One More Year

Chapter Thirty-Nine

The sun was high in the sky shining brightly as the car drove over the motorway. The leaves on the trees they sped by were hues of amber and gold. It was an uncharacteristically warm day for this time of the year. As if the summer wanted to hold on for a few more days as well. The woman in the passenger seat let out a heavy sigh and pasted a smile on her face as she turned towards her children in the backseat. The boy, rowdy and exuberant, complaining loudly to his sister. The girl, hair just like her mother's, wavy and chaotic lay swooped around her. She smiled a nervous smile, but her mother could see the excitement dancing in her eyes. The father drove the car, laughing along with his son, regaling him of stories from his youth and his time at school. The mother, just took it all in, excitement mixed with sadness coursed through her. She could remember this feeling as a wave of nostalgia washed over her, but it wouldn't make parting any more easier.

They finally pulled into the station, and they started the arduous task of unloading all of their possessions. Double and triple checking that nothing was forgotten. The girl insisting that she push her own trolley as her brother skipped excitedly up ahead. Had it really been eighteen years since she had attended Hogwarts? Time seemed to move so fast, continuously slipping through her fingers. She could remember it all as if it were yesterday. Their adventures, friendships, long nights in the library, meals in the great hall, first kisses, first loves. Now it was her children's turn to have those experiences. She glanced at her husband and he caught her eye, giving her a playful wink and a reassuring smile. She smiled back tentatively as he raced forward through the invisible barrier at 9 and ¾. She jogged along knowing that she wanted to cherish these last moments before they parted.

She stepped out onto the bright platform into a scene of chaos. Kids, parents, pets and luggage were everywhere. The steam from the grand engine clouding the platform. Kids yelling goodbyes. Parents chiding their kids about not forgetting to write or wear a hat. Owls hooting. Frogs ribbiting. The smell of the Hogwarts Express invaded her senses, a mix of coal and leather. Some things never changed.

She caught sight of her family huddled away in a corner, her best friends quickly approaching. She sped up as she made her way towards them, giving both Ginny and Harry a hug, before turning towards her daughter and going through the list of items she would need to remember. Hugo sighed and turned away, speaking animatedly with Lily, while Rose rolled her eyes and started showing James her latest item from Weasleys' Wizarding Wheezes, nodding towards her mother at the same time. Hermione was about to start nagging when Ron elbowed her gently in the side. "I think it's a lost cause," he grinned, the excitement of the moment reflected in his eyes. She sighed, accepting it for what it was and just taking in the moment. Her family all together, happy and excited, tears brimmed in her eyes and she blinked them back rapidly, not wanting to ruin the moment for her kids.

She started helping Rose load her luggage onto the train as she felt eyes on the back of her head staring at her. She looked up swiftly, glancing around the platform until she caught the eyes of a tall handsome wizard standing with his wife and son. He stood tall, with a straight back. The sun illuminated his profile and Hermione gasped with a sudden intake of breath as she stared at him. Shocked at how familiar his profile was to her after all these years. Their eyes met for an instant and he flashed a brief smile at her and she responded tentatively with a smile of her own. A wave of nostalgia returned crashing over her. Long nights, chaste kisses, peppermint, the feel of his soft hair running through her fingers, laughter, puzzling problems together. It all seemed to flash before her in an instant as their eyes locked and then it was gone as he was pulled away by his son, tugging on his sleeve trying to get his attention and Hermione returned to her own family.

"So that's little Scoprius, make sure you beat him in every test, Rosie. Thank God you inherited your mother's brains." Ron said.

Hermione lips drew into a tight line as she reprimanded Ron for that comment. This was exactly the type of behaviour she had worked so hard at eliminating over all these years and she certainly didn't want to hear it from her husband or from her children who she had worked so hard at raising to be open minded. And she hated when Ron undermined all her beliefs and hard work with his prejudiced comments.

It had been years since she had seen Draco Malfoy. She had crossed paths with him occasionally over the years, but it was always brief and it usually resulting in the same greeting. A momentary glimpse before he disappeared. He was an elusive wizard who was rarely ever seen out in the wizarding world anymore. Rumors and accusations swirled around him and the secrecy that shrouded him. Hermione had fought for years to remove such bigotry and hatred from the world, but it still existed. She felt his eyes, rake over her again as she kept her head forward, ushering her daughter onto the train. She smiled, her first genuine smile of the day. Gossip and lies could follow Draco and he may continue to hide away but Hermione wouldn't. She'd keep fighting for what was right, because she knew, as long as she kept fighting she would continue to make a difference. 

A/N - Thanks everyone for reading! This was my first story and I love Dramione so much I just had to give it a shot. I mentioned in the description of this story that I wanted to keep my version as close to JK Rowling's version as possible, which is why they didn't end up together at the end. However, I am writing a sequel, so please check it out. I think it's better than this story. However, it will be more mature rated due to sexual content. It's called Twenty-Five Years Later and I'll start publishing shortly.