Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter
Draco Malfoy.
The boy she loathed.
The man she lived for.
The only one she ever loved.
~
Hermione Granger stood alone at Kings Cross, platform 9 and 3/4 on September the first. It was a cloudy day, and the air was thick with the unknown. Students passed by Hermione every now and again and Hermione was able to catch tidbits of information on how their own summers had gone.
Parvati and Lavender had visited each other over the summer as always. And of what Hermione could deduce, they had gone boy shopping every day, which had thoroughly pissed Padma off, being left out by her own twin all summer.
So the Patil twins were no longer on speaking terms.
Pity. Hermione thought watching as the two girls traded nasty glances.
Hermione also smile as a bunch of first years bumped into her, all looking at her with glazed over wonder, mumbling a quiet sorry. They all looked so scared, and small.
I wonder if we were ever that small. She asked herself.
She searched the platform once more hoping to get a glimpse of her two friends. No avail. They still weren't there. She sighed.
She had missed both boys so much over the summer, not being able to join them at the Burrow.
She had been gone all summer with her parents, travelling all over Europe. A trip she had found most educating. But she still missed both boys deeply. This summer more than ever, she had felt the emptiness that their absence provided.
Had she become that attached to them? She had often wondered in the summer nights, as she read their letters.
She smiled at that. Their letters had been a great comfort over the holidays. They had written long letters both complaining about each other. The two sided versions she always got from each of the boys made her laugh. It had also warmed her heart to know that they had been thinking about her in her absence.
Looking over her shoulders once more, she sighed. She looked up at the sky which now held a dark gray hue. It was going to rain. Hermione decided to wait for them at their usual compartment, not wanting to get doused.
She walked down the hallway of the train, giving a friendly smile to all she passed, leaving the boys staring at her in wonder.
Was that Hermione Granger? They all mouthed to each other.
She came by Neville sitting with Seamus and quickly exchanged hellos with the two Gryffindor boys, noting how much each one had grown.
Finally arriving at her own compartment, she sighed as she opened the door and was greeted with the familiarity of it all. Sitting at the far corner by the window, she stared of into the horizon, excited at the prospect of the new school year, and heaven forbid a new adventure.
She bent down and opened her sac to fetch a book.
Finding the one she craved she snatched it up with a smile on her face. Opening the book, she was greeted by the sight of her tow best friends waving and playfully blowing kisses at her. It was the picture book both boys had worked on as her Christmas present the past year.
She stared at the picture a moment longer before hearing her name being called out.
"Hermione!" A pair of male voices called out before a body hit hers with force. Hermione had only the time to cry out a quick "Oomph" before a second body was added to the body pile.
Hermione looked at who was crushing her and found it to be her two best-friends each grinning widely, as they gave her a group hug.
"Boys you're crushing me..." she breathing hard. They both stood and let go of her imedeatly,
Harry and Ron both gave her sheepish grins, as Ron turned red, and Harry just kept on smiling.
"Sorry Hermione" They both said at the same time flopping down on the seat opposite of hers.
"Why are you guys so late?" She asked them once they were settled in their seats.
"Oh, well the twins decided to pack us some extra things they invented for their joke shop, you know to pass around the school for advertisement." Ron explained.
Hermione winced, she didn't like where the story was going. Anything involving the Weasley twins always ended badly, and most likely in a great ball of fire.
"Yes, but they didn't exactly tell us this. Anyway, they might have miscalculated one particular spell because just outside Kings Cross one of them exploded and blasted their names in the air, while blinking bulbs surrounding their names blew up one by one." Harry continued glancing at Ron.
"We stalled a couple of other wizards as well since everyone was looking at the entrance. Mum and Dad had to give a few memory charms and of course clean up the mess." Ron finished the story.
Hermione couldn't help but laugh at the disgruntled look both boys held, they must had been really shocked but the explosion.
"It really isn't funny Hermione" Ron said folding his hands across his chest.
"Actually Ron, now that I think about it, it was quite funny." Harry said. " Ron here jumped ten meters and hid right behind me when the explosion happened. Which, if there really was a real attack would probably be the worse place to be." He said laughing.
Ron joined in the laughter.
"Yes, but Harry here almost jumped in my arms in fear." Ron rebutted.
The three friends laughed even harder at this image.
Hermione looked at her friends and smiled. Her eyes brightening with the happiness of the moment.
God, she had missed this. She had missed them.
She had missed how well the three of them fit, and connected with each other. Most of the time, after the trauma fourth year had cost, the only place they could each find comfort had been in each other's presence. They had been able to console each other, with just the simple fact of being there. There had not any need for words. In fifth year, everyone had noticed their growing closeness. Many of them suspected that or speculated that the three had grown mind links with one another. Not a simple feat for a wizard, but not an impossible one either. But they were all wrong. The truth was that the three of them were only ever at peace when they were together.
Nothing could separate them. Except for this summer they had always spent their holidays together at the Burrow. Before having seen them, she had not thought she had missed much.
But looking at them now, she realized that she had missed an awful lot over the summer. Both boys had grown up. They had grown up a lot. Hermione could hardly call them boys anymore, because over the summer, they had decided to grow into men.
Harry Potter, her best-friend since first year, had grown even taller than he already was and now stood at a good 6 feet. His hair still as messy as ever, looked now sexier to her than anything else, with some bits falling over his eyes clouding them. His body looked leaner and also stronger than when she last saw him. He was also deeply tanned, his skin burning olive against the white shirt he wore.
Ron Weasley, the ginger haired boy she had had some of her worst arguments with, and also the best laughs with, had also decided to grow up. His shoulders had broadened and his posture seemed to demand more respect now. He had lost all his boy-hood incertitude. Even sitting down, Ron looked more confident. His hair was still flaming red, but it had turned darker, almost auburn now. And he too had grown more tanned, erasing the red blush that had pestered him for so many years. His eyes too, seemed bluer than when she had last looked.
What had happened to them this summer? She wondered. Have I grown that much too?
Harry turned to her suddenly.
"So did you get it?" He asked. Ron nodded, asking the same question with his eyes, peering below his bangs, which hung wildly on his forehead.
Hermione grinned. Her eyes lighting up. She gave them a slow nod.
"Well done!" they both said at the same time, smiling at her, their pride showing in their eyes.
They would both rather die or be tortured by death eaters than admit openly that Hermione was their greatest pride, but she was. How could she not be?
They had watched her grow up into a tearing beauty, and an even smarter witch than she had been in first year. She had also somewhere in fifth year acquired elegance and grace. She was no longer bent over with the weight of her books. Most probably because both boys had taken to carrying her books for her.
"That's really great Hermione!" Ron said blushing with pride.
"Yes. I was really relieved when I got the letter. I wasn't sure if I was going to get it or not."
"So do you know who the Head Boy is?"
Hermione winced at this. This was the reason she didn't want to tell them over the mail, that she had gotten the position. She wanted to be able to deal with their reactions face to face, hopefully she would be able to calm them down.
"Yes. I think it's actually a very smart choice of the administration, you know. He is really smart. And he hasn't been in any trouble for a long time, unlike some boys I know..." she said giving them looks of accusation. "Anyway, I really do think he's the perfect choice at a time like this. It may keep him safe, and out of trouble." she continued. "The only problem is that I will have to live with him. That's going to be a challenge to say the very least." She said convingcinlgy.
"So who is it 'Mione?" Harry urged impatiently.
"It's-"
"Me." A familiar drawl said, as the compartment door opened.
"Malfoy!" Harry and Ron yelled at the same time, both moving in front of Hermione covering her from Draco Malfoy.
"Yes that's right. I've come to take the Head Girl to our compartment. We have to talk.."
He said, his face unreadable, and his tone civil as ice.
Harry and Ron shook their head at this, but as Hermione moved forwards they both gave her a confused look.
"I'm sorry guys. We really do have to talk." She said looking apologetic. " Listen I'll meet you both in the Great Hall alright?" she said moving forwards to hug each of them. "And don't worry about me," she whispered. " I've got my wand at the ready."
This drew a smile from each of the boys, and she moved towards the door. Malfoy stepping aside to let her go through first.
"Don't worry boys, I won't hurt your precious girlfriend. At least, not much." He said giving them his famous smirk, moving out of the compartment and closing the door just in time, as the curses Harry and Ron had let fly hit the compartment door.
Draco saw that Hermione had already walked ahead of him and quickly followed her to their compartment.
She managed to enter the compartment just seconds before he did, but he still managed to catch her by the waist as he entered and turned her towards him as he shut the door.
Grabbing her tightly around the waist he brought her closer to him, bringing his mouth down harshly upon hers. He had been hungry for her taste all summer.
Hermione grinned into the kiss.
If she had missed her best-friends over the summer. She had missed Draco even more violently. They had not had even an ounce of contact over the summer, for fear of being discovered.
She pulled apart from him for a moment and frowned.
"Did you really have to annoy them like that?" she asked.
He smirked at her before giving her a roguish grin.
"What did you want me to do? Be nice?" He asked. "That would have given us away in a second."
As he finished saying this he pushed her back to the compartment door, reaching behind her to lock the doorknob. He bent down to kiss her once more, this time with tenderness, as he savored the feel of her against him.
Once more she broke the kiss, much to his dismay.
"Yes Draco, that would've been too obvious. Hey Harry, hey Ron I'm being nice to you. That means that I am in love with your best-friend and that I've been secretly snogging her for the past year." she asked sarcastically. " Yes Draco, Harry and Ron's mind sure do work that way."
"Fine, next time I see them I'll play nice." he conceded, bending down to capture her lips once more.
Hermione smiled her victory against his lips.
"I'd forgotten how demanding you were." Draco said jokingly smirking against her lips.
End Chapter
On the next chapter-
"I started this. I am going to finish it." she said her voice ringing clearly around the room.
"What are you talking about Hermione?" Harry Potter demanded.
Hermione felt her insides deflate and her heart grew heavy with the weight of what she was about to reveal. She looked over at Ron, who wore a hard look in his eyes.
So he had known. She thought grimly.
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