Mistaken Identity

The Return: Part Two

Hermione POV

I spun around as the voice roused me from all other thoughts. A girl stood behind me, battle scarred.

Faintly I recognised her. "Lavender?"

She smiled. The differences over the summer we're shocking. Her long blonde waves were cut short, swinging against her jaw. The scars from Fenrir Greyback and the War still stood against her pale skin. Instead of the standard low cut pink frilly dress that she used to love, Lavender sported a gray jumper over jeans and boots. Her brown eyes were no longer innocent and carefree, instead, they were weighed down with sadness.

"You look different. A makeover over the summer?" She asked, examining me. I blush. The real reason is too long and complicated to really go into. It's a good sign though that Lavender, a classmate I didn't talk to much, recognised me. Ron and Harry, my best friends, must.

"Of a sort. How was your summer?" I asked. I instantly regretted the question when I saw her eyes darken. Her smile slipped slightly and almost subconsciously she raised her fingers and gingerly rubbed a scar on her neck.

"It was... All right. War changes a person..." Quickly she looked up to me and smiled once more. "Well, we must move on, don't we? Onto life again. The battles are past, and the ghosts of it only haunt you in nightmares and the dark." She fell silent again, as if reliving the summer, and the War, and her nightmares.

"Excited for eighth year?" I asked brightly, simply to change the subject.

Lavender looked up and grinned. "Oh yes. I miss the Gryffindor dorms, don't you?" I nod in agreement. It's been a year since I've settled into the comfy red drapes of Gryffindor, and I miss it.

"Lavender! I haven't seen you in a while. Who's your friend?" Ron runs up to us, his blue eyes wide and glittering, his familiar red hair shifting into his freckled face. My heart skips, only to falter a moment later. I don't have a right to let my heart skip that way. We're no longer dating.

"Hey Ron. Don't you recognise-" Lavender starts. I quickly cut in.

"Me."

Ron scrutinises me for a moment, and it takes all my willpower not to crush him into a hug. His eyes widen after a few seconds. " 'Mione? Is this your big news? How- Why- " he splutters in dumbfounded belief.

Harry comes up to us. "Ron, did you find-" his green eyes quickly land on me. "Hermione...?"

Lavender looks at all three of us for a moment. "Hermione, can you please explain why you look so different?" She asks patiently.

Ginny and Luna arrive too. The redhead slips her hand into Harry's, then trains her brown eyes on me. "Did I hear that correctly? Hermione?"

Luna's wide silver eyes turn to me. "Ah. I see. New family? Glamour charm?"

I stare at her. "How did you-"

"It's in the wrackspurts you know, if you can read them correctly." She said, smiling.

Harry held up his hands. "Hold on, hold on. New family? Glamour charm? What is going on?"

"Yeah, Mione, what in the name of Merlin's baggy left-"

"Ron! Ok. Um. To start with, my name isn't Hermione. It's technically Alessandra Sapphire Zabini."

"ZABINI?!" They all yell, except for Luna.

"Yes. I'm actually a Pure Blood. I was given away at birth to protect me from Voldemort. Now that the war is over I'm back. And the glamour charm used to disguise me has been lifted. So.. are you guys okay?"

"Alessandra Zabini?" Ron has a hint of disgust in his tone. "Will you be hanging out with Slytherins now?"

I'm shocked. "No! Of course not. I....I'm still me, ok? Just different looks."

Ginny focuses on me with her intense brown eyes. "Yeah, you're still the same. Still Hermione. Can we still call you Hermione?"

I nod. Letting go of my old name doesn't feel right. Alessandra sounds stiff. Too posh.

Parvarti runs up to us but quickly stops. Her long black hair had been chopped short like Lavender's and she wore a dark blue shirt draped over black pants and worn out trainers. "Hermione? Sorry, I didn't mean to eavesdrop. But you're a Zabini?" Her eyes widen.

I sigh. Telling Parvati and Lavender used to mean that they'd tell everybody in school. Now they are tougher, stronger, quieter. Less girlish and more mature. "yes. I am."

Parvati gives me a once over and smiles. "Not bad, Zabini." Then she turns to Lavender and giggles.

"Come on, Lav! Dean said he'd tell us all about his new relationship!" She grips Lavender's arm and tugs her away, both of them smiling a little.

I watch my old roommates go with a light smile. It's good to see them happy. Lavender had been attacked by Fenrir Greyback in the War. It had taken weeks for her to recover. After, she had wandered with hollow, empty eyes. Refused to eat and instead wrapped herself in broom closets, ignoring Parvati and the world. It had been so worrying to see the normally bubbly girl detoriate into such a state. Its good to see that she's recovered somewhat, or at least hadn't forgotten what it's like to smile.

We board the train in silence, Harry, Ron, and Ginny still taking in my appearance. My mind is filled with something else.

After my talk with Blaise, I exit my room. Standing on the landing is Malfoy. His face flushed and buried into his hands.

"Fuck you, Granger. Now all I want to do is kiss you." He mumbles.

"Malfoy?" His name comes to my lips in my shock. He looks to me, panicked. His eyes wide and his lips open.

I want to kiss him too. I don't want to let him know. He's still a prat.

"What are you doing here?" I ask, pretending I didn't hear his last sentence.

"Nothing. I'm... Just about to leave. Uh.. yeah." He stammers. I bite back a smirk. Malfoy, the suave Slytherin, speechless.

"Yeah." I pass him by, heading down the staircase. His last sentence keeps running in my head. What do I say back to that? What do I say when I want him to leave me alone?

"Oh, and by the way... Malfoy..." I muster some newfound confidence and let myself grin. "fuck you too."

Malfoy looks terrified, which feels good. Satisfying, like the time I punched him. I bask in his shocked look with relish before bouncing down the stairs.

I hear his reply. "Oh, shit." He mumbled.

I mentally groan. What in the world prompted me to do that?!

My head in a daze, I flop into a random compartment. "Well, well. What makes you stumble in my part of the woods?" Comes a familiar lazy drawl.

Widening my eyes, my head snaps up. Cool steel orbs bore into my chocolate irises. Dammit! I stumbled into Malfoy's compartment!