Right, well, I don't own any of the characters other than Taurus, my leading lady, and Mrs. Jones, who hasn't made an appearance yet. I am a poor, expendable, college student so please don't sue me, you'll get nothing. I'm working on how to end the story, I don't want it to be like a storyline that it might sound like...no worries, I will just find a different route to take. So it might take me a while to get it finished, though I will try to hurry.
Also, because I am a college student, I can't update as often as I would wish, but I shall try. I don't have a beta reader either so don't kill me for mistakes because while I do try to catch them I am not an English major...but I will try to catch them. Anyways, enough chatter, enjoy!
Taurus Christianson smiled as she heard the doorbell to her one bedroom flat ring out. She quickly pushed the needle the rest of the way through her ear, paused to give it a critical look and then quickly dashed to the door, throwing it open and squealing at the sight of the person on the other side. Her visitor gave a responding squeal and the two began to hug each other furiously. They rocked each other back and forth for a few seconds, laughing, before they pulled back to get a look at each other.
"Hermione Granger! How are you? How was school? Did you have a nice trip back?" Taurus asked in a whirlwind.
Hermione laughed and said, "Slow down! I'm fine, it was great, and I had a lovely trip back! And please tell me you were not just piercing your own ear!"
Taurus smiled and replied, "I was bored, and besides, I can do it just as well as the professionals." she grabbed her best friend's hand and dragged her in saying,"Now come into the bathroom with me as I put an earring in. You can tell me all about your school year, and any cute guys that might be worth the mentioning."
Hermione smiled and followed her friend into the bathroom, looking away as Taurus took the needle out as she slid the earring in. That was the one thing about Taurus Hermione never could understand- the self-piercing. Taurus now had her right nostril and her left eyebrow pierced, along with three earrings in her left lobe and four in her right lobe. And the thing was, that no matter how many piercing's she did to herself she never got an infection, and she looked marvelous. If Hermione had to guessas towhy themany piercings didn'tdisturb Taurus' looks she would say that itwas because Taurus always chose very discreet jewelry, so discreet that you hardly noticed that it was there.
"So?" Taurus smiled at her friend in the mirror.
"So...it was good. I had a lot of fun and got through another year..."
"That's always good. So did you learn anything interesting you should share with me?"
Hermione looked down and said, "Actually that's something that I wanted to talk with you about. I should have told you this when I first started going there, but I didn't cause I wasn't supposed to really tell anyone, because muggles aren't supposed to know about us or anything, but you're one of my best friends, and so I should have told you and I didn't, so I'm really sorry. I did want to, though. I need someone to talk to, a girl, someone who understands and let's me confide in them. Things have just been coming so fast in the past few years and with no one to talk to, well, other than two boys who are generallythe reason formydistress,it's justdriving me insane."
Taurus looked at her friend, laughed and said, "Take a breath and slow down. Now what are you talking about?"
As Hermione watched her friend take out eyeliner from her makeup bag and begin to apply it she took a deep breath and started again. "Ok, Taurus, I want to tell you something, and it's going to be a bit of a shock, but it'll be ok, alright? Maybe you'll want to sit down for it."
Taurus paused, frowned, turned to sit on her bathroom counter, looked at her friend and asked, "You're not pregnant or anything are you? I mean because if you are, don't worry, it'll be ok and-"
"No! Heavens no!" Hermione exclaimed. "Oh dear, I'm going about this is the wrong way. Alright, here it goes. Taurus, when I was 11 years old I got a letter from a school, the boarding school that I've always told you about. But I didn't tell you the whole truth about it, and I've always felt so bad about it, and so I decided on the train home that I would finally tell you all about it."
"Ooook. Tell me about it."
"Well...Taurus, the school I was accepted into was called Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Taurus, I'm a witch, a muggleborn witch to be precise."
"Really? That's cool." Taurus smiled and she hopped off and began to apply her makeup again.
Hermione stared at her friend and asked, "Are you alright?"
Taurus laughed and said, "Of course I'm alright, why wouldn't I be?"
"Well, most people don't believe that there are witches and wizards out there, and the usually are in like a shock...are you in shock?"
"No I'm not in shock. Why would I be? I already knew that there were witches and wizards out there. I mean, finding out my best friend is one is different, but I'm not as shocked as you probably think Ishould be."
Hermione stared at her friend, not quite sure if she really was alright or really was in a shock. Finally she asked, "Is there another piercing you want to get?"
Taurus smiled and replied, "Yes, one more, right here." as she pointed tothe outercartalidge at the top of her left ear. Before she could say anything else Hermione drew out her wand and said a quick spell. Taurus looked at her cartalidge and there it was, pierced and completely healed. She frowned and asked, "What did you do that for?"
"To show you that I really am a witch."
"I believed you Hermione. I've seen witches before, you know. When I was little. I don't think they knew I saw them, but I did. It was kind of cool."
"Oh."
"Ummm, it's a nice thought and all, you doing the piercing for me, but it kind of takes away from the purpose, doing it yourself and having to take care of it so that it doesn't get infected and all that, you know?"
Hermione smiled and replied, "Well, consider it a gift from me. I don't think it's safe for you to pierce your cartalidge like that. So just please accept it. As a early birthday present or something."
Taurus looked at her friend for a moment, smiled, nodded her thanks and went back to preparing her makeup. "So what's this term 'muggle' was it?"
Hermione smiled and said, "It's a term for non-magic people. People without powers. I'm a muggle born, meaning that I, a witch, was born into a muggel family. Pureblooded families look down on my kind. There's a very obscene name many call us- mudblood. It means that we have mixed blood. It's a very rude term."
"Wait, Harry goes to the same school as you, correct?" Taurus asked.
Hermione nodded and Taurus continued, "So that means that Harry is a wizard?" Hermione nodded again. "And this boy I'm going to meet tonight, Ron, he's one as well?"
"Yes."
"That's cool. I can't believe that in all the years I've known Harry he's never told me. You I can understand, you like to follow the rules," Taurus winked at her friend here, " but Harry, I can't believe he never said anything."
"Are you angry with me?"
Taurus chuckled and said, "No, of course not dear. You had your reasons. I'm glad you told me though, but I'm not the least bit upset with you."
"So, how's it going with you?" Hermione asked as she picked up a nail file and began to work on her nails.
Taurus laughed wryly and replied, "Well, I've still got my flat, so that's good."
"Were you able to go to classes?"
Taurus nodded and said, "Just barely. I have to say, it's really hard to go for a double major and work at the same time."
Taurus had been abandoned at the age of 5 and had been put into the orphanage system directly. She was passed around in the foster system because no one had wanted her, until the age of 7 when she was finally placed into a foster home that she would stay in. She had the scars to show the 'love' she had received in that home up and down her back. Even though she had been abused, she still was not taken out of that home. But is was there that she became friends with her next door neighbors, the Grangers. Mr. and Mrs. Granger would have adopted her if they could have afforded it, but Taurus has just been happy to have people who enjoyed having her around. She had gone over there as often as possible to avoid the beatings and going hungry.
She had pushed herself to graduate a year early so she could move out on her own. She had gotten herself a cheap flat and was working to keep it and put herself through school. Her dream was to be a juvenile lawyer, to help kids, especially those who'd been abused, have more of a voice, and for that reason she was going for a double major of History and Political Science. She was going to help people, of that she was certain. She just had to make it through school. But she knew that if she could make it through the foster homes she could make it through anything.
Hermione frowned, noticing something wrong. "What aren't you telling me?" she asked.
Taurus shrugged and said, "I just had a rather embarrassing encounter at my work. I had to beg for my job back."
"Why? What happened?"
"Nothing special. It's just, I had a conflict with one of my classes and work, and so I asked off, but my boss didn't give it to me, and then ,when I tried to get someone to cover for me, my boss said that if I personally didn't show up then I would be fired. And then I had to tell him that I really needed this job, and I also really needed to go to that class, so he asked why I needed the job so badly. In the end I had to tell him most everything, of course I lied about a few things so that he wouldn't know all of it, but he was good at knowing if I had told it all or not. Oh, Hermione, you should see the way people look at me there now. My boss went and told everyone, and they all look at me like I'm a pity case, and they're always whispering about me now. I even overheard a few of the women talking about my clothing in the bathroom, and how now wonder I look so unfashionable. And my boss now hangs the fact that I need this job over my head."
Hermione frowned and replied, "Aww, sweety." and gave her friend a hug. When she pulled back she said, "Why don't you move in with my mom and dad. They would love to have you around the house, they miss you a lot. I know they wouldn't mind."
Taurus smiled and said, "I would love nothing more, and in fact they've asked me that before, several times. But I can't. You know as well as I do that they can't afford me, even with me paying rent. It's just not possible right now. And your parents already let me come over a couple of times a week to have dinner with them. They're really wonderful, and I love them too much to put that extra burden on them."
Hermione shook her head and replied, "I don't think they would consider it a burden. We can talk to them about it and see what the deal is though. At least think about it."
Taurus smiled her reply.
"Alright now," Hermione said, "If we leave now we can arrive at the pub in time enough to have a drink before Harry and Ron arrive for the movies. My treat."
Taurus laughed and said, "Thank you, but I've saved up enough money for tonight to have fun. I can afford a drink. Thanks though."
Hermione smiled and said, "Any time. Now lets get going."