A Man Can Change - A Draco/Hermione Story

The Last Trainride

 I DO NOT OWN THESE CHARACTERS: J.K.Rowling owns them, this is just a fanfic written by a big HP fan.

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On the train, every compartment seemed to be taken, full to the hilt. But eventually the four of them stumbled upon a compartment that was free. When they got inside they could see why it was free. It appeared as if one of the first years had become nervous and puked all over one of the seats.

      Hermione and Ginny easily cleaned this up and covered the smell, but Harry and Ron still seemed to stay as far away as possible from the crime scene. Outside the compartment past the closed doors, everyone seemed to have settled down and the four of them looked out the window to wave at the remaining Weasley’s.

      As she was waving, Hermione noticed a very tall and slim blonde woman waving at a different carriage. Narcissa Malfoy seemed very tired and drained. Hermione figured she was probably worried about what was going to happen to her Husband, Lucius Malfoy. Draco’s father was going to court for trial, so it could be decided whether or not he was to be sentenced to the Dementor’s Kiss for participating in Death Eater activities. Hermione had read all of this in the Daily Prophet. They were releasing all details about convicted Death Eaters.

      Harry had been put forward in front of a court, for Draco and Narcissa. Harry had saved Draco’s life during the war and for this Narcissa had somewhat saved Harry’s. He helped them get off any charges as it became common knowledge after a while, that Narcissa was being led around by her husband, and Draco was pushed into his father’s footsteps by Lord Voldemort, rather than by his own choice.

      Narcissa’s waving hand and small smile turned towards their carriage. It seemed directed at Harry. He wasn’t best friends with Draco or anything of the sort, but Hermione knew that Narcissa would forever feel in his debt. Hermione sat down and watched as Ron and Ginny continued to wave at their family and at Harry who was waving back at Narcissa kindly.

      Ron sat down next to Hermione, while Harry and Ginny sat opposite them, holding hands. Ginny and Harry had pure chemistry for a long time and they had shared a few kisses that they thought Ron and herself didn’t know about. But Harry backed off during the War in fear Lord Voldemort would get to him through Ginny. However, now they were back together and Ginny was finding it comforting to have Harry with her during her time of grieving. She knew that Harry was simply glad he had something or someone to live for.

      “This year is going to be strange.” Harry spoke quietly.

      “How so?” Ginny asked, looking up at him.

      He grinned “Well for a starter, we are going to be in the same year as you” We all grinned, knowing exactly what he meant. “And well, I don’t have anything to worry about, there isn’t going to be any psycho Dark Wizards after me. It’ll be a nice change really.”

      This time, no one shared a smile, but merely nodded in agreement to Harry’s statement. 

      Hermione spent most of the train ride thinking about her new found duties as Head Girl and what it would require of her. She thought about the large section of the library she still hadn’t read from and how she wished to read the whole library before the end of her time at Hogwarts.

      Ginny and Harry were talking quietly to each other and Ginny would giggle every now and then but she ignored them. Ron was asleep next to her, snoring quite loudly but she ignored this too.

      Reaching for her trunk, Hermione grabbed one book she knew she would never grow tired of, ‘Hogwarts A History’, and picked up reading from where she left off last time. She liked to read about the four founders of Hogwarts the most, and how the founders of Gryffindor and Slytherin, Godric Gryffindor and Salazar Slytherin were the best of friends. She couldn’t figure out, even as smart as she was, how Gryffindor and Slytherin could have been the best of friends when the two houses were constantly at war with each other, trying to beat one another at any given moment, or insulting each other with dirty names.