winter in hogsmeade - hermione granger fanfic

ch. 1 - sixth year

I inhale sharply, and close my eyes as I think about what the year to come has in store for me. Feels totally unreal that it's my sixth year already, it felt like I was a first year getting sorted into Slytherin just last week.

I open and my eyes to the sight in front of me, my mother holding my trunk in her arms, looking about as unstable as ever. I chuckle at her attempt to hold up my very heavy luggage in her frail arms. I take it from her and set it down on our bright orange shag carpet.

Before I can even finish setting it down, I notice tears beginning to form in my mother's eyes as she beams up at me with a bright smile. A smile that holds a bit of sadness in it.

"Aw, mum don't make me cry now."

I pull her into a hug, absorbing her sadness, I start to tear up a bit as well. After what felt like a ten minute embrace, I break our hug and pull away. I smile at her as she holds my face in her hands and admires my matured facial features.

"I'm not going off to war you know." I comment jokingly to try and lighten the mood, but I worried she was going to get more upset at this.

"Oh i know, but it always feels like you're gone forever when you go off to school." She smiles through the tears. "Your father would be so proud of the woman you've become."

I tense up a bit at the mention of my dad. He was never here to say goodbye to me when i went off to school. He didn't approve of magic, or me for that matter, so this seemed beneath him.

"Well, I have to get going or I'm going to miss the train, I love you mum." I give her one last kiss on the cheek and close the door behind me.

...

I haul my hefty luggage across the entire train station before I finally find platforms 9 and 10. Just like every other year I've attended Hogwarts, ai make my way through the red brick wall leading to platform 9 3/4 with no trouble.

Upon entering, I take a deep breathe in and out, just allowing myself to be intoxicated with the smell; something I never grew tired of. After exhaling, I admire the length and size of the big metal can in front of me. I push my luggage to the nearest entrance onto the train in hopes of finding a spot with my friends.

Skimming past each room on the train until I find Harry and Ron. I never got to sit with them at meals so I took this opportunity, Draco also judged me intensely for being around them.

I came to a stop directly in front of the entrance to the compartment, smiling down at my friends. As soon as they notice my presence, Ron leaps up to give me a hug and Harry follows suit.

Both smiling from ear to ear, they sit back down and I take a seat next to Harry. "Nat, it's so good to see you! How was your summer?" Harry asks.

"It was actually decent, how about yours?" I return the question with genuine interest.

Ron interrupts and answers before Harry can even get a word in, "We had the best time at the burrow, you should've been there!" He says with a sparkle of excitement in his eyes.

"We really did! We played quidditch everyday, we drank when ron's parents were gone, played games the whole time."You really should have come with." Harry added on.

"I really did want to, but my dad doesn't really approve of magic. He barely even let me go to Hogwarts." I say with a frown. This caused Harry and Ron to frown as well.

If I'm being honest, it was great seeing Ron and Harry, but there was a bigger part of me that was curious about where Hermione was.

"Next summer you have to, it's the last year we're all going to be at Hogwarts." Ron says trying to cheer me up a bit. They both knew enough about my dad to not ask anymore questions.