Chapter 3! You'll find out a little more about Jade and her 'court', as well as her relation to Daphne. Any characters not recognizable from the Harry Potter series were created from my imagination.
September 2, 1991
It was a bit before eight when Daphne and Tracey finished primping themselves, and the vintage-looking clocks had just chimed when they had tugged at every inch of a pouting Hermione's hair. She might have wanted to look decent, but having every strand pulled and prodded was pushing her limit.
"Okay, we're done," Tracey said, a hint of roundness seeping into her voice.
Hermione stood up cautiously and peered into the mirror, almost gasping at her reflection. "Is-is that me?" she stammered, reaching up to touch her hair lightly.
"Don't touch it," Tracey squealed, slapping Hermione's hair away. Daphne said nothing, instead choosing to apply another layer of one of Hermione's lip glosses.
"Thank you," Hermione said quietly. "It means a lot."
At primary school, she had been mocked multiple times for her bushy hair and buck teeth, the queen bees teasing her endlessly. For two people to help her with that, even if she was pretty sure that one was just doing it under orders, meant a lot to her.
"You need to learn to hide your emotions," Daphne said sternly, before her face softened a little. "But you're welcome." Tracey beamed at Hermione, who grinned back. "Now let's get going, Jade will be waiting."
"Are you two related? You look alike?" Hermione asked curiously.
"Jade is my elder sister," Daphne agreed. She twisted a strand of hair behind her ear and led the way out of the bathroom. Hermione and Tracey trailed behind.
"Oh look, it's the Mudblood," Pansy sneered, her nose scrunching up in an expression of disgust. "You haven't been kicked out yet?"
"Why would I be kicked out?" Hermione questioned, genuinly curious about the answer.
"No muggles in Hogwarts, Granger," Pansy smirked.
"Whatever you say, Pansy," Hermione said lightly, purposefully using Pansy's first name.
"Let's go," Tracey said sharply, glaring at Pansy. Daphne, Tracey and Hermione each grabbed their leather satchels and left the room, leaving a fuming Pansy behind.
"Daphne," Jade called out to the trio. "Come here, I'd like to introduce you to some people."
"Good morning, Jade," Daphne greeted her older sister. "How are you today?"
"Lovely, and you?" Jade responded.
"Quite good, thanks," Daphne said just as elegantly. "Although I do believe a prank may have gone awry. Would you mind taking a look at Hermione's teeth?"
"My teeth?" Hermione asked, running her tongue over her larger-than-normal teeth.
"You're right," Jade nodded. "Here, Rhea's training to be a healer, she can help."
A tall girl with brunette waves down to her waist stood up. "Hold on a second, Granger." She murmered something under her breath and flicked her wand.
"Here," another girl offered, handing Hermione a small hand mirror bedazzled with colored jewels. Hermione had no doubt that they were real.
"Wow," she breathed. "My teeth! They're smaller!"
Rhea smirked. "I don't botch spells on purpose, Granger."
"No, no," Hermione said hurriedly. "I just didn't think that magic could do...that."
"Magic can do anything, Hermione," Jade lectured. "'Anything' is just left up to you." Hermione swallowed and nodded. "Now, you girls better run off to breakfast, we'll be along shortly."
Daphne nodded and motioned for the first year girls to go. Hermione waited for them to exit the common room before asking, "Who were the other girls?"
Daphne shot a quick glance at her. "Rhea Rosier was the one to fix your teeth, she's training to be a healer. She's also Jade's second in command," she offered. "The one with the mirror is Julianne Blackthorn, from a lesser pureblood family. Jade genuinely likes her though, not to mention she's a prodigy in Transfiguration. Gemma Farley, I'm sure you recognize from last night, and then there's Lilian Travers and Aimee Brodeur, both who like to pretend they have more power than they actually do. Brodeur is really just Travers' sidekick, though. Has no mind of her own, but she does have great connections. She and Gemma are the only fifth years Jade allows though, although Brodeur is more political than actual friendship. She's from France, you see," Daphne explained at Hermione's questioning glance.
"Oh," Hermione said thoughtfully. "I think I met Lilian this morning. She tried to kick me out of one of the chairs, but Jade stopped her."
Tracey turned to stare at her. "And what did Jade do?"
"Told her to go away," Hermione said. She fiddled with the strap of her bag, trying to ignore the fact that both Daphne and Tracey had just shot her a sharp look.
"Interesting," Daphne mused as they reached the doors to the Great Hall.
Together, the three girls entered the hall, Daphne in middle, and Hermione and Tracey flanking her. This time, they took seats closer to the middle of the table, a few seats away from where Gemma Farley was sitting. The older girl nodded to the three first years, before going back to her hushed conversation with a boy sitting across from her.
"That's Miles Bletchley," Daphne said quietly. "It's rumored that they're contracted."
Tracey nodded and returned to her breakfast, although Hermione narrowed her eyes in confusion. She brushed it off, however, and picked up her cup. "Do you know when we're getting our schedules?"
"Should be any minute," Tracey answered, her hair falling over her face as she bent over to take a bite. "Professor Snape should be coming around any minute."
True to Tracey's word, their Head of House arrived a few moments later. "Miss Greengrass. Miss Davis. Miss Granger. I look forwards to have you three in my Potions class," he said briskly, before sweeping away to where Pansy was sitting with Millicent and some of the boys a bit further down at the table.
"Ooh, we have Charms first," Tracey squealed. "Professor Flitwick is said to be one of the best teachers at Hogwarts."
"What about Professor Snape?" Hermione asked, leaning forwards slightly.
Tracey frowned. "Well, he has a reputation as the scariest teacher at Hogwarts," she offered. "He's an incredible Potions expert, but he's not the greatest at conveying his words to children," Tracey said slowly.
Hermione nodded, her mind lost in thought. If he wasn't a good teacher, then why was he here? "And the other teachers?"
"McGonagall is strict, but supposedly fair," Blaise Zabini said, sitting down next to Hermione with a wink. "Good morning ladies."
"Good morning," Hermione murmured quietly, lowering her eyes from the dark-skinned Slytherin. With chocolate brown curls and deep blue eyes, he looked like someone that the girls back at home would fangirl over, if he was a couple years older.
"Binns' class is pointless," Daphne chimed in. "He's a ghost. No one pays attention."
"So then how do you pass the exams?" Hermione asked, horrified.
Daphne shrugged. "Textbook? Older students. I honestly don't care, it's not like I'm going to be doing anything in the future that I'll need History of Magic for," she shared a smirk with Tracey.
Hermione looked between Daphne and Tracey, sure that some secret exchange had passed between the two friends. She turned to Blaise and asked, "What are you looking forwards to?"
"Astronomy and Potions," Blaise replied. "And Runes, but we can't take that until third year."
"We should start heading to class," Tracey cut in. "Charms starts in fifteen minutes and we don't know where to go."
"I'm sure one of the older girls will show us," Daphne said dismissively.
Tracey's face fell slightly. "Oh, okay."
Sure enough, a girl with strawberry blond hair approached them a few minutes later. "Miss Greengrass? Jade sent me to show you the way to your first class."
"Thank you," Daphne trailed off, looking at the older girl expectantly.
"Charlotte. Charlotte Avery," the girl said.
"Lead the way then, Charlotte," Blaise said with a charming grin. Hermione resisted the urge to swoon dramatically, feeling that the Slytherins wouldn't appriciate her theatrics. Instead she followed a smug Daphne, downcast Tracey, flirty Blaise and the giggly Charlotte to her first real class in magic.
