Chapter One has been edited a little, so you might want to go back and re-read it.

September 2, 1991

Hermione woke up the next morning at a little past six, and unable to sleep any longer, she got dressed quietly, making sure not to wake any of her roommates up. She sat on her bed and tried to read her Potions textbook, but the dark light made the task impossible, so she crept downstairs, taking a tentative seat by the fire. Hermione curled her legs under her and happily began reading again.

"You're in Jade's seat," a bossy tone said.

Hermione looked up in surprise to see a dark-haired girl standing above her, hands on her hips. "Excuse me?"

"You're in Jade's seat," the girl repeated, flicking a piece of hair off her shoulder.

"I didn't know the seats belong to anyone?" Hermione tried, but it came out more as a question.

"Yes, well, the Court always gets the best seats, and that one's Jade's," the girl said haughtily.

"Relax, Lillian," the cool voice of Jade Greengrass came. The elder girl walked down the stairs and over to the fire, staring down at Hermione with piercing eyes. Hermione stood up hastily.

"I'm sorry, I didn't know there were specific seats for specific people," she babbled. "I'm sorry." She turned to walk back upstairs.

"Sit," Jade stopped her, waving at a cushion a few inches away. Hermione sat down cautiously; Jade's eyes boring into hers. "Lillian, go."

The newly identified Lillian scrambled to run away, dashing back up to the steps of the girl's dormitories.

"Why am I here?" Hermione asked after a minute of silence.

"Never ask," Jade responded. "Always observe, and find out the answers yourself. Never settle for anything but the best, and don't trust that everything is as it appears. Don't ever agree to do something for someone without a fair deal."

"Um, okay?"

"If you want to sit here again, you may," Jade said, motioning to the very comfy pillow Hermione was on. "As you grow older, you can move up in the ranks."

"What are the ranks?" Hermione asked curiously.

Jade didn't respond. Instead, she got up and took a book out of her bookbag, handing the slim volume to the first year. "Read this. And once you're finished, come find me again."

Hermione nodded eagerly and looked down at the book, and when she looked back up, Jade was gone. Deciding it would be best not to read the book out in the open, she carefully tucked it in her own bag and opened her Potions textbook again.

"Smart," a bright voice said a few minutes later, the owner's footsteps coming to a stop in front of the reading girl.

"Oh, good morning Tracey," Hermione said politely, looking up from her book. Daphne Greengrass came to a stop next to the brunette, a calculating expression on her face. "Good morning Daphne."

Daphne waved off her words. "Come back upstairs with us. If we are to get you to look decent, we need all the time we can get." With that, she turned and marched up the stairs sharply.

Hermione looked at Tracey in surprise, but she just muttered, "Just roll with it," before following the other girl. Hermione rushed to put her book away and head upstairs to the first year girls dorm, finding Daphne and Tracey in the bathroom.

"Sit," Daphne ordered, sounding very much like Jade. "Tracey, grab one of your spare uniforms. They'll fit better and have to do until we can order others."

"What's wrong with my uniform?" Hermione demanded.

Daphne gave her a cursory look. "There are different cuts and styles and fabrics," she explained. "You have the most basic one. If you want people to treat you with respect, you have to look the part."

"Oh. That makes sense," Hermione said as Daphne handed her a small jar. "What's this?"

"This will take away some of the frizz from your hair," the blonde said. "Actually, never mind. Do you take quick showers?" Hermione nodded. "Then take one and use this," she handed her a blue bottle. "It's a more general one, but it should work until you have a chance to go in for your own."

Hermione looked helplessly at Tracey, who just shrugged, so she listened to Daphne. Ten minutes later, she was out and dressed in her uniform, pulling the robe on. She walked back into the main bathroom to hear Tracey looking at herself critically in the mirror.

"I wish I could cover this up," she complained, pointing to a spot on her chin.

"Did you forget your concealer or something?" Hermione asked, her brow furrowed.

"What's concealer?" Tracey asked, clearly confused.

"I've never heard of it either," Daphne chimed in.

"It's makeup," Hermione tried to explain. "You can use it to make yourself more beautiful."

Two pairs of eyes gleamed. "Do you have any of this 'make-up'?" Daphne asked, testing the word on her tongue.

Hermione nodded. Her mother had made her bring some, in case the girls at Hogwarts were as beauty obsessed as the girls at Primary. "A little. I'll go get it."

She came back a second later with a few jars and tubes that seemed foreign to the other girls. Tracey picked up a light green one and examined it. "What's this?"

"Oh that's filled with make up remover pads," Hermione told her. "To take off the makeup." She motioned for the brunette to sit in the chair she herself had sat in earlier. Tracey sat down quickly, almost bouncing in her seat.

Hermione carefully applied concealer and a little powder over Tracey's face, debating whether to do a bit more. In the end, she decided against, saying, "Some of these it's best not to share," she explained, holding up a mascara tube.

"How do I get my own?" Daphne asked her, eying the makeup greedily.

"I can order it for you," Hermione offered. Daphne frowned a little, and Hermione realized her mistake. "In exchange for you helping me with the magical stuff."

Daphne nodded approvingly. "Good. Please call me Daphne," she offered. "I think we're going to be great friends," she gave the other girl a small grin before sitting down in the chair herself. Hermione smiled slightly as she took out a pale pink lip gloss.

Friends.