It's All Different Now
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, or any of its' characters, names, or settings.
Summary: Hermione Granger returns to the summer from her 5th year at Hogwarts, when she realizes that everything is different with her, Ron, and Harry. Feeling terrible and unwanted, she experiences a tragic loss, where she feels like no one can help her. She was wrong...
Chapter 1- Staring Out The Window
It was a bright summer's day with the golden sun shining down on the muggle city below. The sky was a perfect light blue, and the clouds floating gently above looked like tufts of white cotton balls. The muggle city of London was noisy and cheerful; it was filled with the excited energy and the sounds of movement of people traveling to their different destinations.
In the outskirts of town, away from the commute and commerce of the downtown area, there grew a beautiful forest. Trees such as evergreen, pine, maple, and even white oak with thick leaves and branches grew on this fresh earth. Many animals lived here, and creatures such as the squirrel and the chipmunk roamed around. The sounds of birds singing and streams flowing could be heard through the rustling of leaves. Many children enjoyed taking quiet walks on the trails through this forest, for they all understood that their noise could scare off the birds and the little creatures.
Right beside this forest sat a quiet neighborhood called White Oak. It had rows of big, cozy houses that looked like they were newly painted, and the window shutters gleamed against the sunshine. Each house had a perfectly mowed lawn with flowers and gardens growing. White picket fences were built around the yards, and during the summer time, water sprinklers were on during the evenings.
A visitor or a tourist that would happen to stop by would assume that everyone and everything going on in this muggle town was perfect. They would think that because of the many recreational buildings, malls, and parks, no one would ever feel lonely or bored. They would think that because of the kind people who lived here, it was impossible to feel unwanted. They would think that because of the beauty of the city, no one would be unhappy.
They however, were wrong.
In a large house sitting on the corner of White Oak Street, there lived a family of three. Mr. and Mrs. Granger (who were both dentists) were the proud parents of a very intelligent 16-year old girl. The parents, who were always kind and jolly to everyone, were especially happy during the summers when their daughter returned from the boarding school that she attended during the year.
Their teenage daughter Hermione Granger was a very pretty girl of 16, and she was known to be very intelligent. However, people around White Oak Street couldn't help feeling curious every time they passed the Grangers' house. This was because Hermione hardly ever came out of the house, and when she did, she looked like she was feeling lonely, as if she was missing something. Also, she didn't have any muggle friends, so she never went out to hang out with the other teenagers in the neighborhood.
Today was no exception.
Inside the warm cozy house of 516 White Oak Street, upstairs inside the 3rd bedroom to the left of the stairs, Hermione was once again sitting on the large window seat. She was staring out of the large window with a sad look etched on her face. The sun shinning through the bedroom highlighted her now straight light brown hair, and her honey colored eyes were flecked with gold. If only she had a smile on her face, she would have looked perfect.
As she stared out at the neighborhood below, she watched little muggle kids play and men mowing their lawns. But her thoughts drifted away to her many memories she had in Hogwarts, the school she attended during the year. She thought of the many moments of adventure, grief and excitement she and her two best friends, Ronald Weasley and Harry Potter, shared together. Now, she was not sure if they were her best friends anymore.
"How could this happen?" she asked herself for what seemed like the 100th time this summer. "What led to this? Was it something I did?"
Hermione was pondering over what was currently now happening with their friendship. Harry and Ron no longer talked to her since the end of their fifth year at Hogwarts. She went back to the end of that year, when she still had that bushy hair of hers. She remembered how easily they all laughed and spoke to each other, when suddenly they both stopped talking or paid any attention to her at all.
'And it's probably all because of their new girlfriends,' she thought bitterly. 'I guess they have failed to realize that in any relationship, friends always come first because they never just come and go.'
Right before the school year ended, Ron started dating Padma Patil, and Harry started dating Ginny, Ron's younger sister. They were too wrapped up in their new girlfriends to barely even notice Hermione's existence, so they soon began to disregard her. Even now during the summer, they had failed to reply any of her letters. Ron didn't even invite her to the Borrow for her usual visit, and Hermione was sure that instead of inviting her, Ron only invited Harry and Padma.
'I honestly thought that Ginny and I were close friends,' she thought. 'How could she just steal Harry away from me? He was supposed to be my best friend.'
Hermione didn't know what to do, because Ron and Harry were her comfort. She always had them for company when she was lonely, and when she was scared or worried for Harry, they both worried with her. She remembered back in her first year when they had both saved her from the mountain troll that made itself inside the school.
'But wait,' she thought, as realization dawned on her. 'How do I know that they actually cared for me? I mean, if they did care for me, they wouldn't just ditch me and throw me away the second they found 'better' people. Or, how do I know that they weren't only using me for help in their studies? '
As she thought this, a trickle of tears slid down her fair skin.
Now Hermione knew that she would never forgive Ron and Harry, for they caused her too much grief and sadness. She always worried about Harry, but he never once considered her feelings of worry and anxiety to reply any of her letters. She decided that she would just have to move on when she were to return to her sixth year at Hogwarts, and she would have to find better people who made her feel more wanted.
Her thoughts were suddenly broken when a voice called to her from downstairs.
"Hermione!" her mother called from below the stairs. "Come quick! You have an owl here for you!"
Hermione wiping her face, turned away from her window.
A/N: My descriptions of London, England are not very accurate, but they are just descriptions of what I would HOPE for it to be .