Disclaimer: We don't own any of the characters in this story, or the
setting, etc. they all belong to J.K. Rowling
By: Nickzchick
Hermione Granger tossed her bushy brown hair over her shoulder in a confident manner and strode into the wall between platforms nine and ten at King's Cross station, lugging her trunk full of school supplies behind her. As soon as she stepped through the dividing barrier, new sounds met her ears, sounds of the cheerful chatter between assorted wizards and witches.
"Hermione! Over here," she heard someone call. She turned to see her best friends, Harry Potter and Ron Weasley, motioning her over from the direction of the scarlet steam engine, the Hogwarts Express. She flashed them a big grin and weaved her way through the crowd in their direction.
The summer following her fourth year had reformed Hermione. Somehow it had forced away the bumbling book-worm little girl that was her old self and replaced it with a cool, confident young woman who, though still a bookworm, was a good deal more pretty and sophisticated. It was almost inexplicable, and yet everyone noticed.
"Who are you and what have you done to my friend, Hermione?" Ron joked, though she could see the amazement in his eyes. Hermione graced him with a tinkling laugh and heaved her luggage onto the train.
Harry, Ron, and Hermione then climbed aboard the Hogwarts Express themselves and started to search for an empty compartment. They located one towards the very back of the train and settled themselves down for the long journey to Hogwarts, but not before waving to Mrs. Weasley from the window.
A couple minutes before the train was scheduled to depart, their fellow Gryffindor fifth years came into their compartment.
"Can we sit here?" Dean Thomas asked from the doorway. "Everywhere else is--" He was cut off by a dull thud as Seamus Finnigan, who had been several steps behind him, promptly ran into the wall by the door at the sight of the newly reformed Hermione.
"Ow…" he complained, rubbing his head as everyone else laughed.
"Hey look Harry," Ron said grinning, "Seamus pulled a Goyle!"
Dean helped Seamus too his feet and they sat down in the compartment. Seamus plopped himself down next to Hermione, grinning widely despite the bump on his head.
"Hi Hermione," he said cheerfully. "What did you
do this summer?" Before she could answer, he yawned very widely and elaborately
and brought his arm down carefully around her shoulders (A/N: we don't
really know Seamus's personality so I can make him do this if I want to!
So there!
Hermione gave Seamus an uncomfortable glance and said "Oh, nothing much. I went to Bulgaria for a while (Ron twisted his face in a sour look here) and I had fun." She opened the book at her feet, Nastily Grueling OWL Practice Problems, and buried her nose in the book, trying to fully comprehend spells that increased human power.
Harry and Dean were sitting across the compartment and valiantly trying to suppress their laughter at this little display, but failing anyway. Seamus shot them a dirty look and withdrew his arm, realizing that maybe he was being a little too forward. Ron sat in silence, carefully staring blankly into space but unable to hide an angry expression that was written all over his face. The rest of the journey passed without major mishap, although Seamus did buy several pumpkin pastries for Hermione while Ron sulked on her other side because he didn't have any spending money.
When they got to the Great Hall, the sorting was just beginning, and as the new first years were being sorted, Ron and Seamus were engaged in a furious kicking fight underneath the table.
"Hey Ron, look at that new Slytherin," Hermione giggled. "It's like the Colin Creevey of the Slytherin house," she said as the tiny little student started interrogating Malfoy, who was looking rather exasperated.
Instead of answering her, Ron winced as Seamus kicked him particularly hard in the shins. Hermione gave him a strange look and noticed that both Ron and Seamus were jerking slightly as they kicked each other. So she leaned over and glanced underneath the table, whereupon they both stopped suddenly. However they could do nothing about the fact that their legs were squirming in pain. Hermione sat up straight again with a confused look on her face.
After the sorting was over, Professor Dumbledore stood up to administer his annual start of term speech.
"Welcome to another excellent year," he began. "I'd like to start by introducing our new defense against the dark arts teacher, Professor Weasley." Ron turned a pale shade of green from realization that his mother was sitting at the staff table. (A/N: sorry, spur of the moment thinking. I just thought it was funny. Have you realized that they've never had a girl DADA teacher?) "Professor Delacour" Ron turned even greener (hee hee hee, I joke around too much) "Professor Figg."
"Figg? The name sounds familiar," Harry whispered in Ron's ear. "Didn't Dumbledore send Sirius to find her at the end of last year?"
"I think so," Ron replied, rubbing a bruise gingerly.
"Now, I must remind you all that the forbidden forest is pretty much forbidden to all students, and none below the third year are allowed to visit the village of Hogsmeade. We are going through difficult times at this point so students are advised to follow these rules for their own safety" Dumbledore continued. "Also, we are starting a new tradition this year. Due to the continuous requests of several students (Parvati and Lavender giggled nervously at this) we will be holding a Halloween Ball this year for all students."
The rest of the feast was filled with chatter about the ball and who would be taking whom. Finally, when everyone was too full to eat anymore, all the students filed out of the Great Hall and into their respective dormitories.
"Hermione, could I talk to you alone for a moment?" Seamus asked just as they entered the common room.
"Sure, Seamus," she replied and followed him to a not so crowded corner while Ron looked ready to kill them. Harry, noticing this, dragged Ron up to their dormitory muttering, "Come on Ron, time for bed. I'm sure you're tired."
Hermione watched them disappear up the boys' staircase, Ron clearly struggling to free himself of Harry's grip. Turning back to Seamus, she found him scowling in Ron's direction. Wondering why everyone was acting so strange today, she cleared her throat and broke his trance.
"Oh yeah," Seamus said. "Hermione I just wanted to know if you wanted to go to the Halloween Ball with me."
Hermione was taken aback. Was that what Ron and Seamus had been fighting over? How stupid. Well she wasn't going to the ball with either of them until she thought it over thoroughly. Plus, she had to OK it with Viktor. After all, he was her boyfriend. "Seamus, it's a little early to be asking that," she said reasonably. "The ball's ages away. But I'll think about it."
"OK," Seamus replied almost nonchalantly as he followed
Harry and Ron up the stairs.
A/N: So? What did you think? Good, bad, terrible, so bad you wanted to barf? Yeah, I thought so. So I realize that it's the first chapter and it's kinda boring but I did my best to make it as interesting as possible! So can you please do me a favor and review? Please? Thank you
PS OMG I'm whining *shakes head* I'm such a loser.