a/n: I'm sorry for how long it takes me to get each chapter out but, I tend to like to read stories more than write them
Disclaimer: nope, I don't own a thing
Chapter Three: On The Hogwarts Express
"Ready, Harry?"
"Yeah" Harry replied.
"Alright then, let's go. Ron! We're leaving!" shouted Lupin.
Harry and Lupin walked out the front door, with his trunk dragging along behind them. They met Mad-Eye outside carrying Hedwig's and Pig's cages, and Ron closely followed with his own trunk. Mad-Eye put a charm on all the trunks to make them very light for the walk to Kings Cross. The four of them began their walk. Hermione and Ginny had already left with Mr. and Mrs. Granger about five minutes before. It was important for them to split up so no muggles would find them too odd. The walk to Kings Cross was silent between them.
They made it to Kings cross about ten minutes before the train was supposed to leave. Harry and Ron ran through the barrier between platforms 9 and 10. They emerged on the other side, staring at a sign that said "Hogwarts Express Platform 9 ¾" Harry and Ron quickly got onto the train, and found the compartment where Ginny had already placed her things. They ran back onto the platform.
"Mum!" Ron shouted to a worried looking Mrs. Weasley.
"Oh! Ron, Harry! There you are! I was afraid you were going to miss the train!" She gave both Ron and Harry a big hug.
"Alright, so you have everything? Your owls? Your robes? Your books?" Mrs. Weasley could have gone on but the train gave a two minute warning hoot. She gave both of them another hug, and sent them off to get on the train. From the train Ron, Harry and Ginny all waved bye to Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, Lupin and Mad-Eye. Finally, they were out of site of the platform and speeding through the country.
There was a noise outside the compartment, and the door opened. Standing there was a boy named Neville who was also in his seventh year.
"Hey, Neville" Harry said
"Harry, can I sit in this compartment with you? Everywhere else is full." Said Neville
" 'course you can." Ron Said. Neville pulled his trunk into the compartment and sat down.
"How are you" Ginny asked Neville
"I'm okay. Trevor died last week." Neville said sadly.
"Oh, I'm sorry, Neville"
"Have you seen the new broom?" Ron asked Neville excitedly.
"Yeah, it's awesome. It's too bad I can't fly" Neville said.
"It's supposed to be just as good as the Firebolt!" Harry said.
"Yeah, did you see the twigs? They were perfect!" said Ron.
The four of them continued talking about the Thunderbolt.
There was a knock at the door of the compartment, and then it opened.
"Would you four like some treats?" asked the witch who always pushed the food trolley.
Harry got some pumpkin pasties and some cauldron cakes and a few chocolate frogs to share with everyone.
Hermione walked down to Kings Cross with Ginny and Mr. and Mrs. Weasley.
"Oh! You better hurry up! Your Head Girl, you don't want to be late!" Mrs. Weasley said as she gave Hermione a big hug and a kiss on the cheek.
"See ya' Mrs. Weasley, Mr. Weasley." Hermione said as she ran off toward the train.
Hermione pulled her trunk onto the train, and started heading toward the front. The Head Boy and Girl had their own compartment on the train so that they could meet each other and, if they don't already know each other, have a little time to get to know the person they will be sharing a "house" with. When she reached the Head compartment she pulled the door open to find that it was empty. She pushed her trunk under the seat and sat down to wait for the Head Boy.
Hermione was only sitting there for about a minute when the compartment door was shoved open again and she found herself staring into the face of the one and only Draco Malfoy.
"Malfoy?" Hermione said.
"And who else did you expect? Ernie Macmillan?" Malfoy laughed. Hermione couldn't say anything. How could her worst enemy be standing there in front of her as the person who she would have to live with and cooperate with for the entire school year?
"Stop staring at me!" Malfoy said and snapped Hermione out of her trance, Hermiones cheeks blushed; she hadn't realized that she was staring at him.
"Sorry" she replied quietly.
The two of them did not speak to each other after that. Hermione sat reading or gazing out the window, while Malfoy read or played with a deck of wizards cards. Eventually there was a knock at the door and it was pushed open.
"Here you go," said the witch pushing the food trolley as she handed each of them a chocolate frog, "These are for the Head Boy and Girl." Hermione and Malfoy each took the offered chocolate and muttered their thanks.
"Now what a sad pair you two are. You should be happy, it's your last year at Hogwarts and you are both the top of your class!" The witch said.
Neither Hermione nor Malfoy responded, but through her peripheral vision, Hermione saw that Malfoy was glaring at the witch, and the witch shut the door a little extra hard, and left the two kids to their silence.
Hermione started to feel the train slow down a little, and then it came to a screeching halt. Hermione and Malfoy both looked up at each other with confused looks on their faces, there was no way they had reached Hogsmead Station yet. Hermione started to feel cold, and then the light that had filtered into the train minutes ago seemed to become dull and gray.
"Dementors" Malfoy whispered with a shiver and moments later the door to their compartment slid open. Standing in the door way was a huge black hooded figure. The figure stood there sucking out any happiness that had once filled the minds of the two occupants. Hermione saw frost start grow on the glass of the compartment door, then blackness filled her, and she fainted.
Hermione opened her eyes, it was bleary, she could tell she was still on the train, and she felt a small jerk that told her that the train was moving again. Then she realized that she was lying down, but she couldn't tell exactly what she was laying on.
"Here," a soft voice told her, as a chocolate frog was pushed into her hand, "Eat this, it will make you feel better" She took a bite and sat up, but almost choked on the chocolate the moment she saw where her head had been resting.
"Are you okay?" Malfoy asked. Hermione didn't answer, but instead just stared at the blonde boy. Why was I lying on his lap? How did I end up there? Why did Draco Malfoy allow me to lye on his lap? How long was I there? "Will you stop staring at me?" Draco asked for the second time that day.
"Sorry" Hermione paused for a moment and then asked, "What happened?"
"You fainted, when the dementor came in. You got sort of ridged and then fell forward, so I picked you up. Then I had to go and restore order on the train once they all left. Apparently Potter used a patronus charm and sent all the dementors away. When I came back you still hadn't woken from the faint so, I sat down to wait."
"How long have I been unconscious?" said Hermione
"Probably about fifteen minutes."
"Really, that long?"
"Yeah, it was sort of…scary" Malfoy said.
Hermione was silent for a minute.
"Malfoy, why are you being so nice?"
"Why am I being so nice? Because I am not my father, I am not going to allow him to use me to create a replica of him. I don't want to be a death eater, I don't care about pureblood and muggle born, I am not my father, and I never want to be. I had not realized how terrible it all really was because I was blinded by him and my own ignorance. My father doesn't care about me, all he cares about is having someone to carry on the Malfoy name. But don't get me wrong, just because I'm being nice to you doesn't mean that I like Potter or Weasel, I still hate them both." Malfoy stopped talking just as soon as he realized that he was ranting. Just as he finished his ranting there was a knock at the compartment door and again is was pushed open.
Harry and Ron were standing in the doorway.
"Hermione, are you okay?" asked Harry.
"Yeah, I'm fine." Hermione responded.
"We heard you fainted." Ron said worried.
"Yeah, I did, but I'm okay now"
"Did you eat any chocolate?" Harry asked her
"Yeah, I had a little"
"You two can stop interrogating her, she's fine." Said Malfoy
Harry and Ron looked at Malfoy, like they just noticed he was there.
"What are you doing here Malfoy?" Ron asked
"Duh, why do you think I'm here Weasel. You're looking at the new head boy. You and potter here better watch you step this year." Malfoy said
Ron looked like he wanted to pounce on Malfoy.
"Oh, Ron, don't start this again." Hermione said
"I haven't started anything; it's him that started it!" Ron retorted pointing a finger at Malfoy.
"Me? I didn't do anything" Malfoy said in a fake innocent voice. Hermione rolled her eyes.
"We should go find Dean and Seamus, I wonder if they have seen the new broom." Harry said to Ron. Ron sort of grunted at this, and Harry took that as an agreement and they left Malfoy and Hermione to themselves.
They still had a few hours left to the train ride. Sometime during these few hours Hermione had fallen asleep and Malfoy during this time had stared out the window, thinking.
a/n: If your reading this, I bet you have a minute to leave a quick review, and i will realy appriciate it if you do!
