The curriculum that I am basing their year on, is what is listed on Harry Potter Wikia. If I have a question about something, I have been referencing there. I HAVE read the books, but it has been a hot minute since I've read them, so I do not remember everything about the first year, specifically what the curriculum was.
I really appreciate everyone's suggestions! I think I am going to do the summer and then 4th year, with PLENTY of flashbacks. I have many wonderful ideas already.
It was one of those rare, just the two of them moments. Hermione and Draco were seated in the Ravenclaw commonroom. It was Saturday and everyone as outside enjoying the spring weather; it hadn't rained in the passed few days so it was pleasant. They had books and notes strewn about them and worked in pleasant silence. It was the end of the term, with the exams set in the next week. Hermione had constantly harped about the end of the year exams for the past four months. Terry, Michael, and Anthony wouldn't bother with it, and decided to hang out with Harry, Neville, and Ron -who had all become friends thanks to Quidditch- outside.
Hermione hadn't looked up from her book once in two hours, but this was the third break that Draco had taken. He watched her read for a while. Whenever she had her eyes at a book, it was as if that was the only thing in her world. He could make any manner of noises and it would take several minutes for her brain to recognize them. She always became this enthralled.
Once, Draco had asked a question-one question-about something that Professor Snape mentioned in their potions class, and she had glanced in her book to answer his question, but after five minutes of waiting for her to answer, he realized she had forgotten all about him. He had laughed.
When she was really interested, she would lift the book and hold it close to her face. Draco called this the Blinded phase, because she was blind to the entire world around her, except for the book. She could only be brought out of this phase by taking the book away from her, which was extremely risky.
Luckily now, she wasn't in this phase. He stuck her hand between her eyes and the book to get her attention, she read around his hand for a moment, and then looked up at him with her lips pressed together. "Yes, Draco?" She asked. He glanced around before back at her.
"Can we please go outside now? It's been three hours. I can't concentrate anymore." She looked at her muggle watch-a habit she had even though it didn't work inside Hogwarts-and then outside. She sighed deeply.
"You can. I need to go get a different book from the library anyway, this one doesn't have all the things I need anyway. She started closing all her books strewn around-leaving notes inside-and putting them back into her bag.
"We can do that later, let's go outside, please?" He begged, he even clasped his fingers in a begging fashion. She pushed them away and shook her head.
"This exam-"
"Granger, " he interrupted, " you have been studying for these tests since the first day of classes. You. Are. Ready. Now you need to relax, okay? Staying inside is bad all the time, don't you know? When was the last time you went to see Hagrid?" Draco asked with a fold of his arms. She visited him mostly on the weekends, for some tea. Hagrid had been her introduction into the wizarding world and held a special place in her life as a mentor. She went to him when her company with a bunch of eleven year old boys got tiring. He was a nice wizard giant. He intimidated the hell out of Draco, and after the first few visits, he stopped going.
Hermione still went, but from the guilty look on her face, it seems like she had been neglecting to. She didn't answer his question but she huffed a sigh.
"OKAY." She said with finality. She put her books into her bag with a little more aggression than necessary.
"What's wrong?" Draco asked, taking the book from her hand to stop her. She glanced up at him and then away.
"The exam..." He knew that tone. That was the Granger guilty tone. She was lying to him.
"Granger..." She looked back at him again and then away quickly.
"It's..." She sighed and shook her head, "It's stupid, okay?" Draco folded his arms, and waited for her continue. "It's just, well during Christmas when it was just you, Terry, Michael, and I, we could all have a conversation. Now, with Anthony...and then when you sit with me and Harry and Neville and Ron...I mean I have nothing to say. I'm just there. I don't have anything to contribute to a Quidditch conversation and no one wants to talk about the school work." She through her hands up. "I just don't always like being in a large group of friends who I don't have anything to talk about with, okay?" Draco had figured she had preferred it that way-that she had just liked the company, and the books.
He realized now that he had never asked, and he took her hand in a shake. "Then I promise to be more inclusive. Promise, or my name isn't Draco Is-awesome Malfoy." She giggled a little but shook his hand.
"That isn't your name." They walked out of the Ravenclaw common room-Hermione had dropped her apprehension a while ago about being in the common room. Sometimes, she would travel up to the eagle, just to answer the riddle.
The guys were playing a grounded game of Quidditch when they found them on the grounds. Harry and Anthony were seekers. Neville and Terry were beaters, and Michael and Ron were chasers/keepers.
The game was paused when Draco and Hermione walked up. Everyone exchanged greetings. "Great! Just in time. We need more players! Do you want to be chasers, or keepers? It's Gryffindor against Ravenclaw," Michael explained. Hermione was immediately shaking her head. Draco knew it wasn't the actual game she had a hatred for, it was the brooms.
Draco gestured to them, "no brooms," he said quietly so only she could hear. She drew in a deep breath, eyes closed, and let it out. When she opened them again, she smiled a little.
"Fine," she resigned and looked at Draco, who was grinning from ear to ear. "One game."
"Deal!" He took her bag from her, and put it with the pile of stuff of the other guys. She tied her hair back into a pony tail, which was difficult to do by the sheer thickness of her hair, but she managed. She went to the Gryffindor side. Ron had really warmed up, to be nearly a friend to both Hermione and Draco now. It seemed like their group of friends was tight, and Ron had been pressured into being friendly to them because of the friendship between Hermione, Harry, and Neville, and his own friendship with Michael, Terry, and Anthony. It was intricate, and he still didn't start conversations with them willingly, but he was nasty and the name calling has all but stopped.
Ron smiled at Hermione and told her, "Don't let Terry hit you with a bludger-it won't even hurt, these are the kiddy, no injury kind-and don't let Michael throw the quaffle into the nets behind you." She looked at the three hoops and nodded and looked back at him.
"And throw it to you when I get it, got it." She wasn't stupid, she just didn't like the game. She got in a ready position and watched the came commence. It looked a bit more sensible on the ground than it did when brooms were involved. They were spread out pretty wide so there was still a good size of a field for them to play in. Draco watched intently from his spot in front of the Ravenclaw hoops. Harry and Anthony were sort of just wandering around, looking for the seeker, and Neville and Terry were throwing the bludgers by hand at Ron and Michael.
Ron had the quaffle now, somehow, and was running at Draco like no tomorrow. The bludger thrown by Terry hit Ron square in the back. Ron let out an enraged yell and dropped the quaffle where he was and walked back to the hoops next to Hermione. She heard him count to ten, as Michael picked up the quaffle and was running at Hermione. She had her hands splayed out next to her, ready to catch. Ron was still counting when MIchael was close and he reared his arm back to throw it. Hermione watched the angle of his arm and then moved a little to the side. The quaffle landed squarely into her hands. She smiled in satisfaction and then when Ron took off running, after counting to twenty, she threw the quaffle at him. He caught it, and dodged Terry's bludger this time, and threw the quaffle at the hoops. Draco caught the quaffle and handed it off to Michael.
Hermione soon lost track of what was happening, and only really paid attention when Michael had the quaffle, or was close enough to throw it. Michael never got it passed her, and Ron never got it passed Draco.
Suddenly, Harry let out a yell of happiness and took off running from where he was, his eyes following something in the air. Anthony followed him, but Hermione could tell that he didn't see it. Hermione tried to locate the snitch herself, but didn't see anything. Harry jumped suddenly into the air and reached upwards, when he landed, he held up the golden snitch for everyone to see. "Haa! Gryffindor, YEAH!" Ron celebrated by clapping his friend on the back. Hermione let out an eye roll and immediately started to walk towards her game bag. Draco trotted over to her.
"Where do you think you are going?" He asked, "we called a rematch."
"And we agreed that I would play one game," Hermione waved her hand between them.
"But you had fun!" He pointed out. She rolled her eyes a little.
"Yeah, it was fun, but there are other things I would like to be doing."
"All your friends are out here though, having fun! Why don't you have fun with them?" Draco pushed. Hermione pressed her lips together with her eyes close, she suddenly didn't look so happy. When she opened her eyes again, it was like she was closed off.
"I'm going to see Hagrid." It wasn't a question, she turned on her heel, despite several of their friends calling after her.
"I'll see you at dinner!" Draco shouted after her, but she seemingly ignored it. He rolled his eyes. Girls.
He joined back in with the guys, they ended up just tossing the quaffle back and forth, and then challenged each other to see who could throw the bludgers the farthest. Neville won by several meters. After a while, the guys tired themselves out and they got their things together to go back inside.
Hermione had a different evening, sipping tea in Hagrid's hut. He had just gotten back from the Forbidden Forest when she got there. Hagrid made tea while she filled him in since the last time she visited. He was quite while she spoke about her test anxiety. She revealed the nightmares she had been having since late February, about failing her exams and then getting kicked out of Hogwarts.
Hagrid smiled secretly, hidden in his beard as he sat down. "Hermione you are the brightest young witch I've ever met. You've bought most of the books for your next term at Hogwarts and you are undefeated in Dueling Club. All these problems, they are in your head." He touched a huge finger to the side of his head and then took a drink and carefully set the cup down.
"I remember being a first year, and in the strange environment, with all the fun of learning magic, but the stress of the academic part. But, Hermione, you are great at the academic part. When have you ever gotten anything but full marks?" He asked her. She pressed her lips together.
"The day I missed my morning classes because of the flu. I was late to potions and Professor Snape deducted points for it," tears were in her eyes as if this one incident was on her record forever. Hagrid tried not to laugh, but she was being silly now.
"Professor Snape probably doesn't even remember that, Hermione you need to relax." He reached out to her, and patted her leg. She looked down at the floor, and Fang who was sleeping, and she sighed.
"That's what everyone has been telling me, but these exams are so important. I have to do well!"
"What is the incantation for lighting? The counter-charm?"
"Lumos and Nox." Hermione said at once.
"What about the more intense version?" Hagrid pressed.
"Lumos maxima." She responded without pausing.
"What is the hand motion for Windgardium Leviosa?"
"Swish and flick."
"What is Devil's snare?" Hagrid asked with a tilt of his head.
"A vine like plant that hates sunlight." Hermione's answer came almost immediately.
"How could one transfigure a flock of birds?"
"The Avifors incantation, it can also do just a single bird, or a flock of bats as well," Hermione explained.
"What are the elements to take into account during any transfiguration?"
"Bodyweight of the object, viciousness, wand power, concentration, and the unknown consequences." Hermione didn't even pause to think.
"What are the ingredients to the Wiggenweld potion?"
"Horklump juice, flobber worm mucus, Chizpurfle fangs, Billywig sting slime, a mint sprig, Boom Berry juice, Mandrake, honeywater drops, sloth brain mucus, moondew drops, salamander bloon, loinfish spines, unicorn horn, and wolfsbane." Hermione counted off the ingredients on her fingers. Hagrid clapped his hands after she finished.
"You have nothing to worry, dear. Now off you go, it's lunch time." Hagrid laughed in his chest and Hermione had to smile at him. She was proud of herself for being able to answer all of his questions, the only one that gave her pause was the Wiggenweld potion. She knew she didn't need to know all of the things he mentioned-the lumos maxima spell was one of the first things they go over in Charms class, next year. Hermione was just stressing about this exam. She held herself to the highest standard and she would not accept anything less than perfect. Hagrid walked with her up the grounds, though he walked slow enough so Hermione didn't have to run to keep up with his giant strides, and they chatted about how much the vegetable patches have been improving since the seasonal change.
At lunch, Hermione sat between Draco and Anthony, and Michael and Terry were across from them. The guys weren't actually discussing Quidditch, so Hermione paid attention to the conversation. Terry was telling them, "the first thing I am going to do at home is sleep all day."
"Good one, I'm going go see my muggle family," Michael responded, with a smile, "They live in London." Draco didn't say anything so Hermione spoke up quickly.
"My parents owled me and said we would be visiting Australia for a while," she spoke up, which was the first time she had mentioned it. Draco actually looked a little upset, because he had asked her to go to the Quidditch World Cup with him and the guys-everyone else was going, everyone. She smiled faintly at him and then pressed on, "there is a dentist convention they are going to-it is what they do, they work on muggle's teeth." She may have implied that they were staying there longer than they actually were. The convention was three days, and then they were going to spend another two days vacationing, and then she was going to be back in London, for the rest of the summer. She felt a little guilty, but she couldn't simply express how much she didn't want to go.
"My grandmother and father are coming to visit my family for a few weeks." Anthony admitted, "I think some of my cousins are coming too, which is horrible because they don't really speak English." Anthony was a pureblood wizard, so his incoming family were all magic, but they were German and they barely communicated. It would be several weeks of awkwardness, then Michael and Anthony were going to stay with Terry for two weeks for the World Cup.
Draco pushed a roll across his plate, in uncomfortable silence for a while. "Did everyone look over the study guides I put together?" Hermione asked as she looked at the boys around her. Terry avoided her gaze by draining the rest of his pumpkin juice, and Michael looked at least a little ashamed. She huffed out. "Our exams start in two days! Why doesn't anyone seem to care!" She slapped her hands on the table, causing Anthony to jump in surprise. Draco grinned, despite himself.
"I guess not everyone cares as much as you, Granger," he said cheekily. She pointed a warning finger at him.
"Well they should. I spent two weeks making those study guides for everyone. And no one even cares to look at them. Don't you all want Outstanding on your O.W.L.s ?" If she was standing, she probably would have put her hands on her hips. Michael sighed.
"We don't take the O.W.L.s for another four years! We shouldn't have to worry about them now!"
"The things we learn now are part of the exams!" She said, her voice raising louder. A Ravenclaw Prefect that was further down the table leaned forward to glare at her, and then pointed to the sand glasses at the side of the room warningly. Ravenclaw had a slight lead in the House Points, in second place was Slytherin, who was only two points ahead of Gryffindor. Poor Hufflepuff was at least a hundred points behind all of them. The Prefect looked back at her with a glare. Hermione blushed in embarrassment and looked in her lap.
"Hermione you need to relax," Anthony told her, patting her shoulder, "the exams are designed to be harder every year. If there was a year to relax, it would be this one." His logic was sound, for a slacker. Hermione shook her head.
"These exams set the expectations the teachers have on us for the rest of our school career. If I fail now, the rest of my life will be horrid. I need Outstanding on everything, and I won't except anything less. You boys should also aim high like that. You are in Ravenclaw after all." She stood then, even though she barely ate anything and huffed out of the Great Hall, her destination set for the Library.
She was halfway there when Professor Snape turned the corner. "Ah." He said, "Granger, come with me." He spoke to her as he walked in her direction, and then kept walking. She turned on her heel and followed his billowing robes. He didn't speak to her until they were seated in his Potions office, in the dungeon. He sat behind his desk and watched her silently for a while.
She sat across from him with her bag clutched in her lap, her eyes looking everywhere but at him. "Profess-"
"Granger, it has been brought to my attention that you've been causing problems at the Ravenclaw house table," He interrupted her. She closed her mouth with a furrow of her brow.
"I wasn't-"
"And causing problems this close to the end of the year is very unwise, Granger. You show promise as a witch, and you need to stay focused on academia, not causing problems." He picked up a roll of parchment and handed it to her.
"I want this filled out in thirty minutes." He didn't say what it was and when she tried to ask a question he motioned for her to close her mouth with his hand. She took the parchment and unrolled it. There were questions about various things they went over in class over the entire year. She sighed but took out an ink well and quill and scooted up to his desk to begin writing. He sat there watching her as she answered the questions.
What are the two ingredients that mean the same thing? She wrote down Monkshood and Wolfsbane. The Wiggenweld Potion is difficult to perfect, why? She scrawled out; the potion changes a variety of colors and they must be the exact shade or the potion will not work, and the number of ingredients also make it difficult. What are the three crucial ingredients in the Forgetfulness Potion? Hermione smiled as she recalled them exactly; Lethe River Water, mistletoe berries, and Valerian Sprig.
She flipped the parchment over, expecting more, but the back was blank. She flipped it back over and handed the finished parchment to him. He looked over her answers, a ghost of a reminder of a memory of a smile was on his face. "Very good." He said. He folded up the parchment and then threw it in the waste basket next to his desk. She gasped and looked at the work she just did.
"Granger, you are more than ready to pass your Potions exam," he said, "it is no secret about what the professors give the students to do. I have all the first years brew a Forgetfulness Potion. Professor Flitwick will have you dance a pineapple across a table. Professor McGonagall will expect you to turn a mouse into a snuffbox. Professor Binns will only ask questions about Gasphard Shingleton. Professor Sinistra will have you plot out the movements of the planets in the sky this time of year and which can be seen through the telescope. Professor Sprout will have you perform Incendio on Devil's Snare. That is it." Snape taped his finger on his desk in finality. Hermione nodded slowly, she already knew that. She just...was still expecting there to be more to the exams. She had hyped it up so much in her head, like they were going to give them the O.W.L.s already. She sighed and put her head in her hands.
"I'm sorry Professor," she said, though she wasn't really sure why she was apologizing to him. If Hermione had looked up at that moment, she would have seen Snape actually smile. With teeth.
She missed it. Snape composed himself and stood, "I don't expect and apology Granger. I simply don't want you causing problems. If that is all, I must make sure I have enough ingredients for next weeks exams." Hermione stood as she was dismissed and nodded vigorously. She practically flew down the corridor as the door shut behind her. Snape shook his head with a slight laugh as he walked into his store closet. Hagrid had been right, Granger had been overthinking the exams. Snape had promised to talk to her about it.
Hermione sat herself solidly in the corner of the Gryffindor Common room-no sane Gryffindor was spending the day inside-and opened her potions text book. She flipped to the Forgetfulness Potion page, marked it with a blank parchment sheet, and then shut the book. She dipped her quill into ink and then began to write out the steps to preparing the potion. When she completed the list, she flipped her book open and compared the steps.
She let out a laugh of excitement as she got them all right. She shut her book and then leaned back in the chair. She realized, again, how silly she was being. She put her things in her bag, took the bag upstairs and then left the commonroom.
She knew her friends wouldn't still be eating lunch, or at the Library, so she went outside again. She found the lot of them sitting around the ground on the way to the Quidditch pitch. They were all arranged randomly, as if they had all been playing and gotten exhausted and just plopped down. Hermione approached their backs-as they had all been looking towards the Pitch, and she sat down next to Draco. He jumped slightly at her sudden appearance and then grinned.
"No bag?" He asked. The others looked their way and waved at her, she smiled back.
"No bag. I've been silly," she admitted. Draco smiled slightly, his eyes crinkling, then his expression smoothed.
"Thanks, for before," he said, "when you changed the subject." Hermione glanced sideways and then shrugged faintly.
"I don't know what you're talking about, Malfoy." He pushed her shoulder in good nature and she gave him a shove back.
"What's the three main ingredients in the Forgetfulness potion?" She asked him, a serious look in her eyes.
"My boot, your teeth, and Merlin's beard hairs," he responded dryly. She let out a surprised laugh. Hermione didn't usually laugh out loud, especially at a joke with violent undertones. Draco's laugh in response was a bit surprised.
"Oi! How about you two shut it!" Terry threw a bludger towards them lazily. He had been laying down and had almost fallen asleep when Hermione's laughter had jerked him out of it. Neville came over from next to Harry and sat near Hermione.
"What are the three main ingredients in the Forgetfulness Potion?" He asked, a nervous look in his eyes. Hermione smiled faintly towards Draco, almost in a challenge, and then looked back at Neville.
"Lethe River Water, mistletoe berries, and Valerian sprig," Draco shot out before Hermione could. She nodded her head.
"The Potions exams is to brew the potion," Hermione told Neville, who nodded, "so you should know the steps as well." He nodded again and then got up.
"I've got something I need to go do," he said as he hurried off towards the castle.
"Hey, Draco?" Hermione asked as she turned to look at him. He raised an eyebrow at her, and waited. "I'll ask my parents if I can go to the Quidditch World Cup." He smiled brightly, showing off his molars but then he frowned.
"What about Australia?" He asked. Hermione looked at the ground shamefully.
"We were only going to be there for a week." When she glanced up at Draco, he was leveling a look at her and she grinned faintly. She punched his arm and then took off running. He lurched to his feet to chase her. Harry got up to chase after them.
Soon the lot of them were running around playing tag.
Hagrid grinned as he caught sight of the first years, especially Hermione, running around and having fun. He hoisted the bag of dragon dung fertilizer he was taking to the greenhouses higher under his arm and resumed his march.
"How did you do?" Hermione asked, sitting at the Gryffindor table. She looked up at the banners for the first time and snapped her fingers. Ravenclaw blue and bronze filled the air. They won, it seemed. She looked back at Harry and Neville. Neville shrugged, and Harry thought for a moment, "I think I'm not going to get grounded from how I did."
Hermione let out a light laugh, she had done great. She just knew it. "I can't hardly believe the year is over already." She looked over her shoulder and smiled at Draco. He was seated on the other side of the table facing her, so he waved. "I'm going to miss it, I think."
"Yeah, me too. But I miss my parents," Neville admitted. Hermione nodded. Fred Weasley (or maybe it was George) nudged Neville's side.
"Or maybe you are just glad to be getting away from Snape," whoever he was said. Neville didn't deny it, which caused his friends to laugh a little.
Dumbledore took center stage at that moment, causing a hush to fall over the students. "Before the House Cup is officially rewarded, Professor Snape has reminded me of his Dueling Club, and there are a few students that need to be recognized for their achievements." The Dueling Club had officially had its last meeting for the year three weeks ago, to allow for the students to study exams. Hermione had been the one to realize the pattern that developed in the dueling partners. Snape was having the winners duel each other, and the winners of the winners went against each other, and so on. It was an unofficial tournament, after Hermione spoke to Percy Weasley about it, he told her Snape was doing the same thing with the fourth and fifth years, and the sixth and seventh years. Hermione and Draco had been the last two to go against each other, where Hermione had come out on top.
"Hermione Granger, Percy Weasley, and Garrett Langley," Headmaster Dumbledore announced as he looked at a little note in his hands, "were undefeated and have been given the titles Dueling Champions, and will receive this trophy-" He held up a golden trophy of a wand emitting a spell of stars. Hermione sensed something in front of her and looked down, to see a trophy just like the one Dumbeldore had, but hers had a plaque with her name on it underneath. She glanced sideways and saw that Percy was looking at his as well. Hermione felt an enormous smile on her face suddenly, but she wasn't sure how long she had been smiling, "And it has been decided that each champion also earned their House 50 points." He paused, his mischievous eyes twinkling. Murmurs began to erupt up and down the Gryffindor table.
"That brings us ten points in the lead!" someone hissed nearby.
"So, a change...is in order," he clapped his hands and raised them to the banners of bronze and blue, which changed to gold and red. Hermione smiled proudly up at the Gryffindor banners, still completely surprised.
"So the House Cup, is hereby awarded to Gryffindor!" People Hermione didn't usually talk to were grabbing to shake her hand, or to clap her on the back. Harry had thrown an arm around her and was pumping his fist up in the air, cheering loudly. Hermione knew she was still smiling like a fool. Dumbledore allowed the Gryffindor table to celebrate for a few moments, before he called for silence.
"I would now like to reflect upon the sacrifices that some had to make this year...to bring justice to those who deserved it. The lesson that we can take from these events is that one can find an ally in even the darkest of places, that working together can be easier than working alone, and even in the darkness there is light." Dumbledore then waved his wand and a giant ribbon appeared behind him in the air. He began singing the Hogwarts song. Students jumped in to join him immediately. Hermione took this time to turn around and look at Draco. He was looking at his plate in front of him, but felt he was being watched and looked up at Hermione, with a sad smile. She showed him her trophy and stuck her tongue out at him. He started to laugh.
"...Just do your best, we'll do the rest, and learn until our brains all rot." As the song came to an end, the tables were ladened with food. Hermione silently thanked the house elves that were above them that had prepared the feast, like she did before every meal, and started to fill her plate. "I can't believe you won us the House Cup, Hermione!" Harry was saying. Hermione rolled her eyes.
"It was Percy as well," she reminded him. He waved his hand.
"You're a brilliant witch, you just don't want to admit it," he said. No matter how much competition she had with Draco, she didn't feel...well challenged with any of her fellow Gryffindors. They didn't care to try as hard, or bother with it. She would have bragged Draco's ears off, but with Harry, she didn't feel like it.
"Oh posh," she said waving her hand at him, "I simply tried." She let him ruminate on that as she ate her last meal at Hogwarts for a few months. Harry and Neville were excitedly talking about going back to Godric's Hollow, the wizarding community that they were from, as well as Ron's excitement for returning to the Burrow, the name of his family's home in Ottery St. Catchpole; Hermione had been told it was mainly a muggle community but there were other wizarding family's that lived there.
Hermione stayed quiet for a while, and just listened.
"What about you, Hermione?" Neville asked. She looked up, and tilted her head faintly, implying that she didn't hear him, "where are you from?"
"Oh, I'm from London," she said, "not very from from the train station either," she laughed faintly, "but I am going to Australia for a week with my parents." That seemed to be a sufficient answer to his question, as they started rattling off other things they wanted to do. Hermione actively paid attention at the beginning, but soon her mind drifted to what she told Draco before the exams. She did ask her parents if she could go, but they wanted to meet the people she would be going with, first. They wouldn't accept anything else. Hermione had kept them up to date with everything that had been going on throughout the year, even the bullying at the beginning, and over Christmas. And how it stopped almost immediately after the Dueling Club and the Battle of Malfoy Manor. It was like a bubble of hatred popped and no one wanted to bother them anymore. Her parents still asked constantly if people were leaving her alone, and she could honestly tell them that they were. They seemed a little put off that Hermione hadn't made any female friends, but Hermione told them because she hadn't met a girl she liked enough to be friends with. Lavender and Padma and Fay were alright, but she only put up with them because they were sharing the same room, and would until they finished Hogwarts. They had been very saddened by the news of Draco's mother passing, and were alarmed about the dark wizards. Her mother had sent Draco some cheesecake (of which Draco had never heard of before, and then after tasting it, ate the entire thing in one sitting), for his loss and they offered their condolences.
Hermione wasn't sure how she was supposed to breech the subject of her muggle parents meeting Sirius and Sybil Black-who Draco had spoken to via magic mirror about his wish to attend the World Cup, Sirius had arranged it that night. Sirius and Draco and Sybil would join the Potters, Longbottoms, and the Weasley's for the championship game. Draco knew that Sirius would be pleased to have Hermione along, Harry said the same of his parents, and Terry said the same about his. She decided as she drank her pumpkin juice, she'd tell him on the train in the morning.
When the feast came to an end, she was hugged from behind by Draco, "I'll beat you next year, witch." He told her. She grinned as she almost literally rubbed her trophy in his face. He took it from her to examine.
"Your middle name is Jean?" He sneered. She glared at him and jerked the trophy back into her hands.
"It's my grandmother's name," she said holding it to her chest, "How does it feel to lose the House Cup as well?" She asked as they left the Great Hall. Draco rolled his eyes.
"That was a dirty trick Dumbledore pulled. It shouldn't be allowed to add points at the feast!" Hermione smiled her indifference and they chatted about the exciting trip back to London tomorrow. They had just reached the third floor, when Tonks caught up to them.
"Cousin!" She barked with a huff, "clean the gunk out of your ears!" She said as she pulled him into a rough hug. He struggled away for a moment, but that lady was strong. Hermione smiled and watched for a moment, but traffic was being held up.
"I'll see you in the morning, Draco. Goodnight! Goodnight, Ms. Tonks." Hermione said as she trotted up the stairs.
Tonks let up on Draco and smiled at him, as the boy fixed his hair, "I am leaving tonight, so I wanted to say my farewells. I will be away most of the summer, so I don't think I can go with you to the World Cup, like I said I would. Alastor says we have some catching up to do on my auror training, and I am anxious to get back into it." She stooped down so she was at his height as she gauged his reaction. He smiled sheepishly.
"Sirius had already said he would go with me, he-Wait!" He flinched when Tonks moved to hit him, "Wait! He found out from James, who was told by Harry that I was wanting to go to the World Cup, so then Sirius spoke to me and said I should have just asked him first. So don't get mad at me!"
"Well, you still get two for flinching." She punched him in the arm twice, "but that works out. Sirius loves him some Quidditch as well. Sybil, not so much, but she likes to be social as well. "I'll try to come and see you over the summer, kay? And I'll owl as well." She hugged him and kissed him on the head before she disappeared in the throng of students, who she was unceremoniously pushing out of her way.
The morning was mayhem as the students were hurried through a breakfast in the Great Hall and then outside into carriages. Hermione managed to find Draco, and was forced to hold his hand else wise the torrent of the other 1000 students would separate them again. When they made it up to the carriages, Hermione began to puzzle over why they weren't attached to anything, when the two of them climbed inside. They were almost immediately joined by Terry and Michael and Anthony. The door shut automatically, as it deemed the carriage as full.
"Gosh. This is really it," Michael said as he rubbed his hands together, "it's the end of our first year." He glanced between them all with a nostalgic smile, "I can't believe I am excited already for next year." Hermione nodded her head in agreement. They were all tightly packed into the carriage, so her right side was flush with Draco's left side. He seemed tense and he hardly had said anything to her. When the carriage lurched into movement, he jumped in the seat.
She put a hand on his knee to calm him down, and looked at him with an eyebrow raised. He pressed his lips together and looked out the small window. "She's not going to be there," he said, "when I get off the train." He hugged his arms around himself and Hermione threw her arms around his neck.
"I know, Draco. But you have us," she promised him quietly. The carriage was silent as the boys watched the scene play out.
"Yeah man," Michael spoke up, putting a brief hand on Draco's knee, "we're here." Draco looked up at them with a sad smile on his face.
"I'm sorry, I don't mean to ruin the mood," he said, but everyone started to shake their heads.
"No, don't apologize, mate," Terry said, "you've been hiding since January, and we've all noticed. You aren't alone and we are here for you. If you have a bad...mood, include us. We could make it better. We can help," Hermione honestly couldn't remember hearing Terry ever talk that much about something that wasn't Quidditch. Ever. Draco laughed faintly.
"Yeah. You're right. Sorry. I just don't want to burden you guys with my problems."
"It's not 'problems,' Draco." Hermione scolded, "it's you." She let go of him then and sat back in her seat. He smiled faintly and let out a slightly laugh.
"In the first week of classes, she sent me a letter that said she couldn't wait to pluck me off the platform at the end of term. She said she would hug and lift me off my feet and wouldn't let go until the sun went down." Draco rubbed his eyes faintly as he talked about it. Hermione rubbed his back.
"She'll always be with you," she said, "watching, and Sirius will be there too, right? He'll probably hug you too." Hermione said and the guys offered similar bits of advice. By the time they had Draco laughing and the mood turned around, it was time get out of the carriage and get on the train. Hagrid was at the platform, making sure all the students got on the train. Hermione ran up to him and gave him a hug. He laughed as he returned it.
"I'll see you at the start of term," he promised, "you behave yourself, Hermione." She laughed as she looked up at him and nodded her head.
"I will. Promise." He nudged her away then, and she and Draco climbed onto the train. Hagrid had apologized to Hermione about telling her to leave Malfoy alone, and had even baked Draco a cake after his mum died. Draco still didn't want to go to Hagrids as much as Hermione did over the year, but he went sometimes. If he had nothing better to do.
Draco and Hermione found an empty compartment, and were soon joined by Harry and Neville. "Hullo," everyone greeted each other. Harry sat across from Draco, and Neville across from Hermione. "I can't seem to find Trevor," Neville said with a sad shake of his head. Trevor was his toad. Harry grinned faintly.
"He'll turn up, like he always does," Harry promised. Neville shrugged.
"I hope my parents aren't too upset with my exam in Potions," he said with a worrying look.
"They'll be proud of you, Neville. You did perfect in Herbology and Astronomy," Hermione told him. He blushed a little and shrugged faintly.
"Well those are easy to me, so it's different. I'm not like you, Hermione, you're good at everything." Hermione smiled faintly and glanced at Draco, who was grinning ruefully. The others hadn't really noticed how crazy Hermione had gotten before the exams took place. She nearly worried herself sick over them.
Maybe she learned the material well, but she had major test anxiety.
The excited children continued to talk for an hour or so, when Hermione got herself comfortable against the window and dosed off. Harry and Neville were talking about their favorite place to play in the woods near their houses. Draco was by himself, and in his mind. He tried not to think about it, but he could only focus on the painful amount of disappointment and depression he was feeling because his mother wasn't going to be there on the platform. He wasn't going to set foot in Malfoy Manor until he was seventeen, when he inherited it legally. Draco hadn't even begin to think about what he was going to do with it. He was a kid, and that mansion would only be the place where his mother was killed now, not his home.
He couldn't think of Grimmuald Place as his home either. He had only stayed there a week, and before that he had only ever been over for a meal on some holidays. He didn't know Grimmuald Place or its residence well enough to consider them his family.
Draco then turned to the girl that had just shifted and was now sleeping with her head on his shoulder. He grinned faintly. He knew Hermione. She was his family. He glanced at Harry and Neville, who were facing each other and talking animatedly. He didn't know them very well, but he was used to hanging around them, because of Hermione. And Terry and Michael and Anthony. They were his close friends now.
It was Hogwarts, Draco realized, for right now, that was his home. He felt safe and comfortable there. He had Hermione, and Professor Snape, and the other Ravenclaw boys. He looked out the window and drew in a breath. It was only two months, and then he would be back.
Draco dozed off after a while. The constant chatter of Harry and Neville, and the lull of the train got to him. When he woke up, his head was leaning on Hermione's. Neville had touched his foot, to wake him up. He picked his head up slowly, and suppressed a yawn with his hand. His stirrings woke up Hermione, who stretched like a cat and then rubbed her eyes.
"I can't believe I fell asleep," she said first, then looked outside, with a shocked expression, "How long have I been out?!"
"We are nearly back," Neville said, "the trolly lady said so." It was late afternoon. Hermione stood and went to the compartment door. She didn't tell them where she was going, but they guessed she needed to go to the lavatory.
When she got back, London could be seen from the window, so she joined the boys in their gazing. Their breath fogged the glass a little, but Hermione was filled with two conflicting emotions. She missed her parents and was ecstatic in seeing them again, but she also felt dread, for Draco. She could see the emotion playing across his face as he looked out the window next to her, so she gave his shoulder a squeeze.
"Sybil and Sirius will be very happy to see you," She told him. He drew in a breath and nodded.
"Yeah..." It just wasn't the same, though.
When the train pulled into the station and the doors flew open, the students erupted into pandemonium. It was absolutely crazy trying to get off the train. All of the students belongings were taken off the train and put into sections according to house and then by year. Hermione and Draco kept together by holding onto each others sleeves. When they made it out onto the platform, the began to search for their welcoming party.
Hermione had found out by another muggleborn that muggles could actually cross the platform barrier onto 9 and 3/4, which made her feel like a moron because at the beginning of they year, her parents didn't see her off on the train. She had owled them and told them exactly how to access the platform. She was excited to see them.
"Jean!" She heard. She twisted her head to the side, to see her parents in their normal clothes surrounded by witch and wizard parents wearing their different colored robes. She pulled Draco along as she ran to them. "My baby!" Her mother exclaimed as she wrapped her into a hug, which her father joined. Draco smiled at them.
"Mum, Dad!" She breathed in their scents, with a huge smile, "I've missed you!" She then remembered how insensitive this reunion was, for Draco and she pulled back. "This is Draco, my best friend." Her parents smiled down at him. Her mother gave him a tight hug, as if she had known him for years.
"Nice to meet you, Draco," Mrs. Granger said to him.
"Ah! Draco, there you are!" Sirius Black and Sybil Black came out of the throng and stood by Draco. Sybil crouched down-her obviously pregnant belly now mad the action look awkward-and pulled him into a hug. He hugged her back, but a bit stiffly.
"You must be the Blacks," her mother said.
"Hermione seems to have kept you informed. Yes. This is Sybil, my wife, and I am Sirius. Draco's godparents." Sirius put an arm around Draco, who just stood their with his hands down at his sides. "I am aware they you wish to get to know us a little before you allow your Hermione to come with us to the World Cup?"
"That is correct Mr. Black-"
"Please call me Sirius."
"Sirius, then. Yes, we would like to invite you all over for dinner-not tonight of course, but sometime in the next few weeks. We do have a week planned in Australia, but any time for dinner would be wonderful." Mrs. Granger seemed to do most of the talking, Mr. Granger seemed content to just have his arms wrapped around his only daughter.
"Yes, of Course...?"
"Ah, yes, how rude of me. I'm Gwen Granger, this is my husband Rupert Granger." The four adults exchanged handshakes.
"Lovely to meet you, Gwen. We would love to have dinner, how about Wednesday night?" Sirius asked. Gwen Granger went over the schedule she had planned for Hermione and Rupert and she nodded.
"Wednesday it is," she reached into her jacket and took out one of their business cards-not one to their Dentists office-that had their address and phone number, and email on it. Sirius took it and examined it, a little fascinated.
"We'll be around at seven," He said, "Now Draco, let's get your things." Draco and Hermione exchanged a smile and wave before Draco followed after his guardians. Hermione and her parents also went looking for her stuff, it was made easier because her owl was sitting on top of her trunk, calling for her.
Once Hermione was seated in the back of her parents car, and they were driving down the street, Hermione realized how much she missed being surrounded by magic. The muggle world was almost...boring. There were no ghosts flying around having conversations with the pedestrians, the muggle fashion seemed to lack the personality that the wizard robes granted.
When she was seated in her living room, she did relax happily. As much as she loved Hogwarts, this was her home.