A/N: I had another account before this, but the stories were from when I was much younger so I decided to start with a clean slate.

Just some fair warning for any of you who intend on maybe following this story, this is a Harry and Hermione shipper. If you don't like those stories, this won't be the one for you.

Sorry! However, for those of you who do intend to read this, I thank you. And enjoy!

Disclaimer: I OWN NOTHING! The characters and places were invented by JKR. I own nothing from this chapter to the end.

\\\\\\\\\\\\

"I don't know whether war is an interlude during pace, or peace an interlude during war."

Platform 9 and ¾ was bustling. Sounds of students laughing and talking amongst one another echoed throughout the platform. Families hugged their students before they boarded the Hogwarts Express. Every sight, sound, and smell made Harry even happier. He had missed this place since he did not attend school the year before during his search for horocruxes.

However, he felt that if he did attend school the year before he would not be as happy as he was at this moment. For the first time he knew that all of the students boarding the train were safe. Voldemort was gone and the deatheaters were scattered and quickly being rounded up. For the first time in his life Harry actually felt safe and as normal as a wizard could be.

After a moment of reflection Harry pulled his trunk behind him, got it stowed away, and boarded the train. First years bounded down the train trying to find cars that were open and that were not filled with older students. As Harry made his way past each cabin he saw several glances in his direction. People whispered to each other about him, and several students stopped to have a fan girl (or fan boy) fit.

Finally, after Harry waded through all of the students, he found the cabin with Hermione and Ron in it. He slipped in as fast as possible and just as he closed the door behind him Hermione's arms were wrapped around him. "Hello Hermione," Harry said with a light laugh.

"Harry! It is so good to see you," Hermione gushed before pulling out of the hug. She looked radiant with a wide smile growing on her face.

Ron was just standing up and made his way over to Harry to give him a hug as well. "Good to see you mate," Ron said wrapping his arms around him.

"You too Ron." After the catch up was over they all sat down. The train just started moving and for the first time Harry actually felt content.

"Sorry to hear about you and Ginny," Hermione commented. What a great conversation to start out with.

Harry looked over to Ron who did not seem phased by the comment. He even chimed in agreement with his condolences about their break up. Shortly after the war was over Harry and Ginny both realized they were not meant for each other. They kept in contact and sent letters when they could, but anything on a romantic level had ended. In the end Harry felt it was for the best.

"Thank you Hermione. At least it did not end badly. Besides, I don't think I really want to be in a relationship. At least not for the time being." Harry was both reassuring them and at the same time reassuring himself. He would be lying to himself if he said that he did not miss the intimacy with someone.

"So, you and Hermione, going to be Head Boy and Head Girl," Ron said changing the subject.

"Oh yeah. That is right. I had nearly forgotten. That will be fabulous!" Hermione cheered in excitement. Harry had never really seen Hermione this happy. She must be feeling the same thing he was feeling. Just glad to be safe and have a bit of normalcy.

"In all honestly, I really didn't want to be Head Boy. However, McGonagall would not allow me to say no," Harry replied with a short laugh. The rest of the ride was spent catching up with one another and talking about how their summer went. Harry noticed that Ron and Hermione were sitting rather close, and although they tried to hide it he could see their fingers were intertwined with one another. Clearly their relationship had survived the summer unlike his with Ginny.

\\\\\\\\\\\

The first day celebrations were over. Harry was pleasantly surprised to see that the school had been fully restored to it's former glory. All of the students, even the Slytherins, seemed happy to be there and happy to be in the company of everyone else. After the sorting and the first meal was finished Harry and Hermione talked to McGonagall for a while discussing their duties and some of the modifications that were made to the school.

After their talk Harry and Hermione did their rounds of the night searching the school for any students causing trouble or students sneaking out to snog with one another. Surprisingly they only found two students snogging in a broom closet. Other than that the night was mostly calm.

When Hermione was satisfied with their inspection they made their way up to the Head Boy and Head Girl common room and both collapsed on the couch in exhaustion. "Quite the first day." Hermione sighed before kicking her feet up on the table.

"That it has been." Harry chimed in agreement. After they got off the train the rest of the evening had been crazy for both of them. It felt good to finally be able to kick back and relax for a moment. Harry had a feeling the rest of the year would be a lot like today.

After a few moments of silence Harry turned to Hermione. "So you and Ron still seem to be doing well." Harry gave Hermione a small smile as she turned to him nodding.

"Yeah we are doing...Pretty good." Hermione sighed before taking her eyes away from Harry to look at the fire cooking in the fireplace. After all the years Harry had known Hermione he could tell when she lying. This was one of those times.

"Is that the truth Hermione?" Harry asked quizzically now sitting up more erect.

"I don't know really Harry..." Hermione finally said shifting in her seat so she could look at Harry a bit better. "I mean, Ron is a good enough guy. And I do genuinely like him. But I just can't shake this feeling..."

Harry cocked his head to the side as he narrowed his eyes on Hermione. "What feeling?"

"The feeling, that we aren't right for each other. You know...Kind of like with you and Ginny." Harry could see the conflict kicking around in Hermione's eyes. He knew exactly where she was at.

Slowly Harry reached his hand over to Hermione's putting it on hers and squeezing it reassuringly. "Just do what you think is right Hermione. But if you continue to feel this way, it would be best to break things off with Ron. It is not good to string someone along when your heart is not in to the relationship."

Hermione simply nodded before standing up and wishing Harry a goodnight. After she vacated the common room Harry followed her example and made his way up to his bedroom. He stripped quickly down to his boxers and then collapsed in his bed. The biggest piece of drama in Harry's day was only about relationships. It was not an episode of Voldemort slipping in to his mind. There was no battle that Harry had to prepare for. The feeling was new to Harry. He could get used to it..

\\\\\\\\\\\\

Classes were a breeze for the first week of school. It was fun seeing his old professors again and meeting the new teachers was interesting as well. Every meal he got a chance to sit with Ron and Hermione and enjoy conversations with them like he always did. Every now and then Ginny and others would join them, but it would always be the trio sitting with one another. Each night he would patrol the school, find trouble makers, take away points, and escort students back to their common room.

The days began to slip in to familiar form without many surprises. Harry began to enjoy the familiarity of each day.

Harry made his way up to the Head Boy common room and soon was inside. He collapsed down on to the couch tossing his books on to the table. Fatigue from the day set and slowly his eyelids slid shut. Harry felt himself slipping away beginning to fall asleep.

"Harry!" Hermione exclaimed jolting Harry back awake. Before he could say anything Hermione was diving in to a string of thought. "McGonagall was just here looking for you. She said it was most important that you find her as soon as possible."

The feeling that Harry should begin to worry began to stir in his stomach. Harry hesitantly brought himself to his feet beginning for the door to the common room. "Do you want me to come with you?" Hermione asked with a small frown on her face.

"No I should be alright Hermione. Don't worry." Before Hermione could object anymore Harry left the common room for the headmasters office.

Harry weaved through the corridors and through waves of students in a dream like state. Every now and then a students would say hello to Harry but he barely mumbled back a response. His head was spinning with possibilities that McGonagall would need him so urgently for. Some were just hopes that they were Head Boy duties that needed seeing to immediately. However, anything Harry would do Hermione certainly could as well. As his mind got carried away his feet continued to guide him to McGonagall.

Before he knew it he was standing in front of the headmasters door. Harry went for the knob but the door was locked. Instead he pounded on the door three times. The sound seemed to be amplified in the small area Harry was waiting in. The sound bouncing off each wall making each pound louder than the last.

The door swung open revealing a frazzled McGonagall. "Potter. Please come in."

Harry obliged quickly slipping in to the room before the headmaster shut the door. "Take a seat." McGonagall said brushing past Harry to her seat on the other side of the desk. Harry took one of the vacant seats across from her and stirred uncomfortably in it.

McGonagall paused for a moment. Slowly she took off her glasses and set them on the desk. She lightly rubbed the area the nose pieces had rested on. The anticipation was beginning to kill Harry, so he cleared his throat in hopes of bringing McGonagall about to saying it.

Still she hesitated for a moment more. Folding her hands on the desk giving Harry a rather weak and forced smile. "I wish I had better news for you my boy. But I'm afraid...I'm afraid your troubles are not yet over." With those few words the safe feeling that Harry had become acquainted with in the past week was shattered.

Harry felt his heart sink in to his stomach. After he had defeated Voldemort Harry thought all his troubles would have been put behind him. However, he could clearly see by McGonagall's face that Harry was not out of the woods yet.

"As you know, the Ministry has put forth the best effort they can on capturing the remaining deatheaters and getting them to Azkaban. They have done quite a good job getting quite a few in there. However, many still lurk out there. The Ministry has gotten intelligence that these remaining deatheaters have banded together for one final effort in the war." McGonagall explained with a bit of a shaky voice.

Not only had the war taken a toll on him, but it had also taken a toll on her. Now that she was headmaster she was in charge of piecing Hogwarts back together. While she did a tremendous job of doing so, the job was quite long and grueling. McGonagall looked more tired and worn then she ever had before. Her hair seemed to have turned grayer. Stress had caused more lines and wrinkles to appear in her face. Harry could tell that not only was this news affecting him but her as well.

"The Ministry believes that they are being led by Lucious Malfoy." The name came out of her mouth in a hiss. Through all the search one of the most prolific deatheaters was the one they had not caught. After the war the Malfoys went in to hiding and even after the efforts of the search they still had not been found. Now Harry learned that Lucious was leading one last final rebellion against him.

"What are they planning professor?" Harry inquired although he already had a pretty good idea what their plans were.

"We do not know how they plan on doing it or when...But their goal is to find you and...And kill you. They must believe that killing you will help their side of the war effort. In some ways they are right. I am not sure if you are aware of this Potter, but you are a symbol for the war. A symbol for our side. The Boy Who Lived. Twice! They believe killing you will shatter our morale. Will make us weak. It is through that vulnerability that they plan on winning the war." As Harry listened to the plan he did not think it well thought out. The deatheaters could not be that many in force. At least not as many as they faced last year at Hogwarts. Harry could not see how killing him would win the war for them. Perhaps it was just Voldemort's thinking still implanted in their minds.

"What would you have me do?" Harry asked thinking that there was some plan of action for him. A safe house he would be moved to or some sort of protection that would now follow him around.

"As of now Potter, we still do not know much of their plans except that you are their target. So I believe that the safest place for you is here. At Hogwarts." Harry breathed a sigh of relief glad that he would at least be able to finish his last year here. "However, because you are their target you can not leave the grounds. For any purpose. You can not go to Hogsmeade. When holidays come you must stay here."

There was the bad side. Harry would have argued but he knew that it would be useless. McGonagall was right. Right now Hogwarts would be the safest place for him. Although, the idea of being trapped on the grounds all day every day did not sound that great to Harry. Not even a visit to Hogsmeade would be possible.

"I am sorry Potter, but it is the only way I can be sure that you are safe."

\\\\\\\\\\\\

Harry missed his last class of the day. Instead he sat in his common room alone. Harry missed the feeling of being safe or at the least the illusion of it. There was no worry in the back of his mind about what may be around the corner. No worry of people coming to kill him. He was able to rest at night without having to think about deatheaters or Voldemort. Now he was thrust back in to the worry and anxiety again. The worst part was not even knowing how they planned on coming for him. Certainly another assault on Hogwarts would be out of the question. They simply do not have the numbers. At least that is what Harry hoped.

Time ticked away and soon Hermione entered in to the common room. "Harry! Where were you for Potions? You can't just miss class like that." Hermione began to lecture before she saw Harry's face. "What happened? What did McGonagall say?"

Hermione had joined Harry on the couch. Her hand reached for his taking it softly in his. For a moment they sat there in silence. Harry did not even look over at her until she squeezed his hand.

Harry explained everything that McGonagall had to him. As he watched her expression he could see she was going through the same emotions he was when he received the news. Her hope for his safety had just been ruined as well. "Oh Harry. I am so sorry." Hermione choked out on the verge of tears. "But...McGonagall is right. Hogwarts can keep you safe."

"Hopefully..." Hermione leaned over resting her had on Harry's shoulder taking his hand in hers. Harry knew that she was just trying to comfort him but no matter what Hermione did she could not get his mind to shut off. She could not get him to stop thinking about what the deatheaters were up to. For some reason Harry felt that the deatheaters had something big planned. Bigger than just an attack on Hogwarts or simply trying to kill him. He felt something more sinister was at work.

\\\\\\\\\\\\\\

A/N: Alright that is all for now.

Reviews are appreciated!

I hope you enjoyed it and more to come soon.