Authors Note: Thanks to everyone who read and reviewed my first chapter! I really appreciate it.

Disclaimer: I own nothing to do with Harry Potter and only like to barrow JKR's stuff. I will never use this stuff to earn money, or fame! It's all yours JKR!

Chapter 2: The Train Ride

The following week Hermione was checking and double-checking to make sure she had everything in her trunk as she had done every year since she started school. She then called her father up to her room to grab her trunk as it was always to heavy for her to carry or drag. She then started cooing her cat into the basket she had for him to travel in. She had gotten him in by the time her father had got up to her room. They took the stuff down stairs so it would be ready to go.

Hermione and her parents finally got to platform 9 and 3/4. She kissed and hugged her parents saying, "I'll write about everything as always," She said this more so to her mother, "I love you!" and with a final goodbye and kiss she ran off with her cat Crookshanks, who was locked securely in it for the journey.

She went to the front compartment where the heads get a full train car to themselves, she let Crookshanks out of the basket and took her book out of her bag to read until the prefects came to have their start of term meeting. She got into her bag and pulled one of her new robes out and put it on. The compartment door opened and in came Malfoy and the prefects. Malfoy just stood there in the door kinda froze by shock with his mouth slightly open and the others just stared trying to make out whom it was. He noticed his mouth was open and closed it quickly.

"Hi, everyone! Glad you all could make it. for the new prefects I'm Hermione Granger and for my returning ones, good to see you back!" Everyone just nodded as they finally figured out whom it was talking to them, the boys eyebrows raised the girls either with jealous looks or understanding. Then she noticed Malfoy staring at her still, though no longer open mouthed. He looked different, nothing major but his hair was gel-less and lying loosely on his forehead and he seemed not as angry around her possibly the meeting at the pub had had more of an effect on him than she gave credit, after all she felt like an obsessive fan girl or something after their meeting.

"Lets start with some basic rules to follow and rules that we put forth for our new prefects." Hermione explained.

Draco just stood next to her thinking to himself, 'What are you doing just standing there next to her doing or saying nothing? Although we do look nice together.' he looked at their reflection in the window then stopped himself and continued to himself, ' Stop right now Malfoy! She is just a silly, beautiful, REALLY hot girl. No you idiot a mudblood! But maybe she is ok , she seems different, like a different aura or something I don't know! Well then don't be so stupid around her.' He ended his train of thought. "Ok so............" Draco said picking up where Hermione left off.

"The new passwords will be given out when we arrive in hogmeade, so please don't run off and forget about your responsiblity and what you are really supose to be doing." Hermione said with a funny sound in her voice. As the prefects left the compartment Draco and Hermione sat down. "Well glad that's done with. I'm going to miss this next year. Riding the train and going to class and all the rest of that stuff." Hermione said being the first to speak.

"I won't to much, I'm kinda glad to be getting out of here, but something's I will miss." Draco explained while looking into her eyes almost like he wanted to tell her something but held back. They both looked away and Hermione picked up her book to start reading again. After about 5 minutes Draco got up and sat across from her. She looked up at him face to face. She had this funny feeling surging through her body from head to toe and she never wanted it to stop. She liked the way she felt when she was around him a surprising thing to say about anyone more or less about your so called enemy.

"You know it's kinda weird, and well, uh, nice to be around you with you being so nice all of a sudden. Not that I'm complaining or anything, just stating something is all." Hermione said to him while looking back at him with confusion shinning through her eyes.

"Well sometimes thing change. I figure you would know about such things being around Moody Potter and Explosive Weasley so much." He then smirked as she still looked confused but a bit understanding to what he said. "I'm glad I'm able to get to know you a little better though, since we are just stating something is all. I think we could benifit from being nicer to each other rather than fighting all the time." He smirked and she laughed. He liked the sound of her little giggle laugh, it wasn't a girly girl laugh but it wasn't too loud either like Pansy's.

They sat and talked for another 10min or so about classes they both planned on taking and then Draco got up and said, "Well I have to be off as I have some stuff to take care of before we get to school." He told her.

"Ok, but don't forget to come back as the prefects will be here and I don't feel much like dealing with all those students on my own." He nodded and started to walk away but before he did he turned around and gave her first real smile she had ever seen on his face and left with a quiet bye, much like the one she had given him at the pub.

It made Hermione melt and she just sat there not sure what to do. She then got up and decided it was time to find Harry and Ginny to see what they were up to. She moved out of the compartment and walked down the train to find the two. Along the way she got stares but didn't seem to notice or rather care too much as her mind was still the train car at the front of the train where she knew she would be seeing Draco again soon. 'Since when do you refer to him as DRACO! Since he smiled at me. THE Draco Malfoy smiled at me. Oh he's so cute when he smiles. He should smile more often. EWWWWWW! I'm doing it again, acting all fan girl crazy! Why him? Because he's hot, smart, and can actually be nice and smile, those are a few basic good things about him. Besides he might just have another side to him after all.' She ended her train of thought as she finally found Harry and Ron's compartment.

She opened the door and stepped in to find Harry and Ginny snogging and Ron fast asleep (to no ones great surprise and relief). She didn't want to be rude so she cleared her throat as she softly closed the door behind her and that made Harry and Ginny separate at once. Harry then quickly kicked Ron awake. Harry just sat there staring at her mouth open and all. Ginny hit him and that made him close his mouth. Harry kicked Ron again this time achieving what he was trying to do.

Ron sprang up and said, "OUY! Harry what did you do that for?!" Harry just gestured to Hermione and Ron looked up and tried to speek, "Ah, ah, ah," He closed his mouth swollowed and tried again, "Who are you? Are you an exchange student?" He finally asked.

"No STUPID! It's Hermione!" Ginny said jumping up to hug her best friend at school. "It's still hard to believe it's you!"

"Thank you!" Hermione said, "Sorry I'm late though I had to give the lecture to the prefect because I made Head girl!"

"I knew you would! I was telling Harry that it would be so awesome for you to get head girl!" Ginny replied.

"So what has been going on? We didn't get a lot of time to talk last time, and Harry I havew missed hanging out with you so much!" Hermione said fast.

"Well Harry got a lecture from dad when he first got to the borrow, you know the whole dad warning about dating me thing. Ron's been the same you know pissing girls off." She said with a smile while Ron just scoffed at that. "All together I had a good holiday." She smiled while looking down at Harry and he smiled back. Ginny took her seat back next to Harry and Hermione sat next to Ron, though with space between them.

"Well you sound like you enjoyed yourself. I had a good holiday also, a little boring as I missed you guys." She told Ginny and they laughed a bit before Ron stood up adbrutly.

"Could I talk to you alone Hermione?" He asked sounding casual and all. "I'll be back after we are done." He told Harry.

"Yeah sure Ron. I'll be back as soon as we are done talking." Hermione told Ginny as she got back up to follow Ron.

"Alright Hermione see you in a little." Ginny said, and before Hermione could leave Ginny and Harry were right back to snogging each other. Hermione followed Ron to an empty compartment and they went in.

"Sit down please." He told her motioning for the seat and she did so but her suspcion was up, as Ron had stopped being nice to her after they stopping dating. He came and sat right across from her face to face. "I hope that you never took me serious about that whole you not being girlfriend material last year. I really would like for you and me to start over." Ron told her. Hermione just looked at him with total disgust.

"Are you serious?! Do you really think I'm that dim witted or something? Look, Ron, as much as I like you, there would never be anything between us again. WE had a chance last year when my feeling for you were greater." She explained. "Since then I will never be anything more than a friend to you. I'm sorry Ron but we can't just start over like you want." She then got up to leave when Ron jumped out of his seat to stop her.

He pushed her back down on the seat and said, "You're not going anywhere till I get what I want!" Ron yelled at her. "Just because I did some things last year does not make me a bad person Hermione! People change, I changed!!! Haven't you ever heard of second chances?" He continued to yell at Hermione.

"You're an asshole Ron! A fucking asshole!!! If anyone were to be with you they would be insane to do so!" She told him as she tried to get back up and leave again. This time Ron went further then Hermione would have thought he would ever go. He grabbed Hermione by the arms and through her on the ground, where she landed hard on her side. He got on top of her and started to force himself on her. She pushed his mouth away and screamed but as she did Ron slapped her across the face. Tears welled up in her eyes as one of her best friends continued to try and violate her.

"Shut Up!" He yelled as he started to undo his belt and pants. He lifted her skirt up to try and get at her, she was now crying very hard and loud kicking and hitting him in every place she could reach. Right as Ron was about to thrust himself in her he was knocked off by someone's spell.

"Everte statous!" The person had yelled. Ron was blasted to the floor, got up and ran out the door trying to redo his pants as he ran out of the compartment not even looking back to see who had hit him.

Hermione was still hysterical and started to curl up on the seat still crying very hard. The boy sat down next to her and pulled her onto his lap to hold her and comfort her. Hermione looked up to see none other than Draco Malfoy holding her tight in his arms soothing her with calming words and softly stoking her hair.

As he comforted her he continued to mutter to her "It's going to be ok.". After a bit she stopped crying and just looked up into his eyes. "Hermione are you ok?" He asked knowing the answer was no but hoping that maybe she might be. "I hope that I was not too late when I heard you scream." He told her softly.

"No." was all she was able to say to him. She felt so safe and slightly better because he made her feel safe and comfortable it was being around HArry only on a different level, like a higher one of understanding that made no sence what so ever. She never wanted him to let go of her or to leave. She was connected in this one small yet powerful act of protection.

He kissed her forehead continuing to to hold her close to him, she was close to being asleep when he said something that confirmed that perhaps he felt that same conection she now felt, "I promise you that I will never let anyone ever hurt you again, I can't explain how I knew to stay close to you today and I dont understand why I feel a certain power to protect you but I do so I will." After he said that it was about 30 minutes when she fell asleep. He then stood up and put her back on the seat. He took off his robe and placed it over her small form on the seat. He leaned in and placed a kiss on her forehead and went toward the door. Before he left he look at her sleeping form and said, "Sweet dreams Miss. Granger." And he left her a note with what spell to use to unlock the door and where he had gone and locked the door behind him.

Hermione woke up when she heard a knock on the compartment door and it shaking as if someone wanted to break in. "Who's there?" She asked cautiously.

"It's me, Ginny." Ginny said sounding worried. Hermione sat up now and fixed her hair and robes to be straighter and then tried to open the door but couldn't. She noticed the note on the seat where she had been sleeping and read it quickly just to get the instructions on how to open the door skimming briefly over the letter part, finding out it was Draco who had helped her.

"Come in Ginny." Hermione said after tapping and muttering a few count spells and jinxes. Ginny walked in and closed the door behind her, and when she turned around she said, "Oh My GOD! Hermione what happened to you?" She pulled out a small mirror from her pocket and Hermione took it and looked in it to see a huge red hand print on the side of her face and slowly stoked the mark with her hand.

"Ginny you can't tell anyone about this, OK? People would only think it was my fault." Hermione said

"No they wouldn't Hermione and you know that!" Ginny said shocked, "But if thats the way you want it than I won't tell anyone."

Hermione took in a deep breath to keep from crying again, the memories still so raw in her mind and said voice shaking slightly, "Ron did this to me." At that Ginny gasped and shook her head slightly, after all it was her brother, "He tried to rape me... but he was stopped because I screamed and someone heard me." She explained to Ginny.

"Who stopped him then and where did he go?" Ginny asked her. She had look of pure disgust on her face now and looked like there just might be some bat boogies hexing flying around if she had anything to say about it.

"Draco stopped Ron and helped me. I owe him for what he did. After all he could have let him do, do..." She stopped mid sentence as fresh tears filled her eyes and her voice was caught in her throat . After a minute of Ginny holding Hermione in a hug did she start speaking again, "Ron wanted me to be with him as a girlfriend again but I told him no because of how he was last year. I tried to leave but he didn't like that and he exploded." Hermione now had tears back in her eyes again.

"OH Hermione!" Ginny said flinging her arms around Hermione's neck. "How could he be so, so,ahhhh! I know he has always been short tempered but I never thought that it was that bad, mind you when you and Victor went out 4th year he was ready to kill someone." She let go of Hermione and looked her in the eyes, "Hermione you can always talk to me and I hope that I can do the same. Your like the sister I never had."

The train lurched and Hermione looked out the window, they where closing in on Hogsmeade. "Looks like we are almost there." Hermione said, "Thank you Ginny. You know I feel the same about you." She and Ginny hugged again.

"Thanks Hermione." And with that Ginny slipped out of the compartment.

Hermione stood up quickly put a spell on her body so no one would ever know what had happened to her and went into her compartment. She dressed and gathered her things to go to the carriages. Once off the train she told all the prefect the new passwords and went off to find a carriage to return to Hogwarts in. She never imaged she'd ever return to school in this state, then again who ever does.