A/N – I have revised the first two chapters, and added a third! Sorry if you liked the first two chapters as they were. As I have complete free time at the minute, I thought I'd make the most of it and bulk out these chapters (and write more!).
Also - this is inspired by a picture that my friend showed me on a website - I have no idea which one. Sorry!
The Gryffindor common room held only three people: Hermione and two older students in their seventh year. Even though it was nearly deserted, it still held the warmth and friendly atmosphere that the common room bore when all the students from the Gryffindor house filled it. Hours earlier, Hermione had gone to seek sanction in the common room. She didn't feel like being with the other students in her dormitory but she also did not want to be on her own. Unlike the other two students, Hermione was clad in her pyjamas, as opposed to her school robes. It gave her a homely feeling. Although Hermione was in her second year, she missed home and the muggle way of life occasionally.
Hermione was sat in one of the large chairs, which was facing the fire. She was sat on the cushioned seat, her back against the chair's front and her feet were also on the seat of the chair. Her hands had found their way to the middle of her legs holding them into place, and her chin was resting on her knees.
The other two occupiers of the common room were ripping up pieces of parchment. Although a spell would have been less time consuming and more efficient, this act was pacifying them and gave them something to drown their sorrows in. This is because the two had failed one of their mock exams. It was an essay, an element of the examinations they had continually failed throughout their educational life. Hermione knew the seriousness of failing exams, especially during the final year, so she left them alone but watched them silently. In her mind she could picture them as Fred and George Weasley when they were older, and wondered if they were actually friends with them as she thought it would be something that they would do. However, she thought that the twins would have made it more exciting and entertaining than laboriously ripping up parchment after parchment and feeding it to the fire making it grow stronger by the second.
Even though the two had failed this exam, or trial, the pair was very diligent and intelligent. The pair of them knew writing essays wasn't their forte – they were both peeved that they had studied so hard to pass but hadn't. Quizzes and spot checks in the middle of lesson –planned or a surprise- was where they could attain top marks more or less every time, with ease. If a date was needed in their Dark Arts lesson they could summon up the correct answer in seconds. In Herbology, if an ingredient was missing, or there was an extra one in the mix they could identify the culprit almost immediately. Their teachers understood that essays were not their strong point so emphasised alternative ways of taking their final examinations, but, of course, a final essay was necessary in every subject. Once the two of them had scattered the remainder of their parchment into the fire, they headed to their dormitory leaving Hermione in solitude in the room, the fire blazing.
Hermione, as many of you will know, was a very clever girl and witch. One could go as far as saying she was the brightest witch of her age. This was something one of her teachers had said to her in her first year. However, Hermione's cleverness was not always a jubilant cause. There had been many-a-times when Hermione had been taunted because of it, even if in jest by her two loyal friends. Others did it to try and lower her self-esteem, but seldom did it work. Although intelligence was praised, she remained extremely modest thinking little of her assets. Hermione dismissed her grades by saying that "it was nothing", but she was kind at heart as she offered to help those willing to learn from her, no matter what house as that was the only thing that put up barriers.
Since Hermione had been in the room she had had predominately only one thought circling round her mind:
I want an escape. I want to be with someone who has seen the world and can tell me it's okay to be like me.
Although she had other thoughts, for example the thoughts for Fred and George, they came sporadically, but this main thought never left Hermione for a second. It was like it had engrained itself in her brain. It was now indelible.
As Hermione had been sitting in the chair for over two hours, and being quite athletic and young, it was only now that her legs were beginning to cramp. Refusing to move from the chair she stretched out letting her legs dangle off the chair (her feet didn't touch the floor), her arms up on the armrest, her back on the seat of the chair and her head perched so she could just see over her chest. For Hermione, this position was extremely comfortable, and she could still see into the blazing fire. Refusing to blink, her gaze and vision became blurred, up until the point when she thought she could see something, a head, in the fireplace. She blinked a couple of times, and both times she saw the same thing, a man's head in the fire place looking straight at her.
Clumsily sliding out of the chair Hermione crawled to the fireplace, as making herself stand would have constituted to too much effort. Sitting in front of it she thought, "How is this possible. Surely Professor Dumbledore would have put some form of protection order over the chimney to stop this? This man could be anyone." Hermione didn't fear the worst, in that this man was a man from you-know-who's army as a tie around the head, spiked up hair and geeky glasses, let alone a blazer would be on the attire for one of those members. As well as this, his cheery spirit diminished such a thought nearly immediately too.
As clearly and coherently as Hermione could manage, she spoke the first word. "H-Hello?" It was said quietly so she didn't wake her fellow house members, and because like any 12 year old she was frightened by some realms of the unknown – and this was one of them.
The voice replied, "Hi." The man's face smiled; glad to see the intended person had responded, as he didn't know that she was alone in the room. The man's voice sounded gentle and caring.
A little less cautious, Hermione asked, "Where are you?" But the man's replied confused her a little.
"I believe I'm in the fire, but I can be with you if you want?" The man paused for a second, thinking he had been too forward. "I'm also in space at the minute. I'm in my flying ship, it's a TARDIS. You could come with me for a trip if you wanted?"
Hermione longed to say, "I'm good thank you, but I better be off to bed. It's awfully late." However, her voice had other ideas, coyly agreeing by nodding her head and uttering "Please, that would be nice."
"I'll be with you soon then," said the face in the fireplace.
"Impossible" blurted out Hermione. The face laughed. "This can't be true. You can't get here immediately!"
"Nothing is impossible young one," the face said. "Whilst disappearing, he concluded with "If you give me five minutes, I'll be with you."