Distance

Platform 9 3/4 - The Train to Hogwarts

A/N: Good morning, afternoon, evening! Hello and welcome to Distance! This is my very first fanfiction so pretty please bear with me, I will do my absolute best here! This is a Dramione story first and foremost, and there may well be Ron slander, I'm sorry if you do not like that. I will do my best to include T/W for any areas that may be in need of them, but please everyone look after yourself! Well anyway, I do hope you enjoy Distance!

Hermione had just finished shoving her bags in the overhead storage when familiar arms wrapped around her waist.

"Mione, I missed you over summer. Where have you been? No one's heard from you!" The voice of Harry Potter comes over her shoulder and into her hair.

She squeals and turns around to embrace her best friend. "Harry! I've missed you too! I just had some business to sort out... you know what with the war being over now and everything" She feigned a smile hoping he wouldn't ask any more questions.

To her relief, Ron Weasley burst into the carriage at that exact moment with his and Harry's bags. "Cheers mate for abandoning me back then. Real nice of you" He scoffed and rolled his eyes before they landed on Hermione. "Where the bloody hell have you been" He pulls Harry away and wraps Hermione in an even tighter hug.

Thankfully, he doesn't seem to downhearted about her rejecting him. After their kiss in the chamber of secrets they had tried for a few weeks to make things work. They spent everyday together in the burrow, but the cracks slowly started to creep in. Ron being out late drinking and Hermione with her underlying trauma of the war. The arguments just keep coming and it all ended up too much. That's when Hermione sat him down after another night of drinking and broke things off. Ron got angry, words were said and they haven't spoken much since. The odd letter here, a brief passing in Hogsmeade there. Then Hermione disappeared and no one saw her again until now.

"Like I was telling Harry, I just had some stuff to work through. What with everything that happened here, and at home..." She hugged him back before taking her seat next to Harry.

"You mean everything with me right? Look, I'm real sorry Mione, I was so fucked up. Fred's death ruined me and I dealt with it by drinking. I didn't even realise how reliant I had become, on it and on you. I am sorry if I hurt you though, I'll do whatever I can to make it up to ya. I swear" Ron grinned, hopeful that now he was sober, Hermione might take him back and he can make his mum happy again.

"Ron, its fine, honestly. I've grown and accepted what happened, now let's just enjoy the journey back to Hogwarts. I can't believe Professor McGonagall is allowing us to retake the year! I wonder how many will come back? How many Slytherins will come back" She looked out the window remembering how many had either abandoned the fight or were made to fight against family.

"Well as long as Malfoy doesn't come back, this year should be great" Harry grins thinking about Draco Malfoy and the thought of never having to see him again.

"Harry James Potter!" Hermione smacks him around the head. "You can not still hold a petty grudge against him! Not after you went back to save him in the room of requirement. Especially not after he threw you your wand in the courtyard! He abandoned his family to give you a chance! If you forgave Snape for his wrongdoings, you have to forgive Draco!"

Ron's head snaps towards Hermione, his face slowly growing dark. "Why are you defending him? Do you not remember how he stood by and watched his aunt torture you? And why are you using his first name, Mione? What's gotten into you? You cant seriously trust him now, he was horrible to you the entire 7 years you've known him! There's no way you can think he's changed."

"Look, I'm sorry if you feel like that still but some of us have actually grown up and can see past some stupid childhood bickering! We have all been through enough to continue this hatred towards each other. You would think you of all people Ron would understand what this war took from people."

With that the brunette stood up and stormed out of the carriage. How dare Ron question her judgement on people when he fucked her up more than anything Malfoy had done. Who was he to tell her who to trust or not? Everything would be different this year, there won't be any death eaters to worry about, no Voldemort to defeat anymore. Let bygones be bygones and all that preacher shit right? They had been given this second chance to have the last year they deserved, so why are they still being so childish about everything?

Hermione was so caught up in her thoughts storming her way through the train that she didn't notice when the 5ft9 blonde frame exited a carriage in front of her, nor did she notice when that 5ft9 blonde frame stopped in front of her sending her crashing straight into him.

"Watch it Granger, or people might start thinking you have a thing for me" Malfoy caught Hermione, steadying her, letting his hands linger on her arms a millisecond to long, yet unnoticeable to the untrained eye.

"I'm so sorry Dra-Malfoy! I honestly didn't see you there! You appeared out of bloody nowhere, you can't blame me!" She placed her hands on his chest to help steady herself, a slight smile ghosted on her face. "I wouldn't want to ruin your image" She puts distance between them and drops eye contact just as Ron comes heaving down the train corridor.

"Hermione! Why did you leave? Just because we don't want you defending Malfoy? You must be mad... Malfoy? Get away from her!" He grabs the girl by her arm and yanks her behind him, surely leaving a bruise. "The ministry may have pardoned you, but that doesn't mean we do. Stay away from us or see what I do about it."

"Ron! What the hell!" Hermione goes to carry on talking, rubbing the spot on her arm where Ron had grabbed her, before Malfoy raises his hand to stop her.

"Granger, save your breath. Weasel here clearly thinks he's grown some balls these past few months. Get it into your thick skull, I don't want anything to do with you or your little girlfriend here okay? Keep your wand in your pants" With that, he turns and walks away, disappearing further into the train.

"You asshole Ron! Did you seriously chase me down the train just to continue berating me? You can't be serious." Hermione scowls at the ginger before heading back down the train, knowing they were nearing Hogsmeade soon. The sooner she can get off this train, the bloody better.