Disclaimer: Okay, we're gonna play a game, what is really cool, worth million's, belongs to J.K. Rowling, and is definitely not mine? Three guesses and the first two don't count. Harry Potter? Ding ding ding, we have a winner!
Chapter 4
Looking Good Hermione
Arriving at the castle, Hermione was glad to see that everything still looked as it had before she left. She was glad for something stable. She needed that sense of normalcy right now.
"Man, am I glad to see this place again," she muttered under her breath.
"What'd you say Lina," said Dean, who seemed to be quite taken with her.
"Oh, just that I glad to be here again."
"Yeah, me too, it's like a second home. You're gonna love it here."
"I'm sure I will."
Inside the castle, everyone was immediately ushered into the great hall for dinner. But before they could have dinner, like every other year, they had to sort the first years. That went fairly quickly, and before she knew it, dinner was over, and the moment she had been dreading was approaching quicker than she would've liked.
"Students, may I have your attention," said Dumbledore as he stood up. "Before I bring up and introduce this years prefects, I would just like to remind everyone that the Forbidden Forest, is once again, strictly forbidden. Now for this years prefects."
He started with Slytherin prefects. Everyone was shocked when Draco Malfoy was called up, and when Pansy Parkinson was also called up, everyone cringed, since she squealed as she ran up to grab Draco's arm. He just shoved her off him with a look of pure disgust on his face.
"How on earth did that git become a prefect," whispered Ron to Harry, a look of disgust on his face.
"I dunno, he probably paid his way in."
Dumbledore quickly announced Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff prefects, before moving on to Gryfffindor. Hermione was getting more nervous as he went through the list, but she didn't hear her name.
"All right everyone, here are this years prefects. See them if you ever have a question or need help. Prefects, you may be seated now."
They didn't call me, why? Hermione was sitting there stunned and shocked at not hearing her name.
"Oh, may I have your attention students for one more prefect who I apologize for forgetting. Miss Hermione Granger, please come up and get your badge. (Dumbledore had decided to hand out prefect badges at school, so that they would not be charmed to flash inappropriate things, such as the Weasley twins had done to Percy's badge) When Dumbledore said Hermione's name, everyone at Gryffindor cheered, since she was the smartest student the school had ever seen in a long time.
"Okay, here goes nothing," said Hermione to herself, under her breath, as she hesitantly stood up from her seat. As she made her way up, the great hall became deathly silent. Even the teachers were shocked. Dumbledore just stood there, staring at her in shock. Could this really be Hermione Granger?
"Woo! Lookin' good Hermione!" yelled a Gryffindor seventh year, name Bradley Cates.
With that comment, everyone in the great hall started talking about her. You have to remember she was still in the black and blue outfit and hair and
make-up. Hermione was getting a little embarrassed, so she decided to quickly use charms to change her appearance and voice back to normal. With a wave of her wand, she was back to normal, causing everyone to look shocked again. They had probably thought she was going to stay that way.
"Thank you Professor Dumbledore," said Hermione as she took the badge from the speechless professor and walked back to her seat.
"Ahem…well, let's hear it for out prefects this year," said Dumbledore as he sat back down, still slightly fazed at the previous events. But his shock was nothing compared to that of Draco Malfoy's.
"I can't believe it. That, that, mudblood, embarrassed me in front of my own house, and some good for nothing Gryffindors. How dare she! I am a Malfoy, and no one gets away with embarrassing a Malfoy. Mark my words, she will pay dearly for what she has done," muttered Draco menacingly. "She will pay, and I know just how to make her."
* * * * * * *
Back in the Gryffindor common room, everyone had started to crowd around Hermione. She was being bombarded with questions about how she changed he appearance, how she did her make-up (that being asked by Lavender and Parvarti) and what she did all summer. The question about her summer vacation brought all the memories of what happened with her mother over the past few weeks. Thinking about it caused her to start to panic. She had to get out of there.
"I-I'm sorry, I have to go. Everyone, please move," Hermione asked, her voiced slightly elevated with the panic that was starting to creep in.
No one was moving. Everyone was, if anything, getting closer. She had to do something. So pulling out her wand, she did something that shocked everyone.
"I'm sorry everyone," she said. "Petrificus Partialus." She said, waving her wand at everyone. Immediately, everyone froze, from the waist down. Hermione knew the spelled only last about 10 seconds, so she hurried out of the portrait entrance. Just as the portrait closed, she heard people running toward the entrance. She started running, heading toward the Astronomy tower, which was where she always went when she needed to calm down or be alone.
"Hermione, wait!" she heard Ron and Harry call to her, as they ran after her. She didn't stop, she just kept running, ignoring them. She knew they would catch up to her eventually, since they were faster runners than her. And indeed they did, just as she was rounding a corner. She felt someone grab her around the waist, picking her up off the ground so she couldn't run.
"Just let me go Harry, just let me go, please," she said sobbing, as she struggled to get away from him, and Ron who was helping Harry hold her.
"Not until you tell us what's wrong, we're worried. You never act like this, you're always so calm and collected." Said Ron with concern.
"Well how do you want me to act?!"said Hermione angrily. She knew she was taking her anger and sadness out on them, and they didn't deserve it, but she just couldn't help it. "My mom died over the summer. Is that what you wanted to hear? She had a freakin' tumor, and some blood vessels went and burst, blocking oxygen to the brain causing her to die! So excuse me if I'm not calm and collected.
Hermione sank to her knees, since Harry and Ron had let go of her in shock. She just looked so helpless sitting there, crying, they didn't know what to do.
"I just miss her so much. It just feels like I have no one left sometimes." She said softly, crying even harder.
This brought a reaction from the guys. They both looked at each other and knelt down beside her, wrapping her in a hug.
"You've got us Mione, and don't you forget it," said Harry.
"Yeah, you're stuck with us for a long time, whether you like it or not," chimed Ron.
"Thanks guys, I know that, I guess I just needed a reminder." Said Hermione, grateful for their hug, which just made her feel safe.
They sat their for goodness knows how long, just holding on to Hermione, comforting her while she cried, letting her know silently that they would always be there for her. They were sitting like that when who should come around the corner but one of the people they least wanted to see.
"Well, well, well. What do we have here."
A/N: hee hee, a cliff hanger. I'll get chapter 5 up soon though, so don't worry. A million pretend dollars to whoever can guess who it is.
