I own nothing.
CHAPTER 18.
"Now what's going on here?" Came a playfull warble, the five teens turned to see an enormous man, clad in velvet smoaking jacket, and carpet slippers, walruss mustache twitching merrily as he took in the group before him.
"Harry ma' boy." He boomed, to the others confusion, rushing forward to wring Harry's hand vigerously.
"Hello professor Slughorn." Harry said unenthusiastically, realisation dawned on Hermione and Ginny, who exchanged surprised glances with eachother, this was certainly not wat they had imagined.
"I was just on my way to find you, you're invited to a spot of lunch in my compartment, all your friends are also welcome of course." He said, smiling delightedly at his newest additions to the Slug Club.
"Thats very kind of you Professor, but.." Hermione began, casting about desparatley for an excuse.
"Think nothing of it my dear." Horrace interrupted. "Come along now, compartment thirteen in the next carrige, I'll meet you all there." He said, before bustling off to, no doubt, round up more unsuspecting victims.
As the five walked to the next carrige, Harry hurredly explained to them about the Slug club, and how they had all just been recruited. Shockingly, none of them seemed to be overly thrilled with the idea.
Walking into compartment thirteen, the five were greeted with an odd asortment of people, including Blaize Zabini, a slytherin in Harry and Hermione's year, Zacheryas Smith, a hufflepuff who'd been in the DA, and had dated Ginny briefly, Daphny and Astoria Greengrass, both of slytherin, in sixth and fourth year respectivley, Cormac Mclaggen a griffyndor the year above Hermione, and Marrietta Edgecomb, the seventh year ravenclaw who had outed the DA, and had 'sneak' permenantly scarred onto her face, by Hermione, in their previous year.
She had a feeling Malfoy would have been there, where it not for the fact that he was currently doing an excellent impression of a slug that had been trodden on.
All in all, this was going to be extreemly awkward, Harry thought, as he sat inbetween Hermione and Ginny.
All eyes where once again on Hermione, shock on the faces of those present, except for Edgecombe, who looked affronted -although she was waring so much make up to desgize the spots, that hermione could have been mistaken, -as if she took it as a personal insult to herself that Hermione would be so beautiful.
"What happened to you?" She questioned snidley, glaring at Hermione.
"She's veela," Ginny cut in, following swiftly with, "I like your make up Marietta, is it new?" Which caused those in the compartment to snicker heartily at her expense, all determinatley not looking at eachother.
"You're really Veela?" Asked Astoria, seeming genuinley curious. Hermione survayed her for a moment, she was a petty little thing with pale blond hair and big blue eyes. Hermione nodded to her.
Zabini and Smith both seemed to have lost the power of speach. Mcglaggen was brazenly staring at Hermione as though she were a piece of meat, she inwardly sighed, she really couldn't see this ending well.
"You're drooling Zabini." Luna pointed out in a dreamy voice, causing the girls in the compartment to giggle, and Hermione to wish that a hole would appear in the ground and swollow her up.
Zabini didn't even flinch, just continued staring unnabashedly at Hermione, who fidgeted uncomfortably. Thankfully a distraction then came in the very large form of their new Professor, who waddled happily to his seat, seemingly unnaware of the tension in the cabbin.
"Now then, you all know eachother I take it?" Everyone nodded.
"Smashing." he crowed delightedly.
"Now tell me Smith, how is that uncle of yours? For those of you who don't know, Zach's uncle is one of the formoast potioneers in the country..." he whittered on about some potion or other, whilst Harry gave her a look that clearly said 'I told you so'.
"Smith? SMITH?" Slughorn shouted, 'accidentally' elbowing the git, to rip his attention away from a truly mortified Hermione.
Smith jumped, "What..?" he questioned stupidly, still looking slightly vague. Slughorn shook his head, looking mildly dissapointed.
Throughout this Mcglaggen had been slowly edging towards Hermione, who had grabbed Harry's sleeve to alert him, she had leaned so far to one side that she was now almost in Harry's lap.
Harry was glaring openly at him, although cormac seemed to be to distracted to notice. It wasn't until he reched out a hand to touch Hermione's hair, that she jumped up mumbling something about powdering her nose, then grabbing Ginny and dragging her from the compartment.
"Swap seats with me." Hermione begged, much to the younger witch's amusement, she nodded never the less.
"I think Harry might have killed him when we go back in anyway." Ginny pointed out, making both girls giggle quietly.
They waited outside for a few more moments, to make the ruse belivable, before re entering the compartment, only this time swapping seats, putting Hermione inbetween Harry and Luna, to her relief, and Mcglaggens dissapointment.
Hermione had a horrid feeling that Cormac was going to cause her an awful lot of bother this year, sighing, she went back to listening to Slughorn, who was now regailing the teens with tales of his many affluent friends.
Yay, Hermione thought sarcastically.
It was perhaps the longest train ride ever, Hermione thought, did they somehow move Hogwarts further away? It felt like they had been trapped in that compartment for hours, in reality it had only been one, when the lamps turned on, and Slughorn made a show of looking surprised.
"That time allready?" He sympered annoyingly, "You should all go and change into your robes, but you're welcom to call on my any time." He dismissed them, as every teenager nearly ran from the compartment, back to their trunks to change.
"That's bloody likley." Hermione heared Harry mutter, she whole heartedly agreed.
Back in their earlier vacated compertment they pulled out their robes to change, the boys leaving so the girls could pull on their uniforms. When they returned, they where both momentarily struck silent by Hermione in her new robes.
"See!" she shouted to Ginny upon seeing the boys reaction, "I look like a bloody whore!" Everyone was quick to dissagree with this, although the looks on their faces weren't entirly convincing.
Hermione looked at her uniform, it consisted of a black skirt which reached nearly and inch above her knees, but her long leggs, clad in knee high socks, made it seem shorter. A white shirt, which was perfectly taylored to her ample bosom, and tiny waist, tucked into the skirt, flat black shoes and her school tie.
The robes she wore over her uniform where helpfull, but not nearly enough, as they where open in the front, leaving an unobstructed view of the problem areas. She dreadded to think of the reaction she would get to this.
Sighing, she pinned her prefects badge to her robe, and followed Ginny, who had also made prefect, to shepherd the first years. On the platform it had already fallen dark, and they had quite a job finding all the tiny first years amongst the crowd.
"Blimey, I'm sure their getting smaller." Ginny grumbled, as she was shunted by the crowd. Hermione didn't have this problem, for the crowd would part for her when she passed by, all watching her in silent revrence.
Hermione spotted a tiny first year girl, tears running down her face, looking lost. She walked easily over to her, the crowd parting like the red sea, and watching her rapturously. She knelt before the crying girl.
"What's your name, sweetheart?" Hermione asked gently, ignoring the watching crowd.
"Lizzy." the little girl whimpered, whiping the tearsfrom her face with a sleeve covered fist.
"It's ok, Lizzy. Come here." Hermione held out her arms, the girl came to her without hessatation. straightening up, hermione carried Lizzy through the gaping crowd, towards the other first years, and...Professor Sprout?
"Hello Professor...No Hagrid?" Hermione asked as she neared with the little girl still in her arms.
"Hello Miss Granger," Sprout said jovially, "Hagrid's away for a while, i'm filling in." she said, rather vaguley. Must be visiting grawp, she thought, shuddering at the memory.
Lizzy had hidden her face in Hermione's neck by this point, she had stopped crying, but was clinging to her like devil's snare.
"Lizzy." hermione said softly, getting the little girl's attention. she leaned back from her shoulder, looking up into Hermione's face, eyes still red rimmed, and nose running.
"Here." hermione handed her a hankerchief, and placed her gently on the ground with the other first years. Kneeling before Lizzy, hermione spoke, aware that the other first years, and Sprout were all listening.
"I've got to go now, but i'll see you inside. You'll be travelling in the boats, and it's one of the best things about coming to hogwarts, the first time you see the castle from the lake." Hermione told the enrapture children.
"Be sure to take notice of it, it's beauiful. And you never know when you might need a beautiful memory." hermione smiled gently at Lizzy, who was still clutching the hanherchif, before straightening up and grinning at sprout.
She gave the children a collective smile, before heading back to Ginny, who along with many others, had been watching her, enchanted.
"Nicley handled." she complimented her, as she led the way back towards the carriges.
"Thank you, it was just nerves, she'll be fine." hermione smiled fondly, remebering her first day only too well.
She had been right to worry about her uniform, she thought grimly, as she and Ginny walked through the entrance hall, having been sepparated from the others at the carriges.
Hermione tried her best to ignore the whispers;
"Did you hear? Veela." and "Let me tell you mate, I would."
And then the stares, but the woolfwhistling and jeers where a diffrent matter. It was only Ginny's soothing hand on her arm, that stopped her from hexing a Ravenclaw boy, who had had the audacity to try and grope her behind.
"Bloody hell Gin." Hermione muttered, her head resolutley downcast as they sat at their house table, eliciting stares from everyone in the vicinity. "Even the teachers.." she hissed incredulously. And indeed, many teachers where staring at her in blatany shock, which was most offensive, Hermione thought staunchily.
Eyes scanning the head table, she stopped at Professor Snape, who seemed to be looking at her almost pittyingly. He arched an eyebrow at her, to which she scowled, causing his lip to twitch slightly, before they both looked away.
Hermione then scanned up and down her own house table, she noticed Ron at the far end in between Dean and Seamus, they seemed to be talking passionatley about something. Everywhere she looked she was greeted by people hurridly averting their gaze, lest they be cought staring at her.
There where whispers here too;
"A beauty charm got stuck, I heared," from one Romilda Vaine, "Either that or she used polyjuice."
Ouch. Hermione thought, her eyes stinging, Ginny patted her on the back, "Ignore them." she chanted. When Harry arrived, his face was grim.
"What it it Harry?" she asked, he looked at her, unsure weather to answer.
He sighed. "I came across some from our year starting a betting pool..." He trailed off, Hermione got a sincking feeling in her stomach, Ginny's eyes narrowed.
"On what?" Harry said nothing.
"A pool on what, Harry?"
"On who could get you to...you know, first." He said, looking angry and awkward in equal measure, Ginny tensed, waiting for Hermione's reaction.
"What did you do?" She asked curiously, surprising herself and others with her lack of anger, but really, it's not like she hadn't seen something like this coming.
"Hexed them." He said proudly, causing Hermione and Ginny both to kiss him on the cheek, much to the appersiation of the growing audience, who catcalled, making them the next recipients of 'the boy who just wouldn't snuff it's' glare.
"Thanks." Hermione said quietly.
"No problem." he said, grinning easily at her.
The sorting went as usual, the hat having spouted off more rubbish about inter house unity, as if that would stop Voldemort, Hermione thought snidly. Really, it spent the whole year coming up with these rhymes?
Then Dumbledore was calling for attention.
"To our first years, Welcome. To our old hands, Welcome back. Now, happy eating." He said, as the tables before them groaned under the weight of many dishes of delishous food, the house elves had outdone themselves, something Hermione still wasn't entirely comfortable with. After many helpings of delicious fare, the plates once more emptied themselves.
"There are the obligatory start of term notices I wish to announce." came the headmasters voice, "Firstly, this Forbiden forrest still is." He chuckled to himself, and Mcgonagall scowled. "Secondly, many more banned substances by Mr Filch, including anything purchaised from Weasleys Wizarding Weezes." His eyes twinkled mischeviously, as Hermione and Ginny exchanged proud looks.
"And finally, new staff. We welcome back an old flame, Professor Slughorn, to teach Posions for us again this year." There was much murmering at this, and polite applause as Slughorn waved jovially.
Hermione on the other hand was looking at Snape, it was her turn to raise an eyebrow this time, making him smirk.
"The posission of Defence therefor, will be filled by our own Professor Snape." This was met with explosive applause from the Slytherins, which thankfully drowned out Harry's outraged, "You're joking?"
"Now that's all, I feel it is time for bed, pip pip." With that there was a massive banging and scraping as the benches where pushed back.
After the feast, Harry and Hermione gathered all the first years together ready to lead them back to the dormitorys. Harry had been right, Hermione thought, as she smiled down at all the curious litte faces, they were getting smaller.
"Hello." Hermione greeted them when they were all accounted for.
"I'm Hermione, and this is Ginny," Ginny waved and smiled, "We're the griffyndor prefects, there are another two floating about somewhere, so if you need anything, you can come and ask us, ok?" they all nodded shyly, staring in wonder up at the beautiful smiling witch.
"Ok, then, this way." Ginny said, heading out of the great hall, and up the marble staircase from the entrace hall.
They where at the double doors of the great hall, when they heared, "Fenite incantartem."
Looking up, Hermione found a wand in her face, acting quickly she waved her hand at Pansy Parkinson, making her wand arch through the air to Hermione, who cought it neatly. She stood squarley before the terrified looking first years, scowling at her fellow prefect.
"Are you finished?" Hermione asked coldly into the silence of the watching croud, all of whom where staring at her.
"Are you actually telling me it's not a trick?" came the voice of Millicent Bullstrode.
"That only proves it's not a spell," Pansy pointed out, "Could still be a poition." Both girls looked calculatingly at Hermione, who was close to loosing it, this was beyond cruel.
"Are you all really this stupid?" Ginny shouted from Hermione's side, she felt a surge of warmth at her friends words, and sent Ginny a thankfull smile, which was returned.
"Leave me alone, ok Parkinson?" Hermione said flatly, throwing the girl back her wand, having never drawn her own. Hermione didn't however turn her back, seeing parkinsons wand once again trained on her.
"What you going to do Mudblood?" she cackled. "Haven't even got your wand out."
"So you're gonna hex me, in front of all these witnesses are you?" Hermione said slowly.
"I knew slytherins weren't in ravenclaw for a reason, but come on..." Ginny intoned next to her.
With and enraged shriek, Pansy flung the first hex she thought of at Ginny, a nasty slicing hex, but hermione was faster.
Flashing her hand quickly in front of her and Ginny, she wordlessly created a large, opaque shield, which absorbed the spell, so that it didn't deflect onto an unsuspecting passer by, or an innocent firstie.
People where now staring at Hermione, truley agape. Parkinson looked at her in something akin to fear, before stalking off to the dungeons.
"Thanks Mi." Ginny said cheerfully, completley ignoring the still silent crowed, who hadn't moved.
"No problem." Hermione chuckled throatily, dispersing the shield with a wave of her hand, "C'mon, i'm knackered."
And with that, the two girls, and Harry walked through the crowd of students, who parted like the red sea, to bed. the first years following behind them, in awe.
It's gonna be a fun year, she thought.
They got to the portrate of the fat lady without insident, the first years all watched in amazement as the lady spoke to Hermione.
"Miss Granger." She smiled at the new prefect.
"Hello Lady." hermione said politley, smiling at the friendly portrate, "Balderdash." hermione said clearly, and the portrate swung open.
The first years all scrambled inside, and Harry and Hermione climed in after them.
"Ahhhh, Ickle firsties." lee jordan said, desending on the first years. He had taken over from Fed and George as chief trouble maker.
"Lee, it's they're first night, don't scare them away." hermione teased, going to stand next to him, grinning up at him fondly.
"Me?" Lee asked, scandalized.
"Scare away the baby griffyns?" he said, outraged.
"Never." He finished, swooping in to kiss Hermione and Ginny each on the cheek, before running off to his dorm, leaving a group of hystericall first years behind him.
Ginny and hermione grinned at eachother, as they began showing the students to their dormns, wishng them goodnight, and showing them where they would be, if anyone needed to come and find them.
The common room was an experience that evening. Hermione, Harry and Ginny had congragated in the best seats around the fire, and were tallking about the audasity of the 'Parkinson cow'.
"Really Mi, I would have just hexed her." Ginny was saying, shaking her head sanctimoniously at her entirley too kind best friend.
"It probably would have caused more problems than it would have solved, this early in the year." Harry pointed out wisley, "The last thing you need is the slytherins picking fights with you at the drop of a hat."
Hermione was nodding along with him. "I wanted to keep it low profile this year...but..." She broke off, her two mates were chuckling heartily. Hermione had to admit that she too could see what was funny, even if she didn't like it, the chances of her doing anything low profile had been pretty much blown out of the water.
Being a prefect she had decided to stay in the common room a little later that night, incase any of the firsties needed her. Hermione went up to her dorm, to grab a book, before going back to sit by the fire. Ginny and Harry were already there, waiting for her.
Hermione recieved a good many appreciative glances as she passed, pulling her hair into a bun as she walked. She sat herself in an armchair by the fire, and ignored the eyes on her, chatting happily to her friends.
It did't take long for a first year to come and find her, crying. The majority of the house were still in he comon room, chatting with their friends after the hollidays.
The little girl stopped timidly by Hermione's chair, tears running down her face, clutching a small pillow to her pajama clad chest.
Hermione put her book down, and opened her arms for the ltiile girl, who climbed into her lap without hessatation.
"What's the matter sweetheart?" Hermione asked gently, brushing the little gir's hair from her wet face.
"I miss my mum." she whispered, her breathing shallow, and hitching.
"What's your name?" She asked, taking in the pillow the little girl held.
"Serah." was the reply.
"You're muggle born, aren't you Serah?" The little girl nodded, laying her head in the crook of Hermione's neck, and closing her eyes.
"I was raised by muggles too?" Hermione told her, running her fingers through serah's notted hair, aware that the common room was watching, listening.
"I recognised your pillow," hermione confided, smiling kindly, "My mum used to sing that lullaby to me when i was little." hermione's eyes glazed over, remebering her mother's sweet voice. She began to softly sing to serah, who's breathing was calming, her head resting on Hermione's shoulder.
Hermione sang as the entire commonroom listened in awe, watching the little girl drift into sleep. Her voice echoed through the entire tower, up the stone stepps and along the corridors to the dorms, some who had gone to bed came out to listen, and watch.
Unbenownst to the students, Mcgonagall wasn't far away, having chosen to check on her lions, to see how they were settling in. She watched Hermione and the first year with bursting pride.
When Serah was sound asleep, the room stayed silent as hermione got to her feet, and carried the little girl back to bed, tucking her in.
Without her noticing, Ginny had magically recorded Hermione's song, and the talk with the little girl. She put the magical recording into a letter, as she had seen her mother do a thousand times, and planned to send it to her brother, on the dragon reserve in Romania.
When Hermione returned to the common room, she was met with complete silence
"Well I'm still knackered, and I think people have stared at me for long enough," Hermione said, pointedly catching the eyes of some third years. . She walked through the room, colleced her book, and bid her friends goodnight, before going to bed.
"Good night, guys." She called over her shoulder, heading towards the stone steps to the girl's dormitorys. Every eye in the room followed her progression, zeroing in on the seductive prowl of her hips.
"Your brother is one lucky wizard." Harry said to Ginny, the entire common room nodded silently, still looking at the spot where Hermione had vanished.
Lavender and Parvati were already there when she arrived, so she grabbed some pajamas, and her wash things, and headed to have a shower, hoping that they would be asleep by the time she got back, no such luck.
She returned to the room in her little silk camisole and shorts, this time in a shimering champaigne colour. She ignored the slack jawed expressions on her dorm mates faces as she set out her things for the following morning, and read over Charlie's letter one last time, before kissing it, and placing it under her pillow.
Hermione fell asleep that night to the sound of her dorm mate's mindless gossiping.