It was one of those unforgiving bright windy days, the Gryffindor common room was cold and grey, all the light and warmth from the fire was weak against the morning. Hermione was sat in an armchair by the fire, buried in an old tattered potions book, no one else was awake yet. She sighed and gazed away from the runic text out towards the window. Her thoughts wondered to the events of the last term, wondered how would continue. So many things were happening all at once and on top of worrying almost sick about Harry, there was Ron.
Since falling all over Lavender Brown, of all people, their relationship had been pushed to breaking and they now barely spoke. Seeing them locked together every moment made her heart break, and Lavender had the nerve to be jealous of her! The smug looks and nasty comments were beginning to have an effect. Feeling more dejected than before she closed the book with a satisfying clunk and made her toward the portrait hole, a cup of coffee and some toast seemed a likely distraction.
Pulling her knitted green jumper on as she entered the great hall she bumped straight into someone leaving. She was so surprised that anyone was about this early and so trapped in her jumper she lost her balanced and fell to the stone floor. The blonde, sneering face of Draco Malfoy met hers as she managed to get the jumper over her face.
"Watch where you're going in future Granger!" he spat nastily.
She got to her feet and slowly made her way across the hall to the empty Gryffindor table. The whole hall was empty expect for a small group of Ravenclaw seventh years and Snape, alone at the staff table reading an old dusty book, even bigger than the one she had tucked under her arm. It felt strange for the hall to be so quiet and so large. She sighed heavily and sat down to read, her eyes tired and loose brown hair hanging over the pages.
She couldn't keep her mind on the potion she was reading about however and soon her eyes were wet, not with tiredness but with tears. Images of Ron and Lavender were all she could think about, and maybe Lavender was right, how could Ron ever fancy such a 'bossy know it all'. Smart footsteps behind made her hastily wipe her eyes and lean towards her book again.
"Little early to studying, even for you Miss Granger," said a silky voice, so close to her ear she could feel warm breath on her neck. She turned abruptly to find herself looking straight into the black eyes of Severus Snape. His lips twitched when he noticed her teary eyes and looked for a moment as if he would comfort her.
"Well," she said, crushing the quiver out her voice and desperately trying to smile, "I like to keep ahead."
"Indeed," he replied with a smirk, "Well make sure you do. It wouldn't do well to let standards slip, although looking at Weasley I'd say you already have."
He swept out of the hall then, black robe curling around him, leaving Hermione open mouthed and somewhat less teary.