One-Shot: Train
The moment When Draco and Hermione First meet.
The Second time He met her he hadn't realised who she was. He barely heard the question she asked them as she barged into where he, Crabbe, and Goyle had been sitting. The first time he saw her it was a small glance. He hadn't had a chance to take in all her beauty then. It was all too sudden.
But her beauty was appreciable. Her curls rested so peacefully on her shoulders and her eyes pierced emerald green. Perhaps that's what distracted him at first. He Had only looked at her beauty for what seemed like a second. And then like a flash of lightning his brain came back to its senses, as he remembered his morals.
Taught to a core that all muggle-borns as pretty or intriguing as they seem were bad. And before he knew it he said the first thing that came to his mind, "Mudblood" of course at that age he hadn't learned the true meaning of that word but it seemed to do the trick as she stormed out of the room without an answer.
Draco smirked as she stomped down to the next room. He wondered how many mudbloods he would have to torment before he saw peace. However a thought so curious lingered in his mind. How could something so pretty be so bad?
But then he remembered the words of his father. The things he had said to him before he got on the train. That was the first time he saw her. She was standing with her muggle parents and an older student to help them around. His father had caught him staring at the girl and acted on it.
"Such a pity," he said, shaking his head. "To have all that magic wasted on a pathetic little mudblood." Still, his thoughts lingered.
Until they were quickly pushed aside for whispers of the boy who lived echoed in the corridors. And however so distracted he was by the thought of not being in the Slytherin house. After all, this was the first year of Hogwarts and the shame of anything other than Slytherin gave him a cold chill.
And from the way his father put it, anything but Slytherin was a disappointment.
Hermione darted down the hall. "Stupid toad," she mumbled, stomping to the next room on the trolly.
She had been resting her head on her hands when the boy next to her Nevile she recalled started looking all over the room for something. Hermione's eyes darted to the boy as he panicked."What are you looking …" Hermione said quietly, easily cut off by Neville's screams.
"Trevor?" he said his head under the seat. "Who's Trevor?" Hermione questioned. Wondering if he was sleepwalking or something. "My toad.." he said. "He's gone,"
The boy started opening his suitcase and dumped it out all over the floor. She groaned and looked at the girl across from her to get some help in controlling him but to her surprise, she was passed out. How she could sleep with all the yelling was beyond Hermione's comprehension.
"Here, I'll help you look." Hermione gave him a reassuring pat on the back to ease his nerves and then started to search through the room for the toad.
After about 20 minutes Neville started to give up and so did she. The toad was nowhere to be found. She put everything back the way it had been before and gave a sweet smile to the boy as he put his head in his hands. And started to weep. Hermione felt so bad for the boy next to her and then an idea came to mind. She had thought the Toad had probably gotten crushed or never made it on the train in the first place but to make the boy a bit happier despite how tired she was offered to ask around the trolley. And it was worth it to see him with a hint of a smile.
She got up and went down to the front of the trolley. Working her way down the line would be easier.
She opened the door to the first room. She looked inside to find a group of two boys. The first boy, a redhead with dirt smeared across his face. And the second a scrawny-looking boy with broken glasses.
She could tell they've been eating a lot of candies from the trolly. Bertie Bott's Every-Flavour Beans scattered across the floor. She wondered how they got all this candy. Where she had barely got a galleon from her parents. And it hardly looked like the two of them could afford more clothes than what they were wearing. But she asked them about the toad nonetheless.
She could help notice the ginger eagerly holding his wand and aiming it at the poor rat on his lap. She felt her tone a little testy as she was a bit annoyed and tried to lighten it up.
As he tempted a more than likely rhythm than a spell on his rat she couldn't help but giggle at his frustration. She then, eager to test her magical abilities, grabbed her wand from her robe and went over to the second boy.
"Oculus reparo." She lifted her wand to his glasses and watched as they went from old to new. She smiled with pride at her spell even though it was a bit simple.
As he took off his glasses in amazement she noticed something she had read about in the daily prophet. There was a little scar on the top of his forehead just above his brow. Then she knew it. This was Harry potter.
She had not known much about the wizarding world but she knew. "The Boy Who Lived," she recalled in a headline to a paper published not long ago. "Harry Potter the boy who escaped you know who with only a scare, is on his way to Hogwarts!" … She tried to remember more. "What will be in store for this new exciting year. Will his Magic have the same expectations as his fame or will he fail to succeed in his mission?" What harsh words she thought. But she knew it was more propaganda than anything truthful about the matter.
The boy didn't look any more famous than her neighbours back at home. If she hadn't noticed the scar she would have never known it was him.
She looked up for a moment and looked back at the redhead's mouth deep in some sort of food. She made a disgustful look in his direction not on purpose of course before introducing herself to Harry. She turned to the redhead who had just taken another bite of whatever it was he was eating expecting him to tell her his name.
"Ron… Ron Weasley," he said, spitting up a bit of food.
She had enough of his eating sounds and headed for the door. But before she left she felt it necessary to tell him of the dirt on his nose. And with that, she headed to the next room eyeing for the Toad.
The next couple of rooms were all the same, just a bit less interesting as none of them had merely spoken a word to her. A simple "Nope," or a "No, sorry." was passed in her direction.
Until the second to last room.
As she peered into the small cabinet-like box she noticed only one of the three boys. She had seen him before at station 9 3/4. The boy had the palest competition of anyone she had seen. His hair is the lightest blonde. She noticed his scowl as he stared at her. He was so silent he seemed cold like he could bite the air with his breath.
She then directed her eyes towards the other boys who were seemingly a bit quieter before she asked about the toad. As she waited for an answer she heard the blond mumble a hurtful word to the chubby boy to his right.
"Mudblood"
Although he wasn't directly talking to her, she still heard it and she knew it was intentional, he was screaming at her to leave with his cold stare. And with that, she could feel the tears bubbling up in her eyes. She quickly left before he could see the comment had stroked a nerve.
She knew what that word had meant. Her student guide had told her to be aware of such prejudice but she couldn't believe it had happened her first day, not even. She calmed down in the hall before relaying the sad news of the toad to her new friend.
But the word was haunting her thoughts.
Hogwarts
They arrived at Hogwarts sooner than he thought. He was resting his head against the window when Theo had barged unexpectedly and told them the news. He stepped off the train almost tripping on the small ledge of the door frame. Only to be hit with a burst of light that had been hidden in the mix of the dark windowed train. It was the beautiful colour of dust. His eyes fluttered as he watched the light fade from the faint half sun.
As he settled into his surroundings he noticed two students in front of him. Two Hufflepuff's. He had almost commented how pathetic the Hufflepuff house was but it seemed pointless.
Before he could take a breath of fresh woodland air he was escorted to a large group of what seemed to be all first-years like himself. The giant man who was seemingly in charge greeted a boy in front of the group. "Harry, nice to see you again." the large man said.
He couldn't believe what he heard, there in front of him was Harry Potter the most famous boy in his year. In the school no less. Draco inched closer trying to get a good look before attempting an introduction but he was cut off by a group of girls. And then a tug from Crabbe, and Goyle lingering behind him. He was eager to know the truth behind the Potter roomers. But it seemed they were headed to boats, his questions would have to wait for later.
By the time they reached the water the fog had blocked all sun that was left. Lanterns lite the boats as they shook in the water. He could almost see the cold frosting the tips of the water. And his breathe so frozen as he breathed. This is why he was so happy to find the stone walls of the castle insulating warmth. Still cold but less bitterness.
Once the group had made it into the entrance of the castle a small older women stepped up and spoke with such posture, "Hello, look at all your little faces." she said, smiling ear to ear. "There sure is a lot of you, young witches and wizards."
"Well come this way." she gestured towards a grand staircase. "Professor McGonagall will take over from here." she barely finished her sentence before she sprinted into another corridor leaving them in front of the Great Hall entrance.
That's when he had the chance. He looked to the front of the group and saw Potter. Introducing himself, Crabbe, and Goyle he heard a faint laugh. He looked up to find a dirty Ginger boy giggling. He had only guessed he was a Weasley based on what his father had said about their family. Purebloods with a bit of money to their name but a disgrace to their bloodline. And then Potter he expecting the boy of course to be more like himself. With new robes and Descent hair. But Harry seemed just the same as the little weasel.
But before he could think about remarking the laughs, Harry had sided with the redhead. "What a bad decision Potter," he thought. Not that he wanted to befriend Anyone associating with the likes of a Weasley but the extra fame that came with Potter didn't seem so bad. Before Malfoy had a chance to tell Potter what was on his tongue a tall Women dress in formal robes entered. Professor McGonagall, he assumed.
Draco couldn't hear what she said as he was too frustrated with Potters decision. But he snapped back to reality as the doors to the Great Hall opened.
It was grander than he had imagined. The ceiling was charmed the same way as the night sky and candles floated above the tables filled with students.
As he took it all in he heard the chatter. "Is that him?" Everyone wanted to find Potter. "Bloody Hell?" he mumbled so no one would hear him. "Get over it he not that special." He turned to Golle but he wasn't there. He looked around to see where he'd gone. And not to his surprised Golle was in the back of the group his face shocked with amazement. "What did I expect of him anyway?"
Walking forward he overheard the girls in front of him. Well, he couldn't hear them that loud as the chatter sounds drowned the room. But under the conversation piercing his ears was a familiar voice. He knew it, but from where.