Stranger Things Have Happened

Hermione/Blaise other pairings possible

Post DH minus epilogue

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July came in like a flare on the sun. It had barely been a month since the final battle, and fall of Voldemort. Hermione, Ron, Harry, and Ginny were back at the Burrow, reveling in the joy of the end of the war and their returning to Hogwarts.

Hermione was reading(surprise) when Ron came in and asked to talk with her.

They'd been technically dating for a year, even if it hadn't been official.

"Hermione, are you avoiding me" Ron asked.

"Yes, I suppose so," That was true. She'd been in the room she shared with Ginny reading her copies of Advanced Arithmancy and the NEWT level book for Ancient Runes in turn, and discovering that she was turning the pages without taking anything in. She'd noticed this behavior ever since they had returned to the Burrow after the battle. She couldn't focus on anything except Ron, and was coming to realize that this was going to continue all year. So she'd reached the hard decision. "I'm sorry Ronald. I've just been doing some thinking," Hermione replied sadly.

"What is it? What's wrong? Is it me," Ron asked without letting her answer before moving on to his next query.

"Well yes, and no. I've just been thinking about this coming year. It's NEWT year and it's going to be really hard for all of us. I'm just not sure I can take on the responsibility of a relationship and keep up with the course work. I'm afraid it will drive us apart," She rushed this out in one breath, as if saying it fast would make it less unpleasant.

"Oh," Ron said quietly. He knew how important her grades were, and he knew that he'd be a distraction. So he could see where this was going.

"It's not that I don't want to be with you. I just think maybe we should wait until we graduate before getting too serious. You know I've loved you for too long to really be throwing this away," Hermione explained.

"I know. You're right. I.." Ron faltered, it wasn't really alright, but he couldn't hurt her. "I've just been so stupid for so long, but I understand that our grades are important. Still my best friend though, right?"

"Of course!" Hermione exclaimed. She got up and threw her arms around his neck, looking into his eyes. She could see that he was hurting, and at the same time knew that he really did understand. "After all we've been through, you could never lose my friendship."

She kissed him gently. It was a chaste kiss, and he knew it would be their last for awhile, but he allowed her to pull away rather than allow his basic male instincts to take over.

"Alright. Great. C'mon, Mum's fixing lunch, and I'm starving," Ron said turning for the door.

"Oh Ronald, you're always starving," Hermione giggled as she pushed him out onto the landing.


Before the trio knew it, it was the first of September and they were once again on the Hogwart's Express. Since the previous year had been under the control of mostly Death Eaters and the corrupted Ministry, it didn't count towards the young witches and wizard true magical education. So the classmates that Harry, Ron, and Hermione had been with for their first six years were there again. A lot of them, being muggleborn, had missed the previous year as well. Harry found it odd, like the whole year had never happened. Except that McGonagall was Headmistress, and Slughorn was still teaching Potions after the death of Snape, things seemed out of time and place.

"Any word on the new D.A.D.A. teacher," Ginny asked from her seat by the window.

"I heard it's a woman from the States," Ron said, " Dad said it's not anyone he's heard of before."

"Hmm, can't be worse than Umbridge, I suppose," Harry said darkly, "Wonder how long Hermione will be gone."

Hermione had been made Head Girl, not that any one was surprised. The shocking thing was that Harry wasn't Head Boy.

Hermione had been mortified and upset when she'd gotten the honor and Harry hadn't. Harry, however, insisted that regardless of his "extracurricular" activities, he wasn't good enough academically to be Head Boy.

"Dunno. Who's Head Boy anyway," asked Ron distractedly. He knew that the Head Boy and Girl shared a dorm area together, and wasn't too happy about Hermione being alone in a private common room with her male counterpart.

"Zabini," Hermione said as she opened the compartment door.

"Not that Slytherin prat," exclaimed Ginny.

Ron scowled. He knew that actually Zabini wasn't a prat at all, his family weren't Death Eaters and he was actually quiet and kind for a Slytherin. He was also very handsome.

"He's really quite nice. Surprisingly," Hermione said, instantly regretting it because the look on Ron's face was painful.

"Could be worse, it could be Malfoy," Harry said thinking that might get a reaction from Ron, but Ron just continued to scowl at blindly Crookshanks, who was curled up in his lap.

"Yes, well…," Hermione said, still standing at the door, "I have to go patrol the train. I'll be back for the trolley

Harry and Ginny waved, but Ron just grimaced.


Hermione felt terrible about Ron, but tried not to let it show over the next few weeks. She knew that dwelling on her decision would be as distracting as the continued relationship would have been. She didn't see much of Harry and Ron outside of classes and meals because she did her homework and studying in the Head's common. There was a mini library in the room that contained most of the most common reference books, so she rarely had to grace the main library.

She didn't pay much attention to Zabini either, outside of their shared duties. But occasionally they discussed their Arithmancy and Ancient Rune homework. Hermione thought that he was probably the only other student in the school that had a true grasp of those tough subjects. She was grateful for his input, and he seemed to be thankful for hers.

This was the most time she had ever seen him close up in over six years of school together. In the glances that she had stolen toward him allowed her to see that he was, in fact, very handsome with Italian olive skin and sharp, but graceful features. He was so quiet compared to most Slytherin's that she had dealt with in the past. She also noticed that he didn't show any sign of adhering to the pureblood mania that most of his house believed in so avidly. Nor did he seem to ever have though that way.

"Do you need something," Zabini asked suddenly, which pulled her out of her ruminations.

"What," Hermione asked innocently.

"You're staring," he said simply not looking up from the notes he was taking.

"Oh," she sputtered, embarrassed, "I was just lost in thought."

"If you say so," he smirked.

Wow, that's unbelievably cute, she thought before she could stop herself. She couldn't think that about him. It just wasn't allowed. He's Slytherin, and she's Gryffindor, and then there's Ron. If she was completely honest with herself, she actually felt her feelings for Ron fading slightly. Not gone altogether, but she just chalked it up to the time they spent apart recently.

"Ugh, I'm tired of staring at these," Zabini said, pushing away his Ancient Runes textbook a little more forcefully than he meant and it went flying across the table, and into Hermione's lap, taking with it all of her own runes notes. "Oops, I'm sorry. You ok?"

She looked up from the mess of papers in her lap and was surprised to find him just inches from her chair.

"I... I'm fine. Really Zabini, if you want my attention you could just say my name. No need to attack me," She laughed as she gathered her notes, while he bent down to retrieve his book as it fell from her lap to the floor. They bumped heads on the way to straightening up. Hermione looked up at him, and he was looking at her as if he'd never seen her plainly before.

"Sorry, I… I don't know why I'm so clumsy tonight," he said. "I'm going to bed, see you in the morning, Hermione." He shoved his book into his bag and disappeared into his private room.

Speechless didn't even begin to cover what Hermione was experiencing. He used her first name, and the way he had looked at her was a little unsettling, but not unpleasantly.

She sat there lost in thought until the fire had almost gone out before she realized that she had accomplished nothing further with her translation, and decided she should have gone to bed hours before.


I hope this will be full and lengthy. I know it's a little corny but it's just getting started. this is my first fic so bear with me.