Too Late

Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I own nothing

A/N: Heres another chappie

"Jesse, can you please go wake Hermione? The Malfoy's will be here any minute."

"Yes Ma'am." Jesse, the servant girl said. Jesse walked up the twisting stairway and walked down the lengthy corridor. When she came to a stop at Hermione's door, she knocked three times and then entered.

"Miss. Hermione, your mother is requesting your presence down stairs. The Malfoy's will be here soon." Jesse said, shaking Hermione's shoulder. When Hermione heard the Malfoy name she jumped up.

"What! How much time do I have?" Hermione asked hastily.

"Your mother said that they could be here any minute and to tell you to dress nice." Jesse turned and walked out of Hermione's room.

"Nice? What's nice?" Hermione ran into her bathroom and took a quick shower. She put on her bathrobe and went into her closet.

"Hmmm…let's see. How about this one?" She asked herself holding out a short red dress, "Nah, ooooh. I like this one." Hermione pulled out a small, light green summer dress. The dress came to the knees and had a small white ribbon around the middle that came to a small bow in the back. She grabbed a pair of white sandals to go with it.

After dressing, Hermione left her room and fell to the floor after bumping into what felt like a brick wall. She looked up and saw a pair of familiar gray eyes.

"Hello Hermione." Draco said lowering his hand towards Hermione to help her up.

"Malfoy." Hermione pushed the hand aside and got up. She brushed past Draco and went towards the stairs.

"Hermione, wait," Draco called after her. "Can't we at least try to be civil?"

"Fine…Draco." Hermione wouldn't admit it but she was a bit happy that Draco wanted to try and become friends. Hermione walked down the extensive flight of steps only to be greeted with the sight of Lucius Malfoy and Narcissa Malfoy.

"Hermione, I'm sure you know these lovely people? Lucius and Narcissa?" Her mother asked her with what looked like a forced smile.

"Yes, I know them. Hello again Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy." Hermione said with a fake tone of happiness in her voice.

"Miss. Van Tassel. Good to see your safe and sound." Lucius said with a forced smile, knowing exactly who she was.

"Yes well, Hermione, why don't you show Draco around the estate?" Adrien inquired.

"Alright, come on Draco." Hermione walked out of the room with Draco in tow.

"This is the entrance to the main garden. Would you like to go in?" Hermione asked Draco as they stood in front of a wooden door.

"Alrig-," Draco was cut off as a voice rang out across the yard.

"Miss. Hermione, Mr. Malfoy, lunch is ready." Came Jesse's voice. Hermione and Draco turned form the door and walked back to the castle.

"Adrien what are you going to do?" Lucius asked. "The Dark Lord knows that your daughter is back."

"I'm well aware of that Lucius. We are trying our best to keep her safe. We can only hope that there are no attacks before she goes to school. She will be safer at Hogwarts."

"But what if she finds the secret room? That is the only place he can go inside Hogwarts without being detected." Lucius whispered.

"As long as she doesn't go into the Restricted Section, she'll be fine." Adrien responded, "Now no more talk of bad things lets go join the others and eat a peaceful lunch." Adrien walked out of the study and down the hall to the dining room with Lucius following him.

Next Day at King's Cross

"I can't believe it's time for you to go back already!" Hermione's mother cried, "It seems like you just came home yesterday."

"Sweetheart, come on. I think you're embarrassing Hermione." Adrien said, "We'll miss you princess, so remember to write. For your mothers sake at least."

"Alright daddy, I will. Bye mum, I'll see you during winter break." Hermione hugged both of her parents and gave her trolley to one of the luggage person and boarded the train.

"Hermione!" Hermione whipped around when she heard a familiar voice call out her name. It was Harry.

"Hermione I owled you all summer but you never replied." Harry said as he enveloped her in a hug.

"Sorry I was… busy this summer." Hermione hugged him back, "Where's Ron?"

"He's coming, he had to wait for Lavender to finish saying good bye to her parents."

"Why would he do that?"

"Because they're going out."

"Wait, Ron is going out with that-that plastic whore?"

Harry laughed, "Don't let him hear you say that, he'll never talk to you again."

"Why her, out of so many girls why her? He could do so much better that her. I know for a fact that someone really likes him." Hermione said to Harry as they walked to an empty compartment.

"Who?"

"I can't tell you."

"Why not?"

"Because one, she asked me not to, and two, if I tell you, you'll tell Ron. And don't say you wont cause I know you will. It'll just slip out in a conversation. So don't ask again."

"But-" Hermione cut him off.

"Harry I said don't ask again. I'm not going to tell you." Hermione sat down and pulled out a book form a bag she had carried on the train with her, and began to read. A few minutes the compartment door opened and in walked Ron and Lavender.

"Hello Hermione, have a good summer?' he asked as he and Lavender say by her.

"It was alright, you?"

"Yes I did. Did Harry tell you that me and Lavender are going out?"

"Yes, and if he didn't I'm sure I could tell by how you walked in holding hands." Hermione stated sarcastically.

"Well aren't you going to ask Lavender how her summer was?" Ron asked Hermione.

"Yes I was actually, so Lavender, have a good summer?" she asked with a forced smile.

"Yes I did. If you'll excuse me for a moment, I need to use the little girls room." Lavender stood up, gave Ron a kiss on the cheek and walked out.

"Me too." Hermione got up and followed Lavender out of the room.

"What is it with girls always going to the bathroom in packs?" Ron asked as he got out his portable Wizarding Chess set.

"I don't know mate."

"I can't believe that they're all falling for it. Except Hermione, I think she knows." Came Lavender's voice.

"But how would she know? She's hopeless in the love and deception departments." Came another voice.

"How deception?"

"Well you have to know about love in order to understand deception."

"Ok, I get it. Well best be off to Ron, so he doesn't get suspicious." Hermione ducked into an empty compartment just as Lavender walked out of the bathroom. After Lavender walked by, Hermione stepped out of the compartment and made her way back to the others. She walked into the room and sat down next to Harry, all the while glaring at Lavender.

Hermione looked at her watch, "Sorry guys, but I got to go do Head Girl duties."

"Oh, ok. Wait, who's the Head Boy?" Harry asked looking up from the chess game.

"Draco Malfoy."

"Why him? Of all people, you think Dumbledore could have chosen someone better." Ron said, still engrossed in the game.

"Yea, but I think this year will be different." Hermione walked out the door.

"But…and she's gone. I hate how she does that." Harry said to Ron, turning back to the chess game.

"Does what?" Ron asked.

"Disappears before you can ask her something."

"Oh."

Hermione stormed into the Head's compartment not noticing that it was already occupied.

"I can't believe her! The lying little –"

"Talk to yourself much?" Came a voice behind her, cutting her off.

"Don't scare me like that!" Hermione shrieked.

"Sorry. So whom were you talking about?" Draco asked sitting up from the lying position he had been in before Hermione walked in.

"Lavender Brown."

"Why is she a bitch?"

"I'll start from the beginning. Ron and Lavender and Ron started dating this summer and when I saw them earlier, they both looked happy. But when we sat down together in the compartment, she looked like she was up to something.

"So when she went to go to the bathroom, I followed her and sure enough, she's talking to one of her friends about how she's playing Ron. Ugh! When I got back to the compartment I wanted to tear her hair out."

"Finished?"

"Yes!" Hermione crouched down into her seat and pulled out her book again.

"Hermione…Hermioneeee…Hermione are you there? Guess not." Draco went back to sleeping while Hermione read, hiding her giggles.

"Draco, wake up. Draco wake up, we're at school," Hermione bent down right next to his ear and yelled. "DRACO WYATT MALFOY GET UP!" Draco shot up off the seat with wide eyes.

"Did you have to yell? He asked catching his breath.

"Yes." Hermione replied simply.

"Why?"

"Because you wouldn't wake up. Now come on we have to show the first years up to the school."

"I thought that was Hagrid's job." Draco said following Hermione out of the compartment.

"He's off getting the classes for tomorrow ready. Now hurry up or we'll be late."

Hermione walked past the other years and to the edge of the lake to wait for the first years. After they had gathered around the Head's Hermione began to speak, "Welcome to your first year at Hogwarts. We'll be arriving at the school by crossing the lake. A few warnings before we cross. One, don't lean over the edge, you might fall in and we don't want to have that happen. Two, don't throw things at the Giant Squid if you see it, it will get angry. And three, don't push others off the boat. Ok, three to a boat. As soon as everyone's in a boat we'll leave."

"Thank you Miss Granger, Mr. Malfoy. I'll take it from here," Professor McGonagall said. "Oh, and Miss. Granger, your re-sorting will take place in the Great Hall after all the first years have gone."

"In front of everyone?" Hermione gulped.

"Yes Miss. Granger."

"But I haven't told Ron and Harry yet!"

"Well you better hurry." Hermione practically ran into the Great Hall. Once she spotted Harry and Ron amongst the other Gryffindors she ran to them and jumped into the seat between them.

"Harry, Ron, I have to tell you something." She said trying to catch her breath.

"What is it Hermione?" Harry asked.

"Well, I'm not exactly a muggle-born."

"How?"

"I was adopted when I was born. My parents were protecting me from Voldemort, so they gave to a muggle orphanage to keep me safe. My last name is really Van Tassel and I'm supposed to be-" Hermione was cut off by Professor McGonagall.

"Miss. Granger, could you please come up here?" Hermione stood up and walked to the front of the now quiet hall.

"Miss. Granger here is to be resorted because of happenings this summer. We, the teachers and Miss. Granger, found out that she was indeed the missing daughter of the Van Tassel's. So, if you'll take a seat on the stool." McGonagall placed the hat on Hermione's head and everybody waited in anticipation. After a few minutes of Hermione arguing with the hat, it finally yelled out its answer.

"SLYTHERIN!" The hall was stood stock-still.

"Well Miss. Van Tassel, please make your way to the Slytherin table." Dumbledore said from his seat. Hermione hopped off the stool and walked down the isle to an empty seat near Draco. While she was walking she looked to Harry and Ron to see they're reaction to the news. They both had livid looks on their face, Harry and Ron shook they're heads and looked down at their food.

Hermione sat in her room pondering the reactions of Harry and Ron. 'Why would they look at me like that? I mean they must know that I didn't want to be in Slytherin. But wait, of course they wouldn't understand, the only things those two understand are Quidditch and Chess. I'll talk to them tomorrow.' Hermione shut off her light and went to sleep.