Can A Phoenix Love A Lion? (Hermione Granger x Male Reader)

10. Where Are They?

The end of the holidays came quickly and, besides the fact that Mr L/N found himself with tongue going down to his feet because of William and Poppy, nothing surprising happened—really, Willam and Poppy's pranks were nothing.

Y/N was focused on getting back to Hogwarts and couldn't wait to be back into all the rooms, the park, the common room with a starry sky on the ceiling. His luggage was ready since he came back from Diagon Alley.

Finally, the 1st of September arrived. Y/N was in the car with his father; his mother brought William and Poppy to their school. They got to King's Cross station, between the pillars of the platforms nine and ten.

"Well, there's the tricky part," Mr L/N said. "I can't go through, it's here I tell you goodbye."

"I'll come for Christmas, won't I?"

"Of course. Now, go on or you'll miss the train."

They hugged and Y/N turned to walk toward the pillar. He still had the feeling that, maybe, it wouldn't work so he broke into a run and... passed through the pillar.

Once on Platform 9 3/4, everything was different. Pointy hats, trunks full of luggage and pupils of all years passed in front of Y/N.

He got on the train and walked through the compartments, yet he didn't find the others. Well, the train would only go in fifteen minutes, and then he knew the—not so–legendary—punctuality of the Weasleys. So he sat in an empty compartment, soon joined by Hermione. She had barely walked inside that she was hugging him.

"How are you doing?" Y/N asked.

"Marvelously well," she said joyfully as she sat down.

"Can't wait to be at Hogwarts?"

"Two months, it's been too long."

They continued talking and eleven o'clock came closer.

"Did you see Harry or Ron on your way?" Y/N wondered. He watched through the window but there wasn't any sign of neither of them.

"No," Hermione said. "I thought they would be with you."

"Well, obviously no. And the train leaves in two minutes."

"That's a problem."

Y/N stood up, pointing his head through the window to look at the platform. "Let's go see if they haven't seen us. Maybe they're waiting in another compartment."

Hermione followed him across the wagon. They looked at all the compartments, most often collecting surprised looks from the occupants. After having done the whole train, they resigned themselves; the train had left King's Cross for fifteen minutes or more.

"They couldn't miss the train!" Y/N said anxiously.

"I don't know but that is a big problem. Travelling the distance between London and Hogwarts in one day, it's not easy. It's too late anyway," Hermione told him.

Reluctantly, he followed her to their compartment. He began to read—History of Magic, a doorstop—yet had a hard time concentrating. Let's say knowing two of his friends were left alone in London when they should be on their way to Hogwarts didn't help.

The sweet cart arrived and the lady asked if they wanted anything. Y/N took some Chocolate Frogs—never too late to begin your collection—and Sugar Quills. Hermione said she didn't want anything but when he proposed to share, she couldn't refuse.

Without Y/N realising it, soon it was sixteen o'clock. Sunlight hit hard on the window and he had the impression of swimming in his sweat. He stood up and started for the window, the Scottish countryside running in front of him, a stone bridge coming in sight. At the exact moment Y/N opened the window to let the fresh wind cool the compartment, no more than one pace from him, he saw a big, blue and flying something—was it a car?—pass.