AN: I do not own Harry Potter.
Early-ish because this weekend is going to have no time for typing.
Train Discussions
A small blond, tall, well dressed family were having a last minute discussion before heading to the platform for the train in the entry way of their well-established home.
"Draco, do you have the letter?"
"Yes, Father."
"Is your luggage on you?"
Draco stuck his hand in his pocket, finding what he was looking for, pulling it out to make sure, and stuck it back in his pocket.
"Yes, Mother."
"What have I said to you about how to act this year?"
"Remember that you have been the one antagonizing so far, and grow up, and try to be civil. We are to try to bridge a gap with Potter, especially with how the end of the year went. Apologize, but don't dishonor yourself beyond what you have already. Potter may not be as light now as he used to be, and to sound out his ideas and see where he is," Draco recited.
Lucius gave a quick smile at the way that his son quoted what apparently had been told him multiple times in the last two weeks.
"And make more friends in Slytherin, if you can. Making overtures will be expected, especially with how the end of last was. Ravenclaw would also not be a bad place, if you think that they would be discrete."
"All right."
"Hug before we have to be swarmed with people?"
Draco stepped forward into his mother's arms for a quick hug, before doing the same with his father.
Lucius Malfoy then turned towards the fireplace, grabbed a handful of floo powder, shouted "Platform 9 and 3/4", stepping into the fireplace after it turned green, and disappearing. His family followed behind him.
The last two weeks had been hectic for all at the Burrow. The books were packed away after being declared safe; parchments of homework were found; ink wells, quills, and all the rest of the stationery and the various school supply odds and ends, as well as potion ingredients, were packed neatly into luggage. Mountains of laundry had been done, including what had been gathered from Grimm Auld Place, and everyone was happy to have to avoid all the extra cleaning and extra layers of protective equipment just dealing with making sure that they weren't poisoning themselves. It had been hot and sweaty and time consuming, but they were happy that they were done with that.
Hermione had been exclaiming over a very old parchment that she had read. As it was of the very old ways of practicing seasonal rituals and why they were outlawed, Hermione and the rest that she told it to were very happy that the human sacrifice had been banned several hundred years ago in Wizarding Britain; it had seemed to have fallen out of practice way before most of Wizarding Britain went into hiding, and the Statute of Secrecy was real. Hermione was wondering if the practice was mostly associated with a different pantheon of gods than what was normally thought of that they did that in worship to. Harry, who had read through a more modern book with Hermione so that Hermione wasn't constantly turning pages and trying to roll a scroll up and down at the same time, didn't really care why it changed, but the fact it did, like most hearing about it.
Harry could safely say, from glancing over some of the really old stuff from the Black place, that he was kind of interested, and also really not interested and grossed out over some of the stuff. Even some things in the book of magical buildings had been gross, but he guessed there was a reason that some houses started eating. Apparently that is what happened when not enough magic happened in a house? Some people started feeding their houses in case of a known time of abandonment. Apparently stored magic or magical artifacts could help with that? He guessed that explained the multiple magical things at Grim Auld Place. Walburga might have been a harpy, but she may have tried to keep enough stuff in the house for it to survive over ten years without an inhabitant, or enough habitants. Harry didn't know the baseline level needed to support the house's wards and enchantments, so he couldn't really guess in all reality.
Percy had excitedly told the family that he was hired to work for the Ministry as a secretary for the Minister in the previous week. The family had given the newly independent young man a bunch of gifts to help him out and to remember them by. Colin Creevey had been asked to take pictures of them for Percy, and he did it excitedly. Harry had paid him eleven sickles for them, and Molly had given the boy a bunch of baked goodies to take home. After that, Percy had a few pictures, some letters from his family with one letter each from Hermione and Harry, and a few joke products from the twins to take with him, besides housewares, clothing, books, and a small bit of furniture that he moved into the apartment.
That had been a day in itself.
Percy started his job the same day as the younger siblings boarded the train, so the day before, he had dropped by just to say good bye for now. He wasn't going to see them for a while, starting today.
Harry had gotten to know the third brother a bit better in the last few weeks as the younger siblings took extra time to just hang out with Percy. He could honestly say that he was now going to miss him.
Harry had just sent a letter off to Cedric, who was starting his job today too, and would keep Hedwig out of the train for the day. His owl could honestly get to Hogwarts within the same day.
Then it was time to floo to the platform, and it was hectic as much as it was organized, getting that many people through one fireplace to a platform. All luggage had lightening charms on them, and were easily carried in one hand as they stood.
Chaos of people.
Countless goodbyes all over the platform.
Students climbing onto the train.
Harry was just thankful to be away from most of the people once he climbed into a mostly empty train cabin. It only held a shorter medium-blond girl, who was reading a magazine upside-down.
"Hello, I'm Harry."
"Hello, I'm Luna. Most people call me Loony."
"That's not nice."
"No, but it's become a regular thing that I get called now."
"That's still not nice. I know how that feels, so I hope it changes for you. I won't call you that."
"Thank you, Harry Potter."
"You're welcome."
Neville popped in after that, and was excited about his new cactus, but apparently picked up on Harry's desire for quiet, despite him saying he didn't mind. Harry asked him what he was thinking of reading, and they had a short conversation about that, but it quickly died down in favour of their books.
With that, the people in the apartment started to read.
Several minutes later, Hermione and Ron popped in. After some quick greetings, they too fell silent, Ron taking the time to look over his Quidditch book of plays, and Hermione pulling out her new large book that she was doing some "light reading" in. Harry thought she was thankful for the extra lightening spell to make it lighter so she could hold the monster of a book to read it.
After the snack cart came by, Harry realized that Malfoy hadn't been by yet.
"I'm sure the git's going to be by. He's got most of the day yet."
"True."
With that, bird sound was heard in the room, and Fawkes landed on Harry's shoulder.
"Umm, hi?" Harry questioned, as he raised his head to look at the bird that had decided that he must preen on Harry's shoulder. Fawkes just kept going with his preening, though he started to alternate between Harry's hair and his own feathers. Once done with his task, Fawkes sang. Those in the cabin smiled and Harry felt lighter, like it would all work out despite what would happen today. Fawkes flamed away immediately afterward, but still, the affect on those in the cabin didn't die off for some time.
During that time, Malfoy came.
"Hey..."
Harry looked quietly at Malfoy.
"Hello, how are you? You're late."
"Late?"
"You usually bug me before the snack cart comes by."
"Oh, stuff from the end of last. You know," he directed at Harry.
"I do. What's your thoughts then?" challenged Harry.
"I came to apologize. This rivalry has gone longer than it probably should have, and there are more important things than that, like you yelled at me on the train after school ended."
"Apology accepted."
"Same here."
"You were good competition while it lasted."
"Oh, I hope to continue some of the competition," challenged Draco Malfoy back.
"Oh good," said Harry, "Otherwise Quidditch just got boring. And potions."
The others in the apartment made a face, with Harry following a minute later.
"No, I take it back. For that to happen, Snape would need a personality transplant."
Hermione perked up. "Say, what would it take for you to give Harry potions help?"
Draco perked up to that, "Well, it wouldn't be free..."
Ron huffed. "We know that. You're in Slytherin. Friendship wouldn't cut it."
Draco hummed. "Well, I can't think of something right now, but I will come up with something."
Harry looked at Ron and back at Draco, "Just make it something I could afford."
Draco sighed, "Oh, well, at least I know it won't be a new broom."
Neville, who had been sitting quietly beside Hermione and the wall at this point, accidentally touched the spines of his cactus, spraying the entire compartment with stinky sap.
"Neville..." came Ron's whiny voice.
Hermione, who had learned the basic cleaning charm before first year, quickly started setting the space to rights in front of Harry.
Harry cleaned his glasses.
By the time his glasses and clothes were free of sap, Hermione had the place to rights, and was frustratedly tying back her hair in an effort to keep the sappy hair out of her face.
"S-s-sorry," stuttered Neville.
"It got on the letter, you idiot," growled Draco Malfoy, cleaning it off by hand. "Thanks but no thanks, Hermione; sometimes Dad charms letters to be read only by specific people, and I don't want to be the one to get in trouble because of a spell reaction I didn't think of."
"Oh, alright," said Hermione.
"Well, as much as it was nice chatting with you, I have to go back to the others before they start looking for me."
"Smart," stated Luna.
Draco nodded.
"See you at school."
"Good bye"
He left.