So apparantly I got dumped. As in just a few days after my first chapter. Which lead to me being quite sad and distracted. But eeh, another chapter!

The ride up to the castle had been unremarkable, the three students enjoying their last moments of solitude with each other, talking about their respective summer adventures. As they sat down amongst their peers in the great hall, Hermione could not help but notice the slight decline in sixth year students. She had always thought it odd how the magical world sorted out further education, with apprenticeships starting from the sixth year, leading to a steadily decreasing student population in the latter years until there were hardly enough for one class in the seventh year. McGonagall had said they would talk more about her options after her OWL results, yet another thing she missed due to the kidnapping. Hermione had tried reading books about it during summer, but the ones she found had not said much. It was common to continue your general education until you were either accepted as an apprentice or to a specialisation school. A witches' Guide to a Career had included a list of different schools but not how to apply, or even a start of term date.

Harry's voice breaks her out of her musings "Hey, has anyone seen Neville yet?"

Looking around she sees he is right, Neville is missing, together with Parvati, how did she miss that?

"No, didn't see him on the train either." Seamus answers.

"Probably just transferred, he always did like his herbology and Hogwarts don't got any open spots for that." Dean says, shrugging his shoulders.

Would Neville really transfer without telling them? After all they have been through together? Hermione thinks before she voices her thoughts, "I don't know, it doesn't sound like Neville to just leave without sending an owl or something…"

Ron finally looks up from his food to meet her gaze, answering in a soft voice, "He could be with Luna though, right?" Prompting both Dean and Seamus to look away, eyes downcast, focusing on their food.

"We'll send him an owl and ask after the feast. We can also ask if he knows what happened to Luna." Harry says, voice strong and decisive. Hermione appreciated that about Harry, he knew that she needed to handle things right away, and disappearing friends definitely needs to be handled. Of course, he still has his less desirable quirks, she thinks as he changes the topic to his one true obsession… "So, everyone ready for quidditch try-outs later this week then?" Harry says, patting Dean roughly on his back.

The rest of the feast was spent talking about easy things, which mainly meant quidditch, leaving Hermione to her thoughts. At some point her eyes fall on Ginny further down the table, head held high talking to some girlfriends, hands shaking. As she notices Hermione looking, she meets her eyes, a small sad smile on her lips, but it gives Hermione hope. Maybe coming to Hogwarts was the right choice after all.

Similarly, she can see Draco on the other side of the hall, surrounded by his Slytherin kin. Impressively, Pansy appears to be alternating between clutching his arm, putting food on his plate, and from the looks of things leading the conversations around him. Meanwhile, his eyes are stuck to the plate, slowly pushing the food around, not even noticing her staring at him. She must find out what happened after they left, it must have been bad, with how fierce he had been that night and how broken he seems now. Something inside of her hurts seeing it, some motherly instinct trying to claw itself out screaming 'comfort the small ones'.

As the feast draws to a close McGonagall comes up to them, followed by Cormac McLaggen, the seventh year prefect. "You three, Harry, Ron, Hermione – I want to see you at my office first thing tomorrow, to talk about your future - here at Hogwarts or otherwise." She says sharply before turning around and walking away, leaving no room for an answer, and Cormac.

"Sixth years, with me! I have your schedules already, hurry up, I don't fancy waiting here just because you decided your second helping of dessert was worth more than my time." Cormac says, waving a stack of parchment in his hand as he slowly starts to walk out of the great hall, no look back to even see if they are listening.

That is odd, she thinks as she pulls a reluctant Ron up from his precious food, joining the other sixth years in scrambling after Cormac up to… what appears to be the Gryffindor tower? Definitely odd.

"Hey Cormac, I know you think we are itty bitty babies and all that, well except for when you want to hook up with a gal, but I swear we know where the tower is by now! - No need to hold our hands, I wasn't even done with my first dessert." Seamus yells as they get close.

"If you shut your trap for a few more minutes I can show you what I need to, and then you can go bother the elves for more cake all you want brat." He counters before muttering, "As if I wouldn't rather be doing something else…" Continuing his path into the Gryffindor common room.

As they arrived into tower, Hermione was starting to agree with Seamus, what in Merlin's name could Cormac show them in the tower that they did not already know? Either way, as the small gathering slowly pours into the common room she allows herself to look over the familiar setting. Taking a slow breath she can smell the fire, slight quidditch sweat, and something spicy, like fireworks, - probably a leftover from Fred and George. Everything that makes Gryffindor tower their home. The rest of the years where nowhere to be seen, probably unpacking in their new rooms and getting to know their roommates, or still in the great hall enjoying the dessert.

"As you might know the stairs to the left leads to the boys' dormitory, and the stairs to the right to the girls'." Cormac started, triggering a snicker, which quickly spread to the rest until everyone where trying not to laugh in varying success. "Yea yea, laugh if you want. - Anyway, as I was saying, the dormitories go from first years on the first floor and then up. Contrary to popular rumours the upper years are not only on the top to make it harder to sneak into your lovers rooms." A wolf whistle rang through the room, Seamus again of course. Cormac tactfully decided to ignore it.

"It also makes it possible to restrict the rooms from the lower years. At your age the school sees you as practically adults and treats you as such. This means that from now on you won't have to share a room, however no lower years are allowed into the sixth year rooms. You may not tell them anything about this either, it causes unnecessary drama you see. – So yea, that's the end of my required speech, off with you! Go explore your new rooms or something. - Oh, and girls, my door is always open if you need something!" Ending a very tactful speech for being Cormac, with a silly eyebrow wiggle, not surprising anyone after all these years.

Whilst the boys where rushing up their stairs, shouting about who was in what room, the girls slowly made their way up whilst shooting Cormac dirty glares. Well Hermione, and Fay were at least, not sure about Lavender. As she entered the sixth year hall it was clear they could not pick a room, the doors already had their name plates on them, one door for each girl. Entering her own room it was clear whoever designed the rest of Gryffindor tower designed it, with the same maroon and gold double bed. Whilst the room was obviously a bit smaller than their old dorm, it had its own hearth complete with a fluffy mat and loveseat next to it, a modestly sized bookshelf, and a desk for studying. The sole window overlooked the quidditch pitch, exactly the sort of view she wanted… Her trunk was at the usual spot beneath her bed, probably put there by some poor house elf.

Seeing no reason for exploring her new room too closely Hermione walked out to see if the other rooms were any different. As she was meeting Lavender in the hall they could hear this violent rustling sound. Taking a deep breath, Hermione restrained the urge to draw her wand and shove Lavender into the safety of her room.

"Oi, where do you think this leads Harry? It's locked" Ron's lovely, angelic voice could be heard above the rustling down the hall.

Sharing a look with Lavender they both made their way down to the end of the hallway where there was a door with no nameplate and a lock. The door was visibly shaking from what appeared to be Ron trying to open it, muttering alohomora. She could at least give him credit for not giving up.

"Ron you git, ever wondered if it's locked for a reason?" She said before quickly unlocking the door, making Ron fall forwards with a heavy grunt.

"Couldn't you have warned me first silly woman?" Above him was what appeared to be the rest of the boys, trying their best to either not laugh, or step over him to explore the other side of the door.

"Hey Mione, seems we got our own mini common room now" Harry, ever the pleaser says, spreading his arms in a welcoming fashion to the room. What he said seems true she notes as she steps in, the room behind them was truly the common room downstairs in miniature, a few sofas and tables, complete with another door on the other side leading to the boys rooms.

"Oh, I guess this is why you always saw the sixth and sevenths years so little." Lavender adds, stepping over Ron to get into the room to take a look around "I always assumed they were just off studying or something".

Meanwhile Seamus was slowly coming to a realization, a realization that made a wide lecherous smile blossom on his face. "Does this mean we have free access to the girl's rooms?"

"Oh please! Did you not notice the lock Ron so smoothly tried to get past? Just because you can now freely enter if a girl lets you doesn't mean you have free access." Hermione scoffed out whilst reaching a hand out to Ron.

After that the rest of the sixth year girls arrived, having explored their rooms more than Lavender and Hermione. The evening was spent relaxing in the common room exchanging words about summer. Tt was almost hilarious how much everyone did their best to avoid talking about anything that happened at the end of last term. Not that Hermione could judge, she did not want to be the one to bring up any memories, especially not in front of Ron now that he was finally getting better, and understandably neither did anyone else. It did lead to some awkward manoeuvring though, what with none of the so called golden trio wanting to talk about most of their summer.

"How is your godfather anyway Harry? Enjoying his freedom?" Said Dean in an attempt for a neutral subject. "I still can't believe they locked up the wrong person all those years…"

Drawing in a slow breath, considering what to actually answer. Sirius freedom was amazing, and he had hoped it would solve some of his issues. That some of the craziness from Azkaban would finally subside. "Mainly very busy, there has been so much work with getting his inheritance back, sorting out houses-"

At that Ron bursts out laughing, finally relaxing completely and putting his feet up on the table in front of him. "Throwing out the occasional mean relative who had moved in you mean? You should have seen their faces when Sirius the outcast came and threw them out!" Demonstrating various shocked and horrified faces.

Harry throws Ron a look of approval. "Ah yea, he truly enjoyed that one, possibly a bit too much - But honestly, I don't think he has had time to process it yet, that he is actually free." Leaning forwards a little in his seat, as if to tell them a secret "It was amazing the first time we went out to Diagon Alley, he was so jumpy, but then he insisted on running into every shop to buy something. Did you know there is a shop that only sells fancy hats? We now have more fancy hats than Neville's grandma, he even put some up on pedestals around the house!" Bringing a hand up to ruffle his hair to cover his eyes a bit, the same unconscious act he does when some firsties hero worship shows. "However, other than that I haven't really seen him much. We even had to cancel our trip to Italy because of some bank matter, not to mention all the political nonsense about his chair in the Wizengamot"

"Speaking of Neville" Hermione says, staring intensely at Harry and Ron.

Her words makes Ron tense up, raising his hands and saying, "Oh, common Mione, give the bloke some space. Didn't his grandma end up in the hospital after her fight with Bellatrix?"

"Isn't that all the more reason to contact him? Maybe he needs us?" She quickly replies, eyes wide and harsh.

Around them the rest seem uncomfortable, prompting Harry to intervene again. "Hey, let's go send that letter than shall we? Ron, you know she's right, he won't mind a letter, might even appreciate it." He says, as he gets up and gestures towards his room. "Thanks for the evening everyone, cya tomorrow"

As they leave Hermione can't help but noticing that Ron still seems tense. She refrains from commenting out of respect, ignoring how he skips helping them write and send the letter as he stretches out his frame on the identical loveseat in Harry's room.

After her and Harry finish sending Hedwig out with a quick note to Neville, they share a look, coming to a silent decision like only friends can. With a battle cry they simultaneously jump over the loveseat crashing down on Ron, breaking his staring contest with the fireplace.

"Ugh, can't breath… please- your too heavy!" Ron coughs out, even as he pulls both laughing teens down on top of him.

"You know, I would almost believe your pain if you weren't trying to sniff my bloody hair" Harry laughs out, giving up on stopping the red head and instead opting to draw Hermione closer.

Hermione decides to relish in the contact a bit before breaking the silence. "You know, we should probably go sleep… - Remember McGonagall wants to meet us early tomorrow." Making no move to leave the dogpile.

Harry slowly gets up "You can always sleep here if you want" looking at her hopefully.

"I.. It wouldn't be…"

"Please Mione" Ron says from beneath her.

"Okay, but not every night. People will start getting ideas, and you know they would blame me" She says, more for herself than them. Truthfully she could not imagine sleeping alone now that they were so close by. Something within her just felt restless without them. Quite similar to the feeling of walking down a dark alley by yourself, except it was not her, it was all of them alone in separate alleys.

So with that they went to bed. Hermione transfiguring some sleeping wear to avoid having to sneak back and forth, and all three squeezing into Harry's bed. Ron on his back in the middle with an arm around each of them, and the two smaller teens sleeping half on top of him. The last thing Hermione remembers thinking was 'thank Merlin that the beds are at least double size', and then, hell started.