My name is Hermione Granger. I am a witch and this year is going to be my last year as a student at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Last year was supposed to be my last, but I was out hunting horocruxes and defeating evil with my best friends, Ron Weasley and Harry Potter. In the end we defeated the evil himself, Lord Voldemort, and peace came. It is one week until the school starts, and I still haven't returned to England. This summer I spent in Los Angeles for some distance. I wanted space from the media and cameras, so I travelled to the other side of the world. Life has been easier here, less media and cameras are after me. The sun, the people and the beaches made me love LA. I got many new friends while I lived here, but I decided my life is as a witch in London. So, my friends decided to throw a goodbye-party for me at my place. Now, my new best friend, Anastasia, is making us play Truth or Dare with a bottle we spin. Unlucky for me, the bottle landed on me.
«Truth or dare, 'Mione?» Anastasia almost screams. She has the biggest grin on her face, and it makes me smile. I love the way she is all so happy all the time. It doesn't seem she has a care in her world. She cares easy for people, and is the kind of best friend you only find a couple of times you live. The rare ones.
«Truth,» I say. I hate dares, and to do stupid things. If there is one thing I must say, though, is that I have become more alive since my last visit at Hogwarts. For example, the first week i got here, I got really drunk, and had a headache the next day. I can't remember a thing, but Anastasia says I was really, really fun to be around that day. That was the first day we met, because we met many times after that. Not on purpose, but simply coincidences. Grocery stores, markets and beaches is only a handful of places we met. Since we met so often, we started to talk. The talking lead to being friends, and after that we have almost been with eachother every day.
«Okay, you must tell all of us who you shared your first kiss with.» I had only told Anastasia this, since I was very private in that sort of business. I didn't like to share my life to the world in a book. The only thing that I can think of I haven't told her is that I am a witch. I'm not sure how I'm going to tell her either, of if I'm going to tell her at all. Time will tell, maybe she catch me doing magic in my livingroom one day.
«I shared my first kiss with a guy named Viktor. It was at a ball at my school in England,» I say honestly after a little thinking. All the girls start whispering and ask questions. I overhear them. «So, who is next?» I ask, and spin the bottle. The girls get quiet. The bottle lands on Marie, a girl I hardly know. After some more spinning, the bottle finally lands on Anastasia. It was my turn to ask the question.
«Truth or dare?» I ask. Inside me I know what the answer would be, and I am right. Anastasia's choice is dare. My dares are very boring, and all I can think of is to sing a song. Anastasia hates to sing in front of people. She had told me this a million times. After she choose her song, she starts to sing. To be honest, I understand why she doesn't like to sing in front of people. Since she doesn't like singing in front of people, I have never heard her sing. Her singing sounds terrible, and I start to laugh. I feel so terrible, but I couldn't hold it in. I feel very mean right now.
After she is finished singing, we eat and drink. In the end, it is just me and Anastasia left. We decide to play the truth or dare game for ourselves. After we answer the truth, or after the dare, we take a sip of our drink. In the end, we are really drunk. The last spin lands on me. Anastasia ask me the question, and I answer truth. I need to tell her something she doesn't know about me. The answer is obvious, and I tell her I am a witch. She laughs, and I join. It is the most funny thing. Then, we calm down, and she speaks.
«What a funny joke, 'Mione.» I stop laughing, and tell her I'm serious. I stop laughing, but she continues. She laughs a little more, she then see the serious look on my face. «WHAT?!» she screams. «Of all things, this you didn't tell me? Hell, Hermione Granger! I hate you!» These screams are really loud, and I think I can see angry tears. She takes off, and that was the last thing I saw of her. Anastasia is probably having her period, she isn't this emotional normally. Then I remember she was indeed very drunk. I didn't see more of her that night, so I decide to go to bed thinking she was alright at home with her parents.
The sun shine through my window as I open my eyes. I can feel the headache coming. My room is light, with white walls and light grey floor. The furniture is white and grey, and the two doors to the hall and the bathroom is white. It is a beautiful room, and I feel I don't want to leave it. My bronze curles is flowing down my pillow. This is going to be a good day.
This morning is actually boring. All I do is to sit in my bed and text to Anastasia. I also call her, but there is no answer. «It's Anastasia. I'm busy right now! Leave a message after the-» and a bip. Therefore I finally go out to the kitchen. It is in the style as my bedroom, but with bright red walls. The summer-house me and my family is staying at has a beautiful view. As I walk over to the kitchenwindow, I see the beach and more buildings. After looking and thinking, I walk over to the refrigerator. My breakfast is easy, and english pancakes is enough for me. When I'm done eating, I look out the window a little more. I'm going to miss this view, but I also miss the view at Hogwarts. Sometimes I want to be just Hermione Granger, not the war heroine Hermione Granger. In England I am the war heroine, and cameras is sorrounding me all the time. Six days until the school starts, and one day until I drive to the airport and say goodbye to America.
The housephone starts to vibrate. I don't know the number, but I answer it anyway. The next minute I don't remember, everything became unclear. Not sooner than five minutes later I find myself in the car, driving to the hospital. The thought is repeating in my head, the voice saying: «Anastasia Laswell has been in an accident. If you want to know more, Ms. Granger, come to the hospital. Her family will wait for you.» Now driving a car has become hard. I can hardly see the road, and the tears are streaming down my cheeks. The hope for my best friend is gone. Memories and all our conversations are playing in my head. Deep inside me, I know I can only hope for the best. I'm worried sick for my American friend.
Arriving the hospital, I run inside. A nurse is showing me to Anastasia's room, saying «She is stable for the moment, but she is very weak. We are not sure she will survive. The doctors have done everything there is to do, but now only time will tell.» They are not sure she will survive.
I want to cry, but i don't want it to show (*).
«Is the... police here? I want to know what happened... Please,» I said slowly. The nurse nods, and begin to walk. I follow her. Out the door, down the corridor, left, right, right, left. Then we come to a room, it's gigantic. It's very many people there, and in a corner, I see Anastasia's family and the police. I almost run over, but I don't. Instead, I walk very slowly. When Anastasia's mother catches my eye, all I can feel is sad and more sad. Her eyes are like a river, water streaming down. I can see she is fighting hard inside, but she is tough. She is one of the strongest women I know.
«Oh, Hermione, darling. How are you?» she asks me sweet, and hugs me tight. «We were just talking about Anastasia to the police. I told them she were over at your place last night, and I think they want to ask you a couple of questions.» I nod. And then, when she makes eye-contact with me, she ads: «She is going to be just alright, OK?» and then she hugs me tighter. I nod again, and make a tighter grip on Anastasia's mother. When I let go of her, I follow the police to an emptry room, and answer their questions.
When I come home that day, I sit down on the sofa. I start thinking, and my head is fighting hard to not think of Anastasia. Hogwarts, packing, Harry, Ron, Gin. Oh, Gin. I haven't contacted them in a month. I then proceed to write them all a letter each, explaning just the same thing: I'm having a great time in America with my family, I am well and everything is great. I will meet them in Diagon Alley in four days to buy supplies and books for school, and we will go to Hogwarts in six days. My bags are packed, and I am very sorry for not writing them sooner. The days are going great on the other side of the Earth.
After the letters is sent, I sit down on the sofa again. I hardly even notice my parents entering the front door. They sit down on either side of me, and hold around me. Obviously Anastasia's mother have told them about the accident. We don't say a word, we just sit there. Quiet.
I should be hoping, but I can't stop thinking. (*)
A/N: My first fanfic ever posted on any places:) Hope you like it! I'm not English, so my language is maybe not so good, but I tried my best.
(*) is lyrics from the song This Woman's Work by Kate Bush.