Wow, I just want to say thank you to everyone reading my story. Thanks for the positive reviews, too. I'm excited to write this fanfic so here's chapter 2.
Just a reminder that I don't own Harry Potter, I'm only borrowing characters.
Chapter 2
Hermione appeared in Andromeda's back yard with a loud crack. She fell to the ground at once, sobbing and with tears falling down her face.
"Hermione!" a woman's voice called from the house. Seconds later she heard hurried footsteps and two arms wrapped themselves around her. "Come inside, Mia, come on."
"Cissy?" the girl said quietly, seeing blonde strands of hair around her.
"Yes, it's me. Let's get you inside" Narcissa said and pulled her up gently but firmly, leading her towards the house.
Inside, Narcissa led her to the living room where she sat her carefully on the sofa, and left to make tea. Hermione had barely calmed down and dried her face when she heard raised voices in the kitchen.
"Draco, calm down-"
"I will not calm down, Aunt Andy! Mother, what do you mean she came here crying?"
"I heard her Apparate in the back yard and found her crying" Narcissa's angry voice responded. "Now move over, I need to bring her tea."
Hermione managed to fake a smile just before Draco ran into the room.
"Mia, what happened? Who hurt you?"
"Hey Drake" she said, and hoped her face didn't betray her emotions.
"Don't fake smiles in front of us, Hermione, we're Slytherins" Andy said. Hermione sighed.
"I'm fine. I just had an argument with Ron."
"Andy told us" Cissy said.
"She wasn't there afterwards."
"They insulted us some more?" Draco sneered. His mother smacked the back of his head and his expression quickly became kinder. "We don't care, Mia, and neither should you."
"If anything, we don't deserve-"
"No, Cissy, " Hermione interrupted, "don't. You deserve me being nice to you. You two went through hell just like everyone else. I just hoped my friends would at least try to understand that before starting fights."
"They'll come around" Andy said. "And if they don't, it's their loss. We would never make you choose between us and them."
"I was considering apologizing to Potter" Draco said.
"He didn't say anything" Hermione told him. "Only that your mother saved his life."
"Let us drink the tea now, before it gets cold" Cissa interjected.
The day passed quickly and Hermione had a lot of fun. After a delicious lunch, courtesy of Andy and Cissy, the four of them decided to play some games. The Black sisters, it seemed, knew how to have fun and after running to the nearest Muggle town(4 kilometers away) and back again, Draco collapsed onto the sofa at half past four and refused to move a muscle.
"I'm never playing Truth or Dare with you again!" he grumbled to his mother when she told him it was time to go to Hogwarts.
"Oh, cheer up!" Narcissa laughed. "Last time I played that your Aunt had to chase Bella all over Black Manor to kiss her on the cheek."
It had been impossible – spending time with Andromeda and Narcissa, and not mentioning Bellatrix. But both women were careful to speak of their eldest sister only as they knew and loved her – as the troublemaker, the funny child, the loving sister.
"I got her in the attic, remember?" Andy giggled.
"Mother had a fit when she found out what all the fuss was about. I swear even Father cracked a smile" Cissy reminisced happily.
At last it was time to go or they would be late. The four of them stepped outside and Hermione and Draco turned to face the two adults.
"Behave, you two" Cissy said, trying to sound stern.
"Study hard" Andy added, managing not to smile.
"And write us regularly."
All of them laughed.
"Now, on a happier note" Andy said.
"Get in trouble."
"Break rules."
"Live a little."
"A lot."
"Don't forget about that secret spot on the fifth floor."
"And give Fred and George a run for their money."
Narcissa and Andromeda hugged both children in turn, then Draco offered Hermione his arm.
"Shall we?" he bowed.
"Yes" Hermione curtsied.
Their laughter ceased with a faint pop.
Hermione let go of Draco's arm a little too soon and swayed on the spot. She wrapped her hands around his neck to steady herself.
"Whoa, easy there" he smirked, holding her waist. "Warn a man next time before you throw yourself in his arms."
"Idiot!" she said, shoving him away.
They looked around. Hogsmeade station was the same as always. It hadn't been touched in the war and Hermione relished in memories from earlier years for a moment. Soon, a small ball of light appeared in the distance, bobbing closer. Hermione squinted in the darkness but couldn't see anything so they had to wait and see who was coming. A few feet away from them, the ball of light stopped. A vast outline of a man stood behind it.
"Hagrid!" Hermione squeaked, running to hug him.
"Hermione!" the half-giant said, pulling her in with one arm, the other holding his lantern. "Blimey, what're yeh doin' here?"
"We Apparated" she said, pulling away from the bone-crushing hug.
"We? Is tha' Ron over there? Harry?"
"No" Hermione said nervously, wondering how Hagrid would take the news of her new friendship. "It's Draco. Draco Malfoy."
An awkward silence followed her words. Draco broke it, stepping forward and extending his arm towards Hagrid.
"Hello, sir. I know that we don't have the perfect history, but I really want to do better. I was awful to you for six years and my apology will probably mean nothing but I want to say I'm sorry. For everything."
"Well," Hagrid said, recovering from the shock of hearing Draco Malfoy apologize to him, "can' say you're an angel. But it all comes from the way you were raised. Now, I don't know yer mum so I'm not sayin' nothin' about her, but yer dad…rotten to the core, Lucius Malfoy is."
"He got what he deserved." Draco sounded disgusted. "Ten years house arrest and life without a wand. And me and Mother will no longer live there. Moving as soon as her home is repaired. It was decided when she filed for divorce."
"Apology accepted then" Hagrid smiled. "I can see yer tryin' ter do better. Didn' expect tha', but if yeh've won Hermione's forgiveness…"
Hagrid beamed down at her, finally shaking Draco's hand. The three of them spoke about their summers while waiting for the train to arrive.
When the scarlet steam engine finally pulled into Hogsmeade station, Hermione tensed.
"Want to find a carriage and save it for us?" Draco asked, sensing her unease. "I'll go get the others."
"Who's coming, again?"
"Pansy, Blaise, and Theo" Draco answered patiently. "Theo never shared his parents' beliefs and Blaise and his mother were never approached by Voldemort. Pansy was scared back at the Battle."
Hermione nodded, trying to steer her thoughts away from that fateful night and the image of Pansy pointing at Harry and telling everyone to hand him over to Voldemort.
"You know, I'm still a-"
"Don't" Draco cut her off. "Don't use that word. Merlin, I was stupid enough to use it but you're not. Besides, they know we're friends now. Blaise was actually pleased – he hopes to find an equal in Arithmancy."
"He likes Arithmancy?" Hermione gaped, momentarily distracted.
"Hey, not all Slytherins are dumb, I'll have you know" Draco grinned. "I saw Blaise – see you in a bit."
And he ran away, not giving her a chance to argue further. Hagrid's voice boomed "Firs'-years! Firs'-years, over here!" and startled her. She walked quickly towards the carriages, hoping to find an empty one and not have many run-ins with former classmates, or admirers who were bound to ask where the other two members of the 'Golden trio' were. She wondered whether Ron, who had jumped at Kingsley's offer to join the Ministry and then proceeded to change his mind when he heard Hermione saying she was going back to school, might have reconsidered returning. As she climbed into an empty carriage, her line of thought led her to this morning's fight with him and Mrs Weasley's scornful voice. Hermione wondered whether they had always only seen her as Ron's eventual wife. The thought brought her close to tears again and she got rid of it when she heard Draco's voice.
"Come on, Pans, get in, I saw her climb in here."
"But she-"
"In!" another voice said. It sounded urgent.
The door opened an inch before a voice she recognized as Ron's halted all movement – both in and out of the carriage.
"Oi, Malfoy!"
"Weasley."
"Who did you see get in?"
"None of your business" said Pansy's voice.
"Shut up, you cow" Ron snapped. "That's Hermione in there and I don't care how you've bewitched her, you're not taking her away from us!"
"Stop it Ron" Hermione heard Harry say and then she recognized Blaise when he snarled "Don't insult her!"
"Pans, get in, we're right behind you if Weasley here stops acting like a guardian. I can assure you Hermione's with us on her own free will" Draco said.
"You should know she's not an easy target to take down, Weasley, as her best friend" Blaise added.
Hermione waited inside, not sure if she should show up or not. Pansy decided for her, opening the door wider and putting one foot inside. Then Ginny's voice spoke suddenly.
"Ron! No, you prat."
"Don't cause trouble, Weasley!" Draco said too, but Hermione heard the unmistakable sound of a wand swishing through the air and Pansy, who had been in mid-air, trying to enter the carriage, fell to the ground. Hermione saw her fling out her arm to stop the fall, but all she heard was a sickening crack.
"Ah" Pansy gasped.
"Who said you get to ride with 'Mione?" Ron said loudly.
"Ron, how could you?" Harry snarled and Hermione saw him pin Ron's hands behind his back as she got out of the carriage. She thanked herself for choosing one of the last ones so there weren't many people around.
"Hey, Mione" Ginny said. "Sorry for the scene. We'll take this moron away before he can do more damage."
She looked at Harry meaningfully and he turned around, pushing Ron ahead, ignoring his protests. Before he followed, he threw a quick understanding smile at Hermione then turned around and left with Ron. Ginny hesitated then said "You check that wrist, Parkinson", before following the boys. Hermione looked at their retreating backs and silently thanked whoever could hear for such amazing and understanding friends…most of them, at least.
She didn't register Blaise and Theo helping Pansy in until Draco said "Coming, Mia?", and she stepped back inside the carriage, closing the door and sitting next to Draco. Pansy sat opposite them, between Blaise and Theo, cradling her left hand to her chest. She looked on the verge of tears and Hermione supposed Pansy was only being tough because she was there.
"Let me see that wrist" Hermione said as the carriage shook a little and Pansy hissed in pain.
"No – you don't-"
"Come on, Pansy, I'm good at healing spells."
The Slytherin hesitantly stretched out her arm, wincing a little when Hermione touched it.
"Broken wrist" Hermione murmured. "Episkey."
Pansy shuddered, then her body relaxed.
"Thanks" she said, rotating her wrist gingerly.
"Just go to Madam Pomfrey tomorrow, I'm not sure it's fully healed."
"It's as good as new" Pansy countered in awe. "But…"
"What?" Hermione asked, worried. "Does it hurt? Is it swelling? Oh, I'm going to kill Ron-"
"No, no! My hand's fine." Pansy swallowed. "I was just wondering – why help me? And stay with us?"
"W-What?" Hermione stammered, taken aback.
"Yes, I was about to ask, too" Blaise said. His brown eyes, just a shade darker than her own, were watching her carefully. Theo's green ones observed her curiously under his chocolate brown curls. Pansy's expression was worried, as if she'd be made fun of.
"Are you guys serious?" Hermione asked finally, looking at Draco. He was smiling at her. "Did you really expect me to go with Ron after what he did?"
"Well... no" Blaise said. "We just..."
"Thought you hate us" Theo finished for him.
"You certainly have reasons" Pansy added.
"Oh no. No, no, no!" Hermione said loudly. She then took a deep breath. "I've had this discussion with Narcissa and Draco quite a few times this summer so... Listen, the war's over. I don't want to live with inhibitions from it. Yes, you've done pretty nasty things. Me too. But it's all in the past for me – fresh start now. Forgive and move on, that's how I do things."
"You forgave us?" Pansy asked.
"Yes, and no more on the subject."
After a few moments of silence, Theo stretched out his arm towards her.
"Theodore Nott, then."
"Hermione Granger" The brunette said, shaking his hand.
The rest of the ride was spent in sharing school stories. When the carriage came to a halt, the five of them came out of it laughing loudly at the memory of Umbridge fighting Fred and George's fireworks.
"Good boys, those two" Theo said.
"They did manage to make us laugh" Blaise admitted.
"I knew it!" Hermione said smugly.
"Not a word to anyone, Granger" Pansy shot at her but the five of them simply laughed.