Hermione didn't really do much packing. All she did was sit in a chair and say 'yes' or 'no' to dresses, shoes, undergarments, and whatnot. She felt sorry for whoever or whatever was going to be carrying her luggage, but the maids seemed to think she need more clothes than she thought. Depending on how long it took to get to where they were going, she'd probably only need one or two dresses for travel. She noticed that they had packed a lot of heeled shoes and she hoped that she'd be able wear flats of some sort during the journey.
They finally left her after informing her that she would be leaving in a half hour, and she walked back to the desk that held the book. One of the blank pages had been magically filled in, and it told of their breakfast that morning. She ran her fingers over it, amazed, before slipping it into the satchel she would have with her at all times. She couldn't afford to lose it. There was another knock at the door, and a newly cleaned and pressed traveling dress was handed to her.
She guessed this one was for today, and although it was obviously a royal garment, it was much more practical and comfortable. She smiled and struggled out of her current dress, tossing it to the bed after slipping it over her head. She saw that she wore a corset, like the ones her maids had packed her, and when she loosened it she could breathe better. She hadn't known she wore one, but she now knew why she'd been uncomfortable and short of breath. She decided to leave it on, loosened, of course, and she slipped into the traveling dress. As she messed with the ribbons and laces in the back, Luna opened the door and came in. When she saw that Hermione was almost ready, she rushed over.
"Princess! You shouldn't have had to dress yourself! I apologize for being late, please don't scold me!" She bowed deeply before tying up the laces and ribbons quickly and tightly. "If the queen were to know, she would have me released!" Hermione looked at the girl. This was not the Luna she knew. She had to get Hogwarts back to normal. She stayed quiet as the maid fussed over the dress and rushed her to the vanity, and decided she didn't like being a princess very much. Good food and fancy things were nice, but all the dresses, corsets, frilly things, and servants were too weird, and she couldn't wait to wear a sweatshirt and jeans when everything was back. Luna said she was done moments later and she looked up to see that her hair was done in a simple yet elegant bun with a braid. Her crown was taken to give to Ron for safekeeping and she was then taken back to the chair to have sensible shoes slipped on her feet. Luna then left, and Hermione was ready to leave. A servant came to get her luggage, which she'd been able to fit into one trunk and a bag, and she glanced around the room one last time before following another servant down to the courtyard, where they were supposed to meet.
She met the boys in the courtyard. Ron was dressed in a traveling outfit, normal for the time period they were stuck in, he wore a sword on his hip, and no crown. She guessed it was with hers in the satchel he had. Draco and Harry were not dressed as knights in 'shining armor', but they both wore swords and a protective shirt under their outer shirts, and were not clothed as richly as Hermione and Ron. They looked her over as she approached and she greeted them as normal, but she tried to avoid Draco's eyes. She still remembered what he had said, and it flustered her. Was he trying to make up for the fact that he had been a complete arse to her for all those years? Was that his way of saying he really was sorry? He'd already told her that he was sorry and that he regretted the things he'd done. So why was he acting that way? It was messing with her mind, but she couldn't forget about it. He, on the other hand, acted as if nothing had happened, simply leading her to her horse and helping her into the sidesaddle. Not only was his helping her weird, but having to ride sidesaddle and wear a long dress was so different. Usually, she'd be able to easily slide into the saddle and take off. But now, Draco had to help her up. He had pretty much just lifted her into the sidesaddle! As he walked to his own horse, she couldn't help but wonder if he'd always been so strong. She wouldn't have an answer any time soon, though, because they had started to move. There was a noise behind her and she turned to see the cart that their less valuable luggage was being carried. It was pulled by two horses and a servant drove them onward as they began to move. They started at a steady pace and Hermione rode alongside Harry.
