A/N: Well, this will be my first multi-chaptered fic. I hope that you guys enjoy it, and if not please tell me how I can improve. So here it is: Why Me?
Summary: We cannot ask of sorrow, "Why me?" if we do not ask of happiness that very same question. –Unknown
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Why me? I asked myself as I flew down the Transfiguration corridor. I was currently running from escaped Weasley fireworks, which Draco Malfoy had set off with a spell to find me. I could feel the heat of the blue ball of fire behind me, and forced my legs to run faster.
I screamed the password at the Fat Lady from ten meters away, and did a perfect tumble into the room. I brushed the dust off of myself and waited for the door to become cool to signal that the firework was gone. When it was gone I went out and changed the password. Screaming it had not been a good idea.
I walked back into the common room to the concerned look of my best girl-friend, Ginny.
"What happened Hermione? You actually used the six years of gymnastics you took to get in here quickly!" she said worriedly. My parents had made me take gymnastics starting second year and I still take lessons with Mrs. Lipschitz, an annoying Transylvanian lady who screams profanities in her home language until you got it right. Thankfully, it never took me long to get it right!
"Yes, well, I've decided that if I know how to do things that aren't studying, I'm going to prove it this year. I don't want to be remembered as the one with her nose shoved in a book all the time!" It was true. I realized that this was my last year, and I wanted to do the things that I knew how to do, but was too busy before to show. I also knew how to play drums and dance ballet. The only people who had ever heard me play or dance are my parents, but i want to show Ginny, Harry, and Ron.
"Well good for you! Maybe next I'll get to see you dance!" she told me, sounding hopeful.
"Ginny, I promise that by the end of the month, you and a few choice others will see me dance."
"Yay! Oh, shoot!" she said, looking up at the clock, "I was supposed to meet Harry in the library five minutes ago! We were going to study for his Potions test newt week! I have to run, but I'll talk to you later 'Mione!"
That girl. I'm going to have to charm one of her shoes to yell at her five minutes before she has to be somewhere! Actually, that's not a bad idea…I might just have to do that!
I walked back out of the common room to go to the Prefects' meeting with me and Harry, the Head Girl and Boy. We have to have these stupid meetings once a month. Although the only reason that I think they're stupid is because it's three hours in the presence of Malfoy and Parkinson. Not exactly my idea of a night full of intelligently pleasant conversation. But, save the Slytherins, we do actually make some good progress in plans for a better school.
This year I've convinced Dumbledore to allow us to have two school-wide dances a year and one seventh-year graduation party, which will all take place in the Great Hall. We will also have Saturday concerts starting next week at the Quidditch pitch, with different bands that the Prefects book every week. There are review sheets that we're going to leave in the common rooms so that if you want to hear a certain band again (or you never want them to return) you can tell us and we'll do what we can. This year is going to be so much better than any that Hogwarts has ever seen!
I walked down to the Charms hallway and made a left to get to the empty classroom that we used for these meetings. When I walked in, Hazel, Terry, Ernie, and Hannah were already there. Alex and Lavender were probably on their way, Harry was in the library, and the Slytherin dolts were always late.
Hazel Bernal was a foreign exchange student from America, (another thing I'd convinced the Headmaster to let us do) who, after exhibiting perfect behavior throughout our sixth year, earned the title of Prefect. She was one of my closest friends, besides Harry, Ron, and Ginny. She had dark, chocolate brown hair with natural, deep auburn highlights that flowed to the middle of her back, and hazel eyes for which she was named. She was fairly short, about 5, 2", and weighed in at 110 pounds. Her heart-shaped face was extremely expressive, and f you ever wanted to know how she was feeling, all you had to do was look at her. We had bonded over schoolwork. The Ravenclaw was almost as studious as I was!
Ernie and Hannah had started dating. They were a match made in heaven. Both were modest, attentive, smart people, and everyone was happy for them.
"Macmillan, I'd like to keep my lunch down if you don't mind," sneered a famous lazy drawl.
Well, almost everyone. Ernie had kissed Hannah's cheek when Malfoy had decided to grace us with his presence.
"Shut up you egotistical, arrogant, I'll-never-get-anyone-besides-Pansy-so-I'll-pick-on-Ernie ferret," said Hazel. She was famous for her long-winded insults. Malfoy scowled.
"How about this?" Malfoy replied, "You give me Massachusetts, and I'll shut my trap." Malfoy had been making idiotic comments about Hazel being American for the last year. It was getting pretty old.
"Oh, but if I gave you Massachusetts, I'd probably be arrested for treason, and I really don't want to end up as someone's bitch," Hazel said all of this with a straight face, which of course sent the rest of us into hysterics. Malfoy just scoffed, as if that was just as he expected from her. But, of course, nobody expected anything that came out of Hazel's mouth. Her brain was set to random.
Ron, Lavender, and Harry walked in then, in a heated debate over who was the best I Quidditch: the Chudley Cannons, or the Tornadoes. They took their seats and I swung the gavel at the podium, effectively quieting the room.
"This Prefects' meeting on the day of November 13th, 2008 is now officially called to order," I said to the room, "First order of business, is the deduction of 50 points from Slytherin."
"What?!" scream Parkinson and Malfoy at the same time.
"Malfoy is guilty of setting off illegal fireworks in the Transfiguration classroom, singeing a professor's eyebrows off, and causing a school-wide disturbance. I should deduct 100 points, but since you are already so low in the standings for the House Cup, I thought I'd have a little compassion." I shuffled my papers and read on. "Second order of business, we are to report to Dumbledore in ten minutes, so it's best if we start walking now."
I had been wondering why Dumbledore wanted us in his office for the last week. He'd been very mysterious when he'd told Harry and I to bring the prefects here at this month's meeting.
When we reached the gargoyle, I said, "Lemon crumpet," and we gained entrance to the Headmaster's office.
"Ah! Hello children! So nice to see all of you here," the kind old man said to us upon seeing us. "Please take a seat. I have some arrangements to make."
We all sat down and Dumbledore's face became serious. "You all are moving."
A loud babbling started over the crowd. Confusion and everyone trying to talk over everyone else led to utter chaos, and I cast Silencio to restore some peace. Dumbledore nodded his thanks to me and I released my hold on everyone's tongues.
"You will each have your own personal dormitory, but there is a catch," the Headmaster said to us. "You all have new partners! You will consult these partners with any problems that you have and with any information on the assignments that I give you. Your partner will live with you in your dormitory."
This could be either very bad or very fun, depending on the partners.
"Miss Hazel Bernal and Mr. Alex Richards, Miss Hannah Abbott and Mr. Ernie Macmillan, Miss Lavender Brown and Mr. Terry Boot, Miss Pansy Parkinson and Mr. Harry Potter," Dumbledore called off, while I thought oh no, that leaves me with, "and Miss Hermione Granger and Mr. Draco Malfoy. That is all. You will be shown to your new rooms by Dobby, a resident house-elf."
I didn't hear what he said.
I had reached a catatonic state, where all that went through my head was, NOOOOOOOOOOOOO! and WHY ME?
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