Sorry for the wait, I had an operation done and I was recovering. Plus I had exams and end of year papers to do beforehand. So I hope you all forgive me and please leave a review.

Chapter Four

All That I've got

I'll be just fine

Pretending I'm not

I'm far from lonely

And it's all that I've got

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They were all anxious to get onto the train that Mrs. Weasley had to tell them to simmer down about twelve times on the way to the Hogwarts express.

Mr. Weasley had to work so Mrs. Weasley was on her own when taking the children to Hogwarts and seeing them off once again.

'Quick, come along…you're going to miss it!' she said in hushed panic.

'Once, just once,' Ginny started, 'I would like to be here at least 20 minutes ahead.

'Oh, stop complaining, you can thank your brother for that.' Mrs. Weasley said while getting their trunks out of the car. 'Now hurry, run through Ginny.'

Hermione went through the wall between station 9 and 10 shortly after Ron and Harry. There was a big crash and Ron sighed. 'Hermione why did you leave your cart in front of the wall so other people can run into it?' Hermione gave him a nasty look and ran to her cart and her cat, Crookshanks.

'Oh are you okay my little muffin?' she cooed as she picked him and his cage up first. 'I'm terribly sorry I- oh its YOU' she sneered at Malfoy.

'What do you think you're doing mudblood?' Malfoy said scathingly, 'leaving your dirty things around.'

'You know after five years one would think you would have grown up.' Hermione growled. 'You can't expect to enter the world acting like your ten years old.'

'Sure he can.' Said Ron, 'his father did it and he's got a job at the Ministry of Magic.' Harry laughed and even Hermione let a small smile show.

Draco's lip curled and was about to say something back when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He looked behind him partly relieved to see it was his father.

'Draco, you don't want to cause any commotion before you get to school, now do you?' his father bent down and whispered in his ear. 'Remember, you're a pure blood, don't let me down' Draco's eyes narrowed and he pushed his cart to the train and saw his two cronies, Crabb and Goyle.

'Crabb, Goyle take this and go find a cart for us to sit in' he demanded. They listened right away and hurried to grab his stuff.

'What are you three laughing about?' Draco asked angrily to Harry, Hermione, and Ron.

'You' Ron retorted. Draco gave him his gleeful, well know smirk and said, 'what type of book is this Weasley hmm? A hand-me-down from your brothers brother?'

'Shut up Malfoy. Before I make you wish you hadn't worn that smirk' he started to get his wand out.

'I wouldn't be in a hurry to get that wand of yours out Weasel, its not you job at stake' he motioned his head to his father and left for the train.

'Come on guys,' Harry said a little peeved, 'we better get on the train or we'll miss it'

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'Just once I'd like to punch Malfoy's ugly little face in without his father looming over us all the time.'

'Ron' Hermione said unenthusiastically. He didn't listen to and kept on talking. 'No Hermione, did you not see the way he treated you…or did you happen to miss behind that book of yours.' Hermione shot him a dirty look and then went back to reading her Standard Book of Spells, grade 6. 'Even his own friends seem to not like him much.'

'Ron' Harry said in the same tone as Hermione.

'Not that Crabb and Goyle are smart enough to know how to construct emotions. And what is up with Malfoy's stupid sneer'

'Ron!' Ginny's attempt was a little sterner.

'Malfoy deservers to have a…'

'RON SHUT UP!' All three of them yelled together.

'What?' he said in his defense. They all looked at him. 'I didn't do anything all I was saying is' Harry cut him off.

'Yes Ron, we know how much you hate Malfoy, so do we all and almost everyone else and most of the teachers (Snape doesn't count) so you see we don't want to spend the WHOLE trip to Hogwarts talking about the most annoying wizard on this train when as soon as we get off we are going to be around him for a longer time'

'Alright I'll stop it' Ron and Harry started talking about how something totally off the topic of Draco while Hermione didn't pay attention; she just stared outside the window, pretending to read. Instead she thought about how bad Harry had felt a few nights before.

According to Hermione, Harry must have gotten better since that night downstairs and apparently so had Ron. All she could think about was how upset he had looked, and why.

'Hey are you all right Hermione? You seem a little… edgy?' Harry asked cautiously.

'No I'm fine, just thinking that's all.'

'About your classes?'

'That yes but also about the new dark arts teacher, hopefully they will be as good as the last few years, minus Umbridge.'

'I'm going to go for a walk or something.' Hermione said and stood up out of the stall, while Ginny, Ron and Harry looked at each other in question.

Hermione was pacing up and down the aisle just thinking to herself about Ron and Harry and if everything was really all right with them.

'What's going on out there Crabb?' barked Draco.

'I don't know?' he said impassively.

'Well why don't you CHECK?' he snapped and rubbed his temples while Goyle snorted with laughter. 'What are you laughing at?'

'Nothing' Goyle said on queue.

'It's just that girl, you know Potter's friend' Draco's eye's gleamed with excitement.

'My turn to get back at the little witch Granger' He stood up and left his compartment.

'What in the blazes are you doing' Malfoy asked

'Nothing of your business Malfoy'

'Forget your book on how to be perfect?'

'No. But I see you didn't forget your book on how to make the perfect Corny Jokes.'

'Real Wizards don't need books on how to be perfect but people like you, Mudbloods, obviously do' She gave him a look of distress and utter disgust.

'Right and real wizards don't disgrace their family name' she turned and started to leave but Draco stopped her and turned her to face him.

'I disgrace nothing, understand?' he pushed her away.

'I'm not afraid of you' she whispered stormily.

'You should be' he said and his eyes flashed and then he returned to his seat and so did Hermione. She didn't speak to either Ron or Harry the whole way

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A well-known smell welcomed them as they entered Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Hagrid greeted Harry, Ron and Hermione. Hermione looked at Harry and couldn't remember when she had seen him so happy.

Certainly not a couple of nights ago when he cried his eyes out when he talked to her about Sirius but maybe he was trying to forget about it to make Ron forget about what he had seen. Not that there was actually anything going on ANYWAY.

'Hermione, are you all right?' asked Ron with slight concern in his voice.

'Yes. Why?' she smiled slightly covering her worry.

'Because you are tearing up the napkin into tiny little bits.' Ron said simply. Hermione looked down and realized that she had a small pile of teeny pieces of napkin in front of her. Then she glanced over at Harry who looked as deep in thought as she had been.

'May I have everybody's attention?' Came the voice of Dumbledore. 'The sorting is about to begin.'

And so Professor McGonagall led the petrified children down between the tables and in front of the little stool, which on top held the sorting hat. It seemed that as the years went by more people went into Slytherin and less into Gryffindor.

'Soon that bloody hat is going to have to put them in different houses to save up on room.' Ron said while stuffing some chicken in his mouth.

'Please Ron, I wish you wouldn't eat with your mouth full.' Hermione frowned at him. Ron gave her the "yes mom" look.

'D'you think that is the new defense against the dark arts teacher?' Harry asked nodding towards the teachers' table. Sitting between Professor Snape and Professor Sprout was a woman with medium length brown hair and intense purple eyes. Harry was starring at her eyes without speaking until she turned to face him with a slight smile that crossed her thin lips. Harry looked back down to his mashed potatoes.

'May I have everyone's attention please. Please.' Dumbledore waited for the hall to become completely silent. Well, without the talking anyway. 'I am pleased to introduce Professor Emmy Darling, the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher.' He then motioned for her to stand up. She looked around nervously and Professor Snape's sneer didn't help too much either.

She stood up while everyone cheered, but all the while staring fixedly on Harry. When the clapping stopped she cleared her throat and everyone's attention once again focused on her.

'Hi, this year I have decided to bring something new to Hogwarts. I have already gone over it with your Headmaster,' she motioned and looked towards Dumbledore, 'and he seems to think it is a fantastic idea.' She paused to take a breath and Harry noticed that she was so nervous that she was shaking slightly.

'This year, along with Quidditch, there is going to be a play. Some wizards and witches out there may have heard of it, um, Romeo and Juliet. If anyone wants to learn more about it then come to the dark arts room Wednesday after classes are over.' She then sat down to complete silence. Harry was sure that he could hear her heart pounding a million beats per second. Dumbledore started to clap, which started a chain reaction with everyone else in the hall.

'Oh this is wonderful.' Hermione told Ron and Harry. 'Ron, you and I should check it out! Harry has his Quidditch, no offense, and this year we do something constructive.'

'I played Quidditch last year.' Ron frowned at the memory of all the torment and songs. 'On second thought, a play sounds a lot better.'

'Hmm, only one factor though' Hermione said deep in thought, 'how will I ever memorize lines and complete homework.'

'Yea Hermione, you should think about that before you drag yourself into things like these. Once you're in, you're in it 'till the end. They're like cults.' Harry almost choked on his pumpkin juice when Ron said this statement.

'Oh Ronald, don't be absurd. You can quit anytime you want, as long as you have an understudy. You usually have the option of quitting within the first couple of months or until the scripts are no longer needed.'

'Good to know. But what makes you think I'm going to do it?' He asked defiantly.

'You….may get a lead role, like Romeo or Juliet.' She giggled.

'Not funny, they wouldn't cast a guy as a girl.' Ron looked towards Professor Darling when he said that, seeing if she was crazy enough to do it.

'Actually Ron, in the Shakespearean time they did use males as females because woman weren't worthy enough or some sort of rubbish like that.'

'Shakespearean?' Ron squeaked.

'Yes. William Shakespeare wrote the tragic love story of "Romeo and Juliet" what we're going to perform.'

'Love story?' Ron's voice sounded even more strained.

'Yes Ron, love, l-o-v-e. I read about him in summer school.' She said proudly.

'You went to summer school?' Harry and Ron shouted at the same time.

'Are you nuts? You finish a whole school year here and then go home to do more muggle schoolwork?' Ron finished.

'Well, my parents wanted me to know more about the school that they had. And besides, Ron, I don't feel the need to explain my actions to you. Now I think we should head to bed.' Hermione stood up out of her seat and headed out of the hall.

'What's up with her?' Ron asked Harry, who shrugged.

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Once again I'm sorry for the delay. I am having another operation on the ninth of next month so there will be no postings after that date for a while. Plus people are quitting at work so I'll have very little time to myself. sigh I hate reality! Also, sorry for the spelling errors, I know there are some in there, but its 3 am and I just wanna post it for you guys! I know they don't matter and if they do bug ya a lot then just write it in the review.

Thanks to all my peeps who reviewed. It means a lot!

Please review

Yours truly,

Sweet Roses