Hermione had never had one month drag on so slowly yet somehow seem to fly by all at once. It was really a weird feeling. Never the less the day was here and she was about to go home, back to Hogwarts, the only place she really felt like she belonged anymore. Even though this was all she really wanted she also knew it was going to be completely different.
In the letter, she had received she was told that she, along with anyone else who returned to finish up their seventh year would be coming to the school by floo. Not that she minded but it was strange sending Ginny off at Platform Nine and Three Quarters then coming back and waiting at the Burrow until it was time to leave.
She sat on her trunk, Crookshanks safely locked away in his traveling crate, in front of the Weasley's fireplace. Hours had passed when Mrs. Weasley finally came to send her off, half past five on the dot. She smiled, said her goodbyes, and disappeared in a flash of green smoke.
The next moment she found herself standing in one of the rooms behind the great hall. Headmistress McGonagall was waiting there for all of the returning seventh years who were not actually seventh years. She looked around, she must be the first one to arrive, or she was the only one crazy enough to come back.
"Miss Granger," McGonagall said affectionately greeting Hermione with a warm hug.
"Professor!" Hermione exclaimed hugging her back, "Thank you so much for letting me come back."
"Of course my dear! I am very glad to have you here," McGonagall smiled at her as the next student arrived. "Go ahead and take a seat," she gestured over to the couches.
Hermione took a seat, followed shortly by Hannah. It was nice knowing that she was not the only person crazy enough to return. It was not much longer before Padma joined him, shockingly enough without her sister.
"Well," McGonagall began, "There is a total of four of you returning to complete your seventh year, our fourth member will be joining us later. Unfortunately, there was not enough room for you in your own house dormitories so we have converted a few of the old classrooms into a dormitory for you all. Of course, you are free to visit your own houses. Also, since you are all of age you will be given a little bit more freedom. If there are things you want to do on the weekends away from Hogwarts you can as long as it is run by me. You will also be excused from prefect duties, so there will be no need to wear your badges," she said looking at Padma who was the only one who had actually pinned hers onto her robes. "Now go ahead into the great hall, after the feast, I will show you all to your dormitory. With multiple houses sharing a dormitory, especially this year, I would like to remind you all how important house unity is."
As McGonagall finished her little speech the fireplace behind them once again erupted in emerald flames though there was nothing that could prepare them for who would step out of it.
"Welcome back Mr. Malfoy," McGonagall said almost pleasantly. In fact, Hermione had a feeling that this was the nicest tone McGonagall had ever used when addressing Malfoy. "Now all of you hurry up to the feast, I will see you all after," she said ushering their little group out into the great hall.
Each member of their little 'eight years' ran off to their own house tables. Hermione quickly found a seat next to Ginny, thankful that the sorting ceremony was beginning. She did not even pay attention to the incoming first years as they were sorted into their various houses, she was far too distracted.
In fact Hermione did not even really listen to McGonagall's start of term speech, she kept looking across the hall at Malfoy. She was trying to process, trying to figure out why he would bother coming back. Then it hit her, he looked different. His hair was not slicked back but slightly disheveled and even his posture seemed – different. This was weird, all too weird.
Thankfully once the feast began Ginny, and the rest of the Gryffindors' were too busy chit chatting to ask about Hermione's unique situation. It also appeared that no one had noticed that reformed death eater Draco Malfoy had returned. This gave Hermione more time to try and figure out what was happening. How was he back?
Then it hit her, of course! How could she be so stupid!? This must have been a part of the deal his family made with the ministry. This idea seemed to satisfy her for the rest of dinner and she was able to keep her attention fully focused on her friends. Until the feast was over and the heads of houses began to usher the rest of the students to their common rooms.
This left Hermione, Hannah, Padma and Malfoy following McGonagall through the castle to wherever they had converted into living quarters. It felt so strange to not be heading up to the Gryffindor tower with Ginny, it was even stranger to be here without Harry and Ron. At least, she knew Hannah and Padma.
McGonagall lead them up to the fifth floor where a large tapestry with the school crest was now hanging. They watched as she swiftly removed her wand and traced it over the H in the center of the tapestry which gave way to the entrance to their new dorm.
"Your rooms have your names on them and access will only be granted after answering a question that only you would know the answer to. Now get some sleep," McGonagall said turning and leaving before anyone could say anything.
This left the four of them standing awkwardly around their new common room. The staff had really outdone itself whipping all of this up for them. It was nothing fancy but the common room was warm and inviting, filled with a hodge-podge of furniture and a large fireplace. In the center of the room a large spiral staircase that leads up to where their rooms must be.
"Well as interesting as this whole situation is, I'm going to bed," Padma stated very matter of factly. She looked over to both Hannah and Hermione, "We will have plenty of time to catch up," she added with a smile before turning and heading up the spiral stairs to find her room.
"I think I'll be heading up as well," Hannah added softly, joining Padma in the hunt for their rooms.
"Goodnight!" Hermione said a little awkwardly as the girls disappeared up the stairs. This was certainly going to take some getting used to. A Hufflepuff, a Ravenclaw, a Gryffindor and a Slytherin all living in the same dormitory.
"Granger, your hair, it's uh, less bushy," Malfoy said very awkwardly.
"Um, thank you?" Holy shit was Malfoy attempting to compliment her?! She had a feeling he was going to be different, his actions during the final battle proved that, but she would never have expected this.
"I mean it, Granger, it looks really nice."
"Amazing what a little Sleekeasy's and a haircut can do," she giggled. If he was going to try and be nice she would too, she knew that's what McGonagall would want. In the spirit of house unification.
"A little?" Malfoy said skeptically.
"Okay, maybe a lot," Hermione laughed smiling back at him. He looked different, really different. Her smile softened, "Goodnight Malfoy," she said softly and heading to the staircase. She would be nice to him but baby steps. There was no way that she could forget the last seven years.
"Goodnight," he called back an unsure smile on his lips.
She climbed up the spiral staircase, stopping on the next floor to see Hannah and Padma's names written on the oak doors. That could only mean that her own room must be on the next floor up, as well as Draco's. She continued up to the seventh floor, quickly spotting the door with her name written across it. There was a golden lion knocker under the plaque with her name and no door knob, which could only mean one thing.
She knocked, a voice from inside the knocker spoke out, "What was the first spell you cast successfully?"
"The mending charm," Hermione said with a smile as the door to her new room swung open. How very clever.
Her room was decorated much like the ones in Gryffindor tower. A thick scarlet comforter was covering the four poster bed. Crookshanks had already made himself at home on the bed, clearly waiting for her. She flopped down on the bed next to her fluffy ginger cat and took a deep breath. One thing was certain, this year was going to be stranger than she could have ever imagined.