The smell of sweating people, old trunks, sodas, popcorn, sweets, and magic was in the air. The smell was beautiful and Hermione took in a deep breath. Platform 9 3/4. Oh how she had missed it, a wave of nostalgia swept over the brunette, though a part of her wept. This would be her last time here, for a long time. Until she had children of her own surely. Children, the thought made her look at Ron. With his Father's new found fame, not to mention new found wealth, he looked very distinguished in the new charcoal robes, his shoes just as dark and new as his robes. The Prefect badge given to him by Dumbledore years ago, he wore proudly on his breast.
"I still don't know why we have to come back." He grumbled looking at Harry who clapped him on the shoulder, giving him a tight smile. "Dad was more than willing to give us a job in the Auror office Harry. He said so himself, no more schooling necessary. No more grades. No more tests." Harry laughed then despite the vicious glare they received from Ginny as well as Hermione.
"Well mate, you know as well as I do, it was either come willingly or be forcibly drug. Besides." Harry's cheeks pinked slightly to Hermione's surprise. He hated to admit it but, these were his friends. Though the way Molly was looking at him, he knew his next words would spring some sort of emotion from her. She did think of him as a son after all. His fingers wrapped around Ginny's, entwining with her. He had plans to officially become her son after all. "I've spent so much time in the last two years being an adult, making decisions I shouldn't have had to, it'll be nice to have one more year. One more year of being a kid." Molly indeed teared up, though so did Hermione. Ron's eyes tightened, he understood.
"Right, you've got a point mate." A smile spread across Ron's face. Already seeing the bright side of the situation. "Hey! We'll get to play Quidditch again." Harry smiled too, he hadn't thought of that. Hermione rolled her eyes, looking to Ginny expecting the same reaction, but the young witch was also smiling. She'd missed Quidditch as well.
"Hey! I hadn't thought of that." The two of them, followed by Ginny, began talking as they boarded the train. Briefly Hermione heard Harry ask. "Do you think McGonagall will let me be Quidditch Captain still?" She didn't exactly hear Ron's answer but it sounded like something to the effect of. 'You defeated You-Know-Who!' Hermione sighed shaking her head, turning back to where Molly stood, Fleur beside her, her dainty body round with Molly's first grandchild. The two had become rather close since the announcement of her pregnancy.
"Boys will be boys." Hermione hugged the woman who'd also become a second mother to her. Hermione had tracked down her parents, they were safe, but there was no getting them back. With a few carefully placed memories though, her parents believed her to be their Godchild, which was as close as she could ask for. Wrapping her thin arms around Molly, hoping the woman wouldn't cry, Hermione added. "I'll look after them." Molly sniffled then.
As they parted Molly patted Hermione's cheek lovingly. Smiling despite the tears that threatened to fall.
"I know dear, you always do." Hermione's heart clenched at Molly's words. She did. They were her boys, she always took care of them. "Now go on, you don't want to miss the train." Molly ushered as it whistled. Kissing her on the cheek Hermione left quickly, a thank you on her lips she didn't get to utter. Though the women knew it was there.
Opening the envelope she'd been clutching in her hands the whole time, Hermione let the badge fall. No longer a prefect. No, a greater title. One Hermione had always expected to receive. Head Girl. Her smile was uncontainable as she pinned it to her breast. Pushing her hair back, which George had taken special time to make her shampoo to tame it into flawless waves, Hermione made headway towards their compartment. It was easy enough to find, with a part as large as theirs, they'd taken the one at the back with open seating, enough for everyone.
She'd expected everyone to be quiet, unsure of what they were doing going back to school. That wasn't the case though. The excitement in the air tickled her skin, like electricity. Hermione remained pleased to see new faces, young new faces, lots of them. Enough time had passed, parents were no longer scared to send their children to Hogwarts. They new, in order to get back to normality, they had to start some where. Watching them laugh and smile, Hermione didn't even have the heart to tell them no magic on the train, or not to run. Instead she smiled walking by them.
Opening the door to their compartment, Hermione smiled at all the faces she saw. Her friends. All of them sat talking, eating off a table of sweets that she could hear Ron proudly offering to everyone. He'd wasted no time in using his money to spoil himself, as well as his friends.
"Hey Hermione!" Ron waved her over, patting the spot beside himself. He had been saving for her. "Come have some of the Cauldron Cakes, I know you enjoy them." He grinned at her, winking slightly. His wink made her blush, even after all this time, he could still make her feel like a silly girl of 14. Though they hadn't spoke about what had happened before, Hermione knew Ron just didn't know how to approach the situation. She'd heart him talking to Harry about it anyway. . .
"Thank you." Hermione sat down beside him, taking the cerulean blue pastry that he offered to him, biting into the moist cake. They were cream filled, delicious vanilla flavor with spicy hints of something Hermione never could quite place.
"I knew you would get head girl!" Neville's voice surprised Hermione, slowly she'd been losing herself in thoughts of Ron and cauldron cakes. Her honeyed green eyes blinked, focusing on the once shy boy. He'd blossomed considerably after the war. Fumbling in his robes, he blushed pulling out his own badge. Hermione gasped, she knew there would be a Head Boy, though she hadn't expected it to be Neville, Hermione wasn't displeased.
"Oh Neville congratulations! Wear it! Be proud." Hermione encouraged taking the bag from his larger hand, pinning it on his chest. He mumbled something, which he believed only Hermione could hear. Her brown eyes darkened, narrowing at him. Her mouth opened, though Harry beat her to saying anything.
"Neville, I wasn't at the school. You are the one who helped all those kids. No one deserves Head Boy more than you do mate." He clapped Neville on the shoulder. "What I did had nothing to do with the school, and I didn't do it alone. What you did, you did alone." He pointed out before settling back against his seat, having nothing more to say on the subject.
"Thanks Harry." Neville's smile remained plastered on his face, big and goofy, for the remainder of the trip as they talked, wondering what the new year held for them. All of them groaning as Hermione excitedly wondered if they'd be taking their N.E.W.T's.