Chapter 4

Hermione looked around her apartment.'I can't believe this will be the last time for two whole months I won't be here.' She glanced at the pictures on the walls and took two down. The first was of her,Harry, and Ron their first year at Hogwarts, Ron and Harry were holding 'bunny ears' up behind Hermione's head. She smiled, she didn't get to see much of them anymore. Harry the great Auror and Ron taking a sybatical from the ministry after the death of his girlfriend.

She sighed and looked at the second picture,'Speaking of death', it was of her mother and father. They had been killed in the last battle along with Cherry, Ron's girlfriend. Voldemort had kidnapped them as bait and as soon as they arrived to fight him and save the people they loved he had killed them.

She remembered being in a state of utter shock while Ron was the opposite going off his rocker throwing every curse he knew at Voldemort. Harry had been there also and he shook Hermione back to her senses. She then pulled out a book from her pocket doing a quick incantation. A ward had went up around Voldemort and Harry sent a massive curse at him. That was the last time she saw her parents and Ron.

She cried herself to sleep most nights still. She shook her head to clear out the cobwebs from the old memories and put the two pictures into her bag.

Draco had come to stand next to her while in her daze. "You miss them don't you?"

She nodded not able to form words to explain how much more than just miss them she did.

She walked to stand inside the fire place and he followed her. She was still holding back tears. She wasn't going to let him see her cry.

Hermione grabbed a small pan sitting beside the fire place, the floo was sparkling as it neared eleven. The clock chimed and Hermione threw the floo down." The Chariot Express, courtesy room 28!"

Draco felt the familiar wretch in his stomach as they floo'd to the train. He would never get use to it. Seconds later they were standing in a dimly lit chamber coughing up floo and soot.

They sat down and patted the dust and soot from their clothes.Malfoy's stomach grumbled,"Well lets get something to eat shall we? I'm starving." Hermione reached over and tapped the service button. A moment later a short round woman with curly black hair came in."Hello Ms. Granger, Mr. Malfoy, my name is Hilda, how may I be of service?"

"We'd like the dinner menu." Draco shot out. Hermione took notice of his rudeness and added,"Please Hilda." Malfoy stared at her and realized what he had done."I'm sorry, please Hilda may I have a menu." He felt like a child again getting scoulded by his father for bad table manners and rolled his eyes.

They glanced over the menu. "Hmmm...a salad does sound good." Draco's eyes bugged out," A salad? Really Granger, you'd better get more than that, perhaps a nice thick steak. We won't be getting this kind of service for awhile so you should enjoy it like its practically your last meal."

She narrowed her eyes at him," I'm a vegetarian Malfoy, I don't eat meat. Killing poor defenseless creatures is horrible and health wise it is a risk."

Hilda came back in to take their order. A small notepad hovered in the air in front of her a quill postitioned and ready. Before Hermione could open her mouth Draco blurted out his order," For my appetizer I would like a small ceasar salad and bread sticks, for my entree I would like a ten ounce surloin steak, medium rare, a bake potato, lots of butter, and for dessert a large piece of warm apple pie."

"EW. Malfoy I can hear your arteries hardening as you speak. Your just as bad as Ron and Harry."

"And for you Ms. Granger,"Hilda asked."A small greek salad, house dressing on the side and a mocha latte." She said closing the menu and handing it back to Hilda. Malfoy handed his back also, turning to look at Hermione,"I'm telling you Granger a nice juicy piece of cow hide would do you good."

He watched her scurm," Oh that's so disgusting, stop I think I'll be sick." She made a face like she would gag and vomit any second and he chuckled. She leaned back against the soft bench cusion.'I wonder how long it will be until he starts pissing me off,' She thought as the train rocked along the track. After a few minutes she closed her eyes and let it lull her to sleep.

Hilda came back with their food then. Malfoy looked at her sleeping and for once didn't have the heart to wake her. He sent her tray back with Hilda until she woke. He placed a napkin on his lap and started to dig in to his meal. His mind began to wonder as he ate.

He was just about shy of nineteen now but the doctor said he was having another growth spurt. His mother was releaved to hear that his new eating habits were normal. She had thought something could be truly wrong with him.

His mother still treated him like a boy no older than ten and it had gotten worse after the death of his father. She started acting strange and started to weaken suddenly. She was always afraid she would lose him also. She began watching his every move when he was in the house, and when he wanted to leave she had to know where he was going, when he would be back, and who he would be seeing.

When he had to tell her he was going off last year to be an Auror for the ministry she had a severe breakdown. She begged and pleaded with him not to go and leave her. She kept telling him that the evil men that took his father were still out there and would come after him too. He put a full-time nurse on staff to take care of her. He couldn't do it anymore. He never came home after that. He heard that she had stopped eating and started mumbling unrecognizeable babble.

Two weeks ago he had recieved mail by owl that his mother had died. He did't even attend the funeral, or make the arrangements, he made his uncle Naticul do them. He dropped his fork on his plate trying to remember the last time he had seen her happy.

He didn't notice Hermione stir from the sound.