Hermione stepped through the barrier onto the bustling Platform 9 ¾. She glanced around with a mixture of excitement and wistfulness upon her face. This would be the last time she would take the Hogwarts Express to school. The next time she stood on this platform, she would be going home for good.
The attractive brunette sighed, then straightened her shoulders. Hermione glanced around, searching for Harry and Ron. It appeared that they had yet to arrive – the Weasley's were always running late. She decided to board the train and find an empty compartment. She would save them seats once she got on board.
Hermione reached down to grasp her trunk, but found that someone else's hand already grasped the handle. She looked up into Malfoy's silvery eyes and gasped audibly. The blonde boy grinned wickedly at her, and, to her dismay, had the audacity to wink!
"You look like you could use a hand, ma'am," Malfoy drawled, lifting her trunk. Hermione gaped at him for a moment before regaining her senses. She shook her head and set her mouth into a firm line.
"I'm quite alright, Malfoy. I'm perfectly capable of carrying my trunk on my own, thank you very much."
Malfoy continued to smirk at the brunette, much to her discomfort. She began to squirm uncomfortably and shifted her eyes away. Something about him was very unnerving, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it.
'Why does he make me feel this way?' Hermione thought, groaning inwardly.
Malfoy watched intently as Hermione waged an internal battle with herself. His smirk dissipated into a curious and friendly smile. He shifted the trunk to his other hand, away from Hermione. The girl's eyes narrowed and she reached for her luggage.
"Come now, Granger, surely you could allow me, your fellow Head Boy, to carry your trunk for you? We ought to work at getting along better, since we'll be sharing quarters for the year," Malfoy continued to smile at her. He watched closely to gauge her reaction.
And what a reaction it was. Hermione's eyes darkened and she reached for her luggage again. This time, Malfoy allowed her to grab hold of it. She held her trunk tightly with both hands and backed away from him. A mixture of curiosity and wariness was in her gaze as Hermione continued to stare at him. She kept backing away until she met with a solid object.
"Hey, Hermione, is anything wrong?" Hermione whirled around, dropping her trunk in the process. Harry's green eyes gazed into her chocolate orbs with concern. Hermione glanced towards Malfoy quickly. The blonde was staring at Harry with intense dislike and – could it be? – jealousy. Harry followed Hermione's gaze across the platform. His eyes narrowed.
"Harry, don't…" Hermione trailed off as Harry strode off towards Malfoy. The two boys exchanged some hushed, obviously hostile words. Malfoy's face darkened, and he spun on one heel and boarded the train. Harry walked back over to stand by Hermione's side. He put his arms on her shoulders and tilted her chin up so that she was looking directly into his eyes. Hermione felt a tremor run through her body that had nothing to do with the episode she had just experienced.
"Are you alright, 'Mione?" Harry murmured.
Hermione gazed at him, unable to speak. The girl merely stared into Harry's eyes, her heart rate speeding up. She breathed in his scent and leaned towards him. Harry's gaze turned from concerned to serious in a matter of moments. Hermione's eyes fluttered shut and she tilted her face up towards Harry's. The raven-haired boy brought his hand to her cheek and leaned in to kiss her.
"Hey, Harry! Get over here and help me with this owl of yours!"
Hermione and Harry jumped away from each other immediately at the sound of Ron's voice. They glanced sheepishly at each other, then turned away. Hermione picked up her trunk and Harry walked towards Ron to help with the rest of the luggage. The trio boarded the Hogwarts Express and settled into an empty compartment, preparing for their last journey to Hogwarts.