A World Without Ron

A/N: This concept is based on a lovely fic by Lovely White Violets (for those of you who don't know it, it's a Teen Titans spin off called "A World Without You," and you should definitely check it out). And, I don't own the world of Harry Potter or the characters, of course. The Prologue is short, the chapters will be longer.

Prologue: Friends and Enemies

"Filthy mud-blood!" someone sneered.

Hermione turned to see who it had been and tripped over Goyle's well-placed foot. She fell to the floor, all of her books landing in a heap around her. The entire Potion's class snickered as she picked herself up.

Glaring, Hermione turned to see who had shouted the slur at her. She wasn't surprised to find Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy sitting only a few desks away.

"What do you two want now?" she demanded, her hand moving automatically to her wand. She knew better than to face the two of them unarmed.

"Just thought you could use a reminder," Draco said with a sly grin.

Hermione picked up the last of her books and sighed. "Of what?"

"To not be such a know-it-all in class today," Harry said. "We're all working hard enough just keeping up with our classes. The teachers wouldn't expect half as much if it weren't for you."

Hermione tried to summon a sharp reply, but with both of them staring her down, it was all she could do to keep from casting a curse on them that they'd remember the next time they tried to pull this kind of stunt. Luckily, Snape chose that moment to burst into the classroom, and Hermione barely had time to run to her seat before he began the lecture.

Hermione had never been popular, but after five years at Hogwarts, she would have expected to at least have one or two friends. Instead, all she had was the constant bullying of Harry and Draco to remind her exactly how friendless and alone she was.

Hermione started taking notes, her mind drifting back to those first days at Hogwarts, and wondering how it all might have been different…

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