Hermione waved goodbye as her friends walked away from the train and towards the carriages that pulled the carriages.
"Alright firs' years, come with me! This way!" Hagrid's booming voice called as he walked towards the lake, groups of small first years trailing behind him as he led the way.
Hermione smiled to herself, at least some things hadn't changed.
Hermione waited until the mob of students began to thin before she walked back onto the train, starting at the front car before moving through the train to where she would eventually meet up with Malfoy.
When Hermione was about half way through the train when she spotted a small lump pressed against the side of the train car. Hermione frowned, someone left their luggage behind.
It wasn't until she moved closer that she saw the luggage was moving, up and down. It was when she finally saw the black hair curled into tiny loops around the boys head that she realized it wasn't luggage that she was staring at after all, it was a small boy.
She hurried to drop next to him, trying to gently coax him awake.
He barely even flinched.
Hermione huffed, putting a hand on his shoulder and jostling it slightly, "Come on, wake up."
Nothing.
"OI! GET YOUR ARSE OUT OFF THE TRAIN AND INTO THE CARRIAGE BEFORE I TAKE POINTS AWAY FROM HUFFLEPUFF!" A voice belted from across the train car.
The boy woke with a yell and sprinted out of the car in fear.
Hermione stood slowly, glaring at Draco so hard her face began to ache, "Do you always have to be a bloody arsehole?"
"Would it make you feel better if I told you I was being sarcastic?" Draco asked drily as he strutted up to her side.
Hermione shook her head at him, "No, because then you'd be lying."
Draco shrugged nonchalantly, "Suit yourself."
"Let's just get back to the castle, are you done with your half?" Hermione asked, already leading the way off the train.
"Yes, as well as part of yours because you decided to play Mother with that second year," Draco raised his eyebrow at her pointedly.
Hermione scoffed at him, brushing him off.
"I forgot to get my luggage from the train, I'll meet you at the carriage," Draco suddenly remembered, turning away from her and walking back towards the train.
Hermione had grabbed her luggage and dragged it to the side first thing. She went there now to retrieve it and levitated the luggage behind her after she realized there would be too much to carry with her two hands.
She turned the corner into the trees, where the last carriage for the heads was parked.
Hermione stumbled when she saw it.
The thestrals.
She hadn't been able to see them before. Not before the war. Not before she witnessed hundreds of children and adults die before her very own eyes.
Her chest heaved as she struggled to take in a deep breath, but it wasn't working.
Images flickered in her brain, her eyes closed at the pain, but that only made the images more vivid.
Her chest was tightening, as if her insides were being crushed by an imaginary weight shoved against her chest. Her heart was ramming against body now, as if it were trying to escape.
It was too much, she couldn't think, she couldn't even breathe-
"Woah," a voice startled her, "Granger, are you alright?"
Hermione's eyes flew open and she wheezed, struggling to get air into her lungs, her eyes wide with panic.
Malfoy started towards her, but she was worried he'd only make it worse. She stumbled back a few steps, holding her hand out towards him, he stood dead in his tracks.
Hermione nodded slightly, "Fine. Just - give me a second, okay?"
Hermione walked away from him, focusing on her breathing.
She'd just experienced a panic attack.
Hermione was no stranger to the attacks, almost every time she woke from a nightmare she'd throw herself into one. This was the first one she'd experienced in broad daylight, let alone in front of someone.
Of course, out of anyone it had to be Malfoy.
As soon as Hermione maintained control over her breathing, she wiped the moisture from her eyes and walked to the carriage.
While Hermione had been pulling herself together, Malfoy had pulled her luggage into the carriage as well as his own.
Hermione pulled herself up into the carriage, eyes glued to the floor as she avoided looking at the thestral. This also allowed her to ignore Malfoy easier.
The carriage began moving up the road to the school with a jerk and Hermione took another deep breath.
"Are you alright?" Malfoy's voice whispered.
Hermione bristled suddenly and nodded slightly once. She hated this. She hated having this much attention on her and she was desperate to change the subject.
"I'm sorry to hear about your father." She said quietly.
She realized this probably wasn't the best subject to change it to, but she was desperate, and she had been meaning to tell him after hearing of his father's death during the war.
"You don't have to do that, Granger," Malfoy sighed.
Hermione looked up to see Malfoy staring at her with sad eyes. Hermione's heart panged sympathetically for him, "I know. I mean it. I'm sorry."
"Don't apologize for things that aren't your fault," he croaked, before clearing his throat to cover his brief moment of weakness.
Hermione decided to stop talking. She didn't see this conversation going in a better direction, better to just let it die.
Hermione sat back slightly in her seat, confused by the boy - no, man sitting in front of her. He wasn't a kid anymore, none of them were. Not after what they have all been through.
Malfoy's eyes were suddenly fixated on the wood flooring of the carriages.
Hermione watched as the wind swept his platinum hair to the side and as his face rippled slightly as he worked his jaw. His eyebrows were tugged down as if by a string.
His shoulders were hunched over as he dug his elbows into his thighs, as if he was trying to make himself smaller. His right leg bounced every one in a while, as if it were being shocked with electricity. His hands were laced together, creating a platform for him to rest his chin against, his veins sticking out of his hands.
"Can't help but stare, can you Granger?"
Hermione's eyes snapped back to his as his lips spread into a small smile.
"I wasn't-" she began to defend herself.
Malfoy straightened, his smile growing, "It's alright. I forgive you. After all, it's pretty hard not to."
Hermione's cheeks warmed slightly as the carriage jolted to a stop in front of the school.
Both made their way off the carriage, their luggage levitating once again behind them as they walked into the entrance hall.
Hermione ignored the grin on Malfoy's face as they slid their luggage onto the floor next to the rest.
As they walked to the Great Hall, the chatter quieted significantly as heads turned to see who the head girl and head boy were.
There were snickers, laughter, gasps, but mostly just utter silence as students struggled to pick their chins up from the ground.
Malfoy and Hermione ignored all of the above as they made their way to their respective tables.
Conversation soon erupted once again, now with a similar topic.
"Well, I see Malfoy's still in one piece," Ginny observed, visibly disappointed, "I really thought you had it in you, 'Mione."
Ron waved her off, "Come on now Ginny, she can't hex the poor bastard the first day of term! She has to mind her time."
Ginny groaned, "I hate waiting."
"I wonder why, you're just bloody fantastic at it," Harry's mouth worked as he tried to keep the smile off his face.
Ginny narrowed her eyes at him murderously.
The room quieted immediately as the doors to the great hall opened, revealing the awe struck faces of this years first years.
They paused before the high table and began to approach the wooden stool to be sorted.
Hermione watched in a sort of haze. She smiled sadly as she mentally relived her past years at Hogwarts. What she would give to have a fresh start, to go through Hogwarts - the right way.
Ginny nudged Hermione as the sorting ceremony wrapped up, "You alright?"
Hermione smiled and nodded, "Just tired."
Merlin, the only thing she was tired of was using that as a cover story.
"Welcome all of you to another wonderful year at Hogwarts. As you all know, last year's seventh years were invited back to finish her last year at Hogwarts properly. We recognize the war was hard on all of you, as it was on us. Please, do not hesitate to approach a professor, prefect, or the head girl or head boy if you are in need of any support. I expect all of you to work hard and to take this year seriously. Now, without further delay, let the feast begin."
• • •
Hermione wanted nothing more than to crawl into her bed and sleep off the lasting effects of her panic attack, but she couldn't leave until McGonagall dismissed everyone.
"'Mione, where is this common room you and Malfoy are supposed to share?" Ginny asked curiously.
"It's on the third floor, turn right and it's the first portrait to the right," Hermione said with a yawn, "I'm not sure what the password is yet, Malfoy and I have to make it together."
They nodded in understanding before McGonagall addressed the great hall once again, dismissing everyone and instructing the first years to follow the prefects to their common rooms.
To Hermione's relief, Malfoy was also bouncing out of his seat.
Hermione said goodbye to her friends and moved to meet Malfoy in the entrance hall.
Wordlessly, Malfoy and Hermione made their way up to the third floor before standing before their portrait, which was of-
"FRED!" Hermione exclaimed in shock and awe.
"Awh 'Mione, it's so good to see you," Fred's eyes gleamed.
When Malfoy caught up and stood beside her, Fred's eyes instinctively narrowed at him, "You two are the heads?"
Both nodded shortly, making brief eye contact with each other.
"Alright then. What password do you lot want?" Fred asked, still skeptical.
Hermione shrugged and looked at Malfoy, "Third? For the floor number?"
Malfoy shrugged as well, "Easy enough."
Fred nodded happily before narrowing his eyes at Malfoy, "Perfect. Now, you little ferret, are not to lay a hand on her, don't piss her off, and for the love of Godric, if you do anything to piss me off, I will retaliate so hard you won't be able to sleep you'll be so scared."
"Already can't sleep, so the distraction would be welcomed," Malfoy replied drily.
Fred gave him a look, not satisfied.
"Fine, yes. I won't," Malfoy rolled his eyes.
Satisfied, Fred opened the portrait, "Night 'Mione!"
"Night Fred!" She called back as she walked through the portrait.
The common room was beautiful, filled with several sofas and a fireplace, as well as several windows. There was an even mix of gold and silver, representing both Gryffindor and Slytherin.
Hermione smiled at the sight before sighing, "Well, I'm off to bed."
With that she walked to her bedroom, shutting the door behind her as she took in the sight.
There was gold and red everywhere, with subtle silver thrown in as an accent. She shook her head at the subtle attempt and threw herself onto her bed, but not before she casted a noise canceling charm.
That was the only way to keep people from asking questions, from worrying, was to prevent them from hearing her screams.
• • •
Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh finally a chapter in this book I like lol.