Chapter 2: A surprise exchange
I really don't have much to say, so yeah, Enjoy!
(Spiffy divider thingy)
The next few days passed for Hermione with a mix of emotions. She was very happy with Zander, whom had kept his promise and she got to know very well. Yet, nothing could get her mind off Harry and Ginny. She had the misfortune of walking in on a snogging session, Hermione quickly running past them and read a book to keep her mind off it. It didn't work, of course, so Hermione sought out Zander and spent the rest of the evening cuddling with him on the couch in the Common Room, which Ginny and Harry had thankfully evacuated.
"Hermione? Are you still reading?" Parvati called into the dorm that Monday afternoon just before lunch.
"Yes, why?" Hermione called back.
"It's nearly lunch. Zander said that he wants to get going," Parvati said.
"Oh. Thanks Parvati," Hermione replied. She marked her place in her book and got off her bed, making her way past Parvati and into the Common Room where Zander was waiting for her.
"Hey Herm," Zander said, kissing Hermione's on her cheek as they hugged.
"Ready to go?" Hermione asked.
"Yeah," Zander replied, slipping his arm around her waist and walking out of the portal with her. They walked down to the Great Hall accompanied by some of Zander's friends.
"Did you hear that Dumbledore has some announcement to make or something?" one of Zander's friends asked.
"When did you hear that?" another asked.
"Breakfast. Apparently it's pretty big news. It's supposed to be even better then when we hosted the Tri Wizard's tournament," the first friend said. Hermione shuddered slightly, not wanting to bring up those memories again. She still couldn't shake the horrifying image of Harry holding a dead Cedric. It was almost as horrible as when Sirius died the year before.
"Calm down, Herm. I'm positive it's not that again," Zander whispered in her ear.
"I know," Hermione replied.
When they got into the Great Hall, they noticed that there was a lot of excitement. Sitting up at the professors table was a woman and four teens, two boys and two girls. The woman looked to be about in her early 30's and had brown hair and shimmering dark blue eyes. She had on a long black robe that had a dark blue ribbon around her waist and lining the long sleeves and scooped neck. As Hermione scanned the teens accompanying her, her eyes widened.
"That's my cousin!" Hermione cried out, pointing to one of the girls.
"You sure?" Zander asked as they approached the front of the Gryffindor table where Zander and his friends usually ate.
"As if I wouldn't recognize my own cousin," Hermione scoffed. When they got closer, Hermione smiled. "Wow, she's grown up a lot."
"Students, please quiet down and take a seat," Dumbledore said, all of the students immediately obeying. "I would like you all to welcome me in introducing Professor Noell Grace. Professor Grace?" Dumbledore said to the woman, everyone clapping. She smiled and walked around the table so that she was standing before the students of Hogwarts.
"Thank you Albus," she said to Dumbledore. Everyone noticed that her accent was very American. "Also, thank you all. I am here from Salem Academy of Magic in America, where I happen to be headmistress. Over the summer, Professor Dumbledore and I had a meeting and decided to try something brand new: a foreign exchange students program. I will be taking a few fifth and sixth year students from each house and I'll be sending some of my own over. Those who I choose will leave Wednesday, following an Honors Ball for fifth through seventh years. We've also arranged that tomorrow, all those who want to go can go to Hogsmead to purchase dress robes. Now, for those of you who don't know about Salem's history, it can be simply summed up quickly. During the Salem Witch Trials, four women came together and decided to create a safe haven for other women who were witches. Some of them were old women but most were young teens. They lived in a castle together, each of the founders taking some girls under their wing to take care of. As the trials 'burned' on, they began to receive word on how to protect them from getting burned at the stake. The founders taught these spells to the girls living with them and after the trials were over, the women decided to keep the castle and make it into a school like the great Hogwarts that was sending them all this information. Now, I happen to have with me a student from each house at to tell you a bit about them. Why don't you go first, Amber?" Noell asked, looking over to a girl with long red hair and brown eyes that was sitting next to Professor Flitwick.
The girl named Amber stood up and walked over to stand next to her headmistress. Amber was a lovely girl with long, straight strawberry blonde hair and hauntingly beautiful gray eyes. She was dressed in a dark red and light blue plaid skirt with white knee-highs and black shoes, wearing a dark red button-up shirt with a light blue tie. On her shirt, she had a coat of arms with a dark red and light blue field, a peacock on it. "My name is Amber Kines and I reside in Dolosus house, an equivalent of your Ravenclaw. Oh, and I'm in my sixth year."
"Thank you Amber. Jason?" Noell said, indicating to a handsome boy with dark brown hair, bright blue eyes, and a strong build. He stepped around the table and stood next to Amber. He was dressed simply in black pants, black shoes, and a dark green shirt with a black tie, his coat of arms sporting the same colors in its field and displaying a fox.
"I'm Jason Malcolm, sixth year, and I'm from Pravus house, which is like your Slytherin. Our founder was said to have dabbled a bit in Dark Magic, but that's completely untrue," Jason said, although there was a slight smirk on his face as he said this last part.
"Andrew?" Noell said, indicating to the other boy. He was tall yet a bit pudgy with brown hair and green eyes. He was dressed like Jason, only his pants were brown and his shirt was orange, his tie also brown. His coat of arms sported a lamb.
"My name is Andrew Sties. I'm a sixth year in Directus house and we're like your Hufflepuff. That's about it," he said.
"Serenati, you're last," Noell told the last girl. She had dark blonde hair and blue green eyes. She was wearing a purple and gold plaid skirt with a purple shirt and gold tie, her coat of arms sporting a lion.
"I'm Serenati Garland. I'm in my 6th year and reside in Superbia, a house like your Gryffindor," Serenati finished, her tone proud.
"That's my cousin," Hermione whispered in Zander's ear.
"Students, you may begin your lunch. After lunch we will announce who has been chosen," Dumbledore said.
Right away, Serenati ran down from the platform, Hermione running to meet her mid-way to the Gryffindor table. They slammed together so fast that they lost their balance and tumbled over onto the ground. They giggled and got up, only to hug each other even tighter.
"Hermione! I missed you so much!" Serenati said while she squeezed her cousin to death.
"I missed you too! I haven't seen you in years!" Hermione replied. They pulled apart and smiled at one another.
"Serene, what are you doing?" Jason asked, walking up to Serenati. He put his hand around her waist casually. "You shouldn't knock over random girls and then hug them. It looks odd."
"Oh, shut up Jason. This is my cousin I was telling you about. Hermione, this is my boyfriend, Jason," Serenati said proudly.
"Oh yes, the Mudblood," Jason muttered.
"Jason! What did I say about using that word? I swear if I ever hear you calling a member of my family that again, I'll break up with you," Serenati snapped, her temper flaring.
"Sorry Serene, it's just a bad habit," Jason apologized, seeming almost embarrassed that he had let the words slip from his mother. Hermione was offended at first, but after seeing Jason succumb to her cousin so quickly, she actually found the encounter amusing. Hermione gave a small laugh and began to introduce Zander to her cousin, yet was cut short when Draco and his cronies appeared.
"Did I hear someone else call that disgrace her proper name?" Draco asked.
"Bugger off Malfoy," Zander said, standing up for his girlfriend.
"You're just as bad, McKell. An upper-class Pureblood going out with such," Malfoy paused to look Hermione up and down. A lusty look did not escape Hermione's attention.
"Malfoy you're disgusting!" Hermione snapped.
"Thank you," Malfoy replied simply. He turned to Jason. "Why don't we have a little talk my friend? And I mean without the girlfriend. I have a feeling I'm going to get picked and I want some inside information. Also, I can give you all the information you need on anyone in this school worth knowing," Malfoy said, his arm going around Jason's shoulders and beginning to lead him away.
"I don't think so Malfoy. Either I come or you talk about whatever it is you want to talk about right here," Serenati said, standing in front of the boys.
"Come on Malcolm, we don't need her. She's just a ball and chain," Malfoy said.
"You obviously don't know what it means to have a girlfriend. Either she comes or I'm not," Jason said, breaking away from Malfoy and standing with Serenati. Serenati smiled smugly at Malfoy, resisting the urge to stick her tongue out at him.
"You're more whipped then I thought. Never mind," Malfoy said. "Come on," he said to Crabbe and Goyle, walking away in angry defeat.
"Wow mate. I've got to commend you. I've never seen someone turn down someone of their own house, or like it in this matter, for someone in a different one," Zander said.
"Serenati means the world to me, no matter what houses we're in," Jason replied simply. Serenati smiled adoringly up at him.
"How sweet," Lavender said nearby.
"Don't be getting any ideas, Lav," Ron muttered.
"What was that?" Lavender snapped, turning around and looking up at her new boyfriend in anger.
"Nothing! I never said anything baby!" Ron quickly said. Lavender continued to glare.
"Wow Ron, nice job. You need to learn to think before you mutter," Hermione said.
"If he wasn't such a good kisser, not to mention so hot, I'd dump him right now," Lavender said, turning around and crossing her arms over her chest. The others all laughed.
"Attention students," Dumbledore said loudly, everyone stopping what they were doing to pay attention to their headmaster. When everyone was quiet, he continued. "Professor Noell has made her choices."
Everyone stared eagerly at the young headmistress as she picked up a piece of parchment and began to read off names. All around the Great Hall, you could hear people 'whooping' and cheering when they heard their name. Harry, Hermione, Lavender, Ron, Neville, Ginny, and some boy named Greg in Ginny's year were the only ones from Gryffindor. Unfortunately, Malfoy was one of the ones from Slytherin, but his cronies didn't make the list (though no one was surprised).
"Yes! You can finally come back!" Serenati cheered after Hermione's name was called.
"Come back?" Ginny asked, overhearing the conversation.
"Oh yes, I guess forgot I never told you guys about my childhood. I was born here but I spent the time from when I was two until I was nine over in America with Serenati. We moved here just after my ninth birthday because Mum and Dad's lawyer suggested that business would be better here, although we were doing fine there. Besides, they missed our family here. Serenati's parents were the only members of our family that lived in America, and I grew up right next door. As a matter of fact, I grew up around magic. Her parents are both magic, and so are our grandmother and our other uncle. It's really only my mum and dad who aren't magic in the family, so no one was surprised that I was a witch; excited, but not surprised," Hermione explained.
"The girls will be so excited to see you! You've grown up so much since the last time we saw you," Serenati said.
"I would hope so. It's been nearly seven years since we last saw each other. If none of us have changed, I'd be worried," Hermione laughed.
"Yes, I suppose we've all grown up a great deal in those seven years," Serenati mused. "Oh, I'm just so excited! Tomorrow, I'm making sure you're the belle of the ball. I already have my dress and I have the perfect picture in my mind for one for you. We'll look like goddesses amongst mortals," Serenati gushed.
"If you can stand to be a rival to me," Lavender boasted proudly.
"You're on," Serenati said.
"What about me?" Parvati asked, feeling left out.
"We'll take on both of you. Whichever pair receives the most compliments has will have their dresses paid for by the other pair," Hermione decided.
"What if someone decides to lie?" Serenati asked.
"We'll have one of the guys walk around with them. That way, we'll have reliable sources," Hermione decided. "Ron will walk around with us and Zander will walk around with Parvati and Lavender."
"So we won't get to dance with our own girlfriend?" Zander asked disappointedly.
"We'll end the contest at a certain time. How about after two hours? That should give people enough time to fish out compliments," Hermione decided. The others all agreed.
-End of chapter! I'm going to make the Honor's Ball longer then I did last time. Also, there will be a sort of twist in the contest…I bet you all know what it is…anyways, please review! Thanks!
-Serenity
Oh, just as a reminder-
Superbia (lion)- Gryffindor
Pravus (fox)- Slytherin
Dolosus (peacock)- Ravenclaw
Directus (lamb)- Hufflepuff