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Chapter 30

January 12, 1996

Hermione wished that Sirius was allowed to escort her to the Hogwarts Platform. She didn't understand why he couldn't come as Padfoot. The Wizarding World was oblivious at the best of times, and a family pet joining the send off wouldn't attract any extra attention.

Instead Hermione had to bid goodbye to Sirius and Remus at Grimmauld Place before joining the Weasleys to head to the station.

"I don't want to go with Molly anywhere! What if she doses me with a potion?" Hermione despaired.

"Just don't eat anything she gives you," Sirius smiled, shaking his head at her. "Just like we've been doing here since you brought me that gossip." Kreacher had happily disposed of Molly's cooking and replaced it all with his own meals, once Sirius had asked him politely, that is. Remus had thought the two of them were being ridiculous until he did the charm to prove that Molly was not drugging the food, only to find that there were two different kinds of weak loyalty potions in it.

After that Remus avoided anything Molly prepared, even down to the tea. It made the break a bit more stressful than necessary, but luckily Molly and the Weasley children spent a good portion of each day at St. Mungo's watching over Arthur while he recovered.

Remus considered telling Harry, but gave it up quickly. The three of them just tried to run interference as much as possible. It was frustrating to all of them knowing that Harry went to the Weasley's home quite often, and they knew that Molly had to be dosing him several times a day. Hermione was annoyed with Harry quite a bit, but she didn't want him to be drugged and by Molly Weasley at that.

The woman still didn't treat Hermione very well after the coverage from the Daily Prophet last year and Hermione found that she couldn't care less. Her respect for the witch had gone right out the window.

"Have a good term at school, Hermione," Remus hugged her. "Floo call us or write if you need any more books from the library. Try to stay safe. That Umbridge woman sounds like a menace."

Hermione found it difficult to leave the two men that had started feeling like replacement parents. When that had happened she could not define. She didn't feel this emotional when she left her own parents or when they left her to go on holiday. Sometimes she wished that she could just be homeschooled at Grimmauld Place.

The walk from Grimmauld Place to King's Cross was annoying and she found herself missing the Weasley's flying car. Molly Weasley apparently didn't trust herself to side-along apparate everyone individually with Arthur still in the hospital.

Hermione wished again that Remus could have taken her, but knew that it would cause questions if people saw them together. And she didn't want to cause Remus and Sirius any trouble. It was difficult as it was with Sirius being on the run from the Ministry and trapped in Grimmauld Place.

By the time that Hermione, Harry and the troop of Weasleys arrived at the station, Hermione was ready to scream. The level of micromanagement that Molly Weasley did of her children made Hermione understand why Charlie and Bill had moved to other countries after completing their Masteries. If Molly critiqued the way Hermione walked one more time, hexes would be thrown.

Once they got to the platform, Hermione couldn't wait to get onto the train. She stowed her things with Harry, Ginny, and Ron and then pretended that she needed to use the loo. Instead she wandered the train multiple times until she found the two wizards that she was looking for, sitting alone in a small compartment, the window to the outside world curtained and the curtain into the corridor of the train only allowing her the tiniest of peeks.

Draco's moonlight hair shone, though, even through a sliver of window. She looked both ways, before sliding the door open, casting locking and disillusionment spells behind her.

Draco and Theo looked up at her with the same worried expressions.

"Princess," Theo stood, "What are you doing here? You can't be seen with us, especially not now."

She threw herself into his arms, "I couldn't stay away. I missed you so much."

"Mon coeur," Draco whispered into her hair as he came up behind her. "We missed you too, but we need you to be safe." He kissed her temple. Hermione leaned into Draco's warmth, but looked up into Theo's eyes.

"Why am I in more danger?" She asked, knowing he wasn't going to tell her the truth when his eyes looked away. "Fine, keep your secrets, but if I have to listen to Ron and Harry talk about Quidditch for the next five and a half hours, then I need some kisses to tide me over until tonight."

Theo's face was torn between a scowl and a smirk. "It's risky, love."

"Every day we are alive we are choosing which risks are worth it," Hermione's lips hovered over his, "I always choose to believe that kissing the two of you is always a worthy risk. I need you Theo."

Theo let out a frustrated sigh and claimed her mouth with his, swallowing her moan. Draco kissed the column of her throat. And when it was time, Hermione had a great deal of difficulty pulling herself away from the sweetness of their embrace and love. She had an even harder time listening to three hours of Ron going over Chudley Cannons stats. Eventually, she just pretended to nap to avoid going to Azkaban herself.