Chapter 2

Salem Nevista

She breathed in then out and took a close look at the letter she had in her hand. "This cannot be." she thought outloud. Her fathers voice snapped her back into reality.

"It is real, Hermione, I am so sorry you had to find out this way."

Hermione felt tears, she couldn't believe what she was reading. It seemed so harsh, so unjustified. She ripped up the peice of paper and threw it in the bin. She looked at her father and then walked towards the door. Without turning around she said her final words before she made her way to the train station.

"We won't let them win. We will fight. He has done this too us, to my world, to me for the last time." Her father hugged her goodbye sprouting tears, with one last look at her father, she walked through the wall. As she came face-face with the hustle and bustle of the wizarding world she's grown to love and hate at the same time. She hoped on the train with a casual walk, speaking to noone, not caring about anything but revenge.

Hermione awake with a start, someone was standing over her. She looked up, it was the lady who pushed the trolleys. Hermione jumped back a bit and then smiled.

"Is everything okay." She said, sitting up. She looked around and Malfoy was nowhere to be seen.

"You fell asleep dear, we have arrived. Would you mind hoping off" The lady said, very politely. Hermione had no time too notice, she looked around and realised that they had indeed arrived at Hogwarts.

"Stupid Malfoy" She whispered to herself "Didn't even have the decency to wake me up." She straightened her school robes and grabbed her book bag. Making her way off the train and onto Hogwarts station, she looked around for any sign of lifeform, but there was none. She thought about it for a few minutes and then with eyes wide open she began running up too Hogwarts. she was really angry at Malfoy now for making her late. Even though, she was part too blame. It was her who fell asleep. She hadn' slept well over the summer and needed some extra shut eye but she didn't think that she was that tired. And it is Malfoy that we are talking about. Since when did he do anything remotely nice for anybody but himself?.

She shrugged it off and made her way silently passed the Whomping Willow. She tried her best not to disturb it. It looked pretty beaten up already and she knew one false move would set it off. Once safely passed, she burst into a sprint again. She ran and ran until she got to the entrance of the Great Hall.

She could hear people chattering and knew that Dumbledore's speech was over and that everyone was sitting down to eat. She prepared herself mentally for all eyes to turn on her and start whispering. As she opened the doors, she was shocked and a tad offended when everyone just looked at her for a second then went back to their conversations. The only people to really watch her walk towards the Gryffindor table and sit down were Malfoy and Professor Snape. Hermione smiled at Ginny as she scooted over towards her.

"Where have you been? It's not like you to miss Dumbledores opening speech. Too you, it is so fascinating." Ginny said, placing some mashed pototoe on Hermiones plate.

"I fell asleep, and Ferret boy didn't wake me up. Where's Harry and Ron?" she asked rolling her eyes and noticing that their usually places were empty. Ginny shrugged and handed her some chicken wings.

"I assumed you all were togeather, but obviously not. I have no idea where Harry or my brother are. I am really starting to get worried." Ginny said, looking at the doors and back to Hermione. Hermione frowned and Ginny was distracted by Lavender telling her about this cute boy who asked her out on the train. Hermione was starting to get worried too. They weren't on the train and there not at dinner, which Hermione knew was weird cause everybody, including Malfoy, knows how Ron likes to eat, like a horse.

She looked up at the teachers table and saw Professor McGonagal signaling for her too come over. Hermione nodded and turned back around to Ginny, who was laughing at what Lavender said the boys pick up line was.

"Just going to talk to McGonagall, be back in a minute" she said, getting up and walking towards the front of the Great Hall, Ginny nodded and continued listening to Lavenders story in a fit of laughter. Hermione walked up the stairs behind the teachers and kneeled down beside McGonagall and Dumbledore.

"Albus and I were very worried about you, Miss Granger. It is not like you to be late. Is everything alright?" McGonagall asked, clutching her robes and staring at her in a way that gave Hermione chills. Hermione shook her head, and apologised. She couldn't help but wonder why McGonagall wasn't telling her off or why she thought there could be something wrong. Then her eyes flashed to Ginny and it all came togeather. She must know something about Harry and Ron. Why they are not here or why they weren't on the train. Hermione gulped and made eye contact with McGonagall, who sensed the sudden change in Hermione.

"Professor, do you happen to know where Ron and Harry are. They weren't on the train and there not at dinner. Has something happened to them?" Hermione saw the change in her eyes that went from worried to confusion. McGonagall looked at Gryffindor table and back at Hermione.

"Well, no. I assumed that Mr Weasley and Mr Potter were with you. You haven't seen them at all today" McGonagall asked, the worry returning to her eyes. Hermione shook her head and began to fear that something bad had happened. She looked at Dumbledore who wasn't showing any signs of worry or anxiousness or anything. He just sat there looking at McGonagall with his glasses on the tip of his nose. They looked at each-other a certain way, Hermione couldn't understand it. It was like they were talking to each-other with their eyes. McGonagall straightened her robes and Hermione didn't notice her nod at him. She looked back at Hermione.

"I am sure everything is alright. If something had happened then we wouldn't be here Miss Granger. We would be out looking for them. Too be sure we will send an urgent letter to the Weasleys asking for an explanation and we shall inform you as soon as we hear anything. Now go and finish your dinner Miss Granger. Do you need any help finding the head dormatories after supper?"

McGonagall finished off, Hermione shook her head and said a polite 'No, thank you' before standing up and walking back to Gryffindore table.

She caught Malfoys glare while she was walking and returned it by smiling then sat down. She laughed a bit inside, cause she knew that the smile would confuse the hell out of him. Eating the rest of her dinner, she stared at the wooden doors that led out of the Great Hall until Ginny said she was going to bed, Hermione smiled half-heartedly, grabbing her wand she stood up and followed her out. They climbed up the stairs silently and when they turned the corner, they screamed, both running into something hard and rough. They looked up and it was Ron and Harry. They both were covered in dirt and had bloody bruises on their face and hands. Hermione sqealed and Ginny sighed.

"What the bloody hell happened to you Ronald Weasley?" Ginny asked putting her hands on her hips and glaring at him like their mother would do after they got in a spot of trouble. Ron screwed up his nose and smiled awkwardly. He was about to say something when he was interupted by the sudden annoying voice of Malfoy. All four Gryfindors turned to look at him as he made his way towards them with Pansy Parkinson on his side and Crabbe and Goyle behind him.

"Well, well, well if it isn't the Golden Trio and look, they have brought a friend. Mini-Weasel. What happened to you two, get into a dueling match over who gets to screw Granger first." He said, laughing along with Pansy and his two goons, Crabbe and Goyle.

"Sod off Malfoy, you great turd" Ron said, over Hermione and Ginny. Malfoy stopped laughing and stared at the ceiling for a few seconds. He then looked back at Ron.

"I am great, aren't I. Can't say I am a turd though cause that would be "lieing". That is where you got it wrong Weasel. Well I must be off, not everyone in this school goes to bed alone, you know" He said, putting his arm around Pansy as she giggled and smirked at Ginny and Hermione not caring for there utter disgust. Ginny pretended to vomit when Pansy passed by and Hermione turned to Ron and Harry.

"Can you believe I have to live with that sodden git all year and too make matters worse Parkinson is going to be in there tonight. I may hear funny stuff. Why couldn't you be head boy Ron?."

Ron apolgised saying he wasn't smart enough and Hermione rolled her eyes. Harry saw that as the perfect opportunity to excuse himself, saying that he was going to take a shower and Ron should too, cause he smelt terrible. Ron retaliated by saying that they smelt as bad as each other. They hurried off leaving Ginny and Hermione to trail after them screaming that they wanted too know what was going on. After a while they lost them and Ginny turned to a puffing Hermione.

"I am too tired to go chasing after my brother for some god damn answers. If it was serious they would have told us right, maybe they did something that will get them in trouble and they knew you'd tell them off for it so they skipped dinner and were planning to head straight to the showers. Anyways, you should get some sleep too. We will find out tomorrow morning what happened. Do you want me to wake you up so you don't miss breakfast and you're not late for your first class." Ginny asked, Hermione was just getting her breath back.

"No Ginny, it's fine. I will be up early, thank you anyway and I suppose your right. But whatever they did they can't hide from my wrath for too much longer. No doubt they've done something troublesome and are afraid of the concequences. Well see you tomorrow Ginny." They nodded and smiled as they went there separate ways. Hermione took a bit of time finding the Head Dormitories, she kept thinking about what Harry and Ron could have done and forgot to take the right turns. But once she did she was most relieved that the painting was a lady and not something to do with Slytherin. She smiled, as she stopped in front of the lady who's gold emblem said her name was Dimitra.

"Well, Hello, Miss Granger, or should I say Head Girl" Dimitra asked, smiling at her. Dimitra was a very beautiful women. She was a middle aged women with a sweet face and a lovely dress. It was white with maroon flowers on it and it flooted about around her. She was standing in a dark forest with a crown on and a apple in one hand. It looked quite simarliar to Snow White. Hermione remembered reading about paintings like this one. The often change to suit circumstances. So, she knew that Dimitra wouldn't be here for long. Probable why Malfoy didn't kick up a stink about having a girl as his chamber portrait.

"Hello, Dimitra. Please call me Hermione. I am so sorry but I don't have a password. Do I choose one right now." She said, smiling sweetly and hoping that she didn't have to walk all the way back to the Great Hall or even worse ask Malfoy to open the door for her.

"Yes, Hermione. Mister Malfoy has already chosen his password. You two will have separate passwords. What will yours be dear?"

Hermione thought about this long and hard. She wanted a password that nobody would even think of being hers. For no particular reason at all she wanted to have a password that was all her own. Nothing to do with Hogwarts or Harry and Ron. She suddenly thought of the perfect one."Um, how about...Salem Nevista..nobody will know what that is"

"Perfect" Dimitra said, waving goodbye as the door swung open. Hermione was relieved to see that Malfoy was no where in sight. She stared around the room and took in her surrondings. So this is home, she thought.

The place had traditionally been decorated in Green and Red. On one side, which she assumed was Malfoy's. There was a big lounge, two sofa chairs, a fireplace, a wooden table, a bookcase with a studying desk next to it. The walls were painted black, just like hers and the carpet was soft and fluffy. Hermiones side looked quite the same, except she had two lounges and two bookcases. A request she made last year, because of all the people she would invite over and also because she had a lot of books. That was obvious enough for her not to have a reason.

Hermione smiled to herself as she made her way up the marble staircase towards her room. Opening the door, she put a locking charm on it and a voice actavator. Only Hermiones voice could open it. Her password was Eliza. Her nickname. Nobody at Hogwarts called her by that or even knew she had a nickname. Well they knew people other than her friends called her Granger and Slytherins called her Mudblood. Eliza was only for her non-magical friends, if you can call them that anyway.

Placing her wand on the nightside table, she jumped on her new bed and rolled around in it, for a minute, trying to get comfortable. It was nice and warm that she almost fell asleep right then and there. Not noticing eyes staring straight at her or the noises that the owner of the eyes made until the thing came towards her. She opened her eyes in horror and screamed. There next to her pillow was a white owl, she sighed and took the letter from it and watched it fly away. Not really caring who it was from she tossed it aside and fell back on her bed, kicking of her shoes. She used her wand to transform her school robes into pajamas, tucking herself in and turning of the light.

She didn't pass a thought that the letter could be important.

Very important.

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