The next day the two girls were on Kings cross station, everyone whispered and pointed towards them
"Can't they keep their bloody eyes off of us?" Ginny muttered
Hermione looked around the station, her eyes scanning the familiar faces, her heart ached with remembering the students that had lost their lives and weren't going to be coming back to school, that they wouldn't continue the rest of their lives
That's when she made eye contact with Malfoy, he was already looking at her, an eyebrow raised, it felt awfully familiar but she shook it off, she rolled her eyes and turned back to Ginny
"Why is Malfoy staring at you?"
"Don't know, don't care" Hermione answered, she saw Ron and Harry on the platform, they were busy beating hoarded by women to see the two girls
"Have you and Harry talked?" Hermione asked
"No, we haven't..." Ginny sighed "have you talked to Ron?"
Hermione groaned, she shook her head
"I don't...my feelings for him disappear after the kiss in the chambers...I just don't know how to tell him" Hermione sighed
"I can't trust Harry again, he gave himself up and I saw him dead...I'm terrified that this is the dream and that is reality"
"Let's make a pack" Hermione suggested "we stay single until we realize what we want"
"Deal...maybe we could find your young lover"
"Ginevra Molly Weasley you being him up one more time and I'll smack you" Hermione warned
The young witch laughed and got on the train, Hermione followed and the two of them found an empty cabin, they settled down and Ginny continued teasing her
Hermione kicked her hard
"Will you stop?" She laughed
"Okay I'll stop...but I got to ask, what else can you do?"
"What do you mean?"
"You do ballet, but what else were you taught?"
Hermione sighed
"I play the violin, the piano, and I know how to horseback ride" Hermione answered "I was a very active child and my parents worked to much when I was young, this caused my accidental magic to cause more frequently and more aggressive, my parents found someone that could keep me occupied"
"Wait...did your parent know?"
"About my magic? I think they were informed when I started having outbursts at school, I was four when I started doing all of that" she explained
The door opened
"Over my dead body"
Hermione turned to the new comers
"Malfoy there aren't any other carts" Blaise sighed
"Yes well this cart is the last place that we will find a seat" Draco answered annoyed
"Either enter or leave, but stop standing around like idiots" Ginny ordered
Blaise shoved Draco in and forced him to sit on the couch that Hermione was sitting, leaving a great distance between them, Blaise sat across from Draco and the two wizards had a intense starting contest
An awkward silence fell over the cabinet, an uncomfortable cough here and there
"I-I think I'm going to go get ready..." Hermione said, grabbing her uniform and all but running out of the cabinet, she took a deep breath and walked to the change rooms
She stripped down and changed into her uniform, trying to pull her hair into a ponytail to try to prevent it from falling over her face
Hermione looked into the mirror, she had bags under her eyes and her cheeks were hollow, she rubbed her eyes and rolled her neck, she closed her eyes and leaned on the sink
"I'm scared"
Eight year old Hermione Granger had her first dance show in front of a thousand people
Madam Marie-Rose knelt down and looked Hermione in the eyes
"You can do it mon bel ange, take a deep breath and lose yourself to the song, show them all that you belong on the stage" she smiled
"But—"
"Keep your head held high, take a deep breath and I'll be waiting here for you when your done"
Hermione nodded timidly, she touched the ring and took a deep breath, the song began and she made her way to center stage
She quickly glanced towards the side stage and saw her teacher smiling softly at her
Hermione looked forward
"I can do this"
Hermione raised her head and stared at her reflection
"I can do this" she whispered to herself
She gently touched the ring before tucking it into her shirt and exiting the change rooms, she wasn't looking where she was going and crashed into someone
"I'm sorry" she squeaked, bending down to pick up her things, she looked up and saw Malfoy glaring at her, she returned the glare and stood straight, her chin raised and she waited for him to move, he was at least two heads taller than her which caused her to crane her neck
"Mind moving Granger? I don't have all day" Draco drawled
She didn't move for a moment
"Bloody Gryffindors are so stubborn" he muttered and moved to the side
Hermione smirked and continued walking towards the cabinet, Blaise and Ginny were still ignoring one another
"Took you long enough" Ginny muttered
"Sorry" Hermione apologized
Blaise stood up without another word and left to go change, Ginny sighed with relief and sunk into the couch
"What's the matter with you?" Hermione asked
Ginny quickly stood up and left the cabinet, Hermione narrowed her eyes in suspicion but was interrupted by the door opened in and revealing a very annoyed Draco Malfoy with a bruising jaw
"What in Merlins name happened to you?" Hermione asked before she could stop herself
"Your guard dog Weaselbee" Draco spat, he sat across from her and rubbed his jaw
Hermione rolled her eyes, of course Ron had down something stupid
"Well you probably deserved it" Hermione said "you probably riled him up on purpose" she added
"I did no such thing, your dog came up to me and started yelling and punching me" Draco said, glaring at her
The door opened and Blaise entered
"Oh for the love of everything good, look I'm head boy and I'm ordering you two to make amends" Blaise said
"I beg your pardon?" Both Draco and Hermione asked
"Make amends" Blaise ordered and closed the door standing guard
"He must be off of meds if he thinks that we'll make amends" Hermione swore
"He's as stubborn as a mule, he won't let us get out unless we make amends" Draco muttered
"ZABINI!" Hermione screamed
She hit the door with her palm, Blaise didn't budge even though his shoulders were shaking
The bloody wizard was laughing at them
"I will hex you until you forget your name! Let me out!" Hermione ordered
"He won't budge" Draco said
Hermione groaned and sat on the couch, crossing her arms and legs while glaring out the window
The train started nearing the station
"Fine." Hermione spat, she extended her hand and waited for him to shake it "Truce?" She asked
Draco smirked and let her simmer for a moment before shaking her hand, this scene felt awfully familiar for Hermione but she quickly shook his hand and pulled away, standing up and fixing her uniform before walking to the door, that's when she saw Ginny standing across from Blaise
"I'm going to murder her" Hermione muttered under her breath
"Open the door Blaise" Draco ordered
Blaise turned around and smirked while opening the door, Hermione glared at Ginny who gulped
"In my defence—" she began
"Don't." Hermione ordered, Ginny shrunk down
"It was his idea" Ginny squeaked
"Don't throw me under the bus Red, this was much my idea as it was yours" Blaise said
The train came to a stop and the two girls walked away from the boys, Hermione was scolding Ginny who kept rolling her eyes
"I get it Mum, I'm sorry"
Hermione smacked the back of her head, the two girls neared the carriages and Hermione froze
"Oh" Ginny whispered softly, she turned to Hermione who was frozen to her spot
"Come on" she whispered
"I-I can't move..." Hermione said
"Hermione—"
"I physically cannot move...I-I—"
"Hermione breath" Ginny whispered, she knew how the war took a toll on Hermione, she had heard the whispers of people who hadn't even fought saying that since Hermione was 'the brightest witch of the age' she should have saved everyone, Ginny hexed everyone who whispered those insults but the words have reached Hermione
"Hermione—"
"I can't breath" Hermione cried softly, she was having a panic attack
Lavender Brown - Dead
Colin Creevy - Dead
Fred Weasley- Dead
Nymphadora Lupin née Tonk - Dead
Remus Lupin - Dead
Hermione was fighting for breath, Ginny had managed to pull her to the side before Hermione collapsed and tried to untie her tie
The names of everyone who lost their lives in the war screamed in her head
"She's Hermione Granger, she should have saved them—"
"So much for the brightest witch—"
"It's her fault that they're dead—"
"P-Please" Hermione sobbed
Ginny didn't know what to do, Hermione hadn't had a panic attack in months and she didn't know how to help her
"Think of your lessons" Ginny blurted out, it was the first thing that came to her head
"Breath child, you can't perform if you don't breath"
Hermione was nine years old now, her horse was nudging her gently
"I'm okay Vixen" Hermione whispered, she turned to four year old Trakehner — a birthday present from madam Marie-Rose— she kissed the white spot on the horse and connected her forehead to hers, she felt a hand on her shoulder and smiled softly
"Breath Hermione, in through the nose, out through the mouth"
Hermione followed the instructions, her blood slowed down and the ringing in her ears faded
She looked to Ginny who was looking at her worriedly
"I'm sorry"
Hermione wasn't talking about the panic attack and Ginny knew it, the red hair witch sat beside her and Hermione put her head on her shoulder
"It wasn't your fault" she whispered
"But—"
"Fate had already planned on taking my brother, there was nothing you could have done, he's in a better place now, and—and we'll get better but it wasn't your fault" Ginny told Hermione, hoping that the stubborn witch would hear her words
"I hear the whispers...I know you hex them but I still hear them" Hermione said
Ginny sighed
"They are people who just have big mouths, they don't know everything you did"
The two girls stayed there for a few more minutes before standing up and making their way towards the last carriage
"Oh you have to be joking" Hermione frowned
"Look at that" Blaise smirked
The two girls got into the carriage, it began to move while they were all silent
The awkward ride finally came to an end, Hermione got out of the carriage and waited for Ginny to join her
"Hermione!"
Hermione groaned, she looked towards Ron who was fuming
"I suggest dear brother that the insult on the tip of your tongue be swallowed back before I hex you into next year" Ginny threatened
Ron glared at his sister who glared back
"While you two glare at one another, I'm going inside" Hermione said, leaving the group, she was unwillingly joined by Blaise Zabini and an unwilling Draco Malfoy
"Can I help you?" She asked annoyed
"We're just going the same way" Blaise answered
Hermione rolled her eyes, her hand twitched to play with the ring but she thought better of it, instead she rolled her eyes
"Bloody Slytherins and their annoying smirks" she muttered
They entered the great hall and found their tables, she sat beside Harry and began grabbing some food
"Why did you just walk in with Malfoy and Zabini?" Harry asked
Hermione groaned with annoyance
"None of your bloody business" that was all Hermione said