They reached the Hogwarts Express in just enough time. They wanted to be prompt and this being Professor McGonagall's first year they wanted to make it as easy as possible.
"Finally you two have shown up." Professor McGonagall said.
"Um…we're just in time." Hermione said.
"Oh sorry…It's just so confusing you know how hard it is to actually take over the school and maintain a teaching job."
"No," Hermione said. "I have no idea."
"Well we can start assuming you already know the basics this is a list of Hogwarts passwords for almost everything. A guide to secret passageways. Keys to those off-limit by other students etc. You are to patrol the train make sure everything is in order for when the kids start arriving. The early birds start arriving in an hour so that's when you can meet up and address any of the parents concerns. Other than that guide the prefects into the patrol of the train for the rest of the train ride. Understand?"
"Yes." They chorused together. They headed onto the train and made sure that everything was in order which was really pointless considering they checked 200 sections each and they saw nothing wrong with any of them. By the time they came back off the train it was already filled with parents, their children, pets, and luggage. Having on her head's badge she was stopped many times for questions some of them quite stupid but still answered none the less.
"Excuse me Head Girl can I speak with you?" A parent asked.
"Yes what can I do for you?" Hermione asked kindly.
" I want you to make sure that my Bobby doesn't eat anything with soy, dairy, or that has high amounts of sugar. That he gets to bed at…" The parent continued.
"Ma'am I can't promise any of that."
"Why not."
"I'm not his mother and you are and considering the fact that you consider him old enough to go to Hogwarts you should also consider that as Head Girl I have other duties than keeping track of other students. If he chokes on anything because he knows that he's allergic to it then I'm sorry it's out of my hands. If he doesn't go to sleep and misses or doesn't perform well in his classes then it's really not my problem unless the whole student body does also."
"Thank you anyway." She replied icily and walked away.
She continued her rounds and stopped cold when she saw Ron and Ginny. They were both staring at her and she felt extremely awkward.
"Hermione." Harry asked. She jumped and turned around and looked at him.
"Sorry I just thought you might need this." Harry said handing her the Chinese. She leaned in and hugged him.
"Thank you. I did." She opened the package and looked into her Chinese noodles. Not to cold not too hot just how she liked them. She took a bite.
"Miss Granger no food while doing rounds. You of all people should know that rule." Professor McGonagall said sternly. She chewed it carefully while closing the package and forcing it back into Harry's hands.
"Find me later and give it to me. This whole being hear at 8:30 and not being allowed to eat when it's 10:40. I mean what other rules are they going to throw at me that aren't in Hogwarts A History…Wait a minute that rule wasn't in Hogwarts A History…No it hasn't failed me yet and it won't start now…then I miss read it… oh gosh this year is the year that we go into NEWT studies I can't afford to not be soaking in information." She started pacing back and forth ranting and tugging at the ends of her hair.
"Hermione. Hermione." Harry placed his hands on her shoulders trying to get her to calm down. "Go finish your rounds and then when you do meet me in our regular compartment and we'll finish eating okay. Just calm down now okay."
"Okay. I'll go finish talking to these crazy mothers."
"Okay just breathe and don't blow their heads off and if you do I promise I'll let you have the Chinese."
"Okay meet you in the compartment."
Hermione hurried on with her duties and got on the train about a minute before the train took off. She practically ran to the compartment in dire need of food. She felt for a second that she was going to pass out. She opened it and came face to face with Ron and Ginny on one side of the compartment and Harry on the other sitting down with the food. She moved over the food and grabbed one of the other packages and started eating like she never ate in her life.
"Hermione, stop eating like that you'll choke!" Harry said gaping at her.
She just looked at him and stuffed her sweet and sour chicken in his mouth and told him to chew. He chewed and after a while he had this eternal bliss smile on himself.
"What the hell is in that?" Ron asked.
"I think you've killed him." Ginny said.
"I'm not speaking to you Ron but Chinese sweet and sour chicken." Hermione said. Ron reached out to take a piece but swatted his hand away.
"What the hell?"
"No chicken for you! Chicken for people who actually respect other people's personal space."
"Come on Hermione I said I was sorry."
"Uh, no you didn't. There's nothing to forgive you invaded my personal space."
"Come on we've been best friends for like 6 years and your willing to throw it all away."
"No you threw it away when you decided to kiss me. I told you no I have someone already."
"Really who is it?"
"God."
"God."
"Yes, he's my one and only."
"Bull."
"What you don't believe me?" Hermione said.
"No I don't." Ginny added.
"Ginny this is between me and Ron right now."
"Why won't you people tell me anything or include me in anything."
"I already told you that Ginny your either just thick headed or just choose to ignore it. We are best friends no matter what. Even though Ron did something incredibly thick headed. We expect that of him and still love him for it though it'll take some time for me to get over it. You aren't Ginny we just don't think you can handle it. You're a year younger than us and well we kind of consider you to not be able to understand. Even if we did tell you, you wouldn't be able to do a thing about it." Harry informed her
"So you don't trust me with any of that information?" Ginny asked.
They all shook their head yes.
"Fine have it your way. Talk to you later. Hermione how can you not trust me we are best friends?"
"Ginny, things change we are best friends but I just don't feel that I could tell you everything about me or let you in on my deepest darkest secrets. Our friendship just doesn't run that deep anymore, sorry."
"So who is Lu?"
"Lu is my cousin by my mother's side. They run the Chinese shop called the Asian Palace. I love their food and Lu is especially gifted with it and so I always used to ask for him to cook for me. Well there was this time when I first started going to Hogwarts and I was depressed about leaving. He asked me what was wrong and I told him that I was going away to a boarding school for the Performing Arts. He gave me a package and it was filled with food and I started doing it every year."
"Okay so I don't need to be worried." Harry said breathing a sigh of relief.
"Worried about what?" Ron asked.
"Oh the way she was doing it, it sounded like a shady business and she was smuggling out some illegal things." Harry answered with a lie
"Anyway so why did he say he didn't want to get in trouble and couldn't get caught?" Harry asked.
"Well it was after fifth year and I was still depressed from Sirius' death and was seeking comfort. So I did it the only way I knew how which was to eat Chinese. My mum noticed I was skipping meals but still maintained my normal weight appearance so she started watching me. She found out what I had been eating and who had been giving it to me and talked to Aunt Betty who is Lu's mother and they started cracking down on him."
"I didn't know that fifth year affected you so much." Harry said.
"Well it did but you just needed my help more."
"Well I thank you for that."
"Come on we need to get to the prefect compartment and give out instructions."
They excused themselves from Ron and headed toward the compartment. Hermione pulled out a slip of paper and started calling of the names:
"Slytherin: Pansy Parkinson
Millicent Bulstrode
You will patrol front of train
Hufflepuff: Justin Finc-Fletchey
Hannah Abbott
You will patrol the back of the train
Gryffindor: Neville Longbottom
Seamus Finnigan
You will patrol the middle front
Ravenclaw: Terry Boot
Mandy Brocklehurst
And Ravenclaw you will patrol the middle back.
Any questions?" Hermione finished.
"Yes, one." Millicent spoke up. "How the hell did you get to be Head Girl?"
"What do you mean?" Hermione asked.
"I mean I don't even know you, no one does."
"What do you mean?...Oh you mean this." Hermione pulled back her hair and they all gasped.
"Gosh Harry did I really change that much?" Hermione asked. He nodded his head and whispered in her ear. "On the outside not on the inside where it counts."
"Okay is everyone clear on their duties. Great now back to my Chinese."
She went back to her compartment and dug into her food letting Harry get the occasional bite.
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
"Great back at Hogwarts finally." Hermione said.
"Yeah it is isn't it. We thought we weren't going to make it this year." Harry said.
They were currently in the Great Hall and were supposed to be eating. The only one of the Trio really eating though was Ron and he was packing it in. Inbetween he was muttering about how unfair Hermione was being not letting him get a bite of the Chinese when she either hogged it for herself or gave it off to Harry.
"Ron before you eat yourself into a stupor." Hermione said before being interrupted by Professor McGonagall and her speech at the beginning of the year. It was so different without Dumbeldore there.
"Hello students of Hogwarts as we start this year of interestingly with a new Headmaster and view on life. We know that it is not eminent and that we will all go through that veil eventually. So as we start this year we are officially restricting outside activity. You are not to be out there unless during the times designated on your bulletin board. Or with a Head or a professor other times are known as Quidditch and Hogsmeade which will be even more limited upping the age limit to 4th years." There was a series of groans. "I hope that you all have the best year that you all have the best year under these circumstances. Get lots of rest lessons start early tomorrow morning."
With that they all went to their rooms except for Harry and Hermione.
"I trust you two with this room. The password is " she said opening the other door in the Gryffindor common room. She then left them to marvel in the beauty of it. Sure it was no Grimmauld Place but hey it was pretty cool compared to what they were used to in the Gryffindor common room. They then went to their rooms and saw it individually personalized. Hermione though didn't really care. She was most likely going to be sleeping in Harry's room. So she walked over to his door and knocked.
"Hey I was wondering when you were coming?" Harry said grinning patting the space next to him.
"Wow this is kind of small." Hermione said squeezing in.
"I know and I tried making it bigger but it's like it knows not to do that for any reason."
"Probably some anti-charm shield to stop people from doing things and I thought she said she trusted us."
"Well there's one flaw in her plan."
"Oh really what?" Hermione asked.
"This." He leaned over and kissed her rolling over being careful not to hit her on the side desk.
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
"So why are you so happy again Hermione?" Ron asked.
"Because NEWT testing begins today." Harry said. "I don't know why she is though yesterday she was telling me how worried she was when she couldn't find one of the answers to her questions in Hogwarts A History."
Ron snickered.
"Oh shut up you two. What do you have first?"
"McGonagall."
"Well guess we all have it first let's get going." They walked to their classes and got there just before the bell rang. Hermione and Harry took a seat at the double desk by themselves while Ron paired with Neville.
"In this class we will learn how to transfigure the weirdest item. Turning yourself into an item such as a couch. Turning moving animals into things as well. These things though they may sound simple take a long time to accomplish so you most concentrate. Then we will head into the beginning of animagi theory. Any questions?"
"Yes. Ms.Granger."
"Well are we going to actually become animagi at the end of the year?"
"No but if you progress far enough I may suggest it though I don't expect anyone to get that far."
They spent the rest of the class writing down objectives for this year and also going over the summer assignments and material from the previous year. They walked out of class with their head hurting.
"I don't wanna do that again. My brain hurts!" Ron said.
"Yeah I'm surprised you didn't pass out from the shock of actually learning something in the past three months." Hermione said walking towards the dungeons.
"Who is our teacher for this class anyway?" Harry asked ignoring the comment towards Ron's intelligence. Ron just stood there baffled that he had just let it go like that.
"We have Professor Rockwell since Snape is well you know gone and Slughorn only promised us a year. I hear that he's pretty good and experienced in the subject.
They walked towards the dungeons and looked inside minus Snape's presence this classroom was already more cheerful.
"Good morning class."
"Morning Professor Rockwell." The class responded in chorus.
"In this class I understand as we are Gryffindor-Slytherin that there was a certain prejudice and that is why we don't have the grades needed to correctly judge you which is why as I see that you don't belong in my NEWT class I will suggest other classes to otherwise spend your time in than this one as you are too mediocre for it. I expect nothing but the best in potions from you all so we need to have our materials. Does everyone have the textbooks?"
Everyone in the class raised their books.
"So I think we should start with some basic rules for the safety of everyone and then go over some potions we will cover this year…"
"I never thought I'd say this but Potions so far is the best class." Ron said.
"I'm still sticking with DADA." Harry said.
"Don't think I forgot that crack you made about my smarts." Ron said to Hermione.
"I'm not apologizing I was serious." Hermione said hotly.
"So you all want lunch we have free period before DADA." Hermione continued.
They just nodded their heads at her stupidity. Of course they were ready to eat Ron was the one that had the bottomless pit that he called a stomach and Harry he just ate when everyone else ate which was pretty often.
They went to the Great Hall and sat down to eat their lunch.
"What is that!" Hermione asked.
"Hedwig." Harry said looking up.
"I know that but why is she here."
"Well you should have asked and how would I bloody know."
She landed in Hermione's lap and gave her a half warning half look of sympathy.
"Why is she looking at me like that?" Hermione asked.
"Don't know you have to open the package." Ron spoke up from stuffing his face.
Hermione opened the package and her jaw dropped enclosed was a note and the letter that she covered the small parcel with.
"Hermione what is it? Herm…" Harry lifted up the parchment and looked inside holy crap they didn't send what I think they sent did they. Hermione started to blush and she started to breath heavily and she looked like she was about to faint.
"No, not here, Harry grab this before I drop it."
Hermione dropped into Harry's arms and he automatically rushed into the hospital wing.
"I think she fainted out of shock and she…she …just won't wake…up… I don't know what to do…please tell me you can save her." Harry stuttered.
"Mr.Potter before you brought her to me did you try Ennervate." Madam Pomfrey asked.
"No." he said nervously. She cast the spell and Hermione woke up and Madam Pomfrey walked off telling her to stay put for a bit and muttering about how students should have basic healing skills but no they didn't consider it a real necessity. Necessity my ass we're in a war we need to be learning these skills.
"Well anyway." Harry started blocking out her ranting. "What was in that letter besides the box of condoms." Hermione looked down into her hands which she realized were very dirty and began to pick it out.
"Um that we need to be more careful and that she thought that she was protecting me from some things she says we're not ready for in this stage of marriage. Also that we shouldn't go at it like bunnies which I completely disagree with because we're not animals we're human beings. If what she meant was a lot then I can't stand that because we just got…"
"Shhh." Harry said putting a finger over her lip.
Hermione was already whispering in a barely audible whisper.
"Married. So she can't really get to decide over that part of my life anyway."
Harry just sat there and nodded in agreement.
"Harry I don't know if I could do this anymore!"
"Do what?"
"This! Keeping this a secret. It's just too much work to keep this quiet all the lies that we have had to tell. The lies that we will have to tell. I can't live like this and you know me and you we're people that have never really told a lie. You know it's eating you up inside to hold it in. What happens now?...How long are we supposed to wait…3 months…two years?…ten years?...The rest of our lives…Face it Harry how long are we supposed to keep this a secret…How long have you been planning on keeping us a secret?" Hermione waited for an answer. Harry struggled to find the words.
"I wanted to wait until the end of the war." Harry said slowly.
"Harry we don't have that long. We don't even know how long this war is going to last. What are we going to do wait until we're like sixty and the war probably still won't be over. So we die right… natural causes and they decide they're going to bury us how do you want them to bury us… because our headstones will read… Hermione Granger and Harry Potter… and I want them to read Harry Potter and Hermione Potter…Do you want that?"
"Hermione you know I do I want that as much maybe even more than you do. I also want us to have kids but I don't see that happening amidst all of this. This is not the time where kids should be growing up."
"Harry, who knows how long we have until the end of this war. Or the end of our lives it might be sometime soon but at least I want to know that at some point for some brief point that I carried my husband's baby." Hermione was now crying.
"I don't know about the baby yet 'Mione but I think you are right. We can't keep on lying to everyone about this okay it's not right or fair to all of the people who are our friends and love us. Or to the rest of your family that don't know. Look Voldemort already knows about the fact that I have a wife but he doesn't know who that is so you being my best friend and a muggleborn to him you are already a threat. Add a wife to the mix and he'll want your blood just as bad as he wants mine. If you think we can do it we can but it has got to come naturally. We just can't burst out and tell them that."
"Okay so that way we will be keeping the pact we made with ourselves earlier and just get ourselves caught inconveniently."
"Yep. Here we come world Mr.&Mrs.Potter."
"Let's worry about that later for now let's just get to DADA." Hermione asked.
A/N: Thanks for all the people who review and tell me what they like in my story all the time one person I'd like to mention is hypa4ever, morgaine00000610 or something like that and everyone else that I can't remember right now. Always gives me somewhat a suggestion on what to do and always makes sure that I know at least someone is reading my story. Not to say that others don't its just that she's been here since the very beginning and thanks 4 that. tear tear. To the longest update ever.
Alexzangel
