Dramione

eighteen

The castle was in the most festive mood as Christmas approached.  Although the break was near an end, the students still could enjoy their time left.  Except Hermione.  Who felt like her world had been ripped right from her, and it left when Draco left her.

Hermione looked out of the window and could see the train station off in the distance.  It was the second last train back, and now the school now had almost all of the students it started with at the beginning of the year.  And would they know of her and Draco? Did they realize what had happened when they were all gone at their homes?  Then it dawned on her.  Of course they knew....well at least knew what the prophet had said.  That seemed like so long ago.  When Draco pulled her to the side of the hall and threw the paper in her hands, his face full of concern. The days she fell for him.  And now she was supposed to forget it and move on? pretend it never happened! Well it did, and she had too many memories to prove it.

And here came the tears....no Hermione not again, she told herself.  "Hey" she turned to see Ginny in the doorway.

Hermione looked at her, and then back out the window, at the train that was now at a halt, the puff of black smoke disappearing into the sky.

"We are going to greet Neville from the train station....and then we thought we would go to hogsmeade....Luna, Ron, Harry and I" She stopped studying her friend.  It was evident she had been crying, since her eyes were red and puffy.  Ginny also heard her last night crying, in her sleep, or not, she wasn't sure. 

"I understand if you don't want to come.....but if you can." then she slipped out of the common room.

Hermione wiped her eyes before inhaling a deep breathe of air.  She decided she might as well as enjoy what was left of her holidays.  And she really owed it to Luna to go greet Neville.

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The golden trio, and the war heroes walked to the train station.....just like old times, but Hermione felt strange, these were her friends, and she still wasn't happy.  The platform was bustling, students were piling out of the train with their trunks and owls, hugging their friends, and going off about their holidays.  Hermione smiled slightly as a couple of first years were boasting about what they got, and what broomsticks they were excited to use.  She remembered back to when she was that age, excited over the smallest things. 

As they made their way onto the platform, Hermione noticed a couple of students were staring at her, and their was definetley too much attention on her.  There was also a bunch of murmurs and whispers like "Thats her....Hermione Granger."  or "can you believe she fell for him?"

"What do you think they are all talking about?" Ron asked.

"I assume they saw the paper over the holidays." Hermione groaned.

" Oh no...I'm afraid that probably isn't all Hermione.....look!" Harry pointed. Hermione didn't understand, she turned around.  Then she understood, it was clear.  Malfoy stood with a bunch of slytherians a little way down the platform, and a crowd had started to develop.

"Yeah....the paper is true.....she was so pathetic that she used me to Make the Weasley jealous.....and then she actually fell for me. She even swooned over me in her sleep, and was like, I love you Draco Malfoy.  She was so lovesick, she didn't even realize a Malfoy wouldn't ever even look at a mud blood like her. And they call her the smartest witch of our age." Draco said in an arrogant voice.

"Yeah Malfoy...you really showed her!" A couple of boys started laughing, more like cackling.

Hermione was boiling....and this time she would not hesitate to hex him to oblivion. "Hermione...just ignore him...he is not worth it." Ron said.  She started to walk forward.