Loved Before Her Time
Disclaimer: I do not nor will I ever own Harry Potter – it all belongs to J.K.Rowling.
Prelude:
Hermione was not as alert as the current situation called for her to be: as the Head Girl in her seventh year of Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry, it was one of her duties to take patrol of the corridors after hours. Harry and Ron had, of course, been overjoyed at this news – one less person to worry about on their nightly excersions – and someone to keep them out of trouble. Hermione, however, while thrilled with the perks the responsibilty offered, was absolutly run off her feet; and it was only the second week back at school.
Flashback
Her parents had been overjoyed: really proud of their daughter. Her mother had never been one for showing her emotions but when Hermione had bounded down the wooden stairs of their semi-detatched house one hot august day, her face beaming, even Jane Granger could not deny the twang of joy she felt at the look on her daughter's face. For Hermione, she thought it was more than she had ever dreamed of: something that normally couldn't be bought.
Of course, Hermione's naivety had been singled out on the train ride back to Hogwarts. She had been patiently waiting in the head's compartment of the Hogwarts Express when a flash of platinum blonde appeared outside the door, quickly followed by the Slytherin himself entering the compartment. Hermione stood sharply. She was about to snarl at him to get out of the compartment when she noticed his trademark smirk...and the current reason it was on his face. His new Head Boy badge stood out sharply on his chest: gleaming. It was in that moment that Hermione realised her dream was not as she had originally thought. You didn't need to work for it...everything had its price. Her whole life seemed to have been builing up to this point and now – it just didn't seem so important anymore.
Not wanting Malfoy to see the devastating effect his new status had on her, Hermione quickly sat herself in the furthest corner of the compartment and stared, resolved, out of the window. All traces of her previous snarl were gone.
Of course, the Head students were still arch-enemies, no one expected any different. The insults were still as ripe as they ever had been and the words "mudblood" and "ferret" were often heard. The only different was that the brunette didn't seem to care anymore.
The major shock that had caught everyone off guard had been the introduction of the not-so-new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher. Apparently Dumbledore had managed to convince the school governers that the reinstation of an old teacher was the only way to enhance the students defence lessons. The threat of Voldemort had been destroyed at the end of the trio's sixth year after Harry had met Voldemort in a dramatic end; what will be forever known as 'The Final Battle – a battle to end all others'. Although the dark side had lost their leader, the threat of violent Death Eater attacks was still present so the students needed to be well armed. Dumbledore's arguments seemed to have been effective, given the fact that none other than Remus Lupin sat up at the teachers table. The best defence professor that Hogwarts had ever seen (well, in the past few decades) was back.
End Flashback
Hermione sighed and returned to her more recent thoughts. Something, or more specifically someone, seemed to have been strangly focused upon in her thoughts of late. Of course, this was none other than Professor Lupin himself. Ever since he had given his first lesson of the new school year, the Head Girl had known that her crush was back. It was just a crush. She was certain. Every student in the school enjoyed his exciting lessons (although the Slytherins would never admit to it) but Hermione really respected and admired his intelligence and, dare she even think it, the man behind the professor's mask.
It's only a crush. She thought to herself. What harm could come from it?
Her thoughts elsewhere, Hermione was not concentrating on where she was heading. It wasn't until she heard the cold drawl "Mudblood", that she was pulled rather sharply from her musings. With a jolt she realised she was standing in a cold, dimly-lit corridor: unfortunatly, it wasn't quite deserted. Malfoy stood facing her, his normal smirk plastered on his face – wand drawn and pointing harshly at her shocked features. A tingle of fear shot straight down Hermione's spine. Before she could even reach for her own wand she heard the blonde mutter. A flash of light – a stab of pain...nothing but darkness.
That's the end of this chapter. The more people press that pretty blue button and review, the quicker chapter 2 will be posted! So go on...you know you want to...
Spellwrite