Unique (Hermione x M! OC)

52. Another Save

We sit on the train waiting to be taken to Hogwarts as the ruckus goes on outside. Me, Hermione, Ron, Harry, Ava, Shakespeare, Crookshanks, Owlbert and Hedwig all share a compartment. Hermione, her head resting calmly on my shoulder and her fingers interlaced with mine, listens as Harry speaks again about what we saw last night at Borgin and Burkes. "Don't you see, it was a ceremony. An initiation."

Hermione groans, "Stop, Harry, I know where you're going with this --"

Harry continues despite her request. "It's happened. He's one of them."

"One of what?" Ron questions.

Hermione sits up, obviously annoyed, "Harry is under the impression that Draco Malfoy is now a Death Eater."

"You're barking. What would You-Know-Who want with a sod like Malfoy?" Ron adds.

"Draco's bad, but he's not terrible, right?" Ava inputs, "Surely he wouldn't join You-Know-Who, right?"

"So what's he doing in Borgin and Burke's? Browsing for furniture?" Harry demands.

"It's a creepy shop. He's a creepy bloke." Ron argues. That's your argument? Amos, your daft.

"Look. His father's a Death Eater. It only makes sense. Besides, Sammy saw it. With his own eyes." Harry says, dragging me in.

"Right, well... I'm with Harry. I mean, it doesn't seem so crazy, right?" I say, "I mean, have you seen his bloody father? He's Voldemort's perfect little Golden Girl, why wouldn't he drag his son into it?" Everyone except Harry shifts their eyes to their feet.

Suddenly, Harry stands up, "I need some fresh air." He says, before heading off.

Hermione leans her head back on my shoulder and sighs, "This is going to be a long year, isn't it?"

"Yep." I agree, "Long and miserable." I lean my head on hers.

"At least we have each other." Ron says. Shakespeare mews disapprovingly at him. "Doesn't seem like your cat's a big fan of me anymore." Ron notes.

"To be honest, she never was. Not a people person." I reply.

"Well, she's a cat."

"They're people." Me and Hermione hiss.

"Right then, sorry." Ron mutters as Ava giggles.

"You think Harry's getting himself in trouble?" Hermione asks.

"Definitely." I respond.

"Are you gonna stop him?"

"Nah, he'll figure it out." I whisper, causing Hermione to giggle.

"The first time you said that, you ended up having to save Neville's life." Hermione notes.

"Don't jinx it."

"I think I will."

"Come on, Darling."

"No." We share a laugh. "So Sammy, When did your parents get married, again?" Hermione questions.

"In the eighties, they were in their early twenties, having fallen deeply, helplessly in love. Dad gave her a ring that Dumbledore had given him."

"Dumbledore gave him a ring? What kind of ring? Why?"

"Well, Dad was basically the father of everyone in the school, he gave advice, helped with homework, even made a habit of helping out teachers. He even helped several notable Slytherin and got along well with everyone. Everyone except Old V's followers, that's where his fights with the Malfoys began. He got the ring when he helped Dumbledore move his belongings during Hogwarts renovations and found it. He was enamoured by it, called it the second most beautiful thing he'd ever seen, behind Mom, and knew then that it was the ring he'd propose with. Dumbledore said that he could keep it."