The blurry images outside the window were a familiar sight, a view she had passed by so many times before, yet it felt so foreign, distant, as if she was seeing it for the first time. There was heaviness inside her chest and her stomach twisted as she looked around her empty compartment. The unusual silence was unnerving her and she was already starting to second guess her decision.
After the war had ended, Hermione didn't waste a second to distract herself with any activity to not let any unwelcome thoughts and memories slip into her head, exhausting her body to the point her mind just shut off. Because of it, she felt as if the reality of it all hadn't really sunk in just yet, and now she was on her way to face it.
What saddened her the most was that she didn't have her best friends, who would always lend her a shoulder to cry on if she needed it—Harry and Ron were both busy with their Auror training.
However, she was bent on completing her education and she would not let the past impact her future. After all, the worst was behind her.
Seated at the table in the Great Hall, her gaze swept around the room, taking notice of the atmosphere. The youngest students were happily chatting among themselves while the older years had more of a solemn expressions, yet still chuckling with each other quietly.
It almost felt normal, as if nothing had changed, except that it had.
She wouldn't find faces of the people who had fallen in the war in the crowd, and despite the laughter and cheerful conversations, the sadness on the students' features could be easily spotted.
Same sadness that washed over her when she looked over at the seat Fred Weasley used to occupy and a small smile tugged on her lips when she remembered his wide grin and all of his antics.
She closed her eyes, holding onto the image in her head a little longer.
"It saddens me to look around and see the lack of so many faces we had to say goodbye to," Minerva McGonagall spoke, rising from her seat and silencing everybody with her strong presence. She looked older, worn out, the years and experience of surviving a war showed on her face.
"But at the same time, I'm happy to see the ones who got a chance to be here again, and have taken it," she continued. "And of course to welcome new students, who are yet to face the hardships of the magic world."
Her words caused a commotion among the first years, and their eyes grew wide. She hushed them easily with a snap of her hand. "And this is the place where we are going to prepare you for what's out there. Fear not, we will get you ready," she finished fiercely, sitting back down.
The rest of the evening unfolded as usual with the new additions to the school getting sorted to their respective Houses and older years enjoying the feast and company of fellow colleagues.
She smiled over at Ginny who joined her side, as everyone started to retire from the Great Hall when the evening came to an end. She could feel exhaustion seeping through her veins, mostly from the emotional rollercoaster that today had brought and she could not wait to soon find the comfort of her bed, even if she knew it would bring nightmares to play in her unconscious mind.
"What's this about?" Ginny furrowed her brows as some of the students in front of them began whispering frantically among themselves.
Hermione shrugged, moving through the crowd, although she had a suspicion of what the commotion was about. When they reached the source of the attention—a tall figure walking gracefully past the murmuring onlookers—she wasn't surprised.
The whispers had already begun before they boarded the train and the rumor had spread like wildfire once it was confirmed the ex-Death Eater was on board with the rest of them.
She remembered how he had swept the gossiping audience with a quick glance, seemingly unbothered by it, and then his eyes locked onto hers. She had frozen in that moment, felt her heart beat too fast. The sight of him reminded her of the war—of fighting against everything that he and his family had believed in. He was a physical reminder of all the pain she had endured that was still buried deep within her bones.
It seemed that the initial revelation hadn't died down yet, although Hermione saw no point in dwelling on it. It wasn't like her and Malfoy's paths ever crossed.