Author's Note: Thank you to everyone who has followed this story or has added it to your favorites! I really appreciate it! I would love some more reviews with your thoughts on the story, though! It will help motivate me to write faster! Anyway, I decided not to go straight into Hogwarts… I do want to show a little bit of what happened over the summer with Fred and Hermione!

Disclaimer: Sadly, I do not own Harry Potter.

This
Is not what I expected

July 1998; The Burrow.

The War had been over for a grand total of two months. While Voldemort had been defeated, the Ministry was having trouble rounding up the remaining Death Eaters. Most of them had formed their own pro-pureblood gangs and were wreaking havoc across England. Where Voldemort was calculated and strategic, these attacks were anything but. It seemed as though they were attacking people for no other reason than they could. Kingsley was now Minister of Magic and had personally asked Harry, Ron and Hermione to join the Ministry and to train as Aurors. Harry and Ron had jumped at the chance, but Hermione had informed Kingsley that she wanted to finish her last year of Hogwarts. Professor McGonagall had offered all of the 7th years a chance to return to Hogwarts to finish their last year the right way. To say that Hermione was excited was an understatement. While she was more than happy to return and finish her schooling, she also wanted a chance to get into the Library and figure out what this damn tattoo on her chest meant! She and Ginny had been no closer to finding out what it meant than they had been the day it showed up. They were currently sitting in Ginny's room, pouring over books Hermione had found about Celtic tattoos.

"Oh, Mione! This is pointless! We haven't found anything!" Ginny moaned, falling backwards onto her bed.

"There has to be something," Hermione replied desperately.

Ginny had been incredibly moody for the last week since Harry and Ron had left to start their Auror training. Hermione didn't mind much. Before they left, Ron and Hermione had mutually decided that the spark between them had solely been the creation of the battlefield. It was quite the weight off of Hermione's shoulders since she couldn't stop thinking about Fred. She had been studiously avoiding him ever since they had come back to the Burrow a few days after Voldemort's defeat. It was a difficult task since she felt like something was pulling her towards him. She had always had a slight crush on him, but this was rather ridiculous. It was like a switch had flipped on and it took all of her strength to stay away from him.

"It's been two months! We should just wait until we get back to Hogwarts," Ginny said, sitting back up to look at her best friend, "Or we should at least take a break."

At the mention of a break, Hermione's stomach growled and she blushed furiously while Ginny laughed. "I am hungry," she said sheepishly.

"It is lunch time! I bet mum has something wonderful cooking downstairs!"

Hermione laughed at Ginny's enthusiasm, "You go ahead, I'll meet you down there."

Ginny winked at Hermione before taking off down the stairs. There were a few more paragraphs on the page she had been reading and she was determined to finish them. There might be something useful in those paragraphs! She had finished reading them, and a few more pages, before closing the book with a heavy sigh. She didn't know the first place to look for information on this tattoo and it was incredibly frustrating. She blew a stray strand of her unruly hair from her face and then stood up, stretching her arms above her head. She made her way out of Ginny's room, shut the door behind her and went to turn to walk down the stairs, when she ran into something quite solid. She let out a squeak of surprise and felt herself falling backwards, only to be caught by a pair of strong arms. She quickly looked up and immediately regretted it. She was currently staring into the sea blue eyes of the very person she had been avoiding.

Fred grinned at her, "You know, Granger, if you wanted to get close to me, all you had to do was ask."

Heat rose to Hermione's cheeks and she sputtered uselessly for a response. Fred had pulled her up so she was standing, but hadn't let go of her. Therefore, she was pressed against his chest with his arms wound around her waist. It was all very distracting. She could only stare at him, her heart pounding in her chest and her breathing rapid. His scent invaded her senses and made her head swim. He smelled like a thunderstorm. If it had been anyone else, she would have thought that to be an odd smell, but it was right for Fred. The smell of fresh rain, the smell of wet grass… she could even smell the spark of lightening and the crash of thunder. It was difficult to describe but it was intoxicating.

"Can you please let me go?" Hermione managed to gasp out.

"Maybe I like you right where you are," Fred said huskily, leaning down so his face was close to hers, "You're rather adorable when you're flushed."

Fred's cool breath fanned her face, his body curved over her as his lips slowly inched closer to hers. They were a whisper away and Hermione wanted nothing more than to close the slight distance and press her lips to his. Needed to know what it would feel like. His lips grazed hers gently, barely a caress…

"Hermione! Hurry up! Lunch is ready!"

At the sound of Ginny's voice, Hermione snapped back to reality and pushed herself out of Fred's arms, feeling slightly dazed. Fred's eyes were hooded, a hunger hidden in them that Hermione didn't understand. Tension lined his features, but he stepped around Hermione without a word, disappearing out of view. Hermione let out a breath she didn't know she was holding and slumped against the wall. Her hands shook and she took several deep, calming breaths before heading down the stairs to the kitchen. That was not what she expected to happen when she ran into Fred again. There was no way he was interested in her at all. She was the bookworm, know-it-all Granger and he was Fred Weasley, prankster extraordinaire. This was going to be a long two months.

1st September 1998; King's Cross Station; Platform 9 and ¾.

Today was the day that Hermione was finally going back to Hogwarts. She couldn't have been more excited. Since the incident in the hallway with Fred, he had been relentless. He did everything he could to catch her off guard and make her flustered. What she had first mistaken for her heart pounding, she soon realized that it was her tattoo pulsing against her flesh. It reacted every time Fred was close to her and most of the time she was able to avoid him. Once she was out of his reach, however, she found that she felt both happy and disappointed at the same time. She was on the platform with Ginny, Molly, Arthur, Ron and Harry. They were given a few days off to say goodbye, which Ginny had been ecstatic for. They had already said their goodbyes and were about to board the train when Hermione's tattoo fluttered and a hand grabbed her wrist.

"You didn't even say goodbye!"

Hermione shivered at the feel of his hand on her skin and turned to face Fred, who had stuck out his bottom lip in a pout. "Well you were the one who didn't wake up in time," she replied haughtily.

"I'm here now, though," he said quietly.

She then realized how close Fred was to her. She could see the flecks of brown and gold in his eyes, the sadness that swam in them. Her tattoo pulsed almost painfully and she pulled her wrist from his grip, feeling the hollowness that she now associated with his absence. He took a step back, but Hermione remained half way on the train, one foot still planted firmly on the platform.

"I'll miss you," and she was surprised to find that she meant it.

"Don't worry, love," he said, leaning in to kiss her cheek, "I'll write."

And then he was gone, weaving his way between the families saying goodbye to their children. Hermione stared after him longingly, her hand unconsciously touching her cheek where his lips had pressed against it. The sound of the train whistle drew Hermione out of her thoughts and she shook her head, climbing fully into the train. It didn't take her long to find Ginny in a compartment with Neville and Luna. Neville had Luna's hand clasped tightly in his and grinned at Hermione when she walked in.

"I knew you couldn't pass up an opportunity to finish your 7th year!" he declared.

"Hermione would never say no to studying," Luna agreed dreamily.

"I just wanted time away from Harry and Ron!" Hermione joked, laughing.

She sat down next to Ginny and for the time being, she was able to push Fred to the back of her mind. She enjoyed the train ride to Hogwarts with her friends. It was odd without Harry and Ron sitting across from her, but it was nice to not have them hovering over her. Time seemed to fly by and before she knew it, they had all changed into their robes and were pulling into the Hogsmade station. As they walked off the train, she noticed that many of the older students were staring at the carriages and for a split second she wondered why. Then she remembered. The Thestrals could only be seen by those who had seen death… and the sheer number of students who could now see them was staggering. Ginny took her hand and squeezed it gently before leading them to one of the carriages. They rode towards Hogwarts in silence, the battle fresh in their minds as they passed by the scorched earth. Hermione wondered how the castle looked, hopefully fully repaired if they were resuming school as normal. No sooner had she thought of it, the castle came into view, seemingly unharmed, as if the battle had never happened.

"It looks the same," Ginny whispered.

"They must have worked hard to repair it," Neville said, twisting in his seat to look at it.

Hermione was glad that it looked the same. She didn't know if she would be able to handle it if the castle still looked like a battle had taken place there. They reached the gates and the carriage stopped at the steps to the entrance hall. Light spilled out from the open doors that the students were walking through. It was easy to tell who had participated in the battle. They had a somber look to their faces, jaws clenched tight as they kept their eyes straight ahead. Hermione knew that this year was going to be difficult because even though the castle was fixed, the traces of battle erased, she could still remember. She could still see Hagrid walking through the gates, Harry in his arms, limp and pale. She could still see the broken statues, the bodies that littered the ground. Hermione wrapped her arms around herself to keep from shaking as they walked into the Great Hall. There were no Hogwarts emblems and house colors, only black tapestries fell from the enchanted ceiling. Neville gave Luna a chaste kiss before they went their separate ways. The stream of students entering the hall slowly stopped and Hermione was surprised to see how empty the hall seemed. When the sorting started, there was only a handful of students. Slytherin acquired two, one for Hufflepuff, three for Ravenclaw, and another two for Gryffindor.

"I bet a lot of parents were too scared to let their kids come back to school," Neville said, "Didn't want to let them out of their sight after the war."

"Or they didn't make it," Hermione said sadly.

A hush fell across the hall as McGonagall stood, "Welcome students, to another year at Hogwarts. I know the last few years have been difficult, especially the beginning of this year. We have lost a great number of students. Since the number of students is significantly smaller this year, all houses will attend classes at the same time. There will be no more classes of just one or two houses. You will have class with all of the students of your year. This is also to promote inter-house unity. There will be various projects throughout the year where you will work with three students in the other houses. There will also be a ball before the Christmas Holidays to remember those who have fallen during Voldemort's rise to power and defeat. I would also ask that all 7th years, both repeat and regular 7th years, meet me at the Head Table after dinner. Now enjoy the feast!"

As soon as McGonagall sat down, food filled the plates on the table and the dull roar of voices filled the hall. It was comforting, in a way, to have some sort of normalcy after everything that Hermione had been through in the last year. She listened as her friends talked and joked throughout dinner, but her mind was elsewhere. She thought of Fred and the way he would look at her. As if he needed her desperately. No one had ever looked at her like that and she didn't believe that Fred Weasley would be the first person to. She picked at her food, her mind too busy coming up with some other explanation as to why she had taken a sudden interest in Fred. She had been so lost in her thoughts, that she didn't realize that the food had disappeared from their plates and that everyone was walking out of the hall.

"Come on, Mione," Ginny said, "We have to go see McGonagall."

"Right," Hermione stood from her seat and followed Ginny to the head table where the rest of the 7th years were waiting.

McGonagall waited for Ginny and Hermione to join them before surveying the group before her, "As you can see, there aren't many 7th years returning to Hogwarts this year. The other teachers and I wanted to try something different this year since most of you are either of age, or participated in the Final Battle. Follow me."

The Headmistress swept past the small group of students and they all filed out behind her, whispering their theories. McGonagall lead them to a mostly unused part of the castle. She stopped in front of a portrait of a young couple holding hands. They both had dark hair, bright eyes, and they were smiling at the Headmistress. She smiled back at them and their portrait swung open to reveal a cozy common room. Hermione followed McGonagall into the spacious room and as she walked past the portrait hole, she felt her whole body pulse with turquoise light. Once inside the common room, she turned around to see a light purple glow flash around Ginny before disappearing. Ginny looked at her best friend, confused, but Hermione could only shrug her shoulders. She didn't know what had happened either. Once everyone was inside the common room, the portrait swung shut and McGonagall faced the students.

"This was once the wing that was used for the students who were married," McGonagall started.

"Married?!" Ginny squeaked.

"Yes, Miss. Weasley," McGonagall's eyes flashed, "When the school first opened and for quite some time afterwards, it was normal for marriages to occur while the husband and wife were still in school. While there is a common room and rather large kitchen here, you will find that behind each door upstairs is the equivalent to a three bedroom flat. You will all be staying here this year. Pick your rooms as you see fit, but know that I have made alterations to the rooms and members of the opposite sex are not allowed in each other's flat overnight. We are trying to promote inter-house unity so if this goes well then we will start introducing this kind of living environment to 5th years and up. Also, you will be allowed to visit Hogsmade whenever you wish and not just on Hogsmade weekends. Have a goodnight!"

McGonagall turned to leave, but Hermione stopped her, "But what about the password Professor?"

"There is no need for a password. The Portrait has memorized all of your magical signatures. If you wish to invite someone else into the common room, you need only ask and they will permit them to enter," McGonagall explained.

"And what about our things?" Neville asked.

"They will turn up once you have your room picked out," McGonagall opened the portrait, but turned around once more, "Also, you will be able to decorate your room however you wish. Just imagine it in your mind and the room will decorate itself."

Once McGonagall was out of the room and the Portrait shut behind her, everyone raced towards the stairs to pick their rooms. Hermione, Ginny and Luna picked one of the doors that was the furthest away from the stairs and the doors that everyone else picked. When Hermione opened the door, she found a bare living room with an attached dining room and a nicely sized kitchen tucked into the corner. She supposed that they would have to talk about what they would want the living room to look like. There was a hallway that led to the three bedrooms. Hermione took the one on the left, Ginny took the one in the middle and Luna took the one on the right. All of them were bare with two doors. One led to a closet and the other led to a bathroom. Ginny stuck her head into Hermione's room and looked around.

"This is kind of awesome," she said.

"I didn't even know this kind of place existed in the castle," Hermione murmured.

"Neither did I!" Ginny grinned, "What are you going to do with your room?"

Hermione thought for a moment, "I haven't decided and I'm tired. I'll just stick with a bed for now and then tomorrow before breakfast we can start brainstorming the living room!"

"Okay, I'll let Luna know. Goodnight, Mione!" Ginny blew Hermione a kiss before returning to her own room.

It didn't take long for Hermione to think of the bed she wanted. A queen size four poster bed sat in the middle of the room when Hermione opened her eyes. The sheets were cream, along with the pillowcases, while the down comforter was the same turquoise color as her magic. It was like looking at the ocean and she instantly loved it. A few seconds later, her trunk appeared at the foot of her bed and when Hermione opened her closet, all of her clothes were hanging up. She quickly changed into her PJs and climbed under the comforter, sighing in absolute bliss. She would worry about the rest of her room tomorrow after classes; tonight all she wanted to do was sleep and try to forget about a certain red haired Weasley twin.

{ phoenix }

Tune in next time for the first Hogsmade trip and Hermione's surprise! Please leave me a review and let me know what you think! Reviews motivate me to write faster!