Sitting on a bench on platform 9 ¾ Hermione Granger idly watched those
around her. She wasn't looking for her friends, as she knew they'd only
arrive in the last minute and had given up hope of seeing them cross the
barrier before the next twenty minutes (at least). Her book lay discarded
beside her as that one had long since been finished and re-read.
With still about another twenty-five minutes to go until the train was scheduled to leave the brown haired witch noticed a few students were already boarding and thought it best to follow their lead. The sun was dreadfully hot that day and it made her feel a bit lazy though getting her skin burnt to a crisp was not something she looked particularly forward to. With that thought in mind she sighed and grabbed her book, placing it in her bag before slowly standing up.
She leisurely walked towards the train, all the while wondering why she still insisted on her early arrival. She saw that a number of her classmates shared this instance and were just now waving their parents off and making their own way to the train. Among these she spotted Draco Malfoy who now stood as tall as his father. Stopping as she realised she'd have to walk by them Hermione mentally scolded herself for hesitating. Returning her gaze to the two Malfoys Hermione was surprised to see Lucius Malfoy's gaze on her. The older Malfoy then whispered something to his son with not even the minimum discretion to look away.
Hermione witnessed her classmate's face turn into a scowl before answering whatever his father had whispered and the older Malfoy soon mirrored the expression. The contrast made Hermione realize that when she first met his gaze Lucius Malfoy had not looked at her with disgust but had simply been expressionless.
Reminding herself she had been on he way to the train Hermione proceeded to walk forward ignoring both stares that continued to follow her progress. As she passed near them she caught a part of what the oldest blonde was saying, ". just thought. she reminded me of someone."
Oh, well, that wasn't so bad. Hermione softly chortled at the fact she had thought they were planning something against her. Honestly, sometimes she noticed just how paranoid she could be (if not egocentric). Why would Lucius Malfoy even care about her existence, much less spend time planning anything against her. she wasn't someone like Harry!
But, reminding people of others was quite a normal occurrence for the soon to be Head Girl. Professor McGonagall had told her on more than one occasion that she was very similar to a young girl she once knew. Even Sirius had once or twice mentioned something of the sort. But it was the day Professor Lupin had said it that Hermione remembered the most. He didn't say anything that she hadn't heard before, just that she reminded him of someone but he had done so with such a wistful look that she couldn't help thinking maybe she reminded him of himself at a younger age and that thought made her feel flattered.
All in all Hermione had been told a number of times that she reminded people of girls they once knew, and although she'd much rather think she was unique she didn't take it as an insult as it was never meant as one. "Then again," she thought, "when you've got brown eyes and brown hair you can't exactly expect to be one of a kind."
Her musings were interrupted by a very familiar voice "Hi, have you seen. Hey Mione, we were looking for you!"
She turned around to see the wildly grinning face of one Ronald Weasley as he entered, soon followed by Harry Potter. All earlier thoughts forgotten, Hermione hugged her best friends who she hadn't seen in a long time, too long in her opinion.
"Now," she started in a stern voice though purposely not hiding the smile that tugged her lips, " will one of you tell me why you absolutely, just could not meet me in Diagon Alley last week?" And the boys proceeded to tell her of the day Ron's older brothers Charlie and Bill went to visit and the great Quidditch game they played with great enthusiasm.
"But don't worry Mione," said Harry as he stood from the bench across Hermione's to sit next to her ".we'll make it up to you."
"That's right" continued Ron as he sat on Hermione's other side, "you won't get rid of us anymore."
"Nope, you're stuck with us" said Harry as he and Ron held Hermione who was now beginning to chuckle as she tried to get up from her, now extremely squashed, position.
* * *
As Severus Snape continued to watch the students entering the Great Hall he couldn't help but scowl at the little brats. He had been reading a book which he deemed quite interesting, and loosing himself in the pages of "The Bubonic Potion" had almost made him forget the start of the new school year, when his peaceful reading was interrupted by the excited voices that could be heard all the way from Hogsmeade Station (if you had Snape's apparently-super-sonic hearing anyway)
His eyes scanned over the students, analyzing them. Not that he hadn't analyzed each and every one of them, at least a thousand times but he couldn't help it, whenever he'd see someone he'd mentally deconstruct them, listing their characteristics and categorizing them before labeling the them, much like he did to his own potions.
"Terry Boot. smart, hardworking. a bit on the naïve side. always expects recognition for his work." This thought earned a small snort from the Professor who continued to look at his students, "Hannah Abbot, another hard worker. too hard actually, when would this girl give up and face her own stupidity," obviously 'intelligence' was not among the adjectives in Snape's 'Hannah List', ".considerate, she seemed like a considerate person. unfortunately consideration isn't a good enough quality to balance out idiocy."
As his eyes slid over the Gryffindor table his scowl deepened, "Denis Creevey, eager and hopeless. Natalie McDonald, conceited, though Merlin knows why. Hermione Granger." As his stare met Hermione's face Severus Snape found himself deeply surprised for the first time in what he was sure must have been a few years.
She had certainly always reminded him of Her but now, she was an exact copy of the girl he met so many years back. He was pulled out of his thoughts when he realized the Golden Trio was staring back at him and immediately he masked his surprise with a particularly intense glare.
"I never thought I'd ever see the day when Severus Snape was caught openly staring, and with a look of surprise at that!" came the Headmaster's voice, accompanied by a snigger, directly beside him.
"It's Her isn't it?" was the random question that Dumbledore got as Professor Snape turned to look at him.
"I'm sorry but I don't think I quite follow you Severus." Of course the annoying twinkle in the Headmaster's eyes told him that he did.
Severus was shocked, at least that much he managed to gather from his mixed emotions. Whether this was a good surprise or not, he couldn't really tell. On one hand he had always remembered Her as being intelligent, brave, helpful and quite calculating, the most remarkable witch he'd known, and he was glad to see he was not betrayed by his memories, he'd hate to find out that his memory had embellished Her, and Miss. Granger was (as much as he hated to admit) indeed a notable youth.
On the other hand the thought that She had been the annoying know-it-all student that had been the cause of innumerous migraines irritated him. It was ironic really; one of the reasons (possibly the main one) why she aggravated him so much was the fact that she reminded him so much of Her. And her brilliance, which he so admired, now served for little else than further provocation.
"Headmaster, I think we should stop her from going." Snape said dryly, ignoring the Headmaster's previous statement.
"Nonsense, we can't do that!" was the cheerful reply the Potions Master received.
"But it's for her safety," any attempt to keep the usual dryness in his voice was now laid aside at the Headmaster's answer, "we don't know how it turns out in the end, or turned out. will turn out." Severus stopped his ranting in favor of continuing his point, "For all we know she never did get back unharmed."
"Severus, as much as I admire your concern" At this the Professor scowled (he most certainly was not concerned for the Gryffindor brat) ". we can't stop her because we have no idea when it will happen, like you said, we know nothing, Miss Granger might have gone and come back already. All we can do is wait and if there's and claim of her disappearance we'll know where she's gone."
At this Professor McGonagall entered with the first years that were to be sorted and all eyes turned to the quivering group.
With still about another twenty-five minutes to go until the train was scheduled to leave the brown haired witch noticed a few students were already boarding and thought it best to follow their lead. The sun was dreadfully hot that day and it made her feel a bit lazy though getting her skin burnt to a crisp was not something she looked particularly forward to. With that thought in mind she sighed and grabbed her book, placing it in her bag before slowly standing up.
She leisurely walked towards the train, all the while wondering why she still insisted on her early arrival. She saw that a number of her classmates shared this instance and were just now waving their parents off and making their own way to the train. Among these she spotted Draco Malfoy who now stood as tall as his father. Stopping as she realised she'd have to walk by them Hermione mentally scolded herself for hesitating. Returning her gaze to the two Malfoys Hermione was surprised to see Lucius Malfoy's gaze on her. The older Malfoy then whispered something to his son with not even the minimum discretion to look away.
Hermione witnessed her classmate's face turn into a scowl before answering whatever his father had whispered and the older Malfoy soon mirrored the expression. The contrast made Hermione realize that when she first met his gaze Lucius Malfoy had not looked at her with disgust but had simply been expressionless.
Reminding herself she had been on he way to the train Hermione proceeded to walk forward ignoring both stares that continued to follow her progress. As she passed near them she caught a part of what the oldest blonde was saying, ". just thought. she reminded me of someone."
Oh, well, that wasn't so bad. Hermione softly chortled at the fact she had thought they were planning something against her. Honestly, sometimes she noticed just how paranoid she could be (if not egocentric). Why would Lucius Malfoy even care about her existence, much less spend time planning anything against her. she wasn't someone like Harry!
But, reminding people of others was quite a normal occurrence for the soon to be Head Girl. Professor McGonagall had told her on more than one occasion that she was very similar to a young girl she once knew. Even Sirius had once or twice mentioned something of the sort. But it was the day Professor Lupin had said it that Hermione remembered the most. He didn't say anything that she hadn't heard before, just that she reminded him of someone but he had done so with such a wistful look that she couldn't help thinking maybe she reminded him of himself at a younger age and that thought made her feel flattered.
All in all Hermione had been told a number of times that she reminded people of girls they once knew, and although she'd much rather think she was unique she didn't take it as an insult as it was never meant as one. "Then again," she thought, "when you've got brown eyes and brown hair you can't exactly expect to be one of a kind."
Her musings were interrupted by a very familiar voice "Hi, have you seen. Hey Mione, we were looking for you!"
She turned around to see the wildly grinning face of one Ronald Weasley as he entered, soon followed by Harry Potter. All earlier thoughts forgotten, Hermione hugged her best friends who she hadn't seen in a long time, too long in her opinion.
"Now," she started in a stern voice though purposely not hiding the smile that tugged her lips, " will one of you tell me why you absolutely, just could not meet me in Diagon Alley last week?" And the boys proceeded to tell her of the day Ron's older brothers Charlie and Bill went to visit and the great Quidditch game they played with great enthusiasm.
"But don't worry Mione," said Harry as he stood from the bench across Hermione's to sit next to her ".we'll make it up to you."
"That's right" continued Ron as he sat on Hermione's other side, "you won't get rid of us anymore."
"Nope, you're stuck with us" said Harry as he and Ron held Hermione who was now beginning to chuckle as she tried to get up from her, now extremely squashed, position.
* * *
As Severus Snape continued to watch the students entering the Great Hall he couldn't help but scowl at the little brats. He had been reading a book which he deemed quite interesting, and loosing himself in the pages of "The Bubonic Potion" had almost made him forget the start of the new school year, when his peaceful reading was interrupted by the excited voices that could be heard all the way from Hogsmeade Station (if you had Snape's apparently-super-sonic hearing anyway)
His eyes scanned over the students, analyzing them. Not that he hadn't analyzed each and every one of them, at least a thousand times but he couldn't help it, whenever he'd see someone he'd mentally deconstruct them, listing their characteristics and categorizing them before labeling the them, much like he did to his own potions.
"Terry Boot. smart, hardworking. a bit on the naïve side. always expects recognition for his work." This thought earned a small snort from the Professor who continued to look at his students, "Hannah Abbot, another hard worker. too hard actually, when would this girl give up and face her own stupidity," obviously 'intelligence' was not among the adjectives in Snape's 'Hannah List', ".considerate, she seemed like a considerate person. unfortunately consideration isn't a good enough quality to balance out idiocy."
As his eyes slid over the Gryffindor table his scowl deepened, "Denis Creevey, eager and hopeless. Natalie McDonald, conceited, though Merlin knows why. Hermione Granger." As his stare met Hermione's face Severus Snape found himself deeply surprised for the first time in what he was sure must have been a few years.
She had certainly always reminded him of Her but now, she was an exact copy of the girl he met so many years back. He was pulled out of his thoughts when he realized the Golden Trio was staring back at him and immediately he masked his surprise with a particularly intense glare.
"I never thought I'd ever see the day when Severus Snape was caught openly staring, and with a look of surprise at that!" came the Headmaster's voice, accompanied by a snigger, directly beside him.
"It's Her isn't it?" was the random question that Dumbledore got as Professor Snape turned to look at him.
"I'm sorry but I don't think I quite follow you Severus." Of course the annoying twinkle in the Headmaster's eyes told him that he did.
Severus was shocked, at least that much he managed to gather from his mixed emotions. Whether this was a good surprise or not, he couldn't really tell. On one hand he had always remembered Her as being intelligent, brave, helpful and quite calculating, the most remarkable witch he'd known, and he was glad to see he was not betrayed by his memories, he'd hate to find out that his memory had embellished Her, and Miss. Granger was (as much as he hated to admit) indeed a notable youth.
On the other hand the thought that She had been the annoying know-it-all student that had been the cause of innumerous migraines irritated him. It was ironic really; one of the reasons (possibly the main one) why she aggravated him so much was the fact that she reminded him so much of Her. And her brilliance, which he so admired, now served for little else than further provocation.
"Headmaster, I think we should stop her from going." Snape said dryly, ignoring the Headmaster's previous statement.
"Nonsense, we can't do that!" was the cheerful reply the Potions Master received.
"But it's for her safety," any attempt to keep the usual dryness in his voice was now laid aside at the Headmaster's answer, "we don't know how it turns out in the end, or turned out. will turn out." Severus stopped his ranting in favor of continuing his point, "For all we know she never did get back unharmed."
"Severus, as much as I admire your concern" At this the Professor scowled (he most certainly was not concerned for the Gryffindor brat) ". we can't stop her because we have no idea when it will happen, like you said, we know nothing, Miss Granger might have gone and come back already. All we can do is wait and if there's and claim of her disappearance we'll know where she's gone."
At this Professor McGonagall entered with the first years that were to be sorted and all eyes turned to the quivering group.