Disclaimer: Unfortunately, I don't own Harry Potter or anything from the magical world. However, I own the plot of this story!

Chapter Fourteen

Mrs. Weasley waved frantically as the Hogwarts express pulled away from the station and Hermione's parents were also standing there, with an amazed Lilly, waving them off. Harry felt a sudden pang of sadness and longing fill him and he pulled away from the window. He should have parents out there waving him off. As if she knew what he was thinking, Hermione sent him a sort of half smile and waved one last time before perching herself on Harry's knee. He wrapped his arms round her waist and pulled her back to lay against his chest. Ron came away from the window and sat in front of them.

"So," Hermione said, suddenly. "Do you fancy my cousin, Lilly?"

"Hermione!" Harry said.

"What?"

"You can't ask a guy straight out if they fancy someone!"

"Yes you can! Do you?" she asked, turning back to Ron.

"I…er…possibly…" he replied, waiting for a reaction.

"Good."

"Why's that good?"

"I think, think, she likes you too, but I never got a chance to ask her." Ron's face lit up, but he quickly looked out the window to try and disguise it. Hermione jumped off Harry's lap and he groaned in pain at the sudden movement, but she took no notice.

"Come, on," she ordered. "We have to go to the prefects carriage to set them on their rounds of the train." Harry jumped up and she grabbed his arm, dragging him out of the compartment.

"We'll be back soon, mate!" Harry called back to Ron as Hermione pulled him along the train. He heard a quiet reply that sounded something like 'sure', and then he was in the prefects compartment. Most of the prefects were already there and unfortunately, Malfoy was one of them.

"Ah, the famous couple. Finally found time in your schedule to join us, have you?" he sneered. Harry's eyes flashed to Ginny when he saw her smile and he narrowed his eyes.

"Some of us actually have people to say goodbye to, ferret," Hermione replied, hatefully, pulling Harry along to sit down on the empty sofa. Draco glared at her and didn't drop his gaze until the compartment door opened and the two Hufflepuff prefects hurried in.

"You know," Draco said, pulling something out of his pocket. "I'd like to talk about this." He held up the page of the Daily Prophet with the picture of Harry and Hermione on it and smiled. Harry made a grab for the article but Draco pulled it away.

"Tut, tut Potter, where are you manners? I'll read it out-"

"No you will not-" Malfoy interrupted by clearing his throat.

"Wizards and Witches cannot believe that Potter has sunk as low as to date a Mudblood-"

"It doesn't say that you idiot," Harry said, making a grab for the article again.

"-they cannot believe that he actually has the nerve to kiss her and touch her in public-"

"-Malfoy if you don't give that to me, right this second-"

"-some can't believe that the couple have actually shared a bed with each other-" This time, when Harry made a grab for the letter, his hand wrapped around it and he yanked it away.

"What's wrong with you?" Harry asked, waving the paper in the air. "At least I've got someone to love me and care about me. Who've you got, Malfoy?"

"Harry, just stop!" Hermione ordered, grabbing the article of the Daily Prophet and ripping it in half. Draco sat back in his chair, pleased with himself.

"Fine," Harry added, defeated. "Malfoy and Pansy, you can patrol the front of the train, as far away from me and Hermione as possible. Ginny" – he said that with as much hate as Malfoy – "you can go in the second carriage, as you don't seem to want to be any where near me, and Colin, you can join her. Clark and George (Hufflepuff prefects) you can patrol the third and fourth carriage, and Sam and Matthew, you can patrol the fifth and sixth. Me and Hermione will do the last carriage. Now, off you go." The prefects all stood up to do as they had been told. Draco was the last one out and he smirked at them before leaving.

"He's such a jerk!" Harry shouted, jumping out of the seat. Hermione stayed sitting, staring at him. "I'm going to…to…rip his head off and…and feed it to the bloody giant squid in the lake at Hogwarts, then, I'm going to feed his body to Lupin…or…or give him to the dementors and get them to perform to kiss on him." Finally giving up he threw himself on a sofa opposite Hermione and looked at her. She was smiling.

"What's so funny?" he asked, trying to stop the smile playing at his own lips. Hermione shook her head, the smile quickly disappearing from her face.

"Nothing," she replied. But Harry was curious now and he leant forward in the chair.

"No, really, what's so funny?"

"You just make me laugh, that's all."

"Why?" Hermione stood up and went to sit on Harry's lap, giving him a quick kiss on the lips.

"You over-react, all the time when Malfoy insults me-"

"Yeah, but-"

"Just ignore him. I do."

"But I can't…he just…gets on my nerves!"

"Yes, well, you encourage him by reacting." Harry poked her in the side, making her squeal.

"Smarty-pants," he joked, standing up. She slipped off his lap and he helped her stand up before kissing her. The article was still on the floor and Harry picked it up, carefully ripping off a certain part. Hermione looked at him suspiciously.

"I want the picture. It's a nice one of the two of us," he explained, folding it gently and putting it in his pocket. Hermione smiled.

"We have all those pictures from the café, what do you want more for?"

"Memories, Hermione, memories." He grabbed her hand the they both walked out the prefects carriage, checking each compartment as they went past to make sure that no one was up to no good. Ron finally appeared in the last compartment of the carriage and was surrounded by sweets.

"Yum!" Harry said, grabbing a pack of fizzing wizzbies. Hermione took a chocolate frog that Ron offered to her and sat down. Harry sat in front of her with his packet of sweets.

"How'd it go?" Ron asked.

"Don't even go there," Harry replied, leaning back in his chair. "If Malfoy says one more thing, I'm going to kill him, and Ginny…"

"She still not talking to you, huh?"

"Nope."

"Well, don't get upset mate, she's not talking to me or anyone else in my family, and get this, she's moving in with Percy, because they both share hatred of you, or something of the sort." Harry snorted.

"I can't believe Percy still doesn't like you!" Hermione exclaimed.

"There's always one," Harry replied, shoving another few fizzing wizzbies into his mouth.

"Two in this case," Ron added. Harry nodded and scrunched up the empty packet.

"Right," Hermione said after a few minutes. "We'll be there in a few minutes, get your robes on." Harry rolled his eyes and stood up, grabbing his scrunched up robes from the shelf above him. As he went to put them on over his clothes, Hermione slapped his arm.

"Don't you even think about it, you'll be boiling hot." He rolled his eyes again and slipped his top over his head. Ron looked at Hermione and hesitated for a moment before doing the same. Both boys chucked their tops on the seats of the compartment and while Ron slipped on his school shirt, Harry unbuckled his belt. Ron looked at him in amazement and his eyes flicked to Hermione.

"Come on, mate. She's seen us both in swimming trunks. It's not really any different to that if you think about it, is it?" Harry said, smiling.

"Suppose not," Ron mumbled, unbuckling his own trousers. Hermione was sitting in the chair beside him, trying not to laugh. Harry pulled off his trousers so he was left in his boxers and then picked up his school trousers, quickly slipping them on and doing them up. Ron followed suit and sat himself down. Hermione stood up and grabbed her own school robes, which were folded up, unlike the boys. Ron stared at her.

"You're not getting changed in here, are you?" he asked.

"Why? You've seen me in a swimming costume, as Harry earlier pointed out," Hermione replied. Ron's face went completely white and he looked out the window.

"Ok, then," he squeaked. Hermione smiled and slipped off her own t-shirt, throwing it on the seat she had been sitting on. Harry finally pulled on his shirt and left it unbuttoned.

"You done yet, Hermione?" Ron asked, still looking out the window. Hermione laughed.

"Yes, Ronald." He looked round and breathed a sigh of relief. Hermione was just doing up her tie.

"Don't ever do that again."

"Why?" Hermione asked, innocently, picking up her clothes and folding them neatly to put in her trunk.

"Just…don't…please." She kissed him on the cheek.

"I promise." Hogwarts was now visible out the window and Harry sat down. Hermione rounded on him.

"Do your shirt up, quick!" she ordered. He reached for the first button but Hermione pushed his hands aside and did it up for him. Ron was sitting in his own seat, smiling.

"Give the poor guy and chance, Hermione," Ron said. Hermione grabbed Harry's tie off the seat and threw it at him.

"Hurry up!" she ordered. Ron shrugged and looked back out the window.

Five minutes later the Hogwarts express pulled up at Hogwarts and the Trio were the first three out of the train.

"Home," Harry breathed, beaming. Hermione grabbed his hand and intertwined their fingers. A few other student began filing out of the train and the two of them said goodbye to Ron so they could go and help rally the students and get them into the carriages as quick as possible. Draco Malfoy stepped off the train and purposefully smashed into Harry, who fell to the floor.

"Get up, Potter," Draco sneered. "The floor is dirty enough without your contribution." The Slytherin's behind him laughed as they walked off. Hermione helped him up.

"One of these days," Harry warned. "Malfoy's going to get what's coming to him." Hermione rolled her eyes and pulled him along to an empty carriage.