Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, like everyone else here. I do quote some of the books, though, in flashbacks, so be warned. This story could spoil them all for you.

1 Tea Party on the Hogwarts Express

When Harry, Ron and the rest of the Weasleys reached King's Cross station, Hermione was there to greet them in what she hoped was her old friendly way. She was completely willing to try to forget that disastrous romance with Ron and let bygones be bygones. They were so busy feeling uncomfortable and trying to cover it up that they didn't see the blonde haired Slytherin leaning against the train watching them closely.

They were so engrossed in their attempts to reach the casual friendship they had enjoyed before the catastrophic end to the ill-fated romance between Hermione and Ron last year, that they didn't notice the same Slytherin following close behind them as they boarded the train. They still didn't notice him throw some second years out of the compartment next to theirs, nor did they realize that he was standing just inside the door to his compartment, apparently waiting for something.

The train started up, chugged a few hundred feet out of the station, then ground slowly to a stop. Perhaps because they were still in sight of the station, they gave no notice. Draco Malfoy, however, leapt into action before the train even gave its last shudder. He drew his wand from an inner pocket and slipped into the compartment of the uncomfortable trio. Hermione was too engrossed in her book, Quidditch through the Ages, to see him come in with wand raised, and an odd gleam in his eyes. Harry and Ron were too engrossed in their game of Wizard's chess to notice that where Hermione had been sitting a moment before was now a delicate Willow pattern teacup. In fact, Harry didn't notice Malfoy at all until he looked up at Ron only to see him turn into a fat little teapot.

Draco sat calmly, sipping tea from a Willow pattern teacup, reading Quidditch through the Ages. Before him sat a small table which bore the teapot and matching saucer. The door to his compartment banged open, and a Death Eater stepped inside. Lazily, Draco placed his cup on its saucer and looked up. "Oh, hello, Father. Come to see me off, have you?" The Death Eater closed the door behind him and lifted his mask. Draco sat for a moment and noted the elder Malfoy's cold as steel eyes, long pale hair, and black robes. "We're looking for /Potter/." Lucius Malfoy said by way of a greeting.

Draco raised one eyebrow. "Well, you're not likely to find him here, are you?" He /almost/ flinched as his father took an angry step forward, then continued in a less insolent manner, "I haven't seen him since I walked past him on the station platform." He casually picked up the teacup and took a sip. The elder Malfoy narrowed his eyes as he studied his son. A smirk came to his face. "Why Draco, I do believe your saucer is cracked." Draco's mind raced, but his expression remained calm. He allowed himself a scowl and replied, "Yes, pitiful, isn't it. The service on this train gets worse with each passing year. Perhaps if you have a talk with the management." he trailed off as the sound of shouting came to them.

Lucius Malfoy looked once more at Draco. "I have the feeling you are hiding /something/ from me, Draco." Draco looked at him with a sneer. "Now, Father, I told you. I saw /Potter/ and his filthy mudblood friend on the platform with a gaggle of /Weasleys/. What form of insanity have you got if you actually think I would do /anything/ to help that /nuisance/ Potter and his /stupid/ friends?" He continued scowling at his Father. The shouting was coming closer; they could very distinctly make out the voice of Albus Dumbledore. Lucius paled. He pulled his mask back down over his face and disapparated from the train. Draco smirked into his cup as he took another sip. He looked out the window at nothing. A dreamy look came into his eyes as he stroked the curved handle of his delicate teacup.

Hermione didn't know where she was. She couldn't see anything. She couldn't move. She could feel that she was being held and /could/ hear, but every sound seemed to come from a great distance. She felt strange, she was cold, could feel warm hands wrapped around her and an almost unbearably hot sensation went over her entire body. She was lifted up and felt./something/ strange. She heard Draco Malfoy's voice, calling someone 'Father,' telling him that he'd seen Harry, Ron, and Hermione on the platform. It surprised Hermione to realize that Malfoy actually seemed to be hiding them.

She realized with a start that the conversation between the Malfoys had ended, but she was still being held, and she could feel a stroking sensation on her arm. After a very long moment, she felt herself being lowered gently onto a hard surface. She waited for what seemed like ages, straining to hear anything that would tell her what was going on, and heard, with relief, Professor Dumbledore's voice. She felt herself lifted up and placed on a soft surface. A flash of light and she was seated in the compartment, watching Dumbledore transfigure a teapot into Ron, a saucer into Harry, and a table into Ron's chess set. Hermione realized she was trembling. She suddenly felt very cold and strangely empty.

Professor Dumbledore leaned out of the compartment, waved his hand, and the train started again with a lurch. Hermione merely looked on as Harry asked, "What just happened?" Professor Dumbledore looked at Harry gravely. "Death Eaters conspired to stop the train so they could apparate. The station is protected from apparating, but the train itself is not. As soon as we reach Hogwarts, we will remedy that. We believe that they were after you, Harry." Harry nodded. Weren't they /always/ after him? Dumbledore continued, "We do have an alarum spell on the train, however. When the train made this unscheduled stop, I knew there was trouble. We were able to capture two of them, but the others got away. At any rate, I began a search of the train and came across you, Ron and Hermione, looking not quite yourselves."

The twinkle returned to his eyes. "It takes an advanced knowledge of Transfiguration to turn oneself into an inanimate object. Which of you was it?" Hermione joined Ron in looking blankly at Harry. He looked uncomfortable. "It /wasn't/ one of us, Professor." He explained. Hermione's face flushed as she realized what had happened. "It was /Malfoy/." She said in a quietly angry voice. "Ah, very interesting," was all Dumbledore had to say before settling deeper into his seat. In no time, he gave every appearance of being sound asleep.

Harry and Ron had turned to ask Hermione more, but she had hidden her red face behind her book and refused to acknowledge them. After a moment or two, Hermione noticed that they were asleep and lowered her book. Her face burned with embarrassment. She was confused, angry, and a little afraid, now that she realized that the warm hands holding her and sensations had been Draco. She could never tell Ron or Harry how she had felt when Draco was holding her. Sure, she had been a teacup, she couldn't see or move, but she could still hear and feel. She remembered the sensation of being filled up with something almost unbearably hot, his lips touching him lie to his father to protect them.

Seeing Ron and Harry as teapot and saucer brought her to the realization that Malfoy had turned her into a teacup.a teacup that he proceeded to /drink/ from. Her face burned even more and angry tears sprang to her eyes. She felt somehow violated. How dare he touch her! How dare he even consider putting his lips on her! Oh, she /was/ relieved that Harry was safe, but why, why couldn't he have transfigured her into something else, like a book? She laid down in the corner of the seat and allowed her tears to flow unchecked. Before too long, she was asleep too.

The door to their compartment slowly slid quietly open as Draco looked in. He smirked. They were all asleep. He leaned into the compartment slightly and looked into Hermione's corner. She was cuddled up with that book, and, he was shocked to see, there were tears on her face. Silently, he entered the compartment, pulling the door closed behind him, and removed a silken handkerchief from his pocket. He knelt beside Hermione and gently dabbed the tears from her face. Dumbledore grunted in his sleep, causing Draco to jump up and run from the compartment. A moment later, he poked his head back in, looked around, and softly closed the compartment door, leaving the three friends and the headmaster fast asleep. If he had looked closer, however, he would have seen the barely suppressed smile on Dumbledore's face.

Hermione slept and dreamed. She dreamed of a warm hand caressing her arm, and soft butterflies brushing up against her face. She felt warm and safe. From a distance, she could hear a voice. She struggled to make out the words. "Hogwarts station, twenty minutes." Her eyes flew open. She /had/ been dreaming, but the voice was real. The conductor called again, "Hogwarts station, twenty minutes!" Hermione jumped up, went over, and shook Ron and Harry by the shoulders. They opened bleary eyes at her as she announced, more like her usual self, "We're almost there. You need to change into your school robes. I'm going to find Ginny." She left the compartment. She was glad she was already wearing her school things. She couldn't help it, even after six years, she was still very proud of the uniform. As Hermione left the compartment, Harry and Ron looked at each other, shrugged, and proceeded to change. Dumbledore continued to sleep.

Hermione went down the train, looking into compartments asking for Ginny. Unfortunately, the third compartment she looked into held Malfoy and his goons. Malfoy smirked as Crabbe and Goyle snickered at her. Her face went a flaming red. Before she really knew what she was doing, she had drawn her wand and transfigured Crabbe and Goyle both into toads. She pointed her wand at Malfoy. Her body shook with rage.

"I hate you." She whispered fiercely. A voice from the corridor stopped her from cursing him. She stormed out of the compartment, slamming the door, as Malfoy just sat there, stunned at the venom in her voice, and relieved that she had been distracted. As much as he hated to admit it, Hermione Granger was one formidable witch. As angry as she was, she could have done some /real/ damage. He felt a sinking sensation in the pit of his stomach. Standing up to his father was hard. Was it worth it? He wasn't sure. As the train pulled up to Hogwarts Station, Malfoy exited the compartment and left the toady Crabbe and Goyle to fend for themselves.

Draco hopped into the first carriage he came to, realizing that it carried the same second years he had forcibly ejected from the train compartment. He sighed. At least they were too intimidated by him to make any trouble. He glanced out the rear window and saw Professor Dumbledore escorting Crabbe and Goyle towards the long line of carriages. He smirked as the carriage lurched forward to take them to Hogwarts. He took a deep breath. It felt like he was coming home.