Hi everyone, sorry for the late update this week. I've been stuck in bed with the flu and only just started feeling better. Hopefully this won't happen again and it'll be back to Wednesday updates from here on. Sit back, and enjoy!
I spent most of breakfast preparing myself for what I planned on doing. When I stood up to leave for Transfiguration early, Granger demanded to know what I was doing. Once I told her, her eyes went wide and her mouth hung open in shock. I snapped at her to stop impersonating a fish and she jumped to attention before insisting that she come with me. I reluctantly agreed, convinced that she just wanted to watch me swallow my pride.
Professor McGonagall was already in the Transfiguration room, writing notes on the blackboard for our lesson. I knocked confidently on the door and entered with my head high. Professor McGonagall narrowed her eyes slightly when she saw it was me.
"You're a little early, girls. Is there something I can help you with?" she said, crossing her arms and looking down at us.
Granger shrunk back from her hard stare.
"I wanted to apologise for skipping your lesson yesterday, Professor," I said. I gripped the papers I was holding tighter and held them out to the Transfiguration Professor. "Granger helped me catch up on the work I missed last night."
More than a little shocked, Professor McGonagall took the parchment and flicked through my notes. Granger had spent the better part of an hour explaining her notes from the lesson. We had then worked together to cross reference what was taught with information from our textbooks. The results were the three pieces of 6-inch parchments which Professor McGonagall was holding.
"I appreciate your apology and commend you for your extra work, Miss Black." Professor McGonagall handed the parchment back. "However, I ask that you don't make a habit of skipping any more of my lessons, or the lessons of your other Professors. I assure you that should you fall behind due to your own truancy you will find very few Professors willing to aid you."
"Yes, Professor, I understand," I replied.
Granger and I turned to take our seats.
"One more thing, Miss Black."
"Yes, Professor?" I faced her once more.
"Might I suggest that you take the time to visit the hospital wing during your free period today. I doubt I am the only one who deserves an apology for your actions yesterday."
I bit my lip. I had already apologised once today. I really didn't want to do it again, especially when I didn't regret my actions. "Yes, Professor."
I left Defence Against the Dark Arts more annoyed that I had yesterday. Professor Quirrell was quickly showing just how useless he really was and for some reason Granger was still defending him. Our argument over Quirrell's worth as a Defence Against the Dark Arts Professor continued to the library where we had once again decided to study. We didn't stop arguing until Madam Pince threatened to kick us out for being too loud. Granger hastily apologised while I wandered off to roam the shelves in search for a book to help us with our Herbology homework.
I returned to our table with three books for us to share and a book called Lord of the Rings for me to read in my spare time.
"That book is really good," said Granger, nodding at the Lord of the Rings.
"You've read it?"
Granger nodded enthusiastically. "My year 4 teacher read the Hobbit to us; that's the prequel to that one. I read the trilogy over the summer before year 5. They were amazing!"
"Huh." I turned the book over in my hands and reread the blurb. I wasn't sure whether it sounded 'amazing' but Granger loved books so I was willing to trust her judgement on the matter.
Even if she was a Muggle-Born.
Granger spoke a little more about various books in excited whispers, often using her hands to exaggerate her thoughts. At one point, however, she must have been too loud as Madam Pince gave us both a warning for our 'inappropriate behaviour'. After that we worked together on the Herbology questions Professor Sprout had set for about half an hour before Granger changed the topic.
"When did you want to go see Madam Pomfrey?"
"I don't know what you mean," I replied through gritted teeth. It was none of Granger's business.
"But Professor McGonagall said –"
I threw down my quill and glared at the bossy Muggle-Born. "I have no intentions of apologising to someone when I did nothing wrong."
Granger folded her arms. "What exactly happened?" she demanded.
I told her.
"Professor McGonagall was right, Sage," Granger said, without considering any of the facts. "You should apologise to Madam Pomfrey for how you acted. She was probably worried that you had hurt Malfoy and it was rude for you to storm off."
"I was the rude one?" I said.
Madam Pince glared in our direction. I was being too loud but didn't care. I tried to force myself to count to five but gave up at two.
"I shouldn't have to apologise for my actions as unlike her I actually helped Draco by cleaning him up."
"You could have hurt him though!" insisted Granger.
"No, I couldn't have," I said, shoving my books and parchments into my bag. "Because unlike you, I actually know what I'm doing and aren't some stupid Muggle-Born who thinks that I know everything when I don't."
My bag knocked a book off the table as I stormed away from our table and out of the library. How dare she? How dare she assume that she knew better than me when until a month ago she had no idea about magic? She had no clue what she was talking about. She was just a stupid, bossy, know-it-all Mudblood who thought that she knew better than me. Well she didn't. There was no way on Earth that a Mudblood knew better than me.
Once in the dorm I threw down my bag and ripped my hair ribbon out, letting dark curls cascade down my back and over my shoulder. What in Merlin's name had made Granger think that she had the right to boss me about? We hadn't even known each other three days and she was already acting like we had known each other for life. She called me by my first name, assumed that she could give me advice and expected me to listen to her. The girl was still practically a stranger to me. A clingy little girl who had, for some reason, decided to glue herself to my side. At that moment in time, I despised Hermione Granger. I hated how sure she was and how she naturally took the lead of any situation and how she could answer any question thrown at her in class even if we were yet to cover it. How could a Muggle-Born possess every quality that I didn't? How could a Muggle-Born be so much better than me in every single bloody way?
Instead of braiding my hair again, I pull it into a high pony tail similar to the one I had seen Celia with over the summer. It didn't look half as good on me as it had her. My dense curls had made the hair on the top of my head appear lumpy and untidy. I had also missed a chunk of hair behind my right ear. I sighed and pull the ribbon out again, gentler this time. After messing around with my hair for a while, I settle on braiding it again. My hair was useless for anything else.
At dinner I made a point of ignoring Hermione and instead sought out Caleb. He was surprised at first but let me sit with him and his group of friends. Despite the looks sent my way by distrustful Slytherins it was the most pleasant meal I had had at Hogwarts since arriving. The chatter at the Slytherin table was familiar and much quieter than that at the Gryffindor table. A few of the older students recognised me and made some effort to ask me how I was getting on. For the most part I lied. Telling them that Gryffindor barely compared to Slytherin. In response, I received encouragement from the first years to write home in hopes my Uncle would contact Professor Dumbledore concerning a re-sorting. The second years laughed at their suggestion, telling me I would have to settle for the house of the stupid. Re-sortings didn't happen at Hogwarts.
Later that night, I was the last to arrive in the dorm. Brown and Patil were whispering to each other but abruptly stopped as I opened the door. They were talking about me, probably because I broke the unwritten rule that no Gryffindor shall approach a Slytherin without intent to harm.
Granger was reading a book on Potions and didn't even look up when I got into bed.
That was fine by me. I didn't particularly want to talk to her anyway.
