Three Hallows' Eve || Harmione & Jily

Chapter 15.4

Blessedly, the train whistle sounded loudly across the platform at that moment, saving them all from the slightly awkward moment he'd accidentally created.

'Two minutes! Time to get you two on board!' Dad announced, and he collected Harry into his arms as Hermione's parents did the same with her. Dad whispered into his ear as they embraced, 'Have tons of fun and don't do anything I wouldn't do.'

'That doesn't really mean much,' Harry pointed out as he pulled away, and Dad grinned cheekily.

'I know.'

Next for a farewell hug was Thea, who was starting to look really quite glum about the thought of Harry finally leaving. He grabbed her in a tight hug and rocked her slightly. 'Hey, I'm coming back at Christmas. You'll see me again before you know it!'

She sniffed into his shoulder. 'I'm going to miss you.'

'I'm going to miss you too.'

He kissed her on the top of the head and she reluctantly let him go, immediately turning into Dad's arms as Harry turned to Mum.

'Study hard but remember to have fun. Be careful and write at least once a week. Oh, and ignore whatever your Dad just told you,' she instructed as they embraced.

Harry laughed, but tightened his hold on her suddenly. Excited as he was, the prospect of leaving his family behind for several months suddenly didn't feel quite so appealing. 'I love you,' he whispered.

'I love you too. Now go on, before the train leaves without you.'

Reluctantly, he withdrew from Mum's arms and took a step back. With a shaky smile, he gave them a small wave before turning towards the train. At the door to the carriage closest to them, Mr Granger had just hauled Hermione's trunk onto the train and was bidding her farewell. An idea came to mind just then.

He headed towards that door and climbed up behind the father and daughter. When they pulled apart, he quietly cleared his throat, and smiled bashfully when they both turned their attention towards him. 'Hello, um, me and my friend have got a compartment - well, he's found a compartment for us somewhere on the train - and I wondered if, maybe, you'd like to join us?'

Hermione looked at him shyly for a moment, and when she didn't respond, he started rapidly backpedalling.

'O- of course, if you don't want to, that's fine too! I just-'

Mr Granger nudged Hermione on the shoulder and seemingly kickstarted her into working order.

'Oh! Sorry! Yes! I mean - if it's no problem - yes, that'd be lovely,' she babbled shyly, and Harry beamed.

'Oh, yeah! Alright, cool.'

The train whistle sounded again and Mr Granger hopped off of the train with a rushed goodbye. As the carriage door closed behind him, Harry and Hermione rushed to the window to wave goodbye to each of their families. Within a few moments, the train started to move, and the crowds of people started changing as they passed by. A few moments more, and Harry had completely lost sight of his parents and Thea as the Hogwarts Express pulled out of the platform and set off towards its destination in Scotland.

Once they were completely out of sight of King's Cross, Harry turned towards Hermione to find her looking out of the window a little forlornly. He figured he knew what she was feeling, he was going to miss his family something rotten. At least he already knew Neville - she'd set off without knowing anybody. Well, he could do something about that.

'Shall we go and find Neville?' he asked, drawing her attention away from the passing offices and houses. 'He has this habit of getting himself lost, you see, which normally would be alright, but he's got my trunk and my owl at the moment, and I'd rather get them back.'

Hermione laughed slightly at his joke and he grinned. 'Okay,' she agreed. 'Which side did he get on?'

Harry looked left and right down the carriage corridor, then back at his new friend. 'I have no idea,' he admitted.

'Well, we'll start off to the right, then,' she said decisively as she picked up her trunk. 'It looked like it was mostly older kids at the front.'

He gestured her forward. 'Okay then. After you.'

Despite his slight nervousness at going to Hogwarts, and his sadness that he wouldn't see his family now until Christmas, setting off with Hermione to find wherever Neville had ended up on the train felt like a fitting start to this new adventure. His excitement was bubbling up inside him, beating down his apprehension and his nerves whenever they started to rise up.

They were going to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry - a castle in the Scottish highlands that taught all sorts of magic! Real magic! He'd make new friends, and brew potions, and fly brooms, and all sorts! This was going to be brilliant, he told himself.

And yet, despite all of that, Harry couldn't shake the feeling that something important was about to happen. Just beyond the horizon, ever so slightly out of sight, lay something big and important that he'd have to do.

He just had no idea what it was yet.

-oOo-o-oOo-

Author's Notes: Thanks for reading Three Hallows' Eve! I hope this chapter was worth the wait. Unfortunately, I've finally exhausted the 'buffer' I had for this story and haven't gotten around to writing Chapter 16 quite yet. It will be coming eventually though, I have no plans to abandon this story!

This story is, in part, setting up the foundation for a Harry/Hermione pairing. If you'd like to read more stories like this you should totally join the HMS Harmony discord server. We have over 3000 members and there is always plenty of discussions, fanfiction recommendations, and fan art shared there. You can find us at www.hhriscanonbitches.com - we'd love to have you!