Disclaimer: Unfortunately, I don't own Harry Potter.
This is my first Fan-Fiction. I'm testing out the waters to see how I like it!
If you have never met Hermione Granger, you wouldn't know that she is one of the most prominent witches of her age. Not only does her magic exceed that of others, she's also dating the worlds most famous Quidditch seeker. Twenty one year old Hermione has been dating Viktor Krum since her seventh year at Durmstrang Institute for Magical Learning. Despite his fame, Viktor was always humble, and Hermione believes that he is a genuinely good person.
"I'm on my way to work Viktor. Don't forget to take out the trash and put the clothes in the washer!" Hermione said, kissing him on the cheek.
"Goodbye sweetheart," Viktor said returning the kiss.
Hermione smiled at him, although she still had not managed to say "I love you" since they have been dating.
Hermione's smile fell as she walked out of hers and Viktor's London flat, into the rain, and down to the bus stop to catch the bus to work at the Ministry of Magic. Her career consisted of improving the and lives and wellness of house elves in the Department for the Regulation of Magical Creatures, and as the head of the department, she makes sure everyone else is living up to her expectations.
At Durmstrang she had always been fond of caring for house elves, considering their "slavery" towards their life long masters.
It was the most normal day Hermione could imagine. Everyday consists of waking up and fixing breakfast for herself and Viktor, dressing for work, taking the bus to the Ministry, buying groceries in downtown London if she needed to, and cooking dinner for herself and Viktor. It was a never-ending cycle that she was starting to dread.
As Hermione stepped onto the bus, she sighed, looking at her watch. She was almost already late for work when the bus had arrived, dragging her feet to the back of the bus. There was something in the back of her head as she sat down that told her not to go to work today.
Hermione watched out the window of the bus as the rain fell from the sky, forming puddles on the sidewalk where small children jumped as their parents held their hand.
"I'm not going to work today." She told herself.
She looked at her watch again. It was 8:15am, and she was already late for work anyway.
Looking around at the other sullen looking, working class attendees on the bus, she decided to take a stop at Diagon Alley.
"Might as well just not go to work today. I do not feel like myself, maybe I'll just go shopping and take a look at new robes, or new books to take my mind off of things..."
She pulled the cord to request a stop a couple blocks away from where Diagon Alley is located, only accessible to the Wizarding world. It felt good for once to skip out on work considering she worked 5 or 6 days a week, depending on the season, and hasn't missed a day since she began working there.
"I should call my boss... wait, I am the boss... Maybe I should just let Kingsley know. I've only worked my arse there off for the past 3 years..."
Walking in downtown London, Hermione reaches the Leaky Cauldron to get to Diagon Alley, unaware of the strange looks she gets as she passes the bar inside.
"Hello Tom!"
"Hermione, what are you up to today? Got the day off?"
"Sort of, I decided to skip work today, but that's only between you and I!" she smiled.
"Always good to take a day off.. Goin' shopping are ya?" Tom said.
"Yes sir."
"Have yourself a good one." Tom smiled, as she crossed the Inn, out into Diagon Alley.
Today Hermione was going to take it easy. She was going to shop for herself, forget about Viktor, and wander to her hearts content. Although she isn't so sure how these "forgetting about Viktor" feelings came to be, Hermione thinks she should see where they lead her in the next few days before she starts seriously thinking about doing anything drastic. Maybe it was just because it was that time of the month, or maybe it was the stress of work that was making these feelings go to her head.
She nodded at passing wizards and shopkeepers as she strolled down to Flourish and Botts, taking in her first day off during the week since Christmas
"Hmm, this seems interesting." Hermione thought to herself as she picked up a biography about the man himself who ended the war against Voldemort, Harry Potter. She looked that the cover and saw a man with emerald green eyes and messy black hair staring at her smiling and laughing.
"Why not, I've only ever heard about him in the news."
She approached the cashier and purchased the new book.
"Good biography I hear!" Said the cashier.
"Hope so!" Hermione smiled.
Hermione walked out of Flourish and Botts with her brand new biography about the boy who lived.
Walking further down Diagon Alley, and window shopping at passing stores, Hermione spotted a store similar to a carnival with bright lights and groups of children and teenagers and adults alike, admiring the many items this store seems to offer.
"Weasley's Wizard Wheezes" she says to herself, and she gives the store a curious look.
"Why not, I'm not in a hurry, I'll just stop in and take a look at what everyone is ogling at..." She thought.
Hermione walked around the crowds of giggling teenage girls that were eyeingWonderwitch love potions.
"Extendable ears...Pygmy Puffs...Ton-Tongue Toffee...Skiving Snackboxes?"
She read the labels to the items in her head as she observed the practical joke objects in awe.
Hermione had never heard of this shop, let alone seen any of the times she was in Diagon Alley. Perhaps it was because she had never had the time to walk this far down the alley, because she certainly would have spotted the carnival-like shop in passing.
"Ma'am, can I assist you in any way?" said a tall, red-headed assistant who smiled at her, possibly thinking she may have walked into this childish joke shop by mistake.
Hermione turned her head and stared at his bright watery blue eyes.
"Oh thank you, but I'm just looking. I've never see your shop here for all the times I've passed
through Diagon, and I thought I'd take a look..." Hermione smiled at him.
The man stood there for a second and saw the bag she had from Flourish and Botts. He was so tall it was quite easy to see what was in the bag.
"Harry Potter." he said.
"Excuse me?" Hermione said turning to him.
"You bought his biography. He's my best friend. My name is Ron. No joke, but maybe you'll read my name somewhere in that book." He smiled at her.
Hermione looked at him and gave him a half smile.
"You look familiar. Did you go to Hogwarts?" said Ron
"Can't say I did." she said.
"Oh ok."
"Well, since you're new to the shop, here is something for you to start out with."
Ron pulled out an extendable ear out of his pocket and handed it to Hermione.
"Extendable ears, use them to eavesdrop. They're fun, until you get caught." He winked at her.
She laughed. "Thank you for the complimentary gift."
"Now don't get used to it!" He laughed.
Hermione looked at her watch. "Oh I must get going. You see, I didn't exactly go to work today, and I have to be home in time to fix dinner for my...err...friend. She's visiting from Scotland."
For some reason, Hermione didn't want this new, seemingly intriguing stranger to know that she was in fact dating Viktor Krum. Ron seemed like a charming guy, and maybe this is what she needed to justify her the feelings she had been experiencing toward Viktor in the past two weeks.
"It was nice meeting you." said a smiling Hermione, as she turned around and walked out of Weasley's Wizard Wheeze's.
Ron waved at her as she walked away.
Hermione walked out of the shop smiling for some odd reason. She had rarely had this feeling, but it was nice to meet someone new.
"Wait...wait!" a voice said.
Hermione turned around., stopping in front of Madam Malkins.
She saw that Ron was hanging out of the door to his shop.
"What's your name?!" Ron yelled, as she was 4 stores past Weasley's Wizard Wheeze's.
She laughed at herself and looked down at her feet for a second. Hermione looked up.
"Hermione!" She yelled back at him.
"Nice meeting you Hermione!" Ron yelled as he flashed a smile in her direction.
She smiled back at him, turned on her heel, and disappeared into the crowd of witches and wizards.
Read and Review, Tell me what I'm doing wrong and what I should improve on, considering this is my first fic!