It was almost eleven o'clock. Hermione, Ron, Harry, and Ginny were searching for an empty compartment on the Hogwarts Express. Hermione was talking excitedly about being Head Girl.
"You know, I still haven't read the whole letter. I just read the part that said I was Head Girl and stopped," she told her friends gleefully as Ron pulled open the door to the first empty compartment they came across.
"Oh, well, why don't you read it to us?" Ron asked sarcastically.
Hermione pushed her hair behind her ears, bent over, and pulled the thick letter out of her bag. Over the summer she had found a miracle hair product that made her hair look like she had control over it. She had also become a little more concerned with her looks, so she started wearing light make-up and wearing more stylish clothes.
Ron plopped down by the window. Harry sat across from him and Ginny sat beside Harry. After Hermione had gotten everything organized, she sat beside Ron and proceeded to read her letter.
"Dear Miss Granger, we are pleased to inform you that you have been selected as Head Girl." She looked up and, "That's where I stopped." She looked back down at the piece of parchment. "We would like to inform you that the Head Boy and Head Girl will be sharing dormitories this year. We are sorry to say we cannot state who the Head Boy is, but we can say that he is a Slytherin. Minerva McGonagall, Deputy Headmistress."
"Ha! You're going to have to share dorms with a Slytherin," Ron said jokingly.
"I kind of feel sorry for her," Ginny giggled.
"It'll be okay; you can visit us whenever you want," Harry laughed as the train whistle blew. "Seriously though, who could be Head Boy? Do you really think it would be Malfoy?"
"I don't know. Well, there's Crabbe, Goyle, Nott, and that Italian guy... Zabini! And I surely hope to Merlin that it's not Malfoy," Hermione said in one breath.
"AH! Hermione, hope and pray its Zabini! He's really… erm, nice," Ginny said as she looked from Ron to Harry.
"I understand, Gin," Hermione said, trying to keep a straight face. "Eh, I'll find out who it is soon enough."
The rest of the trip consisted of conversations about Quidditch and eating large amounts of Bertie Botts Every Flavour Beans, Pumpkin Pasties, Licorice Wands, and Chocolate Frogs. Once at school, they made their way through the notable oak doors and into the Great Hall. The ceiling of the Great Hall was as magnificent as ever. Small silver stars were flecked whimsically on a dark blue-black night sky.
Ron, Harry, Hermione, and Ginny took seats near the middle of the table to the far right of the door. The hall was filled with talk and chatter. Everyone seemed more delighted to be back to school.
"We finally found you guys," Neville sounded exasperated as he sat across from them.
"We couldn't find you any where," Seamus chimed in.
When they all started telling each other about their summers, Professor Dumbledore stood and cleared his throat. It was amazing that it was heard throughout the entire hall, considering how everyone was noisily socializing, and that the first years had now entered the Great Hall. Everyone's attention moved to the end of the room.
"Welcome back to another year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. First-years will be sorted in a few minutes. I will take this time to announce the Head Boy and Head Girl. Head Boy, from Slytherin is Blaise Zabini, and Head Girl, from Gryffindor is Hermione Granger. If you two would please stay after the banquet, it would be greatly appreciated," Professor Dumbledore said with a twinkle in his blue eyes.
Professor McGonagall made her way through the crowd of first-years. She placed a stool at the front of the hall. After swishing her wand, an old patched and frayed hat appeared on the stool. "The Sorting Ceremony will now commence." The new students looked at each other nervously. "First we have McClenny, Kindle."
A small boy clambered up to the stool. He'd look over his shoulder every few seconds as if someone was following him. Professor McGonagall dropped the hat on his head. It fell over his eyes as he closed them anxiously.
"RAVENCLAW!" the hat called out.
Professor McGonagall looked at the parchment in her hands. "Zabini, Margot." Hermione cast a sideways glance at Harry, who shrugged his shoulders.
A rather tall girl walked nonchalantly up to the stool. The girl had long black curly hair and brilliant blue eyes. She sat on the stool and Professor McGonagall gently placed the hat on her head. It didn't take long for the hat to decide that the girl belonged in Slytherin.
It took about another twenty minutes for all the first-years to get sorted. By that time everyone was ready to eat. Ron immediately filled his plate with everything around him. Hermione watched in amazement as he flung a heaping pile of mashed potatoes onto his plate. Everyone around him waited until his plate was full before working on filling their own.
"So, I counted five new Gryffindors, seven new Ravenclaws, four more Hufflepuffs, and ten new Slytherins," Harry calculated as he took a swig of pumpkin juice.
"That's great, Harry. I got a new owl for my birthday," Seamus announced. "His name is Hister."
"I'm very proud of you Seamus," Ginny said with a slight laugh.
Dinner was filled with many small conversations. After the feast, the house prefects escorted the first-years to the common rooms. Blaise and Hermione lagged behind and made their way to the Headmaster.
"First of all, I'd like to congratulate you two." Blaise nodded and Hermione showed a bright smile. "If you would just follow me, I will show you to your dormitories."
The two followed Professor Dumbledore out of the Great Hall and up the Grand Staircase. They went up two flights of stairs and down a winding hallway with pictures lining the walls. At the end of the Hallway, there was a picture of the founders of Hogwarts. Godric and Salazar were arguing heatedly over the new Heads, while Rowena and Helga were trying to calm them down.
Albus cleared his throat. The four people in the picture immediately looked at him. "Here are the Head Boy and Girl." They were eyed carefully by the picture. Dumbledore's attention turned to Hermione and Blaise. "I will leave you two here to agree on a password. Oh, and your things will be in your rooms."
"Thank you Professor," Hermione said as he turned to walk away.
With a slight wave, Professor Dumbledore disappeared down the long corridor. Hermione looked at Blaise blankly, waiting for him to suggest a password.
"Well…" Hermione said after a few seconds of waiting. "How about," she stopped. She hadn't actually had an idea, but Blaise wasn't saying anything so she did.
"Salvatore," Blaise he told her bluntly.
"What's that?"
"My mum's maiden name." He seemed to be staring at a spot on the wall above Hermione's head. When she noticed, she turned around to see what he was looking at.
"Well, then, why not Salvatore Epstein?" Hermione suggested. "That's my mum's maiden name," she added.
"Fine with me." Blaise appeared to be quite agreeable so far, considering that they had only been together for about five minutes. "Erm, excuse me," he tried to get the portrait's attention.
Salazar looked at him keenly. "Do you have a password?"
"Yes. It's Salvatore Epstein." Salazar nodded and the portrait swung open.
The common room the two would share was stunning. A green and grey striped couch was placed across from a gold and red striped couch. In between the two couches was a long mahogany coffee table. All of these things were sitting on a giant rug with the school emblem carefully stitched into it. Along the back wall were two good-sized mahogany roll-top desks. Midway between the two desks was a large oak door. Above the door was a large plaque above the door that read bathroom. On the wall behind the Gryffindor colored sofa was another huge oak labeled "Head Girl" and opposite that door was one marked "Head Boy."
Hermione stood there looking around in awe. She was taking in the sights when she felt someone touch her shoulder. After jumping slightly, she turned around. "What?"
"Go look at your room, Granger. Meet me back out here in fifteen minutes, so we can set down some rules," Blaise said breathily. He gently pushed her shoulder and made his was to the door.
Hermione decided to take his advice and go inspect her new room. It was just as marvelous as the common room. The room was decorated in Gryffindor colors and a portrait of Godric Gryffindor hung over an enormous oak desk. On either side of the desk was a row of four bookcases filled with journals and spell books. On the opposite side of the room was a sizeable dresser. She opened a drawer to find that her clothes had already been neatly folded and placed in the drawers.
After looking at her watch, she decided to get a book and lie on her bed. She still had a few minutes before she had to meet Blaise in the common room. She felt herself drifting off to sleep a few times, so she decided to go to the common room.
Blaise was already sitting on the couch. He was bent over a sheaf of parchment on the coffee table scribbling something with a white quill. As soon as he realized Hermione was standing in the doorway of her room, he quickly folded the parchment and sat it beside him on the couch.
Hermione stood there looking at him as he looked back at her. He looked so different in dark blue pajama pants and a dark mustard yellow sweatshirt. Hermione hated admitting this to herself, but he looked attractive. What she hated admitting even more was the she thought he looked very attractive.
"You ready to right down rules?" Blaise asked with a wide yawn at the end of his question.
"Erm… Hold on. I'll be right back," Hermione stammered. Then, she hurriedly turned around and darted back into her room. She pulled a ponytail holder off her wrist and put her hair back in a messy bun as she delved through a few drawers looking for pajamas. Finally, she came across a pair of flannel pants with different colored polka dots on them and a low cut baby blue tank top. "Okay, I can handle this, even though Zabini looks amazingly gorgeous. I can handle this," Hermione reassured herself as she went back to the common room.
"Okay, hurry up, Granger," instructed Blaise. He didn't bother to look up at her until she sat down across from him on the red and gold colored couch.
"So, where do we start?" Hermione questioned. She leaned forward, put her elbows on her knees, and put her head in her hands so she could have a better look at what Blaise was writing.
"Not sure," he proclaimed as he wrote the word "Rules" and underlined it. He sat up straight, as did Hermione. They looked at each other for a few minutes before saying anything else.
"Do you really think we need rules? I mean, if we just stay out of each others' stuff everything should be okay," Hermione suggested. She looked Blaise up and down while waiting on an answer.
"I guess that's okay. Why are you checking me out?" Blaise questioned with a slight smirk.
"Believe me; I wasn't checking you out," Hermione said, voice shaky. She could feel her cheeks turning red. It's a good thing its dark in here.
Hermione stood up and pulled her shirt down. Before Blaise got up, he crumpled up the piece of parchment they had planned to write the rules on. When he ran his fingers through his thick black curly hair, Hermione almost melted into a puddle on the floor.
"Okay, well, I'm going to bed," she stated as she headed for the dorm leading into her bedroom.
"Me too. Buona notte," Blaise yawned.
"G'night, Zabini," she managed to say before he closed his bedroom door.
Hermione dove onto her bed and screamed into her pillow. She had found this to be a great way to relieve stress of any sort. Obviously, the picture of Godric found her actions to be rather odd.
"Umm… Excuse me, but is there something wrong?" Godric questioned.
Hermione had forgotten about the picture above the desk. It suddenly talking to her did not help her situation. She jumped, shrieked, and rolled over onto her back. Her heart was racing and breathing uneven.
"Oh my gosh, you scared me! No… Well, yes, but you wouldn't understand," Hermione said, coming back to her senses.
"And just why wouldn't I understand." The portrait seemed insulted.
"You just don't seem like someone who would give teenage girls love advice," she explained with a fairly confused expression.
"I can always try. What's the problem?" he gave her a warm, understanding smile.
"Well, I seem to have developed a crush on a certain Blaise Zabini. It just happened recently. And when I say recently, I mean recently… Like in the past fifteen minutes. If this goes on for longer than a week, I don't think I'll be able to handle it," she poured out her current feelings to the picture.
"Now then," he paused, apparently thinking, "why don't you just try to act normal and slowly let him know that you like him."
Hermione nodded. "Thank you. That was helpful. I'm going to go to bed. Good night."
"Good night."
As Hermione lie there trying to fall asleep she thought about Godric's advice. That does seem like a smart thing to do, and I am a smart girl. It sounds like a plan. Starting tomorrow, I will talk to Blaise like he is a normal person that is not making my emotions go haywire. Okay, maybe that's not a good way to look at it. I am going to talk to Blaise, a normal person. There we go, that sounds a lot better. With that last thought, Hermione fell asleep.