Pitterpatterpitterpatterpitterpatter

This was the only sound that could be heard throughout this hall of Hogwarts, as the girl's feet hit the floor. Her long bushy brown hair billowed behind her, as she flew through the halls at a breakneck speed. If it weren't for the overflowing bag, she was carrying on her shoulder; she truly would have been going close to the speed of light.

How could she be late? She was never late, and to Potions of all classes. She hoped that Professor Snape was also running late, or even that he was in a merciful mood, but in her heart, she knew neither would be true.

Looking back, and this was difficult for her to admit, it was her fault. She had been helping Harry with his History of Magic essay, because just like everyone else in the class, he had dozed off, due to Professor Binns infamous droning voice. By the time they were finished with the essay, she was so exhausted from the day, it had slipped her mind that she had Charms work due tomorrow.

When she got up the next morning, she went to the bathroom to take a shower, and get ready for the day.

As soon as she came out, her eyes came to rest on her bag, sitting by her bag, and she immediately remembered. In a state of panic, she rushed over, and her threw her bag on her bed. Going through her bag, she found the Charms assignment, sitting right on the top. Picking up a quill, and a bottle of ink lying around, she sat down, and started to go through it at a rapid pace.

After 25 minutes, she finally had finished everything. She even had to miss breakfast because of it, as her grumbling stomach reminded her every minute. "Tempus" and watched the blue sparks that shot out of her wand, started to form little numbers, and letters.

9:25AM they read.

As soon as she saw this, her heart dropped to her stomach, and she immediately began rushing around her dorm, preparing everything she would need for the day. As soon as she got her all of her books, into her bag, she took off the down the stairs, and out of the entrance to the common room

"Well I never!" she heard the Fat Lady, yell behind her, as she slammed the door on her way out. She made a mental note to apologize to her later.

Which was now how she was in her present situation, as for the first time in her three years at Hogwarts: Hermione Jean Granger was going to be late to a class

His robes flowed behind him, as he kept up a brisk pace. He wished he hadn't brought his book-laden bag with him. It was only Transfigurations, and he had a free period next, so he always could have gone back for the rest. His eyebrows scrunched over his brown eyes. Just another mistake he ha made today.

After he had eaten his dinner last night, he had made his way back, to his common room with Draco, and Theodore walking alongside him, following the rest of their house. As they made their way towards the dungeons, he let his eyes drift over to the first years, which had been sorted into Slytherin this year. Did I really use to be that small? he thought to himself as they arrived at the entrance to their common room. "Regius Anguis" Graham Pritchard called out, as the wall swung open, to reveal an open room, where everything had a greenish tint to it.

"Hey Z, up for a quick game of Exploding Snap?" Theodore said to him, as they both started up the stairs to their dormitories. "Maybe not tonight. I was hoping to some good sleep in tonight, and don't want to be up too late. Besides you wouldn't want me to beat you. Again" He said as they arrived, and immediately tried to go to his bed.

"You got lucky last time" Theo glowered at him, then added as his expression softened, "Come on! Just one game."

"Alright, Alright. But only one." He agreed against his better judgment. "Draco, you in?" Theo called over to their friend, who had just sat down on his bed. "I guess. If you two are going to be up anyway playing, and making a ruckus, I might as well join you." The blond haired Slytherin sighed as he got up, and made his way to the middle of the room, where Theodore had begun to set up the cards.

What had turned into one game, stretched into a tournament of sorts, that went till 3:30 in the morning. After that they had decided, to call it a night, with the tournament being declared a tie.

As soon as he woke that morning, he yawned, and began looking around. Immediately he knew something was wrong: There was nobody in the dorm with him, and the room had lit up with light. The idiots had forgotten to wake him up. Knowing he had no time for a shower, and certainly no time to eat, as breakfast was over already, grabbing his bag from atop his trunk, he began throwing books into it, from the clutter surrounding around his bed. It was only the first few days of school, but his living space was already ruined for the year.

As he went about his dorm, he remembered something: This would be the second time, he would be late to Professor McGonagall's class this year. While she was a good teacher, she was not known for her mercy, and he hesitated to think of what his punishment might be.

As soon as he collected everything, he ran down the stairs, and out the common room door, startling a few 7th years that had their first period free, as he whooshed past them.

Slowing down to a more suitable pace, he came to the conclusion that no amount of running, would get him there on time. He would just take the punishment the Professor gave him.

"What's the worst she can do to me?" Blaise Zabini said to himself, as he continued his journey towards the classroom.

Hermione had never run so fast in her entire life. Her parents had tried to make her do cross-country when she was younger, but that hadn't worked out. "Does not work well with a team," her coaches had told her parents. Her bag overflowing with her supplies for the day was almost a liability, weighing her down like that, but she couldn't toss them.

She made a sudden right, and as fast as she was going, she wasn't able to slow down in time to avoid the object she hit.

When she suddenly stopped, her bag lurched forward, and spewed all her books and supplies all over the corridor

"Oh Merlin, are you alright? I'm so sorry, I didn't see you," she said to the object, which turned out to be a person. A boy in fact. She began to get up, and offered him her hand to help him up off the ground. From her position above him, she could a better view of who he was. His skin was as dark as night, and he had black hair that was cut into a buzzcut. Her eyes were then drawn to his green robes, which meant he must have been a Slytherin. He also had the brownest eyes, she had ever seen. Any other time, they were probably quite nice to look at, but now they showed only rage.

"Maybe you should watch, where you're going next time? You could have damm well taken my head off," the boy snarled at her, ignoring her hand, as he pushed himself off the ground. He stood up straight, and she had to look up to look into the eyes that now had a look of disdain in them: Like she was nothing to him.

"I did say, I was sorry, there's no need to get so upset about it" she frowned up at him, and started to collect her scattered items from the floor.

"So you saying sorry, is going to fix you running into me, like a maniac? Yeah right" he said, throwing away her apology, like it was just some piece of trash. His items were also decorating the floor, so began to follow her move, and collect them. While he did this, he looked up at her, and finally recognized her as the Granger girl, who was always hanging around Harry Potter. "Just like the rest of your little group. Thinking they can do whatever they please around here." She stopped picking up her things, and looked at him, with scorn clearly showing in her eyes. "Just like a Slytherin: Cruel to those who, they think are beneath them!" she basically spit out the word Slytherin.

She finished collecting her items, and began stuffing them into her bag. After she finished, she glared at him. "Maybe next time, I'll aim higher, and actually- what was it you said? Oh right, take your head off!" she turned around so fast, her robes roared behind her, and she again began her route towards Potions.

Blaise fumed as he stared at the girls retreating back. He hated how the past two years, her, Potter and, Weasley always broke the rules, yet never received punishment for it.

A big question was Miss. Know-It-All, as Theo called her, wasn't in class. He honestly had no idea, nor did he care. As he finished collecting his things, he began his way to Transfiguration, not giving Granger another thought. As he arrived at his destination, he pushed open the door slowly, hoping Professor McGonagall was in a merciful mood, or she wouldn't see him sneak in. Making his way into the classroom, he slowly started to shut it behind him, seeing a nice seat in the back he could sneak into, but lost his grip on the door, and it slammed shut behind him.

THUD

"Why hello Mr. Zabini, so nice of you to join us." Professor McGonagall said from the front of the classroom. "Professor, if you would just give me a second to exp-" he began to speak, but she put her hand up, and he immediately stops. "Normally I would only give you a warning. However, as this is the second time you have been late to my class, you are to report to detention tonight at 7:45. My office."

He glumly replied "Yes Ma'am" and began to make his way to the only seat available, next to his friend Daphne Greengrass. "Look who decided to show up" she whispers under her breath to him, as he sat down, and pulls his seat to the table. "Sod off" he hisses at her. She suddenly began to sniff the air, and started to frown. "What is that smell?"

Blaise inwardly grimaces: In his rush, to get to class, he forgot to take a shower this morning.

"This is going to be a long day," he would say to himself more than anyone else.

Hermione couldn't believe the nerve of that boy. She had only tried to help him, after she ran into him, and he had snapped at her. She now recognized him as Blaise Zabini, one of Malfoy's friends, and looking back she shouldn't be too surprised: Anyone who hung around Malfoy, was no good.

Finally arriving at the classroom, she pushed the door open, hoping that Professor Snape wouldn't notice her come in.

As her luck would have it, he would be standing directly in front of her as she walked in, greeting her with his trademark sneer.

"Thank you for gracing us with your presence Miss. Granger" he said with an almost snarl. "Professor please forgive for being late, it wasn-".

"You may explain this later to me, in detention, at eight tonight. This classroom," he said with a faint outline of a smirk on his face "And I believe that will be 5 points from Gryffindor, for your tardiness. Now take your seat" he finishes and then turns around to take his position at the head of the class. "Yes sir" she said forlornly, and made her way over to the only seat available, next to Harry. He gave her a sympathetic look, as she sat down. She started taking out her supplies, from her bag. She definitely lost a few things, when she collided with the Slytherin boy, and her bag went flying. She wouldn't be able to do a full inventory right now though, so she would have to wait until her free period before lunch. As she thought about lunch, she suddenly felt her stomach grumble, and she remembered that she had skipped breakfast this morning.

"This is going to be a long day," she said under her breath, as she began to take notes with her one remaining quill.

A/N

This is my first story so naturally I'm pretty excited to see what it can do! This chapter was only to introduce everybody. Future chapters will be more in depth, and longer.

P.S. if you like the story. Be sure to review

Regius Anguis= Royal Snake

Tempus= Time