Disclaimer: You know, I almost don't want to put this here. Because, if I don't maybe J.K. Rowling will sue me for all I'm worth (a cookie jar and a collection of tin lunchboxes). And THEN, I could sue her for wrongful persecution by saying that any use of the word "the" is unclearly defined as my disclaimer on a totally unrelated, and obscure site that no one reads anyway. And THEN she will realize how hilarious I am, and use my ideas in books 6 and 7. Then we will both be rich, and I can pay someone to make me look hot. And THEN, she'll hook me up with a son of her friend (Just for the hell of it, let's say she's friends with the Royal Family). And THEN I'll marry Prince William, become Princess of my home country of Wales. All because I didn't write an obvious disclaimer.::sigh::

A/N: Oooh, and if I reach review 100, I promise I will stop writing! Won't that be a treat! And if you don't like it, REVIEW ANYWAY! Oh, what a tangled web I weave. MWAHAHAHAHA!

'A different year, the same me' Hermione thought with a sigh. She would be leaving for King's Cross station within the hour, but for now, she sat and looked into her vanity mirror. She fingered her hair, slowly twirling it around her delicate fingers. As the years had gone by at Hogwarts, her body had slowly traversed the difficult stages of childhood, and over the summer it seemed it had finally reached its peak - womanhood.

Her hair was no longer the light brown bushy mass, but had darkened in color and was now more wavy than curly. It gave her the opportunity to have it straightened quite easily - and she loved the way it looked. Her eyes had also lightened to a light tawny/honey color with just a touch of green.

However, it was not her appearance she was thinking about as she gazed into the mirror, mulling over her thoughts..no, she was thinking about her soul, her inner-self. Every year she sat before her mirror with a longing gaze that looked inside her. She always wanted to go back.back in time. Back before she was different. Back to before she had to take refuge in her books, her now precious books that had saved her from the cruel world for so long.

Her best friends, Harry and Ron, had become so close now. How much longer could she keep her secret from them? How much longer must she keep up the pretense of being a brainiac that she so desperately wanted to remove?

Then there was Malfoy. How she hated him. He awoke anger and loathing so deep inside her, that she thought, and hoped, had been locked away forever. It was lucky that Draco has not been destined to be her friend as Harry and Ron seemingly were. It was lucky that he was in a different house, and was an asshole. Her friends hated him for those qualities, which left her able to conveniently hate him without having to explain her reasons.

Explain how his eyes.those cold, gray eyes that held other people's looks with such power and control. That ultra-blond hair that so few people had.perhaps it was a mark of evil.

"NO!" Hermione threw her brush that she had been using at the mirror, causing it to shatter and almost hit her. "I will NOT think about it this year! I can't!" After her outburst, she flung herself on her bed and snuggled with her favorite raccoon stuffed animal, Rackie, and cried herself to sleep.

She awoke to her parents telling her through the house intercom - they never yelled - that it was time to go. "Reparo" she muttered at the mirror, and the broken shards leapt back into their frame. One last check of hair and face, one last reprimanding look (as if to scare away her previous thoughts) and she whisked herself out of her room to begin a sixth year at Hogwarts. A year like never before.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Hermione's parents, being muggles, couldn't pass through the barrier on Platform 9 and ¾. So, with quick hugs and kisses all around, Hermione pushed her trolley through the barrier with a wicker basket, perched precariously atop the pile, shaking violently.

"I'll let you out in a minute baby, don't worry" she cooed. But that only got more yowls and shakes in response, at least from the basket. A deep, strong voice behind her caused her to spin around.

"HARRY!" She leapt to give him a hug, and so she was unable to see the large happy grin that lit up his face. "I'm sorry Harry, but what did you say?"

"I said that you better not, I'm not sure how Ron will feel about Crookshanks running about on the train" Harry said, his deep and masculine voice gave nothing away as he saw his other best friend creep up to them, still embracing.

Hermione squealed in mock terror as she and Harry were both bodily lifted from the ground by Ron.

"Oh, Ron!" She ruffled his hair and they all unloaded their carts onto the train and into a private car.

All three happily traded summer stories as Hermione looked the two boys over. Both had gotten noticeably taller. Harry had bulked up quite nicely, but not nearly as much as Ron! He looked more like the twins, Fred and George, in stature now, than his old gangly self. Ron must have caught her wide and staring eyes and said, "Quidditch. I've been practicing like mad. I'm hoping I won't hafta repeat what happened last year.except for that last game." He then stared dreamily out the window, most likely living that match play by play in his head. Hermione looked closer and saw his lips moving along to "Weasley is our King".

Harry chuckled at the two. "You look different too"

"W-Wha?" Hermione's attention snapped back to Harry.

"I said that you look different too. Is all that natural?" Hermione nodded so he continued. "Well, it all looks fabulous. You look fabulous. You ARE fabulous."

Hermione blushed, but was saved from further embarrassment but the youngest Weasley redhead dove head on into their compartment.

Ron yelped as his head made contact with the window, and all three six- years ganged up on Ginny the 5th year and tickled her into submission. She was still hiccupping from laughter when the plump with came by with the food trolley.

"My treat!" Harry said, buying fizzing whizbees, Droopie's best blowing gum, chocolate frogs and more.

They sat in satisfied silence, slowly munching their way through the pile.

Ginny broke the silence by thoughtfully mentioning how weird it was going to be without the elder Weasley twins. They all nodded in agreement as another person entered their compartment - Luna Lovegood.