A Man Can Change - A Draco/Hermione Story

Welcome Back to Hogwarts

 I DO NOT OWN THESE CHARACTERS: J.K.Rowling owns them, this is just a fanfic written by a huge HP fan.

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Hermione and Draco exited the train and left their luggage with Hagrid. They were meant to be directing everyone where to go if they didn’t know already. Hermione noticed that the First years appeared younger than usual, but she did have to remember though, that she was repeating her final year, and there was quite a large age gap between her and the First years.

      It seemed so far away these days, and her first night arriving at Hogwarts was almost like a distant memory now. She knew it was because so much else had happened to her, more important than her first day at Hogwarts, since she had entered the Wizarding World.

      Hermione could see Harry, Ron and Ginny on a Thestral-drawn carriage, accompanied by Neville Longbottom and Luna Lovegood, two more of her returned friends. She waved over at them and they all returned her warm smile and gave her a hearty wave. Ron scowled at Malfoy before mouthing something that resembled ‘good luck’.

      At this rate though, it looked like Hermione wasn’t going to need the luck, Malfoy had been so civil to her the whole train ride that it was almost as if she were on the train with another man entirely.

      Once they had done their job, and led all students to their appropriate transport, Hermione and Malfoy climbed into the last carriage and let the Thestrals lead them all the way up towards Hogwarts. Hermione was finally glad in one way that she could see the Thestrals, as it had been a bit unnerving to think there were invisible creatures walking around without any knowledge of their whereabouts. But she also didn’t like to see them as it meant that she had witnessed Death. One could only see the creatures, when they had witnessed death, and accepted the death in time. She had witnessed one too many of those already.

      “They aren’t as horrid looking as I thought they would be, quite beautiful in fact.” She spoke to Malfoy, but he didn’t reply, just merely nodded sharply before taking his eyes away from the creatures.

      She knew that he could see them, as he too had witnessed death, probably some deaths worse than she could possibly think of, being a former Death Eater. She thought that their presence was probably part of the reason he was silent. For her, thinking about the war brought back terrible memories, but for Malfoy it had to be worse, as it also set in motion the possible death of his father, which was still to be decided.

      When they finally arrived in the school grounds, they exited the carriage together and walked up towards the Great Hall, passing all the nervous looking First years. Some of the First years looked older than eleven but Professor McGonagall had already explained that due to last year’s war and takeover of the school, all muggle-born children had not been allowed to attend Hogwarts and some Wizarding families just didn’t want their kids starting out while such a terrible war was in motion.

      That meant that those now twelve year-olds attending Hogwarts this year will be starting out as First years, so that they don’t miss out on anything important in their education.

      As they entered the Great Hall together, they saw every other year was already seated at their House tables. She noticed that Harry and Ron had left a space between them for her small figure and she was happy she had such thoughtful friends.

      Professor McGonagall was standing up in front of the large podium that used to stand Albus Dumbledore, the Greatest Headmaster the school had ever seen. His death had, in the end, been complicated. Draco Malfoy had initially been involved, but Harry had informed her that he had nothing to do with his death.