"Oww, Ron! Don't move, my earring is hooked onto your sweater. Hold on!"
Mr. Weasley opened the car door and stuck his head in.
"Come on, you don't want to be late." He said, "Ginny's waiting for the three of you near the barrier already. Here, Hermione, let me help."
"Okay, thanks Mr. Weasley!"
"I'll get the trunks out." Harry said sleepily, opening the car door on his side and ran out into the rain, his lean arms sheltering his head from the droplets splashing down on him.
Hermione, finally dislodged from Ron's sweater, inched out the door and under Mr. Weasley's umbrella.
"Thanks again, Mr. Weasley!" She said as she stood at the waiting area, watching Harry getting the trunks out with the driver and laughing at Ron, who had to be dragged out by his father.
"Let me sleep for just a while…"
Harry signalled to Hermione, telling her to get to the barrier first. He would be there in a few minutes. Hermione nodded.
The crowd in the train station was huge. Hermione spotted a few timid-looking first-years sticking out like a sore thumb.
"Don't they know they're supposed to be wearing muggle clothes?" She muttered, shooting a look at them.
A few pairs of young eyes cast furtive glances at her. Who could resist the charms of a skulking lady in red.
Hermione was wearing her favourite blood-red turtleneck paired with a cute black mini-skirt. She wanted to arrive at Hogwarts comfortably stylish manner. Her black ankle boots peppered up her outfit. Sadly, she was not in the mood to receive admiring stares. Hermione raised one eyebrow and moved on.
She negotiated her way through the throngs of people and spotted the sleeve of Ginny's jacket swish into the barrier into Platform 9 and 3/4. Colin Creevy followed up behind her.
"Okay, she's not alone." She thought, "I'll just wait out here for Harry and Ron."
Hermione pretended to rummage through her sling bag, trying to stall time. She would look out of place if she stood there not doing anything.
"Hermione! Come give us a hand!" Ron called out, long hands waving in the air.
Finally! She edged towards them and helped the both of them load their trunks on trolleys.
"Where's Ginny?" Harry asked, "She's supposed to wait for us."
"Oh, she went through the barrier with Colin Creevy."
"Okay then."
"Let's hurry up a bit." She said, pushing her trolley forward, "We'll grab a compartment all to ourselves on the train and sleep there. I still need a few hours worth of it."
At the barrier, they leaned on the wall and got onto the other side. Ginny was there, talking to Colin and Deanne, her best friends. They waved to her and moved away from the barrier, where other people were arriving.
"Hey guys," Ron said suddenly, stopping.
"What is it Ron? We can sleep on the train. Hurry up." Hermione said, half-listening to the clomping of her boots on the stone pavement.
"I'm not a prefect." He said.
Hermione stopped, trying to make sense of what he had said. So what if he wasn't a prefect?
"I can't sit with you all on the train." He continued.
"Oops." Hermione said, "I didn't think of that."
"I suppose it'll be okay. I mean, who would check?" Harry said, "Besides, I don't think it's a school rule."
"Okay. Let's go then." Ron said, relieved.
They lugged their trunks up onto the front part of the train and got into an empty compartment.
"Here we are." Harry said, helping Hermione stash her trunk away. "This would be our Headquarters for the rest of the train journey."
The compartment was a little more different than the ones they have been seating in for the past 6 years. It was built for comfort and luxury. The seats were soft, velveteen couches and had a couple of cushions on them. The compartment itself was larger and more spacious. There was a glass table in the middle with bottles of mineral water on it.
"Ah, this is the life!" Ron said, sinking into one of the sofas, "You two are gonna be so pampered for the rest of the year. And you're gonna have to share it with me."
Harry laughed and dropped onto a sofa. Hermione picked the one next to the window and lay on it, hugging an embroidered cushion and crossing her legs in front of her.
"A prefect's life sure is good!" She said.
"A Head Girl's life would be really great then!" Harry said, throwing a soft cushion at Hermione.
"Ahuh." She said, voice muffled by the pillow on her face.
Just then, the compartment door slid open. Harry and Hermione craned their necks to see who was it.
"Mr. Weasley, may I have a word with you?" Said Professor McGonagall. She had decided to come and escort the students to Hogwarts this year.
"No. Mr. Weasley has some plans." Ron said, obviously not knowing who was at the door, "He's intending to eat like a prefect, drink like a prefect and sleep like prefect for the rest of this train journey. So bugger off! I'll sign your autograph book when I'm through with my catnap."
Professor McGonagall gave a tight smile and walked up to Ron, who, unfortunately, had his eyes closed. Harry and Hermione stood up, glancing at each other and not knowing what to do.
"Mr. Weasley," She said, "I think you should look at the person when you decide to open your mouth."
Ron eyes shot open, recognizing the stern voice and the slight Scottish lilt. He sat up on the sofa as straight as a broom.
"Sorry, Professor," He squeaked, "I didn't know it was you."
Professor McGonagall raised her eyebrow and walked out of the compartment, motioning Ron to follow her.
"And yes, Mr. Potter and Ms. Granger," She said before leaving, "You would be required to attend a meeting later at school. You will exit the train through the front and follow me up to the castle. Understood?"
Both Harry and Hermione nodded.
"Come, Mr. Weasley."
Ron gave a terrified look before shutting the door behind him. He was in for it, big time.
"Do you think he'll be okay?" Hermione said, after an eternity of staring at the door.
"I don't know," Harry replied, "In the meantime, my only plan is to sleep."
With that, he took off his slightly damp jacket and started snoring the moment he rested his head on the pillow. Hermione just smiled and went to stand at the window.
Hermione could see the students boarding the train. She spotted Lavender Brown, Parvati Patil with Seamus Finnigan and Dean Thomas getting on the train. Lavender had hooked up with Seamus during the holidays. In her weekly letters to Hermione, Lavender had described him as 'the most sweet person on earth' and planned to make him 'my lover for life'.
"The only time I would utter such nonsense would be the time when I have to be admitted into the asylum." She said to herself.
They spotted her and waved, she waved back. She noticed Parvati and Dean were holding hands.
"So, they're also an item." She thought, "That leaves me, single and un-taken."
She shuddered again. First, she got confused over Harry and now she had started thinking about all these romance nonsense. A sure sign that the world is coming to an end. Even during the days of Viktor Krum, she had never thought about it the way Lavender did. With her squeals of delight and her incessant sighs, it was too much for Hermione to bear.
Hermione blocked out the thoughts and sank onto the couch. It felt really great to be going back to Hogwarts, even if it's for the very last time. She smiled and patted the upholstery on the sofa.
"I'm going to miss all of these." She said out loud.
A flash outside the window caught her attention. She looked out. It was a man, wearing a black trenchcoat and black boots, striding along the pavement. The man turned and got up the train. Hermione could only catch a glimpse of a gloved hand with long, tapered fingers grasping the railing before he disappeared onboard the train.
Then she heard the whistle blowing and the sudden jerk told her that the Hogwarts Express had begun its homeward journey. Back to Hogwarts Castle. Back home. Hermione lay back down on the sofa, released her grasp on all thoughts and drifted to sleep.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Thank you for reviewing-Amy and underscore! Cool, now I have the green light to go on with my plot, all because you have approved that it's NOT crummy! When does hunky and sexy Draco pop out? Hmm…the next chapter is all about him. OH YEAH! Hold on to your seats! These few chapters may seem a tad bit boring, but it's there for a purpose. Hehe. Please continue reviewing!
DISCLAIMER: No, I don't own anyone. Wish I did though.