A Different Sorting
All the first years were standing outside the Great Hall. After Draco introduced himself to Harry he noticed the girl standing behind him. He didn't know who she was or what family she came from but he hoped she would be sorted with Slytherin like the rest of his family. As they walked through the Great Hall he heard the girl say something about the floating candles that she read in a history book. He immediately thought she would be in Ravenclaw for sure. She's obviously brilliant, she'll probably graduate top of the class. One kid was sorted, she was a Hufflepuff. The next kid got Hufflepuff too. Draco watched and listened to each sorting and patiently waited for his name and the smart girl who caught his interest. There was another Ravenclaw and then a Slytherin. Draco smiled at the fact a Slytherin got sorted quickly. The slytherin was followed by a Gryffindor. Hufflepuff and Gryffindor again. Then it was her turn. McGonagall called her Hermione Granger. The hat was put on her head but she wasn't sorted as quickly as the rest. Draco crossed his fingers at his side hoping she got Anything but Gryffindor. After what seemed like forever the sorting hat announced she got Slytherin. Draco beamed and stood up a bit straighter and with his chin up. He couldn't wait to tell father and mother about this new Slytherin girl. Mother would love how the girl carried herself and father would love how she had Ravenclaw smarts. Draco was called next and was immediately sorted into Slytherin and sat next to the Granger girl. She immediately smiled at him and introduced herself.
"I'm Hermione Granger, you said you were Draco Malfoy, right?" Hermione said.
Draco nodded and stuttered a polite "y-yes, I am."
"You know you don't need to be nervous about being sorted into Slytherin. I read that those placed in Slytherin become great witches and wizards." Hermione stated.
Draco looked at her in shock. Granger hasn't even been a Slytherin five minutes and she already liked the house. Draco began to believe he might already have a genuine friend. He then heard his stomach rumble and was wondering when they'd be able to eat. That's when Dumbledore began his speech talking about out of bound corridors and forbidden forests. Draco didn't care, he was just hungry. Finally the old fart called for food and an entire buffet appeared in front of them. Growing up in a manor and being raised with manners he began to cut into the small turkey in front of him when he noticed Hermione's plate full of food that she couldn't possibly eat by herself. He watched her eat and noticed that while using her manners she managed to wolf down each bite until her plate was clean and she went for seconds. Before Hermione could put more food on her plate Draco cut the leg from the turkey and put it on her plate. He then helped her load mashed potatoes with gravy and her second course became a christmas dinner. When she went to grab a spoon to begin eating again, Draco noticed her hands looked like nothing but bone and flesh. He could even see her veins. Draco knew then that Hermione was no ordinary witch. Even the poorest of wizarding children don't look so frail. He decided to ask about her family.
"Hermione, who are your parents? Where do they work?"
"My parents are muggles, they work at a dentistry," she answered shyly.
"We have a mudblood in Slytherin?! Who let the mudblood in?" asked Crabbe.
Hermione, not having finished her second plate, lost her appetite and ran from the Great Hall. Draco smacked Crabbe in the back of the head and chased after Hermione. Dumbledore watched as the two students ran from the Great Hall, one in tears and the other looking worried. He decided to dismiss it and continued eating his meal.
Hermione took a turn and was immediately lost. She cautiously took another turn and decided to just sit there and cry. Why did that boy call me a mudblood? I know what it means but why did he have to be so mean? I hope Draco isn't the same, Hermione thought.
"Hermione! Hermione where are you? Hermione, please come out," Draco called out. He immediately lost her the moment she turned that corner. He wanted to find her so he could tell her not all Slytherins are like Crabbe. The idiot, why did he have to call her that on her first night? Why couldn't he get to know her first? Why couldn't he see that she wasn't healthy? "Hermione can you please answer me," Draco called once more. He turned a corner and saw Hermione sitting on the floor with her legs pulled up to her chest and sobbing hard. He carefully sat next to her, trying not to scare her away. Hermione looked up to see Draco sitting next to her with a worried and caring look on his face. She turned to him and cried into his robes.
"Why did he call me that, Draco? Why did he have to be so mean?" Hermione asked.
"Some wizarding families believe that muggle-borns are scum and shouldn't exist. My father agrees with those wizards, sadly." Draco told her.
"But not you, right Draco? You're a nice wizard and you wouldn't purposely hurt me."
"Right, my mother and i believe muggle-borns are some of the smartest witches and wizards in the world. She once told me that there was a muggle-born and was smarter than all the students combined. Plus i'm pretty sure muggle parents become overjoyed when they find out they have a special child that can do magic."
This made Hermione smile. Her parents were ecstatic to find out they had a witch for a daughter. They told her they always knew she was special.
"So Hermione, mind if I call you 'Mione?" Draco asked.
"I don't mind," she replied.
"Does this mean we are friends? As in real friends?"
Hermione nodded and gave Draco a hug and a kiss on the cheek. Draco's face turned a brilliant shade of red. "So where do the Slytherins stay? Where is our common room?"
Draco stopped blushing and looked at her. "Don't wanna go back to the Great Hall?"
She shook her head, "not if everyone is gonna be mean when im trying to eat."
Draco laughed and said, "You're definitely a Slytherin. Big thing with Slytherins, we don't like being disturbed when there is food and we're starving. C'mon 'Mione, i'll take you to the dungeons. Thats where we'll be staying."
Hermione quickly looked up at the now standing Draco, her eyes wide. "The dungeons?"
"What's wrong? Afraid of the dark?" Draco teased.
Hermione wasn't afraid of the dark. Actually, even though she was young she was what most people called an early bloomer. If fact, Hermione once had a wet dream where she was alone in a dungeon with her dream boy. "No, i'm not afraid of the dark. Its just, I had a silly dream about being in a dungeon last week."
"What do you mean 'silly'?" Draco wanted to know.
"You'll understand soon enough," she told him. Draco helped her up and walked with her to the Slytherin common room. When they entered, she was amazed at the beauty of it. A genius with OCD could easily come here and die happily.
Draco watched Hermione as he's already been to the dungeons before. His father had a room that looked like them at the Manor whenever he wanted to revisit old memories from better days. As her watched Hermione inspect the common room he found a nice leather love-seat to sit in. It was very comfortable. "Beautiful, isn't it? He asked simply.
"Oh it is, it's simply outstanding. That's the lake on the other side of that window isn't it?"
"Yes it is."
Hermione went to sit next to Draco to give him a hug but when she did they heard a small rumble. They looked around but saw it was still only them. Something rumbled again and Hermione realized it was her stomach. She gave a small giggle and announced she was still hungry. Draco got up ad went to the fridge and got Hermione a snack.
"'Mione, if you don't mind me asking, why are you so skinny?"
"I don't mind Draco. But to answer your question, even though my parents are top notch dentists, they still dont make enough money to feed all three of us. And most if the money they make goes to their bills. I learned to cast a spell on myself that would make me look healthy and only those that like me can see I'm not well."
Draco thought on that and decided to help her get better and actually be healthy and not just look it. He was just about to suggest taking her to Madam Pompfree when Hermione's head shot up.
"Wait a minute, you can see that i'm not healthy? Draco, do you like me?"
"I think so, you're a great friend already so yeah, I guess i like you."
"Aww, I like you too Draco!" and she gave him another kiss on the cheek.
"But we should take you to Madam Pompfree. She's like the school nurse."
"Okay, but watch. She's gonna say I look perfectly fine."
"You didn't come to open house, did you?"
"There was an open house?" Hermione asked shocked.
"Lets just go get you checked out," Draco said and lead Hermione to the hospital wing.
Part one of this series. Hope you all enjoy. Its my first fanfic so there will be more. Stay in touch and keep tuned in for part two. And just a heads up, this isn't the only fanfic i'll be doing.
