Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Harry Potter characters or Hogwarts.

A/N: Bonus chapter! ...just because I'm way ahead in writing the chapters and I want you guys to get to the good parts faster. See, I do care. But, this isn't one of the chapters I want you to get to. This is more one of the chapters I want you to get through to get to the good chapters. If that made sense. Anyway, on to the chapter and more crazy Lina imagination.

A Different You by Lina Shay

Chapter Eleven: Beyond It All

Hermione sat with Malfoy and Neville on the train. Neville talked on and on about meaningless things while eating chocolate frogs. Hermione smiled at this, and she smiled at Malfoy. He smiled back. The train reached King's Cross Station rather late. Hermione, Neville and Malfoy pulled their things off the train. Neville's grandmother and a million other relatives came up and hugged him. He blushed and groaned, "Oh, Gran!" Hermione laughed.

"Remus, where's Uncle Sirius?" Malfoy said next to her.

Hermione turned her attention to Professor Lupin and Malfoy.

"Sirius regretted not being able to meet you, Draco" Lupin said. "He had urgent business at the Ministry."

"What kind of business?" Malfoy asked curiously.

"Nothing you should be concerned about," Lupin laughed, put an arm around Malfoy and rubbing his blond hair.

Hermione giggled.

"Oh," Malfoy began, pulling out of Lupin's grip. "This is Hermione Granger."

"Hello," Lupin greeted pleasantly, shaking her hand. Then he got a look at her robes. "A Slytherin?"

"Unfortunately," Hermione grumbled.

Lupin smiled, surprised.

"She's not like other Slytherins," Malfoy insisted.

"I see that," Lupin said. "Glad to meet you, Miss Granger."

Hermione made a guess that he had not taught at Hogwarts third year.

"Where are your parents?" Lupin asked, looking around.

"Probably on the other side of the barrier," Hermione told him.

"She's Muggle Born, Remus," Malfoy informed.

"I guess I'll see you some time, Malfoy," Hermione said, heading toward the barrier. "Nice to see-er-meet you, Prof- er- Mr. Lupin."

As Hermione hurried toward the barrier, she could barely hear Lupin say, "Did you tell her my last name?" Hermione smacked her forehead. She went through the barrier. Almost instantly, something tall, blonde, and covered in pink fabric and fruit-fragrance threw a pare of thin, white arms around her.

"Oh, Minie!" squealed the blonde thing.

Hermione was frozen from shock.

"We had almost given up on you, Beautiful," her dad said, glad to see her but not as overzealous at the Barbie doll still hanging on her.

"Oh, precious," said the Barbie doll, finally letting Hermione go. "I am sooo totally, like, joy-struck you're home."

Hermione meant to say something polite and not suspicious, but she couldn't get a word out. She just stared at this blonde girl (not quite old enough to be considered a woman, but older than Hermione.)

"Oh, like, are you, like, spacing?" the blonde asked, laughing, her hands out to her side in a peculiar manner. "I totally do that, like, all the time."

"Hermione, are you feeling all right?" Hermione's dad asked.

"I feel infirm," Hermione breathed.

"Did you quit your buns of steal work-out again?" the girl accused obliviously, putting her hands on her hips.

"Candi, not now," Hermione's dad shot at her, putting an arm around Hermione and leading her off to the car.

"Whatever," she muttered, following them.

So THIS was Candi? No wonder he talked about her as if she was a child. She had the brains of one. Maybe she was a mental case he was housing for charity. Whoever she was, Hermione did not like her one bit!

Hermione sat in the back seat of the car and watched out the window at all the buildings flying by. She wondered what Draco was doing at that moment. When she ventured a glanced to the front seat, she saw that Candi was sitting closer than necessary to her father, with the fingers of one hand playing with the hair on the back of his neck. Hermione gasped in disgust. Who was she to play with her father's hair? She couldn't possibly be...please no...she wasn't his girlfriend!

Hermione watched them carefully as they got out of the car once they had reached the house. Hermione's dad got her things from the trunk of the car, while Candi walked straight up to the house. She swung her arms and moved her bum in the most shameful way. Hermione followed her dad into the house, then into her room. Hermione was too ill-at-ease to unpack. She went back into the hall after her dad. He went into his bedroom and put his hands on Candi's shoulders as she pulled out her earrings at Hermione's mum's vanity. Her dad leaned down and kissed Candi's neck.

"Just wait, like, one bitty mili-second," Candi giggled, getting up from the vanity and going toward the dressing room.

Removing his tie, Hermione's dad said, "We're going to be bit, Beautiful. Why don't you go to your room, listen to music and unpack."

He closed the door to the bedroom. Hermione gasped. They were shagging! She went to her room with haste and turned on her CD player instantly. Hermione sunk down to sit against her door. This was worse than she had imagined. This was worse than anything. Hermione wanted to go home!

A/N: I'm sorry. I feel like each chapter is getting more and more stupid. I'll try harder.