Chapter 1: The Beginning

I sat in my room, packing my trunk. Jumpers, check. Boots, check. Shampoo, check. Books, check. That seemed to be everything I needed from home. Now the only thing left was to get to Diagon Alley and get my new books for class, my potions set, and a new uniform. I had grown in the past year, and I hadn't been surprised when my other robes didn't even make it to my ankles.

Naturally, Ron, Harry, and Ginny were going to meet me at Flourish and Blott's so we could shop together. I had been working as a barista for most of the summer, so I couldn't see them in person, but that didn't mean we weren't in contact. I had been owling them, and them me, all summer. Harry had spent the whole summer at the Weasley's, of course, and they had spent the summer playing Quidditch and hanging out together. I couldn't wait to have some time with them for myself.

"Mum!" I called from upstairs.

"Yes, dear?" She called from below.

"I'm going to be apparating to Diagon Alley to meet my friends now, I'll be back in a few hours!"

"Ok Mione, just promise you'll be careful!"

Every since I told my parents about everything that happened, (leaving out some of our closest brushes with death, of course) they had constantly been worried sick about me whenever I so much as left the house. I told them that You-Know-Who was gone and that no one could ever hurt us again, they always retaliated with the fact that he came back from the 'dead' once, so why couldn't he do it again. I didn't totally feel like explaining the Holocrux deal in complete detail because they might not understand, so I just tried to be as cautious as I could to keep them confident in my safety. List of things I needed in one hand and my wand in the other, I disapparated.

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"Hermione!" I heard Ginny's voice call out before I had even seen her and felt her arms come around me from behind. I felt Ron and Harry follow and we engaged in a group hug, my sight still a little fuzzy from apparating.

"I missed you guys so much!" I exclaimed, releasing them from the hug, Harry letting go last.

"It's great to see you finally," Ginny said, smiling.

Ron stood next to Harry, smiling at me, not saying much. I flashed him a big smile. Things may have seemed a little awkward after that kiss in the chamber of secrets, but he never made a move. I may still have feelings for him, but I think he just thinks of me as a sister, just like Harry does. I'm just not sure I feel the same.

"Shall we start with the lists, then?" I ask.

They each nod, and Harry pulls a list out of his pocket similar to mine, the three must have put it together beforehand. I looked at her own, it got a little crumpled when we all had hugged. I frowned slightly before looking back up. I grabbed Ginny's hand and led her out into the alley, Harry and Ron following close behind.

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I was standing alone by a display case in a very busy broomstick shop in Diagon Alley. I had come to buy my school supplies for this year, but for some reason I found myself in here. Every once in a while someone would shoot me a surprised look of knowing, but very few of them were dirty. I was surprised, to be honest, I would have thought everyone would have hated me. I laughed softly to myself. These people are all too trusting of me, I thought. I was a death eater less than six months ago, and they let me roam around among them? Ridiculous. I suppose I should thank them. It would be times more difficult to finish my education at that bloody school if everyone was against me.

I just prayed that Blaise and Goyle would be returning with me this year. I hadn't been in contact with them during the summer at all, I figured they were as busy as I was. I spent the summer going from trial to trial for my friends, my friends parents, and my father. He, by some miracle, was found innocent, but now we had some much needed peace and quiet. I was never particularly close to my father, and even though he might of thought he was doing what was best for us, he ended up ruining me and my mothers lives; but she still loves him. I don't think I can quite say I'm glad he's not sitting in prison, but if it makes my mother happy...

Lost in thought, a small child bumped into me and almost fell. I looked at his face. He didn't look terrified as much as extremely startled, and he couldn't have been older than 12. I had never seen him before, maybe he was going to be a first year, or perhaps just a second year I've never noticed before. Regardless, he had run straight into me, and I couldn't let that slide. "Watch yourself, kid," I replied bitterly, holding onto his arm and then letting go. He nodded, ad then ran off. I watched as he left the store and ran off with some other kids, not looking back.

I looked down at what I was wearing. My usual black jeans and black shoes, with a Slytherin green T-shirt. It wasn't much unlike what I had worn yesterday. Or the day before, or, the day before that. Hey, I have a personal style, I suppose. Thinking of clothes reminded me; I had remembered everything else, books and supplied, but I had completely forgotten about my school robes. Having no intention of spending the whole afternoon in this place, I left the broom store and headed out into the alley.

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It was almost two o'clock, and we were finishing up our school shopping. We had our transfiguration books, our crystal balls, new cauldrons, and assorted potion tools. I looked down at my list. "The only thing we have left is-"

"Uniforms," Ginny cut me off.

"That would be at the end of the alley," Harry chimed in, pointing down the street.

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I stood there, examining different slytherin robes in the near empty store, when the bell near the door rang, signaling that someone had opened it. I didn't look, but continued to look at the different uniforms they had. They had robes, scarves, and even hats from each house of the famed Hogwarts school. I scoffed almost silently. All I would be needing would be a robe. I selected one off the wall that suited my preferences. I didn't think I would need to try it on. I could always fix anything that needed changing on it with some basic spells later. Pulling it off the hook it rested on, I examined every inch of it in my hands. Not exactly the most flattering color, but it would suffice. "Hey you!" I heard someone call, and turned around.

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All four of us came through the doorway, and a bell rang throughout as we entered the store. It was almost empty, only a few straggling teens looking around for their uniforms, and a woman sitting at the cashier desk, filing her nails. "Me and Ginny are gonna go look by the girl's stuff," I announced.

Ron and Harry nodded, and headed up the staircase to the section of the store where the guy's clothes were located. Ginny led me through a bunch of different clothing racks as we examined the different uniforms. "I think this is cute," Ginny said, turning to me holding a darkly colored scarf in Gryffindor colors.

"You already have a Gryffindor scarf," I said, frowning.

She laughed softly. "Hermione, my other one is gold with small red stripes. This one is red with equally thick stripes. Plus, there's a lion stitched on the ends!"

"Well, the lion is cool," I agreed.

Ginny nodded, smiling. "Now, about these robes," she said slowly, as we examined the wall in front of us, displaying robes of different base colors, lengths and styles from each house. We, of course, focused on the Gryffindor apparel.

"I think this one would be the best for both of us," I said, feeling the hem of a robe.

It was black, and ankle length with slits on both slides that would show some leg. It had a very nice collar on it, and the sleeves were stitched so they would look rolled up slightly at the wrist. Both the collar and the hemming on the bottom of the sleeves was gold, and the robes came with a red tie with the Gryffindor patch stitched on the chest.

Ginny came over and felt where my hand had been. "I like the fabric, and the collar is impressive," she said.

"I'm glad you agree," I said, taking it off the wall, 'Let's go find the boys."

"Woah," Ginny stopped me, "I said I admired the fabric and the collar. I still want to check out some other robes. I'll meet you and the guys down there later."

I told her that sounded alright and left the upstairs area. I heard voices downstairs, two guys, getting increasingly louder. , I thought. Nope, it wasn't them. As I approached the bottom of the staircase, I looked over the railing to see what was going on. I was both surprised and not to see Malfoy there, in what seemed like a heated 'discussion' with Harry, Ron standing next to him, his face becoming increasingly red. Harry, however, seemed to be keeping relatively cool.

"... pathetic, considering your situation, Weasley." Draco finished a sentence and scoffed at Ron.

"Your one to call someone pathetic, you bloody cowardly ferret!" Ron retorted.

Draco's smirk didn't falter, seemingly unswayed by Ron's insults. He was about to say something when I cleared my throat, loudly. All three of them turned to me. Draco's smirk disappeared to a bored stare, and Ron's face began to return to it's normal shade. "Me and Ginny are nearly finished here, but it seems like you two might take a bit ," I said, making sure to sound faintly annoyed.

"Sorry Mione," Ron said quietly, but then turned back to Malfoy, "We would have been done by now if hadn't come and started with us!"

Malfoy turned to Ron and sneered again, but before more petty words could be exchanged, I intervened. "Based on your location by the apparel," I started, "I can only assume you approached .Now pick out your robes so we can get out of here."

"Yeah, run back to Weaslette and your " Malfoy said as Harry and Ron turned away. Normally I would have flinched at his use of that word, but needless to say, it no longer affected me. Ron looked like he was about to turn and throw a punch at Malfoy, but I looked sternly his way and he began to walk away with Harry.

"Thanks," Harry said.

I nodded, and just then Ginny joined me at the bottom of the staircase, holding the robe she had picked out. "Did I miss anything?" She asked, obviously noticing Ron's ticked expression.

I looked back at where Malfoy had been standing not seconds earlier, but he was gone. Must have left to purchase his robes and leave. "Not a thing," I replied.