The Kindling Fire Between Us

Author\'s Note: To all those who don’t believe that the head girl and boy can live together, I suggest you stop reading now........ Still reading? I knew you couldn’t resist.


Summer was finally over. Hermione arrived at platform 9 ¾, searching the sea of faces for someone familiar. She gazed for a second at Dean and Lavendar. Dean had definitely grown and Lavendar made a few adjustments to her look. Hermione noticed how Dean was talking to her. They both seemed to be laughing at everything the other was saying. It must be the dark makeup. Hermione remembered how her mother had tried to make her wear makeup like that. Just to make her happy, she put it on once then forgot about it. She just didn’t have enough patience for it. Suddenly a loud crash was heard near the end of the platform. Neville. He was chasing after his frog again. He had changed too. He wasn’t as short and chubby as he had been over the past years, but he was still clumsy. She searched the crowd again and laid her eyes on the blond haired boy who had tormented her since the first day of Hogwarts. She winced at how the previous school year ended with her spitting in his face. At the time she believed he deserved it, but during the summer she began to regret it, remembering how his normally pale, almost translucent cheeks turned a dark shade of red and for a second he looked like he had some emotion, besides hatred. She called her attention back to what was happening now before she could convince herself to apologize.


His hair was slicked back, as it always was. He wore a sweater and khakis, clothing his mother probably talked him into wearing. Hermione noticed something different about him, something he must have changed during the summer. He hadn’t gotten darker, he still had a cream white complexion. He had grown a few inches, but there was something else. Something she couldn’t quite figure out. She scanned him over again, taking a careful inspection. She then realized it. Even under the sweater, you could see it. Draco finally got muscles. He wasn’t the skinny, scrawny, boy who resembled a ferret anymore. He must have worked out, Hermione thought to herself. His whole torso was well sculpted now, like he went through an amazing transformation during the summer. Hermione realized she must have been staring at him long and look up to see if he had noticed. To her dismay, he was starring right back at her, with his trademark smile plastered across his face. She felt her cheeks get hot. Draco smirked again seeing the effect he was having on her. Even though there weren’t close, she could see how silver his eyes were. Her mind was racing and she could hear her heart beating in her head.

‘Look away! Look away!’ she was telling herself, but she just couldn’t. ‘Hermione, what are you doing? Just look away! He’s been such an ass to you! Why can’t you just look away?’

She pulled all her strength together and looked away, but she still felt his eyes burning into her. Her head snapped back in his direction. Their eyes met again. She tried giving him the coldest stare she could sum up, but it seemed as if he found some amusement in it. Draco winked at her and licked his lips suggestively. He began to laugh coldly and she quickly turned away. “God I’m stupid,” Hermione mumbled to herself and regretted ever looking at him. She couldn’t deny how attractive he was, but god how she hated him. She began walking to the train when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She jumped at the touch but turned around and saw the most welcoming face she’d seen all day. Ron. His blue eyes were wide at her reaction and he retreated his hand quickly.

“ Sorry, Herm. Didn’t know you were that jumpy,” he sheepishly apologized as he slid his hand into his pocket.

In any other any case she would have chastised him for calling her Herm but right now all she cared about was seeing her old friend.

She threw her arms around his neck and practically jumped on top of him. She would have stayed in that position all day, but she felt how tense his body had gotten under her touch. She slowly took a step back and looked at him. He was redder then ever and starring at his feet. She smiled at how cute he looked when he didn’t know what to do. She took a second to examine him also. He had grown again, but she expected that. His hair was unruly as ever and flaming red. Before she found his red hair a bit juvenile but now she found it kinda sexy. His body was toned, but it had been since he joined up for quidditch. She then looked at his face. He was biting his lower lip and trying his hardest not to look up at her. She decided they couldn’t stand there all day and took lead.

“ I’m so glad to see you Ron! How’s your summer been?”

With a relieved look on his face and glad she had taken tension off the situation, he looked up joyfully and answered.

“ It was pretty good actually. Too bad you guys couldn’t come over to stay with us,”

Hermione had felt bad for not visiting the Weasley family, but her family had remodeled their house this summer and taken a trip to Paris. She just couldn’t find the time. She decided to change the subject quickly before the awkward silence returned.

“ Have you seen Harry?”

“ Nope, the last time I talked to him was the beginning of last week,”

They looked around and Hermione soon caught sight of him. Like Ron, Harry had gotten taller, but was still the lanky boy he was last year. They made eye contact and he waved at her.

“ C’mon Ron, I found Harry!”