Chapter 1

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Hermione turned and hugged Ron and Harry, the former a tad stiffly and the latter as tight as she possibly could. Her and Ron had decided a month after the battle that they were better off friends, that the handful of kisses and tentative explorations had felt forced and uncomfortable, and it was with relief on both their parts that things began to go back to how they were before the final battle and their public demonstrative declaration. As relieved as she was they were friends again, the awkwardness still hadn't fully dissipated, what with the fact he'd seen her topless and all… she hoped time and distance would help smooth the waters again, but for now, there were wrinkles in their friendship that hadn't yet been ironed out.

Ginny had already said her goodbyes and had boarded minutes earlier. Hermione didn't know quite what had happened between Harry and Ginny over the summer, but she'd noticed a veneer of ice coating the redhead's words and an unease to her posturing as she'd said her farewells, and Harry was looking… well, like Harry. Loveably obtuse, oblivious to the undercurrents of unrest and frustration being sent his way.

Hermione sighed, knowing she'd be hearing about whatever bee was in Ginny's bonnet soon enough. With all these threads of tension spanning between the quartet, she was glad Harry and Ron had opted not to return to Hogwarts to finalize their education, instead enrolling with the newest Auror recruits. She needed the chance to breathe, stretch her wings a bit without her two male best friends hovering or obtusely weighing in. And they needed the release and challenge being Auror recruits would give them, a healthy channel for their grief following the war.

She sought solace in books and higher learning, they through adventure and exertion.

The Wizarding world was fragmented following the war — the government was in shambles, and delineation of the winning and losing sides was neither black nor white but many shades of grey. Due to the casualty rate, not only were many ministry positions vacant and desperate to find applicants to fill them, but shops and merchants and other businesses were also suffering losses and critical staffing issues.

Due to the incomplete, prejudicial and tyrannically disrupted education the Hogwarts students received the year leading up to the great battle, and in the hope of restoring a semblance of order and stability, the temporary ministry cabinet had enacted a wartime amendment to educational requirements and career placements.

This amendment allowed for those of age or who had attended their seventh year of study previous the ability to challenge their NEWTS over the summer term and to be able to enter the work force early, eliminating the delay of another year of schooling if the appropriate marks required were achieved in the challenged exams.

Those that wanted to return to Hogwarts to finish their aborted seventh year, like Hermione, would be treated as adults, and a new, one-time only 'eighth year' was created for them, which would mirror the seventh year curriculum but allow them the continuity of learning amongst their peers of the previous seven years. As most were of age, they were also allowed privileges typical seven years weren't, such as no curfew and the ability to visit hogsmeade whenever they wished.

"Oi, Hermione, best get on the train, ya." Ron said, breaking her musing, "Don't have a flying car here in case you miss it," Hermione rolled her eyes.

"Yes Ronald, because apparition to hogsmeade would be so difficult if I were to infact miss the train," she snorted. The train gave a warning whistle and Ron smirked.

"Ok you two, try and stay out of trouble," she grinned ruefully as both boys smirked, "and write to me often. I want to hear how training is going."

"Will do our best," said Harry with a sardonic grin as she swatted his shoulder, and she knew 'often' would mean a letter every couple weeks if she was lucky. And probably only a couple lines if that.

She smiled before giving them one last quick hug — more just a shoulder touch — and boarded the train.

As she made her way down the train's corridor to find a compartment to spend the journey, she fingered the spot on her school robe that would have housed the head girl badge. She understood why Professor McGonagall had given it to someone else, and even though it was Ginny who now wore it — who more than deserved it — she was still disappointed.

"Ms Granger," Professor McGonagall had said when she'd dropped by The Burrow to have a chat with Mr. and Mrs. Weasley over the summer; assessing Hermione with a look of compassion when asked about the deference, "The head girl position is for those in their final seventh year. Unfortunately, though you yourself are finishing your education at Hogwarts, you are technically not in seventh year. If you had returned last year, and had things been… different… You'd have received the honor of the badge. However, as things stand, to overlook those who held positions of leadership last year during the tyranny that occurred would not be prudent nor, to put it tritely, fair."

She'd speared Hermione with a piercing gaze before saying softly, "I would think, Hermione, that if anyone has earned a year of leisure, and dare I say, frivolity, it is you. I have full confidence you will put forward the energy needed to excel in your subjects, however, I do believe not being shouldered with head duties will become something of a relief in time."

She'd then smiled a rare, kindly smile and it was that, along with the use of Hermione's first name that took the barb out of the sting of rejection. Hermione still felt a sense of loss that her dream of reaching the pinnacle of student leadership had eluded her but she reasoned the extra free time would be appreciated when exam prep season came around.

Ahead of her down the corridor, a head popped out of a compartment.

"Hi there, Hermione," Neville said, beaming at her. "Care to sit with Luna and I?"

"Definitely," she said, returning the smile, relieved that her friends seemed to be already on board and she didn't have the awkwardness of sitting alone waiting. It was strange to not have Ron and Harry with her… felt like a limb was missing; not a vital one, but important and noticeable nonetheless.

As she made her way toward Neville, she glanced into the compartment on her right. Startled at what she saw, she nevertheless kept her composure as she quickly and surreptitiously took stock of the compartments inhabitants.

Surprise was her first emotion at seeing who occupied the seats, followed quickly by rage, indignation, a touch of fear and then resignation. She knew she had an extensive amount of baggage from the war that she wore around her like an invisible talisman, but she hadn't realized the acute reactions she'd experience when physically confronted with a trigger. Even as innocently a presented trigger as a compartment full of returning Slytherins, most of whom she'd never even exchanged more than two words with in years prior.

Her glance into the compartment had been no more than seconds, but it was enough for her rich espresso hued orbs to meet and hold with ones of the iciest blue. Just a flicker, a meeting, a spark, and then she was moving swiftly, stoically, toward Neville and the warmth and comfort of time spent with friends.

oOo-xXx-oOo

"Luna, hurry up will you?" Called Ginny, as she and Hermione hopped into a carriage, settling their trunks in the provided carrier slots. Neville was lagging a bit behind, chatting with Dean and Seamus, and as Luna settled herself into the carriage, Hermione was pleased to see Padma slide in beside her.

"You came back!" Said Hermione, and smiled a little before realizing Pavarti wasn't with her twin, her smile dimming at the realization.

"Yeah, I had a hell of a time convincing my parents it was safe to return, they know the war is over, but there's still dissent out there. But I needed to see this through, and… this is home, you know?"

"I do," said Hermione softly.

'Now more home than they'll ever realize', she thought sadly.

"Pavarti decided to intern at St Mungos. She challenged her NEWTS over the summer and received the marks required, so she and Lavender have a flat close to there."

"How is Lavender?" Hermione asked quietly, guilt and curiosity warring within her.

Guilt over her previous petty behavior and anger towards the other girl over Ron, and curiosity because she hadn't heard how her old roommate was doing since being attacked and too ashamed to investigate herself.

"She's…"Padma paused. "She's strong, but also as vulnerable as spun glass. She's spent the whole summer healing and working through what that animal did to her, physically and psychologically. But she's… she's different. She's not the Lavender Pavarti and I grew up with."

"I wouldn't think she would be,"'said Luna softly, "You can't go through what we did, what she did, and be the same as you were before. It's naive and cruel to expect otherwise."

"Right," said Padma, nodding solemnly, "well, That's why Pavarti didn't come back. She wants to help Lavender as much as she can and so interning as a healer allows her that."

The girls fell into a weighted silence, broken only by the sound of thestral feet clomping along up the path to Hogwarts.

"Congratulations on making Head Girl," Padma said, nodding towards the badge pinned to Ginny's robes who returned the compliment with a smile. "Do you know who's Head Boy?"

"Not Zacharias Smith," snorted Ginny, "ruddy coward! It's a Slytherin I've never really spoke to before, Terrance Bulstrode."

"Millie's brother, he'll be ok to work with I think," said Luna, staring off toward the lake and twisting her radish earring around her finger absently.

"Millie?" Said Hermione, and exchanged a questioning glance with Ginny.

"Millicent, Slytherin, your year." Replied Luna, nodding toward Hermione and Padma.

"How…" began Hermione, but Luna cut her off.

"We both seem to attract the wrackspurts something fierce. I noticed them last year and told her about how to remove them from her person."

"Luna," Ginny said indignantly, "wasn't she the Slytherin who tortured you the most last year? I distinctly remember you and her having many a run in."

"Oh no," said Luna sweetly, "she only pretended to hurt me. I mean, she did, you can't escape that with the cruciatus curse after all, but she didn't mean it. So it wasn't as strong as it could have been. She'd always feel really bad afterwards, she abhorred torturing us, especially the younger students, and so we'd meet up later so I could let her know I was ok. She made it look like she had it out for me so that she would be the one to curse me, so I wouldn't be hurt as much. She knew some of those in her house loved to inflict pain, not most, but enough. She did what she could with what she had."

Hermione shuddered, knowing this year was going to be one like no other. The stark realities of the past few years needed to be acknowledged, wounds lanced and tended to, old hatreds and grudges addressed. Her mind subconsciously conjured up the image of icy blue eyes as she shuddered for a slightly different reason, as the Hogwarts silhouette loomed before them, the warm glow of its windows spilling out and painting a welcoming picture on the grass courtyard below.