Love and Second Chances

Harry shrunk her trunk and slipped it in her pocket as they made their way along the passageway looking for an empty compartment, the conversation they were about to have was not one they wanted overheard.

On finally finding one, the door was charmed not to open as Harry pulled Hermione onto his knee, both needing the physical contact to remind them that this was in fact real. "I was trying to get off the train Harry when I noticed you weren't on it, there are no Weasleys on board either."

"Yes well I figured out that the whole introduction to the red menace was planned on some level, when I didn't take the bait mother Molly grabbed my arm and started dragging me away. I screamed blue murder that I was being abducted and the last I saw of them they were being handcuffed by the police! All except Ron that is, I heard the first aider say I might have broken his jaw, not a bad beginning but things will get much worse for them if I have anything to do with it."

Hermione buried her head in his shoulder and he could feel her tears through his shirt, "I'm sorry Harry, without my wand Ron was just too strong for me to deal with."

Harry held her tight, "Hermione you have nothing to apologise for, you did nothing to encourage him and I don't believe that crap anyway. One kiss from a friend doesn't give him the right to attack your body, no always means no and I don't want to be part of any society that thinks otherwise."

"Thank you Harry for understanding, I couldn't believe he would do something like that and by the time I realised his intentions he had my wand. I think my brain actually shut down for a while because the next thing I remember I was alone and desperate to get away. You have no idea how much it meant when you offered to come to Australia with me, it's always been you Harry, I just didn't think I stood a chance."

"You always came first Hermione, whether it was Cho or Ginny, I always put you first, I was just too stupid to realise what it meant. The Ron incident hasn't happened yet and there's no chance it ever will, the possibility of us being friends with him this time doesn't exist and if he comes anywhere near my girl, the bastard won't know what hit him! I've not only retained all my knowledge from last time but power as well, my ability to perform wandless magic is also available, meaning my scar might be just a scar, I'll know for certain at the feast tonight if it doesn't react to Quirrell."

"Aw shit Harry, does this mean I'm going to have to learn to play chess? I hate that bloody game!"

"We have the knowledge to change things so that's what I intend to do, fuck preserving the time line that saw you raped and the two of us kissed before we got out of our teens. I really don't care about anyone else, as long as the four of us are safe, though explaining that ring to your dad might require Hagrid as a bodyguard."

"Don't even consider me taking this off because that is never going to be an option, I don't know how it got here but then I don't know how we got here so why should a ring be any less impossible? You know my mum and dad love you, well at least they did before."

"Before we were both eighteen, not eleven! Your dad will probably only half-kill me before passing me over to your mum to finish the job."

"I'll be twelve in less than three weeks."

"Oh good, that will make all the difference, let's wait and tell him then!"

Hermione giggled as she snuggled in to Harry, both understood that they needed to figure out not only how they got here but what to do about a multitude of problems. At the moment that could all wait, reassuring each other that they were in fact alive, together, and on the Hogwarts Express as first years was way more important. There would be plenty of time to do research once they reached Hogwarts, considering they had passed their OWL's in most subjects and would be doing first year work.