Hermione

Sept 1

I'm awake as the sun rises. Crookshanks snoozes on the pillow next to my head, his fluffy tail draped on my chest.

"Crookshanks, we leave for Hogwarts today," I remind the half-kneazle, half-cat next to me. I curl up on my side and stroke his soft orange fur, making him purr loudly.

I'm already packed, of course. I enchanted a single trunk to fit everything I need for the year. Just need to add the things I will use this morning but will just toss them in my purse. Winky is due to show up at any point.

After the war, she and I reconnected. She was newly sober but no one was willing to hire her as she was "just a house elf". I hired her on for her services immediately and, of course, I made sure she had a fair wage and helped her find a cute studio. I appreciated her presence in my otherwise quiet cottage and she did wonderfully making sure I stayed hydrated and fed during my heats. With me leaving until next summer, she's going to be watching my cottage.

After my morning cuddles with Crookshanks in my nest, I start my fairly rigid morning routine. Since I was never able to have a concise and consistent one, having one now gives me a lot of peace.

Turning on the speaker in my bathroom, I plug in my mp3 player and start my morning playlist of classical music. Rinsing off in the shower, I scrub myself with non-fragrant soaps to not overwhelm my sensitive omega olfactory senses. After I'm out and padded dry, I use my roller-perfume bottle filled with my scent inhibitor potion to go over all of my scent glands. I lather myself with unscented lotion as I learned early on that if I cover the glands soaked with potion, the effect would last longer.

Twisting the taps on the sink, water comes out and I take care to brush and floss my teeth before putting on some blush and mascara. I pull the silk scruncie from the end of the braid I slept in and finger through the locks to help the curls find their shape again. Now that I have time, I figured out how to work with my frizzy curls. They've since been tamed into soft curls with little to no frizz. This is all a part of my "rebranding." All the excessive free time I have now goes into taking better care of myself and my omega rather than saving the wizarding world.

I feel pretty.

Humming with the music, I open my medicine cabinet and take my anxiety medication, washing it down with my heat suppressant potion. I feel like my life has turned into me relying on potions and medicine to keep me safe and sane following the trauma of the war. After the war, I kept waking up in the middle of the night with night terrors and started having anxiety attacks while doing things around a crowd. Shortly after a few more anxiety/night terror episodes started I met with a muggle-born wizarding therapist who prescribed them for me. Though they do help a lot, they're not always effective but necessarily nonetheless. I pull on my robe and carry my bottle of meds and vials of potions to my purse and find a spot for them.

"Winky?"

A sharp pop enters my room. "Good morning, Miss Hermione!" Winky squeaks out. She is dressed in a tutu and sparkly top with several bows adorning her ears. Shakily, she offers me a cup of coffee.

An amused smile plays out on my lips at her outfit for today, "I love your top, Winky. How was your night?" I ask, taking the cup, "thank you so much."

"You're welcome, Miss," she grins. "Winky had a great night! Went to the shops and cinema!" She claps her hands.

"Wonderful," I say as I sip on the hot beverage, "I'm going to miss your coffee."

"Winky is going to miss you, Miss! Is Miss all packed?" She asks as she snaps her fingers and my nest resets itself.

"I am," an excited flutter happens in my stomach, "I'm so looking forward to this school year."

"You're going to do great!" Winky claps.

"Thank you, I appreciate it," I check the clock on my nightstand and gasp, "I need to get dressed! I'm going to get ready to leave. Do you have any other questions about keeping an eye on the cottage?" I start towards my closet and turn to look at her.

"No, Miss! Winky is honored to take care of the house!" She pops away with that.

My fingers trace over the clothes I have hanging up. There weren't many left as most were packed away but still, it is nice to have options. Once my fingers get to the oversized black cashmere turtleneck, I let out a soft whimper. It's so soft , my mind purrs out.

I pull it off the hanger and search for my grey mini skirt and black tights. I tug my tights on and follow it by pulling my skirt up my body and putting my sweater on. The soft fabric causes me to purr softly and I snuggle into myself for a moment. I won't have this kind of freedom to express my omegan side once I reach Hogwarts, might as well bask in it now.

"Miss needs to leave soon!" I can hear Winky's voice from my room.

"Coming!" I quickly shove my feet into boots and tie them.

Before I know it, I'm walking through the platform at 9 ¾ and settling into a train car with Neville, Padma, Luna, and Ginny with Crookshanks curled up on my lap. I might be overwhelmed with the heavy alpha scents around me, Neville's included, and nervous about the upcoming school year, but I couldn't be more thrilled.

Draco

I did not want to ride the train to Hogwarts. I begged my mother to talk to Headmistress McGonagall so I could just apparate to Hogsmeade. My mother did so but it was a firm no as I'm on "thin ice" and I'm "the last young man who should be getting special treatment". Gryffindors .

My mother and our newly hired bodyguard escort me to the station and through the platform. Regardless of my anxieties about this upcoming school year, I'm looking forward to it.

"Now, my dragon, you need to be the best behaved you can be while at school," my mother reminds me, smoothing down my robes.

"I will," I say with a nod, not meeting her eye.

"This year will be different, you'll have fun. You can still play quidditch, you're in extra courses, and you have an engagement on the rise," she keeps fiddling with my robes. "Don't do anything to risk any of that, especially your betrothal."

The engagement . One of the only families to survive the end of the war fully intact was the Greengrasses. My mother and Mrs. Greengrass have been plotting for years for Astoria to be married off to me. Now, it is concrete. There is an expectation of me to propose to her after graduating. I courted Astoria through the summer and told my mother I won't be doing so as frequently while at school so I can focus on my studies. There was heavy pushback from my mother and Mrs. Greengrass. But with Astoria feeling the same and requesting it as well, they had no choice but to agree.

I like Astoria, don't get me wrong. She's kind, smart, and beautiful. But my alpha craves something more.

I crave an omega.

My own .

One who will see me as theirs .

My eyes scan the various students and ignore the dirty looks thrown our way before landing on Granger.

Since I'm not in the middle of Diagon Alley trying to run errands, I let myself keep my eyes on her. She's talking animatedly to the weaselette and Longbottom.

Granger looks different. More put together. Her normally frizzy, untamed hair looks luscious and soft with defined curls. Does she have make-up on? When did her body get so shapely? Honey, cinnamon , and amber… my alpha reminds me.

I internally cringe at that. What I had smelled in the hallways in the library all those years ago and then again when I watched her be tortured by Bellatrix had never been smelled out of those times. Even running into her in Diagon Alley, I tried to scent her to be met with no scent.

"Did you hear me?" My mother asks.

Tearing my eyes from Granger, I look back to my mother, "no mother. I'm sorry."

"You know how I don't like repeating myself, Draco," she sighs dramatically, "I said, there is Mr. Nott and Mr. Zabini, go on. I'll be present for your first quidditch match." She leans in and pecks my cheek, "be good my little dragon. I love you."

"I love you," I pull her into a hug and give her a light squeeze.

Through all of this, my mother was and is my biggest support.

"Go on," she repeats and pats my back. "Please don't forget to write."

"Never," I wave before approaching Blaise and Theo. "Gentlemen."

"The Slytherin Prince has returned!" Blaise howls and wraps me in a hug.

"Blaise, honestly," Theo rolls his eyes and gives me a sharp smack on the back in greeting, "let's go get a spot before we are forced to share with first years." He takes the lead towards the train.

Blaise lets out a low whistle, "did you see all the eighth years? A lot of them came into themselves." His eyes search the various students and the lust is clear in his eyes.

"Granger is no exception," Theo comments and I follow his gaze to where she's still standing. I'm not surprised that he said that. I always suspected Theo had a crush on Granger but pushed it aside for the benefit of not being bullied.

"Ooh, got your eye on the Gryffindor Princess then, aye?" Blaise teases him.

I ignore the red flush that tinges Theo's face and turns his ears pink. "Oh shut up, Zabini," Theo grumbles.

The three of us find a spot and settle in for the long journey to Hogsmeade.

Our conversation on the ride over ranges from a variety of topics while avoiding one: my father's time being spent in Azkaban.

"I need to use the lavatory," I stand and stretch my legs. Theo and Blaise nod at me and continue their conversation about the Quidditch Cup that is going to happen next summer.

The train corridor is empty except for one person standing at the restroom door.

Granger . Of course . I stand behind her and bury my hands in my pockets.

She looks over her shoulder at me and I see fear and nervousness creep into her eyes.

"Granger," I drawl out.

"Malfoy."

"Barely recognized you without you running into me," I try to rib but it comes out flat.

"Mhm," she hums and looks forward again.

My alpha seizes the moment to try and scent her but again, I come up with nothing. I take the opportunity to study her up close. Her shapely legs were on display with such a short skirt and sheer tights. Part of me wants to sink my teeth into the soft flesh of her inner thi-

No.

Finally, when the first year emerges from the bathroom in their robes, he looks up at me and Granger with a startled and embarrassed look before scurrying off. Granger steps back into me at the hurried movements of the first year. I grip her elbow so she doesn't trip over herself or me. The cashmere is soft in my hands but I wish it was skin to sk-

No.

Like when we were in Diagon Alley… My alpha had a very visceral response to her touch. I couldn't help but notice that her hand was comically smaller than my own. The palm of her hand was smooth and warm against mine. My fingers itched to lace with hers and give her an assuring squeeze that I wouldn't hurt her again. I wanted to feel the soft curls against my face and know what her shampoo smelled like. Her hand in mine ignited a fire in my stomach and I wanted to pull her against me. I had told my alpha very firmly , no we do not and she's not even an omega, calm down.

"Sorry," she mumbles and steps out of my grasp quickly, pulling me from my memory, "just be a moment." The witch disappears into the lavatory.

Why is blood rushing to my dick? Ridiculous. I start to recite potion ingredients in alphabetical order to settle the semi in my trousers.

The door opens and Granger steps out in her Hogwarts uniform but robeless. It's not like how she used to wear it. The air leaves my lungs at the polished and effortlessly elegant witch.

Her blouse is tailored to her curvy body and her top buttons are undone to show a small amount of cleavage. Her chest must have come in over the summer because her breasts weren't that large the last time I saw her. Though I didn't get a good look when I ran into her on Diagon Alley… Her skirt hit her just above mid-thigh rather than her knee and instead of wearing those hideous knee-high socks, her black tights and black boots were still in place.

Granger definitely got hot.

Her sparkling amber eyes meet mine and her face is flushed, "excuse me."

Oh, yeah. Right. I take a step to the side to let her pass and watch her legs under the short, grey-flared skirt before stepping into the bathroom. All the work I did before to get my semi to go away was useless as I'm now sporting another one.

I splash cool water on my face and neck before relieving myself and changing into my school uniform as well.

Calling on my occulemancy, I push any thoughts around Granger out of my head. I didn't miss the fear in her eyes. She has every right to hate me and be fearful. I settle into my train car once again and get myself into the conversation with Blaise and Theo. All Granger-related thoughts are placed in a box in the back of my mind to not be opened.