Harry along with Hermione arrived at the platform of the Hogsmeade Station. All the students were busy boarding the Hogwarts Express and Harry not willing to engage in useless conversation with anyone quietly pulled Hermione and boarded the train. Fortunately for him, the last cabin of the train was completely empty. He entered the cabin and closed the door from inside. Further, to avoid being disturbed, Harry pulled his wand and cast a locking charm followed by a notice me not charm on the doors.
Hermione slumped on the seat next to the big glass window of the Hogwarts express and Harry took his seat in front of her.
"Quite a year it has been," said Hermione, breaking the silence, with a deep sigh.
"Yes," added Harry gazing outside the window towards the Hogsmeade station.
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Gazing outside and witnessing the bustling and the chaotic Hogsmeade station, Harry was lost in his thoughts. He had been able to return from the future, back into his past.
One might assume that, he would try to make ground breaking changes or being some kind of revolution in the wizarding world. But he had no such grand aspirations or goals in his mind.
His main goal was here to right the wrong and he had gone through during his school years and enjoy his life. His purpose was to correct the blunders he had made as an innocent kid.
Although, along the way, he would not mind doing a two or good deed for the wizarding world.
Seeing the buzzing platform with Hogwarts's students, Harry got himself lost in the thoughts of what had happened to this grand and premier institute of magic.
After the defeat and death of Voldemort, Minerva had taken the reigns of Hogwarts as its headmistress. Under her, the school had functioned well for two decades.
Age old took over her combined with the losses and tragedy she had been through her life; she called it a day and took retirement. And it was then, the downfall of the Hogwarts started.
With the Board of educators being controlled by pure blood supremacists, a weak willed and puppet headmaster was appointed to the school. As a result, the entire management of the school fell under the influence of the ministry and its corruption. Even day to activities started to being dictated by the ministry.
Harry at that time, lost in his own personal regrets paid no heeds to all these matters.
In another few decades, the quality of education was completely ruined at Hogwarts. Instead of being a place of learning magic, it became a place of pure propaganda and politics. The hatred and discrimination against Muggle born became rampant. This dissatisfaction among the muggle born because of the treatment meted out to them was another of the reasons why the muggle world discovered the hidden world of the wizards.
At the time, when Harry had performed the ritual to return back, Hogwarts had been nothing more than a ruin of stones. A place which had been a symbol of magical study for almost one thousand years was turned into a abandoned castle with falling roofs and creeping vines.
The jerk of the Hogwarts Express, when it moved, brought Harry out of his thoughts.
He sighed deeply and looked at the changing scenery outside the window. From the stone built Hogsmeade station to lush green grasses, trees and forest.
It had not been more than few minutes since the Hogwarts express had started moving. Harry looked at Hermione's beautiful face with her bushy curly hair. She was busy looking outside the window.
Only after had she died, Harry had learned that how much insecure Hermione had felt about her looks especially her hair. Yet, neither in his previous life nor in this life could Harry understand why would Hermione feel such. He really felt that Hermione was among the one of the most beautiful girls, he had ever seen. [Emma Watson, who would doubt her beauty?]
Remembering all what he had read in her 'secret' diary, a tinge of regret appeared on Harry's face. Few moments later the regretful expression was replaced by a smiling face.
"Say Hermione," Harry said drawing Hermione's attention towards him. "What do you think of me?"
His eyes flickered with amusement.
Hermione's face turned into that confusion, "What does this question mean?"
Harry sighed and next moment he stretched his hands and pulled Hermione on his laps who could only yelp in shock.
Hermione was now sitting sideways on Harry's lap and her face was blushing red, "Harry... what are you doing?"
She struggled get herself free but Harry's grip on her was stronger.
Harry did not answer immediately and removed few strands of her hair from face and tugged it behind her ears.
Hermione blushed even deeper but thinking about her hair, insecurity started to creep in. Her face turned into that of anxiousness.
"Harry... my hair... what are you doing?" She stammered.
Harry smiled, "Hermione in the hospital, I was thinking of certain things. Help me answer these questions."
"You are such an ardent follower of rules and regulations; A worshipper of authority," continued Harry.
"Yet since, first year, you have been breaking rules after rules with me. Why would you do this?"
Hermione flushed red, "We are friends... Harry... That is why I would go with you… let me go..."
Harry nodded thoughtfully while his hands tightened even further pressing Hermione close to his body.
"Even now you won't tell?" Chuckled Harry with mischievousness.
"Tell what, Harry?" Hermione replied anxiously.
"Hermione, I may have been dense but even so I can feel the love and care you have for me... tell the truth..." Harry said.
"Harry..." Hermione muttered with the intention of denying but stopped midway.
She took a deep breath, "I love you... Harry..."
"I Love you too, Hermione," smiled Harry without any surprise. "Since when?"
Harry wanted to hear the truth, he had read in the diary from her mouth.
Hermione kept quiet but finally spoke, "Since, first year, from the day you saved me from the troll. You risked your life to save mine… How could I not… "
"Parvati, told me later, that it was you who took the initiative to save me… that Ron was not interested in coming along with you. After you forced him, then only, he followed."
"And why did you not tell earlier?" Asked Harry back.
"After all you know me very best. I am too dense to understand these things. If I had not guessed it now, would you have always kept quiet?"
Hermione took moments to organise her thought and decided it was good to come clean, "I felt I am not good enough for you. I am not beautiful and my hair... they look like this and my teeth."
Harry chuckled, "You are beautiful, Hermione."
A smile crept on Hermione's face at the compliment and before she could understand anything, Harry pulled Hermione, making her seat face to face. In another instant, Harry pressed forward and his lips made contact with her. The wetness of her lips seeped in his mouth. He started to suck her lips.
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