Harry Potter FanFiction - All Aboard the Hogwarts Express

My Lips Are Sealed - Fine, Have a Detention.

 I know I've been really crappy at updating over the last few weeks so whilst I actually have done all my schoolwork and have a few spare hours, I thought I'd try to make it up to you. I've got the basic plot in my head and mapped out on paper now, but it'd be really interesting to hear what you guys like, what you want more of, and also, if there's anything you're not so keen on! Love you all, Beth xoxoxo Oh and if you want to look at the characters school timetables and other assortments of facts about this fics, I post them here: http://allaboardthehogwartsexpress.tumblr.com/

            “The Final Battle affected you all, even if you don’t like to admit it,” Professor Duxhominem continued. “Many of you took an active role in the war,” she looked pointedly at Harry and Ron as well as Hermione at this point, whilst the trio glared back resolutely. “Others of you were not so brave, but perhaps more sensible due to the number of casualties.”

            One of the Hufflepuffs started crying, sobbing into the sleeve of her robe, but it seemed the Professor either hadn’t noticed, or didn’t care. She obviously wasn’t particularly sympathetic, Hermione thought. “Many of you will have been hurt physically, but others of you will have been hurt mentally. We need to overcome these barriers that you have put up, so the next exercise aims to do this. I’m going to pair you off now, and see if I can get a feel for the working dynamics of the glass.” She waved her wand and the pupils started glowing a fiery gold colour. Hermione sighed. Too often had she been subjected to a partnering spell, and too often had she disliked the result. Sure enough an elastic feeling began to drag her, as she hurriedly collected her quills and parchments, shoving them into her already over-flowing book bag. She was dragged backwards a few rows and found the elastic sensation to wear off whilst she was next to Malfoy. Typical. Although Malfoy wasn’t the same ferret faced git he’d once been, Harry and Ron still didn’t know that, and she didn’t need to give them more reason to goad the two of them. When Ron, who was stood next to a shy looking Ravenclaw, looked over at Hermione, an outraged look appeared on his face, but Hermione shot him a look that said “leave it, Ron.”
            Harry was stood next to Luna, who was gazing up at the rafters, no doubt looking for flibbity-gibbet pixie snorkels or something, Hermione thought. Malfoy gave her a curt nod, as she slid onto the stool next to him. The rest of the class paired off evenly; Neville with a gangly Hufflepuff girl with frizzy ginger hair, and the Patils with each other.
            “Excellent! I see my pairing charm’s worked a treat! But I can’t have you two –“ she gestured to the Patils, “working together. Padma, you swap with Ron, and then we’re sorted.” With a little more seat shuffling, the students turned to face the front of the classroom.
            “Now. I want to ask your partners about their role in the battle. What was the most courageous thing they did? What was the most cowardly? If they could change anything, what would they do?” She swished her wand and the questions appeared on the chalk board.
            Hermione noticed Malfoy’s fists curl up by his side, squeezing so hard that his knuckles were white. “Professor,” Hermione interrupted, and the teacher turned to face her, with a warning look on her face.

            “I’m sorry but I don’t see how you can expect us to talk about these thing; particularly with these partners. Not everyone was on the winning side, as you know... and well... I just think it’s silly to embarrass and reopen old wounds.” Hermione finished.
            A few moments passed, as a few of her surrounding classmates nodded in agreement, whilst Professor Duxhominem paused in thought, regarding Hermione with a look of confusion, before flitting to look at Malfoy.
            “Are you questioning my authority, Miss Granger?” There was an amused tone to her voice, Hermione noticed, before shaking her head.
            “Not at all Professor... I just really don’t feel comfortable-“
            “I’m sure yourself and Mr Malfoy will manage the task just fine, Miss Granger -“
            “But that’s the problem you see, Professor. I don’t want to talk about the war, and I DON’T want to talk about it with Malfoy.” She glared at the Professor.
            “She’s right,” cut in Malfoy, looking at the teacher with a look of distaste, his knuckles still white. “I’m not proud of my part in the war, and I don’t want to talk about certain events that... transpired,” he said.
            Hermione’s mind flitted back to the scene that she’d been trying to keep out of her thoughts for several months now. Bellatrix Lestrange astride her, cackling manically as she drew blood. A blonde youth stood in the corner, arms by his side with an expressionless face apart from a slight look of horror in his eyes. Hermione blinked, willing the image to leave her mind.
            “Professor you don’t understand-“
            “But Miss Granger, I think I do. After all, it’s my job to understand.” Professor Duxhominem’s tone was getting impatient now, and the rest of the class were listening in awe. Hermione arguing with a teacher was one thing, but for Draco Malfoy to back her up? That was another matter entirely.
            “I CAN’T TALK TO MALFOY ABOUT IT!” Hermione exclaimed, her tone raised and her breathing hurried, so that the whole class fell into a stunned silence.
            “But Miss Granger, you have to. Or else face the consequences.”
            There were a few moments as the pupil and professor stared each other down.
            “She’s right,” Malfoy said, again. His voice was quiet but he raised it a little. “I shall not talk about the war with Hermione. I don’t care what you make me do, but I point blank refuse. It’s an invasion of privacy and a violation of my rights. Just wait until my mother hears about this-“
            He was cut off by the Professor. “Mr Malfoy I am well aware of the numerous complaints you have made to your parents in the past, and can I just say that they do not faze me in the least. I am merely doing my job, and if you don’t like that? Well you can join Miss Granger here in detention tonight in the Forbidden Forest. And you will BOTH have to write an essay, two rolls of parchment long, about why it is important to overcome issues such as the war before we can progress to deeper matters. Do I make myself clear?”
            Hermione nodded meekly, yet remained holding the Professor’s gaze. Malfoy shrugged and sat back in his seat. “Fine,” he said, “but I am going to McGonagall about this,” he spat.
            The teacher looked over at the two students, with their arms folded resiliently. “My, my,” she said, smiling. “Who’d have thought the first students to receive detention this year would be the Head Boy and Girl? I’d have expected better, I must say. You two will remain behind after class. For now you can complete any homework you may have, whilst the rest of the class continue with the task that you two students are refusing to complete. I want a roll of parchment on my desk by the end of the week about your partners role, and tardiness will not be taken lightly,” Professor Duxhominem announced to the rest of the class, as she swept behind her desk and started writing something.
            Slowly but surely, after people began to get over the initial shock of Hermione getting detention and arguing with a teacher, murmurs began to occur across the classroom, which turned to chatter, as the students cautiously broached the topic of the Final Battle.
            Hermione felt a gaze lingering on her, so she turned to face Malfoy, asking more forcefully than necessary, “What?!”
            “Sorry,” he began, “I didn’t mean to get you in trouble...” Despite the circumstances, Hermione felt like laughing. Was Draco Malfoy really apologising?
            “It’s not your fault. I started the argument.”
            “Yes, but if you hadn’t, I would’ve. You didn’t need to get yourself in trouble just so you didn’t have to hear about the lying deceitful things I did during the war...”

            “Don’t flatter yourself, Malfoy. I didn’t do it just for you. Things happened during the war that I’m not that keen on reliving myself,” she winced. Draco’s eyes filled with realisation when he thought back to that day at Malfoy manor.
            “I’m sorry about Bella-“
            “Don’t be,” Hermione pointed out, “It’s not like you could’ve done anything to stop her – you’d have been dead before you could blink,” she managed a half smile.
            “But still...” Hermione shot him down.
            “No buts, Malfoy. Leave it. I don’t want to talk about it. Save it for detention when we’re away from that bloody wench-“ she shot Professor Duxhominem a dirty look
            Malfoy chuckled. “My, my, Granger. I’m having a bad influence on you already.”
            Hermione shot him a dirty look but he just smiled and winked at her, as he sauntered out of the classroom as the bell rang.
            “Malfoy,” she called after him, “You forgot Duxhominem wants to talk to us...” he stopped still in the doorway, before turning around looking a little embarrassed.
            “I so knew that, Granger,” he said, smiling, “I was just testing you.”
            Now it was Hermione’s turn to laugh, “Whatever you say, Malfoy,”

            And she could have sworn she heard him mutter, “So not smooth, Draco,” under his breath, causing a small smile to grow on her face as the duo approached the teacher’s desk.