N/A: By the way, Ginny is not Ginny Weasley. I just wanted to use similar names to the books as a funny parallel.
The next few days went by smoothly for Hermione. Sitting at the back of that chemistry class was good for her; his voice was amplified and she couldn't tell it was him or not from that far away. And in biology, Dudley sat as far away as he could and every time Hermione turned to look at him he jumped. That never got old. Her other classes were simple to her as they reminded her of herbology and history of magic, except it wasn't quite magic, it was just the history of the practice of medicine.
At the end of the week she again found her three girlfriends waiting outside her door like every other night, except this time they were dresses in red and gold. She looked at them surprised. "What are you wearing?" The colours reminded her of what she would wear to a quidditch match when Gryffindor was playing.
"These are the school colours! Go put on some red and gold and let's head out to the courtyard, quick!"
Hermione ran into her room, picked up her Gryffindor scarf, a red turtleneck and a pair of jeans and quickly put them on. She also had a gold hat with red stripes which she put on as well and a pair of gold mitts. She glanced at the clock and saw that it was 8 o'clock. She had had a long day in the chemistry lab and was surprised she didn't get back to her room until this late. Her thoughts were disturbed as the girls knocked wildly on the door as a signal to hurry up. Hermione shuffled around, put on her shoes and ran out the door, locking it behind her. They all ran out to courtyard where they heard successive booms.
"Oh no, we're missing them!" Molly exclaimed.
Hermione didn't know what was going on. They all ran to the courtyard where hundreds of the students and faculty were standing looking up at the illuminated sky.
"The fireworks are to start the school year." Ginny told Hermione. Hermione smiled. She hadn't seen fireworks in a while. There was nothing to celebrate really. She looked at the girls and then back at the sky. But now there was so much to celebrate.
"Beautiful aren't they Miss Granger?"
Hermione spun around to see Professor Smith standing behind her. "Oh, you startled me. Hullo Professor Smith."
"Please, call me Sam or Samuel." Hermione nodded. The other girls filed around her and smiled at Professor Smith. He laughed a bit and showed of his brilliant white teeth.
"So Miss Granger, where are you originally from."
Hermione needed a quick fix for this. She couldn't say the wizarding world and she didn't want to say the town she really was from. "York." She smiled with her response. That seemed to fit for now. She just had to remember it. Professor Smith smiled and nodded. The two conversed for the duration of the fireworks and as they finished Professor Smith asked Hermione to follow him to the laboratory to discuss her first lab.
"I'll see you girls tomorrow; we're still on for shopping in the square yes?"
The girls nodded and jumped around. They're enthusiasm was growing on Hermione. She was actually getting excited to go out shopping with her girlfriends.
The two walked to the lab making small talk. When they reached the lab, Professor Smith flicked the lights on. She looked at the clothes he was wearing… they reminded her of the suit he wore just without the cap flowing behind him.
"That's quite an interesting ensemble Samuel."
He laughed. "It saves me from having to wear a lab coat. Now about your lab write up… well it makes me wonder why you're even taking this course because this is beyond first year expectations. I was wondering if I could send this off to the organic chemistry symposium for further review."
Hermione laughed. If it was Severus he should be cringing right now from giving her so many compliments in one sentence. Hermione nodded. "I'm honored."
Professor Smith smiled. That was all he really wanted to discuss with her so he walked her back to residence as it was late and dark out.
"How do you know so much if I may ask?"
"I was home schooled, I guess I just absorbed it all well."
Samuel gave her an 'I don't believe you look' but shrugged. "That's very impressive. No other experience outside of home school?"
Hermione shook her head. "My parents didn't believe in school as an institution. But now they're divorced and I'm paying my way through school with the money they left me…" She trailed off. She did a lot of money from her parents, and she also got some money from Ron and Harry which she quickly turned into muggle money at gringotts. The bankers harassed her for changing the money ('Why would you want dirty muggle money? It's much more valuable here… no? We can't change your mind? Fine then, here are your British pounds') but she had enough to put her through school. Professor Smith looked at her with concern but smiled.
"You're a very resilient girl then. It's very difficult to reconstruct your life after traumatic events. Just a few years ago I came back after fighting the war in Afghanistan. It is very hard returning to a normal life after witnessing men being killed on the battlefield right before your eyes."
Hermione snickered a bit. "I'm sorry… but the person you remind me of… oh never mind."
Professor Smith looked at her with an odd look and smiled again. They had reached the residences. He opened the door for her, bid her goodnight and said he's see her Monday. She smiled, waved goodbye and ran up to her room.
"It was wonderful Hermione! We ate lunch and he said he liked me a lot. I owe you so much!" Ginny said speaking about her lunch date with Dudley. "We're going out again tomorrow evening at the pizza place a few blocks from the school!" She lunged onto Hermione and gave her a big hug. Hermione laughed, not just a passive laugh like before, but a real laugh with a real smile. It had been a while since she'd laughed like that, and it felt good.
"You're welcome. Now, what stores should we go into?"
The girls went around town into every shop to try on dresses, jeans, shirts, makeup, everything. By the end of the shopping trip, Hermione could have sworn she had an entirely new wardrobe and an entire new makeup collection. She felt like it was a Saturday well spent. They ended the shopping day in a local pub for some supper.
"I heard they have the best wings here. Let's take this booth."
Hermione had never been in a muggle bar. It looked the same as the leaky cauldron and the three broomsticks, but the menus were very different and men kept on eyeing the table. She felt like she was on display or something. A waitress came around to get a drink order.
"Four mikes hard lemonade please. And can we have an order of barbeque wings?"
The waitress wrote down the order and went into the back to get their drinks.
"Why is it called hard lemonade?"
Silence. The girls all stared at her in awe. "You've never had it? There's vodka in it, but don't worry it won't get you drunk."
Hermione giggled and the girls all gossiped and talked about their purchases. The waitress came back after a few minutes and gave each of the girls a drink. Hermione smiled, took the drink in her hand and the girls made a toast.
"To our new friend Hermione!" "Here here!" And they all had a sip. Hermione took a sip and was mildly surprised. It tasted just like lemonade with a bit of a twist.
"Dudley is going to love you in that dress Ginny… hey Hermione… isn't that your Prof over there?" Minnie giggled. Hermione averted her attention to the bar and saw him hunched over what looked like a rum and coke. His head turned a bit, caught Hermione's eye and flashed her a smile. Hermione hid her head and sunk into the booth. Not now, I was having such a great time. The wings came just in time and the four girls devoured them. After they were finished with them, Hermione requested they head back to the dorm rooms and hang out there. She really didn't want to see Professor Smith anymore. They all agreed and they headed out.
-Back at the bar-
Once Hermione left, Professor Smith took out his cellphone and sent a quick text to someone. After a few minutes, Minerva McGonagall came into the bar dressed in a disguise of long black pants, a pink dress shirt and a big black sun hat that covered her face when she was looking down. She sat down beside the Professor and took off her hat.
"Minerva, this is getting harder every day. Miss Granger is attending the school and I'm sure she knows."
"Don't tell her unless you have to but keep hidden. The supporters of Voldemort are still mad at you, even if you did murder Albus… for now just don't give away any hints and keep your wand hidden Severus."