Chapter Two:
Defending Hermione
As the train approached Harry and his friends shouldered their bags and hugged Ron's parents goodbye.
"Bye Hermione, write dear!" called Mrs. Weasley as the girl boarded the Hogwarts Express. Soon it was chugging out of the station, some parents were crying as they waved farewell to their children.
Hermione collapsed in her seat exhausted.
"You okay Mione?" asked Ron.
"Yeah, I guess. I've just been really tired lately." She yawned and closed her eyes.
Ron looked upset until Ginny reassured him. "It happened to me last year Ron, I'm sure she'll be fine."
Harry laughed, and then frowned as he heard voices out in the corridor. It sounded like his arch enemy Draco Malfoy was coming to give them his annual nasty greeting.
"Potty and Weasel!!!" the compartment door banged open, and there stood the death eater, surrounded by his stupidly grinning friends.
"Go away Malfoy!" muttered Ron, trying to sound bored.
"Oh look at that mudblood sleeping!" Malfoy shouted.
Everyone snarled at him, but Ron, unexpectedly shot out of his seat, and raised his wand. "Shut it Malfoy, or I'll make you!"
Hermione shook her head at Ron. "Don't let him annoy you Ron. Believe me fighting Malfoy isn't worth your time or energy."
"I don't care what you say Hermione, I am fed up with his insults!"
Ron began to mutter a curse, but Harry threw his wand onto the floor. "Stop it you idiot!!!" he shouted. "You don't want a detention on the first day of school, or do you?"
Malfoy left laughing, and Ron glared at his retreating back.
"I'm going to change," he grabbed his robes and entered the next compartment, locking the sliding door behind him.
Ginny stole a glance at Harry, and mouthed. "I think he's in love.'
Harry grinned, and took her hand in his. Hermione didn't even seem to notice that Harry was sliding closer to Ginny, and Ron was no where to be found, so it was safe for them to show affection.
Harry gave Ginny a quick kiss on the cheek before Ron reentered the compartment.
"God I hate that boy. Someday his father's going to end up in Azkaban, and who'll be laughing then?"
Hermione reached out and clutched his wrist. "Ron stop shouting, please. I'm trying to sleep."
Then her head dropped onto his shoulder as he sat down, and she snored softly.
Ron shockingly didn't complain about his uncomfortable position and gently stroked Hermione's hair. She moaned in pleasure and continued to sleep. Ron blushed scarlet when he noticed that Ginny and Harry were staring at him. His hand dropped as if Hermione was poison.
Harry choked back a laugh, and Ginny buried her face in her robes.
It looked as if Ron might be interested in Hermione as more than a friend.
As the train approached Harry and his friends shouldered their bags and hugged Ron's parents goodbye.
"Bye Hermione, write dear!" called Mrs. Weasley as the girl boarded the Hogwarts Express. Soon it was chugging out of the station, some parents were crying as they waved farewell to their children.
Hermione collapsed in her seat exhausted.
"You okay Mione?" asked Ron.
"Yeah, I guess. I've just been really tired lately." She yawned and closed her eyes.
Ron looked upset until Ginny reassured him. "It happened to me last year Ron, I'm sure she'll be fine."
Harry laughed, and then frowned as he heard voices out in the corridor. It sounded like his arch enemy Draco Malfoy was coming to give them his annual nasty greeting.
"Potty and Weasel!!!" the compartment door banged open, and there stood the death eater, surrounded by his stupidly grinning friends.
"Go away Malfoy!" muttered Ron, trying to sound bored.
"Oh look at that mudblood sleeping!" Malfoy shouted.
Everyone snarled at him, but Ron, unexpectedly shot out of his seat, and raised his wand. "Shut it Malfoy, or I'll make you!"
Hermione shook her head at Ron. "Don't let him annoy you Ron. Believe me fighting Malfoy isn't worth your time or energy."
"I don't care what you say Hermione, I am fed up with his insults!"
Ron began to mutter a curse, but Harry threw his wand onto the floor. "Stop it you idiot!!!" he shouted. "You don't want a detention on the first day of school, or do you?"
Malfoy left laughing, and Ron glared at his retreating back.
"I'm going to change," he grabbed his robes and entered the next compartment, locking the sliding door behind him.
Ginny stole a glance at Harry, and mouthed. "I think he's in love.'
Harry grinned, and took her hand in his. Hermione didn't even seem to notice that Harry was sliding closer to Ginny, and Ron was no where to be found, so it was safe for them to show affection.
Harry gave Ginny a quick kiss on the cheek before Ron reentered the compartment.
"God I hate that boy. Someday his father's going to end up in Azkaban, and who'll be laughing then?"
Hermione reached out and clutched his wrist. "Ron stop shouting, please. I'm trying to sleep."
Then her head dropped onto his shoulder as he sat down, and she snored softly.
Ron shockingly didn't complain about his uncomfortable position and gently stroked Hermione's hair. She moaned in pleasure and continued to sleep. Ron blushed scarlet when he noticed that Ginny and Harry were staring at him. His hand dropped as if Hermione was poison.
Harry choked back a laugh, and Ginny buried her face in her robes.
It looked as if Ron might be interested in Hermione as more than a friend.