A/N: Honestly, all I can say is: 'gah'. I have (finally) revised this story and I'm hoping that it will not be as dreadful as it was the first time around, lol. After doing so, I've removed a lot of the parts and added what I hope to be more mature characters. I didn't have the heart to completely erase it, so here's what came from the original. I hope that, for those who choose to read it, like it. I know it's out there, and I know it's strange, but... maybe if you look at it in a sense of seeing "Hermione in a different light" rather than "Hermione a bit out of character."
Date: August 1, 2007
Summary: A look at Hermione in a differently light. See the more personal side of her that, rather than accepting the world as it is, can take it as a hope for something better. Oh, and did I mention and almost-irrelevant talent show? Warning: Hermione mild OOC and rather plot-less.
Disclaimer: Not mine. I'm just an overly-obsessed fan who has nothing better to do with her life than sit here and write stories about a story that has already been written. But, I will take credit for those lyrics right down there. Those I did create.
Dreams are amazing. I mean, just being able to picture in your mind your heart's greatest desire has the ability to make people happy. As it may be, the majority of people are not satisfied with dreaming. No, they want to live it. Live their lives to the fullest, be themselves the whole way through, and pursue their dreams at some point throughout the course of their life. The lucky succeed in doing so, the remaining, regrettably, fail. Effort, passion, determination, and the excessive amount of want all come into the equation at some point. In my life, I realized what I wanted when almost all of my hope was lost. Luckily, I succeeded before losing the battle.
The sweet smell of flowers filled my lungs as I strolled around the outskirts of the Forbidden Forest. Gathering flowers for the dormitory, as I had been doing recently, I was careful to choose, so each would be diverse and perfect in its own way. I was wearing a muggle summer outfit, a skirt that traveled just past my knees that was thin and white, along with a sky blue tee-shirt. As I moved my skirt twirled around me. The wind was lightly blowing and my hair was flowing softly behind me as I wove my way around the trees. As I choose the last addition to the bouquet of flowers I couldn't help but sing quietly, allowing the breeze to fill my lungs with the desire to let flow bottled emotions.
Ever so light
Is your touch
The world around me stops
As your embrace captivates my soul
My mind is racing
While I stare into your eyes
I know you're the one
When you tell me it's alright
I continued to hum the new song as I sought my way back to the castle. The corridors were, for the most part, deserted as I headed for the Head's dormitory, so I continued to hum quietly, audible to no one but myself. Once I entered the common room I noticed Malfoy was no where in sight, so I began to sing softly once again with a different set of lyrics.
---
Draco watched as Granger practically skipped into the common room, bursting with glee. Her peppiness was irksome, as Draco often told her. He watched as she took a small glance toward the couch, and after seeing no one, began to sing quietly. Draco listened; surprised by the voice he never would have expected to hear. Soon, he was captivated by the girl, and after finally realizing what he was doing, closed the door of his common room entirely.
---
I entered my room, stopping my singing, and flicked my wand towards a shelf near the large bed. As I lowered my wand, the new music played. I set the flowers in the vase I had set on my bedside table once I had vanished the dried-out ones that had been so beautiful just days before. Frowning, I couldn't help but be slightly discouraged by the fact. How could one thing be so entrancing one day, and the next be wilting and, for lack of better words, dead? Trying not to linger over the matter, I lay on my bed as the soothing voice coming from the, now charmed, muggle radio (what wonders a wand and a book could do, eh?) dispersed throughout the room. I closed my eyes and took in every word, somehow feeling connected to them in an indescribable way.
Music, for me, is my escape from the world. Few people know that, when I am not studying, reading, or chatting with friends, you can find me locked in my room listening to my music, falling oblivious to everything else. The sound quenches the craving for serenity that I, since recently, need to get through my days. It is my drug – my shameless obsession. While the beat courses through me, I feel free from everything. Free from duties, free from stress… free from labels I so reluctantly live up to.
Slowly, with the music echoing around my room, and the last rays of the sun fall beneath the horizon, my eyes close and I fall into the dark depths of peaceful slumber.
---
Awoken by the morning sun shining through my window, I languidly got up from the night's rest. Mornings like these were perfect. The sunrise was creating a beautiful spectrum of colors when shone across the castle grounds. It was a perfect Sunday morning. Following my daily routine, I walked onto the balcony from the door in my dormitory and sat down, leaning against the railing for support.
The lake was reflecting the beautiful sky, a light current gently flowing across the top. The trees of the forest were smoothly swaying in the morning breeze, and birds were soaring above. Captured by the view, I failed to notice a certain Slytherin watching me with curious eyes from his own balcony. I closed my eyes, inhaling the morning scent. I could already tell –today was going to be a good day.
I continued to gaze upon the grounds for a while longer, making sure to catch the entire sunrise, before deciding to recede into my room and get ready for the day. Once ready, I made my way down to the Great Hall for breakfast. Passing Malfoy in the shared common room as I did every other day, I continued downstairs. It was an unspoken agreement: I don't speak to him, he doesn't utter to word to me.
While making my way down the corridor, I noticed a sheet of parchment on the stone wall, one that had not been there the day before. Skimming it over, my eyebrows only raised with each word. It seemed as though Hogwarts was going to host its very first talent show for students to either participate in or attend. Thinking it over, I deemed it strange that I had yet to hear about the show, considering I am Head Girl. Looking over the sheet, I saw a rather small list of names of those brave enough to have signed up.
Before walking off I paused, looking at the sheet. After pondering it for a moment I shrugged off the idea which had somehow popped into my head, dismissing the idea to sign up. People wouldn't want to hear me sing; being mocked doesn't sound too appealing, now, does it? Without another thought, I walked away, bringing my train of thought to focus towards the upcoming Arithmancy test this week.
Unfortunately, I walked into the Great Hall just as Professor Dumbledore was making an announcement, causing many heads to turn towards me. Giving an apologetic look and turning a slight crimson shade, I continued to the Gryffindor table, feeling many pairs of eyes follow my movements. I took a seat next to Ron, across from Harry, and they both grinned at my discomfort. I rolled my eyes playfully and turned towards Dumbledore, listening to his speech.
"As I was saying, all students are eligible to participate and are able to sign up at any time this week. Performances are to be held next Tuesday from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. The staff and I highly encourage all of you to consider signing up and participating in this first-time event." Smiling, with that ever-present twinkle in his eye, the Headmaster sat down with a pleasant expression. Not a second to spare and a noticeable buzz had erupted throughout the Hall.
"So, is anyone considering signing up to perform?" Lavender asked curiously. Various talking erupted at her words.
"I was thinking of doing a gymnastic act… I'm quite flexible."
"I may sign up to do a skit of some sort. Acting always interested me."
"Maybe I'll play a bit of guitar! My dad always told me I was fair."
People babbled on about their plans for the show, most of which we would probably never see. I doubted most of them would even follow through with their idea. I stayed silent and acted to be nibbling on a piece of toast, no need to be question, right? Too bad the efforts were in vain.
"So, 'Mione, got an idea of what you'll do?" Ron said curiously. Giving him an incredulous look, I sighed,
"I won't be doing anything. First of all, I honestly haven't got enough nerve to stand in front of everyone! And secondly, I'm lacking the talent part of the show." I smiled.
"Well… you could always just read us a book." Harry said with a grin. Throwing a bit of toast at him ("Hey!"), I said back with a chuckle,
"Oh, quiet you! I'm sure our fellow students are fine readers without me. Nevertheless, thanks for the wonderful suggestion."
After the long breakfast and bidding Harry and Ron a short goodbye I headed back to the edge of the forest. For some reason, I just couldn't not go. Walking in slowly, I looked around at the familiar surroundings. Making my way down the path I had taken plenty of times before I hummed to myself, happily taking in all the scenery of the forest. Really, if you just overlook the small fact that there are a few harmful creatures in there, it's a rather nice place to be.
Arriving to my destination, I sat down on the large stone which overlooked a small pond littered with water-lilies. It really was a site. I had originally found it by accident, having almost gotten lost in the forest and stumbling upon it. During the day, about this time, it had a reflection of the bright sun directly above the clear water, making it reflect in almost eerie-perfection. Along with the reflection came the spectrum of colors which bounced off the water and into clear view.
Sitting here really was a Kodek® moment.
I couldn't help but smile. Maybe I should charm a camera, as I had with the radio in my room. I was sure my mum and dad would be pleased to see such a site –honestly, I was my parents child. I had had tried to convince Harry and Ron to come out here with me before, but they had both just given me strange looks and turned down the offer. But, I'm sure if they saw it, they would see it too. They would see it for the escape it was. There was no evil here. There was no fear. Just tranquil emptiness.
Laughing to myself I quickly took back those thoughts. I loved them to death, but however good Harry and Ron's intentions were, they were not the type to see certain qualities in things that I could.
I stayed for a bit longer, falling victim to the enthralling scenic view I led myself to, when I noticed the sky clouding over. The last thing I needed at the moment was to be doused in rain. Deciding it would be best to go back inside, I made my way to the forest's entrance, back up to the castle, and towards the Gryffindor common room where I was sure Ron, Harry, and possibly Ginny would be.
"Where've you been all day Hermione?" Ron asked when he saw me approaching his and Harry's current game of Wizard's Chess.
"Just walking around, you know, outside. It's nice out today, don't you think." I turned my eyes towards the window and looked out at the sky. I guess my expression must have when a bit airy because next thing I heard was Harry's voice, light with amusement,
"Now don't go Trelawney on us, Hermione." I darted my eyes towards him almost instantly, glaring.
"Not funny." Ron laughed easily and Harry grinned.
"There's our Hermione. Looks like you're safe for today." Harry jested, while I mumbled grudgingly at his very wild (and not to mention horrific) accusation.
---
As the week lagged on, I focused most, if not all, of my attention on studying. Still, throughout the tiring days, I fought the slight urge to visit the place, my place. I had considered possibly taking out a bit of my work with me, but I was sure that my attention would be thwarted away from my studies if I even went near the forest.
When the final class of the week concluded, I was completely ecstatic. The sky was mildly cloudy, but the sun was still visible through the breaches. Smiling, I walked my bag up to the common room and set it on the floor before settling on the sofa while waiting for Harry and Ron to come by.
"Granger, get your feet off the clean couch. Or at least take those," he pointed to her shoes, "off." I sent him a nasty glare, but complied none the less. It was his room as well… and, I couldn't honestly blame him for not liking the idea. Sitting straight in the chair I moved my eyes to the fire, looking at the flames liking the wood it was eating away at. Then Malfoy sat down beside me, where my feet had been.
"Hey! You made me move my feet so you could sit down?" I gave him a look, narrowing my eyes.
"No. I gave you the option of removing your shoes first. You didn't, so I took a seat." He said smugly, and pulled a book off the small table in front of them.
"Why don't you sit on one of the chairs? You just had to choose the seat beside me? Better be care, Malfoy, or I might start believing you actually don't mind me."
"This one is more comfortable. Now shut up."
"No! Move off the sofa." I glared at him. What was his problem today?
He made no reply.
"Fine!" Not tolerating his silence, I huffed and kicked off my shoes, though I had socks on still, and brought my feet back up to the sofa and set them down. Right on Malfoy lap.
Looking back, I honestly couldn't tell you what I was thinking at the time.
"Argh! What are you doing, you mudblood! Get your feet off of me!" he proceeded to push off my legs, but I wouldn't budge.
"Get off the sofa." I said strongly.
"Fine, just get your bloody feet off of me!"
Sighing, I lifted my legs from his lap and he, quite literally, jumped off the couch and began wiping off the front of his robes frantically. "Don you ever try to pull anything like that again, Granger!"
"I won't if you don't provoke me." I said simply, smirking at him. I win.
"Watch yourself, Granger." He said threateningly, and began to walk off.
"Is that a threat, Malfoy?" I stood suddenly, not allowing him to have the last word.
"Take it as what it is." He sneered and stomped off to his room, slamming the door behind him. I couldn't help but let out a chuckle as soon as it had shut fully. Really, he was quite temperamental.
A knock at the door, no doubt Harry and Ron, distracted me from the situation and I walked over to the entrance, pulling it open.
"Hey guys." I said brightly, stepping aside to allow them entrance.
"What's got you so cheerful?"
"Ah… nothing. Just a fun encounter with Mal-ferret." I smirked and they returned the gesture, "Now, where to this fine day?" I said with mock formality.
"Well, Harry and I were headed off to the Quidditch Pitch, and we thought you might like to join us."
"Sure. Let me just get…" I walk to the sofa where my discarded shoes lay. Harry and Ron looked at me strangely, wondering why I had even taken my shoes off in the first place. "Okay, ready." I smiled and walked past them, leading them to the pitch.
---
Stating that I was bad at Quidditch would be an understatement. I was downright dreadful. My aim was horribly, the nearest I got to getting the Quaffle into the goal was when I had thrown out of anger at the stupid hole. Unfortunately, I happen to throw it in the wrong direction, and it got Ron in the side while he was talking to Harry, not paying attention to me, and he nearly fell off his broom. Actually, he did fall off his broom but caught the neck of it as it fell beside him. Thankfully, he said he was fine and that he wouldn't need to go to the Hospital Wing. After that, I decided I would be much better as a supporter for today.
I watched for another half-hour, making play suggestions to the two. Though I was dreadful at actually playing, I could analyze the actual play of the game and how the Quaffle would turn if thrown at a certain angle. At least I wasn't useless in all aspects. But, when angry-looking clouds were hanging over the pitch Harry and Ron descended from the sky.
"Come on, we'd better hurry. I think we've waited as long as we can before the torrential downpour begins." Harry said quickly, beginning to make his way towards the castle, Ron in tow. Pausing, I ran to catch up with them,
"Wait! Let's stay out here." I suggested.
"Are you mad, Hermione?" Ron asked, though I don't know why. He was already staring at me like I was.
"Oh, come on. Just this once?" I tugged on their arms, trying to get them stay, "We can just cast drying spells on us once we're back inside. It'll be fun."
"Eh… Hermione I don't know…" Harry gave Ron a look that clearly said, 'did we miss the moment when Hermione fell off her broom and hit her head?"
"Please? For me." I pleaded.
"Alright, fine." Ron sighed, giving in first. Harry looked at Ron in disbelief, but sighed as well.
"I guess I'm stuck, aren't I." he turned around fully and gave me a serious look, "but you owe is big-time."
I beamed at the two before pulling them back to the center of the pitch, and we stood their, talking and joking, waiting for the rain to begin.
"I can't believe-,"
"Ah! I felt one." I said smiling. I'd always wanted to do this. I couldn't even begin to start on the explanation of why, but I always had thought about it. Instead, I would sit on the balcony outside my room with the stone awning above me, sheltering me from the rain.
Ron shook his head, and Harry grinned.
The next thing I knew it was pouring, we were suddenly drenched with the rain, head-to-toe. I laughed at the situation before walking away from the other two and lifting my head towards the sky, mouth open.
"How's that taste?" Harry said, laughing. I smiled back before looking at the ground at the puddle forming around my feet. I looked up at Harry, grinning madly.
"Don't you da-," Too late. I kicked up my foot, coating him in muddy water. I laughed aloud at his expression, he was shocked. Ron was laughing from behind him. Well, that was no good. Smirking, I took a few steps toward him and kicked up the mud at him, too.
"Ooh, you're dead." He said, gapping at me, no longer laughing.
Then I was on the ground, my back covered in mud. I heard myself scream before grabbing the closest thing to me, which happened to be Harry's leg, and yanked it from him. He fell beside me with a 'thump' and I giggled madly.
But then I was interrupted when I suddenly felt something warm on my face, now dripping down my neck and into my robes.
"That's it!" I shouted, and scooped up a hand full of the grime beside me and launched it at Ron, who also fell to the ground in surprise.
And so it began our mud-wrestling match.
---
Draco stood on the balcony, staring at the Quidditch pitch through the rain. There was someone down there. Actually, there were three someones down there. It only took a moment for him to recognized who it was.
He watched them, confused. Why were they doing that? Weren't the worried about their robes? Or their hair? Or… anything? It was strange seeing such a display. Yes, he always saw them around school, smiling, laughing, and chatting about Merlin-knows-what. But he had never actually seen them… like this. It was bizarre. He had never seen anyone simply… connect like the three of them.
He could see it, just from the scene below, that they loved each other. No, Potter and Weasley were not having a passionate love affair. And no, Potter or Weasley and Granger weren't mad for each other. But he could tell, just by how they reacted, that they would die for the other; all three them. Never had he seen such and open display of care for another.
With his thoughts, he shut the door behind him, not looking back at the trio.
---
"Alright, that's it. I'm officially exhausted." I laughed, looking at my two best friends. They were disgusting; covered in mud that soaked through their clothes. But I had never seen them more attractive. It was moments like these that made me realize how lucky I was.
Harry heaved himself up off the grass along with his now ten-pound-soaked robe. He offered his hand and I took it graciously as he helped me up off the ground.
"You two look utterly ridiculous."
"And you are looking quite horrific yourself." I rolled my eyes, and began making my way back to the castle alongside the boys. I felt the muddy water in my shoes and regretted not having taken them off before hand.
"Egh, I feel like I'm walking with five pounds of sand in my shoes." Ron grumbled, walking rather absurdly.
"And you look like a penguin doing it." I laughed loudly and Harry joined me, agreeing. Ron ignored us.
"You're helping me clean all of this off, 'Mione."
"Ron, it'll take ten seconds!"
"Yeah, ten seconds of your time." He said grumpily. I rolled my eyes but said no more. We continued to the castle in comfortable silence.
When the colossal door was before us I removed my wand from my pocked and waved it about me, casting a drying spell. Harry and Ron followed suit and when the charm was put into full effect I completely regretting having performed it.
"Ugh, this is disgusting!" I looked down at my arms. Rather than being coated in mud, I was coated in layers of dry dirt.
"Great idea, Hermione!" Ron said sarcastically. I turned to glare at him,
"Well, at least weren't not wet."
"No! But now we've got loads of dirt covering us!" He began shaking his robes, hoping to get off at least some of it. I rolled my eyes and shook a hand through his hair playfully, clearing out a bit of the dust.
"Oh, get over it."
"Filtch is going to murder us if we track in all of this dirt." Harry said, also trying to dust off a bit of it.
"Well then, I suggest you get to the bathrooms quickly." And I pulled open the door, not waiting any longer. I peeked around, noting that the entrance was empty for the most part, besides a few students making their way to dinner early.
We made our way up the staircases quickly and I separated from the boys on the third floor, telling them I'd meet them in the Great Hall for supper. They waved, both grinning, and made their way to the sixth floor, where the Gryffindor common room was. With a smile on my face I made my way to the Head's dorm, ignoring the strange looks I was getting from the few students I passed, most of which were Hufflepuff, whose common room was nearby.
I entered the common room happily, especially enjoying the look on Malfoy's face when he saw me enter. He was sitting on the sofa, spread out and reading.
"Make sure you clean up all that dirt!" Malfoy said, sneering at her appearance.
"What is it with you and cleanliness, Malfoy? Of course, hygiene is extremely important, but sometimes you just need to loosen up a bit." I said, almost-grinning at him. He stared at me as if I had three heads.
"Wha-? Just get out of here Granger." He rolled his eyes and an uncharismatic manner and went back to reading. Grinning still, for reasons I couldn't even tell you, I walked upstairs and into the bathroom, closing the door with a 'snap'.
A/N: Yes, yes. I know it was different, but review anyways. Even if you hated it, I'm all ears (or eyes).
