Hello,
I don't believe I know how to start the apology I owe to everyone who once followed or (by some kind of miracle) still follows, or even remembers! this fanfiction.
I don't really remember why exactly I stopped updating it. I think that, as unbelievable as it sounds, the first time I told myself I would update later instead of in that moment was because I was busy doing a school a project. Understandable right? However it stopped being understanble when a few days later I still did not update, either because I was having a busy few days with school (and life in general) or because I was reading something so good that I forgot I had promised myself to publish one single chapter every week (not a difficult task let me tell you!).
As every snowball tends to grow I found myself constantly making excuses to delay the update one more day: Tests, final exams, camping, friends, family, driver license, college applications, some book I simply could not lay on the table, a drawing I had to absolutely finish before I went crazy! Basically every single thing going on my life and more. And then the months began to pass I would start forgetting about this, I would stop making excuses because I thought that no one really remembered it anymore. Even I did not remember the story exactly as I had written it. Sure I knew the rough outlining, but if I the author did not remember, how could I expect others to remember it!? And that became my excuse each and every time I remembered.
But then someone new would start following the story. Or someone Favorited it, or someone would review it. Then I would fell remorse for not doing what I had promised. And sometimes I would feel it during so long that I picked up my notebook and started reading the story from the beginning, trying to remember what was it that I had written that someone else, somewhere across the world had found interesting enough to follow or comment. And I would write and type and say to myself, this is it! you're finally doing it! But then for reasons I do not remember I never actually managed through those first phases.
And so four moths passed since my last update. It's been a long time, uh? I don't expect many of you to read all of this. But if you have read it, then my advice would be to go a couple of chapters behind and just pass your eye through them, so as to remember a little bit of the story before reading a new chapter.
I do believe I started this enormous author note saying I didn't know how to begin my apologies. And I've written so much and not once have I written the words "I'm sorry". Believe me, I am.
I guess that depending on the response to this chapter I will decide what to do with this story (and I will let you know).
For now, I think I have written too much so please enjoy!
Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter therefore all recognizable characters in this story belong to J. K. Rowling and I'm only playing around with them.
Chapter Eleven
Hermione's first day of school wasn't going exactly how Hermione would have wished but that wasn't entirely a surprise. Gossip about the day before had spread like wild fire in true Hogwarts fashion. What was commented was that somehow she and Tom knew each other and that her reaction to seeing him been nothing but strange. On her way to breakfast she even heard a whispered "because he broke up with her. I hear she was devasta – ".
Needless to say the gossip was certainly not doing anything to help Hermione's bad mood, and Minerva had stopped trying to get any true information out of Hermione long ago. There was no going around the girl's temper. Phillip and Thomas too had found that out the hard way.
"Morning," Philip said when he joined the girls in the common room. Hermione was sporting a vexed look on her face, having been caught and held hostage by Minerva just as she had been trying to sneak out through the portrait hole unnoticed.
"Hey," responded Minerva moving her arms to embrace both boys and kiss Thomas. Hermione remained in the couch arms crossed and slightly hostile front.
"Are you usually this cheery in the morning?" Phillip asked Hermione nudging her with his elbow.
"No, but I couldn't help it today you know, with the sun shining so brightly and all that," she said her tone leaving no room for doubt that her words were sarcasm filled ones.
"What got your wand in a knot?" Thomas asked looking at Hermione with raised eyebrows.
It was Minerva who answered her boyfriend.
"I did. Apparently Hermione doesn't want to talk about Tom."
"So you asked her?" Philip asked.
"Sure did," Minerva answered with a smile on her face.
"What did she say?"
"That she met him briefly before she came to Hogwarts. Then she proceeded to tell me to stick my nose in my own business." The boys laughed and Hermione scowled further. The nerve of them, talking about her as if she wasn't right in front of them!
"Will you stop talking about me as I wasn't here!?"
Phillip put an arm around Hermione's shoulders and walked them both to the portrait hole, Minerva and Thomas walking closely behind them.
"It won't happen again sweetcake," he promised.
"Sweetcake?" Hermione asked, trying to get his arms off her shoulder. If he noticed her efforts he did not show it nor did he remove is arm from around her.
"Yep. It's your new nickname."
"Are you, by any change, hitting on me, Mr?" Hermione asked not being able to not playing along with Phillips playful tone. Hermione was beginning to realize he was impossible to resist.
"I might be," he answered his voice still playful. Hermione's scowl deepened before she relaxed her features and laughed. It was indeed very difficult staying mad at her three new colleagues, even if they, like everyone else, were gossiping with each other about her.
When the four of them entered the hall and sat in the Gryffindor table for breakfast, few heads turned in their direction, most of them going back to their own business after a few seconds. Hermione was quickly becoming happier and happier.
"Excuse me?" a meek voice of a second or third year asked.
Hermione turned around to face the young boy.
"Yes?"
"Professor Dumbledore asked me to give you this," he said. She didn't need to look at it twice to recognize the paper and structure of the timetable.
"Oh, thank you!"
"What do you have now?" Thomas asked.
"I'm going to have arythmancy with the hufflepuffs and then herbology with the Ravenclaws."
"This morning is acceptable, but look at tomorrow afternoon. It's our worst day in my opinion," he said peeking at the paper from his side of the table. Minerva was sitting beside him completely engrossed in a transfiguration essay.
Hermione did as she was told and groaned.
"Potions and DADA with the Slytherins," she complained.
It seems that the tendency to pair these two houses on the most dangerous subjects had been a kind of tradition over the years.
"It sucks right?"
"Yes it does, and it has nothing to do with the subjects."
"You know it's really strange that you just arrived and take house rivalry so seriously. Most only pick it up after a few weeks," Phillip said in a carefree manner. It was enough for Hermione to get nervous jitters in her stomach. She couldn't believe how careless she was being.
"Sure most first years might pick it up a few weeks later, but not only am I older I have also read Hogwarts: a history and I happen to know that house rivalry is taken very seriously here."
"I'm certainly not complaining. Rivalry wins us hose points sweetcake."
"Don't call me that."
After breakfast they said goodbye to Minerva who headed with other sixth years for charms and then made their way to arythmancy with Phillip. Thomas had a free period and would only join the other two when it was time for herbology.
"Good morning. I hope you remembered to bring your essays because today is the last day to deliver them, so please put them on my desk before class ends. Also I want you to partner up and resolve this." The professor (who had not stopped her talking to breath properly since the moment she entered the classroom) flicked her wand making the chalk write exercises on the blackboard. Hermione, along with her classmates, grabbed her quill and started writing down the work.
"Oh no, not you miss Granger. My name is professor Tallstone," the woman said, coming to stand right in front of her. "I'm sure Phillip won't mind lending you his notes so you can study after class."
"Then what do I do professor?"
"Answer these questions so I can know how you are in this subject. Everyone did this in the beginning of the year but I ask you not to ask questions to anyone. The objective of this is to access your knowledge on the subject. Rest assured it will not influence your grade."
Hermione nodded and after taking out clean parchment she started working.
There were four problems and after fifty minutes the first three were solved. The last one however was proving to be quite the challenge. Sure Hermione had already resolved most of it, but from where she stood she could see to possible answers. The first one was the most obvious choice but she had found a small glitch in the whole theory behind it so she decided to go for the second one. She could only hope professor Tallstone would accept her unconventional conclusion.
"You have five minutes, if you can't finish it then deliver next class. Miss Granger I'm afraid you have to deliver everything today."
"Yes professor," Hermione said barely looking over all of her answers before getting up and giving professor Tallstone her roll of parchment.
"Did you finish?" she asked. Her classmates were already exiting the class.
"yes professor," she said. Phillip was the only one who still was inside the classroom waiting for Hermione by the door.
"Did you have any difficulties?"
"Only in the problem," she explained.
"Don't worry then. Many had trouble with it. You may go now."
"Merlin! I got paired with the dumbest Hufflepuff on earth! I swear I don't know how that girl managed an E last year! I swear all she could do was stutter and agree with whatever suggestions I made! I mean I picked her because she was supposed to be a good student but I end up having to do all the work by myself!"
"What are you ranting on about mate^?" Thomas asked the moment he joined Phillip and Hermione on their way to herbology.
"Phillip is upset that his partner didn't help him in arythmancy." Thomas laughed.
"Don't laugh you moron! She was supposed to be smart" Heard she had E last year! But then Vane goes and stutters her way through the whole class."
"Wait… Juliet Vane?"
"Yes."
"Mate, the girl had the biggest crush on you ever since fifth year.!
"Seriously? Well then, it's explained," Phillip said smiling, his anger towards the girl forgotten. It seemed that crushing on him was the best excuse the girl could have.
The greenhouses, much like the castle itself, hadn't changed. Even the plants seemed the same and the only difference was really the teacher – Professor Marie Binns, granddaughter to Professor Binns the ghost. That was something Hermione hadn't been expecting.
Avoiding the Slytherins (one particular Slytherin named Tom Riddle) had been easy that morning. Not only had both Hermione's classes been with Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff but she had come to the conclusion (after doing the math of course) that Tom was in his fifth year making it impossible for them to share any class. That kind of thinking had made Hermione relax a little bit during the morning. However with the great hall in front of her she couldn't even phantom exactly how she had managed to relax.
The chances of avoiding Tom Riddle now were very small and the odds of him too wanting to avoid her certainly weren't in her favor. If he really was anything like what she had gotten to know in the summer than she knew he was more likely to be extremely curious of the reason behind her reaction towards him than anything else. It was said that curiosity killed the cat but she knew that that particular cat wouldn't die for being curious.
The boys were walking by her side, talking nonstop about quidditch (they were both beaters for Gryffindor) and had yet to notice the reticence in Hermione's steps along with her pale face. It was Minerva that noticed something was wrong with the girl when they joined her in the table. Just as they were sitting Hermione was doing a quick scan of the entire hall and after concluding that Tom Riddle wasn't present she almost did not take her eyes of the great hall doors, as if, by looking away she was inviting him in.
"Is something wrong Hermione?" Minerva asked in a low voice. The boys, seated in front of them were still talking animatedly, not noticing the exchange between the girls.
"No nothing," she answered looking at Minerva with a soft smile on her face. Minerva gave her a stern look in return and Hermione recognized once again the future professor in her features. Had professor McGonagall recognized her from the past when little Hermione first stepped into the great hall along with all the other first years? If Dumbledore was right than McGonagall along with Dumbledore himself must have recognized her. And what about Voldemort himself? She had never been face to face with him, not even when they had broken into the department of mysteries, but still, would he recognize her? A shill went down her spine. She surely hoped not.
Immersed as she was in her thoughts Hermione did not noticed Tom as he entered the great hall and sat in the Slytherin table, helping himself to lunch. He, however, did notice Hermione's presence.
"Don't look now, but Tom is looking at you."
"Tom Riddle?" there was just a tiny hint of fear in her voice, but it was so small that Minerva was not able to identify it.
"The one and only."
An awkward silence followed their interaction, broken only by Thomas and Phillips voices as they were still talking to each other. Strangely they reminded Hermione of Harry and Ron in their obliviousness to the outside world whenever they were to engrossed talking about something they were interested in, namely Quidditch.
Hermione risked a glance at the Slytherins table and found him talking quietly to a boy next to him.
"What is it with you and him?" Minerva asked the moment Hermione averted her eyes from the Slytherin table.
"Nothing really," she answered once again, knowing that Minerva (or anyone who had seen what happened the day before between the two of them) was never going to believe her. Somehow that made it easier to lie, the thought that the other people knew she was lying. In a way, she didn't want people to believe her.
"Believing every word, "Minerva said in a sarcastic tone.
"Meant to," Hermione answered nothing but honesty in her voice. She laid her fork down on her empty plate and got on her feet.
"I'm going to explore the castle – find the library if I can. I have free period before transfiguration," she said, deciding it was best to leave the hall before Tom did. Until then she had been waiting for him to leave first but had decided she would be the first to leave after waiting for him to exit the hall during five minutes.
"I'll go with you, you'll get lost by yourself," Minerva said stepping away from the bench.
"Don't worry, stay here and let the boys enjoy their meal. I'll just ask my way around the castle." From the corner of her eye she saw Tom still talking to the boy beside him, apparently still making no movement to leave.
"Are you sure?"
"Yes. I'll see you in transfiguration boys!" she said her back already turned to them as she walked in the great hall's doors direction. Before she was out of hearing range from the trio she faintly heard Phillip complain.
" I can't believe we have double transfiguration" I bet Dumbledore will give us so much homework we won't even have time to breath. He always does."
"Your capacity to blow things out of proportion still astounds me after all these years," she heard Thomas say even more faintly, as she was already approaching the doors.
On her way to the library (and asking directions to it from the few students who crossed her path for appearances sake), she wondered how it would be like having transfiguration with her old headmaster and couldn't help but get excited at the prospect of being taught by such genius.
Already halfway to the library her musings were interrupted by the one voice she had been hoping to avoid all along.
So, I guess that it!
I do not know when I will update again, but I do hope I find myself doing it sooner rather than later!
I know the chapter was not long, and it ended in a cliffhanger but it was the only way it could be logically ended (in the way I see it of course).
Thank you for reading,
Lady Featherweight