Chapter 2!
Enjoy.
Welcome Back!
Her temple was cold and a slight throbbing had taken place there. She felt her shoulder shaking. And images that once flashed before her eyes began slowly swirling away. It were as if she began reaching for them that they would swirl farther from her reach, getting smaller and less vivid until she could not remember a single one. A whistle sounded somewhere off in the distance, maybe belonging to a train or a unique clock, and a voice began calling her. Her shoulder began shaking more frantically to the point that it began moving her head along the cold hard surface. The voice calling her became louder and her eye lids began to flutter. The voice addressed her as 'Mione' one last time before she felt the familiar sensation of being pulled from her unconsciousness.
Her vision was blurred as she tried to look around. It seemed her head had been resting on a window slightly covered in frost, looking out the same chilly window she found they were travelling through the hills close to mountains. She moved her eyes to take in her surroundings. Green plush booths filled the small room with beige wall coverings behind them.
"'Mione?" A new voice sounded, farther in distance than the first. Shaking her head once and blinking harshly to clear her vision she noticed to figures. One was seated across from her and the other directly beside her.
She recognized them, but that seemed to only confuse her further. The figure beside her was a younger looking Ronald Weasley. His hair a lighter red and his face appeared much more upbeat than she remembered. He even had a small amount of baby fat left, as if his last growth spurt hadn't even happened yet.
And the figure across from her was staring at her; brilliant green eyes filled with concern. Seeing as it was Harry she allowed herself to relax a little. Though he too was looking considerably fresher. His face lacked the stubble he usually supported, and his eyes shined with a light that had been long gone since they were merely teenagers. In fact, thinking about it they both looked significantly like they did back in sixth year.
Then unexpectedly thousands of images flashed before her eyes as if she'd suddenly remembered something significant. Images of a newspaper, Luna, Dumbledore's office, an older Harry and Ron celebrating Christmas; each image seemed exceedingly familiar. Along with the images came an intense pounding in her mind, relatively like a migraine. She winced trying to go unnoticed, wanting nothing more than to grab her head and force the pain out of her mind. Needless to say she failed.
"'Mione are you okay?" Ignoring Ron's question of concern she compromised with rubbing slow circles on the sides of her temple, trying to relieve the pain. The sensation was overwhelmingly painful, and as quickly as it had come it left. Only a vague aching remained of what had just passed.
Taking a moment to process what had just happened she noted that everything had just come flooding back to her. And more explicitly all the events that passed on her last day in the future including memories of the envelope and the text written on Praeteritum Exhibere.
It worked. Looking to Harry and Ron to see they each wore identical looks of concern and realising they were expecting an answer she assured them she was okay, passing it off as a migraine.
"Really I'm fine, nothing to worry about." She repeated when it seemed neither of them believed her. A smile crept onto her features as she couldn't help but drink in their appearances. It was hard not to smile. They looked so young and healthy, so mischievous, so alive.
She couldn't help but wonder what they were talking about before she'd fallen asleep which led her to ask, "Was there a reason you guys woke me up?" Her words would have sounded snarky and rude if she was someone who didn't like to have their sleep disturbed. Instead her words simply sounded curious, like a child asking their mother if they could have ice cream.
"We are almost at Hogwarts. Thought you might want to change into your robes before the train stopped." Ron offered, but panic began to build inside her as she remembered the first time she rode the train to Hogwarts during sixth year.
"I slept throughout the whole ride?" Her voice was rising with each word. The feeling that she was forgetting something made itself known in the back of her mind.
"Relax 'Mione bloody hell you're acting like you've been kidnapped or something. You weren't this jumpy during rounds what's the matter with you?" She felt her shoulders slump as relief filled her. She hadn't missed her Prefect rounds. 'Nothing' she assured them before explaining she was just really excited to be back. But the feeling from earlier didn't settle or relax. She was forgetting something significant, and she couldn't put her finger on it. Which naturally bothered her to no end.
"Right well I'm just so glad to be back I don't want to miss a thing." Thanking the boys for waking her up she told them she was going to go change into her robes and with that quickly exited the compartment leaving the boys in peace. She heard their banter back and forth about her strange behaviour as she shuffled through the crowd of students.
She needed time to think about what was going on. Miraculously she found an empty compartment and was soon shutting the door, pulling down the blinds and locking the door before throwing on her robes. All the while trying to remember what would have just passed.
It was sixth year again, which meant she spent the last few weeks of summer at the Burrow. Diagon ally was closed down with the exception of Weasley Wizard Wheezes. That meant Fred was alive. Of course Fred was alive, everyone was alive. A large smile spread across her face even as she tried to shake it off. She needed to concentrate; remember what had just happened.
They had visited Fred and George's new shop but they left early. Racking her brain she remembered Ron mentioning something regarding Malfoy. Suddenly that feeling like she was forgetting something was replaced with a moment of aha. This year all Harry would be focused on was hunting Horcruxes and proving Malfoy was a Death Eater; which he was. That was what they would have spent most of the train ride discussing. Relief washed over her as she was finally able to grab a hold of the situation. She was never one to enjoy taking a back seat; she needed to be up front and in control. There was too much at stake to trust the abilities of another when she could just as easily do it herself.
Everything had worked and nothing had changed yet. Smiling down at the Prefect badge sewn onto her Hogwarts robes she figured Ron and Harry would be waiting for her. Throwing the clothes she no longer needed back in her bag she began lightly pushing through the swarm of students lollygagging throughout the isle ways.
"Quibbler?" A soft melodic voice asked from behind her. Turning she was pleasantly surprised to see Luna with her crazy glasses sitting atop her head and a pile of Quibbler special edition magazines in hand as she offered the unique publications to those walking by her.
"I'll have one." She spoke up receiving a brilliant smile from Luna. It didn't take long for Luna to make her way over with a bounce in her step before she had her own edition of the Quibbler. The creature of the week apparently was the Wrackspurt. She chuckled at the things Luna was involved in, but she had never been more thankful to anything than she was to Luna's vast knowledge of the unknown.
"Thank you." She smiled back at her blonde friend receiving a cheery 'you're welcome Hermione' before she watched Luna turn and offer the magazine to a couple passing by. Luna was something else.
Turning her attention back to her previous task of getting back to their compartment she only hoped the boys weren't wondering where she was. She didn't need them speculating anymore about her strange behaviour, however knowing them they probably wouldn't put too much thought into it.
"Where's Harry?" She asked noticing Ron was all alone as she stepped back into their compartment.
"He left too, claiming he needed some air or something. Do I smell or something 'Mione?" Ron asked, the area between his eyebrows scrunched as he lifted his arm to answer his own question.
"What-no of course not Ron." She tried to suppress her laughter at Ron's silly antics. It had been a long time since she'd seen this side of him. A goofy grin placed itself on his face as he muttered a 'Good' before searching through his pockets for more candy she supposed; the area around him already littered with wrappers. The trolley must have stopped by for a last snack when she was changing.
"But you should change into your wizard robes soon as well." She said as she looked Ron up and down noticing he still hadn't changed.
"I'll be out there waiting." She almost lost her footing as the train lurched to a halt. "Hurry up." She warned as she stepped out of the compartment once more.
Looking around she wasn't able to spot any patch of messy raven hair. But then again she knew exactly where Harry had gone. Because not only had he technically already told her where he had been when he had shown up late for the welcome back feast in the Great Hall but she also knew Harry and his knack for finding trouble before term had even started. And later she'd scold him for his actions, but right now she wasn't going to interfere with anything. Not until she had an idea of the things she needed to be changed.
"You haven't noticed any Wrackspurts fluttering about have you Hermione?" Luna asked her as she walked back her way.
"No I haven't seen any, sorry Luna." She almost wondered if Luna only travelled the isles during the train rides.
"You don't see Wrackspurts Hermione, their invisible little creatures that float in your ears causing your brain to go fuzzy." Luna explained as if it was most obvious.
"No sorry Luna. I can't say if noticed any of that." She noticed Luna had pulled her glasses off the top of her head and now had them seated on the bridge of her nose.
"That's okay, their awfully tricky little creatures. Most don't notice them at all." Luna smiled as she began searching the air above other people's heads before finally walking off.
"Actually Luna," She called out at the receding back of her blonde friend, an idea popping into her head. "I heard a few of the Slytherin's complain about them infesting their compartment. Maybe try checking there." She offered hoping this would only help speed things along.
"Yes they do tend to feed off of ambition, a Slytherin compartment is a most reasonable location." Luna wasn't one to point out the flaws of others instead always giving them the benefit of the doubt. Nodding her head she began bouncing off towards the compartment filled with green ties and emblems.
"Ah Luna, maybe it would be best to wait until the compartment is empty." Luna smiled once more before moving off to the side accidentally bumping into a man trying to pass.
"I'm sorry," She spoke quietly towards the man she'd bumped into.
"No, my apologies." The man she recognized as Blaise Zabini offered a dazzling white smile that contrasted against his dark skin tone before nodding respectively and heading further down the train.
She'd missed the hustle and bustle of students as the Hogwarts Express pulled up to the platform. Younger students wearing identical expressions of worry as they tried to navigate themselves off the train, while some older students, mostly Slytherin, purposely tried to block their path. The smell of smoke was as welcoming as the train whistle signalling they'd reached their destinations. Even being pushed up against the side walls wasn't as bad as she remembered. Standing on her tip toes as she attempted to look above the crowd she met steely eyes before a blind separated them.
"You coming Hermione?" A voice captured her attention. Ron was just sliding the door shut of their compartment now fully dressed in Hogwarts Wizards robes. Nodding they began walking towards one of the train's exits making small talk as they went until Ron seemed to pick up on the absence of their best friend.
"You haven't seen Harry have you?" Ron now taller than most students their age began searching above the slowly decreasing number of Hogwarts students trying to get onto the platform.
"He's probably already gotten off the train." She lied knowing the exact whereabouts of their missing friend; repeating the line Ron fed her when she was the one worried about Harry. Luna would find him, no worries.
"You're probably right. Always are anyway. Common if we don't hurry we might miss the feast." Ron joked as he quickened his step. Jumping down the steps of the train onto the platform she was finding it exceedingly difficult to keep up with her red headed friend. And soon he was up too far with the crowd for her to possibly get to him. Sighing and slowing her step enough so she was no longer at a run
"Welcome back 'ermione!" The booming voice of Hogwarts Grounds Keeper sounded behind her. Whirling around she was satisfyingly surprised by the large smile he wore followed by the large group of first years looking up at the half-giant in awe.
"It's good to be back Hagrid." She smiled brightly up at him before turning to follow the rest of her classmates. It was good to be back.
And yet, there was something scary to be said about knowing the choices you make now will affect your whole future.
So I've decided that about all those first chapter's I have written, I'm going to post them. Probably starting tommorrow the first one will be up It will either be She's the One or Capella. But After I post the first chapter Tomorrow I'm going to put up a poll on my profile so if you guys read some of them you can vote on which one you guys want me to continue with.
So read them and vote if you want me to continue :)
-Thanks
Dini