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Author Note: I want to thank everyone that had reviewed and had added this to their favourite story and story alerts. This begins between the first and second chapter in the manga.
Hermione couldn't help but hate the house that she lives in. The house were one of the last purchases that her parents had made before their deaths. It was a reminder to her of what would have been if they haven't been murder. She hated the house with all her heart but, she had no where else to live. Still, she could see the reason why her parents had chosen this house.
It was like all the other houses that they have and yet it was also different. It was big like the others but, it had more natural feel like this is a house that she can call home. The house was painted creamy white and a beautiful shade of red. There were no gargoyles like her house in England and she was very thankful for that; she had always found the gargoyles too creepy to her liking.
Now, she was getting ready for her first day in Namimori Middle School. The uniforms weren't that bad but must the skirts be this short? She hates wearing short skirts and the skirt reach until her knee. Still, if she doesn't wear the skirt, she gets into trouble and she didn't want to face the head of disciplinary committee. The boy was a bastard if you ask her. What type of prefect beats people up for breaking school rules? A bad one that is for sure. She doesn't like him, one bit.
She stared at the clock, sighing when she saw that it was 6:50. If she doesn't leave the house now, there will be no telling when she will arrive to school. Being late for school is not something, she likes to do and was something that her parents had frowned upon when they were alive. Their eyes would always turned cold whenever they learnt that she was late for school. They disapprove it that was a fact and she would always try her best not to be late, just so she never sees that expression in their eyes. Now, she wish to see that expression on their face, at least she would see that they were alive and well, not beneath the earth's soil.
Hermione gave one last sad look to the house. She will be back in this house later and will be haunted by her parents, later at night. At night, her parents would ask her why didn't she came home earlier, why didn't she just use her wand to kill them and ask her why would she allow them to die like that. These were one of those nightmares that haunt her.
How she wish that she could avoid this house but, she couldn't. The house was a part of her now, the last thing that her parents had given her before their untimely deaths. She knew that they would be disappointed in her if she didn't stay in her house. They would say that she should be more brave if they were alive but, they were hypocrites if you ask her. Her parents ran away from the Mafia, how was that brave? Hermione wonders as she walked through the quiet streets. Running away didn't do her parents any good if anything, it got them murdered.
She arrived to school five minutes to spare. She would have arrived to school earlier if she hadn't gotten lost on her way, here. Who knew that there were many turns and roads to get here? Still, she was thankful that she had arrived five minutes before class starts.
The kids around her didn't seem to notice her instead, they seem more interested in talking to their friends and she was quite grateful too for that. She didn't know how she could stand it if they stare at her. Ever since she was a child, she had hated being the centre of attention, a trait that she had inherited from her grandmother.
The sound of the bell snapped Hermione from her thoughts. She scowled. If she was late, she would get caught by Hibari and he would bite her to death. She certainly didn't like the idea of getting into a fight with the boy but, she had no idea where the teacher's office was.
Her eyes suddenly caught sight of a familiar boy. Her lips curled into a smile as she realise that she could always ask Tsuna for help, he was a nice boy and was certainly someone she can see as a friend.
Hermione tapped the boy on his shoulder, giving him an apologetic smile. The boy eyes widen when he saw her and he quick a double take back as if he was surprise that she would talk to him, making her wonder if he had any friends in this place. He must have friends, Hermione reasoned, he is a nice person and seems like, one of those type of people that anyone can be friends with.
"G-Granger-san, wh-what are you d-doing he-here?" Tsuna stammered.
The brown haired girl raised her eyebrows at Tsuna's question before shaking her head at the boy. "Didn't I tell you that I was transferring here?" he blushed when he realise that she did.
Hermione chuckled and quickly asked. "I need your help with something, you won't mind helping me?"
Tsuna hesitates before nodding at her. "S-so, what do you need help with?"
The brown haired girl smiled sheepishly. "Mind telling me, where my homeroom is..." she quickly got her timetable out of her bag to see which homeroom she is in. "It is 1-A."
Tsuna's eyes widen in surprise as he realise that Hermione was in his class. Great, he might loose another potential friend when she learns how much of a looser that he is. "Sure, I am in the same class as you." he gave her a tight smile, causing the girl to frown at him.
"So, Granger-san, why did your family move here?" Tsuna asked as they walked towards their homeroom. Many of the students were staring at them, either it was at the fact that someone was talking to him or because they had never seen a foreigner before.
Hermione smiled. "Well my parents wanted to get away from things." Mafia, she added silently but she didn't want to say that so she continued. "Plus, they had a job offer that they couldn't refuse." she lied.
Tsuna nodded and asked. "So, how do you find your stay so far?"
The brown haired girl gave him a weary smile and answered. "I already got into trouble with the head prefect that should tell you something."
"W-when did y-you met Hi-Hibari-senpai?" Tsuna stammered.
The brown eyed girl frowned at the fear that Tsuna was showing towards Hibari. Was everyone afraid of him? Even the receptionist was afraid of him and she was an adult. Why was everyone afraid of him? He wasn't that scary, he is violent and aggressive but not scary. Through with his methods of handling justice then she didn't blame them for being afraid of the older boy.
"Yes," Hermione admitted. "He thought that I was trespassing in school grounds and did you know that he fights with anyone that breaks the rules?" she asked.
Tsuna gave the brown haired girl a nervous laugh, he hadn't met Hibari personally but he had heard of rumours and she had just confirmed one of them. "How did you survive against him?" he asked the girl.
"Oh?" She shrugged her shoulders and said. "I figure out his fighting pattern that's all."
Tsuna couldn't help but gawked at the brown haired girl. Nobody and he means nobody had been able to get out of a fight with Hibari unscratched and she was shrugging this thing off as if it was no big deal. Who was this girl?Were all foreigners like her? Or was she different? Now, that Tsuna thinks about it, there was something about the girl that was different but he didn't know what was it?
"We are here, Granger-san." Tsuna said, pointing to their homeroom.
Hermione smiled at the boy. "Thank you, Tsuna and please call me Hermione. Calling me by my last name makes me think that I am in trouble." She gave him a smile and said. "It makes me feel old."
The doe eyed boy couldn't help but wonder if the girl would still his friend if she knew how much of a loser he is? He hopes not. It was the first time in his life that someone was willing to be his friend and it doesn't help that the brown eyed girl seem to be so nice to him. He hopes that the girl would still be willing to be his friend after knowing that he is a loser.
"You alright, Tsuna?" Hermione asked.
Tsuna snapped out of his daze and nodded. It touch him that the girl was concern for him and he wonder if that was something a friend would do? He wouldn't know since he didn't have any friends and Reborn wasn't helping him in that department.
Hermione glance at the boy before looking at the door in front of them. For the first time in her life, she felt nervous to open a door. She had been to so many schools before so what made this any different? If anything, she should be used to it by now. She should be used to be being the new girl and never staying in one country for so long. Yet, the difference was now that she was staying in this country for a long time without her parents. If she was to be honest, her parents were the only reason why she was able to stand living in a new country because, they were a family and family sticks together.
The brown haired girl took a deep breath and slid the door open. The classroom was noisy to her delight. With the classroom noisy, nobody would notice her,which means that no one will ask her awkward questions and she hated answering awkward questions.
"Thanks, Tsuna." Hermione whispered to the doe eyed boy, who was giving her looks of concern.
Tsuna looked at her in shock and asked. "Why a-are you t-thanking me, Hermione?"
The young witch gave him a small smile and thought to herself that the young boy was someone that she can be friends with. He was kind and nice to her and in a sense he reminded her of Harry and Neville but, she didn't want to tell him that since it pains her to think of her friends. So, she gave him the second best answer that she can think of:
"For being nice to me." Hermione admitted. "Not many people will be nice to the new girl."
The brown eyed boy couldn't help but blush at the girl's words. He doesn't get a lot of compliments from people, through that was slowly changing thanks to him beating Mochida. Still, this was the very first compliment that he had gotten from someone and that was a big deal to him. Now, he really hopes that the girl doesn't stop being his friend when she learns how much of a looser he is.
"I am sure that a-anyone w-would h-have h-helped y-you." Tsuna stammered.
Hermione chuckled at Tsuna's words. "Maybe." she admitted. "However, you show me the way to school and ask about my well-being even through I am a stranger and not many people do that." Hermione pointed out to the boy.
"Sawada-san, why aren't you in your seat!" A voice behind them, barked.
Tsuna turned around to see the person behind him. He squeaked when he saw that it was their homeroom teacher, Kimura, who looked furious at the fact that he was out of his seat. Everyone's attention was now at them. Some of the students were whispering and pointing at Hermione while the others were simply looking amuse at him being shouted. He opened his mouth to apologise to the teacher but, Hermione had started talking to their teacher.
"I am sorry, sensei for this but, Tsuna here was late because of me..." Hermione admitted, giving an apologetic look to their sensei.
"What does Sawada-san being late have to do with you?" Kimura asked.
The brown eyed girl rubbed the back of her head, sheepishly and answered. "I am new here and I couldn't find my way to class but, luckily I saw a fellow student who was on his way to school..." she pointed to Tsuna, before continuing. "So I asked him if he could show me where the class is, I didn't mean to make him late."
Tsuna tried his best not to gawk at the girl. This girl barely knew him yet, she was clearly lying through her teeth to save him from getting into trouble. He couldn't help but feel grateful at the girl and also wonder why she lied to their teacher for him.
"Is that true, Sawada-san?" Kimura asked, looking at his gawking student.
Tsuna hesitantly nodded at the teacher. He glance at the girl, who had a confident look in her eyes and suddenly he was reminded of Reborn at that moment and he wonders if she was related to his tutor in anyway. He dismiss that thought, it was only coincidence that her eyes gleam in the same way as his tutor after all, Reborn was only a baby.
"Very well, Sawada-san, you are not in trouble because you have helped the new student." Kimura said to his student, whose eyes widen in surprise. The brown eyed boy thanked him and quickly went to his seat.
"Now..." he looked down on the attendance before continuing. "Granger-san, would you mind introducing yourself to the whole class."
It isn't like I have a choice. Hermione thought, giving her homeroom teacher one of the best fake smiles that she can make. She know from experience that if she doesn't introduce herself then the man would do it for her and she doesn't like the idea of someone else introducing her in front of the whole class.
"My name is Hermione Granger, I am from England, I am fourteen years old and know almost absolutely no one in this school except for Tsuna..." she gave the boy a small smile before continuing. "I have so many likes that I can't name them all but, the only like you should know is that I like reading and I also dislike people who are prejudiced and that is all you need to know about me."
The browned eyed girl couldn't help but notice that by the end of her little introduction that either the boys were staring at her or glaring at Tsuna. What did the boy do wrong? And why are they staring at me with love sick expressions? Hermione ask herself, giving her homeroom teacher a confuse look. Tsuna doesn't seem like the kind of a person that will harm a person so why would they glare at him? And why some of the boys were giving her looks that she had seen on Ginny Weasley when she stares at Harry.
"Granger-san, your seat will be next to Tsuna." Kimura said, snapping her from her thoughts.
Hermione nodded and gave the teacher a small smile before taking a seat beside Tsuna, who was trying his best to ignore from the other boy's glares. She gave Tsuna an apologetic smile, thinking that the only reason why the boys were glaring at him was because of her but, she wasn't sure. For all she knows, they might have been doing that for much longer and if so, she really was going to try her hardest not to beat them up.
"You are alright?" Hermione whispered, looking at their teacher, who was starting to teach them math.
Tsuna nodded. "I am used to it." he admits, keeping his eye on the whiteboard.
The brown eyed girl frowned at his admission. What type of school life does the boy have? Not a good one that was for sure but, why? He was a nice person in fact, he was one of the nicest people that she had met. In that moment, Hermione made the decision to become Tsuna's friend even if it was the last thing she does.
"Hermione Granger..." Reborn muttered under his breath, looking at the brown haired girl talking to his student. This was his niece? This was the girl that his younger sister talk with so much pride. She looks like a carbon copy of their great-great-grandmother except for her hair colour, no the hair colour was definitely her father's.
Reborn frowns as he thought of his brother-in-law and sister. He hadn't received a phone call from them in the past few days and that was unusual for them. They always made sure to keep him up to date with their lives and the life of their daughter. Yet, they hadn't told him that they were coming or that Hermione will be in the same class as his student if he had known then he would have asked for more information about his niece.
Does his niece know what type of her life her parents are running from? Knowing his baby sister, she wouldn't tell the girl even if her life was in danger. The only way he can see his sister telling her daughter the truth is through a letter but, who knows his sister might surprise him. Still, he was deeply curious to learn why the girl was here.
He narrowed his eyes when he saw the way that his niece was eyeing the boys, who were glaring at his student, in weariness and anger. Already protective of Tsuna, maybe he had found Tsuna's first subordinate. Through the girl can't join the Mafia without the permission of her mother or until she is old enough and knowing his sister, she would make sure that her daughter doesn't join the Mafia. Reborn smirks, he would have to find a way to make his sister's agree into allowing the girl join the Mafia.
The girl was an excellent candidate to be Tsuna's subordinate if, yesterday's fight with the head prefect had shown. She is strong as shown by her ability to dodge and attack the head prefect, smart since his sister had boasted to him about her intelligence, loyal as shown by just now when she had lied through her teeth to make sure that his useless student doesn't get into trouble. Yes, his niece was an excellent candidate to be his useless student's subordinate.
Yet, there is something amiss about the girl. Her coming to school in the middle of the school year, didn't make sense to him. He knew his sister and brother-in-law well enough to know that his stupid brother-in-law would make sure she goes to boarding school for the rest of the school year before coming here. He needed answers and he was going to get it from them.
But, first, he was going to keep an eye on Hermione for the next few days to learn more about the girl's behaviour. She is after all his niece and he will meet her soon, very soon especially if she was going to be friends with his student. Reborn smirks, he was going to have fun getting to know his only niece.
Author Note:Please review.