DISCLAIMER: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the things found in the books that show up in this story. But the plot is mine.
SPECIAL THANX TO THE REVIEWERS: hyparly4suger, sweet-77-thang, Avery, Kaylee Hiwatari, toriisen, paprika90, and NO NAME,lol! Thanx to you all for the reviews, It's nice to hear from you all! Enjoy this chappie!!!
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Chapter 4: Common Room Memories
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Everyone finished eating as much as they wanted and began to mill around to talk to other classmates. Hermione stayed in her seat and enjoyed a friendly conversation with Harry. Both of them were trying their best to keep off the subject of why Hermione left ten years earlier. She could see it in his eyes that he was dying to ask her straight out but didn't in fear of pissing her off.
"You and Ginny seem really happy together," Hermione commented, keeping the topic off herself.
"We are happy," Harry smiled; his eyes were resting on the back of the small red head that he had married. She was still busy talking, actually gossiping, with Lavender.
"I wish I could have been at the wedding," Harry could hear the regret in her confession.
"Me too," he gave her shoulder a reassuring squeeze. "But what's done is done. I do hope you'll be around for other things."
"Me too. I really do want to, I just… I'm sorry," Hermione stopped before her mouth completely ran way with her. Harry chuckled, but it turned into a full out laugh when Hermione continued to stutter.
"I'm being serious." Hermione whacked him in the arm playfully.
"I'm sorry Mione," Harry kept right on laughing as he spoke. "You just…look so cute when you're flustered." Again she whacked him in the arm but it was all in good fun. It was nice to hear Harry laughing and joking with her. It was like she never really left.
"Excuse me students," Professor Dumbledore was standing up at the front, calling for their attention once more. "Tomorrow will be a day of getting reacquainted and relaxing. Classes and activities will begin on Monday. Now would you all please follow the prefects to your common rooms." Percy Weasley appeared at the head of the Griffindor table.
"Follow me please," he ordered curtly. "Keep up." The initial shock of seeing the older Weasley wore off quickly and they all scurried like nervous first years after him.
Harry held his wife's hand as they left the Great Hall to the common room. Hermione moved to follow them but someone tapped her on the shoulder.
"Professor McGonagall," Hermione turned to face the Transfiguration teacher.
"Hermione." Student and professor embraced but released quickly.
"It's so good to see you professor," Hermione's pleasure was truly genuine. McGonagall had become a surrogate mother of sorts during her last years at Hogwarts. She was the only person Hermione had kept in touch with after her swift departure from the wizarding world.
"It's been so long since I've been able to speak to you in person," McGonagall smiled back. "How is everyone back home?"
"Just fine, everyone is doing great."
"Well, we'll catch up later. Dumbledore would like to see you for a moment." The Great Hall was empty except for them. Hermione nodded and followed her to his office.
"Lemon Meringue."
Dumbledore's office was just as Hermione had remembered it. Not that she had been there too often but when she had she always found new things to look at. Behind the large desk in the center of the room was Dumbledore himself.
"Ah hem," McGonagall cleared her throat.
"Ah Minerva," Dumbledore looked up from the pile of papers in front of him. "And Miss Granger."
"Hello Professor."
"How is life in the muggle world?" Dumbledore got up from his desk and began to rummage through the shelves on the wall behind his desk.
"Fine, just fine," Hermione assured him. "I'm very happy there."
"That's good." He continued to speak with his back facing her. " I have something that I thought you might want back."
Hermione was too confused to answer him. A response didn't seem to matter to Dumbledore; he continued to search through his shelves and draws.
"Ah found it!" He exclaimed and turned to face Hermione.
"My wand!" the obvious shock showed in her brown eyes. "How did you…where did you…I thought I'd lost if for good." She clasped the smooth wand in her hand and it was like she had never put it down.
"I found it down one of the corridors after commencement but I never found you," Dumbledore stared at her intently as he took his seat behind his desk. "I thought I'd just hold on to it until you came back."
"How did you know I'd come back?" Hermione questioned the Headmaster.
"Let's just say intuition," Dumbledore's eyes twinkled. Hermione nodded, a little confused by it all. "And you'll be needing it while you're here."
"But I haven't used it in ten years," Hermione didn't mean for the statement to come out as a whine but it did.
"It will come back to you," Dumbledore assured her. "Especially since you'll be sharing the Head suite again with Mr. Malfoy."
"So it's not quite like first year then?" If this news bothered Hermione, she didn't let it show on her face.
"I suppose it's a little of both," Dumbledore answered.
"I see," Hermione contemplated the situation. "So I'll need my wand in case he tries anything? And I thought he'd become a model citizen."
"He has indeed turned over a new leaf after the war but I thought maybe the old rivalry still stood between you two," Dumbledore explained.
Hermione let out a laugh that to her ears sounded stiff and awkward. She hoped Dumbledore wouldn't pick up on it. " I don't think those old problems will matter anymore, they're no longer that relevant."
"If you say so," Dumbledore nodded. "Draco has changed a lot since you were last with him. Works side by side with the Minister of Magic now."
"Good for him," Hermione was getting bored and uncomfortable with the topic.
"Well I shouldn't keep you any longer, Miss Granger," Dumbledore seemed to pick up on Hermione's restlessness. "Professor McGonagall will show you to the Head suite and give you the new password."
"Goodnight Professor Dumbledore," Hermione waved and followed McGonagall out of the office. Dumbledore nodded in acknowledgement and then returned his attention back to the pile of papers on his desk.
"Lunar Eclipse," McGonagall spoke the password to open the portal to the Head Suite. "If he gives you any trouble, you have my permission to curse him with whatever you think of first."
Hermione couldn't help but laugh. "Don't worry, Draco Malfoy won't be a problem. We're both adults now and should be able to handle our differences without cursing each other."
"I know," McGonagall laughed ever so slightly. "I keep forgetting you've all grown up. Have a good night Hermione."
"Night," Hermione watched McGonagall walk back down the hall and around the corner before she ventured into the common area.
The common room looked the same to Hermione. The walls were still red with gold trim and the furniture was the same black leather couches and chairs with silver pillows. Trying to mix the colors of Griffindor and Slytherin to make both occupants feel at home. It had taken Hermione a while to feel at home when she had first moved in, the main discomfort being her roommate, Draco Malfoy. He had done everything in his power to make her life miserable during their first few months together.
It was during Christmas break when they finally started to act civil to each other. For some reason they got locked in their suite and couldn't get out. During the first few hours of being trapped together were spent trying every spell they could think of to help them get out or contact someone. But unfortunately none of their spells worked. To make matters even worse, they couldn't retreat to their separate rooms either. They were stuck in the common room.
"This is all your fault, mudblood," Malfoy would accuse her every five minutes or so.
"How the hell is this my fault?" Hermione had snapped back the first few times he said it.
"Because you're a filthy little mudblood that wants to be alone with me," would be his haughty answer.
"Sod off." Then the room had been silent. They stared at each other. Hermione in one of the black leather chairs and Malfoy spread out on the couch.
"Why do you think someone would want to lock us in here?" Malfoy asked. Hermione had thought she'd seen his pale cheeks redden when he realized he had asked her the question.
"It's probably just Peeves playing a joke on the Head boy and girl," Hermione brushed off any thoughts of it being anything else. When she noticed the funny look on his face she had to ask him. "Why what do you think?"
Malfoy's eyebrows furrowed. "Same." Hermione felt herself smiling at him.
"Do you want to play chess?" she didn't know why she asked, the words just slipped out as if someone else was speaking for her.
"Anything to pass the time," he answered trying not to sound too thrilled. So Hermione pulled out the Wizards chess set that had been a present from Harry for her birthday the year before. They played a few games and that's how it all started. From that day on Malfoy was polite to Hermione and she was the same way to him.
Hermione smiled at the memory. Seventh year had been complicated for her and being back at Hogwarts made all the forgotten memories flood back. She had been standing in the doorway, observing the room from a distance but all the thoughts flooding her brain were giving her a headache so she decided to sit in her favorite chair in front of the fire place. A fire was already burning, warming up the room. Hermione noticed something on the mantle and walked over to retrieve it before sitting down in the chair.
When Hermione sat down her buttocks was not met with the soft leather of the chair that she had sat in ten years earlier. It felt like she was sitting on someone's legs. She didn't move, she couldn't, she was too shocked to do anything. The sound of someone else breath mixed with the sound of the crackling fire.
The person said two words that send shivers down Hermione's spine.
"Hello Granger."
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After a long delay (which I'm really sorry about) there is the fourth chapter if HERMIONE RETURNS! Hope you liked it. I would have had it up sooner but like I said before I had exams! The joys of high school. Anyways Please review. I love hearing from all of you. I'll try to have the next chapter written and posted soon but I have early morning now! Yeah (which mean I have to be a school for my first class at 7 am!) Sounds like fun don't it? Anyway hope to hear from all of you who read my story!!
~Miss Wright ~