This is it. The big day, seventh year- my last year with my friends and teachers and my last year to figure out my life- this is it.
I straightened out my shirt and brushed out the creases from my skirt. I took one last deep breath and grabbed my suitcase. I walked down the stairs to find that mum and dad were already in the car waiting. Looking back at my house one last time I took in my surroundings then walked out with my belongings and locked the door behind me. It felt big, everything felt big, my anticipation of this year was big, and I mean it should be shouldn't it? It's my last year the one that really counts. The one I have to make count.
End of POVHermione's dad started honking, causing her to turn around and roll her suitcase down the cobble driveway and jump into the car.
'Sorry, I was out of it for a bit,' she mumbled.
'It's fine dear, we know how big this is, your last year. Oh Hermione you've grown up so fast and-,' whatever Hermione's mum said afterward wasn't audible past the sniffling and nose blowing.
'Yes, this is a very important day, but I would hate to be late and with this traffic we should have really left fifteen minutes ago or so,' her dad chimed in a bit nervously glancing at his watch again.
He then hit the gas pedal and drove off a bit too fast to the train station staring at his watch every few minutes.
Hermione got there and after loading her things in the train and hugging her parents goodbye she left to go find Harry and Ron who were probably already in the train sitting waiting for her.
Ron's POV
I stumbled out of bed on the count of some loud shrieking noise. Blimey it was hard for a bloke to catch some sleep around here. You'd think with Fred and George living on their own busy with the joke shop and Percy- well who knows where he was- off too it would be quieter around here, but no such luck. Harry didn't make too much noise; it was Ginny that created most of the clamor in the burrow, fuming about some thing or another or blasting her god-awful music keeping me up at night.
I got up grudgingly grabbing a tee shirt and pants from the floor. Stumbling past Harry's feet I made my way to the bathroom. I fumbled with the doorknob until I realized it was locked. Great must be Ginny in there.
'Ron go away!' cried Ginny.
'Blimey Ginny I just need to shower real quick, how long have you been in there anyway? Would you go brush your hair or do you makeup in your room?' I grumbled back.
'No! Just go away!'
Ugh, I sighed and walked back to my room, I plunked my things down on my bed and decided to wake Harry up, judging by the clock it was time to get up anyway, plus he might be able to convince Ginny to open up the door and let me in for a shower.
I poked him a few times, but he lay sleeping on the floor.
'Eh Harry wake up it's time to get ready,' I tried.
'Mmhhfnm,' was my automatic reply.
I sighed and kicked him hard at the side.
'Ah! I'm up geez Ron you didn't have to kick me,'
'Great now that you're up would you be a mate and tell my sister to get out of the bloody bathroom, I need to shower."
Harry didn't say anything but made his way to the bathroom all the same. He knocked lightly at the door and waited for a reply.
'Go away!' Ginny yelled in a muffled voice.
'Ginny are you okay?'
'No! Just leave me alone!'
'Ginny c'mon please let me in? It's Harry."
After a few minutes of silence the door clicked and Harry walked in and closed the door behind him. I guess so I couldn't hear which suited me just fine because I really didn't need to hear my sister's latest drama. I should be used to it by now though, she would come home some days crying over the breakup of a band or that one of her friends had hooked up with her crush or rubbish like that. Judging by her state it would take a good ten minutes to get her out of there so I decided to pick what to wear.
Right so then some black slacks and a navy tee shirt and some white socks.
End of POV
Harry's POV
I walked into the bathroom and it took me a while to find Ginny who was hard to spot from all the papers on the floor and used tissues piled up in the trash but mostly scattered anywhere. But then I saw her curled up on the floor holding a little piece of parchment.
I made my way over to her and sat down next to her, avoiding sitting on any tissues.
'Ginny what's wrong?' I offered softly.
'He… he… sniffle… he dumped me,' she said taking deep breaths between each word and then returned to crying and blowing her nose.
There was a silence, I guess she was waiting for me to say something sensitive and kind to cheer her up, in fact I was waiting too, but on my brain to process that fact that she was dating someone to begin with and that he broke up with her, that and what could I say to cheer up a blubbering sixteen year old girl?
'Oh Ginny I'm so sorry; you're better off without him anyway. He's not worth any tears, I mean he doesn't deserve you anyway and… and you could do so much better I mean who needs him anyway?'
I said anything I've ever heard in movies or TV shows or overheard girls say to each other after breakups, I just hoped any of that made sense to her and cheered her up.
More silence. Great she must have seen right through that – Ginny wrapped her arms around me and sobbed.
'Oh Harry you're such a great guy you really get me! Thank you so much,' she said and tightened her grip on me.
Guess I helped. I really do feel bad for her though I mean she's like a sister to me and I hate seeing her upset. But I do wonder who this guy is.
'Seamus just really wasn't all I thought he was. I mean he even broke up with me through a letter. How lame is it? I mean I really thought we shared something special, I guess not huh?' Ginny said releasing me and looking at me now straight in the face.
I saw her running makeup and puffy eyes; she looked muddled and just in need of a friend to confide in. Not sure what to say really I nodded and offered her another hug, mostly to avoid anymore awkward moments like that.
'Ginny it's almost time to go why don't you get ready and I'll uh clean up in here and um we can talk about this some more on the train ride?'
'Oh Harry that sounds great! Thank you so much!'
Off she went and I was left on the floor. I picked up all the tissues and returned them to the trash. Quickly I hopped into the shower myself.
End of POV
All three of them – Ron, Harry and Ginny- got to the train station with plenty of time to spare and went to get a compartment.
They were all excited to see Hermione who they weren't able to spend the summer with because she was off vacationing with her family in Europe all summer. Just then there was a knock at the door.
Ron who was trying to shove his bag into the compartment for luggage on top opened the door and then his bag fell right on his foot.
'OW!'
Hermione was standing on the other side of the door and started backing up since Ron was jumping around holding his foot and was coming dangerously close to bumping right into her.
'Ron watch it!' Hermione yelled dodging his hopping body again.
He looked up and put his foot down. He was about to say something but then stopped and stared blankly at Hermione with his mouth open.
Hermione stood awkwardly and looked passed Ron and saw Ginny and Harry and made her way to hug them both, brushing past Ron who still stood silently staring at Hermione.
'Ginny! Harry! Oh my gosh it's been so long! Look at you both!' Hermione shouted as she hugged them both.
"Oh my gosh! Mione! Look at you,' Ginny shouted back walking around Hermione who was just beaming at seeing her friends again, "Have you gotten taller? And bigger?' Ginny said giving Hermione a look that suggested her breast size increase. Hermione blushed and answered, "Ginny! Can we not talk about my… well can we just not talk about me right now, tell me about you guys!'
Harry who had been standing next to Hermione caught onto was Ginny was saying and blushed a bit also. But he did notice Hermione's physical differences too. She'd gotten taller and was now about 5'6 or so and has developed some 'womanly' curves and bumps where there had been nothing a few months ago. Her hair was longer and had become considerably less frizzy. Suddenly he stopped looking at Hermione because her attention and gaze was now directly on him.
'Well Harry what have you guys been up to?'
"Oh, um well me and Ron have just been hanging around practicing Quidditch and stuff and umm Ginny has been… well I'm not quite sure what Ginny has been doing to be honest,' Harry said with a bit of a chuckle near the end.
Ginny looked at Harry and smiled and inched closer to him. "Well I've been busy with some friends and boys but you know as far as boys go I've just been wasting my time,' she said brushing her arm up against Harry's, who noticed and coughed loudly and sat down.
Ron who had been silent since Hermione came in walked over right in front of Hermione and smiled sheepishly. "Yes Mione um me and Harry and Ginny haven't done anything at all! Haha tell me... us about your trip to Europe! No boys I hope haha cough,' Ron managed to say between squeaks and awkward laughs.
Hermione eyed him suspiciously and looked at Ginny who wasn't paying much attention at her brother and more on Harry didn't return her friend's look of confusion and didn't offer any explanation for Ron's nervous behavior.