I knew I Loved Him Then: Part 1: Chapters 1-4
Chapter 1
Hermione waited as her father packed her trunk in the car. She was about to start her fifth year at Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry. She was excited because she had been made a prefect. That, however, was not the only reason she was excited. Harry was going to be on the train. Harry had been her crush for the past four years. He however had not noticed Hermione, unless you call being stunned that she was actually a girl at the Yule Ball last year noticing.
Hermione had changed a lot over the summer. Her parents hadn't been too happy with the change in her teeth, but what could they do about it. Over the summer, Hermione had found that if she blow-dried her hair every time after she took a shower, her hair would lie flat. She had also grown a few inches, however she wasn't nearly as tall as Ron. He had to be approaching six feet.
She hadn't seen Harry or Ron all summer, for she had gone to Bulgaria to visit Viktor Krum. Viktor and she had only ever been friends, the whole boyfriend girlfriend thing had just been a ploy to attract Harry's attention. The only reason Viktor had agreed is because he had wanted some other girl to like him. Viktor was currently engaged to a very beautiful Bulgarian witch who had also graduated with him. Hermione was very happy for them. The wedding was to take place over Winter Vacation and Viktor had asked her to invite Harry and Ron, which she was more than happy to do.
"Hermione, we're ready," her father called back to her. "Go and check if you forgot anything." Hermione ran up to her room for a quick once over. She found something that she wouldn't dare leave behind: Rita Skeeter.
"You're coming with me," she said, and stuffed Rita into her purse. Hermione turned around to look at herself in the mirror.
Cinnamon eyes, brown hair pulled back into a messy bun, jeans and a Petit Batou. Not bad, she thought, and bounded downstairs to the car where her parents were waiting.
"Let's go Mimi!" her mother shouted. Hermione whirled around to make sure no one was listening. Mimi was her mother's pet name for her and she hated. It was fun when she was six, but she was fifteen now, well, almost fifteen. She would be fifteen September 15th. This year was her golden birthday. Normally, she ignored her birthday and went on with her life. She got presents from her parents and even Professor McGonagall had gotten her something once, but other than that, she just ignored it. This year she was going to celebrate her birthday like most people do.
"Mom, don't call me that! I've told you countless times…"
"You've told me twenty times not to call you Mimi. I know honey, but I want to remember you as mommy's little girl. Willy! Come on, we have to drop your sister off at the train station."
"Mum! Why do I have to come?" asked Willy, as she dragged her feet down the front path.
"Because I said so. This is a big year for your sister," said Mum.
"Yeah, besides," Hermione said. "Don't you want to meet Harry?"
"Yeah, I want to meet the guy Mimi's been going on and on about for the past eight weeks and tell him to run before she gets her hands on him. I honestly pity the little guy," she laughed.
"He's not little," Hermione shouted. She got into the car, followed by a disgruntled Willy. They got to the train station at five of.
"Honey, have a great year. Write us if you need anything," her mother said. "Willy, say goodbye to your sister." Willy had completely forgotten that anything else existed. Hermione saw what she was staring at and turned away, trying not to laugh. She was staring at Ron.
"Hermione!" he shouted.
"Ron!" Hermione shouted back. She ran over and gave him a big hug to spite her sister. "Why didn't you owl me?" I asked.
"I thought you were gone all summer. I saw your parents in Diagon Ally, without you and I thought you were in Bulgaria with Viktor," he laughed and Hermione scowled.
"I don't like him, we're just friends," she said.
"I know, but you'll never live it down for as long as I live," he laughed.
"I swear Weasley, if you get any taller, you'll outgrow the castle. I hope you do, I wouldn't have to see your ugly face anymore," came a drawling lazy voice from behind. Hermione started laughing. The voice was cracking. She whipped around.
"Well if it isn't Ferret boy. I never would have recognized your voice if I didn't already know you were the scum of the earth," she laughed. "At least he didn't have to go through adolescence squeaking like a mouse." Draco Malfoy looked aghast as Hermione heard a familiar snicker from behind her.
"Hermione Granger, what have you been up to over the summer? You seem like an entirely different person," said the voice.
"I have the same to ask of you, Harry Potter. Too famous to write me a letter?" she asked jokingly.
"Well, you know, I do have life, I go out helping old ladies cross the street, rescuing kittens from trees, escaping from Voldemort, you know, the small stuff," he laughed. His voice had gotten deeper over the summer. I smiled and gave him a big hug. "How've you been?" he asked.
"Well, you know me," I said. He looked puzzled. "Ill give you a hint: it begins with 'h' and ends with 'omework.' I've been really busy over the summer. I went to Bulgaria to visit Viktor and I got home a week ago. I've been working straight just to get all our homework done."
"I know what you mean. I got to tell you guys a really, really funny story when we get on the train. You're just gonna die. Well, maybe Ron, but the last time I told you a story like this, you threw a fit," he laughed.
"Mum, I got to go now. By the way Willy," Hermione whispered to her sister. "His name is Ron."
"Mimi!" she shouted after me as I ran towards the barrier.
Chapter 2
Harry, Ron and Hermione boarded the train. They found an empty compartment and sat down.
"What did she call you?" asked Harry, grinning. Hermione scowled at him.
"That's my mother's pet name for me. Mimi, derived from Hermi derived from Hermione. I hate it," I added as a warning.
"I like it," said Harry. "It suits you."
"It does not!" Hermione shouted.
"I'm with Harry on this one Mimi," said Ron, grinning. "Your fighting a loosing battle."
"Harry, you were going to tell us something?" Hermione asked, changing the subject.
"Yes, I was Mimi. Starting last summer, as you know, Dudley started on his diet. Well, I came home from Hogwarts at the end of last year and found that Dudley had lost roughly fifty pounds," he started to smile. "Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia were very proud of him and threw a party in his honor. I was told to stay upstairs. However, that was the day Snuffles decided to come and check up on me. I had been locked in the cupboard because Dobby had come to visit and started shrieking in his normal manner. When Snuffles went upstairs to see me and I wasn't there, he, he, he…" Harry was about to fall off his seat he was laughing so hard, "he, he turned them into, into, into," he was on the ground, tears leaking from his eyes.
"What did he turn them into?" Ron asked, starting to laugh.
"Well, Dudley turned into a pig," Ron started sobbing hysterically at this, Hermione was trying to contain herself, but was doing a poor job and Harry couldn't talk. When he calmed down enough to speak, he said, "Uncle Vernon turned into a mouse and Aunt Petunia, oh this is rich. She turned into dirt!" Hermione and Ron stopped laughing a bit, but Harry was hysterical.
"What's so funny?" asked Ron.
"Oh, right, you guys don't know Aunt Petunia. She absolutely hates dirt, she can't stand it. "
"Oh, okay. I guess it's just one of those things," said Ron, throwing Hermione a glance. She glared right back at him.
"Anyway, guess what this year is?" Hermione asked proudly.
"What year is this?" asked Ron, mimicking her.
"This year is my golden Birthday," she announced.
"Big deal," said Ron.
"Do you even know when my birthday is?" asked Hermione.
"It's in September," he replied.
"September what?"
"Er, seventh?"
"No."
"First?"
"No. Do you even know what a golden Birthday is?"
"No. Harry, do you?"
"Yeah. I'll give you a hint Ron. On my golden Birthday, I'll be turning 31."
"Your birthday is on the fifteenth of September?" asked Ron.
"Why are you so surprised?" I asked back.
"I didn't know that."
"I kinda figured, seeing as how you never acknowledged it," Hermione said.
"Mimi, how come you never told us when your birthday is?" asked Harry.
"Because to me, birthdays are overrated. You get presents for something that you couldn't help if you tried. It's just a regular day and if you treat it differently, you set yourself up for disappointment," she explained. Harry and Ron still looked puzzled. Hermione shrugged. "It's just something that gets to me, nothing to worry about."
Ron and Harry started talking about Quidditch, a sport that Hermione had no interest in whatsoever, so she rummaged through her trunk to find a book, Vampire Hunting in Romania by Victoria Custos. Victory Guard, Hermione thought dryly. At school, she had learned some Latin and was surprised to find that when she got to Hogwarts, everyone's name meant something. Hermione voiced something that had been nagging at the back of her head as Harry and Ron were discussing who would be captain of the Quidditch team this year.
"I tell you Harry, it'll be you. You are always everything. Look at yourself, you'll be the next Head Boy, you're already prefect…"
"So are you," Harry retorted. Hermione cleared her throat.
"Who do you think the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher will be?" she asked.
"I dunno, we haven't had a witch yet, maybe we'll get one this year. I just pray to God that Snape didn't get the job," said Harry, shuddering.
"If it's a witch, then I hope she's at least attractive…"Ron started.
"Hey!" shouted Hermione.
"Well, how would you like to look at some old hag for forty minutes a day?" Ron asked.
"He's got a point, you know Mimi," laughed Harry.
"Men," Hermione muttered and went back to her book while Harry and Ron went back to talking about Quidditch.
Chapter 3
The rest of the train ride was very uneventful. Fred and George joined us, and we played Exploding Snap.
"You guys better watch out for Malfoy this year," started Fred, as if he had been planning it.
"Yeah," agreed George. "Remember what we did at the end of last year?"
"Bullocks," said Ron. "What could he do to hurt us at Hogwarts with the teachers practically breathing down Harry's neck. Remember what happened last year…" he fell silent at the look on Harry's face. Hermione was horrified that Ron could be so insensitive. Harry had not only seen Cedric die, but had been forced to duel with Voldemort and as a result seen his parents come out of Voldemort's wand. He had come back disturbed and extremely upset.
"Ron," Hermione hissed and shot him a glare. "You are the most insensitive, uncaring…. Ron, he's your best friend!"
"It's okay Mimi. I came to terms with it over the summer. I'm was not responsible for Cedric's death and it's not my fault Voldemort came back." Ron flinched. He hated hearing the name. Hermione didn't say it just to humor him. However, right now she was so ticked off at him for making Harry upset that she just couldn't resist.
"Voldemort, Voldemort, Voldemort, Voldemort, Voldemort, Voldemort, Voldemort, Voldemort, Voldemort!" she said. There was an uneasy silence following her outburst. George and Fred who were joking around stopped and stared. Harry looked at her like she was crazy. Ron looked ready to kill.
"Don't say his name!" he hissed.
"What, can he hear me or something?" Hermione scoffed.
"I wouldn't put it past him," said Ron. "He's probably got spies all over the school. You'd better be careful Harry, they'll all be out to get you."
"One word Ron: Grim," said Hermione. Ron sulked in the corner while Fred and George looked puzzled. Harry was giving her a shut up look. "You know what? I can tell I'm not wanted here. I'll just leave." So Hermione got up to wander the train. The next compartment, she saw Lavender, Parvati, Dean, and Seamus.
"Hey Hermione," said Dean, trying to be friendly.
"Hey Dean. Ron is just getting to me again, mind if I sit here?" Hermione asked.
"Not at all," said Seamus. "So what did you do this summer?"
"I went to visit Viktor in Bulgaria. That took up seven of the eight weeks we have, then I literally did all of my forgotten homework nonstop for the last week of holidays. What about you guys?" asked Hermione.
"Well," began Parvati. "There was a surprise party for Harry on his birthday. I guess you didn't get the owl, but he never showed up. Probably his Aunt and Uncle. I don't know why Dumbledore wants to send him there. He'd be safer with one of his classmates."
"The thing is Parvati is that there are protections around the Dursley's house. You-Know-Who can't get him there," explained Hermione.
"I didn't know that," said Lavender. "What book was that in?"
"It wasn't in a book, you dolt," said Dean. "Hermione probably knows because of last year. Harry must've told her."
"What must've I told her?" asked Harry from the compartment door. He walked in and Dean, Seamus, Lavender and Parvati looked uncomfortable.
"About the protections at the Dursley's," said Hermione, completely unperplexed about the whole situation. Harry had owled her before she left saying that it was okay to talk about it at school, anything that had to do with Triwizard Tournament. The only thing he had asked of her is that if she did talk about it, she set the record straight, that she tell the truth and stomp out any rumors she heard that were untrue. She more than willingly obliged.
"Oh that. I honestly don't know how he did it, but I guess I'll never know," Harry said. "Anyway Hermione," he hadn't used her nickname, "Ron says he apologizes if you do. I kinda agree with him, you all caught us a little of guard. I never knew you had it in you."
"What she do?" asked Lavender. "Was it that bad."
"It depends on the person. Ron thought she was mad, I didn't really care though," Harry laughed. "You should have seen him, he was spitting with rage, and I mean rage." Hermione had to laugh at this too. When Ron got mad at something trivial he would get flustered and get splotchy. "So will you apologize?"
"Only if he does, and you guys stop calling me Mimi," Hermione said.
"I don't know why he should apologize to you. It was me he was supposed to have offended, and I wasn't. I think this is your fault Mimi," he grinned. Hermione nearly died. He was so cute when he grinned.
"Don't call me Mimi! My name is Hermione!" she screamed.
Chapter 4
"Just say it Mimi," pleaded Harry. His two friends were sitting at different ends of the compartment facing away from each other.
"You said she would apologize Harry," said Ron. "I'm waiting."
"I said I would apologize because I didn't expect to be made to get down on my hands and knees. I thought it would just be a friendly, 'I'm sorry Ron. I should have known it would offended you and it was a bad judgement call.' Then you would say, 'It's okay Hermione, I wasn't right about the Grim, lets just call it even.' And we'd call a truce. I didn't expect to be forced to my knees to grovel at your abnormally large feet!" Hermione shouted.
"This is going to be a long year," said Harry to himself.
"And another thing, Harry. Why wasn't I invited to your surprise party?" asked Hermione.
"Surprise Party? When?" asked Ron.
"Lavender and Parvati told me that Harry had a surprise party on his birthday, the 31st. Why wasn't I invited, or Ron for that matter. We are your best friends," asked Hermione.
"My birthday?" asked Harry, trying to remember. Then he burst out laughing. "That was the day Snuffles came to visit. Of course the Dursley's want to make me miserable, so they held Dudley's party on my birthday. Typical, but it turned out to be one of the best ones yet."
"Why?" asked Hermione. "What did you get?"
"A dog," said Harry.
"What?" asked Ron, puzzled.
"How?" asked Hermione, who understood.
"Someone saw him over the summer and now there's an inquiry to his innocence." Harry was grinning. "By next summer, I might not have to go to the Dursley's. They're still looking for him, but no more Dementor's Kiss for little Snuffles."
"Oh yeah, we stopped getting the Prophet after all that junk they printed about Harry last year. Damn Rita Skeeter. Do you still have her Hermione?" asked Ron. They seemed to have forgotten about their little row.
"She's in my bag. She makes a good pet, I think I might keep her," joked Hermione.
"When are you going to let her go?" asked Harry.
"I don't know. When do you guys suggest I let her go?" asked Hermione.
"Whenever it is, you might want to be careful. What happens if she registers legally? She'll never let you live it down," warned Ron.
"I can take press hits," said Hermione. "It's one thing I pride myself on."
Later, Hermione went to change into her robes. When she returned, they were just about to pull into the station. Hermione was giddy. This year she was a prefect. Harry, Ron and Hermione climbed into one carriage that would take them to the school.
The Sorting passed quickly, more people went to Slytherin then any other house. Gryffindor only got six. Dumbledore made a few announcements, and Ron, Harry and Hermione found out that the new Defense against the Dark Arts teacher's name was Victoria Custos.
"Hope she's not like Lockhart," muttered Ron. The Feast was fabulous as always. Hermione stuffed herself silly. At the end of the feast, Dumbledore stood up.
"As you know, Voldemort returned last year, so there have been a few minor accommodations of schedules so that the teachers can help against him. You will see what I mean in the schedules tomorrow. There will also be a few adults that will be joining us this year to help in the fight against Voldemort. They are all here as my guests and I ask that you not get in their way. That is all, off to bed."
"First years, follow me," said Hermione. Harry and Ron stared at her. "What did you expect?" she asked. Hermione led the first years up to the dormitory. She gave the password ("boogie man") and directed them to their dorms. "If you need anything," she said to the boys, "get my friend Harry. He's in the fifth year dorm." To the girls, she said, "If you need anything, come get me. I'm also a fifth year. Good night." Hermione trudged off to bed and fell into a deep sleep.
A/N: You recognize it, I don't own it. Five nice reviews, and I'll continue. Email me with ideas.