Several hours later the Hogwarts Express rolled up to the station, students filling out in suite, claiming the carriage of their choice that would carry them up to the castle.
Harry held the door open as Ginny came out, followed by Ron and Hermione. "Thanks Harry" Ginny smiled, taking his hand and walking to the nearest available carriage. Hermione noticed this gesture and smiled softly to herself. She knew Harry and Ginny would want some time alone, and seeing as how they wouldn't be getting much more of it once classes started decided to leave them alone.
"Ron, what do you say we go sit with Luna and Neville, huh? We haven't seen them in a while."
"But-" Ron started, but Hermione quickly interrupted.
"Oh COME ON Ron, please?" She looked up at him with pleading eyes, which made him only sigh in defeat.
" Oh alright, but don't think I don't know why." He gave one longing look towards the couple, now seated side by side and whispering to each other, before reluctantly following Hermione to the carriage a couple ones back.
" Hey Luna, Neville," Hermione smiled, looking up at the two. "mind if we join you? We haven't talked to you guys in a while and thought it might be nice for us to catch up before we reach the castle."
Neville looked up and smiled. "Why, of c-course Hermione! But, why aren't you sitting with Harry?" his eyebrows raised questionable.
But before Ron could answer, Hermione responded. "We just thought it would be nice to, you know, stir things up a bit. That is, if it's ok with you guys?" she looked from one to the other, and when neither protested, stepped up onto the pedestal and sat down across from Neville, Ron seating himself next to Hermione.
"So, how was your summer Neville? Anything interesting happen?" her eyes scanning quickly between Neville and Luna's intertwinned fingers, a bright smile on her face.
"N-No...not really!" he squeaked, quickly grabbing his hands from Luna's, turning a bright shade of red. It was obvious he didn't wish to indulge his secret just yet, which was fine for Hermione. Neville was always a bit shy when it came to girls, and she knew he would come around in his own time. She was sure he wasn't ready for the attention he would receive for dating "Loony Lovegood". She was just happy that he finally had the courage to step up and ask Luna out. It had been quite obvious for sometime.
"Hermione, you look quite different this year," Luna piped in, with the same airy voice she always used. " any particular reason in the..change?" She looked up at Hermione, awaiting an answer.
Hermione, however, only turned red. That was certainly a question she wasn't expecting. " Oh, uh..well..you see...n-no..I..I don't think so...I just..like it I guess.." her voice trailed off as she looked at Ron from the corner of her eye, who had obviously seemed to have gained a particular interest in the conversation at the mention of Hermione's new look.
"Oh, ok." She replied, obviously not noticing the sudden tension in the air, and looked back down to the magazine article she was reading (Narwakes: Where are they most dangerous?).
The rest of the carriage ride up was quite uneventful, with only the occasional talk of how each others summers had gone, and what they were planning on doing with their final year at Hogwarts. As it turned out Luna have traveled in France with her father hunting for Nargolks, while Neville spent most of it reading up on spells he might encounter on his NEWTs. It was on this mention that Hermione verbally appraised him for preparing himself, dropping a (very) obvious hint to Ron, who only mumbled something about "havings better things to do" and went silent once more. It wasn't until they begin to climb off the carriage that anything happened.
Ron had jumped down first, holding up his hand for Hermione, who only blushed and took it gratefully. It was very un-Ron like, but she wouldn't dare question his action, in case he took it as an insult. Neville followed suite and, after wishing them farewell, Ron and Hermione hurried to catch up with Harry and Ginny, now quite ahead of the crowd.
" It sure is great to be back!" Hermione exclaimed gleefully, looking up at the majesty of the castle, now aglow with all the candles and the wavering scent of the thousands of foods inside just waiting for students to come and help themselves to after the sorting. She suddenly caught her breath in her throat. She wondered if he would notice this year? She had been trying to get Ron's attention, but it didn't seem to have worked yet. But time will tell.
However, by the time she looked up again, many students have made their way in between them and it was now impossible to find her certain redhead amongst the crowd, yet alone any Gryffindor now that she thought about it. She looked around, but yet all that seemed to be around her was a bunch of Slytherins. Walking friskly ahead (who felt comfortable around a bunch of Slytherins anyway?) she began to get to unsettling feeling that the group was beginning to get smaller, with her being the delicious centerpiece.
It happened in a blink of an eye. One minute she was struggling through the crowd, and the next a strong force shoved her into a hidden crevace of the castle, pushing her against the stone. Briefly having knocked the wind out of her, she couldn't see anything in front of her except the blood now dripping from her newly formed head wound from being shoved so roughly into the stone, stinging her eye. Struggling with her vision, a rough figure began to take form in front of her.
"Malfoy." She muttered, her voice dripping with disdain. "What do YOU want?"
" Granger," he began, his hands pinning her hands roughly against her head. " You've seemed to have...grown up over the summer" an evil gleam shining in his eyes. "It's very attractive to say the least." He smiled, his eyes now roaming freely over her body.
"Get the hell off me Malfoy!" she spat, not caring at the moment for the profanities now leaving her mouth. She couldn't believe he would stoop so low as to practically kidnap her in plain view of all the students.
" Oh I will," he began. "for now." And just as quickly as it had began, he released her hands, shoving her back into the open with the now thinned out crowd.
He vanished into the darkness, leaving her to only stare at the place where they had once been.
"Oi! Hermione!" Ron yelled out, waving his hands in the distance, quickly approaching her. "Where have you been? I have been loo- what the hell happened to you?!" Ron eyes grew wide as he stared at the now blood-stained spot on Hermione's head where Malfoy had shoved her.
"Oh, I just..tripped and hit the stone. It doesn't hurt, honestly. I'll get it fixed up as soon as we get back. Promise," Reaching her hand up, she gingerly feeling the wound.
Ron raised his eyebrows at her, highly doubting that that was how it happened, but shrugging it off, they walked together up towards the great double doors where Harry and Ginny stood waiting for them.
"About time you two show up," Harry smirked. "We thought we'd have to come find you two. You were gone so long we were suspecting maybe you two were gone snogging or something."
Hermione laughed nervously, and Ron's face turned beat red.
"Of course not Harry! I just had a little run in with the wall, and Ron helped me." She started, looking from Harry to Ginny nervously.
"Well, lets get going, I'm starved!" Ron grabbed Harry's arm and dragged them all into the hall, the entire time Hermione looking nervously behind her back, only once turning to see Malfoy in the darkness winking at her.
'This year is definitely going to be interesting.'
Harry's POV:
He stood beside Ginny, impatiently waiting for Ron and Hermione to catch up with them. What could be taking them so long? They were only a couple carriages behind them. Of course, he knew that something was going on between them and it was only a matter of time before both came to their senses and realized it. Even still...it wasn't like Hermione to be late for anything.
He was just about to suggest going to look for them when he spotted the two quickly approaching, Hermione's clutching what looked like a bleeding sore on her head.
"About time you two show up," he smirked. "We thought we'd have to come find you two." Then, as an afterthought, or perhaps just to get a reaction, he added "You were gone so long we were suspecting maybe you two were gone snogging or something."
He smiled to himself as Ron turned beat red. Yes, he would be getting an earful later, but he had gotten the reaction he hoped. It proved his theory that they fancied each other. Imagine, his two best friends practically smitten with each other.
"Of course not Harry! I just had a little run in with the wall, and Ron helped me." Hermione said.
Before anyone could respond, Ron had grabbed his hand and was now proceeding to practically drag him into the hall. "Well, lets get going. I'm starved!"
'Yup.' Harry thought to himself. 'This year is definitely going to be interesting.'