Into The Darkness

Chapter 3

Beginning of Sixth year

        Hermione sat in the train compartment she chose staring out the window at the brick wall of the platform. She had been chosen as a prefect, something she had always dreamed about along with being head girl. That excitement she once had was almost obsolete. She looked down at the prefect badge that was pinned to her burgundy sweater, gleaming under the light of the cabin. She remembered the day she got her letter and it had asked her to be the Gryffindor female prefect. She was over the moon, the stars, the universe. Everything she had been working towards was finally coming to fruition. Her parents had been so proud of her. Her parents... there was a knock on the door. She couldn't see who it was since the shade was closed. The door opened slowly as someone began to speak.

"Hello do you... oh it's you never mind I'll find somewhere else."

"No no its fine I'll be leaving soon; I just needed a moment of silence."

"Granger, you don't need to leave, I can find another compartment there are..."

"Malfoy I'm leaving look I'm grabbing my bag." She said in an annoyed tone while reaching for her trunk, she should probably go find Ron and harry but she doesn't want to deal with their questions and solemn looks at the moment. Malfoy bowed his head and huffed in defeat? Since when did he do that? Hermione had grabbed her trunk and traded spots with the silver haired boy. Before shutting the door Hermione gave a groan and turned back around.

"Actually Malfoy, do you mind if I stay? I don't particularly want to go deal with Ron and Harry, and I won't talk, I have a book to read and too much to think about." The young Malfoy rolled his eyes but gestured to the bench across from him. Hermione gave a curt nod and little smile to show her thanks. The train left the station about five minutes later, for the next hour Hermione had her head stuffed in a book and was chewing on the end of a pencil she was taking notes with. Draco took notice of the book she was reading 'Untraceable Magic', that made him curious and he became itching with questions.

"Granger, I know you have no reason to speak to me nor I to you really but I'm curious what the interest in that particular book is?"

"My interest is none of your business, its private information." Of course, that ticked Draco off so he looked at the notes sitting next to Hermione and decided how he was going to get his answers. He swiped her notes from next to her and began to read them, she took a while to notice, only a minute or to but long enough for Malfoy to be looking at her with shock and a certain sadness. She didn't know what to say or do, she had mixed emotions. Anger because he took and read her personal property, confusion because of his mixed reaction, sadness for that was what has swallowed her every waking minute.

"Granger I am... I... sorry, if I had known I would never have... how did it happen?"

"How could you have known and please don't be sorry that's the last thing I need to hear from you, but..." Hermione hesitated unsure of weather to tell him or not. "I don't know that's what I'm trying to figure out, how and who?" Hermione didn't know why she was opening up to Draco, he deserved none of her kindness but, with it being just the two of them she felt an unreal safeness and understanding between them. She just stared at him and he at her, it felt like no time had passed at all when there was a knock at the door. They broke from their trance and Draco invited whomever was there inside.

"Come in"

"Mione McGonagall... oh Malfoy uhm hello." Ginny looked awkwardly between the two but continued on.

"McGonagall needs to see you in her compartment. To talk about the thing. Ya know." Ginny looked at her as if using facial expression as code.

"He knows Gin, but yes Ill head there now. Get it out of the way." Hermione stood up and giving a small nod to Draco followed ginny out of the compartment and shut the door. Draco let out a breath he didn't know he was holding onto. He was as confused as Hermione about the tension that was held between one another when alone. In McGonagall's compartment Hermione was picking at her nails for the professor to appear from thin air at this point, with the amount of time she had been waiting.

"Ah Miss Granger forgive my tardiness there was a mix up between a few Slytherin boys and a few Ravenclaw boys that needed my attention."

"Quite alright Professor not too much trouble I hope."

"No... well unfortunately and I know this will be a bit uncomfortable seeing the wound is still fresh for lack of better term"

"Its quite fine actually, I'm dealing with everything the best I can, given the circumstances. It was traumatic but I have to be stronger than my trauma, I plan on getting to the bottom of whatever happened." Hermione gave the professor a look of the utmost seriousness knowing that McGonagall would not stop her. That's one of the things Hermione admired about the woman, she was smart, an intellect just like Hermione.

"Well Miss Granger it seems as though Ill leave you to it. As always if you need any help, please do let me know. I won't hesitate to help." Hermione nodded in a thankful way and stood up to leave.

"Oh, and Miss Granger, a piece of advice, those who don't ask for help need it the most and those who need help and ask can conquer all yes?"

"I believe so professor." Hermione left the compartment and headed back to her own forgetting that Malfoy was there. When she entered, she was surprised to see Blaise Zambini talking in hushed tones with Draco. The two Slytherins turned to face the Gryffindor princess.

"Mudblood what do you want? Cant you see we are busy having a conversation?" Hermione was taken aback when Blaise called her that foul name.

"Zambini you can probably tell by the look on my face that I really don't care, Ill be grabbing my bag and leaving if you'll move." Hermione rolled her eyes after seeing zambini give her a perturbed glare, shoving past him she grabbed her trunk. Before leaving she turned to see a saddened looking Malfoy.

"Malfoy, I know you are smart enough but maybe have a think about the company you keep, or at the very least teach them to expand their vocabulary to find more insulting words. May just keep me on my toes." Hermione gave a huff and left to go find Harry and Ron, or even better an empty compartment.

         After searching the train for an empty compartment, she found one in the very back next to the open seating area. She looked at the time on her watch, a gold and silver Rolex her mother and Father bought her for her sixteenth birthday, and as a congrats on getting top scores on her OWLS and being top of her class again. She was on the verge of turning 17 only eighteen more days, another year around the sun and the worst one yet. Coming back from her memories, she saw that it was almost time to pull into the Hogsmeade station so, she quickly changed into her robes and pinned her prefect badge to her left breast collar. After gathering all of her belongings she exited the train after given the okay and set her things in the designated area for all the students luggage and then went off to help escort the first years to the boats. She saw Hagrid, who engulfed her into a teddy bear hug and gave her a firm pat and soft smile. She wished everyone would stop giving her sympathetic smile, at this rate she just wished that the year would be over already, and after an outrageously long feast and stares from everyone and more of those smiles, she just wanted to hide in a hole and never come out.