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12. 20. 91
The crisp December morning found Hermione brushing down Frost, her Palomino mare, after a ride around the castle. Every morning since the break had started, she took the horse for out for an hour or so. It had taken Frost a few days to warm up to her after being neglected for months by her owner.
If she was being truly honest with herself, she was quite relieved to spend time with Frost, rather than jump into her lessons immediately. Upon her return home, she had been quickly reminded of how big the castle truly was, and how empty it could feel with just her family and the servants. Her siblings kept her company most days, when she wasn't busy being whipped into shape by her mentors. Their endless supply of questions about Hogwarts and magic could not be lessened, nor helped.
Tales of the past few months were repeated on end, even her parents asked her time and time again to share her experiences, and she was all too happy to do so, but the heavy sense of loneliness began to fill her quickly as the days passed, and she found herself wishing time to go faster.
Padma had been her only constant friend, but that was fine with her, the rest of her house remained good acquaintances, but none had taken the leap to actually befriend her, most certainly not Lisa Turpin, who after her birthday, grew even colder to Hermione.
She had had to dig herself out of the grave she had dug for herself quickly, and had kept her stories about home to a bare minimum. And because she had done so, Lisa had seemed to presume that her assumptions about Hermione telling tall tales were true. Hermione quickly found a bully in Lisa Turpin, and no matter how much Padma urged her to turn the other cheek, her anger was felt to the bone. It annoyed her greatly that she could not debunk Lisa's theories, and her annoyance stoked the flames of Lisa's fire even more.
Even thinking about it brought an angry red glow to Hermione's cheeks, which drew a pained whinny from Frost, who had been on the receiving end of her not so gentle brush strokes.
"Shhh," Hermione soothed, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry."
A glare from the horse brought Hermione to giggles.
"Oh, don't give me that look, I'm going through some stuff, alright?" Hermione said, patting the horse affectionately before closing the stable up. It was almost time for her lessons again.
10. 07. 92
Hermione dusted of her work gloves, sending a sprinkling of dirt into the pot. They were preparing to pot a few dittany cuttings for the infirmary. She glanced at her partner, a chatty golden haired Hufflepuff named Justin Finch-Fletchley.
"You're muggleborn too, aren't you?" he asked. "How'd your parents take it?"
She shrugged, "They were nonplussed. We all knew what was happening to me wasn't normal. When I got my letter, it was just a confirmation of our suspicions, I think."
"My mum took it hard, my name was down for Eton, you know."
Hermione hummed in mildly hidden disinterest.
"What's Eton?" asked Ernie Macmillan, a pureblood from Justin's house.
"It's a very prestigious muggle boys school." Hermione said softly.
"Where were you supposed to go to school, Hermione?" asked Lisa, trying to prod Hermione.
She merely shrugged, "It doesn't matter now, does it?"
"Exactly, so why don't you tell us, hmm?" asked Lisa, "Cheltenham? Roedean?"
Hermione shook her head, "Why do you want to know, Lisa? Where were you up for?"
Lisa shut up quickly, "I asked first." she said stubbornly.
Hermione rolled her eyes, keeping her focus on the dittany.
10. 18. 93
It was her brother's birthday the next day, and she had been feeling melancholy the entire week. She always kept to herself whenever one of her siblings were having birthdays during the school year. This time around, she had secluded herself for the past two days in her studio, coming out only for classes and meals. Padma left her alone, for the most part, her best friend understood that she was missing her family.
She had missed most of her family's birthdays for the past three years, and it weighed on her heavily. Her father had always used to pull her brothers and sisters out of classes so the family could spend the day together when they were younger, but that was in the past. All Hermione could do now was send presents through owl.
What ran through her mind though, was how fast her little brother Max was growing. He was three now, and he had gone through most of his important milestones without her to see them. It was one of the things that made her resent her magic, at least Melissa she had seen grow, George and Catherine were living in London while she was hidden in Alnwick for most of her younger years. The thought of it made her grip the paint brush in her hand so tightly that the wood bent with her exertion.
She let out an angry sigh, glaring at the portrait in front of her. It was supposed to be her sister Catherine's Christmas present, a painting of the lake surrounded by the Forbidden Forest. At ten years old, the second youngest Percy would still pepper Hermione with questions about Hogwarts whenever she was home, comparing the magic school to her own posh boarding school.
A knock on her studio door sounded, making her tense. With trepidation making her heart beat rise in her chest, she pried the door open to find the headmaster, eyes twinkling brightly down at her, waiting.
"Headmaster Dumbledore!" she said, alarmed, "Is there anything I can do for you, sir?"
Dumbledore smiled , but shook his head no, "I am merely here to inform you that it is close to midnight, my dear, and should Mr Filch find you on your way back to your tower, it would be unpleasant indeed."
She caught the curious look in his eyes as he glanced around the large room. The blush that spread across her face was one of embarrassment. The studio was a bit of a mess, with sheet music spread across the piano, and paint staining a portion of the floor.
"It seems as though you have been busy, Lady Percy." the wizened wizard said.
"Yes sir," she replied, "I've been in a bit of a cathartic rage for the past few days. I'm sorry about staying past curfew, the time slipped by me."
Dumbledore looked at her knowingly, "Gather your things, my lady, I will walk with you to your tower."
Hermione quickly summoned her bag - a spell she had learned only recently through her advanced studying.
"That's a sixth year spell, is it not?" Dumbledore asked, knowing full well that it was.
Hermione nodded, "I've been reading and practicing, sir."
"How are you finding Hogwarts, if I may ask?"
"I love it here, sir," she admitted, "although I still find it difficult to adjust. But it's lovely here, I finally have people I can talk to."
"I see," the Headmaster noted, "and have you had any trouble with maintaining your secret?"
"Not as much, Headmaster." she said, though the thought of Lisa Turpin crossed her mind, "Sir, can I ask you a question?"
Seeing the old man's nod, she said, "Do you think that, maybe one day, the magical world may assimilate with the muggle world?"
"It is a question I ask myself every now and then as well, child. I hope in time, that we do, but a few wizarding folk still maintain scepticism about the benefits of it, as well as ideals that separate magical beings from muggle."
Hermione quieted at that, now thinking of Draco Malfoy, who still sent her sneers and biting words every time she passed him in the halls.
"Your silence worries me, Lady Percy, have you been subjected to any form of discrimination here in Hogwarts?" Dumbledore asked, eyes flashing.
Hermione bit her tongue, "Nothing too harsh, Headmaster. Just a few remarks here and there."
The man sighed heavily, "Do not hold them to their words, my dear. They are young, and eager to please their parents. People are that way because they are taught to become that way. There is still hope for them yet."
"Do you really think so, Headmaster?" she asked, "Can years of being taught to hate be truly erased?"
"Yes," Dumbledore said with an air of finality, "It is difficult, because purebloods have been taught certain ways ever since their birth, but it is possible."
The sneering face of Draco Malfoy sat on the back of her mind as the Headmaster led her onward.
10. 31. 93
Hermione woke Padma with a light shake on the morning of Halloween day. It was just after eight in o'clock and she had already been awake for two hours, having squeezed in a quick ballet session before getting ready.
"Pads, wake up!" she said softly, "It's Hogsmeade weekend!"
The girl woke groggily, blinking at her friend angrily, "What time is it?"
"Around eight," Hermione said straightening her dress. "Come on! I've already showered and changed."
The sleep left Padma's eyes as she eyed her friend up and down. Hermione was quite pretty today. She only really saw her in their uniform, nightgowns, and casual wear, but today, the girl was dressed in a burnt orange silk dress that matched the leaves turning for autumn, the matching cashmere cloak was lying on her bed, with the faux fox fur collar peeking out from the blankets. Her wild hair was set back with a black silk headband and she wore a set of diamond studs encased in gold that blinked in the morning light.
"You look amazing, Hermione." Padma said.
Hermione grinned in thanks, "Is it too much? I got these sent from Madam Malkin's over the summer."
"No, you look like a pureblood." Padma said, stepping out of bed. She saw the smile waver from her friend's face. "It's not a bad thing, love. I just mean it in a way that makes you look distinguished."
Hermione nodded, "Go on then! I want to see the village now before it gets crowded."
"Alright, alright, go wake Su, then." Padma said, walking towards the bathroom.
Hermione woke her other friend, who got up quickly to get ready. She made sure not to wake Turpin, who was snoring heavily from her bed on the opposite side of the room.
Padma and Su came out a few moments later, the former in a long brown sweater dress, and Su in black jeans and a black jumper.
The two girls took their time to brush their hair and dig around their dressers, not saying a word while doing so. Finally, when Hermione couldn't bear it any longer, she bounced up from her bed, where she was sitting.
"Are you girls ready yet?" she hissed impatiently.
The two witches erupted in a fit of giggles.
"Are you finished?" Hermione asked, her hands on her hips.
"We didn't think you'd last that long!" Su gasped, clutching her side.
Hermione huffed, "Well, if you're quite done, let's go!"
Hogsmeade Village, for the past two years had all just been a sight to see from the Astronomy Tower. The sleepy little town a ways down from the castle had always intrigued her. She had never been to any other part of the Wizarding World aside from Hogwarts and that one time Padma had invited her to Diagon Alley over the summer.
The walk to the village was long, the girls enjoying their walk down. She had cast several heating charms over her robes and stockings, to fight away the chill of the early autumn air.
"Where should we go first?" Su asked brightly. Her bright personality was one of the things that had helped their friendship grow over the years. Hermione, still quite unused to socialising, had been happy to find that Su somehow understood her awkwardness.
"What about Tomes and Scrolls?" Hermione sounded, "I've been waiting for the newest edition of 'The Value of Seven', Professor Vector said that it has a dozen new chapters about new Arithmancy theorems."
"Oh! And I want to see if 'The Alchemist's Almanac' is out yet!" Padma said excitedly.
"How utterly Ravenclaw of us to go to the bookshop on our first trip to Hogsmeade." Su said, rolling her eyes.
Hermione laughed, "We were sorted where we are for a reason, Su. No logic in fighting it."
The girl sighed, rolling her eyes at her friends, "Fine, but after we pick up your books, we're heading another place immediately. I'm not wasting our weekend in a bookshop. We spend enough time around books already."
It was almost cathartic for Hermione to be in such a public place, even if it was the tiny town of Hogsmeade. It was only very rarely that she was in such a place as this one. Alnwick and Hogwarts were very much the same in the way that they were looming buildings that , though they were beautiful, carried an ever present feeling of loneliness with them.
She laughed, the sound a soft ringing that had been practiced to perfection, as Su came out of the shop's dressing room with a feather boa wrapped around her neck over a brilliantly bright pink dress. Padma merely rolled her eyes at their friend's antics, all too familiar with them.
"Aren't you two hungry?" she asked, "We've been here for ages and Hermione took forever in the bookstore."
"Speak for yourself!" Hermione scoffed, "We had to pry your hands off of the Herbology section ."
Padma stuck out her tongue in response.
"I'm starved." Su said, stepping out in her normal clothes. "Where should we go?"
"The Three Broomsticks seems like the place to be." Hermione said, "Hold on a moment, I just have to get something rung up."
"You're buying something, Hermione?" Su asked, eyes widening fractionally.
They had only entered the little boutique for the heck of it. It was a little too, erm posh, for a student's allowance. But Su supposed that if anyone could get anything from the shop, it was Hermione.
The two witches watched their friend point to two things in the glass case next to the register, a pair of twinkling Opaleye scale earrings and a goblin wrought gold chain necklace.
"Hermione, are you sure?" Padma asked, dumbfounded.
The girl blinked in confusion, "Yes! They're quite beautiful, and I think they'll be the perfect presents for my mother and sister."
The woman at the till looked at the three girls with vaguely concealed suspicion. "That'll be a hundred and fourteen galleons."
Hermione nodded before reaching into her tote, pulling out two small purses bulging with coins. The three people surrounding Hermione had their jaws wide open.
"There's a hundred and twenty in there all in all. If I leave the change, can you wrap the items and send it by Christmas?"
The clerk nodded absently, taking the purses gingerly to place inside the till.
"Thank you." Hermione nodded, after jotting down her address.
The bell on the shop door chimed as the three girls left.
"What in Merlin's name are you thinking, witch?" hissed Su, "Carrying around a bankfull of money around like it's spare change!"
"What do you mean?" Hermione frowned.
"Hermione, no one lugs around a hundred galleons in their bag." Padma said softly.
"But I can't very well use my credit card, can I? How else am I to pay for things?" she asked.
"Well, students don't usually have that much money, love, nor do they buy things that expensive." Padma said.
"How much should I bring, then?" Hermione asked, dumbfounded.
"A handful of galleons is more than enough, Hermione." Su said, "It'll buy you loads of stuff."
"Alright, I'll remind myself next time, then." Hermione said, as they made their way to the pub.
Draco feigned disinterest in the conversation behind him. The pub was busy, and the loud thrum of chatter filled every space, but somehow the Gryffindor chits Brown and Patil could be heard loud and clear. He had been talking to Zabini when their conversation shifted dramatically with the arrival of that Mudblood, Granger.
"Do you see what she's wearing, Parv?" Brown squealed, "It must have cost a fortune to have robes like that made. Silk like that has to be charmed specifically for autumn, did you know?"
"And her coat! It's obviously cashmere." Patil said with a hint of jealousy. "Isn't she worried she's going to ruin it?"
Brown snorted, "Right, like Granger would care about that. Didn't your sister say her parents are filthy rich?"
"Yeah, Pads even thinks she has more money than the Malfoys."
That comment made Draco sit up straight rather quickly. It wasn't possible for anyone to be richer that him. Even his gold had gold.
He surveyed the crowded pub to find the witch in question. Sure enough, her clothing was impeccable. Much to his annoyance, it was something his mother would wear.
He knew for a fact that Narcissa had the exact same coat, except in Slytherin green. He also knew that every item in his mother's wardrobe cost a small fortune, it was something his father complained about to no end.
But that didn't mean she was richer than him. Her family might have a little money, but no muggle family could compare to the Malfoys.
a/n: Terribly sorry for my absence! I've been so busy lately that I barely found the time for this! I hope you guys liked this, also a bunch of things are happening in the next chapter, and I'm excited to have you read it! Also, do any of you guys have suggestions for Hermione-centric Xovers for me to read? I have been wanting to do a crossover super badly lately.