"Hermione Granger!" Mr. Granger yelled to an upstairs window. "Get your butt down here or you'll be late!" The whole district could hear him especially the nosey neighbors from across the street.
"Coming Dad!" yelled the mousy haired teenager from the same upstairs window.
A few thuds and a cat screech later and the girl appeared on the front porch. She was off balance and carried a large leather bound book in one hand and a cat in the other. She struggled but managed to close the door and lock it. She stumbled down the walkway.
"You wouldn't want to be late for the first day of your last day at Hog-"
"Dad!" she said not wanting the crane-necked neighbors to hear.
"Ops! I almost forgot." He apologized.
"It's alright."
She smiled and put the book and the cat in the back. She slammed the door and got into the front seat. Her father started the car and they drove away. Ten minutes later they were pulling into a parking space to King's Cross Station. She got out of the car and got into the back to get her book while her father got a trolley to put her trunk on. They hurried off to platform nine and three quarters.
As they neared the barrier between platforms nine and ten she looked at the brick wall. As usual the rampart looked very solid. She was always afraid that when she would try to go through it would keep her out. She was a muggle born and many saw her unfit to practice magic and many would do any thing to stop her and others alike. There was always a chance that someone could have blocked it so she couldn't get through.
She let the thoughts leave her head. She stationed the trolley to get a good running start. She exhaled and began to run. The wall got bigger and bigger until finally she felt it disappear as she found herself on a platform filled with people. Her father soon followed her and they got her trunk on the train.
"Give Mum a kiss for me." She said as he pulled her into a hug.
"I will. Now, please try to stay alive and have some fun. Don't just study all the time"
"I'll try. Well I will see you soon then. Christmas right?"
"Sure sweet heart. See you then."
She hugged him again and boarded the train. She looked out the window and watched her dad walk back through the barrier. Finally! She thought.
She roamed the corridor until she arrived at the prefect compartment. She stepped inside. There sitting in the seat closest to the window sat Draco Malfoy.
"Well, well, well. If it isn't Granger. You know I though they had abolished the teaching of your lot." He said with a spiteful grin on his face.
"You better be careful Malfoy. You wouldn't want anyone to thing you like me or something." She replied.
"Hell Granger I don't like you." He said getting up and walking over to her. He put his hand on her waist. "I love you." He said pulling her into a warm passionate kiss.
They finished and she was able to get a word in. "People will see."
"Let them see. I don't care any more." He took her head in his hands. "My father is in Azkaban and unable to do anything to me or you. And if he does I will just have to kill him or who ever he sends. I love you and nothing can come between us."
She smiled and looked into his loving and trusting eyes. "I need to go. Ron and Harry will be waiting for me."
"Alright." He said without another word.
"I Love you my dearest Dragon."
"And I you."
"I'll see you soon."
"Four right?"
"Sure." And with that she was gone out into the corridor to look for Harry and Ron.
Again she found herself roaming the corridor until she finally found the right compartment. By this time the train had already left the station. She slid the door open and poked her head in. In one corner she saw Neville and Luna hovering over an article in the Quibbler. Harry and Ginny were sitting kitty-corner to Neville and Luna by a window holding hands. Ron was suspiciously peering over his copy The Daily Profit looking at Harry and Ginny with a sour look on his face. He peered around the compartment and saw her looking in on them.
"Hermione!" Ron exclaimed. He moved over making room for her as she walked over and sat down. "How have you been?"
"Well. How was your summer?"
"It was alright, I worked at Fred and George's shop."
"Cool, what did you do?"
"I stocked shelves, cleaned, and was a cashier near the end of the summer."
She nodded and looked over at Harry and Ginny. She smiled as she thought about the rumor that she had heard about Lavender Brown and Dean Thomas getting caught in the closed bathroom on the second floor. Moaning Myrtle had seen them and went whisping away to tell Professor McGonagall and she and Filtch were up there so fast they didn't have time to run. They make a cute couple. She thought to herself. "So how was your summer Harry?"
"Fine." He replied. He glanced over to Ron who was now moving over to the door and stepped out into the corridor. He told her about his summer at the Burrow and how he spent hours out in the orchard with Ginny practicing his seeker position with the small crab apples and the lazy afternoons out in the gardens with her and the occasional snogging they did behind the broom shed, which made Hermione a little uncomfortable.
"Anyway," Ginny interrupted to make sure he didn't say anything about the things they did while Ron was working late cleaning the shop. "What were you up to this summer?"
"Well, I reread Hogwarts: A History again. And my father taught me how to use the Internet." She received blank stares from both of them. "It's a muggle thing thy use for getting information on the computer. Actually it was quite fascinating."
They all started to talk about their new classes and how different things would be after that year. Finally he sound of the compartment door interrupted their conversation as Professor McGonagall popped her head in. "Ms. Granger, Mr. Weasley, you two need to get changed and go to the prefect's compartment. I need to talk to you and the other prefects."
"Oh sure Professor." Hermione answered for the both of them.
Professor McGonagall smiled and closed the door.
They both got up and pulled their robes from their trunks. With the clothes over their arms they said their "see you laters" to the others and left. They got changed, made their way down the train, and walked into the prefect's compartment. There they found the other prefects from the other three houses. Hermione gave a quick glance to Draco. He gave her a quick wink before any of the other Slytherins could see him. She and Ron took their seats and started talking.
"I wonder what se wants to talk to us about?" Asked Ron.
"I have no idea, it might have something to do with Lavender and Dean." She answered.
He started to laugh
"It was totally unacceptable behavior. And to think they were sixth years. They need to set an example for the first years."
At that Professor McGonagall walked into the cramped compartment. "Attention please." She said even though the students were already silent. "At the beginning of this year Headmaster Dumbledore has decided to start a new tradition." She sighed and looked around. She was trying to build suspense, and it was working. "Although I was not too happy about it in the past I have decided to give it another chance. We have decided to have an All Hallows Eve Ball." The compartment erupted with exited gasps from the girls and ugly moans and groans from the guys. Professor McGonagall held up her hands to quiet the group down. "Now, as you all know it is customary to have a group of students begin the Ball with a dance." She cleared her throat. "So, I have written your names on a piece of parchment and have placed them into two hats. One for the girls and one for the boys. I will take pull one name out of each hat at a time and that is whom you will be pared up with for this one dance. You can all have separate dates, do not worry about that Mr. Malfoy." She said hearing him whisper a "that's not fair" to the other Slytherin prefect. "Now, Ms. Granger will you please hand me those two hats beside you dear?" Hermione did as she was told and handed her the two pointed hats. "Thank you dear. Now, will you hold one and Mr. Malfoy will you please hold one as Ms. Granger holds the other." She handed the hat to him not waiting for an answer. "Lucky couple number one is, Mr. Weasley, and Ms. Bones." Ron blushed but not as much as Susan. "And the next couple, ah Mr. Malfoy," Hermione's heart jumped into her throat. Her heart pounded as Professor McGonagall pulled the slip of parchment out of her hat. She finally opened it and read the name. "Ms. Granger." She let out a sigh as the rest of the compartment burst out laughing.
"You're joking right?" Asked Draco. "I can't be seen dancing with her!"
"Well I'm afraid you will have to Mr. Malfoy. And I don't want to hear another word about it" She answered.
"My father will hear about this!" he said looking at Hermione who had an equally discussed face.
"Well then let him!" She said. "Now if we can continue."
She finished choosing the names and dismissed them. She and Ron went back to their compartment and sat back down in their seats. The others had decided to use the time on their hands to change into their robes.
"Well," Ginny asked as they sat down. "What did she want?"
"Well!" Ron started before Hermione could get a word in. "Professor Dumbledore has decided to hold an All Hallows Eve Ball."
Ginny's grip tightened on Harry's hand. She smiled an extremely girly exited smile and looked at Harry.
"Oh, You haven't heard the best part," Ron looked at Hermione.
"I have to dance with Draco Malfoy! Okay?" She said impatiently.
The compartment, just like the other, erupted with laughter. She rolled her eyes and got up.
"You all need to get lives. Do you ever think about how Draco is doing? With his father in Azkaban and his mother away all of the time? How do you think that's effecting him? Honestly!" She picked up her book and left them still chuckling.
She once again found herself wondering down the train. She went back to the prefect's compartment. She slid open the door and walked inside. There she found her darling Dragon; she walked over to his side, sat down beside him, and took his hand. "Dragon?" she said tauntingly.
"Yes baby?"
"What were you thinking when she pulled my name out of the hat?"
"I was happy at first and then I thought, 'how the hell are we going make people think that we hate each other for a whole night?'"
She laughed and snuggled up to him. "I love you Draco"
"I love you too." He said gently pulling her face into a warm loving kiss.