Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.
Future warning: I just finished reading Half-Blood Prince thirty minutes ago and there are definite spoilers in this chapter, so if you want to be surprised when you finally read the new book, you better go and read it and then come back to read this. I REPEAT, THERE ARE DEFINITE SPOILERS IN THIS CHAPTER!
"Bloody Hell, Granger!"
"What are you even doing back at Hogwarts, Malfoy?" Hermione sneered, lowering her eyes to the floor. "Come back to get McGonagall?"
"Shut up, Mudblood!" Draco screamed, his fists tightening at his side. He held it in and turned his back to go to his compartment.
Hermione straightened out her jacket and sniffed, blinking back tears for the memory of last year. She was ecstatic and shocked to find that they were opening Hogwarts back up this year. Malfoy was not something she had expected.
Picking up her bag of school robes from the floor, she sauntered along the corridors, silently peering into each compartment checking for Ron. She found him in one of the last compartments in that section of the train and saw him engrossed a rather lengthy book.
'There's a change,' she thought, opening the sliding door and quietly closing it behind her.
"Heya Ron," She said, plopping carelessly into one of the seats across from him. She noticed he had already changed into his robes.
He sighed and folded the top of the corner of the page of the book he was reading and set it to the side.
"It's going to be weird, you know, Harry not being here this year. Nothing to do but pay attention and never get into trouble." He loosened the tie around his neck.
Hermione nodded and stared out the window, pulling her feet onto the seat beside her.
"Ron, did you that Malfoy is back at Hogwarts this year?" Hermione asked, still staring blankly out of the window.
He growled. "Don't remind me. I've been warned several times to steer clear of him by mum. She says I need to read up on apparating and the dark arts, hence this book." He nodded in the direction of where the book was laying beside him.
"Oh. Right." They sat in silence for nearly 15 minutes before she announced to Ron that she would be going to change into her school robes and would return in 5 minutes or so.
Hermione opened the compartment door and slid out, closing it behind her. She clutched the bag in her hand as she followed the corridor into the ending section of the train, where the changing rooms were located. She walked in and changed out of her muggle clothing and into her school uniform.
Along the way back to Ron's compartment she heard screaming coming from one so she peered in. It was just Ginny telling Dean that she liked Harry and didn't want him Dean back, no matter how much he begged. She smiled to herself and thought of Ron while she trudged back to their compartment, entering it and sitting back down.
For a long while over the summer, Hermione considered owling Ron and asking him to meet her in Diagon Alley to have an ice cream, but realized that it was probably all boarded up from the attacks at Hogwarts last year.
Everyone feared for their lives. Nobody went to Diagon Alley anymore. They all ordered everything from a catalogue system that was set up a mere few weeks after Dumbledore had died. The Minister decided it was best and much safer, especially for the new students daringly entering Hogwarts for their first time.
The Minister even allowed magic to be done in a few wizarding homes for parents to home school their children. Many parents did not want their children sent back to Hogwarts.
Hermione sighed and looked over at Ron, who was looking at her the whole time with his cheeks flushed red.
"What?" She asked, pulling her hand over her face, scanning it. "What is it?"
"Uhm…well, I talked to Harry over the summer--"
"Well, of course you did. He was staying at the burrow for most of the summer before he left again." She dropped her hand back down into her lap and laughed.
"Right. Yeah. Well, he and I were talking about girls and…"
Hermione noticed that his hands were sweating and she began to get a little nervous too. Was he going to ask her on a date? Is that what she wanted? Of course, it was. She felt the stab of jealously every time Lavendar and Ron were kissing last year. Was it jealousy? Or was it resentment? Hermione wasn't sure, but now she didn't know how she would respond if Ron asked her out. It's what she wanted, right?
He wiped his sweaty hands on his pant leg and he took a deep breath. "Right. Well, Harry said I should just come right out with it."
"Right. On with it then…" Hermione had no clue why she said that.
"Right. Well, here it is." He took another deep breath. "Hermione, will you –"
Just then Ginny burst through the door, followed by Dean.
"Ginny please! I'm sorry. I've said it a million times!" He pleaded, dropping to his knees on the floor as she sat next to her brother.
"Sod off, Dean!" Ron got his courage back and Dean jumped to his feet.
"Oi! Stay out of this, mate! This isn't your business." Dean staggered on his feet, looking at Ginny with pleading eyes.
Ron moved up close to him and his tall frame hung over Dean's short one. "You harassing my baby sister isn't my business?"
Dean grunted and stomped out of the compartment.
"Thanks Ron." Ginny pulled her brother back to his seat.
Hermione sighed with relief. What would she have said if Ginny hadn't burst in here?
Silence filled the compartment as Ron picked up his book again.
"Merlin, No!" Hermione jumped to her feet, pulling her Head Girl badge out of her cloak pocket. "We've got a meeting with McGonagall, Ron!" She practically flew out of the compartment with Ron trailing slowly behind her, hands in his pockets.
She yanked open the door where the meeting had already begun and mouthed "sorry" to the new headmistress.
"I see the Head Girl can't get to the meeting on time--" She watched Ron saunter into the compartment "and neither can our Gryffindor prefect."
"Sorry, headmistress," Ron was still sour about her becoming headmistress. She didn't have Dumbledore's spunk. He plopped into a very empty space between a Hufflepuff and a Slytherin, scooting closer to the Hufflepuff. Nobody trusted Slytherins these days, not even most of the Slytherins themselves.
"Hermione Granger, please take a seat next to this year's Head Boy, James Smith." Hermione took the empty seat next to the seventh year Ravenclaw. If last year's incident hadn't occurred she was sure The Head Boy position would've been occupied by the silver-haired Slytherin, much to her dismay. James Smith was a very tall, handsome boy that Hermione has been having rows with since 4th year. James was struggling to have better grades, even if it meant cheating. Cheaters were not only in Slytherin. Alas, Hermione always won him out in the end. James gave her an inviting sneer and an ignorant wink when Hermione looked at him.
Minerva McGonagall was never one for discrimination, but she had to admit that she was a little untrusting of Draco Malfoy's appearance on this year's student schedule.
"As I was saying, this meeting is concerning the very high security going on at Hogwarts this year…." She droned on until the announcement was made that they had arrived at their destination and first years were to report to the headmistress.
Hermione and Ron shot her questioning glances.
She simply replied that Hagrid said he was unable to welcome students to a school without Dumbledore first time.
Hermione's eyes began to sting, but she shook her head and followed Ron off the train and to the carriages.
"I'm still halfway expecting Harry to show up late in the Great Hall tonight," Ron said, bowing his head sadly.
"Me too." Hermione and Ron jumped in the nearest carriage with Luna and Neville,dreading the ride to the new Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
Well, here's another chapter of my in character story! HAHAHAHAHA! Well, I started writing this story before Half-Blood Prince came out so of course I had to change some things around to make sense according to the new book. lol. Well, thanks for reviewing! I'll start my Thank yous in the next chapter of this story, but until then PLEASE REVIEW! lmao.
I love you all!
Love, Anastaja