Disclaimer:- I neither earn nor own anything from this story except my plot. Harry Potter and his world are the intellectual property of JK Rowling and her associates.
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A/N:- Thank you to LadyWinterlight, for her beta work on this chapter, and also thank you to everyone for their reviews and alerts, I hope you enjoy this next instalment.
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Chapter Two – Overcoming The Past
Soon after they boarded the train it lurched as it took off from the station. Ah, the golden Weasley must be aboard, Hermione thought to herself. How dare he ignore me. How dare he cheat on me! And with Lavender, bloody, hell! she considered hotly in her head as she sat and smoothed down her robes, trying to calm herself.
She had thought about wearing her uniform; there really seemed no sense in waiting to put it on as they used to, as she had apparated straight from the Leaky Cauldron to the platform, but eventually she had decided against doing so. Then she realised two things: one, she wanted to feel like herself for as long as possible before she gave in to what must be done, and two, she was of age now and could simply transfigure what she was wearing into her school robes just before they left their compartment.
The Gryffindor witch concentrated on the pieces of clothing she was wearing as well as those in her trunk. She had determined that if she was going to accomplish what she had to do this year, then she needed to create her studious book-worm exterior to be even more formidable than before. She actually wished she could wear the voluminous flowing robes that the teachers wore, but that was not an option. So she contented herself with making her present attire appear as intimidating as she could and her uniforms as straight-laced as possible.
She would be up-tight perfection from her immaculate white collar and tie to the pleats in her perfectly pressed skirt. She had however, traded-in the long socks and Lady Janes for stockings and kitten-heeled black court shoes, and if anyone took umbrage at that, as far as she was concerned they could go boil their head. She wasn't doing Care of Magical Creatures or Herbology so she didn't need to go traipsing around outside in them.
Taking a quick glance she noticed that Ginny appeared to have also taken similar things into consideration, and this made Hermione feel more comfortable, especially with her decision in regards to her particular footwear.
She sighed, and flopped back into her seat. "What the hell is his problem?" she questioned.
"He's been like this ever since he came back home from the last Quidditch camp," Ginny said.
"Yeah, he's pretty much been mister unbearable," Harry added.
Everyone was settled in their seats, and Hermione had been looking out the window at the quickly disappearing London skyline as she thought about things. She felt a shift and the seat next to her dip and she glanced across.
"I'm sorry, love, but I think he's hooked up with Lavender again," Harry said softly.
Hermione snorted. "You only think! Thanks for trying to spare my feelings, Harry, but I think from what I saw that it's more certain than that." She got up suddenly. "I'll be back in a minute. I need the loo," she said, and walked out into the corridor.
She'd only gone up to the next compartment when she found herself smacking right into Draco.
He smiled slightly as he caught her. "Okay, Granger?" he asked.
"Umm, yeah," Hermione replied. "Sorry."
"That's okay, it's good to see you," he told her.
Hermione smiled slightly in return and nodded her understanding, but stifled the urge to ask too many questions, especially when she saw the cool look the Greengrass girl was giving her. Of course, she knew about their engagement. "It's good to see you again too, Malfoy," and then she looked to his companions. "Hello, everyone."
She didn't expect them to reply, but two of them did. Pansy Parkinson and Blaise Zabini returned her greeting, only Daphne Greengrass watched her with the same cool expression she'd always worn. At least it wasn't menacing like her younger sister's was.
"Wow!" Hermione gasped softly. "Things appear to have changed much since I left."
"You could say that, Granger," Pansy scoffed.
"Well, excuse me, please. I was just heading this way," Hermione told them, but the clatter of the connecting door and a frightened cry halted Hermione, and their heads all swivelled around as a crying, obviously terrified young girl sprinted blindly towards them. She was too busy looking behind herself to see where she was going as she careered around the corner towards them.
Then they heard a male voice say, "Come on, the little snake couldn't have got far."
Hermione stood and waited with a ferocious scowl on her face, while Pansy caught the young the girl.
"Take her into our compartment; it's safe there," Hermione said, her need to be alone gone, and she ushered them all into the compartment that she'd just left. Harry and Ginny startled, but Hermione quickly explained.
"These guys need a place to sit, and I need to fix something," she told them, and without waiting for an answer she was back out in the hallway waiting for the kids who had been chasing the little girl to appear.
Soon enough a group of what looked like fifth year Gryffindor boys came to a screaming halt at what they thought was the sight of a teacher.
"Go back to your carriages," Hermione warned.
"Try and make us," one of the boys taunted, realising who she was.
Hermione sighed in a put upon manner, her eyes narrowed dangerously and she twitched her wand. "Cretins," she spat, as with horrified looks on their faces the boys shot backwards and she heard carriage doors being opened and then slamming shut with the wind accompanying her action ruffling their clothes and hair.
"You are a seriously scary witch, 'Mione," Harry cackled, slinging an arm around her and hugging her side as he watched.
"Yeah, well done," Draco added, coming to stand on her other side.
Hermione let out a shaky breath and smiled. "As long as people keep believing that I'm scary, then we'll be all right," she replied somewhat unsteadily.
As they were discussing this Pansy came out, her face a study of anger. "There's a redhead going around proclaiming what houses he thinks the firsties will be in, and the poor little thing was set upon when he told her she would be in Slytherin."
"Shit!" Harry muttered, looking at Ginny as she came out of the compartment. "No prizes for guessing who that is," and he shook his head.
"But that's the type of thing that twelve year olds do," Hermione sighed.
"He is such a bloody dickhead at the moment," Ginny growled.
"Come on," Hermione said. "We better make certain that they aren't taunting any other prospective Slytherins." She glanced back into the compartment to see that all was well there and added a ward to the door. "Maybe you better come, Malfoy… I mean if you don't mind, you'll be able to spot potential Slytherins quicker than us."
"Very well," he conceded, but then added, "Wow, how's this? Slytherins working with Gryffindors." And he cackled. "Lead the way."
Their compartment had been near the back of the train, the only one past it was the one containing the luggage, and as they moved up the carriages Hermione sighed. "I am so disappointed in Ron at this moment," and she went silent, but a few steps on she said, "He's acting like such a prat, but I didn't want to think that he would have become a complete idiot in the time I've been away."
"You have no idea," Draco sighed. "Him and the blonde bird have been in the Prophet every day this last week, and each day pronouncing something more stupid than the day before."
Ron was nowhere to be seen in the carriages they glanced into on their way up the train, and they were almost up to the last carriage, and all appeared to be quiet. The carriage beyond the one they were currently in was locked and warded.
"The first carriage contains the younger Slytherins and their new head of house," Draco informed them quietly. "It was thought that there might be trouble."
"Mmm," the Gryffindors agreed, and they started to turn around.
They'd just turned back towards their own carriage when a door opened beside them, and Ron met them eye to eye. Without any greeting to Hermione, he asked, "Hey, what are you guys up to, are you tryin' to steal my thunder?"
Hermione crossed her arms. "If you are referring to that nauseating display between you and Lavender Brown on the platform, then, no, you can have that all to yourself."
"No, hijacking the reporters like that," he said to Harry, rolling his eyes at Hermione like she was stupid. "You 'n Gin were s'pose to get on the train with Lav 'n me."
Harry's mouth pinched for more than one reason, but it wasn't his place to say anything to Ron about Hermione. "Ron, we can't keep taking publicity, there are far more important issues," he tried.
Ron ignored him. "And what do you mean hanging out with this slimy bastard." He glared at Draco. "That's wrong on so many levels," he said, shifting his gaze back to see if those in his compartment were listening.
However, he quickly took a step back when Hermione and Ginny arrived in his face, and they both started ranting at him.
"No, Ron, what's wrong is what you did to that little first year," Hermione told him, scowling.
"Yeah, how could you have announced to everyone that you thought she was going to be a Slytherin and then leave her unprotected?" Ginny added. She was angry, and she found herself nose to nose with him.
He took a step back and shrugged, "Not my problem," he told them.
"Not your problem?" Hermione gasped, dumbfounded by his lack of concern, but then her emotions got the better of her. "Where's my Ron, the sweet boy I used to know?" she asked, without thinking about the people listening. It was really hurting her that he had this attitude, but his answer floored her.
"Hey, baby, can I help it if people like this new Ron better," and he looked back into the compartment. "Gotta go; my public awaits," and his comment was answered by a chorus of giggles from within the compartment.
However, before he could leave an angry Harry took him roughly by the arm. "Now, hang on a minute, you stupid twat, we're never going to get anywhere with that attitude," he told him. "We need to be talking about reconciliation, not alienation."
Ron just glared at him. "Geez, you're starting to sound like her," he muttered, tossing his head towards Hermione and looking irritated.
Harry bristled more at him. "No mate, we've just grown up. This is called an adult attitude."
Then Hermione cut in, "Something I can plainly see that you have not done. Ron I don't even know you anymore," and she pulled his ring from her finger. "Here," and she thrust it into his hand. "Excuse us, please," she told him curtly, and she marched off not even wanting to hear if he had anything to say.
As she walked away her heart broke, and she felt Harry and Ginny fall into step with her and both placed an arm around her. She kept walking, grateful for their offered comfort, but utterly mortified that Draco had watched her splitting up with Ron; she hadn't wanted him to see any weakness in her.
xox
As they returned to their carriage, the confrontation with Ron seemed to be a catalyst for the five Slytherins to stay with the three Gryffindors for the remainder of the journey.
Although it was obvious that two of them were not interested in being there; Daphne and Astoria were not comfortable sitting with Gryffindors. Mind you, after what had just happened, they were probably too scared to leave, so they sat there with sour looks on their faces.
As soon as Astoria and Draco were walking away from the train, Hermione heard her telling him that he shouldn't be mixing with Gryffindors. "Especially those Gryffindors."
She was pleased to hear him tell her in return that he'd mix with who he damn well pleased. Astoria stalked off towards her sister in a huff, leaving him to re-join their little group, but he was quiet for the trip up to the castle.
Hermione was very wary of the emotions building inside her. Not only did she have Ron's betrayal burning her up, but she also had the feeling that certain people intended to make trouble for her. It was a good job that she was not planning to take any crap from anyone.
As they rode together in the carriage towards the castle Hermione's mind centred on Ron. Yes, he was acting like a jerk, but deep down she knew that he would very soon land himself in trouble with his attitude, and Molly had suffered enough. The death of Fred in the battle would still be weighing heavily on her. Hermione knew from experience that losing loved ones was devastating, but losing a child must surely be worse. She hoped that Harry would be there for him once he realised what a dick he was being.
Of course, Ginny needed to be there as well, but Ron mightn't survive his sister's idea of tough love. Bless her, she was so passionate about things. She did not allow Ron to get away with anything, and in fact, she and Harry seemed to be talking about the reappearance of Lavender as the coach ascended towards Hogwarts.
"Did you know he was seeing her again?" Ginny questioned Harry quietly.
"No, he hasn't said anything to me about it… but then I guess he wouldn't tell me because he's supposed to be with 'Mione."
Ginny nodded, and they exchanged a glance. "Stupid prick," she huffed.
Harry just sighed and pulled Ginny close with an arm around her shoulder. "Yes, that description fits perfectly," and he kissed her temple.
On the other side to the carriage, Pansy and Blaise were also talking, but their conversation concerned how committed couples—and there were several pairs in their year—were going to manage living without the freedom to express themselves as they saw fit, and it didn't sound like it was the first time they'd discussed the issue.
The quiet conversations of the two couples in the carriage allowed both Hermione and Draco to sink into their thoughts without the silence that would cause awkwardness. It was surprising how similar the vein of their individual thoughts were.
Hermione was contemplating how Ron's idiocy was going to make life even more awkward while she was in a place she really didn't want to be, and Draco was contemplating that he might have overestimated his ability to put up with Astoria.
Of course, this was not something that he was just realising, but he, Blaise and Pansy had discussed the war and what it meant often since the end of it, and they had realised that the only way forward for them personally was to make amends. Today could not have worked out better for that, and his mind wandered to the witch sitting opposite him.
He already owed her so much. That one meeting the day his parents were sentenced had changed him even more than he thought that he could have changed. Someone outside his friends did give a damn, and that had made all the difference. Certainly he had changed much as he'd grown up, and it was seeing her so passionate for the fate of a Hippogriff that had first aroused his interest in her. And then when she'd hit him over it… Well, such devotion had baffled him once his anger had subsided.
However, then he'd started to notice her and see the lovely witch she was growing into and he'd been caught. Especially after the Yule Ball the next year; she'd been so lovely, and he'd wanted to ask her to dance so badly that night.
Of course, when his interest had changed into a crush the year after, he'd taken it out on her even more ferociously. He sighed softly, but back then he'd been a bullied, confused, git, and he'd hated himself even more every time he'd made her cry.
Then that horrific day at the trials, she'd given him comfort when he'd lost everything; he didn't deserve that, but she'd done it anyway. He inhaled slowly, and now… well, now he wanted to get to know her in a way that he was unable to because he still had an honourable duty, even if he had convinced himself that he was only doing it for his mother, for all she'd suffered.
Narcissa Malfoy had never had a choice in things, and she deserved her place in polite society as she was a worthy person. He was pleased to see that Andromeda had reconnected with her soon after she'd stepped forward to claim him, and that was something that he'd never expected to see either. Of course he'd known that his mother had two sisters... His thoughts spiralled away as they approached the front of the castle, and he sighed watching Harry getting out of the coach and then helping his fiancé down. He rocketed to his feet and did the same thing for Hermione, and of course this small action instantly came back to bite him.
Hermione was just thanking him for the gesture when Astoria—who'd been in an earlier carriage—came stalking over and said in a sugar-coated voice, "Oh, there you are, darling. I was wondering where you were."
"You knew perfectly well where I was, Astoria," Draco replied testily, and she laughed his comment off as he turned back to Hermione. "You're welcome, Granger," he answered.
"Yes, well we need to be going, Draco, dear," Astoria cut in.
Hermione sighed, watching Astoria dragging Draco away, but then she was caught up with the rest of the students as they all made their way into The Great Hall.
xox
Hermione watched the Sorting Ceremony and saw that the first year that they'd rescued on the train did indeed become the only new Slytherin sorted that year. This worried her. On the remainder of the journey, Hermione–like the rest of the occupants of her compartment on the train—had taken a liking to the little girl, and it filled her with despair to think this child's happiness was about to become so tenuous because of people like Ron.
The Slytherin table was half empty, but the little girl happily went to sit between Pansy and Blaise, who slid apart to make room for her. Hermione chuckled to herself, as she watched Harry and Ginny also clapping Alicia along with an encouraging smile.
Sitting in her perfect uniform at the Welcoming Feast, Hermione was now ignoring Ron, as she sat beside Harry and Ginny. She focused instead on not laughing at the signs hovering above the heads of the boys who had chased Alicia. Her carefully constructed spell would only be visible to her and the headmistress, and the statement, 'I'm a bone-headed cretin who picks on little girls' was very satisfying.
Minerva's eyes had been drawn directly to Hermione Granger's face to see her lips twitching wildly. Dear Hermione, she really has come into her power, hasn't she? The headmistress' eyes panned further up the table to the canoodling couple, and she found herself sneering. Mind you, I'm going to keep an eye on the situation between her and Ronald Weasley. Molly is quite worried about Ronald, and as much as I'm friends with the Weasley family, I believe that Hermione could do so much better than that boy. She's going to make a wonderful head girl; if anyone can help bring unity to the student body it will be her. I am a little worried about having placed her with a head boy who's always been a thorn in her side, but from what I've observed these last months he has reformed to a greater extent.
Minerva glanced at the new head of Slytherin, and she smiled as she saw the woman sizing up her charges. She had specifically wanted someone to lead Slytherin who had a wide streak of humanity. As efficient as Severus had been, he never should have been placed in charge of children's needs, but Albus would never be told differently. Poor Severus, Minerva thought. Harry may have had to strike the final blow, but it was Severus who won us the war. I wish I'd seen through that exterior of his to see what he was doing; perhaps I could have helped more. But then she scoffed to herself. Who am I kidding, he would never have allowed me to do that, but he should still be here to see the peace that he helped bring about.
She glanced around the hall, and rephrased that last thought. Had I known maybe I could have helped him, instead of making life difficult for him. Minerva now felt very guilty about having made Severus' life even more difficult for him in what turned out to be his final year of life. Her thoughts made her heart heavy, but they continued as she watched the students. He was so young. Too young to die, but Albus and his bloody plans, he never shared his ideas. It always had to be so cloak and dagger, and that mentality cost the greatest war hero his life. I wish he was still here, I miss our rivalry and our comradery.
It was then that she realised that proceedings were ready for her to give her speech. She took a sip of her wine before she got up to give her opening year address, and the remaining announcements. Minerva missed a small blue wisp of magic that was lost in the light of the hundreds of floating candles and easily slipped away from her and disappeared out through the ceiling after her silent wish.
"Welcome everyone, and especially welcome to our new first years. Those of you who are returning will notice that much work has been done on the restoration of the castle, but there are still certain quarters which will be out of bounds this year due to their state of construction or decay. They are all clearly marked as out-of-bounds, so please take note." She carefully scanned from table to table across the student body, and then turned her eyes to those either side of her before addressing the students once more. "There will be no classes held in the dungeons this year, and the Slytherin common room and accommodation has also been raised to the ground floor. The dungeons have been sealed off until further notice."
Minerva saw shock on the faces of those in Slytherin house, but there was nothing for it. Somewhere during the battle, the fighting had broken the walls keeping the lake at bay and a good portion of the dungeons were now under water. Huge subterranean foundations had needed to be built to hold up the building above the dungeon after the destruction of the retaining walls, and this made the remainder of the underground corridors useless. Besides, living without sunlight was not healthy. The Slytherin quarter still had the same aspect, but now instead of being under the lake, they were overlooking it.
"We are pleased to also welcome three new professors this year," Minerva went on, and she started from her far left. "Professor Dawlish will be our new Defence Against The Dark Arts teacher," and she watched as the retired head of the Aurory stood to show the students who he was. Minerva felt honoured that this man had decided to accept her offer to come and pass on his knowledge here at Hogwarts in his retirement.
"Next our new Transfiguration mistress is Professor Proudfoot," and Minerva waited while Hannah Proudfoot stood. "Professor Proudfoot will also the new head of Gryffindor." She had been in Molly Weasley's year, and she brought with her a history of achievement from her time at the ministry, as well as the distinction of having been Minerva's first apprentice.
"And finally, I am very pleased to welcome Professor Tonks-Black as the new head of Slytherin and Potions Mistress." Minerva was particularly pleased with this arrangement. It had taken quite a bit of organisation, because Andromeda was the sole carer of little Teddy Lupin, but Minerva had worked out a deal that saw Molly Weasley caring for the almost two year old Teddy while Andromeda executed her daily duties. Molly was being paid to care for Teddy, and the head girl and boy would have adjoining quarters. Minerva was hoping—well confident—that given who the heads were that they could be there if Andromeda was called away outside the hours. This brought Minerva to her final announcement before dinner.
"Whilst the names of the prefects were given before term, the names of our head boy and girl were not announced, and it gives me great pleasure now to announce that the position of head boy goes to Draco Malfoy of Slytherin house, and that the head girl will be Hermione Granger from Gryffindor house."
There was a round of polite applause and the headmistress beckoned the pair to come up onto the dais.
Hermione walked up in a daze; she hadn't been expecting this. She met Draco at the end of their respective house tables, where he smiled chivalrously and indicated that she should precede him up onto the dais.
"Thank you," she murmured, as her stomach felt full of butterflies at his smile.
They both received their badges, and after the headmistress had congratulated them, they turned to each other and shook hands.
"Congratulations," Draco murmured.
She smiled. "Yes, and to you too."
"Now, dinner," Minerva stated as the new heads walked back to their respective seats. As they ate, Minerva's gaze panned over to the first year that had caused Hermione to intercede, and then to Andromeda, and she was confident that if they worked closely together they could bring about change between the Slytherins and the Gryffindors.
