CHAPTER 2 – Old Times
summary: hermione and draco return to hogwarts for their seventh year. All seems normal, until an unexpected attack on hogwarts throws them into situations that they have to trust each other to make it out alive. my first FF, please R&R! PreHBP
disclaimer: JKRowling is a genius, all the characters, and places are hers, I don't own any of them
Here-Comes-The-Rain-Again-Falling-From-The-Stars – Thank you sooo much, you're my first reviewer
Chapter 2 – Old Times
Hermione made her way through the busy station to Platform 9 ¾. When she got to the brick wall, she said goodbye to her parents, and then with a run, went through the magic brick wall. On the other side was the Hogwarts Express, a giant ebony and scarlet train with many cars trailing behind.
Hermione couldn't believe that it was her final year, many thoughts appeared in her head, until she felt someone tap her on the shoulder. She jumped, and spun around. There stood Harry and Ron, the same as ever. Their faces matured a bit and they had grown more than a few inches but still had huge grins on their faces when they saw her. Hermione gave a short squeak and gave them both a hug. She couldn't believe how tall they had gotten, not that she had ever been tall, hearty 5'¾" but they were a good head above her.
"Hey 'mione, how was your summer?" Harry asked.
"Great, sorry that I couldn't come by the Burrow, it was our last summer and I wanted to spend it with my parents." She said.
"That's alright, you get to spend the year with us, you are so lucky," Ron retorted, Hermione rolled her eyes at this comment.
She remembered how much fun her best friends could be, they had always been nice to her, or at least since the "troll incident" in their first year.
"How about we get a compartment, before they are all gone?" Harry asked as he grabbed his trunk.
"Sure" Hermione and Ron said in unison, they grabbed their trunks and boarded the train. Once they found an empty compartment they sat and talked about their summer.
Draco and he mother pulled up to the station in a sleek black Bentley. His mother had just finish telling him that he had to come a visit her for Christmas and that she wouldn't take 'no' for an answer. Draco got out of the car, kissed his mother good-bye, and headed down the busy muggle platform.
He noticed Crabbe and Goyle looked lost without him, though they did seem lost almost all the time but when he wasn't there they might as well be lump of stone. He got their attention and motioned for them to follow him as he boarded the train. As soon as he started down the hallway of the train, he heard a high-pitched sound call out his name. 'Oh no', he thought Pansy, sure enough she came bounding down the aisle and latched herself onto him like a leech.
"DRAKIE! How are you? I've missed you so much! Did you miss me? I had a great summer, did you?" Pansy said, struggling to say it all in one breath.
"Did you ever think to let me answer you before you started asking more questions?" Draco asked annoyed. She had a look of incomprehension on her face. This amused him.
"Well did you?" she asked as if he had never said a word.
"Umm… I have to go to the Heads compartment." He said trying to find someway to get away from her. He started to move down the aisle toward the front of the train when Pansy called out, "Save me a seat at dinner, I love you Drakie!" He broke out into a fast paced walk when he heard that latter part.
When he found the Heads compartment he shut the door, finally some peace and quiet. He sat down and pulled out a book to read. After ashortreading period, the seats were getting pretty comfortable, he thought, so he laid down for a quick nap.
Hermione, Harry, and Ron were having a long conversation about their summer. Harry was a the Burrow for most of it. They ate, and talked about quidditch, and ate, and how Ron was the king of wizard chess, and ate.
"Hey were still growing!" Ron said when Hermione gave him a disgusted look as he finished off another package of chocolate frogs.
"Yes, but I thought that you would have learned some manners by now." She said as she passed him a napkin.
Hermione knew that Molly Weasely made some of the best food she had ever eaten. She told them how she and her parents spent most of the summer around the Mediterranean. She shared her opinions on Spain, and Italy and how much history they have there. By the time she had gotten to the 13th Century, Harry and Ron had both zoned out. Ron's eyes were watching a fly the carelessly flew around the room, and Harry, well Harry just kind of sat there, his eyes half open.
She told them that they were rude and pulled out a book,DefenseAgianst the Dark Arts Year Seven, she didn't want to fall behind on her reading. By now this didn't shock Harry or Ron, actually they would have been shocked if she didn't. She was at about the second chapter when there was knock on the compartment door. Harry and Ron looked at it, and then at Hermione, and back at the door. She got up, realizing that they weren't going to get it. Outside it was a brown-haired, dark skin boy, who looked about 5th year. He told Hermione that she was needed down at the Heads compartment, she thanked him and shut the door.
After she gathered all her things, she hugged and said good-bye to both boys, "Save me a seat in the Great Hall." She told them as she was leaving.
"Ok, have fun," Ron called after her jokingly, as he leaned out of the compartment, the train took a sudden turn which caused him to fall in to the hallway, he quickly stood up, acting cool and jumped back in the compartment. Hermione stifled a laugh as she moved to the front of the train.
Hermione always enjoyed her time with them, whenever she was sad, or stressed they were there to lighten the mood. They always had a good joke ready to loosen her up.
She made her way to the front of the train, helping first years if they were lost, just like a good Head Girl would do. She started to think about whom Head Boy would be, well I know its not Harry or Ron, umm and I know its not Neville. Umm I might not even be a Gryffindor. Well I know it wont be a Syltherin, maybe Ravenclaw, she still couldn't figure out it would be. Her curiosity got the better of her and when she finally reached the door she quickly opened it.
This action caused her to wake Malfoy, jumping to his feet. She couldn't believe who was standing in front of her. Why would Dumbledore pick Malfoy of all people?
"Well, mudblood, why would anyone pick you for Head Girl. I knew Dumbledore has gone mad. This just proves it." He said turning a sitting back down. This is going to be a long year, both of them thought. Hermione picked up her trunk and closed the door behind her, 'Just like old times,' she thought wishing someone would come soon to save her.
Luckily for Hermione Professor McGonagall was in shortly. "Welcome back to Hogwarts," she said cheerfully. "Now let me inform you of your duties as Head Boy and Head Girl. When we arrive I would like you to usher the students to the correct transportation points to the castle. And make sure no one is left behind, then you may proceed up to the castle just in time for dinner. I will give you more instructions later. Now you may change into your school robes and let the other students know that we will arrive in about 20 minutes." After her long speech she left the compartment.
"Why couldn't she bloody hell shut up?" Malfoy mumbled. Hermione got up but was shocked that Malfoy was already changing; he had clearly forgot that she was there.
"MALFOY! What the bloody hell do you think your doing!" Hermione shrieked, causing him to jump. Readjusting himself, "Following orders." He replied.
"Well could you at least wait till I left?"
"Then I suggest you hurry mud-" before he could even finish Hermione had her wand out and pointed at him.
"Don't you dare even finish that, and don't ever say it again." She said dangerously lowering her wand. She straightened her outfit out and left the compartment and Malfoy in a state of shock.
"Where the hell did that come from?" He said to himself. He finished changing and left to inform the students of their arrival.
Hermione made her way back down the train to find friends. She was almost about to Harry and Ron's compartment when she heard two loud screams come from the compartment on her right, she froze, and turned to see who it was, before she could figure out what was happening two sets of hands grabbed her and pulled her in it….
Hermione walked into the Great Hall with the biggest grin on her face. This could be challenged by the ones her two best friends were wearing. She could tell everyone was happy to be back by the roar of laughter and talking there was.
"HERMIONE!" she heard over the roar of students, she looked down the Gryffindor table and saw Ginny waving her hand trying to get her attention, it work. Hermione made her way over to Ginny, Harry and Ron. Dumbledore cleared his throat and the students got this signal to quiet do, when they did he started his speech.
"Welcome back to Hogwarts," he start "I trust you all had a safe and fun summer. As we start this year I would like to enforce the usual rules. The Forbidden forest is, well Forbidden to all students." He continued some more with the usual rules.
Ron and Harry were talking quietly about who the new teacher would be this year. There was a young man who didn't look to much older than them. Hermione knew who he was, his name was Paul Hewitt, an American who was brilliant at Defense against the Dark arts, she had read many articles about him. He was quite a celebrity, so far, with the female population at Hogwarts.
"And I would like to introduce Professor Hewitt, who comes to us from America to teach Defense against the Dark Arts here at Hogwarts." In saying this the young man between Professor Flitwick and Professor Snape stood up nodded and sat back down. "Along with this I would like to warn you all about the rising Dark Side. Your trips to Hogsmeade will be closely chaperoned by teachers and the Head students, who are by the way Mister Malfoy and Miss Granger." Once he motioned then to stand up and sit back down, food appeared and everyone dug in.
Malfoy didn't have much of an appetite just watching Crabbe and Goyle eat made him somewhat nauseous. Along with that Pansy was trying to push food in his face with she told him about her frightfully boring summer. Only one thing kept him from leaving the Great Hall. He couldn't get why Dumbledore stressed to the students about the 'rising dark side.' He keep thinking about this all through dinner.
On the other hand, Hermione didn't take note to Dumbledore's warning, she was too busy watching and talking to her friends. Ron was sitting next to, while Harry and Ginny were across them. Harry and Ginny had been dating since the end ofhis 6th year when he had finally gotten the nerve to ask her out. He says that he finally didn't care what Ron thought, but everyone knew that he was scared that she would turn him down.
Since they started dating Ron and been a little uneasy but Lavender kept telling him that he had to let them date or else Ginny would, well date him anyways. As Ron and Harry talked about Quidditch throughout dinner, Ginny and Hermione were exchanging their summer stories.
As the plates started to clear, people started to make their way out of the Great Hall toward their dormitories. Hermione took the 1st year Gryffindors to their common room. She like the way their faces lit up once they set eyes on the burgundy and gold adorations that covered the room.
"Now you all should unpack and get accustom to the common room, for this will be the place you will spend most of your time for the next seven years. Also ask for help if you need it, I'm sure any," she glared at the older students around the common room as to even dare to confuse the 1st years "would be happy to help you." She said with a smile. She turned and made her way back to the Great Hall to get her room assignments.
'God, I have to spend a dormitory for a whole year with that slimy git,' Hermione thought to herself. She traveled down the stairs and opened the large oak doors, when she spotted Malfoy at the end of the Slytherin table and McGonagall standing next to him.