Hermione says a rough goodbye to her friends as she boards the train to return to Hogwarts. Following is an awkward conversation with Draco, and a revealing one with Ginny.
Platform 9¾ stood bustling with students, new and old, along with their families sending them off. If anyone noticed the significant lack of children present compared to years before, or the way the parents of said children clung to them just a little longer than usual as they said goodbye, they had the decency not to speak their thoughts aloud.
Hermione had already thoroughly soaked her handkerchief with her tears, painfully aware that this was the first year her parents weren't there to see her off, nor would they ever get to do so again. As much as she'd tried to console herself with the thought of them living, safe and happy, in the country of their dreams, their absence in her life left a wide, gaping hole in Hermione's heart that may never again be filled.
But the Weasleys, bless their kind souls, did their best anyway. Mrs. Weasley hugged her so tightly that Hermione swore she heard a joint or two pop, but she wouldn't have wished it any other way. Mr. Weasley's embrace was much softer, but no less loving as he told her to drop by any time she liked, no matter the reason. Hermione had nodded and sniffed away her tears, only for them to start right back up again when Harry took her into his arms.
Her oldest and dearest friend held her close, letting her work out her messy, chaotic emotions in the safety of his familiar hold.
A part of Hermione felt rather silly for crying so hard; she was only going off to Hogwarts after all, it had been her own choice to do so, and it wasn't as though she wouldn't see them all again until the school year was over. But this was the first year she'd be braving the ancient halls without Harry and Ron by her side; the first year she'd be able to focus on school work, socializing, and maintaining good marks like a normal student instead of trying to solve the mystery behind an old magical artifact or protect herself and her friends from a looney professor, or a literal megalomaniac hellbent on ruling the wizarding world.
Hermione had tried and failed many times to picture what this year was going to be like. Sure, she was excited to delve back into her studies…but mostly, she was afraid. A part of her wondered if she'd even know how to be a normal student now, after everything. And without Harry and Ron there to bring about some manner of familiarity, would Hogwarts even resemble the same sanctuary of safety and wonder it once was?
Hermione swallowed, unable to voice any of her fears. She didn't want to make Harry and Ron feel guilty, or like they were abandoning her. She knew school had never been quite as important to them, and now with many of their Hogwarts memories tainted by the war, she couldn't begrudge their choice not to return. Though that didn't erase her wish for at least one of them to change their mind and come with her.
Sniffling, Hermione drew back just enough to meet Harry's eyes. "Sure you don't want to come along?" She'd intended to sound teasing, but by the way Harry's brows furrowed with worry, she wasn't sure she'd succeeded.
"I…I can't go back there right now, Hermione," he gently replied. "The aurors are still recovering, and Kingsley needs help gathering the remaining Death Eaters. No rest for the Chosen One, apparently."
Hermione privately disagreed, but said nothing. She'd already argued with him over this very issue before, trying in vain to convince him to take a break, that he had no obligation to continue risking his life. Harry wouldn't hear of it. The Golden Girl secretly wondered if his eagerness to jump right back into action was so he wouldn't have to deal with all the grief and pain from the war. Or, maybe Harry simply didn't know how to stop anymore.
"I know, Harry. It's okay," Hermione said with a sigh. Harry still looked skeptical, so she quickly coerced her mouth into a smile. "Really, I'll be fine. Ginny will be there with me, and Neville. And-" she stopped, inhaling a sharp breath at what she'd nearly said.
"And…Malfoy?" Harry finished quietly.
Hermione blinked, partially embarrassed, but mostly in wonder at how perceptive Harry had grown in the past year.
Noticing her expression, the brunet sighed, removing his glasses so he could rub the bridge of his nose. "Look, 'Mione…whatever's going on between you and Malfoy is none of my business. Frankly, after what you told me, I'd really rather not know the details."
Heat gathered in the witch's cheeks. "I – It's not like that, Harry. We're not…we've agreed to take things slow-"
Harry held up a hand. "Like I said, it's none of my business. You don't have to justify your relationship to me, and you certainly don't need my permission."
The wizarding world's savior had a rather mixed reaction when Hermione sat him down to explain her bond with Draco; incredulity paired with wariness, and a good amount of concern on her part. Though Harry was far from thrilled, he'd promised to support her as she figured things out, regardless of whatever happened between her and Malfoy.
Replacing his glasses, Harry gave her a tiny smile. "Just…if you ever need anything – anything at all – don't hesitate to owl, yeah?" Smiling back shakily, Hermione nodded and leaned in for one last hug. "You'll be brilliant," he murmured reassuringly.
Then, with a kiss to her cheek, Harry released her. Hermione stepped aside to allow Ginny to take her place in the Chosen One's arms, turning respectively to allow the lovers to say their goodbyes.
There, she met the downcast form of Ronald Weasley.
Ron was standing awkwardly off to the side, hands shoved into his pockets as he avoided her gaze.
Hermione wrung her hands.
She and Ron had barely spoken all summer, both too stubborn and obstinate to easily reconcile, particularly when they both thought they were in the right; which happened more often than either liked to acknowledge. It was amazing how just a little distance revealed the number of problems that existed between her and Ron –
Problems that were difficult but ultimately tolerable in the safe sphere of their long friendship, but would be devastating in the context of a relationship. Though the curly haired witch remained largely conflicted about the bond, she could no longer deny that she was also begrudgingly grateful for how it had opened her eyes to the certain trainwreck a romance between herself and Ron would have been.
Hermione hoped that one day, he would see that too.
"Harry said you're off to Hogsmeade for a while?" she began tentatively.
Ron nodded. "Yeah…gonna help George out in the shop. I don't want him to be alone."
The curly haired witch smiled. "I think that's very good of you, Ron."
He nodded as a flush creeped up his neck, awkwardly kicking a stone on the ground.
Licking her lips, Hermione's gaze flitted about as she fished for the correct words. "Ron, I…I'm sorry things haven't worked out. I never wanted to hurt you."
Finally, the redhead lifted his somber gaze, managing a sad little smile. "I know, 'Mione. You've always been the better one out of the two of us." Hermione opened her mouth to protest, but he didn't let her. "Don't bother denying it. You helped out Malfoy, for Merlin's sake. Even after all he did to you, you didn't hesitate to fly in and save his sorry arse. You and that giant heart of yours never quit."
Hermione ignored the hints of derision in Ron's tone, knowing this was his odd, backwards way of making amends with her choice. She tried not to think about how unagreeable and incensed he'd be if he knew the whole story behind her motivation to help Draco, or that she intended to continue helping him.
A battle for another time.
With a heavy sigh, Ron scratched at his scalp. "Maybe this is for the best, anyhow. The war's just ended, and I know we're both…y'know…dealing with stuff. Not exactly a prime time to start dating, I guess."
Hermione blinked, mildly floored by Ron's oddly mature conclusion. While he may have grown physically and mentally in the past year, Hermione had remained rather skeptical of Ron's emotional progress, given his less-than-stellar track record before, during, and right after the war. Guilt quickly rose up in the witch's throat, upset that she hadn't put more faith in her friend. Now, this would be the last time she really talked with him for a while.
Sniffling against the fresh wave of tears, Hermione tucked herself into Ron's chest. "We may not have been suited romantically, but you know I still love you dearly, don't you, Ron? Please say you'll write me, don't let this silence between us continue! I don't want to lose you over something like this, not now, not after everything…"
She heard Ron swallow harshly before his long arms came up to wrap around her. "Aw, 'Mione…" He laid his cheek against the top of her head. "You can never lose me. I'll always be here for you, no matter what, okay? Gods…I'm sorry for being such a stubborn arse all summer."
Hermione shook her head. "We were both being stubborn. I think it's in our nature to fight over stupid things at this point." Ron chuckled and ruffled her hair as he drew back, his blue eyes glossed over. The Golden Girl wiped away her own persistent tears. "I don't know what I'm going to do without you and Harry all year," she quietly admitted.
"Oh come on, you'll be great. School is practically your domain. I'm sure you'll find someone else to threaten into doing their homework in no time!" Ron joked. Hermione scoffed and batted his chest playfully.
The train whistle screeched through the air, shattering the moment. Ron's lips quirked into a sad smile. "You'll come by for a visit during Hogsmeade weekends, yeah?"
Hermione's smile was just as melancholic. "Of course I will. But only if you promise to write!"
"Deal." Drawing her in for one last hug, Ron kissed the top of her head and wished her a quiet good luck.
When Hermione drew back from her friend, Ginny materialized beside her to take her hand. "They're about to close the doors, Hermione. Let's go."
Though every step felt heavy, the Golden Girl silently acquiesced. Boarding the train, Hermione allowed herself one last look at the only family she had left. The flock of encouraging smiles she received gave her the strength to wave goodbye.
"Don't worry, 'Mione," Ginny reassured, "everything will be fine now, you'll see. Soon, you'll be back to kicking everyone's arse in marks and winning nearly all the points for Gryffindor."
Taking a deep breath to ease the tightening in her chest, Hermione managed a shaky laugh. "Shouldn't that be your job this year, Miss Head Girl?"
Ginny cringed as they meandered deeper into the train. "Ugh, don't remind me. I still haven't got the slightest clue why McGonagall picked me for that. You would have been a much better candidate!"
Hermione pursed her lips awkwardly. She wondered if she should tell Ginny that McGonagall had approached her earlier in the summer about the possibility of being Head Girl, only for her to turn it down. Being Head Girl had once been a dream of hers…but that was before. Now, Hermione wanted as little extra responsibility on her as possible. Getting through the school year was going to be harrowing enough as it was, and now with the bond and Draco to deal with, Hermione couldn't even fathom something as demanding as Head Girl duties.
"I don't think I'd be a good Head Girl as I am now," the curly haired witch quietly admitted.
Ginny paused, giving her friend a concerned glance. "Why's that?"
Hermione merely shrugged. "Oh, just…not in the right head space, I suppose." The redhead frowned, but Hermione barreled on before she could ask for details. "Anyway, I think you sell yourself short, Gin. You're smart, stubborn, and can give anyone a good verbal or physical thrashing when the need arises. I think you'll make an excellent Head Girl!"
Ginny remined silent for a moment too long, but ultimately sighed and allowed for the change in subject, much to Hermione's relief. She'd always appreciated Ginny's innate ability to know when to push, and when to let something go.
"I dunno. With all this other shite I'll be dealing with, I'll barely have time for quidditch!"
Hermione scoffed and rolled her eyes. "There are much better things to worry about than quidditch, Gin."
"Spoken like a true nerd," Ginny shot back playfully.
"Better than being a meat-headed ruffian," the brunette countered.
"At least I'm a cute ruffian!" said Ginny with an exaggerated hair flip. Both Gryffindors giggled, and Hermione felt the tension slowly leave her body. "Oh hey, why don't you go find somewhere for us to sit. I need to go find someone really quick, okay?"
Before she could question who, Ginny was already darting away, leaving Hermione standing awkwardly in the middle of the aisle.
"Great," she couldn't help but think, "we've only just started on our way, and already, she's abandoned me. Oh well."
Meandering through the train, the witch's steps faltered upon feeling the familiar pull of the bond. She hesitated for only a moment before following it, leading her to the final compartment at the end of the car. Shushing her pounding heart, Hermione slid open the door, revealing the form of her mate sitting by the window.
Draco looked up from his book, expression carefully schooled.
"Hello," the Gryffindor greeted quietly as she slipped inside the compartment to join him.
The Slytherin offered a nod in return.
Hermione busied herself with putting her trunk away, pretending she couldn't feel his gaze on her. Plopping down in the seat across from him, she licked her lips nervously. Draco's eyes darted down at the action.
"I didn't see you at the platform," Hermione prompted.
The blond offered a shrug. "I said my goodbyes at the house. Didn't want to draw attention to myself."
She nodded. "I suppose that was for the best."
The conversation died swiftly, much to their mutual discomfort. Draco eyed her almost shyly from behind his fringe, looking every bit as lost as Hermione felt.
They'd exchanged a handful of letters since her impromptu visit to Andromeda's; nothing very elaborate or personal, but enough to communicate their shared desire to not rush into anything.
The bond hummed steadily between them, content that they were simply in each other's presence. Hermione hoped that it would not demand more in the future. Even now, her fingers ached curiously with the urge to reach for him, recalling the last and only time she'd touched him gently.
Smoothing her skirt and crossing her legs, Hermione cleared her throat. "This is rather uncomfortable, isn't it?"
Draco arched a brow as though to say, "you think?"
As the moments stretched on in silence, the witch wondered how on God's green earth they were supposed to make this work. Her only consolation was that he was clearly just as uncertain as she was; and Hermione hated being uncertain.
Surely, there must be something they could talk about, something to break this thick wall of ice that stood between them-
Unconsciously, Hermione's gaze flicked over the book in Draco's hand, and it was as though Merlin himself had thrown her a bone.
"Oh!" Her sudden squeal caused Draco's shoulders to jump. "You're reading The Hobbit!"
Hermione withdrew her wand to summon her own worn copy of the classic novel, politely pretending she didn't notice Draco's hand flinch towards his own pocket. "This used to be my favorite back when I was little. I think I must have read it monthly. I used to drive my mum spare with how often I would recite the passages. I even named my old hamster Bilbo and would carry him around in our backyard while pretending to be on some grand adventure with him."
Hermione knew she was rambling, but she was desperate for any modicum of normal conversation with her mate, one she might have with any of her other friends, one not weighed down by past wounds and regrets.
When she looked up, the witch was surprised to see something resembling a smile tugging at Draco's lips. Whether his amusement was with her or at her, she didn't know, but that hint of a grin directed at her stole her breath before she could analyze it further. Before, Hermione would have never been able to picture a true, genuine smile on the Slytherin prince's face; and now that she'd been enlightened with this rare sight, the witch thought she may finally understand why so many girls used to fawn over him so excessively. Werewolf or not, Draco was almost devastatingly handsome.
"It's certainly an interesting read, to put it simply." His voice pulled Hermione back to herself.
Praying her cheeks had not darkened, the Gryffindor hummed in agreement. "Interesting…for a muggle book?"
Draco shrugged. "Interesting regardless. Though you'd be hard pressed to find anything quite like this by a magical author. I mean, Tolkien gets almost everything wrong about wizards and magical creatures, after all. I still imagine a house elf with long, flowing hair holding a sword three times its size whenever he describes the elves."
An amused snort broke free before Hermione could choke it back. Draco's gaze darted up in surprise, as though he'd never heard the sound before in his life.
Now certain her poor face was flushed with embarrassment, the witch hurried to reply. "W-Well it's a fantasy novel, it's not meant to be realistic. Creatures likes elves and dwarves are fictional to muggles, so there are many different interpretations of them."
Draco stared at her oddly for a few moments before slowly nodding. "I suppose that makes sense."
Hermione nodded back, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "Do you, erm…do you read a lot?"
The Slytherin scratched his nose and replied, "Not as much as you I'm sure, but it's always been a regular hobby of mine, yes. The only thing I think I do more of is flying."
A tentative elation arose in Hermione's chest; it was almost laughable how relieved she felt for this scrap of commonality between them, the first meager sign of the so-called 'compatibility' Tonks swore that they had. "And have you read many other muggle books?"
Draco gave a shrug that seemed almost timid. "A fair amount, I suppose." Hermione's shock must have shown on her face, because the blond smiled dryly before explaining. "Aunt 'Dromeda's late muggleborn husband, Ted, read a lot. Wasn't a whole lot to do over the summer, what with my probation and all, so I raided his collection."
The witch fidgeted, eager to ask more about his findings, but stopped upon noticing the strange look on Draco's face. The Slytherin stared down at the novel in his hand pensively, silver eyes clouded over with memory.
"I first read this in fifth year, actually." The words came out murmured and strained, as though he hadn't given his mouth full consent to speak them.
Hermione blinked, genuinely not believing him for a moment; for that had been the year that he'd worked under that insane cow Umbridge, aided in her reign of terror as part of her infernal Inquisition Squad.
However, the bond flowed beneath her skin, and somehow, Hermione knew he was telling the truth. "But, you…how did-"
Right then, the compartment door slid open. "Hey, there you are, Hermione! And-" Ginny stopped short upon seeing who else was present in the box. "…Malfoy," she finished with raised brows in Hermione's direction.
Hermione held her breath, holding her friend's gaze pleadingly, mentally begging her, "please don't make a scene, please don't say anything, I promise I'll explain later!"
Ginny held Hermione's gaze for only a few short moments before looking back at Draco, expression completely unreadable.
The Slytherin cleared his throat uneasily and murmured, "Weasley."
To Hermione's immense shock, Ginny snorted and rolled her eyes. "Oh, we're back to this now, are we? What, not nearly as sociable without the threat of certain doom hanging over our heads?" The redhead plopped down beside her friend, ignoring the utterly confused look she was sending her.
Draco had gone stiff as a board, knuckles white as he clutched his book. "You talk as though we were friends, Weasley."
Ginny shrugged. "We weren't, but I would think we're at least past all this pointless hostility by now. You did save my arse a few times, after all."
Draco pointedly ignored Ginny's eyes. "I'm not being hostile," he muttered.
"Just antisocial as fuck," a new voice chimed in.
All three pairs of eyes darted to the open door to meet the smirking face of Blaise Zabini. The handsome Italian sauntered into the cabin and swooped down to take Ginny's hand, kissing it playfully. "Well hello there, Miss Head Girl."
Ginny tugged her hand from Blaise's grip, glaring lightly at the Italian. "Keep your hands to yourself Zabini, I'm a taken woman. Don't think I won't give you detention."
Blaise sighed dramatically. "And here I thought what we had was special. You're a true heartbreaker, Red. And I respect that." Ginny snickered and shook her head in amusement whilst Hermione looked between them as though they were an extremely difficult math problem. She didn't know Blaise Zabini well at all, had never even spoken with him, and until one minute ago, would have thought Ginny hadn't either.
The Slytherin in question then moved his attention to her, his lips quirking up in a charming smile. "And if it isn't Golden Girl Granger, returning to show us all up in marks once again. Good thing too, otherwise Draco over there would have no competition, poor bloke."
Hermione opened her mouth to say…something, she wasn't quite sure what, but Blaise abruptly took her own hand then and brought it to his lips in a feather-light kiss, turning whatever she'd been about to say into an awkward stammer.
A fissure of something zapped through the bond, making Hermione flinch – or maybe that was due to the telltale sound of precious book pages being creased. Draco swore colorfully under his breath as he took out his wand to fix the pages he'd just bent. The curly haired witch vaguely heard Ginny ribbing Blaise for being such a shameless flirt, but she was too focused on the clench of Draco's jaw and the trembling of his hands to really listen.
Hermione desperately hoped that short disturbance through the bond wasn't what she thought it was. She discreetly moved a little further away from Blaise just in case.
But the Italian had already moved his attention elsewhere, now peering down at his fellow Slytherin oddly. That look only lasted a moment before Blaise's suave persona slipped back in place, and he slid in beside Draco without preamble, throwing an arm over the blond's shoulders. Draco looked anything but pleased by the touch, not that Blaise seemed to notice as he said, "And where exactly have you been slouching off at all summer, mate? Too busy to return an owl or two?"
At that, Draco's eyes shuttered, becoming closed off. "Wasn't at the Manor. Didn't get any owls."
Blaise frowned, but before he could retort, another voice cut him off. "Just leave it Blaise, he clearly didn't want to talk to us."
Somehow, Hermione's eyes grew even wider as none other than Pansy Parkinson strode into the compartment, followed by a tall dark haired boy that Hermione couldn't immediately place. Pansy sat smoothly beside Ginny as though it was the most normal thing in the world, her brunet companion taking the remaining seat next to her at the very end of the bench.
Feeling bemused and mildly panicked that their compartment was rapidly filling with Slytherins they both had rather rocky histories with, Hermione eyed Ginny frantically. The redhead, on the other hand, was the picture of ease, greeting the dark haired boy with a nod and a simple, "Nott."
Right, that's who he was. Theodore Nott, an extremely withdrawn Slytherin that Hermione had rarely ever heard speak. The only reason she even knew his name was due to the number of classes they'd shared together in the past, including Ancient Runes, where she and Nott had been the only non-Ravenclaws in the class.
Theo returned Ginny's greeting with an awkward nod, as though he hadn't expected her to acknowledge him. Unphazed, Ginny started chatting easily with Blaise, still seemingly oblivious to Hermione's growing bewilderment. While it was true that Ginny had always been the type to make friends easily, in the past, she'd constantly shown the same wariness, and even mild prejudice against Slytherins that the rest of her family tended to, particularly after the incident with Tom Riddle's diary. Yet, here she was, in a train compartment full of Slytherins, talking and acting as though she'd known them all forever.
Hermione eyed Malfoy to see if he thought it odd at all, but he'd cast his attention down at his novel, expression frosted over with occlumency. That in itself was also strange – weren't these people his friends? – but the Golden Girl didn't have time to ponder it before yet another guest barged in to join them. Though it was at least a welcome face this time, as Luna Lovegood all but skipped her way through the door, large radish earrings dangling on each side of her head.
"Hello everyone! It's so nice to see you all," the blonde crooned. Half the compartment echoed Luna's greeting, Nott lighting up in particular, though he said nothing.
The Ravenclaw glided through the compartment until she stood before Malfoy, who somehow seemed to have grown even tenser at her appearance. "Hello, Draco. It's so nice to see you in some decent lighting for once. The dungeons were rather dark, not very ideal for chatting face to face."
Were it anyone else, such a statement would have sounded heavily sarcastic and bitter, doubtlessly meant to guilt Draco. But Luna, who likely didn't even have any comprehension of sarcasm, only smiled brightly at the Malfoy heir, not a trace of deceit to be found.
Thoroughly speechless and visibly uncomfortable, Draco only gaped in reply.
Unruffled by his response, Luna looked curiously between him and Hermione. After a moment, her mouth popped open with a surprised little, "oh!" As she grinned tranquilly, Hermione began to sweat beneath the Ravenclaw's knowing gaze. Though Luna was undoubtedly an odd duck and rarely made sense in her ramblings, the blonde had always possessed an uncanny sixth sense; she always seemed to know things, things that should have been virtually impossible for her to just guess.
The moment thankfully passed, and Luna turned once again to Draco. "I wanted to thank you for the blankets and food you gave me when I was at your manor. They were most appreciated!"
"No, really, you don't-" Malfoy attempted to fend her off, but Luna paid him no mind as she plopped a small, tied paper bag on his lap.
"You don't have quite as many pesky Nargles buzzing around you as before, but they're still there. If you crush these sunflower seeds very finely, pour them into pouch, and wear it 'round your neck while you sleep, it should help keep them at bay. Nargles hate sunflowers. Also, they make a tasty snack."
Blaise not-so-subtly snickered under his breath, only to grunt in pain when Theo kicked him in the shin.
Staring with comedic blankness at Luna's unexpected offering, Draco opened his mouth dumbly as though to speak, but ultimately said nothing.
Luna merely smiled and, to Hermione's ever growing disbelief, turned and slid into Theo's lap. Nott immediately kissed her chastely on the lips, drawing a dreamy grin from the Ravenclaw.
"Ugh, must you do that while you're sitting right next to me?" griped Pansy, who had pulled out a nail file.
For once, Hermione noticed she didn't seem to be the only one in the dark, as Malfoy's brows had risen into his hairline at the display. But aside from some good-natured ribbing from Blaise, no one else paid the unexpected couple any mind.
"Well, it looks like a party in here," said Neville as he popped into the nearly full compartment, taking the last available seat next to Blaise. "Long time no see, everyone. Long summer, eh?"
"Speak for yourself, Longbottom," the Italian scoffed. "After all the shite we went through last year, I think they should just award us with automatic graduation with high honors. Then I would still be lounging in Sicily, surrounded by beautiful women and spending all my mother's money."
"As if you need anymore incentive to be a useless, lazy piece of hippogriff shit," Pansy deadpanned.
"Oh, I don't know, Parkinson," Ginny chimed in. "I think he's more of a big-headed, wise-cracking galoot."
Pansy gave an odd, almost smirk as Blaise pouted. "I forgot how bloody ruthless you two are when you team up. I think I liked it better when you were both constantly exchanging passive-aggressive little stabs at each other and driving the rest of us mad."
Neville chuckled. "I don't know how we got anything done in those early days."
As Ginny, Blaise, and Neville laughed at whatever inside joke was between them, Hermione had never felt so out of the loop. She knew she'd missed out on a lot the past year, having been isolated in the wilderness and all, but it didn't really hit her until now just how much had changed.
Just what had gone down last year to result in such easy camaraderie between previously staunch members of Hogwarts' biggest rival houses?
Ginny, seeming to finally register the abject lostness in Hermione's expression, asked if she would accompany her to the restroom. The Golden Girl was all too happy to accept, needing a moment to breathe and recombobulate.
Once both girls were within the train's cramped little water closet, Ginny peered at herself in the mirror and began to fuss with her makeup. "I'm guessing you're wondering when I became so chummy with Slytherins."
Hermione nodded slowly.
Sighing, the redhead fiddled with her tube of lip gloss. "How much have you heard about what it was like at Hogwarts last year?"
Hermione dropped her gaze. "Not…not a whole lot, I suppose. I've heard bits and pieces here and there while I was helping rebuild the school, and Harry, Ron and I gleaned a little from the Potterwatch broadcasts."
Ginny nodded, staring into the sink blankly. "It…it was bad, Hermione. Really bad." Her grip on the lip gloss tightened. "The Carrows ruled with an iron fist, and they didn't care what they had to do to maintain the order. DADA was actually hell. There was no defense about it, only the dark arts themselves. They…they would make us practice Unforgivables on each other."
All the air vacated Hermione's lungs. "Even…even the…younger ones? The first and second years?" she whispered in horror.
Ginny laughed darkly. "Especially the younger ones. Wanted to 'break them in early,' as that bitch Alecto put it."
Feeling weak-legged, Hermione sat down on the seat of the toilet. "That – that's horrible."
The redhead could only nod in agreement, eyes hard. "Getting detention was basically a death sentence. They'd basically use you for target practice. And you bet your arse they used any and every excuse to issue detentions to whoever didn't support You-Know-Who. So many times, students who'd gotten detention would come back to the tower bloody and bruised…if they came back at all."
Ginny paused to reapply her lip gloss with a trembling hand. "Neville was the first to find and use the Room of Requirement to hide away in. He passed the word around to those of us he knew he could trust, and we managed to get it around the school to come to the room if you needed help. The house elves snuck us food, and Madame Pomfrey smuggled us potions and medical supplies. The professors and us older students did what we could to help each other…but it wasn't always enough."
Ginny drew in a shaky breath. "There was one night…a second year Ravenclaw boy came to the room, sobbing and frantic. He told us his friend had been taken by the Carrows…begged us to help save him. Everyone else there at the time was injured, and too many people would put us at greater risk of being caught. So I went. We found the kid being tortured by Crabbe in some old classroom. I knocked the dumb bastard out and started taking the kids back to the room…but we got caught by Amycus. I managed to hold him off long enough so the boys could escape, but-"
Hermione reached out and took her friend's hand. "Oh, Gin…"
Ginny squeezed her hand and blew out a long breath before continuing. "He roughed me up a bit, but mostly just threw stupid insults at first. Then, he started hauling me back into the same classroom as before, saying he was gonna crucio me until my brain melted out my ears. Then, out of nowhere, Malfoy suddenly appears."
The curly haired witch jerked at the mention of her mate.
"He asks what's going on, and Amycus tells him. Then, for some reason, Malfoy offers to carry out my punishment for him."
Hermione's heart nearly stops. No…no, he wouldn't-
She swiftly shuts down that thought. How could she know what he would and wouldn't have done? Draco had been trying to survive, just like she had. Besides, she still doesn't know him. There's no telling what all he may have done to keep himself and his loved ones safe.
The bond twists with sorrow at her dark thoughts, so Hermione forces herself to refocus on Ginny.
"At first, I thought I was done for," the redhead continued. "But then, while Malfoy's hauling me into the classroom with that sick fuck Amycus right on our heels, he leans over and whispers to me to scream as loud as I could after he pretended to cast the spell. At first, I didn't think I'd heard him right, thought he was trying to trick me or something."
Ginny met Hermione's gaze through the mirror. "But then, I saw this…this look in Malfoy's eyes. I can't really describe it…but it was not the look of someone who wanted to hurt me. He looked…hell, he looked just as scared and trapped as I felt." She shrugged. "So, I took a risk. He pointed his wand at me and said the spell, but he didn't actually cast it, just like he said he wouldn't. I screamed like he told me and pretended to be under the crucio. Amycus bought it, dumb fuck that he was."
Hermione's trepidation had now turned into relief and awe. The bond relaxed and flowed through her reassuringly, as though to say, "of course he wouldn't do that. He's amazing."
She silenced it once again, knowing such thoughts weren't entirely her own, but her perception of Draco shifted significantly in that moment.
Noticing the look on her face, Ginny chuckled. "Believe me, I was shocked too. I tried to grill him after Amycus left, but he just shoved a bottle of Pain Relief potion into my hands and told me to 'get the fuck out and don't get caught again, you idiot Weasley.' Still an arse even when he's being a hero, I guess."
The girls shared a chuckled at that. "After that, I told Neville and the others what had happened. Nobody believed me at first. But eventually, we decided to try and contact him to see if we could recruit him as an ally."
Ginny grinned cheekily. "We actually used those galleons of yours from fifth year that you made for the DA. Rather handy, those things. Anyway, we started badgering Malfoy to meet with us, though he was…rather resistant at first. He was worried about blowing his cover, and understandably so. From what I gathered, he wasn't exactly in the rest of the Death Eater's good graces. They thought he was too soft, not dedicated to the cause. Which was true, as it turns out, but obviously, Malfoy couldn't let them figure that out. Eventually, we managed to convince him to meet with us, and he brought along a few other Slytherins that weren't sympathetic to You-Know-Who."
Ginny smiled wryly. "You can imagine our surprise when bloody Parkinson was one of them. Her and Zabini. She and I might have gone at it a bit before Neville and Malfoy shut us up, heh. Sorry, I keep digressing. So, we worked out a deal with the three of them, which they then extended to anyone else in Slytherin who was interested. Basically, we'd plan days to get detention or caught doing something punishable, and they'd either conveniently show up or volunteer to be there. They'd pretend to torture us, and we'd pretend to be hurt. We also gave them your galleons, so if someone got detention for real, we'd let them know, and one of them would try to intervene. This way, they'd get credit as You-Know-Who's avid supporters without having to actually hurt anyone. In return, they'd help us with rescue missions and slip us supplies when they could."
Ginny sighed again. "It wasn't a perfect arrangement…obviously, we just didn't have enough man power to run to the rescue of anyone in trouble. And we couldn't get the news around to everyone, because we had to consider their cover. Hell, me and Neville were the only ones actually willing to communicate with them. A lot of the others in Gryffindor, especially the older ones, didn't trust them at all, even after they saved some of them.
"But it helped. They helped. And through all of that, I learned that we…my family, that is…were wrong about Slytherins. Turns out, most of them didn't want anything to do with You-Know-Who, but they had to pretend that they did because of their families. In some ways, they had it even worse, because if they refused to do certain things or act certain ways at school, the true supporters would tattle on them; it would get back to him, and then their loved ones would be punished. The whole damn situation was a lose-lose for anyone who didn't staunchly believe in blood purity, no matter what their last names were or where they came from."
Ginny's chest heaved as she tried to calm herself down from her impromptu rant. "So yeah," she sighed, shoulders dropping. "I guess you could say Neville and I made a pretty good team with Malfoy, Zabini, and Parkinson. And, well, when you're banded together in a situation like that, you tend to leave old grievances behind you."
Hermione's head whirled as it struggled to process the information dump her friend had just unloaded on her. "But…at the final battle, Parkinson tried to give up Harry," she exclaimed in confusion.
Ginny pursed her lips. "That, well…she's actually apologized for that, if you can believe it."
Hermione's mouth popped open. "What? When?"
"Just a little while ago, actually. When I sent you ahead to find a compartment, she was the person I wanted to find. I'd intended to tear her a new one, so you can imagine how shocked I was when she just came out and apologized."
Hermione furrowed her brows, unable to picture Pansy Parkinson feeling remorseful about anything.
Ginny shrugged. "It's fine if you don't believe me. I wouldn't either if I were in your shoes. You could always ask her yourself, if you're curious."
The curly haired witch shook her head. "I'll, uh, take your word for it." Then, thinking over Ginny's tale some more, something else occurred to her. "Wait, you said it was you, Malfoy, Parkinson, and Zabini who primarily ran the operation, right? What about Theodore Nott? You seemed okay with him too, so I just assumed…"
"Oh, Nott? He actually wasn't at school at all last year," the redhead explained. "I don't really know all the details, but Blaise told me that something bad went down with his father and he'd gone into hiding."
Hermione blinked. "Oh, but…you didn't seem surprised when he and Luna…"
Ginny laughed. "Oh, that? Luna and I wrote over the summer. I feel like I had a front row seat to their little romance with how she'd just go on and on about him! They're adorable, really. Still haven't really spoken to Nott myself, but Luna's a great judge of character. If she loves him, then he's alright in my book."
Hermione considered her words silently for a few moments. "Have you told Harry or Ron about any of this?" she inquired curiously.
"I've told Harry a bit, but you know how he worries, so I still haven't told him everything. I just know he's going to lecture me about being safe and taking unnecessary risks, which could not be more hypocritical of him if he tried," Ginny snorted. "And there's no way I'm telling Ron, or any of my family for that matter, any time soon. I just…I don't think they'd understand quite yet. Things are still too fresh…"
They fell into a brief, solemn silence at the memory of the face those words brought up.
The Head Girl cleared her throat. "In any case, it's not really their business who I hang out with. Besides, you clearly don't have a problem with them either, and you're much smarter than I am. If you say they're alright, maybe my family will listen to me!"
Hermione attempted to laugh, but it came out as more of a choke.
"While we're on the topic of Slytherins…" Ginny finally turned towards her, eyebrows raised in an expression that filled the Golden Girl with dread. "You seemed rather comfy with Malfoy when I barged in. I wasn't…interrupting something, was I?"
Heat rose in Hermione's chest. "We were just talking," she mumbled.
Ginny smiled widely. "Well obviously, I think I would have noticed if you were doing anything other than talking. But what were you talking about? I'm no expert, but it just seemed like something was going down with you two when I came in."
Hermione pursed her lips, trying to decide how much to reveal. It was now abundantly clear that Ginny wasn't going to take issue with her and Draco's…whatever it was, which was an acute relief. However, would Malfoy be comfortable with her revealing their bond to Ginny? She couldn't do that without revealing he was a werewolf, which wasn't her secret to tell.
"We're just…trying to get to know each other," Hermione slowly explained. "He and I have such a difficult past. And, well…what better way to show the wizarding world that we're all trying to move forward than the heir to one of the biggest pureblood houses and the most well-known muggleborn putting aside their differences and being friends? He's on probation right now anyhow, so he could use the positive reinforcement. I don't think he's going to receive a very warm welcome when we arrive…" she trailed off, irritation pulsing at the thought of Draco being mistreated.
It's just the bond.
Ginny was quiet for a worryingly long moment.
Then-
"Oh. My. Gods."
Hermione's gaze darted up to her friend, whose expression was now awash with astonishment and glee. "You – you fucking like him!" Ginny squealed.
Hermione quickly felt her face prickle with heat. "What? No, Gin, that's not-"
"You do! You so do! You're twirling the ends of your hair and everything! You haven't done that since fourth year!"
Hermione paused, and realized with a muttered swear that she was twirling her hair.
"Holy fuck, 'Mione! This is – holy fuck!" Before she could protest, the redhead grabbed her hands and all but jumped up and down with excitement. "This is amazing! Draco Malfoy, former Death Eater, and you, the smartest, most famous muggleborn on the planet!? That's like something out of a bloody romance novel! When the hell did this happen!? How did I not notice!? Did you have a secret summer romance too!? You little slag, tell me everything right now!"
Probably resembling a ripened strawberry more than a human being at this point, Hermione scowled at her friend. "Ginny – ugh. It's not like that, we…I mean, something did happen over the summer, but it wasn't-!"
Ginny was now waggling her brows in a very suggestive manner.
Hermione groaned. "Oh, alright! Look, I can't tell you everything, some of it's not mine to tell. And we're not together. We still hardly know each other."
"Buuut…that could change?" Ginny inquired with a large grin.
Hermione's chest fluttered annoyingly. "Maybe…it's complicated. Neither of us really know what we're doing. I don't even know how he feels about me, or how I really feel about him. We're sort of just…seeing how things go."
Ginny bounced on her heels. "But how did you decide that in the first place? I mean, obviously something happened between you two! Come on Hermione, I need details! Tell me, tell me, tell meee!"
The Golden Girl couldn't help but laugh a little. It was nice to feel like a regular girl again, if only for a few minutes. "Alright, alright…it was at the final battle-"
"The battle!? Holy shit! Did he save your life? Did you save his!?"
Hermione huffed. "You're right, he did save me. He got me out of the Room of Hidden Things after Crabbe set it on fire."
Ginny's eyes were wide as she practically frothed at the mouth for more details. "Uh huh, and then!?"
Hermione squirmed. "Well, nothing really happened after, but…before, he…he might have kissed me-"
"He KISSED you!?"
"Are you going to keep interrupting me?" the curly haired witch snapped.
"Sorry, sorry, this is just – so crazy and awesome!" Ginny whispered.
Hermione smiled a little. Her friend's overwhelmingly positive reaction to her and Draco was largely unexpected, but equally welcome. "Yes, he kissed me. I didn't kiss back, but…I didn't really push him away either. The whole situation was weird, confusing, and scary. He wasn't exactly himself during our encounter…"
She wisely omitted the part where she'd briefly thought Draco was going to force himself on her. She knew now that he would have never done that.
Ginny hummed thoughtfully. "Well…did you like the kiss?"
Hermione groaned. "Yes? No? I don't know. It all happened so fast, and I barely had any time to think on it until much later, we were in the middle of a battle, you know. I didn't even really talk to him until a few months later. That's when we decided to give it a try."
Ginny nodded emphatically. "No, I get it! It sounds like it all just sort of happened out of nowhere, huh?"
The Golden Girl laughed awkwardly. "You've no idea."
The redhead smiled, squeezing her hands. "Well hey, there's no rush. No one's saying you have to figure it all out by tomorrow. If it's meant to be, it'll be! If not, then you're still young, you've got plenty of time to find someone, or just be a hot, powerful, single lady with the world at your fingertips."
Hermione tried to smile back, wishing she shared Ginny's simplistic views about love. This relationship between her and Draco was going to be anything but simple…and would have much more dire consequences if it didn't work out.
Ginny suddenly wrapped her in a hug. "Either way, I'm so happy for you, 'Mione! I…I know this summer was hard for you. I was really worried for a while there…you weren't like yourself at all."
Guilt immediately filled the brunette despite herself.
"And I know my idiot brother wasn't helping matters at all," Ginny continued. "I'll be honest, Hermione…I never really saw the two of you together. I love Ron of course, but…I just never thought you guys were very compatible. I hope that doesn't hurt your feelings…"
Hermione shook her head. "No…you're actually right. I've sort of been beating myself up for not seeing it sooner, to be honest," she admitted.
"Don't," Ginny said gently. "Crushes and love aren't rational. Sometimes they just happen, and you have to ride them out. I get it, I do. Let's just hope that's not the case with Malfoy." Hermione nodded against her friend's shoulder. Drawing back, Ginny squeezed her shoulders encouragingly. "Well, I expect detailed, regular updates on the Malfoy front! Now that there's no crazy evil wizards to fight, I'm gonna need something to keep me entertained this year!"
"Ginny," Hermione chided playfully.
As they exited the restroom and made their way back to the compartment, Hermione thought back to Ginny's story.
So even back then, Draco had been against Voldemort. Hell, he'd gone so far as to actively work against his superiors to help the other students, even teaming up with two Gryffindors he'd thought nothing of in their early years. Just how long had Malfoy been having doubts about blood purity? What other kinds of good deeds was he hiding beneath his self-degrading mask? Did she truly know anything about her mate?
When Ginny slid open the compartment door, Draco's gaze zeroed in on Hermione immediately. Her stomach fluttered as his hard eyes roved over her, as though ensuring she was unharmed.
Then, he seemed to catch himself, and quickly directed his attention back to his book.
Narrowing her own eyes, Hermione stomped on the butterflies in her tummy and allowed her brain to take over.
He kept doing that –
Having his full, undivided, almost too intense attention on her one moment, then totally indifferent the next. Draco was like a shifting faucet, hot and cold with little warning.
Well, that certainly wouldn't do if they were to make this work. Hermione would figure him out, oh yes she would.
It was much easier to look at this from a logical, academic standpoint than an emotional one, anyway. If Hermione focused on the logic, she could almost ignore how the bond suddenly seemed to hum louder than before, how these new revelations were making her positively ache to touch him, to thank him.
Almost.
Welp, that settles it. I am actually incapable of writing short chapters. I actually had to CUT this one, becuase if I'd kept writing to the point I'd originally intended to stop at, this chapter would have been like, 13,000 words. Da fuq is wrong with me.
Thanks again for all your wonderful, supportive comments and patience. I'm in the middle of a rather chaotic move back into my parents' house right now, which is phenomenal...but sadly, I find that getting my lazy ass in gear and forcing myself to sit down and fucking write is my biggest obstacle most of the time. Ah, to not have an ADD-riddled brain. Or insomnia. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to post this and then pass the fuck out, as it is four thirty in the morning.
