Flashback to Harry's 7th year at Hogwarts.
Hermione was walking down the hall, trying desperately to hold five, thick books steady while looking at her watch.
"Oh, buggers," she muttered when she noticed that she was a couple minutes late for her next class.
She was hiding her watch once again beneath the folds of her wardrobe and began to readjust the position of her books when she lurched forward.
"Oh look, Hermione's fallen," she heard a rich voice chuckle from behind her.
"Draco," she muttered, quickly gathering her books back together.
She sat up onto her knees to stack her books more effectively when she felt a hand on her chin tugging her face upwards. She jerked her chin out of Draco's hands violently and glared up at him.
"What are you playing at?" she spat.
"Nothing, my love, it's just that with a little Witch's Remedy and some well-placed rouge you might actually be quite pretty."
"Thanks for telling me that, I'll be sure never to touch Witch's Remedy or rouge again in my life."
She stood up quickly and staggered beneath the weight of her books before regaining her footing.
"There goes Hermione hidden behind her books once again. If only I could see her lovely face once more before we depart again. I do so hate to part at such awful word."
Hermione's insides were boiling and before she could simmer them back down she dropped her books onto the floor and angrily strode forward, pushing Draco up against the wall.
"I don't know what you're playing at, Draco," she spat his name out and he playfully wiped his face. Hermione pompously ignored this act and continued, "Whatever it is, I can guess one thing, it has something to do with my best friend."
"Ron Weasley? That git? Course not!" Draco cut in, a smirk twitching at the corners of his mouth.
"You know that I'm talking about Harry Potter, and don't you dare call Ron a git. He's more of a man than you'll ever be."
"I thought as much," Draco laughed.
Hermione stood, looking at Draco, shocked.
"You actually thought Ron was more of a man," she asked unbelievingly.
"No, course not," he laughed. "Well, I'll address that later, but for now I'll just say that I thought and correctly as I see that you and Ron have a liking for each other. Indeed, I wouldn't be surprised if you're an item at this very moment!"
"You git!" Hermione screamed, throwing a punch towards Draco's nose, which he skillfully blocked.
"You're doing nothing for your case."
"Ron's my best friend; I'd never think something like that of him."
"Well, then, I'll not mention that again and take you at your word, but I will have to contradict what you said about Ron being more of a man. Could Ron ever do this?"
Draco strode forward and swept Hermione into his arms. His lips crashed down onto hers and she felt herself swooning, although she knew that she shouldn't. After many moments of enjoying this passion-filled kiss she angrily pushed him away.
"What was that for?"
"That, my lady, is to prove that I am indeed a man."
He turned around and walked down the hall. Moments later he disappeared around a corner, and Hermione was still staring after him.
She looked at her watch and realized that class was already halfway through.
"Oh, to heck with it," she muttered, picked up her books, and walked back to the Gryffindor Common Room.
***
"Where were you during Charms?" Ron asked, sitting himself across from Hermione at dinner.
"You've never missed a class before," Harry said, grabbing a cup of pudding in front of him.
"And I never will again."
"What's your excuse, then?" Ron asked between mouthfuls of taters.
"I.I guess I just got lost in my studies."
Ron and Harry both let out a loud guffaw. Hermione shot a venomous glare in their direction and they instantly looked apologetic.
"What was that for?" she asked.
"Leave it to you to miss class for your studies," Ron said. Hermione glared at him and didn't talk to him for the rest of the evening.
***
Hermione sat up in her bedroom, thinking about the most surprising day she had ever lived through. More had gone down in the period of one half hour than had ever happened in one whole year.
It was something Draco said that was now bugging her. ".I see that you and Ron have a liking for each other." Hermione shook her head, trying to convince herself that he was just misinterpreting her. After all, he was Draco and Draco was, well, evil. He didn't know her and most certainly didn't try to. At least he hadn't tried to until that day. That was something else that was bothering her, what kind of signals was Draco sending out. One minute he trips her and shows no regard whatsoever for her safety, then he shows an interest in her daily life, and THEN.well, Hermione didn't like to think about it.
'Where did Draco get the impression that Ron and I, were, well, together? Or that we even had a liking together? What I told Draco was completely and totally true; Ron's my best friend and nothing else. The end of that story. Ron may be my best friend, but he's still a git, although I most certainly won't acknowledge that around Draco because then we'd actually agree about something. I can't like a git, and I never will. It's that simple.'
Hermione wished that it was that simple, but she knew it wasn't. Unfortunately, she fell asleep to soon to think about why it might be more difficult than she hoped.
*** Months passed and nothing else out of the ordinary happened. Draco didn't talk to Hermione except to chide her about her pale face and bush-like hair. She wished she could kick him where it counts, but then that would ruin her reputation as a quiet studier and that was the least that she wanted.
Harry and Ron were constantly off practicing Quidditch for the upcoming Gryffindor vs. Slytherin games, so Hermione was by herself more and more frequently until it become rare to see Harry and Ron outside of meals. They apologized constantly for not hanging out with her, but she knew that their hearts weren't in those apologies because Quidditch was their true love. Hermione hated that, she hated that they loved Quidditch more than they valued their friendship with her.
Studying now became her true friend and she became immersed in the worlds of Advanced Charms and the lives of such famous wizards as Godric Gryffindor and Mincent Lapore. It was as if her life wasn't really her own and she only lived to learn. Sure, she might've seemed like she lived like that before, but she really and truly lived for the adventure that being best friends with people like Ron and Harry brought along with it.
The teachers began to notice how she became more and more detached from her best friends. They were concerned, but worried that if they mentioned something it would only grow worse, so Hermione's depression slowly deepened unchecked.
***
It was graduation day and Hermione dreaded giving her speech, because she had resolved to say some things in it that had gone unsaid for too long. She sat in a chair in the staff room, awaiting her cue to walk out into the rearranged Great Hall and give her speech.
The door opened and Hermione glanced up. Professor McGonagall nodded towards her and ushered her into the Great Hall after giving Hermione a reassuring nod.
"You'll do great," Professor McGonagall whispered to Hermione as she walked past her to do the introductions.
"Hello everybody," Professor McGonagall said from the podium set up where the staff table usually was, "and welcome to Hogwarts. At this time it is a pleasure to introduce our valedictorian, Hermione Granger."
There was clapping as Hermione walked up to the podium. She waited for it to die down before she began.
"Hello and welcome. I suppose I should do the normal speech and talk about how wonderful this class is and how incredible these last seven years have been, and this class is incredible and these past years have been my best. That's not what I'm going to talk about; however, I'm going to talk about the friendships and bonds that grew over these seven years. I'm sure that many of us have made friends that will withstand the years. Leaving this ceremony you'll stay in touch and owl each other at every chance you get. That's awesome, and more than any of us reckoned for when we received that owl telling us that we were accepted to the most prestigious wizarding school in all of England. I wish I could have those friendships, one of those that lasts."
Hermione paused and glanced over the crowd. The parents were gazing intently at her, a mix of pride and confusion plastered across their faces. Her classmates weren't moving, although they weren't looking up at her. A few of them were crying and Hermione noticed that Pansy Parkinson was using Draco's robes as a handkerchief.
"My friendships have lasted these years, yes, and I know that many of you think that my best friends and I would stay that would forever, you were mistaken. Our friendships were held together by the perils we went through each year, and once those stopped there was no longer anything to hold onto. I hate that, but there's nothing I could do to stop it."
Hermione paused once again, before continuing on with the rant she had been preparing ever since she had been deserted by Harry and Ron.
"Yes, I'm smart, but that isn't everything in this world. If it was, I'd be well on my way to conquering it."
There was a smattering of uncomfortable laughter across the hall.
"Oh I can't do," Hermione whispered and hurried down from the podium and out into the hall. There were a couple gasps and Hermione heard somebody whisper 'I knew she'd go crazy one of these days. It's all that studying she does. Day and night!'
Hermione threw herself against the wall and began crying with all her heart. She's been holding back these sobs for too long, and now they were echoing throughout the hall with no restraint.
She heard four feet come towards her cautiously and without looking up she knew who it was.
"Go away, you guys."
"Hermione," Harry said, whispering. "I'm so sorry." He seated himself so that he was facing her, and Ron sat down behind him.
"Do you think that that's all our friendship was, the bond of people going through peril together?"
Hermione looked up at her two best friends and sighed, knowing that this wouldn't be easy. "You guys, you like Quidditch better than you like me. It may be petty, but when I don't see you guys for months straight I can't expect our friendship to be the same."
"But we had to or else we would have lost against Slytherin," Ron protested.
"Ron, that's so you. Competition, that's all you care about, you never compare the losses, do you? The amptitude of the losses? Slytherin or me, Ron? You chose and I hate you for it."
"You..hate me?" Ron asked.
"Ron, I'm not sure anymore. I used to love you, but I don't anymore. You ruined it all. I can't love someone I don't know."
"You used to love me?"
Hermione nodded, not knowing how to voice what she was feeling.
"I'm so sorry, Hermione," Harry said, and Hermione heard in his voice that he meant it.
"Things are so messed up now guys, I don't know what to think."
"Please don't desert us."
"Harry, I'll pray for you every day of my life, that Voldemort will never get the better of you, but I can't say that I'll be there for you every day of your life. You certainly haven't been there for me. I have to go."
And with that, Hermione left. She left her former life behind and went in search of a new one.
Hermione was walking down the hall, trying desperately to hold five, thick books steady while looking at her watch.
"Oh, buggers," she muttered when she noticed that she was a couple minutes late for her next class.
She was hiding her watch once again beneath the folds of her wardrobe and began to readjust the position of her books when she lurched forward.
"Oh look, Hermione's fallen," she heard a rich voice chuckle from behind her.
"Draco," she muttered, quickly gathering her books back together.
She sat up onto her knees to stack her books more effectively when she felt a hand on her chin tugging her face upwards. She jerked her chin out of Draco's hands violently and glared up at him.
"What are you playing at?" she spat.
"Nothing, my love, it's just that with a little Witch's Remedy and some well-placed rouge you might actually be quite pretty."
"Thanks for telling me that, I'll be sure never to touch Witch's Remedy or rouge again in my life."
She stood up quickly and staggered beneath the weight of her books before regaining her footing.
"There goes Hermione hidden behind her books once again. If only I could see her lovely face once more before we depart again. I do so hate to part at such awful word."
Hermione's insides were boiling and before she could simmer them back down she dropped her books onto the floor and angrily strode forward, pushing Draco up against the wall.
"I don't know what you're playing at, Draco," she spat his name out and he playfully wiped his face. Hermione pompously ignored this act and continued, "Whatever it is, I can guess one thing, it has something to do with my best friend."
"Ron Weasley? That git? Course not!" Draco cut in, a smirk twitching at the corners of his mouth.
"You know that I'm talking about Harry Potter, and don't you dare call Ron a git. He's more of a man than you'll ever be."
"I thought as much," Draco laughed.
Hermione stood, looking at Draco, shocked.
"You actually thought Ron was more of a man," she asked unbelievingly.
"No, course not," he laughed. "Well, I'll address that later, but for now I'll just say that I thought and correctly as I see that you and Ron have a liking for each other. Indeed, I wouldn't be surprised if you're an item at this very moment!"
"You git!" Hermione screamed, throwing a punch towards Draco's nose, which he skillfully blocked.
"You're doing nothing for your case."
"Ron's my best friend; I'd never think something like that of him."
"Well, then, I'll not mention that again and take you at your word, but I will have to contradict what you said about Ron being more of a man. Could Ron ever do this?"
Draco strode forward and swept Hermione into his arms. His lips crashed down onto hers and she felt herself swooning, although she knew that she shouldn't. After many moments of enjoying this passion-filled kiss she angrily pushed him away.
"What was that for?"
"That, my lady, is to prove that I am indeed a man."
He turned around and walked down the hall. Moments later he disappeared around a corner, and Hermione was still staring after him.
She looked at her watch and realized that class was already halfway through.
"Oh, to heck with it," she muttered, picked up her books, and walked back to the Gryffindor Common Room.
***
"Where were you during Charms?" Ron asked, sitting himself across from Hermione at dinner.
"You've never missed a class before," Harry said, grabbing a cup of pudding in front of him.
"And I never will again."
"What's your excuse, then?" Ron asked between mouthfuls of taters.
"I.I guess I just got lost in my studies."
Ron and Harry both let out a loud guffaw. Hermione shot a venomous glare in their direction and they instantly looked apologetic.
"What was that for?" she asked.
"Leave it to you to miss class for your studies," Ron said. Hermione glared at him and didn't talk to him for the rest of the evening.
***
Hermione sat up in her bedroom, thinking about the most surprising day she had ever lived through. More had gone down in the period of one half hour than had ever happened in one whole year.
It was something Draco said that was now bugging her. ".I see that you and Ron have a liking for each other." Hermione shook her head, trying to convince herself that he was just misinterpreting her. After all, he was Draco and Draco was, well, evil. He didn't know her and most certainly didn't try to. At least he hadn't tried to until that day. That was something else that was bothering her, what kind of signals was Draco sending out. One minute he trips her and shows no regard whatsoever for her safety, then he shows an interest in her daily life, and THEN.well, Hermione didn't like to think about it.
'Where did Draco get the impression that Ron and I, were, well, together? Or that we even had a liking together? What I told Draco was completely and totally true; Ron's my best friend and nothing else. The end of that story. Ron may be my best friend, but he's still a git, although I most certainly won't acknowledge that around Draco because then we'd actually agree about something. I can't like a git, and I never will. It's that simple.'
Hermione wished that it was that simple, but she knew it wasn't. Unfortunately, she fell asleep to soon to think about why it might be more difficult than she hoped.
*** Months passed and nothing else out of the ordinary happened. Draco didn't talk to Hermione except to chide her about her pale face and bush-like hair. She wished she could kick him where it counts, but then that would ruin her reputation as a quiet studier and that was the least that she wanted.
Harry and Ron were constantly off practicing Quidditch for the upcoming Gryffindor vs. Slytherin games, so Hermione was by herself more and more frequently until it become rare to see Harry and Ron outside of meals. They apologized constantly for not hanging out with her, but she knew that their hearts weren't in those apologies because Quidditch was their true love. Hermione hated that, she hated that they loved Quidditch more than they valued their friendship with her.
Studying now became her true friend and she became immersed in the worlds of Advanced Charms and the lives of such famous wizards as Godric Gryffindor and Mincent Lapore. It was as if her life wasn't really her own and she only lived to learn. Sure, she might've seemed like she lived like that before, but she really and truly lived for the adventure that being best friends with people like Ron and Harry brought along with it.
The teachers began to notice how she became more and more detached from her best friends. They were concerned, but worried that if they mentioned something it would only grow worse, so Hermione's depression slowly deepened unchecked.
***
It was graduation day and Hermione dreaded giving her speech, because she had resolved to say some things in it that had gone unsaid for too long. She sat in a chair in the staff room, awaiting her cue to walk out into the rearranged Great Hall and give her speech.
The door opened and Hermione glanced up. Professor McGonagall nodded towards her and ushered her into the Great Hall after giving Hermione a reassuring nod.
"You'll do great," Professor McGonagall whispered to Hermione as she walked past her to do the introductions.
"Hello everybody," Professor McGonagall said from the podium set up where the staff table usually was, "and welcome to Hogwarts. At this time it is a pleasure to introduce our valedictorian, Hermione Granger."
There was clapping as Hermione walked up to the podium. She waited for it to die down before she began.
"Hello and welcome. I suppose I should do the normal speech and talk about how wonderful this class is and how incredible these last seven years have been, and this class is incredible and these past years have been my best. That's not what I'm going to talk about; however, I'm going to talk about the friendships and bonds that grew over these seven years. I'm sure that many of us have made friends that will withstand the years. Leaving this ceremony you'll stay in touch and owl each other at every chance you get. That's awesome, and more than any of us reckoned for when we received that owl telling us that we were accepted to the most prestigious wizarding school in all of England. I wish I could have those friendships, one of those that lasts."
Hermione paused and glanced over the crowd. The parents were gazing intently at her, a mix of pride and confusion plastered across their faces. Her classmates weren't moving, although they weren't looking up at her. A few of them were crying and Hermione noticed that Pansy Parkinson was using Draco's robes as a handkerchief.
"My friendships have lasted these years, yes, and I know that many of you think that my best friends and I would stay that would forever, you were mistaken. Our friendships were held together by the perils we went through each year, and once those stopped there was no longer anything to hold onto. I hate that, but there's nothing I could do to stop it."
Hermione paused once again, before continuing on with the rant she had been preparing ever since she had been deserted by Harry and Ron.
"Yes, I'm smart, but that isn't everything in this world. If it was, I'd be well on my way to conquering it."
There was a smattering of uncomfortable laughter across the hall.
"Oh I can't do," Hermione whispered and hurried down from the podium and out into the hall. There were a couple gasps and Hermione heard somebody whisper 'I knew she'd go crazy one of these days. It's all that studying she does. Day and night!'
Hermione threw herself against the wall and began crying with all her heart. She's been holding back these sobs for too long, and now they were echoing throughout the hall with no restraint.
She heard four feet come towards her cautiously and without looking up she knew who it was.
"Go away, you guys."
"Hermione," Harry said, whispering. "I'm so sorry." He seated himself so that he was facing her, and Ron sat down behind him.
"Do you think that that's all our friendship was, the bond of people going through peril together?"
Hermione looked up at her two best friends and sighed, knowing that this wouldn't be easy. "You guys, you like Quidditch better than you like me. It may be petty, but when I don't see you guys for months straight I can't expect our friendship to be the same."
"But we had to or else we would have lost against Slytherin," Ron protested.
"Ron, that's so you. Competition, that's all you care about, you never compare the losses, do you? The amptitude of the losses? Slytherin or me, Ron? You chose and I hate you for it."
"You..hate me?" Ron asked.
"Ron, I'm not sure anymore. I used to love you, but I don't anymore. You ruined it all. I can't love someone I don't know."
"You used to love me?"
Hermione nodded, not knowing how to voice what she was feeling.
"I'm so sorry, Hermione," Harry said, and Hermione heard in his voice that he meant it.
"Things are so messed up now guys, I don't know what to think."
"Please don't desert us."
"Harry, I'll pray for you every day of my life, that Voldemort will never get the better of you, but I can't say that I'll be there for you every day of your life. You certainly haven't been there for me. I have to go."
And with that, Hermione left. She left her former life behind and went in search of a new one.