Hi.

Sorry I took this much to update. My daughter is always sick these days. It's 5 am and I'm writing this while listening to her harsh coughs. Obviously, this was not beta, so be ware. I don't want to hear anyone complaining about the spelling or what not.

I plan to update another chapter soon.

I hope my daughter health won't worsen anymore. I'm exhausted; I can't sleep with her loud and hard breathing. It makes me ache inside. Her sleep is shallow and she cries and murmur in her sleep.

I don't know how all mothers around the world survived this. And I'm expecting another baby in five months!

God help me!

Her first days at Hogwarts were daunting, frantic and surprisingly a bit lonely. Her friends, god bless their souls did all they can to ease her in, but there isn't too much you can do when your friend happen to be a muggle born in a school with a majority of pureblood. Harry and Ron as famous and popular they are couldn't erase this fact.

They were truly wonderful to her. From the first moment she met them at the train tell now, they helped her.

It was a strange thing. The way they drew to each other, like it was meant to be. She was two years younger than them, a stranger. Boys at their age usually don't associate with younger people. Yet, that didn't stop them from welcoming her with opened arms.

She still remembers her entry ceremony. After she parted way with Harry and Ron to accompany the first year students, she felt alienated between them. They were all purebloods, and familiar with each others.

She in the other hand wasn't one of them. It was like they had felt it, her difference from them. Or maybe they had sensed her fears and acted according to it.

They had totally ignored her in their way to the castle.

What had annoyed her most was that she had forgotten to ask Harry and Ron what house they went to. The book on Hogwarts that Draco had gotten her talked about four houses. There was one for intelligence, one for loyalty, one for bravery and one for cunning.

She had originally thought that she would choose intelligence, but now she wasn't sure. She just wanted a house where she could fit in, and maybe have some friends.

The book didn't mention how the students were assigned to these houses, but Hermione assumed that it would be based on their characteristics.

Draco wasn't forthcoming about the way he was assigned to his house. But then, it was a given that it would be Slytherin. Hermione learned about Slytherin even before she had heard of Hogwarts.

"Are you afraid?"

Hermione looked at the little girl that was standing beside her. She had red hair, very similar to Ron's own.

She was smiling warmly at Hermione, which lessen the loneliness that was suffocating her.

"Yes, a little" Hermione answered truthfully.

They were standing outside a gigantic door, waiting for the teacher with the long strange hat to open it for them.

"Are you related to Ron Weasley?"

Hermione asked the red haired girl, hoping she was right in her assumption.

The girl smiled and nodded her head, then leaned to whisper into Hermione's ear.

"I'm his sister, Ginny. I hope I'll be in Griffindor like him and Harry. All Weasleys had been to Griffindor"

Ginny was blushing slightly, giving Hermione the impression that there was another reason why she wanted to be in Griffindor beside being with her brother.

But that had solved her problem. She was definitely going to be in Griffindor. To Hermione, it seemed like the only place where she could be welcomed in this school.

The sorting hat assorted them all, and Hermione was happy to know she was partially correct in her assumptions. The hat sort of asked the students what they wanted, or at least it did with her. Hermione's answer was Griffindor.

The Griffindors were a happy bunch. They were easy going and friendly. Harry and Ron were there to welcome her, and Ginny had become her first female friend.

Life couldn't be any better.

But it had soon turned into a mess when someone had asked her where her family originated from.

It was either tell the truth or lie about it. Lying would have been much easier for Hermione, but she found that the hat had put her in Griffindor for a reason.

All eyes were staring at her, full of surprise, unbelief even some resentment. And those were just the easy going Griffindors. She wondered vaguely what the other houses reaction would be.

She knew she had made a huge mistake when she uttered these words. What was she thinking? That they would welcome her between them after they had known that she was a filthy mudblood!

The Indian girl Parvatiwas the first one to condemn her. She threw the first stone.

"I smelled something fishy about you from the start" she said, disgust evident in her eyes.

Then she turned her back to Hermione addressing every Griffindor in the sitting room.

"Don't you see guys? She reeks of filth, just like her dirty muggle ancestors. I don't know how she managed to come to Hogwarts, but we should be able to rectify this easily."

Hermione couldn't see her face, but the older girl's voice was filled with disdain.

All this hatred was making her faint. How could someone so young hold this much hate, she couldn't understand. Beads of sweat were slithering down her back; pitiful tears were starting to gather in her eyelids ready to fall any minute now.

A loud bang brought Hermione back from her own misery. She looked up to find that the attention has been diverted from her, all focusing on the enraged face of Harry Potter who has broke a vase in the middle of the room .

He looked like a champion of justice, came to save her from the vindictive mops.

Harry voice was angry but so clear.

"Listen to me you racism bastards and listen carefully. If Hermione was a muggle born then this should be her business alone. No one here has the right to question her right to be here too. If she is her then this means she is a witch. She was accepted by the head master and the board of the school and there is no way that a bunch of bloody idiots like you should be at a position to question that."

You could cut the silent with a knife. But Harry wasn't finished yet.

"If anyone of you has anything against Hermione, come and deal with me"

"You will have to deal with me too" A furious Ron stood next to Harry daring anyone to disagree.

Apparently, no one was brave enough to take Harry or Ron on their offers.

Hermione was amazed when the Gryffindors began to separate, each one going on his or her way without even a glance toward Hermione.

The room became finally empty, no body remaining but Harry, Ron and a sad looking Ginny who had held Hermione's hand firmly through the horrible ordeal. Hermione was no longer able to hold the tears at bay.

Harry eyes held on her delicate pale face wet with broken tears.

"Are you alright?" He asked.

She didn't answer, her body shaking violently between Ginny's comforting arms.

Harry felt a natural urge to protect her. Stepping near her, he put his arm around Ginny and her.

"I promise I will never let anyone hurt you again Hermione. Please stop crying"

"If anyone of those idiots ever tries to hurt you, I will personally pummel his face with my bare hand"

Ron added quickly, trying to soothe the agitated Hermione.

Hermione weeping quieted down to sniffles. Finally she was able to face them, eyes red from crying.

"You're marvelous guys. I don't know how to thank you." She leaned toward Harry, to pick a kiss on his cheek, then turned to Ron and did the same thing.

She missed their blushing faces while she was hugging Ginny, grateful for her support.

"Don't worry Hermione. As long as you had us, you shan't have anything to fear"

Ginny said smiling.

Hermione looked at all her friends feeling at home at last.

She remembered that day fondly.

With their friendship and later the support of all the Weasley family minus Percy the uptight bastard, Hermione had been able to fit in.

Not only that, but she managed to become the student with the highest marks on her entire year. Her Transfiguration professor declared her the brightest witch to ever attend Hogwarts to the annoyance of the Head Master.

Not that the last four years were trouble-free.

Her status as a muggle born was broadcasted to the entire school in no time. It was a huge virgin of the scene that happened in the Griffindor tower.

The resentment and disgust were the mutual reaction between all the houses.

The response however was different.

It ranged from a mild insolence from the Hufflepuffls who were famous for there gentle streak, the brilliant and well chosen taunts from the Ravenclaws, the humiliating and outrages pranks to the cruel and some time violent assaults from the Slytherins.

It was operation: How to make Hermione's life a living hell. And every student attending Hogwarts seemed to participate on it.

Not to mention the condensing way some of her Professor treated her with. Especially the Head Master Severus Snape who seemed to have a particular vendetta against Hermione.

To make a long story short it was hell for Hermione. She even considered the idea of leaving Hogwarts. But she didn't go thro with it, and for that she was thankful.

The only one who stood along her side was her friends. Without them she wouldn't have reached the place she was at now.

They went thro hell with her. Ron would enter into fist fights almost daily. Harry temper wasn't short like Ron, but that didn't stop him from raising his wand against others now and then. Ginny was always going into cat fights with their female classmates. Fred and George? God help the bastard who dared cross them.

They were always surrounding her, supporting and loving.

This didn't make the hurt go away. The loneliness Hermione felt inside was ripping her off. She was a social outcast. No amount of support could protect her from feeling unwanted.

And what had hurt the most was Draco's carelessness.

From day one, he acted as if he didn't know her. He didn't look at her, didn't acknowledge her existence. She was like a shadow to him.

One of the hurtful memories was when a bunch of Slytherins caught her alone without her friend. They started by insulting her then the first hit came.

It began by grabbing her hair, slapping her face, ripping her school robes, and then finishing by kicking her in the abdomen.

Hermione was on the verge of losing consciousness, when she had gotten a glimpse of Draco standing near by. He was standing still, watching what those cruel boys have done to her without interfering.

The tears blinded her and her heart broke in half. He doesn't care. He doesn't care.

That was the last thought in her mind before she lost consciousness.

A tear slipped down to her lips. This memory always makes her sad.

She looked at the tall figure standing under the gazebo and smiled sadly. He may have been cruel then, but he had compensated for that later.

He had showed her why she still did care for him.

But that was to remember for later.

He is waiting

Bye