Afraid to Love You (A Dramione Story)

Chapter 1

September 1, 1998 King's Cross Station

"I can't believe you two aren't coming back to Hogwarts with us," Hermione said sadly.

She was standing on Platform 9 3/4 with Ginny, Ron and Harry on the first of September, the summer after the second wizarding war.

"I know it sucks," Harry replied with a grimace. "But I just can't go back."

"I know."

"But you two take care of each other," Ron chimed in.

Hermione gave him a timid smile. Things had been incredibly awkward since their almost relationship. They had kissed during the battle of Hogwarts but quickly realized after the war that they weren't really compatible. Hermione supposed their friendship would survive but it would take some time to get over the awkwardness.

"Gin you alright?" Harry asked, tucking a strand of her long red hair behind her ear.

She flushed deeply but kept her composure. "Yeah I'm just going to miss you."

Unlike Ron and Hermione, Ginny and Harry's relationship had flourished. They hadn't spent much time apart over the summer so this goodbye was undoubtedly difficult. Hermione silently applauded her friend for maintaining her dignity and not breaking down crying, though she knew she wanted to.

"You're not going to miss your dear old brother?" Ron asked dramatically, clutching his chest in mock agony.

"Not in the slightest," Ginny replied without skipping a beat.

Harry laughed. "Okay that's enough you two. It's time for Gin and Hermione to get on the train."

"Okay dad," Hermione said sarcastically. She gave him a tight hug. "I'll miss you."

"I'll miss you too 'Mione. Write often okay?"

She nodded and stepped back to allow Ginny to give him a proper goodbye, leaving her to talk to Ron.

"So, uh. I, um hope you have a good year," he stammered.

"Uh, thanks Ronald."

He sighed. "Are things always going to be this awkward between us?"

Hermione chuckled. "Not always. It'll just take some time." She leaned in to give him a quick hug. "I'll miss you too. Have fun in Auror training."

He smiled. "I will."

And with one more quick goodbye, Ginny and Hermione boarded the train and were off for one more year at Hogwarts.

Ginny and Hermione settled into a compartment and sat in silence for awhile. Ginny was staring out of the window, her eyes glossy with unshed tears.

"You can cry if you want to Gin," Hermione said softly. "I won't judge you."

Ginny turned to her and smiled weakly. "Thanks. But if I start, I don't think I'll be able to stop."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"It's just hard. It's bad enough to have to go back to the place I see every night in my nightmares, but to have to do it without Harry and Ron--"

She broke off and resumed staring out of the window. Hermione moved to sit beside her and leaned her head on her shoulder.

"We have each other Gin. Everything will be fine. This year will fly by, I promise."

Ginny took Hermione's hand and squeezed it. "Thanks 'Mione. You're a great friend."

The door to their compartment rolled open and Luna Lovegood walked in with a dreamy smile on her face. "That's sweet," she said, sitting down next to Hermione. "May I join you?" She leaned over and placed her head on Hermione's shoulder.

Hermione and Ginny shared an amused look before greeting Luna excitedly. They chatted amicably for the rest of the train ride. They didn't have too much to catch up on as Luna had spent plenty of time at the Burrow over the summer, along with Neville, who eventually joined them in their compartment.

Once they arrived in Hogsmeade, they shared a tearful reunion with Hagrid before riding up to the castle in the thestral drawn carriages. Hermione sighed sadly as it dawned on her that they could now all see the thestrals.

She shook that sad thought away as Padma gasped in shock at something she had seen.

"What is it?" Parvati inquired.

"Don't look but Draco Malfoy is in the carriage behind us with Pansy Parkinson, Blaise Zabini and some other guy I can't make out."

They all turned around to see and Padma groaned. "I said don't look!"

Hermione caught Draco's gaze and narrowed her eyes at him before turning back around.

"I'm surprised they let them come back," Parvati commented. "Especially Draco."

Ginny shrugged. "I'm not. Dumbledore always saw the best in everyone and McGonagall prescribes to the same philosophy. Besides, Draco changed sides at the end. And his mother is largely the reason Harry is still alive."

No one said anything for the rest of the ride up to the castle. Ginny was right, Hermione knew, but she still didn't like the fact that Draco was there. Even before he was a death eater she had hated him. He constantly teased her and was mean to her and her friends. She silently chastised herself for her petty and childish thoughts. She was an eighteen year old war hero and should be able to get over her grievances toward Draco but she couldn't help how she felt.

The welcome feast was uneventful aside from the first year who fainted when Neville spoke to him. Hermione and Neville were announced as head girl and head boy and soon they were headed up to Gryffindor tower.

Hermione sighed happily as her head hit the pillow. It had been a long day and she was grateful for the comfortable bed. She fell into a deep slumber easily.

Hermione's eyes popped open in the middle of the night and she inhaled deeply, clutching at her chest as she attempted to steady her breath. She glanced over at her alarm clock and saw that it was three in the morning. She sat up and wiped the sweat from her brow. She had known the nightmare would come, it always did, but she was surprised at how long she had been able to sleep before it came.

It was always the same nightmare. Harry lying dead at Voldemort's feet and she was frozen in place, unable to move as Voldemort killed everyone she loved right before her eyes before he turned his wand on her and a flash of green light came her way. That was always when she woke up.

Hermione took a sip of the water on her nightstand and made to lay back down when she heard whimpering from the bed next to hers. "Ginny?" she whispered.

The whimpering stopped. "Hermione? You're awake?" Ginny whispered back, peeking out from behind the hangings on her four poster.

"Yeah, I had a nightmare. Are you okay?"

Ginny opened the hangings and sat up. "Not really. I'm scared to go to sleep. The only time I don't have nightmares is when I sleep with Harry. It's pathetic, I know, but I don't want to wake everyone else up with my screaming," she said chewing anxiously on her nails.

Hermione studied her friend in the moonlight. She looked exhausted. There was bags under her eyes and her face was as pale as a sheet. Her long red hair was a tangled mess from her tossing and turning in bed.

"Would it help if you slept in the bed with me?" Hermione asked kindly.

Ginny looked up sharply. "You wouldn't mind?"

"Of course not," Hermione said with a soft smile as she lifted the covers for Ginny to climb in.

They settled in under the covers and Hermione pulled the hangings closed around them. Ginny sighed and leaned into Hermione's side. "Thanks 'Mione," she said, covering her mouth as she yawned. "You're such an amazing friend."

"Anytime Ginny," Hermione replied but Ginny had already drifted off to sleep.

A/N Welcome to the prequel to Fated to Love You! As I've already said, updates will be slower than my previous stories have been due to my school schedule. Follow me to see when I post and in the meantime give my original story Miss Communications a read! As always, please vote, comment and follow! :D