Chapter 6

The morning of September 1st dawned, and Hermione found that she wasn't ready to return to her world at Hogwarts. She was however, more than ready to get away from Regina. This summer had been a different one to say the least. She knew she would have to face Ron and Harry when it came time to board the train as well as at school. She had neglected her two friends last year as she had pulled away from them. Harry had kept looking at her expectantly throughout last year. She hadn't been there when he had went to the ministry. Hermione hadn't been sure what all that had transpired, but there had been another battle, and the students who had come back from it had looked a little worse for wear.

Hermione had just finished breakfast with Mrs. Bessler and was in the bedroom she had at the boarding house one last time. She sat and looked at the blank parchment for the letter she was to pen. She debated whether to write it now, or wait until just before bed after the feast tonight. She opted to wait and write it after the feast that night. Writing to Raven at the boarding house had been one thing, but she felt writing to him while at school would be a whole other thing altogether.

Mr. Bessler took her to the train station that morning and helped load her belongs onto a trolley. He had given her a hug and she had stiffened from the touch, she couldn't help her reaction. She had played it off and had told him it was nothing when he had asked and was thankful that he hadn't pressed for more. Once she was away from him she headed for the platform.

Hermione didn't notice when the train had pulled out of the station. She had seen the Weasleys and Harry, but had avoided them. She had been too busy looking out the window, inside the prefect's carriage. Even the noise in the compartment hadn't pulled her out of her thoughts. Part of the depression which she had been going through was starting to set back in. She wasn't sure what she should do about it other than just trying to get by day to day. She had woken up in a funk this morning and hadn't been able to shake it off at all.

"Did you not hear a word I said?" The voice was low and growling.

Hermione turned, it had been from the new head boy, and she couldn't even remember his name at the moment. Everything was a big blur her focus was so lost. Today wasn't working out with her concentration at all, she knew this was one of the side effects of depression.

"What?" Hermione asked.

He threw up his hands in disgust, "Merlin, would someone fill in the clueless wonder." He stormed out of the prefect's compartment.

"Honestly Hermione, what has gotten into you?" Ron asked after he opened the door to find out who had gotten his prefect badge.

"I don't want to talk about it." Hermione looked away, back out the window and watched the rolling landscape. She noticed most of the prefects had already left leaving only Draco and Neville left inside the carriage with her.

"Well you need to talk about it with someone, you haven't been yourself. It hurts to lose someone, but you aren't the only one Hermione. Look what Harry has been through." Ron told her and then glared at Neville, "not to mention I lost my badge."

"Oh yes, bring up Saint Potter, Weasel. Like that's going to make everyone feel better." Draco Malfoy hissed.

"Shut up! Malfoy." Ron roared back.

"It's a free country, Weasel."

Ron stood and had his wand drawn, "I'm warning you Ferret."

Hermione took out her wand and turned to the both of them, "Immobulous!"

Both Draco and Ron were now both unable to move. "I swear Ron. When will you ever learn?" Hermione stood up and went in between both boys looking from one to the other. "He's in Slytherin and you're in Gryffindor, big fucking deal. The world doesn't revolve around some fucking school grudge, or even house rivalries, there are more important things in life than just being insulted. Grow up Ronald Weasley."

She leveled her wand at Ron and then freed him from the spell.

Ron was looking at her like she had grown two heads. "What is wrong with you? He's the enemy." Ron stated.

"No Ron! He's teenage wizard. The enemy is Voldemort. Get that through your damn thick skull. Now leave so I can free Malfoy."

"You're making a mistake." Ron said as he huffed out of the compartment.

"Yeah, well, at least it's my own. Instead of following all the time." Hermione threw at him as she stuck her head out of the compartment. She turned back to Malfoy and then undid the spell.

Draco looked down on her with his gray eyes, they were narrowed and a snarl was set on his upper lip. "Trouble being in the wings of Saint Potter?"

Hermione returned to her seat and looked back out the window. Neville had remained silent, he knew they were always at each other, but he also knew Hermione could settle this one on her own.

"Umf, stupid Mudblood, I could curse and hex you to oblivion." Draco stated cold and callously.

"No you wouldn't, at least not to oblivion. You'd be joining your father in Azkaban." Hermione turned and looked at him. "Somehow I don't see your mother or your father liking that too much."

"Trust fool." Draco raised his wand.

Hermione still had hers in her hand. "Immobulous!"

"Who's the fool now? That's twice," she stood up and went in front of him, looking up into his eyes, he was still smirking. "Not all the Death Eaters are from Slytherin. Not all Slytherins are bad or evil. Everyone lives and follows a different path. I'm going to release you Malfoy, don't try it again, next time I might not be so nice."

Hermione released him and sat back looking out the window. It was a full five minutes before Draco left the compartment. He stood by the door assessing her, Hermione didn't see that the snarl was gone, she didn't see the look of confused that was on his face. She didn't see that his pride had been hurt just as much as Ron's had been, to had been bested by a girl, she didn't see the snicker that flitted across his face as he left.

"You should have been in Ravenclaw, Gryffindor is way too bad of an influence on you." Draco said as he left the compartment and picked up his two cronies on the way to make the rounds on the train.

Hermione didn't relinquish her wand, and she felt a headache coming on.

X-X

Severus sat in his chair in front of the hearth and picked up the glass of fire whiskey he had sitting on the table next to the chair. It was late, five minutes till midnight and he wondered if Hermione had forgotten to write at all considering it was the first day back for school. He had watched for her as she entered the hall, noting that she had not sat down with Harry Potter or Ron Weasley for that matter. He smirked as he took a drink and remembered the angry look that Weasley had for the Longbottom boy as well as it seemed for his ex-friend. Longbottom on the other hand had a look about him that Severus had never seen before. He chalked it up to the new prefect badge that had adorned the boy's cloak. Weasley had after all failed to earn the badge back over the summer with his studies to get his grades back up. He had been sure that the headmaster along with Minerva would have given the badge to Potter, but had been pleasantly surprised when he found out otherwise.

There were only a few seconds left till midnight when the letter appeared. Severus reached for it and sat his fire whiskey down as he started reading.

Raven,

I think I shouldn't have waited so long in order to write this. It's been a long and harrowing day to say the least. You never know what life is going to throw at you until it happens. Let's just say life really sucks right now. Emerald and Ruby used to be two of my best friends. I can't disclose who they are, because, well, I don't really know who you are or for that matter which side you ultimately believe in. I'm also beginning to wonder if either side is right or wrong. It's really down to which side is the lesser of two evils. One bound with chains of tyranny, the other bound with chains of love.

Severus shook his head and took another drink of the fire whiskey. "When did you discover this? Yes, we have two leaders fighting for dominance right now and you are correct on both. Very clever on the names." Severus sat his drink back down and continued reading, he was enjoying it though, reading her words and finding out how her mind really worked on other things rather than just potions.

I'm just tired of all the fighting. Platinum needs to grow along with Ruby. I'm staying out of it now. If they want to be stupid and go at the next time I'll let them. I should have let them go at it on the train, but I was getting a headache and I just felt off all day. It is good that Ebony got a prefect badge. That was a little bit of a shock.

Undecided about life,

Hermione

Severus laid the letter down. He swirled the amber liquid around in the tumbler. This letter had been different from her last one, granted, he wasn't expecting more information from her. But, he couldn't help notice the tone in this letter was off considerably from the last one. The last letter she had felt better about things, and now, it seemed she was back inside that depressed state again. He knew, it took time for depression to work out of one's system, the only way he could see that she was back inside this state was because of her illness had brought it on, at least he hoped her letters in the future would be better.