Thank you for your supportive reviews. I really appreciate all of the input.

To all of you who don't like the story, i still appreciate your reviews and i'll try to make you happy, too.

Apparently this isn't obvious to everyone, but don't like, don't read.

Chapter 4

This room was laced with a giant magic web, I could feel it pulse. And it was kind of obvious. I mean, we were on a bloody train, a bathroom couldn't be this big. It was huge and the tub looked like a large hot tub or a small swimming pool. It also filled up surprisingly fast and when I got in, it was warm and smelled of vanilla, my favorite. It seemed an hour passed far sooner than I thought and soon I heard a hesitant knock on the door. "Miss Rene? Valentine? My name is Hermione Granger. The headmistress was supposed to send me in an hour but my friend harry came and said he met you in the hallway and you seemed….nervous, so I thought maybe we could talk while you finish getting ready."

I had no idea what to say, so I jumped out of the tub, grabbed a big white towel and opened the door.

A girl with curly brown hair and a warm smile walked right in and stuck her hand out to me. Again with the weird hand thing? I shook it like I had with Harry's and just stood there awkwardly. Hermione was talking to me but I was a little distracted by the fact that I was standing in front of a stranger nearly naked. Finally, my awkwardness beat out my good manners and I interrupted her. "May I please get dressed?"

Her mouth formed a little o of surprise and she blushed scarlet before stuttering and running off to the sitting parlor off to the side of the room. I turned around and dressed quickly before joining her there.

"I'm Valentine Anastasie Rene. You are Hermione Granger, Head girl?"

"Yes, of course, that's me! I'm in my eighth year and Harry and I are head boy and head girl. He's the one you met a half hour ago. We're here to help you out with any questions you might have. Did you know your name means 'to choose'?" When she got to her name, she paused as if waiting for me to jump her or something. She seemed like a bit of a know-it-all, but I rather liked her. She was loud, pushy, and confident. Everything I was not.

"I did actually. Thank you for your kind words. I'm a little new to all of this and I haven't been taught formally in three or so years. The war caused a bit of an extended vacation for me. As far as questions go, I read a few books before I came here and Hogwarts, A History actually answered most of the questions I've had so far." I'd never seen so many emotions fly across someone's face so fast before! Happiness at my thanks, excitement at my inexperience, sorrow at my mention of the war, and pure bliss when I mentioned the book.

"Oh my God! I've waited for someone like you for years! That's my favorite book ever in the history of ever! Finally! Someone who will take school seriously! Someone who appreciates the value of a good book!" And then she did something which scared me half to death, even worse than the Malfoy boy. Hermione Granger hugged me.

I kind of just sat there for a moment before she realized I wasn't hugging her back.

Her face flushed before she murmured "OH im sorry! It must be terrifying for you to be in such a strange place with strange people. I'm certainly not helping by shouting at you, am I? I guess I just got a little carried away. Here, let me help. Do you have a hair brush? I could brush your hair while you tell me about yourself."

I looked at her, a bit suspicious. No one had ever been so welcoming to me before, but I guess that was because they thought I was a squib. And there was no sign of dishonesty on her open face, so I went to the trunk and found a hairbrush before bringing it back to her and sitting down.

"So, you're a sixth year? You look sixteen to me." When I looked at her curiously she hurried to explain herself."Harry said you looked about fourteen years old with dark blonde hair and kind of grayish skin."

"Oh. No, you see, I've been in France hiding for about three years. When I came to England, I didn't know any wizards and I didn't know where to find any. Unfortunately, I only had wizard money and I couldn't exchange it at a bank because I didn't know where any might be. So I suppose I haven't really had a proper bath in a while, or really eaten either." As soon as I said I was hungry, I realized how true that was. I hadn't eaten in days and I was famished. My belly grumbled in agreement and Hermione pulled a sandwich out of a paper bag next to her.

"Here, have mine. We'll get something off the trolley, too later, okay?"

I took the sandwich and gobbled the whole thing down. Hermione chuckled at me a bit before picking up our conversation again.

"Well, Harry was right you are rather small, but I think it's just because you were so malnourished. But he was wrong about almost everything else. Your hair is so light it's almost silver and your skin is very pale, but completely clean."

My eyes widened and I jolted up. I ran to the big mirror in the bathroom and stared at my reflection. Before me stood a rather scrawny looking girl with wide eyes. Wide emerald green eyes with little silver specks. My hair had grown even longer since I had left and almost reached my waist in soft metallic waves. I still looked nothing like the girl from my dreams though. Where she had looked lifeless and cold, I looked flushed and warm. A pink blush lit up my cheeks and I almost sighed in relief. I wasn't that woman. I was just much ….lighter.

It took me a moment, but I soon noticed Hermione standing beside me looking nervous.

I turned to her and explained "I've been dying my hair brown so I could disguise myself. I guess I just hadn't realized it had changed back already. I'm also a bit ashamed of how awful I must have looked to Harry and that Malfoy boy."

Understanding dawned on her face and I was rather proud of my quick little lie, although it wasn't entirely false. The potion was obviously hiding my appearance for some reason or another.

"Ah, I see. Well you are quite beautiful with this hair color. I'm sure it fits you much better than that brown. Here let's finish cleaning you up and I'll properly introduce you to Harry. He's still rather worried about you."

"He's worried about me? He doesn't even know me!" I choked out. No one had ever worried about me before. It was a weird, although not unpleasant feeling.

"Yeah. That's kind of his thing. He's got a bit of a saving people complex, but then I guess you knew that. Did you say Malfoy, as in Draco Malfoy?" She asked.

"Umm I guess. Tall, reasonably attractive, blonde, total git with a disgusting sneer and eyes full of contempt?"

Her eyebrows raised in wonder at my little display of agitation. Then, she started laughing. I mean really laughing, with snorts and belly-holding and everything. Soon, I was laughing with her. I wasn't sure why, but her laughter was quite infectious.

"Yes, that sounds exactly like him. Good to know he's still his same old self. Here com on. Let's go find Harry, okay?" she sniggered.

"Sounds good to me." I murmured a little bit nervously.