Well hey there!!! Sorry I haven't updated in quite a while. Haven't had the chance to get on the computer and type it all up. I actually have a lot written down on paper so I'm working on it. It'll be up as soon as I can get it up. Hope you like it…
Disclaimer: Well anything from the movies or the books are not mine. Though I wish their were. Obviously wishes don't always come true. Darn.
CHAPTER II
Creeping downstairs, Hermione notices the quiet of the house. Knowing that they had gone out, as they always did on September 1 as it was the day she left for Hogwarts, Hermione began to walk normally down the stairs.
As always she notices the usual envelope on the table with the money for the taxi and the letter telling her to be gone before they get home. Opening the envelope she automatically throws out the letter and begins counting the money. Noticing a smaller envelope inside Hermione takes it out. Curious Hermione opens it to find a letter inside.
Hermione,
Now that you are 17 you are old enough in your freaky world to live on your own. So after you graduate from your Freak School then make sure you never return here. We expect to never see you again after next summer, when you take your junk and get out. If we see you, we will deny ever knowing you. Also your grandmother Linda left you some stuff in her will, we don't know what it is, but if its for you then it must be worthless.
Derek Granger
After reading the letter, Hermione throws the letter away and checks the time. Seeing she has enough time to get to in touch with the people in charge of her grandmother Linda's stuff (AN: I don't know what their called, if you do tell me so I don't feel so stupid P) and get to the train station. Grabbing the phone on her way back up stairs she packs quickly while talking to Jake Collins.
After taking a shower, Hermione takes a closer look at herself in her mirror. With it being morning and after having a full nights sleep to back her up, she was able to see just how bad this summer was. Her face much thinner than when she got off the train, eyes sunken in. Her hair had the biggest change. Once it was bushy and unmanageable, now it hung limp beside her. Although it was still curly it lacked the life it had when she entered the basement two months ago. The bruises were gone from her body, but it was noticeable that they were once there.
Deciding it was best not to dwell on it, Hermione quickly got dressed and ran downstairs with her trunk. Grabbing a slice of bread and a banana she ran to meet the taxi.
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Arriving at Kings Cross with at least 30 minutes to spare before the majority started to arrive, Hermione went through the barrier onto the platform. The magnificent red train stood before her in all its glory. Feeling as though she could finally relax she looks around to see if anyone she knew had arrived yet. Not seeing the usual sea of red, she did however spot a group of blondes standing off to the side. Knowing it to be the Malfoys she quickly got on the train hoping to not be spotted. In her rush, she dropped the folder she had just gotten from Mr. Collins about her grandmothers will.
Before she could pick it up herself, a pale hand held it out in front of her. Taking the folder she looked up into the face of Lucius Malfoy. Shocked more than anything Hermione could only manage to stutter a thank you to him before taking off to find a compartment.
Locking the door and closing the blinds on the window she was able to sit down and think. Coming to her mind first, she thought of Malfoy senior handing her the folder without any insults to her. His face hadn't held any of the usual contempt or disgust it usually did when in the presence of muggleborns. It didn't hold any hate either. If she didn't know any better and had seen it from the sidelines she would have said that he wasn't prejudice at all. But that's not true, is it?
Looking at the folder in her hands, Hermione was suddenly filled with happiness. Her grandmother Linda was proud that she was a witch, something her parents and brothers were disgusted about. It turns out her grandmother had known that her parents were going to kick her out after she graduated from Hogwarts so she had set aside some money for Hermione. Maybe some wasn't a good way to describe how much money she now had. A lot would be much more suitable. In fact, the amount set aside deserved caps. A LOT. Now that's a better description.
Closing her eyes, Hermione dreams of how much better her life was going to be after Hogwarts.
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Hearing a banging sound on the compartment door, Hermione jumps up scared half to death thinking its her father at the door. After a bit of thinking she realizes where she is and that she's safe. Opening the compartment door she sees a girl with red hair smiling brightly at her.
"Hermione!!! I'm so glad to see you!!" Says Ginny. "So how was your summer? Did you have fun? Hope you had lots of fun, considering you didn't answer any of our letters." Ginny finished with a disappointed look on her face.
Hermione smiled and answered her. "I'm glad to see you too Ginny. My summer was good. Yes I had fun. And I didn't answer any of your letters because my parents had me trying a no magic summer to see if I really liked being a witch."
Ginny accepted this though she was skeptical. But then again Hermione's parents were muggles while Ginny's own parents were magical. 'Muggles are weird,' Ginny thought.
" What? Am I invisible now?" said a voice.
At the door of the compartment stood a boy, no a man now. He had messy black hair and stunning green eyes. Hermione immediately jumped up to give Harry a hug.
"Harry! I'm missed you so much. How was your summer? Did the Dursleys treat you alright? Were they horrible to you? Did you stay out of trouble?" Hermione asked quickly, not giving him the chance to answer her.
"Relax Hermione. Your just the same as Ginny with your questions. But to answer them, the summer was better than usual, the Dursleys ignored me as usual. I don't know if you call pretending I didn't exist as horrible, and of course I stayed out of trouble. You know I like the quiet life Mione." Harry answered with a laugh.
Hermione beamed. "Great." Looking around she notices that another red head was missing. "Where's Ron?" She asked.
Immediately after the mentioning of Ron's name the compartment grew quiet. Ginny's face had turned into a scowl while Harry hands were clenched in fists. Hermione realized she had obviously had missed a lot over the summer.
"Guys? What happened?" Hermione questioned.
"Dumbledore let Ronald into the Order at the beginning of the summer." answered Ginny.
Not quite understanding what was the problem, Hermione waited to see if they were going to elaborate. She wasn't disappointed.
"He's been gloating all summer. And when we asked why we weren't allowed in they said we were too immature. Said we couldn't understand what was to come and the our tempers would probably get everyone if not us killed." Harry said.
"Not to mention whenever we asked Ronald what was happening or to tell us something about the meetings he said we couldn't be trusted with any information." Ginny added angrily.
"Couldn't be trusted with information? Are you serious? He said that?" Hermione asked stunned. She knew that Ron was always jealous of Harry because of all the attention and fame that her received. Even though Harry didn't want any of that. "Has he done anything else?"
"He's been asking questions." said Harry.
"And writing it all down." added Ginny.
Hermione was confused. "What do you guys mean?"
"We mean," Ginny said. "That her kept coming up to us asking questions like what we were planning to do after this year. Were we planning to do stuff this year at Hogwarts? And then he wrote down whatever we said. We even found him outside my room listening through the door on our conversations. And when we questioned him he accused us of forming some sort of conspiracy against the Order!"
"The scum then tried to steal my invisibility cloak and the map saying I had no use for it and it belonged to the Order members like him for them to use." Harry said.
It was quiet in the compartment after that. Harry and Ginny were fuming in their seats from the thought of Ron. Hermione was trying to understand it all.
'First there's the money Grandma Linda set aside for me. Then there's Lucius Malfoy. And now Ron? What's going on here?' Hermione thought. 'I should tell them about Malfoy senior, maybe they know something.'
But before she could voice any of her thoughts there was a sneeze from outside the compartment. Jumping up to open the door she saw Ron outside with a pair of Extendable Ears in his hands. Hermione knew then that everything Ginny and Harry had said about their summer at Grimmauld Place was true. The Ron she knew never listened at the door on their conversations, much less write anything down if he didn't have to.
In a sudden flash Ron was thrown back from the door and down the hallway of the train. Turning around Hermione saw a very angry Ginny with her wand pointed straight at Ron. Hermione immediately closed the door before any more could be done. She put a few good spells on the door so he couldn't listen in any more.
Each other in the compartment looked at one another. Hermione pulled out a book and Harry pet Hedwig who was perched in his lap. Ginny looked out the window at the passing landscape. Soon enough they would be at Hogwarts.