Amazing gif banner by ventresses

1st September 1998.

"I'll miss you guys," Hermione said, hugging both Ron and Harry one by one.

"We'll miss you too 'Mione," Harry said hugging her back, and Hermione noted with a rush of relief that his eyes had started getting back their hopeful gleam.

"We'll write to you," Ron added.

"Every hour of every day," Harry said grinning widely at them both.

"That'll be fun," Ron said with a grin matching Harry's.

"Please don't do that," Hermione said trying to sound annoyed but she was smiling.

"Hermione dear, come on or we'll be late." Mrs. Weasley shouted from behind and Hermione gave each of them another quick hug and rushed towards the sleek black car parked in front of the Burrow.

The ministry had provided special services to all the war survivors which explained the car now parked in front of her as she hugged Mr. and Mrs. Weasley thanking them over and over again while Mrs. Weasley waved a dismissing hand with a huge smile on her face.

Hermione saw Ginny from the corner of her eye as she took Harry and disappeared to a side.

She slipped inside the car, watching Ginny running towards them and she scooted over, giving her space.

She watched Ron and Harry waving to them, smiles etched onto their faces and Hermione wanted to store them in her memories. She was afraid of what this year would feel like without Ron and Harry.

Part of the magic about Hogwarts was her friends. She wasn't sure how she would manage without Harry's tendency to find himself in unusual situations and Ron's stupid jokes.

"So, head girl huh?" Ginny asked, breaking the silence.

Between her trips to Australia and exhaustive research, Hermione hadn't had the time to talk to Ginny or anyone else much.

"Yeah," Hermione grinned but Ginny's smile turned into a frown.

"You're not happy?" she asked and Hermione quickly tried to mask her expression.

"That obvious?" she asked with a little chuckle.

Ginny grimaced and shrugged.

"I'm happy but... I feel like I don't deserve it," she admitted.

It felt good to finally say it out loud. Back at the Burrow, everyone was busy telling her how proud they were of her or how McGonagall had made the best decision by making her the Head Girl while all Hermione wanted to do was throw the badge away.

"I think you're the one person that truly deserves it," Ginny said with a little laugh.

"I don't know. You all spent the last three months helping rebuild Hogwarts and I didn't even had the time to stop by," she said and Ginny gave her a sharp look.

"You were doing something important too. McGonagall knows that," Ginny said and Hermione nodded reluctantly.

"Speaking of which, what's the progress?" Ginny asked and Hermione heard the caution in her voice.

They all tried to avoid bringing the topic of her lost parents up as much as possible as if expecting Hermione to burst into tears. As if she was something fragile if handled with the slightest bit of pressure. She internally rolled her eyes at the thought.

"I covered the entire Northern part but they weren't there," she informed,  trying to keep her expression indifferent.

She had somewhat perfected the technique of masking her emotions these past few months to avoid receiving pitiful looks from everyone in the Burrow.

"What about those scanning charms you were trying to develop?" Ginny asked.

"They are useful for tracking wizards but not as much while tracking muggles. They detect magical traces and in case of muggles, they have nothing to work on except heavy emotions or blood traces," she explained and Ginny nodded, her brows crinkled in thought.

"So if you had your parents' blood, you could have easily tracked them?" she asked and Hermione nodded.

"Can't you use your blood? Isn't it sort of the same thing?" she asked.

"No, because they have a different DNA sequence and I have traces of magic while they don't," she said and Ginny nodded slowly as if processing the information.

The car stopped in front of Kings Cross, cutting off Ginny's next question.

Ginny's expression changed from skepticism to one of giddy excitement as she struggled to open the door.

Hermione laughed, leaning forward to help her with it. Ginny all but jumped out, stumbling over her own feet.

"Relax Gin," Hermione laughed as Ginny balanced on her toes, waiting for her father and the driver to haul their stuff out.

The two men loaded the luggage on trolleys, placing Crookshank's basket on top and Ginny grabbed onto Hermione's hand, dragging her through the barrier and into platform nine and three-quarters.

She was transported into another world, a world of comfort and delicious food and so full of magic. A world where the horrors of war had never happened.

The scarlet engine stood still, puffing smoke. The platform was bursting with teary-eyed parents and noisy teenagers.

Nostalgia hit her hard, making her head swim. Memories of all the previous years standing at this very station with Harry and Ron and with her parents flooded her mind.

Her parents.

She felt a painful tug in her heart but she ignored it, burying it somewhere in the back of her mind.

The effects of the war were there. Hermione had been wrong. She had been too blind to see them at first glance.

They were there in the huddled first years. In the quiet whispering of parents, warning their kids not to stray too far into the castle. It was visible in the unsure, occasional glances of older students over their shoulders.

Ginny appeared next to her and Hermione quickly arranged her features into a smile. Ginny was trying to scan the platform for familiar faces and Hermione joined her.

Hermione squealed, startling Ginny who followed Hermione's line of sight.

The mop of golden blond hair was visible in the crowd and Hermione held Ginny's hand to avoid getting lost as she made her way towards Luna.

"Luna!" Hermione exclaimed, placing a hand on her shoulder.

Luna turned around, her brows folded slightly before her face broke into a smile.

She reached forward and hugged Hermione. Hermione hadn't realized how much she had missed her until now.

"I missed you," she said quietly, breaking away from the hug.

"I missed you too, Hermione," Luna grinned as she cocked her head to a side, studying Hermione.

Hermione braced herself for the usual question.

Where were you these last months?

But to her surprise, it never came. Instead, Luna reached forward and brushed away a strand of brown hair that had come undone from Hermione's ponytail.

Hermione barely managed to hold back her frown at this bizarre action.

Hermione managed a smile, hoping to conceal her confusion and when Luna smiled back at her, she took it as a good sign.

"We should get on the train," she said and Hermione nodded, grabbing Ginny from where she was taking to Padma Patil.

Hermione hugged her greeting before dragging Ginny back to where they had left Mr. Weasley.

"How is Mr. Lovegood?" Hermione asked as they weaved their way through the crowd.

"He's doing well. I was afraid the war might have affected him badly but he's okay now."

"That's amazing."

"We bought a new house."

"Really?" Hermione asked, remembering the way the Lovegood's home had been destroyed after the trio's visit.

Luna hummed in response.

"Is it still near The Burrow?" Hermione asked and Luna nodded.

"It's five minutes of walk away from our old place. Dad wanted to stay nearby because Mum is buried there," Luna said solemnly.

"Oh!"

"It has a huge gnome infestation but Dad says we'll keep them."

"That's nice," Hermione said and then paused before she asked her next question. "What about the Dirigible plums you guys were growing?"

Luna looked at her as if she had grown an extra head before she gave a dazzling smile.

Hermione knew how she had judged Luna before for the things she believed in but the war had already taken so much from them. Hermione refused to let anything divide them any longer, especially something as innocent as Luna's peculiarity.

"Those were destroyed but the new house has a huge front yard. We are thinking of growing a little bit of everything."

"That sounds wonderful," Hermione grinned.

They reached Mr. Weasley who seemed a little on edge.

"Oh, finally," he said, breathing with relief on seeing the two girls.

"In you go now. Hurry up now," he said, shepherding the three of them inside the train, afraid they would run away into the crowd again.

Luna slipped inside while Hermione and Ginny hung back, wanting to properly say goodbye.

"Bye, Dad," Ginny said hugging him tightly before going inside.

"Goodbye, Mr. Weasley. Thanks once again for letting me stay at your place." Hermione said quietly before she hugged him, hoping her hug would deliver all her unsaid gratitude and love to him.

"It's your place as well, love. You are welcome anytime," he said, patting her back and Hermione nodded before breaking away.

She calmed her frantic heart and told herself that this year would be just as amazing as the others before she slipped inside, becoming one with the horde of students.

Word Count: [1,561 Words]