Forbidden Love

Hermione woke up with a start. She had fallen out of her seat on the Hogwarts Express in the middle of a much-needed nap. Ron, Harry, and Ginny were beside themselves with laughter. It was as if all of a sudden-plop, thud! And Hermione was on the floor, making their very sorry looking card castle fall and rain around her.

Hermione, in a half sprawled, half sitting position on the floor was at a total loss for words of what to say. Everyone in the compartment was laughing and she couldn't for the life of her make up a good comeback.

"Shut up-all of you! God, you're so...so...I don't know," Hermione

managed to sputter out.

"Have a nice fall there Mione?" Ron asked amidst his chuckles.

"Oh sure- go ahead and laugh-I' don't care. Whatever!" she

retorted and took her seat beside Ron again.

"Oh come on-we're only just kidding around. Don't take it so harshly. Although, it isn't everyday that you see a person just fall over like that- you've got to admit it, it is pretty funny," Harry said to her.

Hermione shot him back a look of pure venom.

"All right, all right," Harry hastily added, "I'll buy you a chocolate frog the next time the trolley comes around."

She rolled her eyes at Harry and smiled; there was no way that she could be mad, or cranky for that matter, at these guys. She noticed that Ginny had gone back to reading her book, and Ron was-Ron was still trying to stifle his laughter!

SMACK!

"Ron!"

"Ow!!! Oh come on! Take a laugh at yourself! Your day can't have been that bad that you can't take any jokes?" Ron mused at her.

Actually, her day had been somewhat crappy. She woke up rolling off the bed and thudding onto the floor just before dawn. And her toothpaste was all out' which was rare since both her parents were dentists. Breakfast was fine-she had eaten with her parents and Crookshanks, and it was a huge breakfast at that. There were eggs, sausages, bacon, toast, roasted tomatoes, pancakes, and potatoes-all for her sixth year of Hogwarts. She was packed and ready to go a week before, or so she thought. After her breakfast and a lovely hot shower in her bathroom, it dawned upon Hermione that she had forgotten and misplaced her wand. Of all things! Her wand. After 45 minutes of frantic searching, Hermione went out into her garden in a bad mood. Crookshanks sauntered up to her with a stick in his mouth. He was weird about that sort of thing. He liked playing fetch, but he hated chasing his tail or digging, or dogs. So Hermione took the stick he had dropped at her feet and she threw it across the yard for him to fetch. Only when it landed had she realized that the stick she had just thrown, that smooth and shiny piece of wood was her wand! She leaped up, and dived for it before Crookshanks could sink his pointy teeth into it again. She actually got there in time, but Crookshanks was determined to fetch the stick, so, disappointed, he clawed at Hermione and gave her several long, bloody scratches down the arm.

"Darn you kitty! Why do you have to be so darn stubborn?" she yelled at it.

Crookshanks only replied with a yawn and went off to go clean himself.

He left her there, and as she was examining her arm with the scratches, she glanced at her watch.

"Oh shit!" she whispered furiously under her breath. She was fifteen minutes behind schedule.

Hermione went into a mad rush from there. From the car to King's Cross, she ran like a chicken with no head. There was no stopping her, except when she had almost missed the train. With 2 minutes left to spare-she plopped down into the seat next to Ron and for the next half hour, she slept peacefully, until falling out of her seat rudely awakened her. Hermione stood up and yawned. I'm going to go freshen up or something-be back in a jiff!" She opened the door and stepped out into the corridor. She stood there a moment- wondering which way to go, she had forgotten.

"Left, Hermione," called Ginny from inside the compartment.

"Oh-thanks," she replied and shut the door. Hermione walked on, as she did, she straightened out her tight boot cut jeans. At the end of the corridor was a nook with a mirror inside and the restrooms. She stepped into the little nook that held the mirror and fumbled around into her purse and found her compact. She took it out and brushed some blush on, as well as smoothing some lipstick over her lips.

That was when he walked up. Handsome and brooding, he was strutting up the corridor, bored out of his mind, when he saw her. A smile peaked across his lips. The first thing he noticed that was peeking out of the nook was a luscious ass leading down to an even greater pair of long, slender legs, and ending in some stiletto heeled sandals.

"Ahhh-a nice catch, I wonder who it is. Why don't I go---introduce myself," he thought. He walked up swiftly and grabbed her ass and squeezed it tightly before letting go again. "Hello darling," he said sultrily.

Hermione whipped around and slapped him. "How dare you!"

He stepped back, unabashed, and surveyed her front. Nice hips... great tits... and...

"MALFOY?!?!" Hermione shrieked.

"GRANGER?!?!" he shouted back at her.

"You...ah...um..." she was at a loss for words again.

Malfoy decided to take the initiative and he coolly said, "Nice ass Granger, care if I have a look at the other stuff under there?"

Hermione looked horrified; she couldn't believe her ears-was Malfoy hitting on her?

Malfoy look into her eyes and put his arms on either side of her head on the wall. He was breathing heavily as he leaned in. He smirked at her and went in for a kiss. No sooner had he touched her lips had an explosive passion ignited between them (she could literally feel his "passion" rising up against her stomach). And with that, she kneed him in the midst of his "passion."

Malfoy doubled over and uttered a stream of curses. Using that downtime, Hermione ran off to her train compartment in a mad dash before Malfoy could make another move on her. She opened the door and shut it fast as lightning as she plopped down into her seat next to Ron.

"What happened?" asked Ron.

"I don't know," Hermione panted out, "I have absolutely no idea."

***

"So Mione-what happened?" asked Ron.

"Nothing really, I just bumped into someone," Hermione replied.

"Must have been someone 'cause you look absolutely flushed Hermione," stated Ginny.

Hermione stared at Ginny for a moment-at a fucking loss for words again! The third time in less than fifteen minutes! "Well, you know-someone shoulders into you and obviously you piss off at them, so that's what I did," Hermione said casually.

All of a sudden a squeaking noise came form outside the compartment and down the hall, then it came nearer and stopped, then again, and again, and finally after a couple more times it stopped, right outside of their compartment. "Oh God," Harry thought, "Please-don't be Peter, don't be fucking Pettigrew." Then a sharp knock came at the door. Harry bolted up and opened the door-wand in hand and very tense.

"Oh my! You'd better watch where you point those things dearie! You might hurt someone." It was the trolley witch that came around the train, offering sweets and pies for the traveling witches and wizards. Harry relaxed; a lot. "Well, hello dearies. Would you like anything off the trolley? There's a bunch of sweets!" piped the witch. She was old and plump. Not fat, but plump; with gray hair and a crinkly smile that filled her face all the time.

"I'll take eight chocolate frogs," Harry said to the witch, "Two for each of us."

"Harry, you don't have to get us two! It's all right; we can pay for our own," Hermione said to Harry.

Ron gave her a look that said she was obviously crazy. She shot him back a look like he was a greedy two-year-old and she kicked his shin.

"Ow!" he yelled.

"Oh shut up Ron!" she retorted.

Ron gave her a look as he rubbed his shin.

"Mione-it's no trouble at all-it's fine," Harry said to her as he paid for the frogs.

"Oh fine Harry," she consented and she smiled at him. Then she turned to Ron who was still rubbing his newly bruised shin and stuck her tongue out at him. Ron stuck his out at her and they both ended up laughing as Harry handed them their chocolate frogs.

All four of them started to unwrap their frogs before they hopped away. Then they all silently ate their frogs. But it wasn't an uncomfortable silence-it was a comfortable kind of silence. It wasn't awkward at all, because they all knew each other so well, it was like they could read each other's minds.

Hermione Granger was 16, still smart as ever and beginning to flaunt her looks. She was appointed prefect and had the highest marks in all of her classes-except Potion; that honor was always bestowed upon Malfoy. Over the summer, Hermione had kept in touch with Ron and Harry and Ginny. Harry's letters were more often than not, very long and flowing, but they came at odd intervals. Sometime three letters would come in a week, other times, only one in two weeks. She supposed that it was because of his uncle, Vernon, and his aunt, Petunia. He only vaguely told her that had been cracking down on him more than usual. She didn't think much of it since the summer before they had eased up on the punishing. Her parents were doing well too. Over the last year, they had accumulated a lot of patients at their new dental office. That meant that they were able to go house shopping. After a couple of weeks, they bought a lovely manor in a more rural part of the city. They christened it "Granger Manor." Hermione had lucked out, being an only child and got a whole floor to herself-though she hadn't even moved in or seen it for that matter. But all in all, everything had gone well during the summer, and things got better when she received an owl one day. She had taken it, thanked the owl, and tore it open.

Dear Miss Granger

We are pleased to inform yo that you have been selected to be a Gryffindor prefect. You will be receiving your own dormitory room connected to that of another prefect. Please see Professor McGonagall and Professor Snape upon your arrival at Hogwarts. Please meet in the Potions classroom. Thank you and enjoy the rest of your summer holiday.

Professor Albus Dumbledore

She was so thrilled to get that letter and decided to celebrate by going off to tell her parents and going out to dinner. And that had been her summer.

Ron had experienced a different summer. He played Quidditch and went to Diagon Alley with Seamus, Lee Jordan, Dean, Fred, and George, all throughout the summer. Ginny wasn't infatuated with Harry so much, and Harry wrote to the both of them sparingly. This surprised Ron since the summer before, Harry had said that Vernon and Petunia let up a bit. From his Quidditch practice, Ron had achieved a toned body that in some ways was still a little gangly, and others...very hot. He had reached to a height of 6'3" and was quick at outgrowing all his clothes. By the end of the summer, he had a whole new (not really-most of it was second-hand) wardrobe.

Harry on the other-hand, had had one of the worst summers of his life. It was a wonder he actually got on the train for Hogwarts. Vernon's firm, Grunnings, was losing shares, bonds, and especially money, fast. So Vernon took to drinking bourbon-and lots of it. Though the bourbon had a nasty side effect on the already nasty man. Vernon grew violent. Although, his violence was not blind, he directed it at one person only: Harry. Vernon believed that Harry had caused the misfortune in his company with his "crack-pot magic shite." At first, Harry had tried to resist and defend himself, but once Vernon had pulled a knife on him and held it to his throat, Harry gave in. Sometimes Vernon beat him so badly that he could hardly stand-or write. And when he could write, he had to be wary that Vernon didn't see Hedwig gone, otherwise, Hell would come upon him. So Hedwig had planned to meet other owls in mid-flight and have them deliver the letters so that she could get home faster. There were a couple of good days though. His birthday was nice. Ron had sent him a huge chocolate birthday cake (from Mrs. Weasley), a bunch of Quidditch book, a card from Ginny, along with some trick wands and "jokey" things from Fred and George. Hermione sent him a parcel of parchment, quills, ink, and five cupcakes. Hagrid sent him a homemade cake, which Harry barely ventured to eat. But in the end, Harry had eaten it out of love for Hagrid-and hunger; Vernon had also been starving him. Dumbledore sent him a small note; Sirius sent him a card with a note too, as well as Remus too. But that was just about all the honest good Harry experienced-the rest was traumatizing and he wanted to keep it to himself. Receiving pity from people like Ron, or Hermione would just make the Hell he was in full circle. He didn't want fucking pity from his friends, or anyone else for that matter because Vernon would have triumphed. Although it wasn't as if Harry had really been putting up that much of a fight now.

And that was how the trio spent their summers. Now they were on the train headed for Hogwarts and a new school year.

***

The train slowly pulled into Hogsmeade Station. The four friends got into one of the carriages bound for Hogwarts, and were off. Within a couple minutes, they arrived at the huge castle that was Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

As they were all getting out of the carriage, Ginny slipped accidentally and fell into Harry's arms.

"Oh- thanks," she said to him, blushing and smiling at her own clumsiness. "God!" she thought, "He must think I'm a klutz or something- and falling into his arms like that! Oh God!"

"Yeah- sure thing. We wouldn't want you to hurt yourself before term even started!" Harry replied.

Their eyes met for a moment and there was something between them, then they both flicked their eyes away again, embarrassed.

Hermione glanced over at them and smiled. She knew instantly that they both had a "thing" for each other. "Well, I have to go to the Potions dungeon- prefect thing you know- I'll see you at the feast. Save me some room too!" She told Ron, Harry, and Ginny as she walked briskly to the Potions chamber. "And don't eat all the food Ron! I'm hungry too you know!" she called out to Ron jokingly.

Ron blushed and muttered something about not even eating that much usually. That made Harry and Ginny laugh since they knew what a hell of an appetite Ron could have after particularly long train rides.

Although in the back of his head, Harry was really looking forward to this feast, it would be his first decent meal since the last feast at the end of last term.

Walking briskly, with her robes flaring out behind her, she look around and a warm feeling came rushing into her- she felt so at home here! Her feet quickly carried her to the Potions room and there she met Professor McGonagall, and Professor Snape.

"Hello, Miss Granger, I trust your train ride was good?" Professor McGonagall asked.

"Oh, yes, the train ride was lovely," she replied politely.

Just at that moment, Draco Malfoy walked in, actually he heard her whole reply and smiled, chuckling to himself.

Hermione turned around and saw him, and then she whipped her head around again, and decided to ignore him. He walked up beside her and grinned at her.

"Hello, Mister Malfoy, I trust your train ride was just as lovely?" Professor McGonagall asked. Professor Snape gave him a nod in greeting.

"Oh yes, quite," he replied, still grinning.

"Well then, since we've gotten our greetings out of the way, I suggest we get down to business. Shall we?" Snape said.

"Oh- yes, do," McGonagall replied.

"All right, Mister Malfoy and Miss Granger if you will follow me please, I will show you to your dormitories," Snape said. Although Hermione sensed a hint of...of...something.

After some pretty brisk walking, Snape stopped at a Romeo and Juliet-like painting. The 'Romeo' of the picture was kneeling before a tower with the 'Juliet' inside. After the 'Romeo' became aware of Snape, he asked, "Password?"

The 'Juliet' then parroted, "Yes, the password please?"

Snape then replied, "Rabbit tail."

Malfoy stifled a chuckle, at the fact of having just heard Snape say a password that was so unlike his personality. The painting swung open

"Mister Malfoy, do you find something funny?" Snape hissed.

Malfoy put on a mock innocence look, "Oh no sir, everything's utterly serious."

"Mister Malfoy, you will not talk to me or any other Professor in that manner. Understood?" Snape barked back at him.

"Yes, Professor," Malfoy said, more subdued.

Hermione was just standing by and watching that episode as it unfolded. McGonagall was doing the same with a disapproving look towards Malfoy. All four of them turned to walk in, but by then the painting had already closed again.

Snape was thoroughly annoyed by now. "Rabbit tail," he said loudly, and the painting swung open again. As he said it, he looked at Malfoy, daring him to chuckle again. Malfoy made no such attempt.