Hermione's eyes opened, wide and aware as though she hadn't slept at all and wasn't just waking up. Only one thing could ever make her this excited, she realized as a smile spread across her face, the first day of a new term. The chance for new knowledge, new lessons, new spells. Even though she'd ready every single textbook thoroughly to prepare, nothing could beat the feeling of a desk below her elbows and a quill in her fingers. And after the past year, she couldn't wait to be involved in something as normal and familiar as Hogwart's School of Witchcraft and Wizardry again.
She rolled out of bed and made for her uniform, which hung at the end of her four-poster. She didn't even yawn a she began to dress, pulling on her sweater, skirt, socks, shoes robes, covering up the scars she still retained from the previous year. She, Harry and Ron's sixth year had been a trying one, containing many obstacles (some of which they all still carried scars from) all leading up the final –and triumphant- battle with Lord Voldemort. She could almost shudder at some of the memories, but she didn't. If there was one thing she'd learned in her life that hadn't come from a book, it was that she was stronger than even she knew.
McGonagall had already agreed to allow them to continue on to seventh year, only extending it two months to make up for the material they'd missed during the last term. Of course, the final battle had left some noticeable gaps in the student body, but those who didn't feel they could handle it had simply transferred, but that was a small number only. All things considered, though it had been hard up until now, almost everything seemed to be, well…back to normal.
Unfortunately, as with anything, the term "normal" included both the good…and the bad. In this case, the bad was a mixture of hearing Harry and Ron complain of already having to make up their Divination homework, finding out that their first few lessons in Transfiguration would not come from the text Hermione had so avidly studied, five points from Gryffindor in Charms because Neville had misheard Professor Flitwick's instruction and given Parvati dog ears for a good hour-and-a-half, and their own personal day-ruiner, Draco Malfoy.
As if coming to Double Potions wasn't bad enough, even though Snape obviously no longer taught the class, Hermione was disheartened to find that they still had this class with the Slytherins. Didn't it ever cross Professor McGonagall's mind to switch things up a bit?
As Harry and Ron grumbled at her side, she set up her cauldron and supplies silently, then began to work on the complex (yes, she admitted it) potion before them. They had been working for a miraculously quiet hour when Malfoy at last managed to claim one of the Gryffindors had sneezed on him, and that was the reason his potion was pale green rather than sunset orange. Professor Gillium, who seemed far from the brightest person to pass through Hogwarts, though good at Potions, fell for it. She failed to notice Draco's triumphant smirk and snicker behind her back. Hermione shredded her dragonfly wings with gritted teeth. How he dared these things now she would never know…
After another impossibly long hour and forty five minutes, Hermione corked the small vial of Potion she'd produced and handed it in. Ron (his potion a sort of fucsia) and Harry (bright red) followed moments behind her. They gathered up their things just in time for dismissal, joining the small throng as the class bottlenecked through the dungeon door.
Suddenly, Hermione was shoved roughly aside, and even as Harry steadied her and caught Ron's robes at the same time, she knew who it had been.
Draco Malfoy stood before them, laughing at Ron's beat red face and Harry's death stare. "You'll do well to stay out of my way, Mudblood." He spat the last word, as he always did, most likely always would.
Ron clenched his fists and Harry tensed, but they managed to let him walk away, chortling with Crabbe and Goyle at his side.
"So help me…" Ron was muttering under his breath in a hostile voice.
"Just leave it." Hermione said firmly, readjusting her shoulder bag and heading for dinner. She'd wanted things back to normal…and so they were.