So this is my first time writing for Harry Potter, and I don't know why I waited so long since I am absolutely THE biggest fan ever. (I know, it's impossible)
Anyway, this idea came from a long time wishing that the books and the movies went into more detail about the social aspect of the Hogwarts students. I know they had their lives on the line considering, so this is me trying to fulfill that dream.
Gryffindor Girl's Dormitory – September 1996 – HBP world
After she had corralled all the new first years – directing them to their designated dorms, all the while giving an in-depth explanation of the school's history and rules – Hermione threw herself on her bed, her feet dangling over the edge. She breathed in the smell of her four-poster as if she had been separated from it for years. Hermione was happy to be able to close her eyes for a few minutes before she ultimately had to go down to the common room and meet with the Ron and Harry. Hermione moaned a little as she stretched her limbs out, disregarding the shuffling noises that surrounded her. She soon drifted off into a sleep, having been thoroughly exhausted from the day's festivities.
"Hermione wake up!" A shrill voice shook Hermione out of her slumber and hair that wasn't hers tickled her nose. Her eyes shot open and saw Lavender Brown's face inches from hers, bent over the four-posters foot board. Hermione motioned her head to indicate to Lavender that if she kept her head over hers, there would be trouble. She sat up quickly and swung her legs onto the bed. Lavender Brown stood in front of Hermione, something clearly causing her to fidget nervously. Subtlety rolling her eyes, Hermione strained a small smile.
"What's going on Lavender?" Hermione watched Parvati Patel's "partner in crime" fidget with her fingers, trying to decipher what she was going to say. Lavender's mouth opened and closed plenty of times and Hermione held herself back from letting out an exasperated sigh. She and Lavender weren't really friends. They had never said anything more than "hello" or "what did Professor so and so assign for homework?" to each other – which irritated Hermione because she should have paid attention in the first place.
"I'm sorry to wake you up from your sleep, you must be exhausted what with being prefect and all," Lavender said, trying her best to be sympathetic, but failing really. Hermione let out a huff, giving Lavender a small smile.
"I just wanted to talk to you, friend to friend," Lavender said, and Hermione had to stifle a scoff. Since their first year Lavender had always met Hermione's eyes with a roll or would just plainly ignore her. Parvati and Lavender had hit it off quite easily when they all first met, and Hermione had been a part of their little group up until Halloween when Quirrell let the troll out of the dungeon.
Hermione never really thought much about not having many female friends. She realized early on that her personality was very intimidating towards other girls. In the first grade, she found herself more interested in the solar system rather than Barbie dolls. Being friends with girls had not been an integral part of her childhood, she had gotten used to be the odd one out. Hermione never cared whether she was in a boy's scope of vision until the moment she became friends with Harry Potter and Ron Weasley. She never thought she would end up being friends with a boy that has 6 siblings and one that could very well be He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named's greatest enemy.
It felt nice to be able to finally have someone she could confide in when something was troubling her. Whether it was about her classes – which was rare since it was usually her the boys came to about classes – or S.P.E.W or how Peeves had pranked her while she was walking to her next Arithmancy class, Hermione knew she could turn to either Ron or Harry to complain and release her emotions. However, as much as she appreciated the pair of them, Hermione sometimes wondered whether she should have friends that she could talk about more intimate things with. Hermione had hoped that she would be friends with the other girls in her year, but that was clearly not how things worked out.
Bringing herself back to reality, Hermione sat up a little straighter, getting tired of hearing Lavender go on-and-on about how she was so nervous to talk about something.
"What did you want to talk about, then?" Hermione tried not to sound pestered.
"You and Ron have been friends since our first year, right?" Lavender asked, and Hermione blinked in shock and coughed uncomfortably. Why was Lavender asking her about Ron?
"Yes," Hermione said wearily, her eyebrows furrowing. "Why are you asking?" The last thing she had expected was for a girl to be asking about Ron and her friendship with him. Usually, girls were walking up to her and asking about Harry and how she had managed to become such close friends with him or if they were an item, silly things like that. She had gotten used to it after their 3rd year and expected it each year that she returned to Hogwarts. However, when Lavender mentioned Ron's name, her voice dripping with admiration, it made Hermione's insides plummet to the very pits of her body.
"Well, you see... I was talking to Parvati and she told me to…" As Lavender kept talking, Hermione could feel annoyance bubbling in her veins.
Hermione was not familiar with the feeling that was coursing through her. It felt as if she was suffocating, the walls in the dormitory becoming closer with every word that came out of Lavender's mouth. Admiration and infatuation were evident in her features and Hermione was trying her best not to be sick. She could see Lavender's mouth still moving as she rattled on about how she's "fancied Ron since she could ever remember" and how Ron was "so bloody funny and handsome". Hermione had not been paying full attention to the conversation and would only be reeled back in when Lavender had mentioned Ron's name again.
Her mind started drifting to thoughts of her and Ron, particularly the times when she floo'd to the Burrow during the summers. For a couple days, it was just the two of them before Harry would get there. Just a month ago, they had stayed up late enough talking over everything going on around them, that the sunrise caught up to them. They spent most of that day asleep in his room (her on a different mattress of course) until Ginny burst into the room with one of Fred and George's Bombastic Bomb prototypes. She listened to Ron call Ginny all kinds of words that she didn't want to repeat, and lacking in sleep, Hermione felt the same way.
It had always been the three of them: Harry, Ron and Hermione. The three of them were the ones that planned things through for each other – but mostly for Harry. However, instances like Summer holiday, it was Hermione and Ron at the Burrow while Harry was with his awful aunt and uncle. Of course, she wanted Harry to be safe and away from the horrible people he was forced to call family, but a big part of her enjoyed being able to get to know Ron and grow closer to him when it was just the pair of them. Lately, the two of them had been on their own frequently, what with Harry being preoccupied with other things.
However, Hermione was still confused as to why she was feeling very irritated with Lavender. She and Ron were friends, nothing more than that, so why didn't she want to share anything about him? Why did she want to keep everything only she knew about him a secret? Hermione tried to rid herself of these thoughts as she saw Lavender finishing up and looking at with wide eyes.
"Do you think you or Harry can set me up with Ron?" Lavender's eyes were wide and bright, and Hermione felt her heart getting caught in her throat. In these moments, she wished she had someone to turn to that wasn't Harry or Ron.
