Disclaimer: I own nothing

Author's note: I'm back everybody, sorry about no stories for a while, I've started school, but I've been working on this and I hope you like it, I am so excited about it, word can't describe, but any way, here's the first chapter.

Anonymous

Chapter 1

It was highly unusual for Hermione Granger to ever be clumsy or accidental. But lately it was commonly acknowledged that the cleverest witch of the year was bumping into walls, spilling anything fluid or breaking anything breakable, in fact, her tactics of daily routine had dramatically changed to reach a height that Neville Longbottom would be proud of.

Hermione's strange and sudden turn of events had indeed startled her two best friends, they had, like the rest of the school, noticed Hermione's change and had enquired after her, the frowns on their faces and worry in their eyes did nothing to improve Hermione's mood, in fact she became even more unbalanced.

It was obvious to every seeing eye in the school that Hermione was acting oddly but it was only known by Hermione herself that something was bothering her, she knew that it was deep, but didn't know it's actual depth. Rubbing her temples in History of Magic, her head was oppressed by what was replaying in her mind; it was the conversation that she and Harry had had earlier that day before breakfast.

'What is wrong with you Hermione?' said Harry with more than concern.

'I don't know, just leave it alright'

'But Hermione you're never like this, you keep bumping into things and stuff, I mean your worse that Neville'

'I'll deal with it in my own way, thank you very much, I don't need anyone babysitting me if that's what you mean'

'That's not what I mean, you are just not acting normally and you have to do something about it'

'Well thank you Harry for that piece of advice, you even had the curtsey of giving it to me as though it wasn't obvious!'

'Listen' said Harry calmly, possibly noticing Hermione's slightly hysterical note. 'I think you have to just think clearly and figure out what is making you act this way' said Harry.

'Harry, I do not have a mental illness' said Hermione dangerously.

'Yes but, I think that first part of er… recovering' Hermione's eyes thinned '…is to accept' finished Harry quickly.

'Thank you very much Harry, and bye the way, here is a little bit of information that you might want to keep for future reference, I do not have any problems or issues, alright!' and she burst out of the common, just before Ron had arrived, scrambling out of the hole and her head feeling as though it was made of water.

It wasn't a very polite conversation, nor was it rational, calm or anything related to what was usually Hermione-ish. She had been so storming that morning that she couldn't remember anything from then till now. Welded in her chair, unable to move and feeling thoroughly exhausted that she couldn't even bare to lift her quill to scrawl down the notes that had always served her well, she tried again to listen to Proffessor Binns' monotonous voice. There was no book, no research not even a single sentence written down anywhere that would help her or find out was troubling her.

She didn't have much of an inkling as to what was the problem, but she had a feeing that it was something to do with drifting away from Harry and Ron, ever scince they started their sixth year, they were strangely separated, as though invisible barriers kept them apart from each other, perhaps it was because they were rarely in the same class together as they each studied different subjects or perhaps it was because they didn't feel very friendly at the moment, but this had been going on for three months now!

To be true to herself, Hermione actually thought that her unnatural self was the cause from being away from Ron. She didn't know why but everytime she thought or heard anything related to 'Weasley' or Ron, she felt a slightly elated feeling, something very warm and welcoming, it was something not closely related to anything she felt when Harry's name was ever mentioned, that feeling was sort of normal, and bland compared to what Ron's was.

They all did their best to spend as much time together as possible, and that would have worked too, but seeing as Hermione felt that Ron suddenly didn't want to be around her, she felt very faintly hurt, Harry seemed to be the only normal one out of the group and gave off a certain tenacious air about something that Hermione barely ever gave notice to. But Ron… Ron didn't say much around her, he was fine with Harry when she would sneak looks at the pair of them whenever they were coming out of a classroom, or whenever both of them were sitting comfortably in the Common Room on the armchairs. Ron had this happy, glazed look in his eyes, but he would be as silent as a blown out light bulb whenever she was around him, and he would only talk whenever it was necessary…something that greatly annoyed Hermione.

'Ow!' said someone close bye and it was only then that Hermione realised that the History of magic class had finished and someone dropped their paving stone-like textbook on their foot. She turned her head to the right and noticed lavender brown nursing her foot, and also the she was the only one sitting down as everyone had stood up to leave the sleep-imprinted classroom. Hermione rapidly stood up and nearly upset her inkbottle, and she slowly made her progress out of the room, staring at the floor and slipping ever so seamlessly into a reverie.

Making her way out of the classroom she just did not feel like to have lunch, the thought of food nowadays made her feel very depressed and she often thought that if she ate any food she would probably see it again in a not so pleasant fashion. Hence through any depressional state Hermione Granger ever had, the main sedative was the library, oh, the library with it's magnificent stock of books and knowledge, such a perfect remedy for mind distractions, and yet it was, she spent a glorious thirty minutes in the heavenly atmosphere, for this short period was complete bliss, she buried her face in a book called, 'Personal traits and what it shows about your character' it was a rather interesting book actually, it contained a lot of facts about external appearances and spells of how to learn more about them, Hermione got her nose indented in a page about hair colour and at what length is the best for goodness of character, apparently red and short was for loyalty, but all of a sudden, she was softly interrupted.

'Excuse me' said an unfamiliar voice. Hermione was absolutely lost.

'Humm, what… what?' inquired Hermione vaguely.

'Um' said the voice, Hermione looked up into a face of a boy that she knew was in seventh year as he was one of the prefects who was in the carriage with her and Ron, he had a rather remarkable grace in the way he stood and poised himself very well, he had chocolate eyes, and a strongly defined face, but without any sign of a sharp feature. He seemed a little embarrassed. And Hermione wondered why.

'Do you mind if I could borrow this book from you?' he asked humbly.

'Yes, yes of course take it, I don't even know why I took it down' and indeed she didn't know why she took it down, as it's title was 'Modern wizards of the 15th Century' It's rusty joints and it's leather bounding didn't even appeal to Hermione. 'I actually really don't know why I took it down' repeated Hermione upon closer inspection.

'I kinda need it for my History of Magic essay' he said quietly.

'Why would Proffessor Binns give you anything to do with the 15th Century?'

'Maybe because he was born in it.' He said, a slight frown forming on his head.

'That's always a possibility, but maybe you should ask Nearly headless nick about the 15th Century, I think he was really born in it.' Said Hermione, her head aching with thoughts.

'I'll try that' he said, then he looked hesitant and opened his mouth to say something but nothing came out for a while, it was quite humorous actually, he looked like a well bred goldfish, but finally he said something articulately.

'My name is Alan' he said, holding out a shaking hand for Hermione to shake, she took it without any thought of what she was doing, being under the influence which books usually brought to her.

'I'm Hermione Granger'

'I know who you are' Alan said, but then he looked ashamed of himself.

'How did you know that?' asked Hermione slightly alarmed

'Cleverest witch in Hogwarts and sixth year prefect, you're quite well known' Hermione blushed. 'Well I have to get going if I ever want to do this essay, goodbye' he said.

And it was only a few minutes after he had left Hermione, that she questioned why he wasn't at lunch, 'maybe he wanted to do some reading' she thought 'but he said he wanted a book for his essay', thinking made her head ache then and she decided to erase the question at hand and continue her glorious reading, and as this thought walked into her head, Hermione laid down her head on her arms on the table and turned her head to face the bookshelf, and it was then that something very strange happened, she might have been imagining it, but she thought she saw something very bright red…almost like Ron's hair. It couldn't have been, no. And through her fright she left the library and the glorious books she had once devoured lay just as she pulled them out…sprawled all over the table. But just as Hermione exited the Library the sedative of books wore off and she bumped into yet another suit of arms.

Hermione made her way up to her dormitory, feeling tired exhausted and bruised from knocking into so many things, she flopped herself on her bed, at least she intended to… there was an object sitting quietly on her pillow, she walked over to it, it was a small brown paper parcel with her name roughly scrawled on a note that was attached to it.

Author's note; well? How did you like it? I need to know!!! Please review, I'm not desperate but this story has a lot coming to it and I wanted to make a good first impression.