Bravery by NectarFizz
Disclaimer: I never in my very short life have owned Harry Potter, and most likely never will.
a/nThis is my first fic… so please be kind! I would rather not get any mindless flames, so don't send me any. If its something you wouldn't want said about your fic, don't say it about mine.
Chapter One: The Most Wonderful Time of the Year.
Day One.
Most people find bravery to be only in storybooks and fairytales. They fail to realize that there are many other forms of bravery. I so fondly call my bravery… well, I don't call it anything. But I believe I, Hermione Granger, posses the form of bravery that allows me to live my life the way I want to live it, no matter what anyone else says.
Yes, I actually think that I am brave.
But whatever bravery I have, I am positive I will need it for this, my "most glorious" and last year.
My "glorious" year has started as normally as it ever could. The train ride in and out is peaceful, except for the tension between Ron and me. The tension and the fact that I have become Head Girl isn't really a tremendous surprise, both things are a given. Ron, because I dated him last year and it ended last year, shall we say, rather nastily ended last year? We have only put up with each other over the summer because of Harry, who needs our help more that both of us need his. Head Girl wasn't a surprise because I had been in line for the headship since I first step foot in this school. The Hat told me so. I have been informed that the Head Boy for this year is Dean Thomas. Thank Merlin, the only other choice was Malfoy, and I would have broken down and cried if the Prince of the Ferrets became Head.
Listen to me, so negative! I don't like it one bit, this new me that's started to bloom ever since last year. In fact, I would say that my self-esteem has gone the way of the dodo, and dropped off the charts completely. I guess I'm not happy with being the biggest know-it-all in the school. That's all people see when they look at me, and there's so much more to me. Plus I've only gone on one TRUE date (the one's with Ron don't count), and I'm steadily gaining weight.
I read books with heroines in them that are tall, skinny, have beautiful hair no matter what sort of situation they are in, have resplendent smiles and perfectly clear skin. Okay, ever since Pomfrey fixed my teeth, my smile has been better, but still.
Sometimes when I sleep, I lay there and talk to myself. No, I'm not schizophrenic, I just wonder. Why am I here? Sure, I helped defeat Voldemort's goonies last year (The-wizard-formally-known-as-Tom-Riddle has done what he does best, disappear!) but there has to be something else, something more. An adventure, maybe. Not just an adventure, but an epic adventure full of emotion and not action.
Meanwhile I'll just bury myself in my very own Head Girl common-room full of books. I'll wait for my turn at an adventure or true love, whichever comes first.
Day Two.
It appears that my doom might be coming before my adventure/true love. Draco Malfoy, the almighty god of darkness or whatever, has been invited to Head Boy-ship. This was only after that sports obsessed Dean Thomas rejected it so he'd have time to practice football after school with the new Wizarding League of Muggle Sports.
So my dream taxi has not ONLY come to a screaming halt, but I've run headfirst into the glass partition.
At least my living quarters are nice- they've been enchanted to look like my room and bathroom at home. The walls are blue, as usual, and everything, even my pictures, are there, and the same with my bathroom. The common room I share with Malfoy is the usual Hogwarts style, except green and red. I must say, it is rather odd waking up at "home" and walking into a drafty stone corridor. More good news, my face has decided to consider clearing up. Zit count for today rests only at nine.
Wait, you better make that ten.
Ginny says not to worry about them, that they're small and no-one notices them until I point them out. But I can feel them there, protruding from my face like a flashing beacon saying "Hi! I'm Hermione Granger's pimple and I am here to prove that she is not perfect!"
Draco Malfoy has found my weakness when it comes to my face, and has decided to use it.
"Hey Granger," he drawled while we were patrolling the infamous Astronomy Tower (infamous for "playful" couples.)
I looked at him with tired eyes. "What?" I said sharply.
"Are you attempting to become a Weasley? Because those mudblood-lovers have red hair, not red zits." He smirked, and stepped back to survey the damage he had inflicted.
He found himself alone.
I had already run up the steps to the roof of the tower to finish the patrols, and was grateful to the blast of cold air that came through the door as I threw it open.
The rest of patrolling passed in silence, except for meeting Ron on the stairs when I was coming back with Malfoy. Needless the top two items on my to-do list for tomorrow is 1. Kill Draco Malfoy and 2. Kill Ron Weasley as well.
Day 3
Ron and I blew up at each other over breakfast- apparently he thinks that Malfoy and I weren't patrolling up there at the Tower. Harry and I believe he was just making up an excuse to be angry with me. The argument with him was stupid really, but that argument with Malfoy was terrible.
"Y-you and HIM!" Ron sputtered, spraying eggs all over the table in his mad rampage.
I looked at him with distaste. "Say it, don't spray it Weasley."
"Since when have you called me Weasley? And since when have you and that…that…t-that asshole Malfoy been hooking up on the rooftop?" he roared.
"OH for magic's SAKE Ron, we were patrolling the Tower. Its Malfoy! What do you think I'd do?" I impaciently spat back, "And what were you doing up there anyway?"
A slight flush crept into his face. He gave me a last final glare of defiance and stomped off, leaving me very ticked and Harry looking at me reproachfully.
"WHAT?" I yelled. "He started it!"
And with that I, too, stomped off.
Unfortunately, the argument wasn't unnoticed by young Master Malfoy. He stood in front of me and blocked my way out of the Great Hall.
"Move it, Malfoy. You're blocking my way." I snapped and tried to push past him.
"No." He said coolly.
Damn him and his composure.
"Move now!" I screeched.
"No." came the response.
"MALFOY how would you like to be up to your knees in FLOOR?"
He looked at me and mentioned for Crabbe and Goyle to step away. Harry ran up, and stepped back also, obviously not wanting to take part in this word battle.
"Urgh! I HATE you, you little slimy…" I noticed everyone watching and lost my train of thought, "Uhm, slimy… slimy… slimy…"
"Slimy, slimy, slimy… what? What makes me so deliciously slimy, Granger?" He sang back mocking me.
Urgh. Curse my inability to speak. Harry, Crabbe, Goyle, and the rest of the student population had been slowly backing away even farther. A thrum of excitement ran through the crowd. What would the Heads do next?
"SLIMY…" I half screamed, trying to finish my insult.
Somewhere behind me, I heard Ginny whisper, "Wannabe Snape. Say it, Herm. Say it."
"SLIMY SNAPE GROUPIE!" I yelled in triumph.
"Ms. Granger, I was unaware that I had a fan club." Snape said, suddenly appearing behind Malfoy. Malfoy grinned.
The day went downhill from there.