Disclaimer: I own nothing! God I could cry over that fact.
Chapter Two: Startling yet Cheerful?
Hermione's first night at Hogwart's was getting to be very restless. She tossed and turned in search of a cozy position. Since the war, she rarely slept except for when she moved into Grimmauld Place over the summer. And much to Mrs. Weasley's distress, she never slept alone, often curling up to Harry or Ron. When Mrs. Weasley would tire of separating them, Hermione would crawl in bed with Ginny. The war had made it's mark on Hermione, leaving her feeling completely alone and she was determined to take back her life.
As she rolled out of bed she noticed from her alarm that it wasn't even midnight. Outside her room, noise was being made from the Common Room, Draco Malfoy was clearly arguing with one of his text books. She could hear the text being slammed shut only to be followed by a rummaging noise. Then a noise made had caught her ear and stung at her heart, but more so it also sparked her naturally curious nature.
A faint smile began to play at her lips, moving her ear close to the door, as the sounds of a guitar's strings being plucked came lightly filtering through her door. Suddenly the music made had stopped. She pressed her ear hard against the door, the only sound was of Malfoy marching up the stairs leading to his room.
"I can't concentrate like this!" was heard before he shut his door.
Turning her back to the door, groping for support, memory after memory flooded her mind. The memory of her father sitting in the den of their home, playing his guitar. Having her dad teach her how to play, while her mother would mock her father in that loving way that Hermione had inherited. 'Hermione, sweetpea, daddy only became a densist because he made better music with a drill jammed in someone's mouth.' She remembered that her dad had chased her mum around the den, causing a young Hermione to squeal with delight as her parents would run and throw funny insults at each other.
Tears threatened to spill from her eyes when the music started again, only coming from another door. The french doors, that led to a huge curved balcony that was shared by the Head Boy and Girl. Quietly and quickly, she barely cracked the door allowing the music that was thought to be private into her room. Hermione walked back to her bed, scooping up Crookshanks on the way, and snuggled beneath the plush coverings. After a few minutes of playing, Malfoy began to sing along with the notes, which Hermione noted to be a muggle song.
Before she knew it, her alarm was going off, the sun was shining through her windows. She rolled out of bed to ready herself for the first day of classes. It didn't matter that she has no idea when she wet to bed, all she cared about was that she hadn't felt this good since before the war. As she left her room, the Head Boy was standing at a mirror in the Common Room, fixing a stray hair.
"Well, well Malfoy! Don't you just look pretty." Hermione bubbled as she walked out the protrait, a bounce in her step.
"So do you Granger, so do you." he whispered to the empty room.
Ginny was the first to notice that Hermione was seated next to her and seeing the half eaten bagel in her hand, Ginny guessed that she had been there for a few minutes. Ginny stomped on her brother's and friend's feet, getting them to acknowledge the girl who was sitting across from them.
"Good Morning, 'Mione." they chorused.
" Morning." she chirped. Seeing her friend's startled faced, she asked, "What?"
"No Ron!" a voice next to Hermione sheirked.
Ron was about to open his mouth to say something, but was cut off by Ginny's foot colliding with his shin. Harry gave a small smile, joining Ginny by smacking his friend beside him in the back of the head.
"What'd I do?" Ron scowled at Harry, while rubbing his shin.
"It's okay, guys!" Hermione cooed. " You three look like you had a fight with the Whomping Willow! Did any of you sleep last night?" Three head shakes.
"You?" Harry asked.
Hermione gave a shrug with indiffernce. "Last night was better since......"
Ron quickly got up. "Come on guys, we'll be late for Charms if we don't hurry. Bye Gin."
Harry and Hermione tagged along after Ron, who was walking like a tornado was strapped to his back. "You know, Herms, Ron and I follow our brain to class. I think that this is the first time Ron has ever went rushing into class with out his brain."
Hermione gave out a laugh, remember how she had recieved that nickname. She had disappeared to Hogsmeade without telling the boys, having them search frantically for her, only to have Dean Thomas tell them that they had left their 'brain' in Hogsmeade.
Tiny Professor Flitwick only refreshed the class of Gryffindors and Ravenclaws on what they were taught the year before. Lots of the students played with the charms that they practiced until the bell rang. Hermione still had a bounce to her step, causing both boys to become abit nerve-racked. Heading down to the dungeons, the three had passed Malfoy in the corridor.
"Well, well. Good morning Hermione! Having a pleasant day?" Malfoy said as she skipped past him without a word.
Ron began to charge forward as Harry grabbed his robes. "What'd you do to her Malfoy?"
"I haven't done a thing to her, yet."
"Don't even try it." Harry growled, dragging Ron with him.
Students were lined up outside the Potion's classroom, listening to an argument between Snape and Dumbledore. Before they could reveal what the argument was about, Dumbledore told Snape that he had a class waiting and they could talk later. Before the class could come through the door, Snape roared after the Headmaster, "You promised that this was my year! Don't you dare take this away from........."
"Hurry children, take your seats." he turned back to the potion's master. "I said that we'll talk later."
"We better! Everyone to their seats now." Snape said, letting his eyes flicker over the class, before landing on one student in particular. He quickly regained his composure and placed a cold look and his face. "Turn to page 128. You will begin this potion by yourselves and work quietly."
Potion's went by with no so much as a whisper. Malfoy kept stealing looks at Hermione, fueling Harry's anger. He nudged Ron, and both boys kept a close watch on the Slytherin. When Hermione left class to head to Ancient Runes, they caught Malfoy in the corridor. As Ron slammed him up against the stone wall, Harry began to rant at him while Ron continously threw threats at the boy pinned to the wall. Malfoy pushed Ron off him with some effort, drawling out in his normal bored voice, "What's the matter, Potter, scared of alittle competition? Or you, Weasel, afraid I'm gonna hurt your mudblood? You two are really full of it, aren't you? I think that Hermione is a big girl now, so why don't you let her come beat me up. In fact, I would rather enjoy that."
Without anything else to say, lettling his words sink into the two Gryffindors heads, he stalked off. The last remark hit Ron first. "Harry, you don't think that he meant..........? I mean, Hermione hasbeen awfully bubbly today. It's not possible that she........well you know." his face redden as he spoke.
Harry's face was hard as a stone. "No, she wouldn't." The bell rang. "Shit, we're late for Divination. Come on, we'll figure out what Malfoy is up to later."
A/N: Thank you so much to everyone who gave me reviews! I was so afraid that it was gonna be a flop! So I was more than thrilled when I recieved my first reviews! Hell, I even did a victory dance!
Huge thanks to LILYQUEEN777, SEACHEL, REMUSSWEETIE, JAMILLAH, DREAM-SORCEROUS11, SPIFFEROONIGIRL, HOGWARTSHEADGIRL1, REVZ68.
BLONDEKELLYCRAZY: I have some serious plans for twists and turns. Hope than they meet you expectations. I have bits and pieces already planned and wrote.
LILYKINS: Thank you for the encouragment. I hope to make the two watchers known in the next chapter or so. And yes, he does like her, but his rivalry with Harry has something to do with the plot. Hope that answer satisfies you.
And last but not least, to my very first reviewer, SARAH, I am so glad that you enjoyed my story. Please by all means write what you had in mind. Just don't forget to email me when you do! I would love to read your idea, no matter how similar it is to mine.