Wedged between Harry and Neville Hermione leaned her head on the formers shoulder as she silently read her book. The steady sound of the tracks under the train almost lulling her to sleep if it weren't for Ron and Harry's loud chess match. Luna was seated on the floor with her back to the wall under the window reading the latest edition of the Quibbler for the seventh time since they'd pulled out of the station. Neville and Ginny were talking in quiet tones about the upcoming sorting they were all going to face.

That had been the only surprise when they read their letters. Headmistress McGonagall had decided that every returning student would be resorted while the first years made their way to the castle.

It made sense to Hermione, they'd all changed. Who they were seven years ago, or whenever they'd each been sorted, wasn't necessarily who they were at the present time.

The war had ended four months prior and while the group had been at Hogwarts multiple times over the course of the summer, they were going back on the train for their final school year. It hadn't been an easy decision for any of them. Molly had been reluctant to let them go with Fred still in the hospital and while all three of the trio had been offered positions in the ministry, Hermione had been the first to turn it down. Upon hearing her plans to join Ginny at school, Harry opted to follow her, Ron not far behind. They hadn't let her out of their sight since the dust settled so she wasn't too surprised. But by the end of summer, she was starting to feel smothered. Which is why when the train began to slow Hermione excused herself to change, knowing it was the only way they would let her go alone.

In reality she needed to be alone before being jostled in the crowd to the carriages.

The first thing she did was dress in her uniform and robes knowing the more time passed the more people would come to the lavatory for their turn. Still not ready to return to her friends and their cabin, she made her way to the back of the train ducking her head and smiling kindly at those who recognized her. Mercifully, the final car was empty. Letting her beaded bag fall to the floor she walked to the back window, her hands on the windowsill tightening as she felt her heart race.

Her decision to return had been immediate, it had never been a thought not to finish her education. But that didn't make it easier being back where so many died. Where Fred had died. He'd been crushed by an exploding wall and in a moment of desperation Hermione had healed his ribs just to start cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Harry had been the only one to recognize what she was doing since it as primarily a muggle practice and had kept everyone at bay while she continued. If Fred's blue eyes fluttering open had nearly broken Hermione, then George's bone crushing hug while their mother fell to the ground beside them truly done it. All she could think of was the eyes of those in the room that would never open again. Their family had been lucky and, aside from Fred, had suffered no casualties but dozens of others were gone.

The bodies of the unsaved haunted her as much as Bellatrix's cackling.

Right now, that laugh was echoing in her ears making her cringe and fight back tremors that still savagely racked through her.

She was so focused on her breathing she didn't hear the car door opening until it slammed shut when the train lurched. While a scream wretched itself from her throat she spun on a heal, her wand pointed at the newest occupant in the empty car.

"Easy Granger."

Malfoy stood before her with his hands raised in surrender.

"Malfoy?" she cried, her voice conveying just how weak she felt. When she took a deep breath she felt her body begin to shake, her wand wobbling in her hand.

With his hands still where she could see them, he took a step forward.

"You're alright Granger, breathe."

Draco Malfoy knew a panic attack when he saw one and as soon as he registered the wand pointed at his throat, he saw the other signs: the white-knuckle grip, wide eyes, tremors, and taunt posture. Slowly, so she could see his movements, he gently put a hand on her wrist. When she didn't immediately curse him or say anything he slowly took her wand and putting it in her robes pocket. When he did, he felt her tremors increase.

"Breathe Granger. In, out, in out."

He didn't say it in a mocking manner, more of a coaching one. She didn't respond except to cling to him, one arm in his robes and the other gripping his forearm so her fingernails dug in painfully. Ignoring it, he sidestepped until they were in front of the window. He threw caution to the wind when she wouldn't release his arm for him to be able to open the window so he tucked her into his shoulder completely. The trembling witch released his arm in favor of clinging to his crisp button down shirt giving him the perfect opportunity to charm open the window wandlessly.

"Come on Hermione, take a deep breathe, that's it. Now another."

Hermione knew she was in the middle of a full-blown panic attack but they were still normal for her. The absurd part was that she was allowing Draco Malfoy, of all people, to help her through it. Still, she found herself reacting when he spoke, breathing at his instruction, and clinging to him like she would drift away if she didn't. So she didn't think, she just reacted, not daring to remove herself from him even though she knew she should. Especially not when he smelled so good. Especially knowing what she did.

They both waited patiently until her shakes tampered to slight tremors and she angled her head so her forehead rested against his tie just above his sternum.

"Thank you."

"Mhm," he answered not pausing rubbing circles in her back through her robes. It was soothing him as much as her.

They stood in silence for the moment, the only noise around them was the breeze coming in through the window rustling her hair. Closing her eyes, Hermione disentangled her hands from his robes to grip the windowsill. She took one last deep breath first, his scent calming her.

"I'm sorry. Thank you," she whispered again when she had moved completely out of his grip and was staring out the window watching the terrain pass them.

Curious Draco stepped up so they were shoulder to shoulder overlooking the scenery with her.

"For?"

"Not reacting or taunting me. For helping."

He stiffened, "It was overdue."

His response shocked her into looking at him but he was looking straight ahead.

"Draco?" She almost smiled at the surprised silver eyes that suddenly bore hers, "You couldn't do anything then," he clinched his jaw and she knew she'd been spot on, "She would have done worse to you. Maybe even branded you."

"I was already branded, I should have-"

"No, don't do that," Hermione reached for his left arm, snatching it when he tried to pull it away. Knowing he was uncomfortable she only put her hand over where she knew his mark was, "What do you think would have happened if you'd tried to stop her? I've thought about it, probably as much as you if it still bothers you now. She would have laid you beside me and done the same to you but instead of 'mudblood'," he visibly flinched, "she would have carved 'blood traitor'. Or equally as horrific, she would have made you hurt me."

"I could never. Not even then."

Giving him a small smile, she twisted her arm around his until her hand was in his and leaned her head on his shoulder.

"I know. I saw your mum pull you back you know?"

Draco stared down at her in bewilderment. How she could touch him so freely was beyond him. His own mother didn't take such liberties. But while everything he'd been taught screamed at him to step away, he couldn't shake how good it felt to have her willingly touch him. Not when she was so warm and soft against him. He finally processed her words.

"What?"

She didn't look up at him again. "You heard me."

"You're too good Granger," he told her after a few more moments of silence stretched between them.

That made her smile, "How so?"

"I am the last person on this train you should be talking to. Let alone leaning on for any kind of comfort." He didn't even mention that they were holding hands, just the thought made his ears heat.

Hermione looked up at him, amber eyes looking through him, studying him. The train lurched again when the brakes engaged and her free hand once more found his robes. Eyes closing she let her forehead rest on his sternum again. Her shakes returned.

Draco wasn't going to say anything but found he couldn't stop himself, "You should not still be suffering these affects."

That fact concerned him more than he knew he had a right to. Why he felt so compelled to help her was beyond him.

Hermione giggled, she couldn't help it, "The healers say it's mental. That the tremors are triggered by emotional distress and when I overcome that, they will go away."

"That's utter bollocks," Draco hissed.

"Harry said the same thing." He scoffed making her giggle again, "What about you?"

Her eyes met his as she pulled back. When she couldn't lean back more than to simply meet his gaze Draco wondered when he had his arms wrapped around her waist. Such a slender waist, his mind drifted for a moment wondering how on Merlin's green Earth her uniform hid it so well. Her voice shocked him out of his mind.

"You endured much too Draco, how are you coping?"

His grip on her tightened a fraction before relaxing again, "As well as anyone else it would seem."

Their heads moved in unison to the door of the compartment as the sounds beyond it got louder, Hermione jumping a little and Draco's grip on her tightening in response so her head was back under his chin. After a few moments Hermione let herself relax, her head falling back onto his chest more securely under his chin. It felt natural, like when she did it with Harry or Ron, there was no awkwardness being so close to him. Which was substantial on its own given their shared history.

They watched the door waiting for someone to open it but despite the noise of students unloading, no one ever did. After a quick glance over her head he saw that they had in fact come to a stop. Knowing they would have to break their contact he put his chin back on her hair and resumed stroking her back has he had earlier. Her tremors were gone, he could no longer feel them even through their robes, but by Gods she smelt like cinnamon sugar and he found he just wasn't ready to let her go. Committing it to memory he forced himself to step away from her, his arms falling to his sides as she looked up at him with a furrowed brow.

"Dr-"

"We should go," he supplied nodding to the window, "Your friends will start to worry if we take much longer."

Hermione smiled but it didn't reach her eyes, as odd as it sounded she wasn't ready to leave him yet. She felt cold without his body heat surrounding her, his expensive spicy aftershave clouding her senses.

Draco saw it her hesitation and interpreted it differently, "We'll go separately."

Of course, she whispered internally letting her eyes close as he bent down to pick up her bag. Taking it from him she offered him another smile.

"Thank you. For everything." Her chest hurt, his words sounded like rejection and the intensity of it was unexpected. Unable to look at him she looped the string around her wrist, "You can go first. I don't do well in crowds anymore."

"Granger..."

She looked at him, his immaculate uniform wrinkled by her hands. Stepping forward she smoothed out the wrinkles before realizing what she'd done. His face was closed off but she could have sworn she saw the hint of a smile.

"We don't have to tell anyone."

There was that pain again. Taking another step away she tried not to show how his suggestion wounded her and nodded, "As you wish Malfoy."

Draco paused at the use of his surname again. He was only doing what he thought she would want. Giving her a slight nod he adjusted his robes and left the compartment, knowing full well her scent was lingering on his robes reminding him that what had just occurred had really happened.

Hermione, on the other hand, tried to ignore the hallow feeling that was growing in her chest. Her hip itched but she did as she had since Madam Pomfrey discovered the mark there and ignored it. Even as she felt the need to cry, she rolled her shoulders, counted to twenty, and left to meet Harry and Neville on the platform, Ron having gone ahead to 'check' the Great Hall for her. They fussed but she simply smiled and guided them to the carriages with a pep in her step willing herself to ignore what she was feeling.

Entering the Great Hall brought a certain level of nostalgia with it. The room that had once brought joy to her heart with plentiful memories now served to incite panic. She half expected to see bodies lining the walls. Her middle finger touched her wand in its hostler on her forearm served to steady her breathing. A spicy scent still clinging to her robes kept her tremors at bay. Harry, however, noticed her hesitation and helped guide her to the Gryffindor table with a hand on her elbow where Ginny and Ron were waiting for them. Harry sat beside Ginny while Hermione took a seat between Neville and Ron.

Within ten minutes the returning class were all seated and Head Mistress McGonagall took the podium.

"Welcome back to another year at Hogwarts! While I will make the normal formal introduction after our first years have been sorted I wish to elaborate on the re-sorting." Summoning a stool, she produced the sorting hat from her robes and handed it to Professor Snape who took his place before her. "We will go by house, year, and name. It shouldn't take too long. All I ask is that you help the process by not dallying more than necessary. Professor Snape."

"Arnold, Galvin."

He started with Hufflepuff. Everyone did as was requested and, but for two students who were resorted, the line proceeded seamlessly. Hermione zoned out, picking at a string on the cuff of her robes as she waited, her mind wondering to Malfoy. Discretely putting her chin to her chest she sniffed her robes, his spicy scent still lingered making her heart beat just a bit faster. Eventually it was Neville who nudged her when she hadn't immediately stood when her name was called.

She whispered a thank you before doing as the others had and approaching the front of the room. Professor Snape gave her a disapproving look but waited until she was seated to place the sorting hat on her head.

"We meet again, Miss Granger."

"Hello," she whispered, ignoring the strange look her professor gave her.

"You are one of the few."

"What?"

"Oh how you have changed. Your bravery is nearly unmatched, as is your loyalty but...you've unleashed parts of yourself that are influential in who you have become as a young woman. Your resourcefulness, creativity, and cunning are the reason you survived that war. The reasons you survived those who wished to ruin you completely. Who you are has evolved. Your new house will be a challenge, but you will rise to the occasion."

"Don't do this to me," she pleaded earning another look from the older wizard beside her, in her mind she continued, "You know what will happen. My home is in Gryffindor."

"It is an honorable house Miss Granger, one you will fit in as perfectly as you did your old house."

"Please, please..."

"Better be," Hermione's continued pleas went unheard as he finished his decree aloud, "SLYTHERIN!"

The Great Hall in its entirety was so silent she could almost hear the noise of the night on the other side of the windows. Closing her eyes Hermione steeled herself before slipping off the stool and handing the hat to her new head of house. Never before had she seen Professor Snape look shocked or sympathetic but when he looked at her there was no mistaking it.

Hermione took the three steps down, one breath at a time, and stopped. Routine told her to go to the Gryffindor table and rejoin her friends, but she knew she couldn't. As the room waited on bated breath, she looked at Harry. He was half standing, looking completely torn. Neville had his hand on Ron's shoulder keeping him in his seat as he silently raved, Ginny's hand on her wand telling Hermione exactly who had silenced him.

Giving them an encouraging smile, she ran her hand down her tie, the colors changing from maroon and gold to emerald green and silver with her wandless magic. Tucking it back into the sweater she moved to the Slytherin table, seating herself with the other 'eighth' years.

For a long few minutes no one moved. Not any of the professor or students and especially not the Slytherins seated around her. Hermione held her head high only making eye contact with her new head of house, silently begging him to proceed with the sorting. The Headmistress noticed too and let out a delicate cough that had the resorting continuing as if everyone in the Hall wasn't still in shock.

Hermione watched the rest of the resorting and the sorting of the first years in silence, not making eye contact with anyone else in the room. When dinner was served she waited, pushing food around her plate for an appropriate amount of time before excusing herself to no one in particular and slipping from the hall.

She was halfway to the Gryffindor common room before she realized she didn't know where to go.