I own none of the characters, only the plot is mine, the rest belongs to the fabulous J.K. Rowling...enjoy :)
A dark girl stepped onto Platform 9 ¾ so quietly it was a while 'til people noticed her. When they did, whispers began and followed her onto the train. She ignored them and found an empty compartment, then heaved her trunk onto the rack above her seat. She didn't even bother to try and find Harry and Ron. She knew they would be the first ones to ask (if they even recognized her now) and she didn't feel like answering questions right then.
Hermione Granger really was hardly recognizable now. She had taken to straightening her hair more often, and she wore dark clothes. She didn't even need to put eyeliner on; her eyes had dark circles under them from serious lack of sleep. She now painted her nails black and she wore trousers that were ripped at the knees and shredded where they dragged on the ground. Her shirts were all black, purple, green, and any other dark colour she could find. She had cropped some of her hair to shoulder length so it would be easier to handle, and had chopped off random locks here and there. She had dyed the ends a mix of green, black, and purple. It clashed with the original brown colour and she liked it. She let it hang in her face most of the time, but occasionally, she pulled it up in spikes.
She had grown, it was true, both in height and form, and before the accident, she had enjoyed the attention she got from the boys. Now she despised it. Any attention, from anyone, she cast away and usually had nothing more to do with them. She had put aside her Muggle friends and buried herself in her spell books. Her parents were affronted. After they got out from the hospital, they tried talking to her to but it was in vain. They had gone as far as sending her to all sorts of different councillors but had stopped after the third one because she kept turning them into chickens. Not realising that her parents were actually trying to help, Hermione had drawn even more into herself, talking only when she had to, and delving more and more into magic and her terrifying new powers. So when the time to go back to Hogwarts came again, Mr. and Mrs. Granger were almost glad to see her gone, sending her off with sweet kisses and hugs, but all the same it was a taxi they sent her off in. They normally took her themselves.
Now she took out her wand and straightened her hair. She used the spell so often, she didn't even need to see how it looked. She got a book from her trunk and started reading just as the train started moving. Curling her feet up on the seat, she leaned against the window and read a few pages. After the fourth page, her head started to nod onto her chest and her eyes started to close, but she continued to read. Two pages later, the book fell from her hand with a thunk and her eyes closed completely. She lay there, shivering slightly for a while when the compartment door opened and closed but she was in too deep a sleep to be bothered. The fallen book was picked up and placed on her trunk. Then a cloak, still warm from use, was tossed over her and the shivering ceased.
He had been wandering through the train in search for a compartment, but they were all filled and none, not even those from his own house would allow him to sit there. So when he found a dark compartment, he had thought it to be empty for lack of movement, but when he opened the door, he noticed the figure leaning against the window. She was shivering slightly but she was asleep, so he shoved his trunk in and sat down, thinking that this was probably the only compartment he was going to get.
He looked over at the girl again. She had short, straight hair and a rather dark face. She was also quite pretty. The way she looked on the outside reflected the way he felt inside. He looked down and noticed the book on the floor and thought, maybe I can do something right for once. He picked up the book and took off his cloak to cover her. She stopped shivering and he allowed himself a slight smile. He just hoped she'd stay asleep 'til the train stopped.
When the train finally did stop, Hermione was still asleep and was only awoken when the train's breaks squealed. She opened her eyes and sat up. Understanding that the journey was over, she pushed away any other thoughts of sleep and gathered her things. She halted as her hand touched the book on top of her trunk. She hadn't put it there, so that meant that someone else had been in here. She cast a sensory spell and saw that neither Harry, Ron, nor any other person she knew well had been in here. She tensed and sent a different kind of sensory spell around the compartment. She relaxed then; the person had meant her no harm at that moment and that was all that concerned her.
Hermione waited 'til the sound of footsteps and voices ceased before dragging her trunk out into the hallway and making her way off the train. She saw Hagrid waving to the first years and calling out to them, and continued on her way. She got in one of the carriages and looked out the window. She sighed and lowered her eyes. She could see the Thestrals.
A few minutes passed and a laughing couple opened the door but when they saw her, they shut the door and ran off to find another carriage. Hermione went back to looking out the window.
She had planned to skip the feast, and she was heading to the Gryffindor tower, when she noticed someone heading right for her. She stumbled, turned heel, and started walking quickly back, cursing herself for not doing the smart thing and hiding. His head was down and he really wasn't paying attention to where he was going but he looked up when he heard her stumble.
He looked up. A girl was walking quickly away and turned a corner soon after he noticed her, but he took one look at her dyed, short hair, and knew it was the girl he had sat with on the train. But why was she running away? He felt sure she hadn't seen his face, so she couldn't have recognized him. He picked up his pace, and turned the corner. The hall went on for a while but there was nobody there. He spied a statue of a goblin and walked a little closer to it.
She could sense him getting closer, and weighed her options. She could either A: make a run for it, or B: wait and hope he wouldn't find her. She chose A. Taking a deep breath, Hermione rushed around the statue and made a dash for the double doors leading to the Great Hall. She could hear him running after her, and he was catching up. She would be seen by everyone if she went through the doors, but it was a risk she was willing to take. She was weary of this boy; he had danger written all over him. She was almost there, a few more steps … but she was too slow. Hermione felt a cold hand as someone grasped her wrist and whipped her around to face him. Her hair fell into her face as she tried prying his hand off but he had too strong a grip and she could already feel his other hand on her shoulder. So she did the only thing that came to mind; she broke his nose.
Hermione thrust her palm up and heard a satisfying crack as her hand connected with his nose. He put his hands up to try and stop the flow of blood, letting go of her in the process and giving her the time she needed to get away. He made another wild grasp for her but met nothing but air. He cried out a muffled "Wait!" but she ignored him. Pushing the Great Hall doors aside, she walked in to a multitude of noise. The Sorting was already done and everyone was chatting happily with their friends about their summers and other such things. All of this talk was quickly subdued as Hermione stumbled in. All eyes were on her; her torn trousers, dyed hair, and bloody hand. From the far side of the Hall, two boys got up and rushed over to her and a lone figure glided down from the staff table. The boys slowed to a walk as they were about to reach her, and the one with raven hair and round glasses asked in a tentative voice, "Hermione?" So she was recognizable. She nodded slowly and he blinked several times. Then he grabbed her arm, turned her around, and rushed her out of the Great Hall. The boy with fiery red hair followed and the teacher from the staff table was not far behind.
Once they were out of the hall, Harry gave her a huge hug, nearly burying her as his long black hair cascaded with hers. Hermione hesitantly returned the hug. Ron hung behind looking scared. McGonagall closed the doors to the Hall, said, "Up," and walked briskly away. The three followed her silently.
As they neared, McGonagall said," Lemon Sherbet" and the gargoyles allowed them to pass. Hermione noticed McGonagall choke half way through the word, remembering the previous Headmaster. They stepped onto the staircase and it began to spiral upward. When they walked into the office, Hermione's eyes went straight to the painting of Dumbledore and although her eyes did not water, she felt her heart turn cold.
The head mistress turned around and faced the three seventh years.
"What is the meaning of this? Barging into the Great Hall, covered in blood. And while we're on that subject, why are you covered in blood in the first place? And on the first day of the year, too!" she exploded. Hermione did not answer but kept her eyes down. McGonagall asked, "What is your name girl?"
Hermione looked up and McGonagall gasped. "Ms. Granger?" Hermione nodded.
"Merlin child what happened to you?" whispered Professor McGonagall. Hermione shrugged. Professor McGonagall waved her wand and a chair appeared. She made Hermione sit in it. Then she said to Harry and Ron, "You boys go back to the feast and answer no questions. Ms. Granger and I have things to talk about." They started to protest but the head mistress silenced them with a cold look. Harry looked at Hermione and said, "We'll see you in the morning Hermione." Hermione didn't say anything and Harry left. Ron went after him with a sad look on his face.
McGonagall went around the desk and sat down. She looked at Hermione intently for a long time. Finally, she said, "Ms. Granger, I'll ask you once again; what happened?
Hermione looked up and told her story with dry eyes and a steady voice though her insides were burning.
~*~
Draco Malfoy went to the Slytherin common room and choked out the password he had heard from a passing first year. He pulled out his wand from his trunk and fixed his nose, then went to wash his face. He came back thinking about the girl. Who was she? And why did he have such a strong feeling to try and find that out? These were the two main questions he had. He remembered how she had broken his nose without any sympathy nor hesitation and his fascination of her grew.
He fell on his bed, not bothering to change and shut the curtains around him. He fell asleep with his wand under his pillow and the girl in his thoughts.
Thirty-four minutes after walking into the head mistress's office, Hermione walked out of it, tired, hungry and sad. She walked back to the Gryffindor common room alone. Dozens of spells flitted around in her head, most of them defence spells, in case anyone else tried anything. She took several short cuts and was back in front of the Fat Lady in no time. She realized she didn't know the password, but that didn't worry her.
Hermione tensed up then relaxed all at once, and her body disintegrated into thousands of tiny DNA strands, but she still retained a human like form. This was what she called dematerializing, and she had discovered it three days after the accident, along with a few other things. To someone standing close to her, she looked like a sand cloud but to someone standing farther away, she was invisible. Letting herself free, she became a cloud of dust and floated around the Fat Lady's portrait until she found a hole the size of a pinhead. She floated effortlessly through it and into the Gryffindor common room.
People had already started coming back from the feast and there were at least twenty people crowding around the fire. Drifting over their heads, Hermione made her way up to the girls' dormitories and found her bed. She drifted in through the curtains and formed her DNA into a human shape again. This time, she relaxed first, then tensed up and the dust cloud condensed giving Hermione back her colour and form. She changed, and went to bed, moonlight falling in through the window and covering her in a warm milky light
hey guys :) so this is my first chapter of my first story here on this site, hope you guys like it, specially all thost harry potter fans out there, even though its a bit different than most hp fanfics :) please please please review, im open to any suggestions, critisism and comments, let me know what you think :)
~Seph
