Disclaimer: I own nothing of Harry Potter except this plot. Oh, and Summer in the City is an actual book by Elizabeth Chandler. It's really good!!
Anyway, onto the chapter…
No, Hermione couldn't stay at home. She needed to go back to Hogwarts.
Draco felt the same about Hogwarts, but for totally different reasons. For him, it was a safe house: a place to hide from his father and Voldemort. He didn't care a whit about his family. They had deserted him for Voldemort long ago. Draco breathed a sigh of relief when he got on the Hogwarts Express. Finally, away from his family and the outside world. At Hogwarts, he would be safe.
He headed towards the prefects' car. He had been offered the Head Boy badge, but refused it. To be in a position of power at Hogwarts would mean Lucius Malfoy pressuring him to bring down the school's defenses to let Voldemort and the Death Eaters in.
So, he simply refused, and said nothing of it to him parents.
The train went around the corner, sending Draco flying into another person. He looked up. Granger. Trust her to be there when he wasn't at his best. Not that he cared, of course. But he was always crashing into her, or getting insulted by her, or getting slapped by her (the memory still hurt). Malfoy put aside the matter for now, instead focusing on the task at hand: insulting the Mudblood.
However, she had already left. Shrugging, Malfoy made his was to the prefects' car, only to find that there was none. Apparently, with the death of Dumbledore, most of the students had dropped out, lessening the need for more cars. And, of course, not Malfoy had nowhere to sit: his "friends" had all left to join Voldemort, per order of their families.
After looking for a seat in all the compartments, the only one with any room left was occupied by none other than the Golden Trio and their friends. Reluctantly, Draco took a seat as far away from them as possible without going through the wall. He watched the talking, laughing group with more that a little jealousy; he had never had any real friends he could actually open up to and enjoy himself with. They were either girls trying to get his attention, or followers of Voldemort. No one had ever expressed an interest in Draco for who he was, not what he looked like or who his parents were. In truth, he hadn't ever followed Voldemort or his ideas. He hated the thought of killing hundreds of innocents, and he actually didn't really HATE mudbloods. It was just that annoying Granger was too much fun. However, Draco didn't dare let his father know his opinions. If he did, Lucius would Crucio him, then bring him to Voldemort to be tortured even more, then probably killed.
About halfway through the train ride, Harry noticed the blonde Slytherin.
"Oi!" he said, nudging Ron. "It's Malfoy. In OUR compartment. Wonder what he's doing here?"
"Yah, and he seems to be alone. Shall we hex him into oblivion?"
"You guys!" came Hermione's voice. "Don't, I will NOT tolerate violence on the train, even if it IS the ferret."
"Alright, 'Mione. Geez, no need to get so worked up."
Hermione didn't say anything, though her lips were pursed, much like Professor McGonagall. After a few moments of silence, she went back to reading her book, a muggle one called Summer in the City.
Then she glanced at Malfoy, who had been unusually silent during the whole exchange. What she was in his stony gray eyes shocked her. Buried deep in them was a sadness so great, it made her heart ache. She wondered shy he was so sad, but a second glance at Malfoy revealed no more.
Sighing, she returned to her book. However, her curiosity was piqued. She would not rest until she got to the bottom of this.
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Oh, and the last chapter was in a café at Diagon Alley. I don't know which one, just make one up.