I'm back from Belgium! I still didn't talk to my beta-reader, so if you read my chobsession story as well, I'm sorry, I'll try to see if I can update within three days. Oh, and some of you are hatemailing me with 'hermione can't be in slytherin, she isn't a pure blood...' well, she can! Remember, Tom Riddle was in Slytherin as well and he wasn't a pure blood either. - Nanja

Review!! - Nikki

Chapter 21: Once a Gryffindor, always a.?

Hermione walked into the Gryffindor common room, with a disgusting look on her face, she made her way to a chair and sat down.

Harry looked at her. "Where were you?" he asked.

Hermione looked at him with a bit of bored expression "You KNOW where I've been,. I'll be gone tomorrow" she said brisk.

Harry's face turned pale "You..?" He couldn't really find his words.

Hermione nodded quickly. She felt a bit guilty. She had changed so much and now she was really going to leave Gryffindor. She wasn't going to sit at the same table as them, she wasn't going to cheer for the same team at the Quidditch matches (which probably wouldn't take place anyway) and she was never going to have fun in the classes with them anymore. She swallowed her tears away, but it didn't really help.

She looked at Harry again and saw he was a bit shocked when he took place beside her. "Are you . sure?" he asked a bit trembling.

Hermione looked at the ground. What was she going to say? That she was okay about her being in Slytherin? Somehow she found it really exciting; finally leaving all the Gryffindors,.. but somehow she found it scary; what would the Slytherins think of her anyway? Did she REALLY fit in there?

She wanted to tell Harry she would miss him. But she reminded herself that she wasn't going to say sweet things anymore. Again, her tears welled up.

Harry noticed how hard it was for her to speak and he slowly bent towards her "Hermione, if you are going to be,.. well, If you are really replaced,.. you will never come and sit with us again?" she could hear the panic in his voice.

Harry wanted to wrap his arms around her, just to comfort her. But she was so different. She didn't look like the old Hermione. He wanted the old Hermione back. She wasn't fun this way. She was not Hermione-like,.

At that thought, Harry tried to make a sentence with all the words lined up. It didn't really work. "Uhm. you,.. where do you? I mean, which house?" he tried.

Hermione couldn't control her tears anymore and slowly a tear dropped to the ground "Slytherin" she whispered. At the moment she felt that she was crying, she quickly wiped her tears away with her hand and tried to smile.

It was as if they just told Harry Voldemort was in the castle. He was so shocked that he grabbed her by her shoulders and looked her in her eyes "Hermione! Please,. come back to your old self!" Hermione could she tears in his eyes as well.

She had the urge to say she was sorry, she wanted to hug him and she wanted him to tell her everything would be okay. That she was still a Gryffindor. That they didn't had an argument. That Ginny was dead. That Voldemort was dead. That she could stay,.

But she redrew herself from those thoughts and stood up "I'm not coming back Potter!" those words cost her more energy than ever before. She insulted him like it was normal. She quickly shook her head. She had to stop feeling guilty.

Harry dropped his gaze at the floor. She was so different that even he couldn't change her. Hermione walked to her room.

Ron knocked on Hermione's door. He heard it al from Harry and he wasn't going to let her go. Luna would never forgive him anyway. He wouldn't forgive himself either.

Hermione opened the door "What are YOU doing here?" she asked brisk and sighed "Come in"

He entered, to see all her stuff lying around. "This has to stop!" he suddenly spoke loud.

Hermione was amazed by his courage and crossed her arms "Too late. I'm a Slytherin now"

Ron gritted his teeth "NOW LOOK!" he grabbed a little mirror he saw between the stuff "LOOK!" he held the mirror in front of her face.

Hermione didn't say anything.

"Don't you see?" he asked a bit slower "Don't you see it Hermione? You aren't like that! And you know it!" he lowered the mirror so he could stare her in the eyes "I don't know what you are going to do, but DON'T EVER try to leave Gryffindor,." he finished much softer "I don't think Harry can take that either..."

He turned around and walked away before Hermione could ask him what he meant.

The next morning, Hermione awoke with a horrible feeling in her stomach. She sighed and tried to comfort herself by saying she would never have to deal with Harry, Ron or Ginny, but the thought made her only more discomforted.

Harry didn't want to wake up. It wasn't the next day! It just wasn't! this wasn't the day that Hermione would leave them! He gritted his teeth. Why did she have to leave? He was so attached to her, she was his best friend. How could he just watch how she slowly turned into a,... female Draco?

Ron was already awake. He hadn't sleep the whole night. He had been trying to find a solution, but nothing really seemed to make sense. When Harry came walking into the common room, he could see he hadn't catch much sleep either.

"Hi" Ron tried, but he sounded very depressed. Harry sighed and sat down across him "Yeah,. hi" They didn't say a thing anymore. They were both too depressed and angry.

Hermione came walking in, carrying her trunk with her. She rested her eyes on Harry and Ron, but remembered she was a Slytherin and she wasn't going to be friends with them anymore. Once again, her eyes became watery.

Ron and Harry turned around so they could face her. "Hermione,." Harry started, but she didn't really respond. She just sat down on her suitcase, with her head in her hands. Ron and Harry both didn't know how to comfort her, so they just watched her.

Ginny came walking in, raising her eyebrows at the scenery in front of her. "What's this all about?" she asked curious.

Hermione just made a annoyed sound and Ginny looked at Harry, who was about to cry. "O this is INSANE!" Ginny stated, while trying to get eye-contact with Harry.

Harry threw her a destroying look, but the moment he met her eyes, he felt a little weak and guilty again. It wasn't her fault Hermione was leaving.

Ron sighed "Hermione is leaving" and Ginny clapped her hand in front of her mouth "You are KIDDING!" she said a bit too happy and Harry gave her another destroying look. "I mean,.. how,.. awful" Ginny added quickly.

Hermione stood up, saying nothing, but giving Harry a bit of disturbed look, before turning toward the exit. Harry stood up, pushed Ginny aside and grabbed Hermione's shoulder.

"I CAN'T let you leave like this" he said with a lot of courage. He turned her around, so she would face him. "You are going to stay." He stated.

Hermione raised her eyebrows in surprise "I am?"

"You are, drop the act. I'm going to make sure you won't go anywhere NEAR those Slytherins!" he grabbed both her shoulders and gave her a very strong look in the eye.

Hermione pushed him away "I don't need your concern" she said brisk before leaving the Gryffindor common room.

Harry's jaw dropped and Ron let out a very depressed sigh. Ginny smiled a bit, but tried to hide it with another topic "Did you guys know that there's going to be another ball?"

Both of them didn't respond, but just sadly walked out of the room, paying no attention to Ginny anymore.

Hermione gathered all her courage when she stood in front of the Slytherin common room.

Draco came walking towards her "What are YOU doing here?" he said brisk while brushing some of his hair back.

Hermione raised her eyebrows "Don't you know? They don't even inform you of these such things? More evidence of how important you are around here!" she said sarcastic.

Draco grinned "You're becoming very good at it, Granger. Well, what ARE you doing here anyway?"

"I'm a Slytherin" she said as if it was the most normal thing to say.

Draco gave her a bit of annoying look "Cut it out. Miss PREFECT GRANGER, a Slytherin? I'm laughing my head off"

Hermione grabbed a statement she got from Dumbledore and pushed it under his nose "Well, laugh your head off when you read this"

Draco's jaw dropped when he read the words "And by this statement, Hermione Sarah Granger is a Slytherin"

Hermione grinned "So, now you know"

"Yes,. I never would've thought that. I would never thought that your middle name is SARAH!" he smiled wickedly.

Hermione gave him a warning look and added "NEVER call me that. And give me the password"

"Potty" he said.

Hermione wanted to insult him VERY badly, but she reminded herself once again that Harry wasn't her concern. "Potty?" she said surprised and the statue in front of the Slytherin common room moved out of the way.

"Yeah, Potty" he grinned as the entered the common room.