Hermione Granger, the Loner

Hermione Granger had always been a loner until September, 1991.

She wasn't pretty like the other girls in her class, who were all blond and curvy. She was the sort of girl who blended into the background rather than those you could pick out in the midst of a crowd. She had rather bushy brown hair, which she tied back with a rubber band in the morning. Her eyes were a deep chocolate brown, taking after her mother. Her front teeth, which she often worried about, was larger than what people would call 'average', and because of her appearance, she was not in any of the so-called 'in' groups.

Still, she might have had some friends if it wasn't for her grades. They were always 'A's, no matter how difficult her classmates found the examinations. She was clever, but in her school, she was considered the geek. Sure, people might occasionally ask her for help on homework, but after she had kindly and patiently taught them, they would insult her as soon as her back was turned. Tears would well up in the corners of her eyes, and she would brush them away roughly before acting completely normal, lest they should add 'crybaby' to the long list of nicknames she already possessed.

Worst of all, as if being shunned by her classmates was not enough, even the teachers didn't like her very much ever since she had accidentally made all the hair on a teacher's head vanish. At the time, she had protested loudly, insisting she had no idea how it had happened. But after a while, she had stopped denying being the cause of it. After all, it was true, and Hermione Granger did not ever lie without a good reason. Thus, even the teachers had been cold towards her, apart from her surprisingly young French teacher and class-mistress, Ms. da Silva, who had always been kind to her despite what happened, and was forever willing to lend her a shoulder to cry on.

Hermione knew she was more intelligent than most, but yet sometimes she was willing to trade all of that just for a normal life, with worrying over grades, gossiping about the latest fashions, and most of all, a best friend to endure the hard times with her, and always be at her side no matter what. That had been her birthday wish ever since junior school, when everyone started to avoid her. No one was willing to sit with her during lessons, no one ever wanted to do a project with her, and everyone groaned when the teachers announced that she was, once again, the one with the highest score. A tear would always roll down her cheek when she recalled the feeling of loneliness that had always consumed her then. She had always kept her feelings locked up, not wanting her parents to worry about her, making her feel even more alone than before. She thought then she would always be on the sidelines, watching people have fun while she can't, with her history and unusualness hanging over her.

This was exactly why she was so excited when Professor McGonagall arrived with her Hogwarts letter. She thought she could make a fresh start, a new beginning in an unfamiliar world where no one had ever knew of the existence of Hermione Jean Granger. It was a relief to find a reason for her weirdness, to find that she was not the only one with magical powers, to realize that there might be people just as studious as she is, and that she was not alone. She started stocking up on her knowledge of the Wizarding World and magic so she would not be left out, and seem like the silly one, asking questions that were supposed to be completely obvious. Her goal was to fit in, and she would not let this chance slip between her fingers.

On the first of September, she was on her way to Hogwarts, unaware that she would soon met Harry Potter, the Boy-Who-Lived, get through a magical obstacle race unharmed, turn into a different person, go back through time, watch a sport played on broomsticks, get engaged in several duels, and help bring forth the demise of Voldemort himself.

Soon Hermione Granger, the Loner, will be nothing more than a distant shadow in the past.


So, this is like, a spur of the moment one-shot I came up with when I was thinking about Hermione's past. Anyway, I am currently working on another story posted in a different account called Trouble. Please, take the time to check the story out in my Favourite Stories. Anyway, I've gotten a wisp of inspiration for Harry's New Mother, so I'll probably update in the next couple of days, I swear!

So, until then,

Bianca tabbycat

P.S. Excuse my mistakes and tell me about them if there's any, will you? Thanks a bunch! :D