Disclaimer: Harry Potter is not mine. If it were mine, certain people would not be dead and certain people would not be evil.

In the Moonlight

Chapter 2: On the Train

Kings Cross Station, 10:45

"Alrigh' this is ur' stop," Stan of the Knight Bus told them when the reached the train station. He grinned at Harry as they passed but contained himself from saying his name when Tonks gave him an evil glare. Hermione hadn't talked much of the ride. She didn't have anything she wanted to say. Harry, Ron and Ginny had tried to get her to talk but with no luck.

She was nervous and she didn't know why. It wasn't going to be any different than any other school year. But she knew that wasn't true. It would be completely different. She had been a vampire, she killed somebody, and she kissed Draco Malfoy. All in a few short days. She also hadn't talked to her parents since she ran away. They knew she was okay but she was still angry at them.

"Hermione?" Ginny said, pulling her away from her thoughts, "Stop zoning out us, we need to get onto the platform, Harry and Ron already went through. You can go next."

Hermione nodded and pushed her cart at a fast pace towards the barrier. When she went through her eyes immediately scanned the crowd until they stopped on Draco. He stood alone outside the train as if he didn't know what to do. Crabbe and Goyle stood a few yards away from him but they did not move any closer. Hermione suspected that their death-eater fathers had told them all about Draco's summer.

Suddenly Draco looked her way and she immediately looked down and pretended she hadn't seen him.

"Hermione!" Harry called from the train, "Come on, we found and empty compartment. Hermione smiled a fake smile at him and followed him onto the train and down the isle. As she was walking, people in other compartments were whispering and she couldn't help but feel that they were talking about her. Nobody else was in the compartment but Ron and Harry. Hermione was relieved, she didn't want to have to talk to anyone else.

The train started moving and for the first half of the trip they talked about normal school things, teachers, new classes, and friends. Hermione felt better, she was smiling and laughing, Ron and Harry were relieved. Hermione got up to go to the small on-board bathroom that was at the end of the train. On her way back she spotted Draco in the last compartment, by himself reading.

She hesitated, thinking that she should just go back to where Harry and Ron were, to where she was happy. But instead, she went to the door of the compartment and said, "Draco?"

He jumped, dropped the book and kicked it under the seat, "Oh, Hermione, you scared me."

"Why are you alone?"

He shrugged, "I just wanted to be alone."

Normally he would have made a rude comment to her after something like that but Hermione knew that it would never be like that again everything was different. She wasn't sure that she wanted it to be different. She was happy not be called mudblood or any thing like that anymore but she liked the way her life was going before. She didn't want it to change, "Where are Crabbe and Goyle?"

Draco snorted, "After how I went up against the Death Eaters, they won't talk to me even if they're allowed to. None of the Slytherins will this year is going to be awful.

"I'm sorry," whispered Hermione.

Draco looked at her startled, "About what?"

"It's my fault you went against your father."

He shrugged, "It's not your fault, I've been looking for a way to defy him for years. You were my way out."

Hermione just nodded and turned to leave. She was halfway down the hall when Pansy Parkinson stepped out in front of her. "Well, well, well, what's this, the vampire is out in the daylight."

Of course, thought Hermione, Of all people, Pansy would know.

"Move out of my way Pansy."

"Why what are you going to do bite me?" Hermione glared and didn't reply so Pansy went on, "You think you're so special don't you? I'm sure everyone feels bad for you, but I know what you really are, you killed a mad didn't you? You are a murderer."

"Leave her alone."

Hermione turned to see Draco coming towards them.

Pansy looked at him, "Excuse me?"

Draco went right up to her so there faces were nearly touching, "Move."

Pansy laughed, "I don't have to listen to you. You're not Mr. High and Mighty anymore. Nobody will listen to you anymore, now that you've helped out this mudblood."

Unable to take it anymore, Hermione pushed past Draco and shoved Pansy to the ground. Pansy was to startled to react before Hermione stepped over her and walked back towards her compartment. Pansy jumped up and proceeded to follow her but Draco grabbed the back of her robes and pulled her back to her compartment.

"What took you so long?" Ron asked. Hermione just shrugged and stared out the window.

"Hermione what happened?" Harry asked, "You were perfectly happy when you left."

"Nothing happened," she snapped. Ron and Harry knew not question her anymore.

Finally the train came to a stop at Hogwarts. Hermione sighed. It was time to face school.