Count Your Blessings

Author's Note:

This story WAS supposed to be 12/13 chapters long but...I decided to add more to it. Sue me. =P

A Hermione/Draco story (with a little DM/PP, HG/RW, HG/BZ, and HG/SS thrown into the mix)

Please R/R!! Thanks!

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Platform 9 3/4 was bustling with students and parents alike. Most of the students were eagerly meeting their friends while their parents stood on the platform and chatted about their summer, job, or what was going on with the Ministry. They were still at the height of the war but neither side, that is the Death Eaters or the Ministry, had made their first move. It would happen any day now.

That's what Mad-Eye Moody had said when Hermione arrived at the Burrow during the summer. Her parents were obliviated into thinking they were childless adventurers in New Zealand. It strained her immensely to know that her parents could be hunted down for merely giving birth to a witch. However, Mrs. Weasley was more than comforting and she soon put that doubt out of her mind.

Now she was stuck trying to find a place for her large trunk, filled with books no less. Harry and Ron had gone ahead to find a compartment for them. Although they had offered to help Hermione with her trunk, she was perfectly capable of finding room for it. She didn't need their help, even though right about now she wouldn't have minded.

It was air light, thanks to a nifty charm she learned, but it was still really big. Pushing through a few crowds, Hermione finally found a place to put her trunk. She smiled happily and slung it into the compartment for trunks. Some one at Hogwarts would get her things and it would magically appear in her room. She loved magic.

"Move it!" A shrill haughty voice bellowed through the crowd.

Hermione rolled her eyes. She loved magic but sometimes she hated the people. Pansy Parkinson and a group of seventh year students bustled through the crowd with their trunks. She glared at Hermione and threw her trunk into the compartment. Hermione watched in sheer horror as Parkinson's expensive trunk collided with hers, causing a rather nasty dent to form. Pansy's eyes followed Hermione's gaze and she let out another shrill scream.

"How dare your trunk do that to mine!"

It made no sense whatsoever and Hermione made sure she noted that. "Trunks can’t possibly dent other trunks unless their owners are obviously irresponsible.”

There was, of course, Theo’s Dueling Trunks but that wasn’t what Hermione was trying to get at. She held her chin up and looked smugly at Pansy. The pug face girl growled under her breath, something Hermione didn’t catch quite all of. Although, she did pick up that nasty name ‘mudblood’ under the witch’s breath. She was used to it by now. After all, she had been exposed to it at age twelve by a very spoiled, very prejudiced Malfoy.

The Slytherin girl stepped up in front of Hermione. Their eyes were level with one another, yet Pansy’s eyes looked like a sickened pygmy puff while Hermione’s eyes were a brilliant chocolate mocha. “You think you’re better than us, don’t you Granger?”

“No I don’t, Parkinson,” Pansy looked shocked and then Hermione watched her face turn into the smug pug that she was, but Hermione finished her sentence. “I *know* I’m better than you. On my worst day, when I’m sleeping.”

Pansy clenched her fists and lunged toward the Gryffindor but was stopped when she went flying through the air and fell into a trolley full of first year toads. The crowd around them looked around and spotted Hermione’s wand raised only slightly. She had become fairly proficient at dueling, thanks to a crazy Auror and a wicked cool best friend who experience more Dark Arts than most Slytherins put together.

The crowd erupted with laughter as a toad landed on Pansy’s flat head but soon became quiet with the familiar shout that coursed through the air. “Move out of my way! What is going on?”

Hermione swung around, clenching her wand just in case. Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle, pushed through the crowd and stood. He looked from Hermione to Pansy and she thought she saw him stifle a laugh. Of course, his face was like granite. Perfection at its best.

Yes, Hermione found Draco Malfoy attractive. It was hard not to. But, that didn’t mean she was the least bit interested in the crazy git. She preferred her men to be kind, intelligent and not the son of Death Eaters. Draco had grown over the summer, Hermione couldn’t help but stare. His features were more rounded out. Now tall and lean, but muscular, Draco stood at least six foot one. He looked like a giant compared to the tiny five foot five Hermione stood at, on her best day when she didn’t feel like slouching or carrying heavy books. His hair was the same shade as it was before but now longer. Silvery blond locks that were slicked back with strands that hung over his well chiseled face. Smooth peach colored skin, a little on the pale side, but then again the Slytherins lived in the dungeons. His eyes were cobalt blue, which defined him from his father. Draco was a spitting image of his father, Lucius, at age eighteen. Yet, he had his mother’s eyes.

“Hah!” Draco’s sudden laugh caught everyone by surprise. “What’d you do this time, Pans? Pick a fight with a first year?”

Pansy frowned, blushed, and cursed under her breath. She wriggled out of the trolley and flicked the toad atop her head. She pulled her wand out and pointed it at Hermione. “You stupid Mudblood! You’ll pay for that. Cru---“

“WHAT is going on here?” A shrill motherly voice called, scattering the students about. Mrs. Weasley charged through the crowd and looked at the scene as it unfolded.

“Were you just about to cast an unforgivable curse young lady?” Pansy glowered at Mrs. Weasley but said nothing. The plump red headed witch turned to Hermione and shoved her behind her like a protective lioness. “That will be enough. I would hope your mother or father wouldn’t want to see you expelled for fighting before school has even started.”

“What do you care you fat cow?” Pansy spoke, ushering herself to Draco. “You’re the blood traitor not me. Why don’t you go back to your dumpy little house and pop out a few more children you can’t afford. Bit-“

Pansy didn’t get to finish her sentence as Hermione had darted in front of Mrs. Weasley and shouted the Bat-Bogey Hex at her. Mrs. Weasley shouted in horror as Hermione looked triumphant.

“Try that again Parkinson and I’ll send you reeling so far back that you won’t be able to tell your knickers from your hands.”

“Arthur! Do something!”

Mr. Weasley came tumbling over and pulled Hermione back. “Now, now children. The train will be leaving soon. Let’s shake hands and wish each other a happy year.”

They were too friendly, even with those who despised them. Hermione had taken enough crap from these stuck up spoiled brats. She wanted to attack and make them wish they had never said an ill word about decent people. Her eyes flashed to Draco, who looked utterly bored with the situation, yet when his eyes met hers. She shivered and instantly turned away.

Pansy barked at Hermione, “You’ll regret this Granger! Mark my word!”

Hermione heard a familiar laugh from the window beside her. Ron was hanging his head out, the mop of red hair on his head swaying from his laugh. “You showed her ‘Mione! Now, c’mon! Get a move on. Ginny is determined to beat Harry at Exploding Snap and Luna brought her Quibbler and won’t stop talking.”

She nodded and smiled at Ron, turning to Mr. and Mrs. Weasley. Parting her lips to speak, Mrs. Weasley interrupted.

“Don’t cause trouble now. Remember you are an intelligent young witch. Think before you act.” She gave Hermione a big hug and kissed her forehead, “Oh, and dear? Please keep Ron out of trouble. He’s turning more and more like his brothers.”

She knew she was referring to Fred and George. Ron had spent the entire summer at their new wizarding shop and Mrs. Weasley now thought they were a bad influence on him. In reality, Ron had a wild streak of his own. Nothing could contain him any longer. The loss of Percy and Charlie was enough to show Ron that he was his own person. She loved him for that.

Hermione nodded and hugged Mr. Weasley before climbing into the train. She walked along the corridors just as it began moving and stumbled back. Her hand reached out for what she thought was the railing but touching smooth soft warm skin. She wheeled around, ready to apologize, when she saw whose hand she was, in fact, touching. Draco Malfoy.

He looked down at her with his piercing blue eyes and smirked. “You should watch where you’re going, Granger. Never know who’s lurking in the corridors.”

Some how the way he spoke to her, with such condescending tones wrapped around his deep velvet voice always seemed to make Hermione shiver. She looked at him and narrowed her eyes, “Right. Well.” She pulled her hand away from him, “Sorry.”

She was at a loss for words, for the first time. It bothered her and it bothered her a lot. She moved to pass Draco, but he took a step in front of her, blocking her way. Hermione looked up at him with a frown and tried to pass on his other side but he moved and blocked her.

“Malfoy, move.” She ordered, placing her hand in her pocket for her wand.

She felt around and inwardly became worried. Where was her wand? It wasn’t in her pocket. She hesitated and tried to feel out in her other pockets where it was, of course discretely. There was a tiny flash, causing her to look at Draco. He twirled her wand in his hand and smirked even wider.

“Give me my wand back,” Hermione demanded, holding her hand out. As if she expected him to give it to her. She was well trained in wandless magic, but it was against school rules to use it outside of a class room.

“Make me. I found it fair and square.”

“You stole it from me. Now give it here.” Hermione jumped a little, trying to snatch it from him.

“What? Not calling for Scarhead or Weasel to help you out?”

Hermione clenched her teeth. She didn’t need male protection to keep her safe. She was a better dueler than both of them combined! Sure she lacked some off the cuff movement but she knew spells like she knew the back of her hand.

“Give it here, Malfoy.” She demanded again, leaning up to grab her wand.

Her fingers wrapped around its wooden length but the train made a sudden jerk, turning no less, which caused Hermione to tumble forward a little. Draco’s arm reached out and his hand out as they landed against the opposite wall. He had boxed her in.

She leaned against the wall, having secured her wand, but her large eyes were trained on Draco. He looked at her intensely and it scared her just a little bit. Draco’s hand moved from her hand and traced along the edge of her jaw, brushing one of her curly locks out of his way.

“This year is going to be different, mudblood.” He whispered, his minty breath bathing Hermione. “If you think that I will tolerate whatever you, Potter or Weasley do…you’re sorely mistaken. I’m not the same Draco Malfoy you went to school with.”

“You’ll always be the same, Malfoy,” Hermione said, her voice trembling but she attempted to keep it steady. “A spoiled git who relies on others for protection and uses verbal harassment to make others feel little. If it’s any consolation. I’m not the same Hermione Granger. You can call me mudblood, dirty blood, or whatever horrid name you can think of. It won’t phase me. Now, move.”

Draco didn’t move. Instead, his gaze on her deepened and she thought she saw him smile. He leaned in closer, tilting her chin up to him. Their lips centimeters from one another. It was getting hot. She was getting hot. Her heart was racing and he was so close. She could taste the mint from his lips and he wasn’t even touching her.

“Draco?”

Thank Merlin! A voice pierced the tension between Malfoy and Hermione. He was standing quickly, yet still had his hand against the wall with Hermione pinned under him. Hermione’s eyes traveled to the source of the voice and she cringed instantly. Pansy Parkinson.

She had come to collect her boyfriend no doubt. Pansy looked from Draco to Hermione and back again. Her face becoming red with anger. Draco merely straightened his shirt and glared at Hermione before walking to Pansy.

“Draco, what is…” Pansy asked, confused and angry.

Draco wrapped his arm around her shoulder and pulled her close, “Shut up, Pans.” He and Pansy disappeared into a compartment, leaving Hermione standing against the wall with her hand still gripping onto her wand.

Harry pulled the compartment open and looked out. “’Mione! Where have you been? Ron and I were just going to look for you? Bugging the conductor again?”

She shook herself from her daze and scowled at Harry, “Just because I like to know when we are going to arrive at Hogwarts does not mean I’m bugging people.”

“Yeah right!” Snorted Ron, whose head appeared over Harry’s. “C’mon! The game is getting good! Unless you want to stay out here the entire time…”

She frowned and marched over to the compartment, sliding in with the others. They all greeted her with much gusto but she wasn’t interested in playing exploding snap or wizard’s chess. She just wanted to sit there and collect herself.