As Long As You Love Me (Dramione)

Chapter 2

A/N: Chapter has been rewritten :)

Hermione returned to the compartment her friends were in with a disturbed look on her face. Ron, oblivious, immediately questioned where the sweets were while Harry took notice of her expression.

"What happened Hermione?" Harry inquired, earning Ginny's attention.

Hermione sat down slowly next to Ron, trying to come to terms with the fact that she had literally just run into Draco Malfoy, ex-Death eater, and he hadn't called her a Mudblood or tried to curse her.

"Malfoy's back." Hermione finally answered when she felt Harry's hand on her knee.

That got Ron's attention.

"Bloody hell! What's that slimey ferret doing back? Better yet, why are they letting a death eater go to Hogwarts? Didn't he cause enough trouble the first six years?" Ron ranted, his ears turning slightly red.

"Ex-Death eater." Hermione corrected him, still a bit shocked.

"I'm sure given the chance he'd go right back to doing everything mummy and daddy said and following Voldemort's every order." Ron spat with disgust. "Once a death eater, always a death eater. There's not a good bone in that blonde pricks body."

"Maybe Malfoy's changed. McGonagall would never let him come back to Hogwarts if she didn't think he could be trusted." Ginny chimed in as she stood up and stretched, reaching for her school uniform to go change.

"Malfoy? Change? This two words don't belong in the same sentence, Gin. He went out of his way for six years to make our lives a living hell, I highly doubt anything has changed." Harry chuckled, not so subtly watching Ginny's arse as she walked out of the compartment.

"Mate, really? Stop checking out my sister in front of me." Ron gagged, "And there's no way that ferret changed. He'll always be the same extreme blood purist that tormented us. How did you find out he was back anyways?"

Hermione groaned and rubbed her hands over her face, "I literally ran into him. I grabbed hold of him to keep from falling but he shocked me when he spoke that I let go and fell on my arse. I didn't even wait for him to say anything more, I just ran."

"And he didn't curse you!? What did he say to you? He didn't call you a Mudblood did he? I'll kill him if he did!" Ron exclaimed, reaching for his wand and making to stand up.

Hermione caught hold of him and pushed him back down into the seat. Honestly, the only thing that would be accomplished by Ron confronting Draco was Ron getting hexed, or worse.

"He didn't called me anything. He told me to let go, I think I startled him as much as he did me." Hermione sighed heavily, adjusting her uniform skirt just as Ginny came back.

"Can we just forget about Malfoy? It's our last year at Hogwarts, we should make the best of it. We shouldn't let anyone ruin our last year together as schoolmates." Ginny stated, taking her seat next to Harry and curling against his side.

Harry kissed her temple and smiled fondly at his witch, "You're right Ginny. Who cares about Malfoy."

Ron pulled Hermione closer to him, slinging an arm around her shoulders. She went easily and rested her head against his shoulder. It wasn't the most comfortable position but she could feel the warmth coming off his body and it was calming. She felt safe when she was with him.

A short while later, they heard the train whistle, signalling that they had arrived. One by one they made their way off the train and over to the carriages that would take them to the castle. It's a bit disturbing seeing the thestrals if only because it means one has seen death.