Chapter 2: Her Sanctuary
Hermione entered the Great Hall, her thoughts wandering aimlessly to the Walking with Werewolf's book she had just stopped reading. Maybe she should've studied more? What if she failed the test?
She seated herself next to Ginny, her only friend at the school, as she had deserted Ron and Harry on her quest to become the only A+ students in school. Not surprisingly, she had succeeded.
Hermione tucked into her warm porridge, pulling out her timetable for today, it was jam packed. Double History of Magic, Transfiguration, Advanced Potions, Recess time for study, Herbology, Ancient Runes and Muggle studies.
"Whoa you've got a lot on!" Ginny exclaimed, taking a glance at Hermione's timetable. "Why do you take so many subjects?"
"Because to be the best, you need to try your hardest!" Hermione replied, finishing her bowl of porridge. Ginny scoffed.
"Riteo, well I better go now Harry needs to see me," she shot Hermione a smile, but Hermione's heart sank. She knew it was her fault that she had no friends, she had chosen to leave them in her desire to be the best. But now she just felt lonely.
Someone called out to her as she rose from the seat. She glared at Draco Malfoy as he made mocking gestures of her work and what have you. She hated him as well. Forgetting Malfoy, she strode from the room and headed for the library. She still had forty-five minutes before her first class began.
Jumping up the steps to the library she sighed as she rounded the corner.
"Hermione, you know it's hard. But to be the best you can't let anyone get in your way, least of all you friends." She thought to herself stubbornly.
She walked in through the polished oak door and Madame Pince smiled at her warmly. Hermione then strode up and down the many shelves, taking out a list of titles and subjects she wished to research. She then seated herself in the far corner desk, near the warm fire. Spreading out all her books she took over nearly the whole table. But no one was about to disturb her, they all thought she was weird.
So Hermione sat there, reading through the many pages of the text books, memorizing notes and facts. Here she was truly happy. This place, the library was her real sanctuary. She'd never felt so secure anywhere else, it was as though everything seemed to understand her now…