Someone Different

Chapter 1 - Doubts

It was the night before September the first, and in a cosy, warm home in London a young girl sat in her bedroom, reading a book that only her in the whole of that neighbourhood would know the true meaning of.

"Hermione darling, it's nine o'clock, time for bed," her mother said softly, looking at her wonderfully unique daughter in the doorway. "You have a big day tommorrow."

"Yes mum, just a moment, I need to finish this- Hey!" Hermione said, as her mum took the book out of her hands, placed the bookmark inside it and set it down on the bedside table.

"You'll have plenty of time to read that when your on the train," She said, kissing her daughter's forehead delicately. "For now, you must sleep."

Hermione sighed, but agreed and snuggled into her bed and closed her eyes. As her mum shut the door, she opened them again.

As quietly as she could, she got out of bed and sat on her window seat, gazing out to the charcoal sky with gleaming diamond stars scattered perfectly across it.

Tomorrow she would be sat on the train to her new school, Hogwarts. Tomorrow she would no longer be around normal people, or Muggles as they were called, tomorrow, she would be without her parents for the first time in her life.

She was scared.

She was always a smart child, her parents never read her stories because she had always read them herself. She was also a very fast learner, which was a benefit since she had found out she could do magic. Though she seemed like a perfect child, she definately wasn't lucky in the social world.

School was pleasant at lesson times, but never at break. She now sat alone and read as per usual, but she used to hang around with her only friend Annabel, until she had to move to Manchester. Hermione never saw her again.

She wasn't really picked on, but she did often get teased by the people she called The Show-Offs. They would snicker everytime she put her hand up to answer a question or they would call her 'Her-whiny' if she looked in a bad mood. Recently, however, they had backed off because they had got her so mad, she somehow sent one of them up a tree and forced another waist deep into the ground. That was just before she realised she was a witch.

She wasn't worried about the lessons, (infact, she was pretty excited for them, since she had read all her books about three times each) she was worried about fitting in. Yes, she may be a witch, but she was Hermione. No-one but Annabel, Annabel's parents and Hermione's parents ever liked her. She just wanted someone to talk to everyday, someone who understood her and someone who would stick by her. Only her parents did that.

A sudden beep brought Hermione back to the present, the clock on her bedside table read 3:45am. In a few hours, she would be sat on the train to a world unknown to many people, known by a select few.

Hermione tip-toed to her wardrobe, taking out her trunk and placing it ever-so-carefully onto the floor, leaning against her wall. As she shut the door of the wardrobe, a street light caught the mirror that was attatched to it, and she saw her reflection.

Her bushy brown hair lay untamed on her shoulders, her body was thin and bony underneath her baggy blue pyjamas. The only thing she really liked about herself was her eyes, which were a beautiful chocolate brown. She wasn't an ugly child, but she wasn't exactly pretty, she was more goofy than anything.

She looked out of her window, the stars were now starting to diminish and the sky becoming a bit lighter. She shut the curtains, her room now in complete darkness. As she made her way to her bed, however, she accidentally kicked her bedside table, causing Downfall of the Dark Arts to slam loudly to the floor.

"Damn!" Hermione hissed quietly, rushing to get back into bed.

"Hermione dear?" her mother whispered through the door. "You're not awake are you?"

Hermione kept her eyes open, since her mum hadn't opened the door. Trust her foolishness!

To Hermione's irritation, her mother opened the door and walked in, catching Hermione with her eyes open.

"You haven't slept at all have you?" Her mum smirked.

"No," Hermione said truthfully. "I don't plan on sleeping either."

Her mother sighed, and sat herself on the end of her bed.

"I know you're nervous," she said, taking Hermione's small hand into her's. "It's hard for you."

"Very," Hermione agreed, holding her mum's hand tighter. "I just hope I fit in, mum."

"You will, I know it," she reassured her, smiling in the darkness. "Isn't that boy you were on about going this year? What's his name... Barry?"

"It's Harry, mum," Hermione chuckled. "And yes, he's supposed to be."

"Well, he's going to have it just as bad, since he's famous."

Hermione never thought of that. She was never one to be selfish, but she hadn't thought about him, who had been having a tough life with Muggles too, since his parents were murdered. She had read all about him in many books, infact, she was reading about him earlier on.

"I never thought..." Hermione said, feeling guilty.

"I know you'll fit in, darling," her mum said, kissing her forehead again. "I promise."

Hermione looked at her (well, what she could see of her) and smiled.

"Thank you, mum," she said, her hand still in her mothers. "I'll write to you often."

"You write when you want to, sweetheart." Her mum said, kissing her again. "Now get some rest!"

Hermione chuckled again and said; "Ok, goodnight."

"Goodnight, chuck." And with that, she left the room.

Hermione felt much more reassured than she had been, and fell asleep almost instantly, buzzing with excitement.

A/N: So, That's that ;D I don't know whether to put more chapters into this, or just to leave it as a one-shot. What do you think?

Review please my dears, much appreciated! x