Summary:
After the war, Hermione returns to Hogwarts to complete her studies, along with the infamous Draco Malfoy. As an unexpected friendship develops between the two, can Hermione put her past behind her, and learn to love again?
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter in any way, though I would love to. Everything written here is purely for enjoyment purposes and not to be sold for any profit.
Rating: T
Spoilers: For almost every book.
Author's Note:
Hello there! -waves- This story has been on my mind since nearly a year ago, but it was only recently that I started to pen it down. I have around 5-6 chapters already written out for this story, so the first few updates will be pretty regular. Unfortunately I'm going into junior college soon and I'll be quite busy, especially during exam periods and project deadlines, so please forgive me if I take a long time to update the rest of the story!
Hopefully this story will be different from your typical Dramione stories :) The first two chapters may be a little draggy/boring, but I promise that the story really picks up after that :)
This story begins after DH (ignore the Epilogue).
"True love is like ghosts, which everybody talks about and few have seen."
-La Rochefoucauld
Chapter 1: Moving On
Hermione Granger and Draco Malfoy loathed each other. It was an undisputed fact that was never opposed. They were exact opposites, like fire and ice, night and day. They were constantly bickering and getting on each other's nerves. The thought of them being in the same room was enough to make Hermione sick.
But that year, that one unforgettable year, everything between them changed. And Hermione's life was never the same again.
Three months later, Hermione Granger still found it hard to believe that the war was over. Ironically, it was strange to see how everything was back to…normal. She had spent nearly half her life fighting Voldemort and living in constant fear of him, so much that it felt strange when she was finally freed of him.
Somehow, it just all seemed so surreal.
Being an over-achiever, Hermione Granger needed goals in her life. Ever since she had been enrolled in Hogwarts seven years ago, her primary focus had always been helping Harry defeat Voldemort. Unknown to her, Voldemort had played such a crucial role in her life that when he was finally gone and disappeared from the surface of the Earth for good, she had not known what to do.
That was, until she received that letter from Hogwarts.
[Flashback] Two months ago
It was the summer after the final battle. The sun was unusually hot for the month of July, with occasional cool gusts of wind blowing through the window. Hermione Granger and her two best friends, Ron Weasley and Harry Potter were sitting at the kitchen table in the Burrow, finishing up their breakfast consisting of bacon and eggs – Hermione's favorite.
Hermione had, as usual, been invited by Ron and Mrs. Weasley to spend the summer at the Burrow. She had tried to deny the offer initially, seeing that the Weasleys probably needed time to heal their wounds, physically and emotionally, from the war and she didn't want to intrude on their family's privacy.
But Mrs Weasley had insisted on her and Harry coming, and quite frankly, there was no way she could reject the offer, given that she had literally no place to live in now. Right after the battle, Hermione had immediately flown to Australia and tried to locate her parents, but to no avail. Perhaps she had cast too strong an enchantment on her parents, or perhaps they had hidden themselves too well. No matter how hard she tried, she could not find them. But she never gave up searching for them, clinging onto every piece of information that she had, hoping that one day, she would finally be able to reunite with them.
When she first arrived at The Burrow, she didn't know what to do. There was a heavy air surrounding the house, filled with grief and sadness. She and Harry tried to help out around the house as much as they could, keeping themselves busy so as to avoid having to face any of the Weasleys, as often such interaction would just result in awkward and uncomfortable silences. Hermione had never seen such an unhappy and broken family before, and without Fred around, it just didn't feel the same.
After weeks of mourning, the Weasleys finally emerged from the shell they had built around themselves, realizing that Fred would have wanted to leave the world the same way he had tried to construct it – filled with happiness and mischief instead of sorrow or grief. Although still pained by Fred's death, they acknowledged that there was nothing they could do to change events in the past. It was time to move on.
"Mate, just this once…?" Ron was trying to persuade Harry into coaching him Quidditch, and the latter was mumbling something incoherent but Hermione got the general gist that he didn't want to do so. Leaning back into the soft, comfortable dinner chair, she smiled involuntarily. She was so happy that Ron was back to his normal self, smiling, laughing, and most importantly, he stopped blaming himself for what happened during the war.
Just then, Ginny came down the stairs, looking disheveled, as she did every morning.
"Morning Harry," Ginny yawned sleepily as she kissed Harry on the cheek, causing the latter to blush. Ron looked disgusted and pretended to choke on his food, receiving a sharp glare from Ginny.
"What?" Ron asked defensively, "You haven't even greeted me!"
"Oh shut up, Ron," Ginny rolled her eyes at her brother. "Get used to it. Stop being a jealous prat."
Hermione suppressed a laugh as Ron nearly spitted out his water and stared at Ginny. "I'm not j-jealous!" He spluttered. His sister merely raised her eyebrows at him and shrugged, a smirk evident on her face.
That Ginny, Hermione thought with a knowing grin. She and Ron are going to drive each other mad one of these days.
Shifting her gaze to Harry, who was smiling to himself, Hermione couldn't felt but feel a twinge of sadness. Harry and Ginny were now practically glued together, and everyone knew that they were a couple. Hermione was genuinely happy for them, honest – she always thought the two were so compatible for each other, and she was really glad that after all Harry had been through, he could finally receive his share of happiness that he truly deserved. But maybe, she admitted to herself, deep down, she was jealous of Ginny – well, just a tiny bit – jealous that she had a boyfriend who really loved and cared for her.
It was not that she liked Harry in that way, their relationship was purely platonic. But Hermione knew Harry well enough to know that he would always care for Ginny, always be there when she needed him and put her before himself. He was that selfless.
But as for herself and Ron…well, she didn't even know if they were considered an item together. True, they had kissed last year, and they had held hands a couple of times, but other than that, nothing else had happened. Sometimes she couldn't pinpoint why exactly she was attracted to Ron, but the feeling was just right whenever she was with him. She felt comfortable, contented, happy.
But ever since after the war, Ron had not made any affectionate gestures to her, and they had not talked about them at all. Hermione knew Ron had a lot on his mind, and she was probably not his top priority right after the war (and she didn't blame him in the slightest bit), but now, everything seemed to be back to normal –almost, anyway, and she had still not receive any indications from Ron that assured her that he wanted to continue this relationship.
Trying to get rid of her insecurities, Hermione shook her head and returned her focus to the Daily Prophet in front of her. On the front page, in large, bold, and flashing colours, was the headline: "Campaign by parents for Hogwarts to allow students to retake N.E.W.T.s".
Actually, this was exactly what she had been brooding over all summer – the fact that she did not complete her schooling at Hogwarts, all thanks to Voldemort. How would she be able to find a job when she had never even sat for her N.E.? None of her friends could understand, or even comprehend, her fears, and tried to reassure her that with her exceptional O.W.L. results, she would already be automatically qualified for every profession she wished to take on. But Hermione did not just want any job; she wanted to do something that was fulfilling – challenging, even – and could grant her a sense of direction and satisfaction in life. And sadly, till now, although she loved all her classes, and loved learning in general, she just did not have a specific interest or direction to go.
Harry's going to be an Auror, that's for sure. Ron loves Quidditch, and he's good at it too, Hermione had to admit. He would probably join the national team as a Keeper.
Both of my best friends already have an idea of what they want to achieve in life, but what about me?
Heaving a sigh, she looked up, staring into the sky through the window as she rested her chin on her hand. Until now, the only goal in her life had been to do well for exams (well, apart from saving her friends from Voldemort, of course). But school was over a month ago.
I wish I could talk to my parents about this. I wish they were here. Hermione found, to her great annoyance, that her eyes were tearing up again. Stop it, she told herself firmly. I'll figure it all out sooner or later.
Wanting to temporarily forget about all her troubles, Hermione pushed herself off the chair and stood up. Stretching her arms, she glanced at the window from the corner of her eye again.
That was when something in the distance caught her sharp eye. She squinted, trying hard to identify the three black dots flying towards her.
Is someone flying to the Burrow? No, wait, are those…owls? As soon as Hermione had realized that, three large owls soared through the window into the room noisily (and she had to duck her head to avoid being flown into), each carrying an envelope with handwriting on it that looked suspiciously like Minerva McGonagall's.
"What's this?" Ron's voice echoed all their thoughts as they stared at the huge owls perching on the table top. Lifting her gaze from the owls, Hermione shared a surprised look with Harry and Ron, that clearly said, What could Professor McGonagall possibly write to us for? It has only been a month since we've left Hogwarts!
Shrugging, Harry was the first to move forward, reaching to untie the letter addressed to him from the leg of the snowy white owl. The owl hooted and flapped its wings noisily, apparently glad to have his legs freed. Hermione and Ron followed suite, their hands fumbling with the knot.
Hermione pulled out the letter from her envelope eagerly and read:
HOGWARTS SCHOOL OF WITCHCRAFT AND WIZARDRY
Headmistress: Minerva McGonagall
Dear Miss Granger,
We are pleased to inform you that Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry would like to invite you back for your eighth year to complete your education here. As you are officially of age, it is your choice whether or not you wish to attend the school in the fall.
Should you make your return, you will be joining the Seventh Years in their lessons, seeing that you have completely missed out on the previous year. We are also pleased to inform you that upon your return, you would be given the title of Head Girl. Please find enclosed your Head Girl badge. You are expected to wear it when you report to Hogwarts.
Attached is a list of books and supplies required for your school year. Term begins on 1st September. We await your owl by no later than 31 July.
Yours sincerely,
Minerva McGonagall
Headmistress of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry
Hermione's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets as she finished reading the letter. As she looked up and met Harry's gaze, her eyes sparkled with delight. "Oh Harry! Do you know what this means? We'll get to see all of our friends again! And complete our studies with N.E.!"
"Oh, great," Ron mumbled gruffly as he finally looked up from his letter. "And I thought I could avoid going through the horror of N.E.W.T, or all that homework for that matter."
"Oh, come off it, Ron!" Hermione laughed, obviously thrilled at the thought of returning to Hogwarts. "You – " she started, then stopped abruptly as she stared at her letter again. In all her excitement, the message that she was a Head Girl had not sunk in, until then. Rubbing her eyes disbelievingly, she scanned through the letter again, before quickly turned her envelope over to confirm her thoughts. Sure enough, a scarlet and gold object fell out and dropped to the floor with a loud 'clank'.
"Oh, my," Hermione whispered in astonishment as she bent down to pick up the round object from the floor, her hands shaking. It was a large badge with the words "Head Girl" carved on it in shiny golden letters. She could hardly believe her eyes.
Hermione Granger, the new Head Girl.
This was what she had wanted ever since she had first known about the position from her book, Hogwarts, A History even before she attended the school. And now - Hermione felt a smile tugging at her lips - she did it. She, Hermione Granger, was going to be the Head Girl of Hogwarts! She simply could not wait to owl her parents about the news. They would be so proud of her. Her thoughts wandered to her lost parents, but she quickly shook her head to rid herself of that thought. Now was not the time to be brooding over their disappearance.
"Wow! Blimey, Hermione, you're…you're a head girl!" Ron exclaimed, his mouth open in shock as he snatched the badge from Hermione's outstretched hand and examined it carefully. "Congratulations!"
"Well done, Mione!" Harry grinned, leaning towards Ron to examine her badge. "Always knew it'd be you."
Hermione blushed at their praise and smiled again as she held the badge in her hands. "Thanks, guys."
"Thought you'd be made the Head Boy though, mate," Ron said, turning towards Harry.
"I couldn't have been," Harry laughed, shaking his head. "I've broken way too many rules. I'm guessing that it's Ernie, or than Ravenclaw prefect, Anthony, I think."
Hermione bit her lips. She had thought that either Ron or Harry would have been made the Head Boy, given all their contributions to the wizarding world. She really couldn't think of anyone more suitable for the role than her two best friends.
Shrugging to herself, she tried to put aside that thought. She trusted Professor McGonagall enough to believe that she must have had her own reasons for that.
[End of Flashback]
So here she was, ready to begin another year at Hogwarts. Hermione was determined to make the most out of her final year at Hogwarts, and for once, Voldemort would not intervene in any part of her life.
"Hermione?" She was jerked out of her thoughts as someone waved a hand in front of her. "You OK?"
"Yes, Harry, I'm fine," She smiled at her concerned dark-haired friend. "Just thinking about…you know, the beginning of a school year without Voldemort."
She observed Harry carefully as his face broke into a grin. "Yeah," he said, his eyes flashing, "Yeah. I know, Hermione." It must have been such a relief for him, Hermione realized, looking at her friend fondly. I've never seen him as happy as he did for the past few months.
"OI!" Hermione winced as Ronald Weasley's loud voice broke them off. "Are you two ever coming? I'm not gonna save you seats if you don't hurry up!"
Sharing an amused look with each other, Hermione and Harry caught up with Ron, and together, they entered the Great Hall. As usual, four long rows of tables filled up under the dark ceiling, which was enchanted to look like the dark sky above. Candles floated in midair, illuminating the hall with students chatting eagerly to one another, exchanging greetings and the latest summer news.
Heads turned and voices whispered as soon as they entered the hall. But Hermione was already used to this. Wherever Harry went, people would be discussing about him and Voldemort's downfall. But at least this was way better than back in their fifth year, when Hermione was one of the only few who believed in Harry, while others called him a liar behind his back. Except for people like Malfoy, Hermione thought irately, who couldn't care less about humiliating Harry in his face.
They found a place at the Gryffindor table and sat down, with Ron and Harry on both sides of Hermione, and immediately golden plates and goblets appeared before them. Hermione was pleased to see that the majority of the students in their year had also returned to complete their schooling – Neville Longbottom, Dean Thomas, Seamus Finnigan, Lavender Brown and Parvati Patil, just to name a few.
"So you're back, too?" Dean Thomas grinned at them. "I wonder how many of us are back. It's sure going to be an interesting year, don't you think?"
" 'Course," Seamus grunted. "You three are lucky, you skipped the whole year. But we have to learn everything over again, just so we can complete our N.E.W.T.s which Yo-," Seamus's voice faltered slightly, but continued, "-Voldemort has disrupted. I wouldn't even have come here if not for my mom threatening to kick me out of the house if I don't take my N.E.W.T.s."
Hermione nodded her head in response, choosing to ignore his brief hesitation, as she looked around at the other tables, spotting Luna Lovegood, Hannah Abbott, and Cho Chang. They waved to her happily, and she returned the gesture.
"Wonder if Malfoy's back as well," Harry leaned in and whispered to her, his sharp eyes scanning the Slytherin table.
Hermione's eyes followed Harry's as she cast a glance over at the students at the table near the other end of the hall. Few Slytherins she knew had returned, but she spotted Pansy Parkinson and Blaise Zabini talking away at the edge of the table. Scanning through the unfamiliar faces, the smile on Hermione's lips died down immediately as she spotted Draco Malfoy, and the silver, shining badge on his robes that no doubt spelt "Head Boy".
A/N: So that's the end of the first chapter :) How did you find it so far? Please let me know by clicking that little button at the end of the page ;) (you know what I mean, review!) All comments and constructive criticism are appreciated!