The Invisible Wars

Chapter 12

The scarlet train the students are riding arrived at King's cross station after sunset. It was dark but the platform nine and three quarters was fairly lit with post lamps and lanterns. A little before the group of Slytherins next to his compartment awaken and sat up to examine their surroundings, Draco rose to his seat and slid the glass partition open, luggage and wand in hand. He was vigilant the moment he stepped out of the Hogwarts express, scanning the crowd for his parents.

"There they are! Ron! Harry! My dear right here!"

There was a loud bellow from the crowd and Draco turn his head to see a cluster of red heads huddled together in the cold with a particular plump woman waving madly at the students pouring out of the train. That's how he saw Hermione, with her flowing brown mane and pair of watchful eyes which are directed at him, standing behind her two best friends with a rather drowsy Ginny Weaseley clinging to her like clothes on a line.

Draco threw her a quick glance in the split second she decided to do the same, but as always, she was the first to avert her eyes. They did all they can to stay away from one another since what happened in the room of requirement, Except in Potions class where they work silently beside each other, much to their classmates astonishment.

In his peripheral vision, he saw Hermione took her head into her hands and rubbed furiously at her drowsy eyes. And Draco, who had been feeling strange things for a long time now, felt an odd desire to go up to her and gaze into them, just to see what she was thinking right now, what emotions are running through her perfect little head. And then after realizing his own thoughts and feigning disgust, Draco told his head to shut up and hauled his luggage up to secure it in his grasp.

He continued walking, observant, one foot after another as he scanned the throng of witches and wizards with haggard faces hurrying to get home with their families. When he spotted his parent a few feet away, he felt his heart swell up.

"Draco." Except for the expensive robes and shiny staff on his gloved hand, Lucius Malfoy looks dire and gaunt. His blonde hair was swept in a slick on his back as always with a few silver strands falling on his arrogant countenance.

The two exchanged minimal nods and then two frail arms wrapped him in an embrace, one hand on his lean body while the other rested at the back of his neck. "Draco, my dear, Draco." Contrary to his father's cold greeting, Narcissa did not hold back. Draco felt a massive relief swept up his body and he sighed in ease. This feeling was better than anything and if you hadn't painstakingly waited for something important for so long that you feel your brain pulsating with every thought and your heart screaming the same noise in your head then you couldn't possibly know how it feels. Just imagine, Draco Malfoy, the cold arrogant antagonist closed his eyes tighter as he felt warm tears threatening to spill.

Lucius saw this immediately and had shielded him from the crowd and motioned his family to leave unless someone sees, what for him is something weak and embarrassing.

Hermione was watching all this from afar, like she's peering at Draco through a microscope, noticing the tiniest details invisible to bare eyes. She felt sorry for him, but she felt even sorrier for herself. At least he still has a family to go home to, hers are wandering somewhere in Australia completely oblivious that she exists.

Then as if contradict her miserable thought, Molly Weaseley pulled her in a bone crushing hug as she regarded how skinny she was and how bad she needed her to fix her hair to make it tolerable.

"We'll figure something, dear, I promise you." Molly was saying, rubbing the brown tresses between her fingers.

"Oh, er—thanks, Molly." Hermione replied as she patted her hair down feeling conscious of its lack of elegance.