Life is Beautiful
Disclaimer: No. I did not make up the characters (unfortunately). JK Rowling made them with her wonderful mind. Bows down I am forever your servant.
Credits: The title is from a movie called 'La Vita é Bella' or 'Life is Beautiful'.
Summary: After being captured by Voldemort and escaping Hermione is left blind. She has learnt to look after herself and is Head girl in Hogwarts. Unfortunately Head boy is none other than Draco Malfoy. Just because someone is blind does not mean they can't see. The things that you want to do the most are the things that are probably most worth doing and don't let anyone or anything stop you. HrD
Chapter 1: Starting over
A woman with long brown curly hair and a slender frame sat on a bed. To someone else it might look like she was glazing out the window intently. Sadly this was not the case. Hermione was blind due to a curse put on her when she ran away from the Dark Lord. She would never see again because he cast a spell to ensure that she would suffer if she got away. She recalled that as she had got further and further away from her captor her sight had faded and faded into nothing but black and the incredible pain she had endured as her eyes failed her.
She had learned many things since she had lost her sight. She knew things by touch and sound now. Now she always wore high heels because the sound helps her hear where the walls were so she didn't need a cane. She had learnt to read Braille and use a typewriter, both Braille and normal, perfectly to write with. She had done this in four weeks. Tomorrow she would leave for Hogwarts again, but it would never be the same. She was Head girl, partnered with Head boy insufferable git Draco Malfoy.
"Sod it…" Whispered Hermione out loud. "I wish things weren't different…"
She stood up slowly and walked steadily over to the window and leaned her forehead carefully onto the cold glass. All the tears she had been wanting to cry out of her sightless chocolate coloured eyes for weeks came pouring out now. She stayed like that for a long time mulling over thoughts.
Why me? I want to be able to see my children, enjoy the gorgeous views of the world and see other peoples' emotions…but that was taken away from me. You never realize how much you value something until it's gone. I will never look upon a sunset again or watch a wave crash onto the sand. I was the brilliant Hermione Granger…now I'm just the blind Head Girl…
She moved her hands up and down the cool glass and then stopped them to push herself away from the window. She swiped away the tears on her cheeks and thought how pathetic she was being.
The world has not ended. I can still help in my own way. I will not let my standards lower. Just because I can't see doesn't mean I am not myself. Nothing will change. I will not weaken. I will make my dreams come true.
She stood up straight and walked out her bedroom door. Vowing never to cry over this again.
Hermione smoothed her clothes out slowly as she stood at Kings Cross Station. This is it. She thought No more special treatment. I am now just like any other girl.
"Honey, are you ready? I'll just help you through the gate." Her mum's feminine voice rang in her head.
"Okay, mum. Let's go." She replied in a determined voice.
She walked cautiously guided by her mum. Then she felt warm arms wrap around her and the familiar smell of lavender engulf her. She hugged her mum back, clinging to her.
"Just walk straight ahead now, darling." Instructed her mum as she broke away, turning her in the right direction. "Remember I'll always love you. Don't forget to write! And I am so sorry your dad couldn't be here to see you off!"
"Love you too Mum." And with that Hermione walked forward and if you didn't know she was blind you would swear she could see as well as any other girl.
When Hermione passed through the gate she stopped and heard the sounds she remembered so well as the voices of students and parents flurrying around and saying their goodbyes. She thought for a minute about how she would do this. Slowly she made her way towards the sounds of the train and groped for her bag handle and Crookshanks cage. She lifted them up and when she was just about to try and feel for a door she felt someone tug the bags from her arms and heard to familiar voices.
"Hermione! How are you? I'll carry these for you! Ron you help her to our carriage." Exclaimed Harry's enthusiastic voices.
"Hey Herms', here it's this way." A steady hand and Ron's goofy voice guided her up some steps and down a hallway, into a compartment and helped her sit down. She sighed with relief, she had made it!
"Thanks you guys." She breathed. "I was starting to wonder how I was going to get on!"
"No problem, Hermione. So how are you?" Replied Harry's distinctive voice.
"Oh…well…I don't know. Fine I suppose. How are you and Ron? Did you end up seeing that Quidditch match?" Said Hermione uncertainly.
"Yes!" they both exclaimed at once. Ron continued, "Yea, we went to see the match! It was brilliant- 8 hours long. We won in the end."
"Oh that's great!" Hermione said with as much false enthusiasm as she could muster, hoping they wouldn't notice. Fortunately being teenage boys, they didn't.
When Hermione heard the door open she turned her head in the general direction and waited for them to say something. She was trying very hard indeed to match sounds with certain people.
"Oh! Hermione! It's great to see you!" said a cheerful voice. Obviously noticing Hermione's confusion she added "It's Ginny by the way!"
"Ginny! It's great to…hear…you too!" Ginny giggled at this and promptly sat down beside her and began idly chatting.
The soundsHermione heard made her remember something.
"Oh! I'm sorry I have to go to my Heads meeting."
"But Herms', the train hasn't started moving…" Said Harry.
"Yes but its going…"She paused and waited "….Now!" and the train started chugging along with a groan and a squeak.
For a minute Harry and Ron were speechless "…how did you do that?" whispered Harry.
"When you can't see your ears get a lot better. Now who is going to show me to the Heads meeting room?" If Hermione could see she would see two stunned open-mouthed boys gaping at her.
As Ginny roughly guided Hermione down the corridor, she was impressed to see that Hermione was already pretty independent. Oh well, she had always been good at everything and anything! Thought Ginny. She observed that Hermione was wearing some very noisy (but very cool might she add) black and white high heels.
"Hey Hermione." She inquired, "What's with the high heels?"
"Oh, yes, I wear them so I can hear where the walls are." She replied carelessly.
"Oh…cool." Ginny shrugged and couldn't help but smile at the genius of her friend.
"It's this door…now! Right!" she said steering Hermione in the door.
"Thanks Ginny. You can go now if you want. I'll be back soon." Said Hermione.
"Don't you need help getting back?" Asked Ginny
"No, I think I'll manage. It's good for me. Thanks though!" Answered Hermione giving her a hug.
"Okay, well see you later!" And with that Ginny left, marveling in Hermione's skills.
Draco Malfoy swaggered up to the compartment just as the she-weasel came out. His smirk was met with a fiery glare he had never seen come from anyone else let alone a weasel. He was absolutely sure it would make small children cry and flowers shrivel up. He did neither ofthose things thoughand returned it with a glare he hoped might have some chance in competing with hers.
"Would you look at that. Dumbledore made a complete bastard Head boy. Look ferret-boy, if you hurt her in any way, shape or form then I will personally see that you are slowly tortured and killed, cut open and your insides taken out and then be buried whilst you are still alive. Is that clear?" said the Weaselette furiously in an almost inaudible voice. She had backed him into the corner of the hallway. To tell the truth Draco Malfoy had never been more terrified by someone. Apart from his father and Voldemort who are so incredibly frightening in his opinion that it would be unfair to compare anyone to them.
"Err…yea…very…" Draco answered back shakily. Ginny turned on her heel and stalked down the hallway, not even glancing back.
Sheezzz…thought Draco I didn't know she had it in her. I wonder why she was so worried about Hermione, who is of course Head girl. She can look after herself can't she? He shrugged and then turned the handle and walk into the small compartment.
Once inside he immediately looked at the slender girl in front of him. There was definitely something different about her, not just her features either. She looked older, wiser and more natural. She had her hair tied back and wavy, not frizzy, with a few strands framing her face. Her lips were full and pink and her cheeks rosy. But I wasn't her features that caught his attention. It was the way she held herself and her eyes. She was straight backed and proud, rather than slouching and looking like she had a great weight on her shoulders. Her eyes…they were empty brown holes and when she turned to look at him they didn't look at him, rather more in the general direction.
"Hello, I am sorry to say but I have to ask who you are as you haven't said anything." She said in a flat tone.
"Err…you don't recognise me?" He shifted uneasily on his feet.
"Hmm…it's a long story but lets just say I got on the wrong side of the dark lord and I can't recognise anybody at the moment." She replied calmly.
"What you mean you lost your memory or something?" He inquired.
"No! God I can't believe Dumbledore didn't tell you. I'm blind. I see nothing through my marbles. I am visually impaired. Do you get it?" She replied in a frustrated tone. Draco didn't know what to say to that. So he said probably the worst thing he could say.
"Oh…well it's Draco Malfoy."
Hermione pursed her lips at that and stated "I don't want you playing any tricks on me. It wouldn't be funny, just sad. Extremely sad, actually. And remember just because I'm blind doesn't mean I don't know what's going on around me. Okay?" Not waiting for a reply she moved her head back to what appeared to be staring forward.
Oh my god. The Dark Lord did this to her? Draco thought this over in his head. I can't believe it. I won't believe it...and I can't believe I didn't know!He sat down heavily and just watched her until Professor McGonagall came in.
A/N: Arghhhh! Here I am, the silly person I am, writing another story! God…anyway, tell me what you think. I'm rather proud of it…review please! And if at all possible give me some tips. Not just "I loved it, goodbye."
Ta
Delly