Chapter Thirty-Seven
Hermione dressed very carefully the next morning. She was still a little sore, but with the aid of some healing potions and a few quick-fix spells, she had the appearance of being no worse for wear. At least on the outside…
"I've talked to McGonagall," Draco murmured.
Hermione turned, to acknowledge that he'd spoken, but not to face him, "And?"
"She will say nothing. You'll still be Hermione Granger while you're within the walls of Hogwarts."
He was slicking back his hair in the mirror of their bathroom. Hermione watched him from the corner of her eye, "Why do you do that?"
"The hair?" He shrugged, "Habit, I guess. When I was younger, I wanted to be just like my father. I suppose now it's just a daily tradition."
Hermione set her hairbrush down on the bedside table, "Was he really all that different then?"
"He used to let me climb onto his shoulders when I was six… only when no one was watching, of course."
Hermione was surprised: she hadn't expected something of Lucius Malfoy, even if it had been over a decade ago.
The pair descended the stairwell one after the other, Hermione levitating her trunk, whilst Draco allowed two house elves to lug his down the steps for him.
Narcissa seemed to float into the room – the woman was staying in the Manor while they were away. Draco had made her promise not to be near Lucius until they could come up with a better idea on how to proceed with the current situation.
"Have a good year," she bid them both distantly. Her mind was clearly elsewhere.
Good-byes were exchanged with a complete lack of feeling. Hermione and Draco both Floo'd separately to Platform Nine and Three-Quarters (a new system that'd been set up so as to arouse less suspicion among the Muggles). Rumors tended to spread like conflagration at Hogwarts - and for the time being, it was completely unnecessary for anyone at the school to be aware that the two former worst-enemies were now a married couple.
Neither acknowledged the other as they went their separate ways to different parts of the train. Hermione was overjoyed to find Harry, Ron and Ginny pretty quickly, but was dismayed when Neville also entered compartment… it meant she could not talk freely of everything that was bothering her. Begrudgingly, she knew she would have to wait.
"Weird coming back, isn't it?" Neville asked with a subdued voice, "You know… knowing we weren't supposed to?"
"Yeah," Harry agreed.
"Harry was offered the Defense Against the Dark Arts position," Ginny offered, as soon as it become obvious that no one really wanted to contribute to the conversation.
"You were?" Neville demanded, wide-eyed. "This year?"
"No, they've got a temporary person. She doesn't want to stay more than a year because she's supposed to inherit a position at Beauxbatons," Harry explained. "I've got to finish up school first, you know. Graduate."
"Congratulations," Hermione said, truly meaning it. She knew Harry didn't think he was a good teacher, even after the DA… but she knew better.
"What about you, Hermione?" Neville put in, "I bet you've got a lot of offers, too."
Hermione shrugged; She had. But circumstances at the moment prevented her from accepting anything. "A few places," she admitted. "But I haven't made any decisions."
"I've decided to finish up and get into Herbology," Neville said, "since it's the only thing I really was good at."
The statement sounded exactly like something Neville would have said years ago, but there was a new gleam in his eyes that hinted his confidence wasn't really so low as such a statement might seem to hint. After all, he had a lot to be proud of.
"How do you think they'll sort?" Ginny queried.
"I guess we'll find out," Ron grunted, finally chiming in for the first time. His eyes were rooted on Hermione and she found it very difficult to look away from her lap.
There was something in Ron's voice that reeked of finality. The group was silent for much of the way. It seemed they were all weary, though of what, no one could pinpoint. Ginny fell asleep, her head resting on Harry's lap. Hermione pulled out a book and pretended to read, although her brain didn't seem to be processing anything; There was too much going on in her head, even to enjoy learning something new.
The train ride continued much in that vein until they reached the school. Ginny woke up as the train signaled its arrival and Hermione anxiously put her book away, relieved to have something to occupy herself with, even if it was only to climb into the carriages.
She could see the thestrals.
Everyone could.
.
.
Hogwarts seemed too empty that year; Even eight years of students versus the usual seven couldn't hide that. Many people had decided not to return to school. Many were no longer alive to make that choice.
As it turned out, they were never to find out how the first years were sorted at all: Professor Flitwick merely got up to the front of the room and read the names off the list, followed by whichever house they were now to belong to.
"How do you reckon they've sorted them?" Ginny wondered.
"Asked them each six questions beforehand," a sixth year girl Hermione didn't know whispered back. "My sister's in that lot. She told me. Based the sorting this year on how they answered the questions."
Ron snorted. His arms were crossed over his chest as he watched the proceedings with something akin to incredulity.
"Makes sense," Harry murmured, "since the Sorting Hat was destroyed last year and all…"
As the new first years joined their random tables, Hermione absently clapped for the new Gryffindors, knowing that across the room, should she care to look, Draco was probably clapping for all the new Slytherins. Such a simple action highlighted the differences between them. Hermione felt in that moment that she was sure those differences were irreconcilable.
They'd only gotten seven new Gryffindors that year: four boys and three girls - though they still got more new students than any other House. Hermione was astounded at how young the lot of them looked. She'd been there once; So had Draco. What would she have said then if someone had told her she would eventually marry the tow-headed shrimp at the Slytherin table?
"Good evening, students," the thin, no-nonsense voice of Professor McGonagall echoed across the hall, "welcome, and… welcome back."
She seemed to be surveying the hall, taking in the lack of students present. Perhaps her mind, too was adjusting to the idea that many parents had not wanted to send their children back to school there… and that enough students, too, had died to dwindle their numbers.
"I am your Headmistress McGonagall, formerly Head of the Gryffindor house. In my stead, Professor Babbling, from the Ancient Runes department, herself a former Gryffindor, will be taking the position as the Head of Gryffindor house."
The Gryffindor table applauded Professor Babbling, who nodded her head graciously at the table, a prim smile gracing her lips.
"We have some other announcements," McGonagall continued, "Professor Slughorn will reprise his role as the Head of Slytherin House…"
Hermione's head slowly turned to look at the Slytherins. Out of all the tables there, the Slytherin table was the most empty. Only 27 students sat there, of which Draco seemed the most unabashed… as though the whole school didn't already know that it had primarily been the Slytherins that'd aided the destruction of parts of the school… not to mention "that whole Voldemort business" as Ginny'd put it.
"…and Professors Flitwick and Sprout will also be returning to their places as the heads of both Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff, respectively. We have a new Muggle Studies instructor, Professor Kinneswick" – the hall clapped for a very Scottish-looking gentleman, who raised a meaty hand to wave at the student body- "and Professor Nguyen will be taking charge of Transfiguration." A petite Vietnamese woman with piercing green eyes inclined her head. "Lastly, Professor Serret will be your Defense Against the Dark Arts instructor," McGonagall announced, gesturing to a short, squat woman with a simpering smile, and dripping with pearls. Pearl earrings, pearl necklace, pearl buttons on her cardiagan, pearl bracelet... pearl everything. "For those of you who are returning to Hogwarts, you will notice a few changes... seventh and eighth years will be taking their N.E.W.T.s together in June, and classes between these two age categories are to be mixed."
There was a muttering among the hall, though Hermione noticed there were very few outbursts of disapproval.
"The fourth, fifth, and sixth floors facing the North have been closed off until further notice. Anyone taking Arithmancy, your classroom has been relocated to the fourth floor, directly down the hall from the Armor Gallery. That is all. Please enjoy your feast."
She sat and the hall erupted into the noise of students talking, gossiping, and sharing information: though it was painfully obvious to everyone present that there was a lack of laughter.
"I didn't think they'd have to shut off the North corridors," Ginny said aloud, her eyes somewhat wide. "They must not have fixed it properly since…"
The battle. Everyone knew.
The feast didn't seem to taste as good as it usually did to Hermione. Looking around, she seemed to be the only one who thought that way. Seamus and Dean were stuffing their faces as usual, and Ron was also partaking, though with a little less gusto than was normal.
Harry and Ginny had their heads together, acting very couply, much to the chagrin of many younger Gryffindor girls as well as a number of Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs, all of whom seemed to have developed gargantuan crushes on Harry over the course of the summer.
Hermione felt she handled herself very well throughout the feast, eating normally and smiling when people talked to her. Every other omission, she figured, could be blamed on the events of the previous year.
For the most part, Harry, Ron and Hermione were given quite a lot of space, for once not out of evil feelings, but due to respect. The stares were annoying, however.
Hermione chanced a look at the Slytherin table. Draco was immersed in intense conversation with Blaise Zabini, in what appeared to be hushed tones. She idly wondered what they were talking about, vaguely hoping it wasn't her. Her eyes roamed away after a time, settling on her plate, half-full. She took a long, slow drink of her pumpkin juice, more to pass the time than out of thirst.
Once the feast had ended, she trudged up the stairs to Gryffindor tower. It was good to be walking somewhere that felt familiar - something that was a part of the norm. Tiny changes along the way caught her eye (a suit of armor was missing, a portrait replaced, a corridor that'd previously been in use was closed off), but she shrugged them off, determined to be content and grateful for being somewhere she loved and knew well.
She was unable to ignore the memorials, however.
The halls were decorated with new portraits in tell-tale places, of former students, and of members of the Order of the Phoenix - all of them having in common only one thing: the occupants of the portraits were now deceased.
Remus Lupin snored blissfully from inside his frame along the main corridor on the seventh floor. Hermione saw Harry stop wistfully in front of the portrait and she waited by his side. Underneath the frame read, "Remus John Lupin. Member of the Order of the Phoenix. Order of Merlin First Class. Former Hogwarts Professor. 1960-1998"
Hermione put a hand on Harry's shoulders, knowing all that he must be feeling. After all, she was not the only one with heartache in her life.
But when Harry raised his eyes to her, he smiled just a little. "I know he's at peace now. And I will be everything to Teddy that I can be."
Nymphadora Tonks, her portrait directly to the left of Remus's, smiled, her purple eyes crinkling at the corners. "I know you will, Harry. Come visit some time when Remus is awake," she suggested.
"I will," Harry promised. Hermione knew he would.
Hermione and Harry turned away, walking side-by-side back to Gryffindor Tower in silence; They parted with smiles that did not quite reach either of their eyes.
The day had been exhausting. After all, pretending you were one thing when you really were another is quite a draining task. Hermione collapsed on her bed, clothes still on.
.
.
Author's Note: I'm sorry this took so long in coming. I've been very busy lately. Please excuse me!
Thank you all SO much: gitgit, InvisibleLilacNights, tfobmv18, Xx. Shaiya Star-Gazer .xX, sureynot, MyLookOfDenial., ebbe04, Joe-nasGirl, and Hermione0323 for the reviews!! I really do appreciate them quite a bit.
sureynot - Thank you for pointing out I'd spelled McGonagall's name wrong. I always do that!
Hermione0323 - Welcome back!