What Could Have Been
Disclaimer: It's funny really; I mean, if the Harry Potter series were mine, I don't really think I would be here submitting stories onto FanFiction, and desperately awaiting reviews.
Chapter Three – Secret Admirer?
The entire school, with the exception of the first years, all waited impatiently for the Sorting to begin. Yes, even the Head Girl could be seen, staring at the empty plates longingly, her stomach growling with hunger. She had, after all, spent most of her journey to Hogwarts sitting in the toilet.
With the sorting and the feast over, the Head Girl stood up, signalling for the Gryffindor prefects to show the timid, but tired first years to the common room. On the other side of the hall, she sighted Professor McGonagall beckoning her over to her. With a surprised look on her face, the Head Girl walked over, fighting against the sea of eager students fleeing the hall.
She finally reached the Professor, and to her indignation, she saw that her arch-nemesis was standing next to the Professor. Glowering at him, she promptly turned her back to him, all the while, rearranging her facial features into a forced smile.
The Professor ignored the tension, and proceeded to explain the Heads' lodgings for the year. Both bore the same look of grimace, as she announced that they would be sharing a common room, and living in the same quarters, all the while leading them towards their rooms.
She suddenly stopped abruptly, and the Head Boy, not realising that, bumped into the Head Girl. She threw him a look of utmost loathing, whilst he stepped back and dusted his robes, as if he had come in contact with something dirty.
Professor McGonagall stood in front of a portrait, which obviously held the entrance to the Heads' quarters. Uttering the password, the portrait swung open to reveal a gorgeous common room. It was richly furnished with all the requirements of a living room, with the exception of muggle appliances. There were squishy armchairs on one side of the room, whilst two desks and chairs (one read, and one green), resided on the other side of the room.
"It's…it's beautiful, Professor," Hermione managed to say.
She walked through the portrait hole, and up to a door which clearly labelled 'Head Girl' on a golden plaque. She opened the door, and what lay inside took her breath away. A Queen-Size four-poster bed was positioned against one side of the room, while a pair of doors lay next to it. She opened it up, and was amazed to find it was a wardrobe; an enormous wardrobe that could fit triple the amount of clothes she owned. On the other side of the room, there was another door, and upon opening it, she discovered the bathroom. The bathroom, to describe bluntly, made the prefects' one seem small, compared to the size of hers.
Her face formed a frown, however, when she noticed another door on the opposite side of the room. Just as she was wondering where it would lead to, the door opened, and the Head Boy emerged. Not only was Hermione shocked, she was outraged by the fact that they would both have to share the same bathroom.
She watched his face form the infuriating smirk of his, and stormed out of the bathroom. Whilst she really felt like a shower, she was not about to go marching back in and demand privacy. She was, after all, tired from all the excitement on the train. She slipped into her pyjamas, and under the covers of her bed, snuggling into the warmth of the bed.
The Head Boy, after watching her storm out of the bathroom, decided to take a shower and clean himself. After the refreshing shower, he changed into a pair of boxers and a plain green t-shirt. Yawning widely, he flopped unceremoniously down onto his bed, and fell asleep promptly.
xXxXxXxXx
The Great Hall was buzzing with voices of the students as Hermione walked in. She sat down and helped herself to some pumpkin juice just as Professor McGonagall came around, handing out the timetables. Hermione heard Ron groaning loudly next to her, no doubt he realised they had Double Potions first with the Slytherins.
"At least it's Slughorn teaching," Harry reassured him.
xXxXxXxXx
Hermione's shoulders slumped as she walked into the Great Hall for lunch. Alone. Potions had been horrible; the Slytherins causing trouble as usual. Professor Slughorn, being the absentminded teacher he was, did not see the Pansy slip a dandelion into Ron's potions, no doubt under the orders of the ferret. The potion had blown up as soon as Ron added the bezoar into his cauldron, and was escorted by Harry to the Hospital Wing, leaving Hermione all alone.
She ate her lunch by herself, and then proceeded towards the Heads Common Room, deciding to start on her Potions assignment while she had the time. On her way, she bumped into the Head Boy, and he, being the git, pushed her in retaliation. Hermione fell to the floor, and her books tumbled out of her bag. His cronies sniggered as she swept her books untidily back into her back. She held her head high as she walked away.
As Hermione entered the common room, she was surprised to see an owl perched on the coffee table in the centre of the room. The thing that caught her attention though, was the parcel tied to the owl's leg. It was wrapped up in the most beautiful wrapping paper she had ever seen. The colours of silver and gold captured her attention, and drew her in. It wasn't as if she had never seen gold and silver wrapping papers before; it just that the current one was just so stunning; the colours seeming to jump out of the paper it was painted on.
On the side of the parcel was a note. Written on it was simply the words "To Hermione Granger." She shivered slightly, wondering who she knew would send her something wrapped in such an enticing paper. Gingerly, she reached a hand forward and unfolded the note. However, there was no name of the sender written on it.
As curiosity got the better of her, the Head Girl slowly unwrapped the package, so not to rip the paper. When at last all the paper had been pulled back, she was greeted with the sight of a simple, yet elegant gift box. With trembling hands, she lifted the lid, and gasped in shock. There, in the bottom of the box lay a single red rose. Next to it was a scrap of paper with "W.S." scrawled on it.