Chapter Three- A Good Band and a Better Start
StaroftheEarth- Wha thank you, dahlin'ཀ (Okay, no more Southern accent. Someday I will get over the fact that I've lived in Mississippi all my life and have yet to pick up one of those Ya-Ya Sisterhood Accents. Darn itཀ) I wish I could play too, but been there, done that. All I can play is Mary Had A Little Lamb. XD
Guinevere Weasley-Malfoy- First off, Gwen, LOVE THE NAMEཀཀཀཀ (I think I'll steal it. Hmm... Katelyn Evans-Malfoy. Niiiice. Evans is really my mom's maiden name, but I refuse to use my full name online, and my real last name sounds uber-dorky with Malfoy's.) And, yeppers, that be how it are pr'nouncedཀཀ Good job! Thanks for reviewing!
"Are you insane?ཀ" Draco demanded. "Are you actually aware of the other members of the Sovereign? Not to mention the fact that the are all Slytherins?ཀ"
"Well," Salem replied cheekily, " they'll just have to get over it. Now, my dear cousin-slash-bandmate, shall we go?"
"Fine," Malfoy sneered and said acidly. "Sometimes I sort of hate you. But...hey, Granger, what about you? You are the person in question. Do you even want to be in the band?"
He was obviously praying that she'd say 'no', or even 'maybe'. Hermione noticed this and replied with equal vehemence, "Of course. You prat, why would I not, other than the obvious disadvantage of being in your company more that anyone would ever desire? But you know, I'll just have to get over it. As will you. I know you can't handle my perceptibly intimidating presence for too long or you'll just be overwhelmed by your personal, ferret-like shortcomings."
"Damn." Salem gave a low whistle. "I do believe you just got told by a Gryffindor girl!"
Malfoy grimaced. "Shut up." Then he sighed in resignation, "Fine. Bring her along if you must, but we need to meet with the others. They really have no qualms about leaving if you don't come."
"Alright-y then!" Salem grinned and motioned to Hermione. She nodded.
"GOOD MORNING, VIETNAM!" Salem boomed, slamming the door to the compartment open. Half the people in the compartment looked as if they were seriously considering the use of more than one (or two) of the three Unforgivables. Not to mention their resentment at Hermione's presence.
"What the bloody hell is she doing here!" seemed to be the general response to the latter annoyance. And it also seemed to be yelled from the mouths of, well, everyone. Poor Salem was bombarded with questions as to his Hermione, his tardiness, and/or his personal sanity.
"Would everyone please SHUT UP!" he finally yelled. Everyone fell silent. Hermione looked around and tried to put names with faces. It wasn't too hard; she recognized Pansy Parkinson, Blaise Zabini, and Sally-Anne Perks. "Thank you," Salem continued. "Now, I assume you all know Hermione Granger. She, my good comrades, is the one we've been looking for. My friends, the Sovereign is finally complete. We have a singer.
Everyone was quiet for a moment. The first to speak was Pansy; "Why her, Salem? Of all the people you could've recruited, why her? You do know the, er, basis of our objection, don't you?"
"Why yes, Pansy, I do know," Salem replied condescendingly. "But I happen to have an ace up my sleeve. Miss Granger is so perfectly what we're looking for that it far preponderates the disadvantage of not adhering to the strictures of our ancestors. And shame on you, about to reject something that would make us a real band, all because of the stupid ideals our parents instilled in us ab incunabus. Isn't that exactly what the Sovereign was formed against, following in the footsteps of the imbecilic snobs that raised us?" Salem sounded angry now. "But fine, be complete hypocrites and destroy every bit of respect we've earned for ourselves. What do I care?" He flopped down onto the seat next to Hermione, pouting as vividly as any gay man is capable of.
No one said anything for a while. Finally, Blaise and Sally-Anne exchanged looks and said in unison, "Fine."
Pansy followed their example, saying, "Yeah. If you think she'll be the best for it...we'll listen to you."
Salem looked assuaged. "You darn well better." He slung an arm around Hermione's shoulders and murmured to her quietly, "You see what I have to put up with? That's why I need you to keep me from a complete bloody mental breakdown."
She laughed. "At your service, O Band-leader."
"OKAY! Would you two stop the whole buddy-buddy thing?" Malfoy broke in. "It's kind of weird, considering you, Salem, are gay and you, Granger, are...a girl, however much your friends may be unwilling to admit it."
"Why, thank you!" they both replied in unison.
"Oooh yeah," Sally-Anne Perks said, "thaaaat was creepy."
"Hmm, you know what's creepier?" Blaise asked. "The fact that Granger isn't with her usual flock of Gryffindorks. Now why is that?"
"Because," Hermione scowled, "I've become the pariah of Gryffindor Tower ever since I questioned Harry's authority and god-hood. Why do you ask? The last I recall, there would be no love lost between you and them, should we go our separate ways."
"Absolutely!" Blaise affirmed. "And good for you! Never thought I'd say this, Granger, but that was a smart move."
She grinned wryly. "Thanks, Zabini. Now if I could only get my housemates to see it that way...or find a way to get myself out of Gryffindor. Either way, though I think getting out of the whole house itself would be easier that trying to convince its members to see things my way."
" Have you thought of being Re-sorted?" Sally-Anne spoke up unexpectedly. "I'm sure Ravenclaw'd love to have you. Or Slytherin. Not Hufflepuff, though. They're too goody-goody for anyone's taste. Although Cedric Diggory did pull it off quite nicely..."
"No!" Pansy shouted, shaking Sally-Anne. "Must...not...daydream...about...Hufflepuff. No matter how foxy they may be..." and with that, drifted off into a dreamlike state of her own.
" Umm...yeah." Hermione raised her eyebrows and averted her eyes. "Anyway, how does one become Re-sorted.?"
To her surprise, Malfoy spoke up. "Just owl Dumbledore and request it. If you're quick enough, perhaps you can manage to be Re-sorted tonight...As Head Boy, I just have to know these things.
Later, they were all sitting in the Great Hall, yawning through the Sorting. Of course, Hermione sat alone at the Gryffindor table exchanging forlorn looks with Salem and Blaise (her new best guy friends) across the room. Unbeknownst to them, however, Hermione was mentally fretting away. She had owled Dumbledore from the train about the Re-sorting but had not received a reply. Before she knew it, the Sorting was over, and Dumbledore stood up to speak.
"Just minutes before you all arrived, I was quite surprised by an owl from this year's Head Girl, Hermione Granger. It seems that she wishes to participate in a Re-sorting, something most people do not opt for. She wishes to be taken out of Gryffindor House and placed somewhere else. Ms. Granger, if you please. Let the Re-sorting begin."
Nervously, she walked to the stool in the center of the Hall and placed the Sorting Hat on her head. "Anywhere but Gryffindor," she silently prayed.
"Hmm, not Gryffindor? But I was so certain!" The Sorting Hat exclaimed. "Well, people have been known to change their minds. You are a difficult one, though. Enough bravery, brilliance, commitment, and cunning for any house you should choose. Eh, I suppose this time you'll go to: SLYTHERIN!"
Hermione looked around. Harry, Ron, and co. all looked completely shocked, much to her cruel pleasure. She swapped triumphant glances with Salem and the Sovereign.
"Woo-hoo!" Blaise cheered. He was soon joined by Salem and Sally-Anne, then the rest of the band.
Grinning, she walked over to the Slytherin table and sat down among the band. Exultantly, she pointed her wand at her robe's insignia, changing it from the red and gold Gryffindor lion to the green and silver Slytherin snake.
"Hmm, as prefect for Slytherin, I suppose it's my duty to officially welcome you to the Dark Side!" Blaise winked.
" Thanks," Hermione laughed.
" And as the authorized representatives of the Evil Slytherin She-Devils," Sally-Anne announced, motioning to Pansy and herself, " we say, 'Welcome to the club'!"
"Oh?" she asked mischievously. "And what does membership to this club entail?"
"You'll see. Later," Pansy grinned. "It's a bit like an initiation that we all have to participate in upon being sorted into Slytherin. Of course, you're getting a bit of a late start, but you still have to take part."
"Should I be afraid?"
"Be afraid; be very afraid," Salem advised. " That's pretty much the motto of our house."
"The sooner you learn that, Granger, the better off you'll be," Malfoy contributed.
When the Sorting, Feast, and the usual speech by the Headmaster were over (thank God), the houses retired to their common rooms. Once they reached the dungeons, Pansy and Sally-Anne grabbed Hermione's arms and led her through the Commons and straight into the dorms. There, they plopped her down into a chair in front of a vanity-style dresser with a mirror.
"Ready for your initiation?" Pansy asked mischievously.