Chapter Nine.
The next morning Hermione was up before the sun. She wanted to take a stroll around her neighbourhood before she left for King's Cross. She always did that. It made her feel relaxed somehow. She loved magic, she truly did, but those strolls brought her back to her childhood when she did not know she was a witch. Things were far less complicated back then, but Hermione could not imagine going to a Muggle school and living among Muggles. She was a witch, and that was what she wanted to be.
When Hermione got back from her walk, she went upstairs to get her suitcase and Crookshanks.
"Mum! Dad!" she yelled when she got into the living room. She had packed herself into her winter coat and mittens her grandmother had sewed for her. She rarely saw her grandparents, only once a year -in the Summer break to be more specific. Hermione and her parents travelled to her grandparents' house in Wicklow, Ireland. Hermione loved Ireland. She thought of it as a very cosy and welcoming country. Sometimes it was even better than England. Everybody was so busy in England, always in a hurry. In Ireland people took a breath and enjoyed the nature. She wanted to go there again soon and stay for a while. Experience the country on her own. One of her biggest dreams, the one she had never shared with anyone, was to experience the entire world all by herself. Just leave England one day and don't look back. But firstly she needed to finish her education at Hogwarts.
"Yes, darling?" her mother replied. She was dressed in her finest clothes. She always was when they were going to King's Cross, and she looked even more fine among the magic worlds parents in their trying-to-be-Muggles outfits. Hermione had giggled the first time she had went to the station, but by now she had gotten used to it, and actually found it quite amusing.
"It's time to leave," said Hermione in a bright and excited voice. She was looking forward to seeing Ron and Harry again, as friends. There were so many things she wanted to talk to them about, but had not gotten the chance to.
"Have a safe trip, okay? And don't forget to write to us!" Hermione's mother said, and planted a soft goodbye kiss on Hermione's forehead. Hermione could feel herself blush a bit.
"Don't forget to have fun too," her father added, and hugged her from the side. Hermione wondered if her father assumed her to be one of those girls running around with the blokes and drink fire-whiskey. No, she was not like that -not like Pansy or Millicent. They were both drunk during the entire week-end, and deadly in love with Draco Malfoy. Well, parts of him..
Hermione rolled eyes just by the thought of it. Whores just might be the word to explain them, Hermione thought. She had never said that word aloud, she only used it in her mind about people she truly disliked.
"I will, dad, I promise," Hermione chuckled.
"Now run off and find your friends!" Hermione chuckled even more. That wouldn't be hard; Ron was in the middle of a big group of redheads, and Harry was always around him. Hermione reminded herself to ask Harry how things were working out between him and Ginny. She knew that Harry fancied her, but he did not want to admit it. Boys and their stupid pride.
Hermione found her way to the Weaslys -they weren't hard to spot as she had assumed- and Harry who was chatting with Ginny.
"Hi, boys. Hi, Ginny!" said Hermione and smiled, not a forced smile but an actual one.
"Hermione! I think I left one of my shoe laces at your.." Ron begun, but Hermione's killer-look, telling him he was hitting towards a rocky path, stopped him. "-I mean, nice to see you!"
Hermione looked at Molly and Arthur Weasly, as to tell Ron why she had shut them up. If she knew him well enough, he had not mentioned to his parents about his and Harry's recent trip to Hermione's house.
Harry and Ginny were discussing some homework that Harry apparently had been helping Ginny with during the holidays. Hermione listened along to their conversation, but she did not hear much of it -like her brain did not really catch it. She did quickly spot a blonde bloke a bit away, boarding the train. Draco. He was wearing his usual grey suit, and was carrying along a brown leather briefcase. He looked stressed, maybe even depressed. Older than usual.
Draco noticed Hermione too, and they caught each others eyes. Draco formed a smile on his lips, and Hermione sent one back in response. It felt strange to her that they were now smiling at each other. It seemed rather odd. Draco took a glimpse around Hermione, and noticed Ron and Harry. Hermione saw how his smile instantly frowned, as if seeing Hermione with the two boys was not something he fancied much. Draco rushed into the train among the crowd of other students eager to get into the Hogwarts Express.
"Oi, what are you looking at?" Ron asked, interrupting Hermione's deep thoughts. She nearly jumped in shock.
"N-nothing. Just nothing." Ron looked at her as was she mental. Maybe she was, she thought. She could've sworn she had felt something in her stomach when she saw Draco. But it could not be.. It was probably just the excitement of a boy actually smiling at her.
"Let's board if we want seats," said Harry, and they all said their final good-byes to Molly and Arthur.
Halfway through the long train-ride, Harry started a conversation with Ron about Lavender. It was easy to hear, that Ron was getting tired of her always hanging around him, and he nearly feared seeing her again. Hermione chuckled when she heard of the necklace Lavender had given Ron for Christmas. It spelled out "My Sweetheart".
"Well, you have to wear it, Ronald. Show your love for the girl," Hermione encouraged him in a sarcastic tone.
"Yeh, that would make her happy, Ron. Who knows, maybe she will even start to be attrated to you."
"Blimey, and I call you friends," said Ron, but it drowned in Harry and Hermione's laughter.
"Oh, Harry, I have forgotten to ask you, how are things with Ginny?" asked Hermione when Ron had fallen asleep. The train-ride was nearly by the end, and if you squeezed your eyes you could see Hogwarts in the horizon.
"Wh-what?" replied Harry with laughter in his voice. They were nearly whispering so they woul not wake up Ron. Hermione knew that one of the reasons Harry did not "go for it" with Ginny, was Ron. How would he respond if his best mate started to date his younger sister? Ron was very protective over for Ginny, at least when it came to boys. They had had a row earlier in the school year about Ginny's public snogging with her boyfriend Dean, and Ron's lack of it. That was probably why he was all-over Lavender; to prove his sister wrong.
"You know what I mean." Hermione cuddled herself up under Harry's arm. She was very comfortable in that way. Anyone who would walk by could easily misunderstand it. But both Hermione and Harry knew that what was between them was just friendship -it had never been or would never be anything more.
"Well, we talk, yeah we do. But Ron.. and Dean.. It is all just a bit too complicated for us. I guess we are not meant to be together."
"If two people are meant to be together, they will eventually," Hermione said, trying to cheer him up. It seemed to be working because Harry was smiling.
"I suppose you're right. It just seems as a thing that could happen far out in the future, but who knows.. Maybe she will end up marrying Dean."
"Dean? No.. not if I have something to say. Haven't you seen how much they fight? It is not healthy for her, I have told her. She refuses to listen, though. Says everything is all right," told Hermione. Harry hmpfr'ed.
"I have by the way come up with a new strategy. Well "new" is maybe a bit too late to say, but you weren't around to listen, and Ron calls it rubbish, thought I think I've nearly gotten him convinced.." Harry just kept on talking until Hermione interrupted him, asking what his theory was. "I expect Malfoy for being.. one of his." Firstly Hermione's eyes widened, then she sighed.
"Harry.. You honestly believe Draco is a Death Eater?" The last two words woke up Ron.
"Are they after us?" Ron yelled, as waking up from a bad dream.
"Who, who are after us, Ronald?"
Ron shook his head, entering reality.
"The Death Eaters. Are they after us?" Hermione realised that Ron's question was real enough.
"I hate to break it to you, but yes, Ronald they are after Harry, and you happen to be his best mate!" Ron looked rather shocked from the honesty in Hermione's answer. He had expected kindness and maybe a hug, but he was once reminded that he was not at home with his mum any longer.
"Anyway, why would you call him Draco, Hermione? I thought he was Malfoy to us," asked Harry in curiosity.
"You are rather curious, aren't you? Who knows, maybe I have been snogging around with him during the holidays," Hermione half-heartedly joked. Harry started laughing, but Ron took it all very serious. He kept asking Hermione to confirm that that was in fact untrue, all the way to Hogsmeade Station. Hermione did not reply him though. She enjoyed seeing Ron worried about her might being off with some guy, and not just any guy but Malfoy.
Hermione could not get Draco's face expression from earlier that day out of her head that evening. After a nice and long meal in the Great Hall where she had discussed Harry's Malfoy-Death-Eater suspicion -in a whisper of course, with their House mates so close. Hermione did not believe that Draco was a Death Eater, he could not be. Even though she had to admit some of Harry's arguments were quite convincing; as why he was showing his arm to Borgin in Borgin And Burkes before school term begun. Yes, it was the arm they usually put on the Dark Mark, but Hermione could not make herself believe it. Draco had been nice to her on her short, unexpected visit to the Malfoy Mansion in the holiday.
"Hermione, did you have a good Christmas?" Ginny Weasly asked Hermione in the common room just around twelve o'clock. Ron was out for a sneak walk with Lavender, discussing their relationship, and Harry was reading through his Potions book -again. Hermione wanted to tear the book apart. The Half-Blood Prince was probably just a nobody who had gone to Hogwarts years back. Whoever it was were manipulating with Harry's mind.
"Yes, thank you, I did. And you?" Hermione knew exactly how Ginny had spent her Christmas because it was the same every year.
"It was fine, thank you. I heard you and Luna saw each other.." Hermione could not figure out if Ginny was jealous or just wondering.
"Oh, uhm yeah we did." She had not thought through, that someone just might ask Luna about it, and Luna would know nothing and expose Hermione. She sighed with how far the lie had gotten. She would never, ever lie again. That was far too complicated.