A/N: I apologize for all the lack of italics and capitalization and for the
periods where there should be either commas or "..."s, but my computer has
been spazzing out lately and I really don't have any control over it.
Night came and Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny were soon disembarking from the train. Harry kept his eyes peeled for a large but familiar form, and his ears open for that familiar call. He didn't have to wait long.
"First Years! First Years! Oi! Over here you all!" called out the friendly half-giant.
"Hagrid," breathed Harry, smiling up into the grinning face of his friend.
"'Ello there Harry. Have a nice holidays?"
"Yeah. Ron invited me to stay with him at the beginning of the summer, so I didn't have to spend too much time with the Dursleys."
"Well, that's a lucky break there. You best be gettin' inter them carriages. I'll see you at the feast, eh Harry?" said Hagrid.
"Yeah," replied Harry, "I'll see you there."
Hermione too was looking around for a face. When she found hers in the crowd, however, her face was not one of joy as Harry's had been. Instead she found herself staring sadly at Malfoy, wanting what she could not have. No, couldn't wasn't the right word, it was clear that he wanted her as much as she wanted him. Shouldn't. Yes, she shouldn't have him. It was just too wrong and mixed up for their brief encounter on the train to reoccur.
The face which held Hermione's gaze turned in her direction and gave her an icy glare, causing Hermione to inhale sharply.
A hand on her shoulder made her jump.
"Hermione? Are you okay?" asked Ron with true concern.
"Yes. Of course," replied Hermione a little too quickly, "Where's Harry?"
"Right here," said Harry coming up behind her, "I was just saying hello to Hagrid. He said we should probably get into a carriage."
"There's one over there," pointed Ginny.
Hermione looked around her. They were among the few still at the station. Heading over to the carriage, the four boarded and soon felt themselves being pulled along the winding road up towards Hogwarts.
Night had cast its gloomy gaze over the castle. But the moon was full and was kept company by a sprinkling of stars. The trees loomed up about them, threatening to swallow them whole and yellow eyes blinked out from between the branches. To what sorts of animals they could belong to one could only guess.
*****
It was very late. Harry had gone to bed but Ron and Hermione had stayed awake, their stomach's full and their eyes heavy with reluctant sleep. Ron gazed at his beautiful friend who was snuggled under a blanket in a large armchair near the fire.
Hermione sighed contentedly and looked over at Ron. "Hi," she said.
"Hi," he replied, amused by her casual and unecessary greeting.
Hermione took a hard look at Ron. Like Draco, he too had grown over the summer. Gone was the awkward, gangly, misproportioned boy she had known. What she now saw was a tall, strong man whose flaming red hair brought out the red flecks in his hazel eyes. He smiled. She had missed his smile.
Without meaning to, she subconsciously compared his sweet smile to the devilish smirk she had seen on Draco's face only a few hours before. This was definitely much better... even though Malfoy's smirk had its own mysterious allure that Hermione couldn't really explain.
Growing aware of the comparison forming in her mind, Hermione quickly looked back towards the fire, fully knowing that her companion's eyes still rested on her.
"Hermione," croaked Ron, clearing his throat awkwardly.
"Mmm," she replied dreamily, the fire reflected in the deep pools of her chocolate brown eyes.
"That was, um, really cool on the train this afternoon... you know, what you did to Draco; punching him and all."
Hermione smiled, "I didn't want to have another slug incident, " she said with a small laugh, "After what we've been through the past few years, I thought it might be useful to take some self-defense classes over the summer."
"But Hermione, if we ever do have to face... you-know-who again, you won't have time to get near enough to punch him, like you did Malfoy. He'll use magic."
"I know. But that's the thing with having muggle parents," said Hermione rather grimly, "I don't have very many options when it comes to magical training."
"You're lucky you know," said Ron hesitantly.
"Lucky?" Hermione turned to face him, "Lucky to be called a mudblood, lucky to be looked down upon by the magical community, lucky to not have any of the magical conveniences at home? You have no idea Ron..."
"But," Ron paused, "But you don't have to deal with your parents being involved in your magic; always on your back if you don't meet their standards, showing up at school, sending you howlers. Muggles aren't the only ones looked down on by the magical community."
"Ron. I think the only thing will be able to agree on is that nobody's life is perfect," said Hermione smiling.
"Yeah," replied Ron, "Except Harry. He's famous and he doesn't have any parents to deal with."
Hermione looked taken aback, "You would rather have your parents be dead?" she asked shocked, and hurt for Harry's sake.
"No!" replied Ron quickly, "I... I wasn't thinking. I didn't mean it. Of course not."
Stupid, stupid, stupid! shouted the voice in Ron's head. Now she's going to think you're an insensitive jerk. Why don't you ever think before you open your mouth!
Ron knew that he had to somehow rectify the situation. But how? Again without thinking, he blurted out, "You look really beautiful this year Hermione..." but he said it too quickly in his hopes to assuage her distaste at his previous comment.
"What?" asked Hermione, not having understood what Ron had said.
"Nothing," murmered Ron, thankful that Hermione had not been able to hear what he had said.
"You know," ventured Ron, choosing his words carefully, "I was reading an article on houselves the other day. Some of them have formed a union... kind of like SPEW, only with an houself leader instead of a witch or wizard."
"It's S.P.E.W.," replied Hermione, but Ron could tell that he was forgiven by the look on her face, "I read that article. Very interesting. I'm so proud of them all. I just wish I could somehow have been involved."
"You could always go talk to Dobby," Ron said, "I'm sure he knows all about it."
"That's true. But I think this is something the houselves have to do for themselves."
"Wow Hermione. That's so... mature of you. You're really giving up your houself crusade?"
"Yes," she replied, turning to look him in the eye, "I have much more important matters on my mind at the moment."
Ron blushed and they gazed into each other's eyes for a few moments. Both jumped when the clock on the mantlepiece struck one o' clock.
"We should be going to bed," said Hermione softly.
"Yes, we should," replied Ron.
But neither of them moved. They simply continued to look into each other's eyes, transfixed. Unbeknownst to either, however, another pair of eyes had joined the party, taking in its share of the scene. As soon as the two got up to go to bed, however, the eyes fled, leaving the two friends none the wiser that their little conversation had been witnessed.
A/N: Don't worry all you Draco fans! This isn't the end! Draco and Hermione action to come, I promise!!! And thank you so much to everyone who has been reviewing my story. It really makes my day, especially because this is my first fanfic ever and I need all the support (and criticism) I can get :)
Night came and Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny were soon disembarking from the train. Harry kept his eyes peeled for a large but familiar form, and his ears open for that familiar call. He didn't have to wait long.
"First Years! First Years! Oi! Over here you all!" called out the friendly half-giant.
"Hagrid," breathed Harry, smiling up into the grinning face of his friend.
"'Ello there Harry. Have a nice holidays?"
"Yeah. Ron invited me to stay with him at the beginning of the summer, so I didn't have to spend too much time with the Dursleys."
"Well, that's a lucky break there. You best be gettin' inter them carriages. I'll see you at the feast, eh Harry?" said Hagrid.
"Yeah," replied Harry, "I'll see you there."
Hermione too was looking around for a face. When she found hers in the crowd, however, her face was not one of joy as Harry's had been. Instead she found herself staring sadly at Malfoy, wanting what she could not have. No, couldn't wasn't the right word, it was clear that he wanted her as much as she wanted him. Shouldn't. Yes, she shouldn't have him. It was just too wrong and mixed up for their brief encounter on the train to reoccur.
The face which held Hermione's gaze turned in her direction and gave her an icy glare, causing Hermione to inhale sharply.
A hand on her shoulder made her jump.
"Hermione? Are you okay?" asked Ron with true concern.
"Yes. Of course," replied Hermione a little too quickly, "Where's Harry?"
"Right here," said Harry coming up behind her, "I was just saying hello to Hagrid. He said we should probably get into a carriage."
"There's one over there," pointed Ginny.
Hermione looked around her. They were among the few still at the station. Heading over to the carriage, the four boarded and soon felt themselves being pulled along the winding road up towards Hogwarts.
Night had cast its gloomy gaze over the castle. But the moon was full and was kept company by a sprinkling of stars. The trees loomed up about them, threatening to swallow them whole and yellow eyes blinked out from between the branches. To what sorts of animals they could belong to one could only guess.
*****
It was very late. Harry had gone to bed but Ron and Hermione had stayed awake, their stomach's full and their eyes heavy with reluctant sleep. Ron gazed at his beautiful friend who was snuggled under a blanket in a large armchair near the fire.
Hermione sighed contentedly and looked over at Ron. "Hi," she said.
"Hi," he replied, amused by her casual and unecessary greeting.
Hermione took a hard look at Ron. Like Draco, he too had grown over the summer. Gone was the awkward, gangly, misproportioned boy she had known. What she now saw was a tall, strong man whose flaming red hair brought out the red flecks in his hazel eyes. He smiled. She had missed his smile.
Without meaning to, she subconsciously compared his sweet smile to the devilish smirk she had seen on Draco's face only a few hours before. This was definitely much better... even though Malfoy's smirk had its own mysterious allure that Hermione couldn't really explain.
Growing aware of the comparison forming in her mind, Hermione quickly looked back towards the fire, fully knowing that her companion's eyes still rested on her.
"Hermione," croaked Ron, clearing his throat awkwardly.
"Mmm," she replied dreamily, the fire reflected in the deep pools of her chocolate brown eyes.
"That was, um, really cool on the train this afternoon... you know, what you did to Draco; punching him and all."
Hermione smiled, "I didn't want to have another slug incident, " she said with a small laugh, "After what we've been through the past few years, I thought it might be useful to take some self-defense classes over the summer."
"But Hermione, if we ever do have to face... you-know-who again, you won't have time to get near enough to punch him, like you did Malfoy. He'll use magic."
"I know. But that's the thing with having muggle parents," said Hermione rather grimly, "I don't have very many options when it comes to magical training."
"You're lucky you know," said Ron hesitantly.
"Lucky?" Hermione turned to face him, "Lucky to be called a mudblood, lucky to be looked down upon by the magical community, lucky to not have any of the magical conveniences at home? You have no idea Ron..."
"But," Ron paused, "But you don't have to deal with your parents being involved in your magic; always on your back if you don't meet their standards, showing up at school, sending you howlers. Muggles aren't the only ones looked down on by the magical community."
"Ron. I think the only thing will be able to agree on is that nobody's life is perfect," said Hermione smiling.
"Yeah," replied Ron, "Except Harry. He's famous and he doesn't have any parents to deal with."
Hermione looked taken aback, "You would rather have your parents be dead?" she asked shocked, and hurt for Harry's sake.
"No!" replied Ron quickly, "I... I wasn't thinking. I didn't mean it. Of course not."
Stupid, stupid, stupid! shouted the voice in Ron's head. Now she's going to think you're an insensitive jerk. Why don't you ever think before you open your mouth!
Ron knew that he had to somehow rectify the situation. But how? Again without thinking, he blurted out, "You look really beautiful this year Hermione..." but he said it too quickly in his hopes to assuage her distaste at his previous comment.
"What?" asked Hermione, not having understood what Ron had said.
"Nothing," murmered Ron, thankful that Hermione had not been able to hear what he had said.
"You know," ventured Ron, choosing his words carefully, "I was reading an article on houselves the other day. Some of them have formed a union... kind of like SPEW, only with an houself leader instead of a witch or wizard."
"It's S.P.E.W.," replied Hermione, but Ron could tell that he was forgiven by the look on her face, "I read that article. Very interesting. I'm so proud of them all. I just wish I could somehow have been involved."
"You could always go talk to Dobby," Ron said, "I'm sure he knows all about it."
"That's true. But I think this is something the houselves have to do for themselves."
"Wow Hermione. That's so... mature of you. You're really giving up your houself crusade?"
"Yes," she replied, turning to look him in the eye, "I have much more important matters on my mind at the moment."
Ron blushed and they gazed into each other's eyes for a few moments. Both jumped when the clock on the mantlepiece struck one o' clock.
"We should be going to bed," said Hermione softly.
"Yes, we should," replied Ron.
But neither of them moved. They simply continued to look into each other's eyes, transfixed. Unbeknownst to either, however, another pair of eyes had joined the party, taking in its share of the scene. As soon as the two got up to go to bed, however, the eyes fled, leaving the two friends none the wiser that their little conversation had been witnessed.
A/N: Don't worry all you Draco fans! This isn't the end! Draco and Hermione action to come, I promise!!! And thank you so much to everyone who has been reviewing my story. It really makes my day, especially because this is my first fanfic ever and I need all the support (and criticism) I can get :)