Ok!!! I'm really excited now, because I got some reviews!! Sure there were only three!!! But none the less!! I'm very easily pleased!!
JediMasterWhit: I must admit that I do have a plot, but I don't really have the whole story planned out! I can guarantee that it will be long!!
Leenys: Lol!!! I'm hopeless!! Three reviews is good enough for me!! Thanx for your vote of confidence!!! Here's the next chapter!!! Hope you like!!
Erica: I'm glad to know that my story meets your standards!! But yeh this is my first fic!! So I hope you continue to enjoy it!!
Well here you go ppl!! Here's chapter three!! I'm in the middle of testing week so chapter four might not be until Thursday!!
Unexpected Opportunities
A new
beginning
A reason for living
A deeper meaning
Hermione woke up, the morning sun rise shining brightly in her eyes. It had been several weeks since, the incident with Draco. ( A/N: Don't flame, but I really have to get the fic moving!) Ever since that night, Draco had been withdrawn. He wasn't notably withdrawn to others, she noticed, but because she supposed she was looking for it. He'd still made snide remarks, picked fights, been Malfoy and annoyed the Gryffindors no end. But it was almost as if some of the malicious was gone, well towards her maybe. She as slightly confused by the whole situation and Malfoy's off key behavior towards her.
Hermione stretched, it was a Saturday, and she was free to lounge around. She had all homework, assignments and Head Girl duties finished. She rolled over, and drifted off to sleep.
Hermione woke with a start, someone was pounding on her door; hard and relentlessly. Hermione made her way over to the door, and opened the door groggily.
"Yes, what do you want?" she asked not actually registering who was at the door.
"Granger, get dressed, Dumbledore has to speak to us urgently."
"What for?? It's Saturday??"
"I don't know, but just get dressed, you can't wear THAT to a meeting with the Headmaster" Draco smirked and left. Leaving a very red and embarrassed Hermione behind. She was wearing a tank top and shorts, and had left her hair out. She looked like a mess, and her clothes were barely covering her.
Hermione grabbed some clothes and made her way into the bathroom. She turned on the hot water tap and left the water run over her back. She washed her hair and jumped out of the shower. She hurriedly threw on some clothes and ran a brush through her wet locks. She brushed her teeth, slipped into some shoes, and made her way down stairs.
She rushed out of the Common room and grabbed her black, fur cloak. (This is out of uniform time people). She rushed through the halls, and finally found herself in front of the Gargoyle guarding Dumbledore's office.
"Lemony Snicket" she whispered and the gargoyle jumped apart, and Hermione bounded up the stairs, well aware that she was now at least ten minutes late. She burst into Dumbledore's office. And came face to face with the subdued faces of Dumbledore, Professor McGonagall, Professor Snape and Malfoy.
"Miss Granger I'm sure your aware that you are in fact fifteen minutes late?"
"Yes I am, very sorry Professor, won't happen again."
"Yes, I'm sure it won't; well now back to the matter at hand. Professor McGonagall, if you'll continue please."
"Of course, as I was saying, the French Ministry has requested that all the Head Boys and Girls, of Wizarding Schools all around Europe attend. It is about the Dark Arts." Here McGonagall looked pointedly at Malfoy. "The course will also be team building. Hogwarts hasn't participated in this program for many years but we feel that in these Dark times it is important for team building. You will be gone for two months, and you will leave in four days."
"Ummm Professor, how will we be able to get permission for our parents at such short notice??"
"Don't worry Miss Granger; we got both of your parent's consent two weeks ago. We just haven't informed you in case there was a …..development in the current situation." Dumbledore's eyes darkened as he spoke, and he looked at Malfoy once again.
"Also as, you both ticked the box that said you could both speak French fluently, you are both easily the most eligible candidates for the program." Professor McGonagall said, glancing over at Hermione.
"Now any more questions?" Hermione and Malfoy both shook their heads. "Very well then, you will both need to be ready on Wednesday morning at 6.00am. Please don't be late. You will both need dress robes, and formal wear. You will also need some muggle clothing, and very warm clothing. As it is going into winter in France. The next Hogsmeade trip is tomorrow, and I suggest you both go. As for muggle clothing, you will both have a day off on Tuesday to get all your stuff together. This will include going into Muggle London and purchasing several muggle clothing articles. Is that clear??" Professor McGonagall glanced at Malfoy then at Hermione, how both nodded.
"Thank you for your time, you may both go." Dumbledore, indicated for them to leave.
Hermione and Malfoy both left, and made their way slowly up to the common room. On arriving at the common room, Malfoy mumbled something about sleep and Hermione made her way upstairs for a nice hot, relaxing bath.
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The next day Hermione woke up promptly and got herself ready for her trip to Hogsmeade. She slipped into, jeans and a shirt, with a arm but simple cloak over it. She grabbed her money bag, which was still full, from the beginning of year trip to Diagon Alley, and made her way out the portrait down to breakfast.
Down at breakfast, she met up with Ron and Harry, who were stuffing their faces with food.
"Hi guys, how are you?" Hermione asked, as she poured syrup over her pancakes.
"Yeh we're great 'Mione" Ron said, only just managing to keep his bacon in his mouth.
"Well guys, I'm going to France for two months, so you guys won't be seeing me for while. I leave in three days." Hermione said brightly, taking a mouthful of pancakes.
"WHAT??" Harry's emerald green eyes were blazing, and his face was shocked. "Who with?"
"Malfoy, cause he's Head Boy and the only other person in the school, aside from me, who can speak French fluently."
"WHAT?? How can McGonagall and Dumbledore, let you go to France with that git??"
"I dunno, but there's no use fighting it. It's a Dark Arts course to teach us about the Dark side. Not make us join, just teach us."]
"Yeh whatever, but I really thinmk….." Ron started but Hermione cut him off.
"I DON'T care what you think. It's a fantastic opportunity, and will help me get into Aurora Training. I have to go to Hogsmeade to get some new clothes. Bye". She pushed her plate away, and stormed out of the hall; angry at Ron and Harry of not being happy for her.
^*^*^*^*^*^^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^
Hermione made her way through Robes for All Occasions at Hogsmeade. She flicked through the robes, remembering McGonagall words of advice, to get formal wear as well as something warm. She was beginning to feel disheartened, it had been an hour and she still had found anything that appeased her tastes.
She made her way to the back of the store, and found a rack full of extravagant gowns. She flicked through them and found the perfect outfit. It was a red strapless dress, that came in at the waist, and then went out elegantly just below the waistline. It was beautiful but not extravagant. It also came with long elegant silk gloves, and a deep red cloak that had fur around its collar. Hermione took it too a change room, pleased with it's fit she moved to the counter to purchase it.
Satisfied that she had a formal gown she made her way to Madam Malkin's Robes for some more and warmer school robes. Professor McGonagall had told her that in France it was tradition to also wear black. Hermione was pleased with this, and she needed some new robes anyway; so her mother had sent her a sufficient sum. Despite popular belief the Grangers were more than financially stable, due to her father's previous occupation of being a Surgeon.
Hermione made her way into the store, and was immediately approached by a friendly looking shop assistant.
"Hello dear, how may I help you?"
"Well I'm going to France on an exchange and I need some new robes. They still need to be black but they will require some extra warmth, and something a little trendy wouldn't go astray either. I'm bored of the normal robes."
"Hmmmmmmmmmmm I understand. Well this season we have black robes that are magically altered to fit your figure. As well as this they are made in France, and so are extremely warm." The women said, bristling as Hermione's obvious desperation for new robes.
"Ok, sounds good, um about sizing …" Hermione was cut off as the women whipped out her wand and took Hermione's measurements.
"Ok, well according to my measurements, you will need a size 10. The robe will still fit your figure, but they still billow slightly." The women said, making her way over to a rack of elegant looking robes.
"Here this is your size, try that on."
"Okay thank you." Hermione made her way to the change room
Hermione tried on the robes, and found that they were indeed incredibly warm, and did suit her figure very well. Satisfied, Hermione shrugged out of the robe, and made her way out the sales assistant.
"Yes, they fit very well thank you, I'll take five."
The women smiled, and took the robe from Hermione, and immediately returned back to the counter with four more robes in her hand. "Is that all you'll be needing."
"Yes thank you." Hermione said reaching into her bag for her Gringotts card (A/N I know they don't actually exist in the Harry Potter books but I though it would be cool anyway. So bear with me!)
"Thank you dear." The lady swiped the card, and then wrapped the robes up in paper, and placed them in a magically animated bag.
"Thank you for shopping at Madam Malkin's" the women said sounding like a robot.
Hermione walked out of the shop; and felt considerably better after her slight shopping spree. Feeling adventurous, she headed to the hair dressers, where she decided she'd get her hair done before going to France.
Hermione walked into the parlor, and stepped up to the counter, and waited impatiently to be served.
Finally, a young woman with purple hair walked up to Hermione.
"Hi, how can I help you?"
"Well I was wondering, if I could get my hair cut, streaked and slightly curled?"
"Yeh sure, one of the customers just cancelled her appointment."
"Really? Thanks."
"Over this way", the women led Hermione over to a chair in the back of the store, and cast a no-mess spell over Hermione. "Okay so you wanted it cut, and streaked and curled. Hmmmmmmmmmmm, well because your hair is such a light brown, how about we lighten it a tad, and then place some dark streaks through it. I'll cut it so it's just below you first rib, and then I'll place some permanent curlers in your hair, that will mean that it's constantly curly. How does that sound?"
"Fantastic." Hermione breathed, confident, now about going to France with or without her friends approval.
Hi People!!!!
Plz don't flam too much!! I know that Hermione is changing her look a tad. But I sorta wanted to do it, just to give the story a bit of a twist. It will also help heaps in the next chapter!!! Anyway!! Thanks to my reviewers!!
Sly-Gurl