Chapter 7

Meeting new people

A/N: Hey hope you like the chapter. Thanks for those who reviewed! Thanks Cara for being my beta! Hermione is going to end up with someone unexpected at the end. You won't be able to predict who it is!

Hermione opened the door to the great Hall where most of the students were currently eating breakfast and led Tim and Ben over to the Gryffindor table.

"Hey Guys, this is my brother Tim and my friend Ben. They're new, obviously, so you'll have to explain a few things to them if they ask." Hermione said to her housemates.

"Nice to meet you guys, you'll enjoy Hogwarts, its great. By the way I'm Harry and this is Ron, Seamus, Neville, Dean, Ginny, Lavender and Parvatti" Harry said in a cheerful voice, introducing some of the house.

"Yeah hey, Hermione's told me heaps about you guys, nice to finally meet you." Ron said grinning.

Ben and Tim shook hands with all the guys before sitting down.

They discussed many things while eating some of the delicious food in front of them. Harry filled them in on some of the basics because he remembered what it was like on his first day. He had known nothing about magic at all and had just found out he was a wizard.

"Hey, thanks for being so nice but I think I better go make some friends in my own house" He said pointing to the Slytherin table.

"Oh right guys, I forget to tell you, Ben's in Slytherin"

"Well ok, Cya later, nice meeting you Ben, we should catch up sometime today." Ron said politely. The Gryffindors said their goodbyes one bye one. Hermione took Ben's hand and squeezed it affectionately

"Good luck Ben" she whispered

He let go and walked over to the Slytherin table.

"Hermione! He's in Slytherin! You could have told us" several comments were muttered about Ben.

"Guys, you can't just judge someone because of their house! Even if he is in Slytherin!" she argued back, defending her friend.

Ben walked over to the table, he glanced up and down. These 'Slytherins' didn't look very friendly. He saw a group sneering and laughing over something that didn't look very funny. The leader of the group was a blonde boy, he looked the type that turned their noses up at everything. There was something about him that just screamed 'Spoiled Rich Brat' He saw a couple of boys that looked a little less nasty and decided to sit with them. He walked over and introduced himself to a boy that looked Italian, he had dark hair and tanned olive skin.

"Hey, my names Ben Young, I just got here, and obviously I'm a Slytherin."

"Hi, I'm Blaise Zabini, nice to meet you. I've been here since first year" Blaise said eyeing the new boy. They shook hands and the conversation picked up from there. At some point the boy Ben knew as 'Blonde boy' came over and introduced himself.

"Draco Malfoy," He said "I'm sure you've heard of my family they ARE very well known"

Ben didn't know how to respond to this information so he simply stated,

"Hey, I'm Ben Young, nice to meet you"

"So, do you know anyone yet? Since you're new and all."

"Yeah actually. I just met Blaise, and I'm friends with a couple of the Gryffindors. I know Hermione from where I'm from, she's one of my best friends, do you know her?" he asked innocently, he didn't know about the house rivalry so he didn't know that Gryffindors and Slytherins didn't mix.

Something flashed through Draco's eyes when Ben mentioned Hermione, Ben didn't really take notice of it though.

"Be careful who you hang out with Young, you wouldn't want to make any enemies" and with that the blonde boy turned and went back to his group.

"What's up his ass?" Ben joked to Blaise.

"His parents are powerful and rich people and they are into the dark arts. Heaps of people fear the Malfoys, a word of advice, don't mess with Draco"

"Whatever, why doesn't he like Gryffindors?"

Blaise explained the house rivalries. Ben learnt a lot about the wizarding community over breakfast. Blaise and Ben ended up being great friends, they both had a sense of humour and similar attitudes. In Ben's eyes, things looked good, it looked like he was going to have a good time at Hogwarts.

Hermione was bored, it was almost time to go to bed but she wasn't really tired at all. It would just mean her having to remember her parents.

She was sick of exploding snap, sick of chess and wasn't in the mood for gossiping with Lavender and Parvati. She decided to go for a walk to clear her thoughts. She told Harry and Ron were she was going and set off. She walked around the corridors, past the classrooms, the great hall, down to the dungeons and up again. She went up the stairs in the astronomy tower and stared at the stars. They were so bright and beautiful at this time of the night, and twinkled in the sky.

Her eyes followed a beam of light which ended on a huddled figure in the corner of the tower. She moved closer and saw that it was Ben, he was staring at the floor hoping whoever was in the tower wouldn't notice him.

"Ben" she said softly. "What are you doing up here?"

Fuck it's Hermione, Shit! She can't see me crying like this, She'll never like me if she knows I cry like a sissy.

Ben stared at the floor like it was the most interesting thing in the world he had seen. He didn't want her to see his teary face. Then a single teardrop fell from his eye, a dead giveaway for Hermione.

He's crying, that's so cute, I never thought I would see him crying, he has that whole masculine thing happening. I wonder what the reason is? OMG my parents are dead! FUCK! I CAN'T BELIEVE I FORGOT! OMG! I AM AN ORPHAN!

She crumpled to the floor next to Ben and sobs racked up her body. Ben realised that he wasn't the only one mourning the death of parents, it must have been 100 times harder for Hermione. She was always so close to her parents. He moved closer to her and wrapped his arms around her. She cried into his shoulder and soon she had cried it all out.

She looked up at him and gave him a faint smile

"Why are you so nice to me Ben, I don't deserve it."

"Hermione of course you deserve it, I'd do anything for you Hermione. You know that! I've known you for so long, I would die without you, you're a part of me. You're the only reason I have to live now that my parents are gone."

Hermione was shocked yet pleased at the same time, Ben had feelings for her, she had feelings for him. Then it clicked she leaned in and captured his lips with hers. The kiss was slow and full of sadness from the both of them, it made them tremble and not want to let go of each other. The two of them lay there in each others arms. They didn't feel the need to kiss, they just like the close proximity and comfort of each other.

"Ben, I like the new you" Hermione whispered

"I'm still me Hermione, but in some ways I've changed, I'm going to be a wizard. I guess I'm a new person now"

"A pleasure to meet you Ben" she mumbled tiredly before drifting of to sleep inhaling Ben's scent.

A/N: Hey, how'd you like the chapter! Review please! Thanks!