By the impressive age of five Hermione taught herself to read,the other children in the orphanage didnt mind Hermione much, some used the staff dislike of her to their advantage but other than that they all seemed to tolerate her considerably had developed a thirst for knowledge and everyday she could be found in the library, scouring through books that she might be able to frustrated the Matron so much that she put a ban on library visits to everyone under 10,of course that rule didn't apply to Draco, the rules never applied to him.
the children at the DUMP hated Draco, in fact hate is not a strong enough word to describe their feelings for the five year old boy, while most of their parents were dead or missing he knew where his parents were, and he knew that one day he would be reunited with many people could say the was a chip among Staff at DUMP felt the complete opposite for Draco, all addressing him as Master Draco, they walked on egg shells around him afraid to upset him incase his parents ever got word.
On a sung afternoon as the children played outside, Draco malfoy wondered from group to group trying to find a game he thought he'd like to play, when none of them did anything for him, he decided to just sit on the curb and soak in the sun, mage have a nice long he was immediately in the dark, as the shadow of a young girl covered him.
"Hello" she squeaked, in her arms she carried a book wider than her shoulders.
"Whats that?" Draco asked pointing at the large red book she was holding.
"Its a book of easy spells" she told him, quite satisfied with her own answer
"Why do you want that?" Draco didn't know why someone would want to read a book about spells.
"I want it because" a young Hermione fixed her bushy brown hair and smiled brightly "I'm going to be one of the best witches to ever attend Hogwarts!" she announced and Draco laughed, he laughed so hard he had to hold onto his side so he wouldn't split open.
"What in the name of merlin is a hogwarts?" Hermione dropped the book from her arms and let her jaw drop to what seemed to be the floor.
"You-you don't know what hogwarts is?" She couldn't believe he didn't know what hogwarts was, didn't ever wizard or witch dream of going? Didn't everyone dream at night of the wonderful place?Hermione pulled Draco up by the hand
"Follow me" she said, and lead him back throughout the large twin oak door and to the library.A Magical introduction to easy Spells lay open on the ground. This was the only time in Hermione's life she forgot about a book.
Draco and Hermione poured over pictures of the magnificent castle, both of them infatuated my its mysterious stood just a few centimetres shorter than Hermione both of them squished into one red arm library was nearly always vacant except for Hermione who had made the room into a home for had never been in there before and couldn't think of a more boring hobby than on the other hand found reading to be a way to cope with feelings, feelings she had no one to talk about had learnt how to read a few months ago, in the DUMP's school as most wizards are home schooled the dump children take turns attending the school in the orphanage, funnily enough it never seemed to be Hermione's turn.
In hogwarts they have different houses, so you get sorted into each house depending on what your like, so if your brave you get to go to gryffindor, if your clever you go to raven claw, if your kind you go to hufflepuff and if your evil you go to slytherin" Hermione informed him.
"But why would they even make a slytherin then?" Draco took a step closer to Hermione so the sunlight was now not directly shining on his face.
"What?" her eye didn't wonder from hr Hogwarts remembered the day she found that books, how the information filled her, greedily she inhaled word after word, picture after picture until she could remember it all/
"If hogwarts can tell if someone is evil why would they let that evil person come to the school?" hermione open her mouth to speak and closed it again.
"I don't know, seems rather silly now that i think about it"
the two children went back to the book again, both watching and only daring to dream what it would be like to go.
"I can't wait to go" hermione exclaimed after a long silence that young children never feel awkward about.
"its just school" draco replied, he didn't want this girl to see how very desperately he want to go.
"i'd give anything to go to school" Hermione closed her eyes for a split second and she felt tears that she didn't want this boy to see, she didn't want him to call her a baby.
"You go to school, so do i, here" his eyebrows were furrowed, he couldn't remember Hermione ever being in his class.
"Its never my turn" her shoes were dirty from the dusty playground and she stared down at them intensely.
"Why don't you just tell the Matron you haven't gotten a turn yet?" Draco couldnt understand how they could have missed Hermione, so far from what he'd seen this orphanage works like a clock.
"She doesn't like me and neither do the other people, i heard one of them say i was dirty" a small voice told felt a pang of guilt for the little girl in front of him, firstly that she wanted to go to school this badly and secondly that she couldn't
"Well then why don't you take a bath?" he suggested
"I have!twice a day for two weeks, but they still don't like me!" she shouted and then sighed
"I don't know what i did wrong" she added.
"maybe you could get one of your friends to ask for you" he suggested again, feeling worse the longer the conversation dragged on.
"I don't have any friends" she murmured, her lip quivering.
"don't feel bad" he rushed " i don't have any either"
"Really?" she asked, her large brown eyes widen in disbelief
"Yup" he aded with a sad smile
"Then why don't we become friends? "a huge smile took over Hermione's face, revealing a missing front tooth.
"Okay, best friends?" Draco was overjoyed at the thought of a friend, the way five year olds get excited over a new toy.
"Forever and ever?" Hermione asked, wearing a serious expression.
"No, forever and ever is too long, maybe just for forever "
"For forever," hermione children exchanged smiles and then Draco stuck his hand out because he seen the matron do it to a visitor once.
" Malfoy" Unsure of what to do, Hermione leant down and kissed his hand, he snatched it away quickly, laughing.
"No, stupid your supposed to say your name and put your hand against mine and then move it up and down or something" Hermione started laughing now at Draco uncertainty and he scowled
"Im not leaving it here all day you know!"
"Hermione Jean Granger" she managed through giggles and then shook his hand lightly.
The next morning Draco marched to Matron Plaws office.
"Master Draco," the young receptionist mused, smiling kindly at him "What can i do for you?" confidently Draco placed his arms on the counter top above his head.
"Im here to see Matron Plaws about my friend Hermione Jean Granger. The receptionist face fell and she frowned the the blonde haired boy.
"Matron Plaws is very busy this morning Master Draco so maybe you should go-"
"Mater Draco!," Matron Plaws bellowed from her open office door "Come in boy!" Draco, with as much dignity a five year old can gather, skipped into Matron Plaws until he remember what he was doing and began to march again
"What seemed to be the problem dear child?" she began. Draco looked around her office, there where pictures hung in a perfect line on the green walls, one he regnoised.
"did you like hogwarts?" he asked her, pointing at the school picture on the wall.
"Hogwarts?, Yes, its a grand school, or should i say was seeing as that bumbling moron Albus has taken charge now" The Matron talked very quickly and loudly so Draco could never fully understand every word she said, he just had to manage with the jist of what she said.
"Which house were you in?" he asked, Hermione voice ringing in his ear
"Slytherin of course, all the greats go to slytherin, you will too" he frowned at that thought, all slytherin are evil.
"i'm here to talk to you about Hermione Granger" he puffed his chest, and assured himself that he sounded very grown up.
"she hasn't been bothering you has she, because i can sort that out" the matron had risen from her chair and was heading to the door,the word Hermione was about to be roared from her lips.
"No, no. its not that Matron she's my friend" slowly, the matron sat back down in her chair and gave the small boys who's legs didn't touch the ground a bemused look.
"Your friend?" she asked, slightly stunned.
"Yes, so i would like to tell you that its not fair that she never gets to go to school"
"thats what you think?" matrons eyebrows were knitted together
"Yes and she really wants to go to school, so if you could take care of that, it would be great thanks" he smiled falsely and just before his fingers grazed the door knob the matron stood up.
"Draco?"
"yes?" the boy turned to face the middle aged woman standing over him.
"That granger girl can't be your friend"
"why not" his words came out whiny and childish but he didn't care.
"because she inst like you and the others Draco, she... this book is for you, it should explain everything and Draco, Be careful" he left the room with a disinterested first thought that came to Draco as he left that room was to find Hermione and show her his new book.
