Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. I own only the plot and my devilish mind.
A/N: Thanks immensely to the reviewers of the first chapter! (Thank You Section at the bottom =)) Sorry to all for the horribly late update. I decided to get a move on since book five is coming out. I hope you guys will enjoy the chapter, although this is probably going to cause more confusion. Don't worry: some will be cleared up in chapter three.
THE MAGIC OF LOVEBy: Katrina TWO Unexpected
"Ron! Ginny!"
Upon seeing that her friends were about to rise and leave from the Hufflepuff table, Hermione quickly excused herself and ran toward the two, hoping to be at least able to catch a chat before class starts. She'd checked her watch and she had at least ten minutes.
Ron and Ginny turned around with quizzical looks as Hermione went up to them, grinning in relief. "Good to see you here!" she said happily, thankful for the familiar faces. "Is it okay if we find an empty classroom to talk together before class starts?"
"Why?" Ginny asked, a frown on her face. "Who are you, anyway?"
Hermione stared at Ginny. "Why, I'm Hermione, Hermione Granger," she said, eyeing Ginny nervously. She's probably just saying that so she doesn't look weird to the rest of the Hufflepuffs, Hermione thought, trying and slightly failing to convince herself. I bet they are every bit as scared and nervous at the place as I am. I guess I'll act like that too if Harry suddenly comes up to me and claims he knows me. "I'm from Ravenclaw," she added, playing along. "I…er…need to ask you some things about…er…ah…Divination."
Ron looked uncertain. "I might be late for Muggle Studies…" he said.
Muggle Studies? Hermione stared at Ron with wide eyes. Since when does Ron take Muggle Studies? She could only remember too well the times when Ron made fun of her for taking Muggle Studies and ignored her when she suggested that he takes it as well. "Please," she begged. Three minutes wasted already. "Can we just go somewhere private to talk? I promise I won't take you long."
"I'm not going," Ron said stubbornly. "Who knows what you're going to do to us?"
Hermione gaped at Ron with a hurt expression on her face. "What would I do to you?" she demanded. "I just want to talk, all right?" Ron is going way overboard with his acting, she thought in exasperation.
Ginny must've understood her intentions, because she shrugged at her brother. "Why not?" she said. "It's not like we're going to have any more fun in the library."
Ron sighed and agreed. "All right, Hermione Granger," he said, eyeing Hermione's Prefect Badge. "Let's go then, shall we?"
Very good acting, both of them, Hermione commented to herself as she led her friends to Moaning Myrtle's bathroom. I should really give them credits for it. Who would've thought? Ron's voice cut through her thoughts. "Wait, that's a girl's bathroom?" He looked suspiciously at Hermione as he lingered outside the bathroom, clearly not wanting to step in. "Okay, so what did Ginny and I do?"
That question took Hermione by surprise. She blinked at Ron. "What's that supposed to mean?" she demanded. "I didn't take you here to take points off of your house!"
"And that's why you took us to a girl's bathroom? Not to mention that it's this haunted, rundown place-"
Ginny glared at her brother. "Ron, just shut up!" she snapped. "Let's hear what this girl has to say, all right? You're wasting time!" Hermione was about to thank when Ginny added, "But I don't know what you're up to, Hermione Granger, but just take heed that just because you're a Prefect does not mean that you randomly take points off because-"
"Stop acting already! Nobody is going to come here!" Hermione cried in irritation. "Look, we all know who each other is, so let's just-"
"Wait a minute," said Ron. "We? I'm afraid I don't know you."
Hermione stared at him. "I'm Hermione, Ron! I've been your best friend ever since first year? What's up with you two? Look, I'm transported here from some I-don't-know-how-exactly place and for goodness' sakes, I know you two are too and you probably can't trust me after nobody else could. But this isn't the time to pretend now that you don't know me. Let's meet in the library later and figure this out, shall we?"
She looked from Ron to Ginny, both of them staring at her like she was Trelawney. Finally, Ron seemed to have found his voice. "Best friends since first year? Really, I didn't know that you existed till now. And what's this…junk about being transported from a place and we are too? I don't know about you, but I'm a hundred percent sure that Ginny and I are in the right place."
"Is this some kind of a joke that Ravenclaws think are funny?" demanded Ginny. "I'm going to be late for Divination. Er…nice meeting you?"
What on earth is going on here? Hermione's mind was screaming in frustration. She hoped with all her heart that everything she was seeing and feeling was just a dream. What's with Ron and Ginny? They can trust me. For Merlin's sake, don't they know who I am? And then the truth hit, more stunning than the last time. Trying to keep her voice even, Hermione whispered, "You really don't know who I am?"
"Yes," said Ginny in an exasperated tone. "I don't know who you are. Well, now I do. You are some Ravenclaw freak called Hermione, but otherwise no."
Hermione grabbed Ginny's sleeve to prevent her from turning away. "And you didn't wake up six years younger?"
Hermione knew she sounded incredibly stupid and illogical and not at all like her usual self, but she really couldn't care less. She felt despair and fear wash all over her as she read the answer on the Weasleys' faces before they even had to answer. "NO," they replied together.
"And so we won't meet you in the library later," Ginny said coolly, apparently believing that it had all been some weird and sick joke.
"And next time, do pick a better time for your Ravenclaw pranks?" Ron muttered, rolling his eyes. He and his sister had started to leave, but when Ginny realized that Hermione was still standing there, she turned and said in a gentler tone, "Influenza is going around now. Go to Pomfrey. And Hermione? You're going to be late for your classes if you don't get a move on."
Hermione gave a start. "Oh…oh…of course," she mumbled, and then she realized that she didn't know her schedule at all.
~*~
A good ten minutes later, Hermione found herself sitting in the too-familiar dungeon, the hated Potions classroom, having her "favorite" lesson with her "favorite" teacher, Severus Snape, whose attitude toward the Ravenclaws was certainly no better than his toward the Gryffindors (took off fifteen points off Ravenclaw for Hermione's lateness). And it was just Hermione's luck that she was having the class with the Slytherins.
"Now that Miss Granger had kindly decided to come to class," Snape said acidly, glaring at Hermione, "let's go back to what we were talking about before. The Sleeping Draft. I hope you all have prepared your ingredients as I have instructed in the previous lesson."
Damn! Hermione didn't even remember to bring her cauldron, let alone the ingredients. She could just imagine Snape's smirk as he took off a hundred points for her stupidity.
Before the lesson could continue, another person entered the classroom, panting and breathing hard. "Sorry, professor," he gasped.
"That's perfectly fine," said Snape, in a tone much nicer than the tone he used to Hermione. "Go sit down now."
Of course, one of his fellow Slytherins, Hermione thought bitterly, turning to look at the newcomer, and nearly choked. It was Harry. Harry caught her eyes for a moment and quickly looked away as he joined the Slytherins. Hermione bit her lips. Do I dare to try? She asked herself, and decided that she must. She stared at her cauldron and basically tuned out the voice of Professor Snape, thinking about Ron and Ginny's responses to her questions. What if it's the same thing for Harry? She wondered, chopping up liver. What if I'm the only idiot? What if the life I thought I knew was all a big, stupid dream?
"Earth to Hermione!" cried Padma, since Hermione was forced to work with her, herself having no cauldron nor ingredients. "There aren't any dragon liver in the Sleeping Draft. Have you been listening?" She grinned. "Guess not, eh?"
"Huh?" Hermione looked at Padma blankly. "Oh…oh…of course. Yes, no dragon liver." And then, she dumped the livers in her hands into the cauldron, much to the protesting of Padma and the delight of Snape that the so-called Perfect Prefect had blundered at last.
~*~
All throughout the day, Hermione couldn't concentrate on her lessons. In fact, she was yelled at consecutively for the first times in her entire Hogwarts school life, but she didn't really care. She was too busy worrying about what she would say to Harry after supper, when she would corner him. She was in Charms right now, prodding the scarf she was supposed to make do the Macarena dispassionately, thinking about Harry.
During Potions, she didn't really get to look at him much, but from the little things she could gather, she could see that he was very much a Slytherin. First of all, they laughed rather unkindly at the Ravenclaws when Snape took off points, and Snape even seemed to favor Harry. Hermione nearly choked laughing when she realized that it wasn't so funny at all. Snape liking Harry? That was the last straw for Hermione. Obviously this world she was in was completely and totally warped, screwed up. But then again, maybe I am. Secondly, Harry actually seemed to be interested in Potions. He didn't doodle or crack jokes like he did before, but instead flushed in a rather pleased way when Snape praised him on his potion's lovely shade of magenta. And thirdly, he didn't try to catch Hermione's eyes once. Hermione knew that in his place, she would do everything in her power to catch his eyes. But despite all, she was determined to carry out her plan. At least she'd know.
"Miss Granger!"
Hermione looked up in confusion at tiny Flitwick, who was staring at her with a strange expression. "Class is over," he said, gesturing toward the other students, who were all leaving the classroom, chattering and laughing. "Your scarf had been doing the Macarena for the last fifteen minutes already."
"Oh…sorry," Hermione mumbled, gathering up her books and going to join Padma, feeling more confused and lost by the minute.
"What's with you?" Padma asked, as she led Hermione to the Great Hall. "You seemed to be spacing out the whole day. That has never happened to our dear Prefect." She stopped when Hermione started automatically to go to the Gryffindor table. "Hermione."
Finally, Hermione was sitting at the Ravenclaw table, with her favorite barbecued chicken in front of her on the plate, except she was barely eating it, although usually she would devour it in a few seconds, getting teased by Ron at how unladylike Perfect Hermione was. After one last stab at her chicken, Hermione gave up. She just sat there, listening to Padma chat with other Ravenclaw girls and occasionally asking her a question, drinking pumpkin juice (although soon she was merely sucking from an empty goblet), while watching closely at Harry.
With a panging heart, she turned to the Gryffindor table, the place she longed to be at, and to the place where she, Harry, and Ron usually sat, to see…Malfoy? There was no mistaking in the blonde hair and the gray eyes, yet filled with mirth instead of malice, as he cracked jokes with Parvati, Dean, and Neville. Hermione remembered that earlier in class, she remembered hearing Lisa Turpin mentioning how dreamy Draco Malfoy was. She shook her head in disgust. A glance at the staff table stunned her even further. While usually Snape would look at Malfoy with a look of…doting this one was staring at Malfoy with the look of loathing he'd usually reserved for Harry.
Definitely not expected.
Sighing, she looked at Harry, joking with Crabbe and Goyle. She prayed with all her might that he'd be alone when he would leave the table, and to her immense relief he was. At first, Crabbe and Goyle made as if they wanted to follow him out, but Harry shook his head and said something.
"I need to go to the library," lied Hermione quickly, standing up.
"No surprise at that, at least," Padma grinned at her cheekily. "You haven't really eaten, though. Shall I wrap up some cakes for you?"
Hermione shook her head and hurried out of the Great Hall, a bit annoyed at her lack of manners. Outside, she caught up to Harry, who was heading down the corridors. "HARRY!" she shouted, unable to mask the relief and joy in her voice.
Harry turned to her. His emerald eyes seemed to light up for a moment before they darkened considerably. "Oh, hi," he said. There was a long moment of awkward silence. "Who are you?"
Hermione bit her tongue to stop herself from screaming out. "Can we talk this over somewhere else?"
Harry shook his head. "No."
Whatever. Hermione tried to smile easily. "Look, Harry," she said quietly. "I know that you are scared too." Please! Please! "I am as well. I woke up in the wrong house and knowing all the wrong things and I couldn't figure out what was going on either. I know you have the same problems-"
Was that a flicker she'd seen in those emeralds?
"I don't!" said Harry harshly. "You're lying!"
Hermione took a step back involuntarily. "Harry, listen to me," she begged. "Please just answer one question truthfully. Do you know me?"
Harry stared at her, and his expression softened for a bit before hardening again. "I do now," he snapped, shoving her aside as he strode toward the direction of the Slytherin common room. "Your name is Hermione, and you are a meddling Ravenclaw prefect." He whipped around. "Leave me alone."
As Harry disappeared around the corner, Hermione fell against the wall. Her last hope was gone, too.
A/N: Yikes! No Howlers, please! I put a few clues in this chapter. Can anyone find them? These clues will be revealed in the next chapter, so don't worry if you can't find them-but if you do, this will relieve you somewhat. (At least it did to me!) And I'm starting to work in the third one, so the update won't drag as long as this one. Review please! I live for your reviews to sustain me through the finals!
~Katrina
Thanks immensely to:
Fanficaholic1337-my first review! Yup, H/Hr. I love the pairing. Thanks for reviewing and keep on reading!
Indiviualists-it's up now, although very late. Thanks for reviewing!
RaistlinofMetallica-thanks for reviewing. You meant what's happening, right? Well…you'll see…
Pommekitty-thanks so hard for the review! And no, Harry's not evil. I'm in love with him too, but Hermione's going to get him…aww…
Gemini Allora Drazel-aiya! Bad Katrina! I'm sorry for the confusion, but why are they in the wrong houses? I can tell you this much: I'm going to make life hard for Harry and Hermione before they get together.
(unknown reviewer)-thanks for the reassurance.
Violet Princess-thanks for the review. It's suspenseful? I'm so flattered! =)
itsumademo mamoru-thanks for the review. Your questions will be answered in subsequent chapters, and I'm not giving away the plot (even though I tend to anyway…).
Coocoo-I know it's confusing, but the second part I don't get. I mentioned that it's an H/Hr romance and there is a reason why Harry's in Slytherin. Thanks for reviewing anyway…
