Just recently found out Beauxbatons is NOT an all girl school. Makes much more sense. But in this story it is.
She said to wear something loose and unrestraining. The closest thing to that was a vest. And she definitely said either wear something baggy on her legs or go for shorts. This girl does not have shorts.
So a white vest and fluffy joggers. My Puma trainers. A hairband to keep my hair in place, for apparently that was important. And hopefully she won't begrudge me a hooded jumper, its quite cold out in this February wind.
We definitely were not studying. I am impressed this girl keeps her body in healthy condition, most people just play Quidditch and think that's enough. Or like me they don't bother at all. But I'm not a big eater so weight is never an issue.
Unless I become underweight, which may happen if I exercised.
Which is what I'm about to do. Should I abort? Absolutely not, I'm not going to let my physical condition destroy the only friendship I made by myself.
So we're running Granger, deal with it.
I crossed the grounds to where Ilena said to meet. Where the statue of Godric Gryffindor stood waving, what could be either a sword or a cane, in the air.
She looks phenomenal in her running attire. Lime green and yellow go so well on her. She has gone with the shorts option, and boy has she got definition on those legs or what. She looks like an Olympic athlete.
And here's skinny old me who looks like a distressed flamingo.
And she has earphones, and what must be an Ipod. Electronic devices at Hogwarts don't work, why is Hogwarts: A History failing me now. I need to know how she got round the magical interference.
And she chews gum. That's cool...revolting, but good for your teeth. WHAT IF SHE CHOKES WHILST RUNNING, CAN I REMEMBER CPR?
"I hope you won't be chewing whilst we're running?" I ask her.
Blowing gum bubbles at people is not attractive, why does she make it look so good? And she somehow still looks innocent. "I won't be, chewing just focuses my body, puts me in my zone. You know those moments when you just cannot be bothered, chewing gum really gets you motivated."
I don't have that problem, books are my motivation. "And I'm guessing that thing works, or are you wearing it as a fashion statement?"
"Ha ha ha, you're funny. And it totally works, I have a spare if you want one."
I have one at home...you know because I was told they don't work here. So I'll definitely be taking hers, as compensation for being misled. "Sure, thank you. How did you manage-"
"Would you believe me if I said I didn't know? Something to do with runes and satellites, I didn't exactly care when I bought it, I just had to have one. Or three."
Runes and satellites? A crossover of cultures right there. Are there runes on satellites? Perhaps that's why NASA have excellently engineered space travel so quickly?
"So, I'd say your a badminton type of girl"
"Is that the one with the feathered ball?"
"And I totally guessed wrong"
"Look, I'm afraid to say I'm not sporty in any way. I...wouldn't mind giving it a go though." Just to impress you Ilena, and nobody else has got that dynamic with me.
"You willing to take up cross-country, swimming, aerobics, yoga, gymnastics, and hockey on holidays."
She's a junkie, a fitness junkie. Even hearing her list them out has me exhausted. "I'm gonna stick with running for now I think."
Her smile makes me feel glad that I'm doing this. "Then let's go, I'll let you dictate the pace but we won't be stopping until I say we can."
I'm glad she's taken out her gum and is banishing it. I so didn't want her putting it behind her ear, or spitting it on the floor, squashing it against poor Godric or the worse of the lot...swallowing it.
"Are you ready?"
"Yeah, totally." I'm out of my comfort zone, lets hope it doesn't kill me.
Harry's POV
"Sundays are amazing right Harry"
"Yes Ron, amazing." Stuck in a room, too cold to go outside, too lazy to study. Amazing and boring I'd say.
"Oops, there goes the beans, hope you like tomato with carpet-flavour dressing"
I don't actually think I've got room for a single bean, as wonderful as that mix of flavours sounds. I wish I could go out on my Firebolt for an hour, but Filch confiscated it. I accidentally dropped it okay. Filch happened to be passing over it and he rolled his ankle on it. What a wuss.
"You could just use a Cleansweep from the spare cupboard Harry."
"Nah thanks, I'm not in the mood for splinters tonight."
"Right, good to know Hogwart's best seeker can be bested by a tiny bit of wood."
"The best seeker doesn't fly on a splintered broomstick."
"Well if that's not an option then let me beat you at Wizard's chess. Anything but your moping face is a blessing right now."
Chess itself is boring, let alone losing at it. "I'll pass."
"Please yourself, or don't. Whatever floats your boat."
I wonder where Malfoy is. I don't usually go looking for a duel but they're fun pastimes. Wait, is that-
"Ron, how many Fizzing Whizbees do you have to eat to have hyperactive hallucinations?"
"About twenty if you eat them immediately after one another. You haven't done that have you?"
"No, but how else can I explain the image of Hermione Granger running through the trees in pink, followed by a blonde girl in yellow and green."
"Yeah, that's one hell of a hallucination, I think we need proper grub. Why don't we head to dinner early?"
Still seeing the pink clad figure dashing through the trees, I think Ron's suggestion is spot on for once.
"Ok, and we made it."
Did we, did we now? I don't think my lungs did, they left me a mile back. As did my voice "I...thou...you...said...it...wasn...far."
"A mile is a mile, it doesn't get any longer or any shorter, the only thing that changes is the time it takes to reach it."
Was that meant to be philosophical? Well, my new philosophy is to never try to impress anyone, you could rupture something.
"Come, have a seat over here, get your breath back."
Ouch, that's falling on your bottom Hermione, not sitting down. I've never even been to this part of the forest before, this slight clearing with a long drooping waterwillow tree in the middle.
"Here, have a few mouthfuls of water" Wait, she was running with a backpack on? "Shrinking charm, I'm not Superwoman."
Could've fooled me. Mmm, Scottish mineral water is the best in the world, no kidding. "So you've half-killed me, do you want to know my life story before you finish me off?"
"Just tell me what you're comfortable telling. Actually, there is one thing I want to ask you."
"Go on."
"How are you single?"
If that's a joke I'm not laughing. "Isn't it obvious, I'm only THE least popular girl in school."
"Don't say that, when you repeat what others say you start believing it"
"I'm way past believing it. I can give you three reasons why I'm single right now. I'm a Mudblood, I'm a bookworm, I'm not very pretty. That's the tip of the iceberg."
"I'm a Muggle-born too, Ipod thing and proper exercise is a dead giveaway. Many people appreciate mega brains, you're just not looking well enough. And you couldn't be more wrong about your looks"
She being the first person to tell me this outside my family, it's only natural that I get teary-eyed a bit. But she's obviously trying to make me feel good about myself, when nobody really believes it. "You don't have to-"
"No, you listen now, let teacher talk." I'm listening, there's no back-chatting someone with that tone of voice. "I get you, I understand exactly how you feel about yourself. You pretend not to care but this whole time you've been pushing yourself, desperate to be liked. Stop it."
Wonderful, I've gotten on her nerves. "I'm sorry."
"No, you're not understanding me. I mean stop trying to be someone you're not, stop trying to fit in. I really don't think any less of you because you happen to be unfit, it's the fact that you are trying so desperately to get my approval. You've got it, you had it hours ago, it's not going anywhere and certainly not because you are a lousy runner"
"Hey, I can run perfectly fine, it's running forever that I struggle with" I know she is only teasing, but I've got pride to uphold.
"That is true. But I'm not just talking about the exercise here, I'm talking about Hermione. Being popular shouldn't be your priority, some people are better being unpopular. The best diamonds are the ones that haven't been mined, because they're only ever going to get bigger."
Why is she saying these things? I'm not a diamond, I'm not even a pebble. "You never answered why you are single by the way."
I think this is the longest that she's been quiet for, and why does her staring make me uncomfortable. No, not uncomfortable, nervous.
"That's complicated. My less complicated answer is that I too will never fit in with the general consensus of our society. Not many people will ever understand why I am what I am, why I believe what I believe, why I like what I like. They don't have it in them to understand."
That's crazy talk. She's pretty, she's laid back, she's confident, and she's into sports. Anyone would sell their right arm for any one of those traits. "I don't know what there is to not understand, you're the coolest person I know. And I've only known you for a few hours."
"Ha ha, you really are a flatterer. Shall we move onto brighter topics than our miserable social lives."
Gladly. "Your English is really good, you must've been in Britain a long time."
"Six years. I did have an English crash course in my preparation year, then I got into Hufflepuff and learnt the other side of your language. I absolutely adore how you English speak, using words in different ways."
"Why not go to Durmstrang, don't get me wrong I'm glad you didn't, but why move to the UK?"
"Ewww, have you seen their colour scheme. It has absolutely nothing appealing about it. My mother refused to see me in brown. I wanted to get into Beauxbatons initially, but their tuition is triple what Hogwarts is. And...I later discovered not going to an all girl school was a very lucky escape."
Why, no boys has many advantages? "Do you not get on with girls much?" That I can understand. I myself only have one other female friend, and that's Ginny who technically shouldn't count. She's more Ron's sister, than Hermione's friend.
I silenced her again, I thought she said she could handle all questions. "Well, they are incredibly pretty usually...which makes them snobbish and rude. Couldn't bear all that." Hmm, why does she sound like she's not telling me the whole truth?
"But you don't regret coming to Hogwarts, even though it forced your family to move."
"Not for a second, I wouldn't want to live here all my life but my education couldn't be in better hands. Now enough about me, where is Hermione Granger from? Which by the way, is an awesome name."
Really? I always thought it sounded crossbred. Posh meets the slum. She can see the displeasure on my face "at least you can spell yours easily enough".
"Actually so many people have either pronounced or spelt Hermione wrong, we're both cursed like that. But when your own father does it, you do question why he gave you the name in the first place."
"He's got taste, that's why."
Excuse me stomach, we're talking here. Oh well, she's heard you now. Her wand is really quite interesting, it looks like a tiny candlestick made out of pine. "You like apples right?"
"Yes, are you going to conjure some?"
"Sort of. Check this out."
I wondered why she sat so close to the tree. Apparently the seemingly normal willow tree magically bears fruit if you tap it three times with your wand. Oh, they are the green and red type, my favourite. "
"Dig in. Only one though, the run back will be more difficult if you eat too much."
"We're running back." Yep, she's finishing me off.
"You could walk it, but that would take longer, and you may get lost out here without me to guide you back." She's taking the mickey now, but I don't believe she'd just leave me out here on my own. I know that much.
Still, I suppose running is quicker. Just as I got my breath back. "Fine, but I demand assistance if I'm incapable of continuing."
"I agree to your demands. I'm not carrying you though, you weigh far too much."
"I'm getting fed up of you already." But never of that laugh.
I think we all know Ilena's problem, maybe somebody could give Hermione the memo. But as I said homosexuality is not something you can be comfortable sharing in this wizarding world, even if you badly want to tell someone. Hope you enjoyed, to be continued...
