics" he mumbled, "Stupid – what did you call them Hermione?"
"Chavs" she supplied, helping a lady climb over some baggage to a seat.
"That was it. Stupid Chavs have something against Goths."
"Ah, so that would explain those four over there," she pointed to the corner where the four boys sat, one was still stunned. "I woke him but then he fainted again." Maura explained laughing lightly. The train jumped and all the muggles screamed.
"The driver was dead before I got to him."
"It was Dolohov" the teenagers answered together.
Maura looked at them sharply, "he's here?"
Draco looked at her, "you mean you didn't know?"
"I knew there was going to be a train crash that left no survivors but that was it."
"Well Dolohov is with Nate." Hermione said.
"Was with Nate, the bastard apperated." They turned to face Dolohov, he was bleeding from his lip slightly but still wore a cocky smirk. He raised his wand, "Crucio!" Hermione fell to the floor screaming.
Draco stepped forward "Elideren!" The curse hit Dolohov square in the chest and threw him backwards against the wall. He slumped unconscious on the floor. Maura helped Hermione stand while Draco got his breath under control.
"Was it the spell or the impact that knocked him unconscious? Or do I not what to know?" Hermione asked leaning again Maura for support. Draco turned looking to the ground, when he looked up Hermione gasped. His normally silver coloured eyes were coloured black.
"I'm sure you can figure that our Hermione, you are after all; the smartest witch in the year." She scowled at him and went to reply when his eyes faded back to silver, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to offend you Hermione." He said to her softly. She nodded and then lost her balance as the train hit something on the tracks, both Draco and Maura reached out to grab her but it was Nate who caught her.
"Nate! I thought you'd left us mate!" Draco said smirking. Nate smirked back.
"Nah, you cant get rid of me that easily Dray, you know that." Draco and Hermione laughed. Maura cleared her throat, the three turned to face her.
"In case you three have forgotten we've a train full of muggles to save."