Don't look at me like I'm crazy you two, I'm already fully aware. "Evening to you both."
"Wait, I wasn't hallucinating?" Harry looks at Ron indignantly "you made me eat fried fish for nothing."
"Priorities Harry, nobody cares about your loathing of everything that's come from the sea. But I do care why Hermione is dressed like that."
Because I've got nothing else suitable for running in. "Because I want to."
"I haven't seen you run in years, and never for a hobby" Harry is smirking like he's waiting for me to reveal it was a dare or something. I wish it was.
Wait, he saw me!
"Oh heck, you can pay perfect attention when I'm doing something different for a change, but never in class."
"Not at all a fair comparison. What next, seeing you on a broomstick for longer than two seconds?"
No, Ilena doesn't play Quidditch, but she's a huge fan of Hufflepuff, Malmo Mermaids and the Swedish national team. "Unlikely."
Ahh, ooo, my calves are tight. The common room has super comfy sofas, perfect for resting your legs on. "Tell me you guys didn't just binge eat all afternoon."
"We could tell you, but we'd be lying. But it sure hell beats going to some lame dating session. How'd that go?" Ron gloats but at least I had the balls, where did his oh-so-masculine ones go.
"As expected, but it wasn't a total waste. I made a friend at least."
"She's the girl in yellow and green I presume. She Australian or something."
"Ron, not every foreign person dresses up in their national colours all the time." Even if yellow is one of Sweden's national colours too. "She is in fact Swedish."
"And her name?" Harry asks curiously.
"Ilena. And she's amazing. Probably cooler than all three of us put together."
"Speak for yourself, we'll be the judge of that." Like you're an expert Ronald Weasley.
"What house is she in?"
"She's in Hufflepuff Harry."
"So she's blonde, Swedish, wears yellow and from Hufflepuff. If she was any more yellow she'd be a Simpson." Harry laughs at his own joke. Purely because I think it isn't funny, and Ron is likely trying to work out what a Simpson is.
"Hilarious. Maybe you can meet her later and say that to her face. She is muggle-born." And most likely will not take offense at all, but Harry doesn't know that.
"Come on, it's just a joke. It's cool you made a friend, by yourself, from one of the better houses that's not Gryffindor. Result."
"Thank you Harry"
Ron breaks out of his confused stupor finally. "Yeah, I'm proud of you. I mean getting a boyfriend wouldn't have killed you either, but a friend is better than nothing."
Can you see now why I have doubts that a relationship with Ron will work? Doesn't make me want it any less, but listening to your brain is always a better option.
Then what was you're brain thinking, Granger, when it decided running itself into the ground was a good way to impress someone?
I think I'll just go to bed. "I'm shattered guys, I'm getting an early night."
"Okay, night Mione. Ron and me are gonna talk some Quidditch strategy for next weekend's match."
My timing is on point at least.
#
#
#
"Granger"
I can barely hear your voice over this wind Ilena, speak up a bit.
"Granger!"
Ilena where are you going, I'm not following you in there?
"Granger"
Huh, what's goin-
SLAP
"OWWW! What the hell?!"
"Oh, sorry Granger, didn't mean to slap you THAT hard. You wouldn't wake up though when I called."
If I wasn't against it so much I'd be cursing my head off. "What is it Lavender?"
"I have a note, from some Hufflepuff girl with a weird voice or something. She told me to give it to you, what she wants to tell you so urgently before breakfast tomorrow I don't know."
Well I'm awake and if it was on behalf of Ilena then I can forgive the intrusion to my sleep. The slap was unnecessary though. "Thank you Lavender."
Sit up, I need to read this properly, where's my wand. Ah, here we go. "Lumos."
Her handwriting is cute. A dyslexic's nightmare, but cute just the same. It says:
Almost forgot, you're now a member of that secret unsoci
A few splatters of ink follow, she was questioning her grammar because she leaves a gap and says:
Hold up, do you know the difference between anti-social and unsociable? Are they the same thing? I mean I know anti-social is deliberately NOT being social, but when some one is unsociable does that mean the same thing? I'm trying to say that we're NOT deliberately anti-social, what word do I use here? It's not my native tongue, I'm not gonna be an expert am I.
Sorry, you can't answer me right now anyway. Well, you're a welcome member of the group of friends I was telling you about. Because of this you are more than welcome (in fact I insist) for you to join us at breakfast tomorrow.
Don't go looking at the Hufflepuff table, we won't be there. And we usually eat early, like 6:30ish. Dumbledore and McGonagall are the only ones there that early, which gives us the first pick of food. So it's Slytherin table, 6:30 tomorrow.
Because we usually meet only at breakfast due to us being different years and houses, and because I love the movie, we call ourselves The Breakfast Club. I know you'll appreciate that one. Of course you don't have to call it that, but you will have to stomach me calling it that. If it's annoying, tough.
Anyway, I'll let you sleep, it'll probably be late when this gets to you. That Lavender isn't a reliable messenger but she's the only girl I know shares a dorm with you. For reference I gave this to her at 8:37, so do not blame me if you get woken up at the dead of night. Especially after your tiresome afternoon, I wouldn't dare be involved in waking you up after all that.
So, goodnight, see you in the morning...and Hermione, don't you forget about me. Haha I know, lame.
Ilena.
She's so silly, and eccentric, and weird, and funny. I can't not smile, it's not possible. I bet even you're smiling, and if you're not then take that cold heart out of the freezer.
Well, it's 11:45, so Lavender wasn't at all urgent in her messenger duties. I'll be joining The Breakfast Club in about seven hours time, so if you don't mind I'm going back to sleep.
"Nox"
#
#
#
Oh Merlin, I just slept, why do my legs feel even worse than last night?
Tight, so incredibly tight, walking is one of the least strenuous activities your legs can do, and I can't do that at the moment.
It's still technically winter, so it's barely light out. I'm an early bird but 6:00 is still going to be a new challenge for me, limits the amount of late-night study sessions. But I get it, they are social oucasts by the sounds of it therefore meeting early for breakfast enables them to escape the harshness of the main student body.
I'm going to need a few cups of coffee though.
Ilena's waiting at the door, she could've gone in instead of waiting for me. It wasn't like she was going to be lost in a crowd. But it's sweet I guess.
"Morning, you look alive just about."
I still smile, even though its probably a lacklustre attempt at one. "You're not beating me that easy. You can break my body, and my sleeping pattern, but never my spirit."
"That's an excellent attitude to have, but I will try to ensure our friendship won't be so much of an exhausting chore all the time. Now, are you hungry?"
"Yeah, lead on. And to answer your question, being anti-social and unsociable are the exact same thing. What you meant to say was socially inept, or other synonyms."
"You learn something new every day. Now come on."
She wasn't kidding, the only people here was Dumbledore and McGonagall who are equally surprised to see me. I've never seen them so shabby, Dumbledore needs to brush his hair but McGonagall...ha ha ha...she looks like Count Olaf from Lemony Snicket.
I shouldn't have laughed at loud whilst looking directly at her, she's doing that glare that makes you immediately silent. And it worked.
There is a group of people about my age sitting at Slytherin's table. I'm actually going to meet a Slytherin, I really hope this goes well.
"Folks, Hermione. Hermione, Folks." Ilena vaguely introduces.
"Names will help Lenny" says the golden haired boy from Ravenclaw. "Hi, I'm Joe. Joe Moon. This is my sister Alex. Don't worry, she's softer than she looks."
The dark-haired Slytherin girl, who'd stand her ground in an intimidation battle with Snape, replies "In flesh only, not heart."
"You've got a heart of gold in there somewhere" said a redhead, also from Hufflepuff.
"That she'd sell in a heartbeat for double the price" said the Slytherin boy beside Alex.
"Make that triple Dom" she says and they exchange amused smirks and high five.
Ok, the stereotypes are strong with those two. Ilena rolls her eyes "that's Dominic, Alex's bad influence. And the redhead is Rosie."
What a bunch, I reckon all my friends would fit in here. But the two Slytherin's alone was a red flag in that regard. "I'm the only Gryffindor."
"Brilliant, you're the missing link to our Hogwarts connection" Rosie sure has a positive outlook on things.
"I'm the only Ravenclaw" Joe thumbs himself. "But I'd easily consider you an honorary Ravenclaw, you're Hermione Granger. The one that got away."
"I err, it was actually fifty fifty with the Sorting Hat for a while, but he decided my desire in the face of great opposition makes me a solid Gryffindor by heart."
Ilena is looking at me like it is the first time she's truly seeing me. "Wow, that's amazing. All I got was 'Hufflepuff' the moment the hat was put on me."
"Well duh Lenny, Crabbe and Goyle could've told you that you're a Hufflepuff. They're the only house most likely to bear your weirdness." Alex digs at her. Liking her might take some effort.
Ilena challenges back. "Hufflepuff is all about tolerance, perhaps that's why I've survived this long knowing you, without enacting on my impulse to stab you in the eye with this fork." Ilena sure means business with that fork.
"You've got to give it to her" Dom admits. "For a Hufflepuff, she's pretty good at threats."
"So Hermione, you and Ilena met at speed dating right?" Rosie asks, and I see Ilena clench up beside me.
"Yeah, some git was causing a scene, and I stepped in." Miss out the part where I say I was bored stiff just sitting there.
"Knight in shining armour, eh Lenny?" Alex teases, what was that supposed to mean.
"Guys, shut it!" That's the first time I've seen her get annoyed.
I could tell Alex was about to start again but Joe stopped her with a sharp dig. "She said drop it Lex."
Then Dom says a cryptic parting comment. "Well, speed dating at least delivered on something, who knows what fate beholds you both?"
He wasn't insuating that...no, he just meant it was fate that brought me and Ilena together as friends. Don't be ridiculous Hermione.
"Can we move on, please?" Ilena seems urgent, and I think she's trying to avoid eye contact with me.
Is she ashamed of me? Embarrassed to be with me? She can't be, she's been so genuine and nice. I don't get why she's acting tetchy talking about how we became friends?
I just made eye contact with Joe. I think he knows what I'm thinking because he's shaking his head and mouthing 'don't worry'.
Breakfast passes with mainly the two Slytherins, the Ravenclaw and the other Hufflepuff talking. I try to listen but I'm too conscious about how quiet Ilena is, and how she's just playing with her food with her head down.
It get's too much for me in the end. "I'm gonna head up and get changed, it's been nice meeting you all."
Joe and Rosie give me attentive partings, Alex and Dom grunt in a lowly approximation. But Ilena shoots up and brightly says "I'll head up with you, I need a shower myself."
That lifts my mood a bit, but I still think there's something going on with Ilena right now. Maybe she'll tell me when we're alone.
"So...what did you make of The Breakfast Club?"
"There's certainly many characters amongst you, I think Alex and Dom are attached at the hip."
Ilena hums in agreement. "They're peas in a pod, or should I say snakes in a pit. But Joe is right, Alex does have a soft center underneath all that stone. She's the one who'd defend us all with her life should we ever get attacked, which does happen occasionally."
"That's comforting to hear. She and Dom obviously have a thing for each other though."
Ilena smirks knowingly "actually Alex is a real sucker for Rosie."
What does she mean? "Sucker in what way?"
"As it's only a suspicion of mine I'll tell you, but you have to promise me you won't bring it up." I know she's being sincere, breaking this promise would not be a good idea.
"I promise."
Ilena looks around and sees only an empty corridor. "I strongly suspect Alex likes Rosie, in more than friendly terms."
Ah, right, now the promise of not bringing it up makes total sense. "And Rosie doesn't return her feelings?"
"I'm not sure, she might but it's hard to tell, she treats everyone she's friends with exactly the same. However she does look Joe's way the most."
"That's tough luck."
"Oh, there's more. I'm pretty sure Dom likes me, but I'm not interested and he knows it. Joe may like Rosie, but he's got a girlfriend outside the group."
Wow, a lot of unrequited love going on here. "And you? Do you like Joe too?"
"Nope, Joe's easily my favourite but not my cup of tea."
"Is there anyone?"
She's staring right through me, there obviously is. "Not really."
"You can tell me, I won't judge."
Ilena just tell me, staring at me won't make me take it back. "I'm just not ready Hermione, please."
Ok, she's clearly uncomfortable so I'll drop it. But I get the impression she doesn't trust me. I mean rightfully so, she's barely known me for a day. But she can trust me, and I'll make her see that.
"Do you like anybody Hermione?" I wasn't expecting her to ask me, but I should've.
"Err, well I like my friend Ron, have done since third year."
"Oh, oh um cool. Does he like you?"
Ron, liking me, no chance. "No, I don't think so. Also I'm not sure we'd work even if he did. We're too different."
"Right, but you like him anyway, despite that?"
"Yeah, like a cruel paradox or something. Aren't unrequited feelings the worst?"
She smiles sadly back at me. "Yeah, they really are."
As you can see it's beginning to get a little heavy, the humour starts dying away a bit. But it won't go completely. Also now I can't get Simple Minds out of my head. Oh well, hope you enjoyed and to be continued...
