Author's Note: I was about to fall asleep at three o'clock in the morning, when this idea suddenly came into my mind, and I just had to write it right away. My poor body, I really must catch up on my sleep debt. This story is AU, and none of the events in HBP and DH take place. So I hope you enjoy reading this! Reviews would be lovely.
Disclaimer: Everything belongs to the lovely J.K. Rowling, not me.
To Win Her Heart
Chapter One – Brighter Than Sunshine
"Students, if I may have your attention!" the Hogwarts Headmaster, Professor Dumbledore stood at the podium as the feast disappeared from each table in the Great Hall. "This year, Hogwarts has the great honor of hosting a new event created by the United Wizarding Nations to improve international relations. The International Interschool Quidditch Tournament." excited gasps and murmurs were heard around the Great Hall.
"Did you hear that, Harry?" Ron whispered with wide eyes. "Quidditch!"
Hermione rolled her eyes. She had to admit, it sounded fascinating. She couldn't help but feel a tinge of worry, though. The last time something of the sort was held at their school, Cedric Diggory had been murdered. Her face paled just at the thought. But then again, Quidditch was much safer than what the champions had to go through in the Triwizard Tournament. There was no such thing as a peaceful year at Hogwarts, and something told her that her sixth year would be nothing less than insane. Whatever troubles they experienced, they always seemed to overcome every obstacle that blocked their path. They were the beloved Golden Trio, after all.
Her chocolate eyes momentarily flickered to the Slytherin table, and they locked with a pair of silver ones. He was staring at her. It would have surprised her if she hadn't caught him doing it so many times before.
Ever since that day in their third year when she had lost her temper and slapped him, he would stare at her. In the Great Hall, during classes, when they were walking in the corridor, she would always feel his cold eyes on her. It unnerved her greatly at first, but after a few months, she had gotten used to it. His gaze, once so intimidating and void of all emotion, was replaced by something completely undecipherable. But Hermione simply couldn't place the expression, because it was one she had never seen Draco convey before.
"The tournament includes the ten largest magical schools across the globe. Durmstrang Institute in Kirovsk, Beauxbatons Academy of Magic in Marseilles, The Salem Witches Institute in Salem, Diederich's School for Wizards in Dresden, Hong Long Institute in Xi'an, The Rinascimento Academy of Sorcery in Florence, Magia Real School in Santiago de Compostela, Kin Arcane Academy in Nikko, The Bhatta School in Vadodara, The New Luxor School of Magic in Luxor, and finally, our very own Hogwarts. Our guests will be arriving next week." the voice level in the Great Hall grew even higher as Dumbledore announced this.
"How can he remember all those names?" Ron questioned. Harry merely shrugged as he was obviously too preoccupied with what Dumbledore was saying.
"This tournament will take place throughout the school year and end in May. Tryouts for the Hogwarts team will be held this Friday by Madam Hooch. Please sign your name on the board in the Entrance Hall if you wish to tryout. Now, I'd like to remind all students that the Forbidden Forest is off limits unless accompanied by a teacher. You may all return to your common rooms. Have a good night, students!" he left the podium. In an instant, almost every single male student present rushed to the Entrance Hall, pushing and shoving everyone in their way. Hermione rolled her eyes as she saw her best friends join the horde.
Unlike the majority of things in the Wizarding World, she never grasped the concept of Quidditch. She wasn't one for sports, although when she was young she used to do intensive gymnastics. Her coach, Mr. Williams, had told Vivian Granger that her daughter had been blessed with litheness and grace that he had ever imagined possible for a ten-year-old, but Mrs. Granger stuck to her decision of pulling her daughter out so she could focus on her academics more. So focus on her academics she did. However, gymnastics had always remained Hermione's clandestine passion, and when she returned from Hogwarts each summer, she would take up classes with Mr. Williams again without her mother's knowledge. Nobody knew about her passion, not even Harry and Ron. She did gymnastics when she felt she had to escape from the rest of the world, and it felt better knowing that it was her little secret.
"Grangers are scholars, not gymnasts." her mom would always tell her.
"I don't really care about the Quidditch. What I'm more excited about is the students coming!" Parvati suddenly popped up next to her. "I heard the boys from the Rinascimento Academy are absolutely gorgeous."
"It's true." Lavender appeared on Hermione's other side. "My neighbor dated one of them before, and he was just perfect!"
"Even more perfect than Draco Malfoy?" Parvati's eyes lingered on the flaxen-haired Slytherin who was heading towards the door. The other students parted like the Red Sea for him in fear of being pounded by Crabbe and Goyle, his brainless cronies.
"Alright, maybe not. Nobody's as perfect as Malfoy." Lavender sighed dreamily.
"Oh, that's just vile." Hermione cringed.
"Come on, Hermione, admit it! Malfoy is orgasmic."
"I will do no such thing! He's a disgusting git. And perhaps you've forgot he's also a Slytherin?"
"Alright, just ignore all that. If you had just met Malfoy, you'd find him hot, wouldn't you?" Lavender asked.
Hermione thought about this, 'Well, he does have nice eyes. And he had such a perfect face, and his body—OH MY GOD! Hermione Granger, you did not just think that!'
"No."
"No?"
"No."
"Hermione, I think you might be crazy." Parvati teased.
"Tell me something I don't know." Hermione laughed. They finally squeezed out of the Great Hall, and found the whole male population of Hogwarts crowding around a board, waiting to sign up.
"Boys." Parvati shook her head disapprovingly. "Do they ever think about anything apart from Quidditch and sex?"
"Food." Hermione pointed out. The two other girls nodded in agreement.
"Let's go to our dorm." Lavender grabbed Hermione and Parvati's hands before pulling them up the staircase. "I've missed it so much!"
They rushed up several flights of stairs and managed to reach the portrait of the Fat Lady before any of the other Gryffindors, who were probably too busy in the Entrance Hall observing the students who signed up for the tournament.
"Fwooper." Hermione spoke, and the Fat Lady swung aside.
"That's the new password?" Parvati shook her head in disapproval as they climbed through the portrait hole one by one. "Who chooses them anyway?"
"I don't actually know." Hermione frowned. It bugged her that she couldn't answer Parvati's simple question. They climbed the staircase that led to the girls' dormitories. Near the end of the corridor was a door, which with the number six on its doorplate. Parvati swung open the door and they rushed into their dormitory.
"Home sweet home!" Parvati squealed and jumped on the bed furthest away from the door. She always claimed the same bed every year, because if someone came in, there was a smaller chance she would be the one they disturbed.
"Oh, so tell me about your holiday!" Lavender slapped Hermione's arm excitedly before she sat on the bed next to Parvati's.
"Well, it was quite dull, actually. Didn't do much but stay home. I spent the last week at the Burrow though, and that was fun." Most of it was true. Staying at the Burrow with the Weasleys and Harry was always fun. Fred and George teased and flirted with her whenever they could, which she found a bit unusual but she knew they were just fooling around. It was when Charlie started doing the same that she began feeling very confused. As far as Hermione knew, the second oldest Weasley son didn't like fooling around when it came to things like that. In fact, the three Weasley brothers weren't the only ones who suddenly took an interest in her. While in London, countless men had wolf-whistled at her or used pathetic pick up lines in an attempt to get her phone number. She turned them all down, even though she felt very flattered.
"You should have went to Australia with us!" Lavender said. "We had the most amazing time, didn't we, Pav?"
"Those Australian boys are so yummy." Parvati looked like she was about to drool. Hermione laughed and rolled her eyes. Some things just didn't change around Hogwarts. They spent the rest of the night talking about the holiday and rummaging through each other's trunks to see what clothes they had brought. Hermione wasn't sure why, but she had almost as fun with them as she usually did with Harry and Ron. Perhaps she was turning a bit girlier? The thought of makeup and dresses and pretty accessories didn't repulse her anymore.
After several hours passed, the three Gyffindor girls finally changed into their pajamas and got into bed. Hermione fell asleep moments after her head hit the soft pillow.
Hermione was the first to wake up, as she always was. She took out her uniform and her toiletries from her trunk and went into their shared bathroom. She took a relaxing shower before drying her wild hair and putting on her white button up shirt, black pleated skirt and scarlet and gold tie. She examined herself in the mirror.
Her skirts had faded slightly in color and gotten far too short for her after years of use. She never realized how tall she had grown over the years until now. Her breasts on the other hand… she had noticed her shirt was too tight for her back in her fourth year, when Ron's eyes tended to stray to her chest when she was talking to him. It was then that she opted for a looser shirt. Ron was not too happy about that. She wasn't sure why she had big boobs, unlike other gymnasts, but she assumed it was because she didn't train competitively like they did. And now here she stood, in her baggy shirt and her tiny skirt. She slipped on her black tights and put a red headband on her head.
Hermione put on some strawberry flavored lip-gloss and went back to her dorm, where Lavender and Parvati were still sleeping soundly. Hermione slipped on her black ballet flats. Her mom had bought her a new pair of shoes, oxford heels to be exact, because she thought they would be "more appropriate for a young lady to wear at school". Hermione disagreed with this, and even though she had to admit the heels were cute and Lavender almost fainted of excitement when she saw them the night before, she preferred shoes that she could actually walk in.
"Rise and shine!" Hermione opened the window curtains, allowing the piercing sunlight to shine in her dorm mates' eyes.
"Hermione!" Lavender whined, rolling in her bed.
"No, get up. Both of you." Hermione pulled their covers down, causing them to groan. "You don't want to be late, do you?"
"Fine, I'm up!" Parvati rubbed her eyes and made her way to the bathroom sleepily.
Hermione collected her things and slung her bag over one shoulder. She went down to the empty common room, and climbed out of the portrait hole. The corridors were quiet, and she was surprised to find both Harry and Ron at the Gryffindor table when she entered the Great Hall.
"Morning." the two boys greeted her in unison.
"Good morning." she sat next to Harry. "You boys are up early today."
"Neville accidentally set a dungbomb off." Ron grumbled, stabbing his sausage rather violently.
"How lovely." Hermione said sarcastically. She turned to Harry, who was staring at her. "What?"
"Nothing." Harry smiled. "You look really pretty today, Mione."
"Thank you, Harry." she returned the smile, flashing her pearly whites. Ron eyed both of them suspiciously, but decided to shrug it off. They finished their breakfast and received their post from the owls. By this time, almost every single student and teacher was in the Great Hall. After, Professor McGonagall made her way through the Gryffindor table, sorting out timetables. She
"Ahh, Miss Granger." Professor McGonagall gave her a rare smile as Hermione handed her application to her. "Well, you received remarkable results for your O.W.L.s! You can continue with any subject you please. I've very glad you will be returning to my class, Miss Granger." she tapped Hermione's blank timetable with her wand and it filled itself with the correct classes. "Now off you go to Ancient Runes."
"Thank you, Professor." Hermione smiled, took her timetable and waved to Harry and Ron before heading off to Ancient Runes. This was going to be a good year, she just knew it.
