Outlaws of Love - A Romione Story (1/?)

It had been a busy day from the start for the Granger family, and things only got worse when they reached the train station.According to the papers Hermione had gotten in her acceptance letter, they were to drop Hermione off at platform 9 3/4, a platform neither Hermione nor her parents knew the exact location of. They had asked just about everyone in the crowded station fordirections to the platform and each time they asked, they received the same general answer: they didn't know. Now, time was running out for Hermione to find the platform with it being but a mere ten minutes until the train was scheduled to leave for Hogwarts,and she was beginning to get desperate.

That is, until she heard a voice.

"Mum, you sure I'll be fine at Hogwarts?"

Eyes and ears perking up at the word, Hermione ran straight to the group, leaving her parents to slowly come to realize she had left their side and was over with another family. The voice she had heard belonged to a boy her age who was being followed by hismother and large group of family members. Immediately, she went right in front of the woman and stopped her in her tracks, causingthe boy to nearly trip and fall with his cart of supplies. 

"Excuse me ma'am," she asked in her best innocent tone, "but...are you all going to Hogwarts?"

The woman's surprised expression easily melted away into a warm, comforting smile at the mention of Hogwarts. She seemed tounderstand Hermione's possition. "Of course we are, dear! Of course! Is this your first time going on the platform?"

Hermione nodded. "Yes ma'am, it is."

"Well wonderful! It's my son Ron's first time getting on the platform as well," she mentioned, gesturing to the kid she had heard speak earlier. At being the center of attention, he seemed to blush and went to hide behind his mother. Hermione smiled a bit athim. "I promise you, it's not that hard at all. You just have to run straight at that brick wall right there. Seems simple enough now,doesn't it?"

Hermione looked at the lady a bit suspiciously. She did have kids that went to Hogwarts, but it was a little bizzare to hear someonetell you to run right into a brick wall. Before she could question it though, Hermione's mother and father found her, their eyes bothlooking at the lady curiously.

"Who are you?" Her father questioned the lady, a bit calmer than Hermione had thought he would sound. The lady smiled and outstretched her hand.

"Molly Weasley," the lady, Mrs. Weasley, replied, shaking Mr. Granger's hand as soon as his met hers. "I'm guessing this is your first child to go to Hogwarts, am I right?"

Mr. Granger nodded. "Hermione is our only child."

"If you want, I can assist her with getting on the train. I've had tons of practice with bringing kids to the platform, considering all ofmine being at the school and having gone there myself."

Mrs. Granger looked to her husband before looking down at Hermione, seeing her daughter lost in the world around her and excitedas ever. Kneeling down, she caught Hermione's attention and cupped her cheek. "Would you be fine with Mrs. Weasley helping youonto the platform?"

Hermione shrugged. "Honestly mum, considering we don't have a clue how to, I guess it'd be best for me to go with someone whoknows their stuff."

"I love you, sweetheart," Mrs. Granger suddenly said after Hermione stopped speaking, hugging her daughter tightly as Mr. Grangerlooked on behind her. "We love you, Hermione. Write to us whenever you can. We'll be waiting for an owl or whatever you send ourway."

"Yes mum."

Molly Weasley smiled warmly at the family before welcoming the bubbly little girl next to her, winking at her parents to give them abit of reassurance before bringing Hermione into position. She placed her cart a bit far back from the brick wall and then turned toher son she had mentioned before, Ron was it? 

"Ronald dear, come show miss Hermione over here how to get on," Mrs. Weasley spoke loudly, turning to Hermione right after witha grin opposite of her previous tone. "He's never done it with the cart, but Ron's got on the platform running before. Go on Ron, she'snot going to learn by you just standing there."

"Alright, alright," Ron said a bit defensively in reply, rolling his eyes before pushing his cart in front of Hermione. Taking a deepbreath, he rolled up his sleeves and then ran straight at the wall, disappearing magically. It left Hermione completely stunned, yet she had no choice but to go on through her fear. It was her turn and she didn't want to seem like a wimp, especially to that boy.Hermione Granger was smarter than the average kid her age, and she was not going to allow someone like him pass her up. 

Shakily breathing in like she had seen Ron do, Hermione ran right at the wall and shut her eyes tightly, expecting to hit the wall hard. Instead though, she felt nothing but air around her. That is, until she hit Ron accidentally in the back.

"Oh, I'm terribly sorry, I-"

"It's okay," Ron said quietly, not looking in her eyes when talking to her. "Simple mistake. Be happy you made it through."

Hermione frowned. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Ron shrugged, leaning against his cart coolly. "Nothing. Just...be glad you're here. At Hogwarts."

"Why-"

"Children," Molly suddenly interrupted from behind them, her other kids following through the wall behind her, "why not go up to the nice man at the train and get on board? You know what I mean Ronald, take Hermione with you. Keep her close."

Ron rolled his eyes. "Yes mum. C'mon 'ermione."

"It's Hermione," Hermione corrected, grabbing her cart tightly. This only seemed to make Ron roll his eyes more.

"Whatever."

With a cold look exchanged between the two, Ron motioned for Hermione to follow him and took her to the front of the train where a man dressed in dark black robes stood, golden hair shimmering in the bit of sunlight that hit it. Hermione gulped loudly as they approached him.

"Excuse me sir," Ron spoke a bit regally, seeming almost older than he was, "but we need to get on the train."

The darkly clothed man frowned. "Statuses?"

"Pureblood," Ron replied confidently. "I'm a pureblood. Hermione here.....well..."

"Mudblood," the man spoke in a forced tone, eyes instantly focusing in on Hermione. Almost instantaneously, she felt threatened by his dark, judging voice and look that fit it well. He couldn't be anything other than bad news. Ron for the first time in the conversation looked scared.

"Please Mr. Malfoy, she's really nice and incredibly smart, there's not reason why-"

"Silence," the man, Mr. Malfoy as Ron called him, snapped in almost a growling tone. "Your father being in the ministry, you'd think a boy like you would be acting a bit differently, Mr. Weasley. Rules are rules and no matter what the capability may seem to be, mudbloods are mudbloods. Your friend will be coming with me. You on the other hand may go off to the train."

Hermione looked at Ron nervously. "Ron, what's going on?"

"Hermione....there's something you may not have known about Hogwarts. They-"

Before Ron could finish, Mr. Malfoy took out his wand and pointed it at Ron, dark and cruel eyes facing Ron's harmless and caring blue ones. Ron backed away slowly at the sight of it, shaking like a scared puppy. "Get. In. The. Train.......now!"

Within seconds, Hermione lost sight of Ron. She looked up at Mr. Malfoy and bit her lip nervously. "What is going on....?"

"You will not speak to me unless spoken to, mudblood," Mr. Malfoy snapped almost harsher than before. "You are to follow me and do what I say. Anything else will only get you worse than you are going to get. Now do as I say and come with me."

And with that and a cruel shove, Hermione followed Mr. Malfoy off to her future and the worst few years she would ever experience in her life.