The small room that the first years were herded into was slightly warm. It sure didn't help Hermione's nervous energy and she was starting to sweat. She wiped her sweaty palms on her outer robes. It didn't do much but it helped quell her need for control of her nervousness a bit.

She hardly heard what Professor McGonagall said before she opened the doors to what she assumed was the Great Hall. Making sure all the First Years were in line McGonagall lead them in. It took her a moment to be shaken from her reverie, but soon after her attention darted to and fro across the hall.

The enchanted ceiling and the floating candles were just brilliant. The four long tables that lay across the floor were already filled with older students. She could identify the other houses by the colors that appeared on the other student's uniforms. It made her ponder what house she would be sorted into.

Soon the sorting started. Professor McGonagall placed the Sorting Hat on the stool. She wrinkled her nose slightly at the sight of the raggedy old hat. But her slight disgust subsided as the Sorting Hat belted out its song.

Then each student started being called forward in alphabetical order. "Abbott, Hannah."

"HUFFLEPUFF!" The hat bellowed.

Fidgeting with the hem of her skirt, Hermione tried to patiently wait her turn. "Granger, Hermione."

Taking a deep breath to calm her nerves Hermione slowly walked up the steps to the hat. Turning around she sat on the stool. Professor McGonagall placed the hat on her head. It fell down and covered her eyes. She waited for it to shout a random house but it surprised her. "Mhmm. Brilliant, brave, loyal, and ambitious."

What? She thought to herself. "Yes, you would do brilliantly in any house that I put you in. But you would do greatest in Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, or even Slytherin."

I don't belong in Slytherin. I wouldn't fit in.

The hat hummed in agreement. "So, where should I put you? Gryffindor or Ravenclaw?"

Please not Ravenclaw, I was outcast enough in my Muggle school. She silently begged.

"Better make it… GRYFFINDOR!" with that declaration the hat was taken off her head and she scurried to the table that was roaring with cheers and filled with red uniforms.

She sat across from two redheads, who had to be twins and a brown-skinned boy who was joking with them. But she recoiled slightly when they booed loudly as someone was sorted into Slytherin. It just so happened to be Draco Malfoy who got sorted there. She frowned at the two boys in front of her.

Their smirks fell slightly as she glared at them. "C'mon. Everyone knows that Slytherin is where all the dark wizards and witches come from." said the twin on the left. This caused her to merely furrow her brow in confusion.

"Aye, I think we have a Muggleborn on our hands here Freddie." declared the twin on the right. The other nodded in agreement.

"Don't worry about that lot. If you stay away from them you'll be just fine." said the other boy. "I'm Lee Jordan by the way."

"I'm Fred and he's George." said the twin on the right.

"Wait, I thought he was Fred and you were George?" she questioned them. They broke out into grins.

"Right, you are Hermione. Must be the brightest witch of your age," said Fred winking at her.

Soon they erupted into cheers again as Harry Potter was sorted into their house along with Ronald Weasley. She scrunched her nose again as the twins and Lee erupted into erratic joking behavior. Maybe she could get along with these boys, but she doubted so with their behavior now.

Headmaster Dumbledore stood up and made his welcoming speech. She made a mental list of all the places she wasn't allowed. That was easier than remembering of where she could go. It was a fairly short list so she couldn't mess it up too badly. The two places were the: third-floor corridor and the Forbidden Forest. Simple enough.

After that Dumbledore clapped his hands and food magically appeared in front of them. She looked at it in awe. They had so many different dishes to choose from along with all the desserts she wasn't allowed to have growing up. Taking a little of everything, even if she knew the dish, she tried every last thing. Her favorite so far was pumpkin juice.

As she was eating with good table manners, the redhead boy she met on the train wasn't. He was stuffing his face with as much and as quickly as he could. Food spewed out of his mouth as he talked with Harry Potter who was seated across from him. It made Hermione's chest ache slightly. Alone again, she thought to herself.

The weeks flew by quickly even if the days seemed to drag on. It was now nearing the end of October. Someone couldn't even tell it was drawing near to Halloween unless they looked into the Great Hall, which was decked out in Halloween decor and huge pumpkins carved out with the house crests. It made Hermione miss home just a bit. Her primary class would be throwing a Halloween party soon.

It made her heart twist and ache at the thought. Even though she completely loathed being alone and being bullied by her classmates, it was a highlight for her every time they had a class party for a holiday. That was the only time she was really included in anything.

She propped her Transfiguration book against the bottle of empty pumpkin juice and started to read over the next chapter that they were supposed to cover. She had barely noticed the students filing in and out as she sat and ate her lunch. It wasn't until someone cleared their throat in front of her that she realized how busy the Great Hall had gotten. After taking a quick survey of the Hall she turned to the person in front of her. It was one of the two redheaded prankster twins. She remembered them introducing themselves at the beginning of term but she couldn't remember their names, nor which one this one was. All she knew was that this wasn't Lee

"Lunch is supposed to be for eating and relaxing, not studying." they drawled. Glaring at them she set her mouth into a firm line, trying to determine a response to that. At that, the boy in front of her cracked a grin and let out a chuckle. This made her scowl and more determined to answer. She had to get control of this situation, it wasn't going the way she needed to, to make a friend. It must've shown on her face that she didn't remember him, but before she could get out a response the boy said something again. "I'm Fred. Fred Weasley."

"Hermione Granger." He grinned at her reintroduction.

After that, she started hanging out with the Weasley Twins and Lee Jordan. She finally had some friends! That and she also got control over the situation that Fred had started. The over-the-moon feeling stayed all the way up until Halloween.

Today in Charms they were learning the levitation charm. After Professor Flitwick taught them the incantation and the movement, swish and flick, they started practicing on feathers. She sat next to Ron with Harry just on her other side.

She watched for about ten minutes as Ron struggled to get his feather to even get off the table. "You're saying it wrong. It's Win-gar-dium Levi-o-sa, make the gar nice and long." she tried putting in helpfully. But this just made him huff and glare at her.

"Why don't you do it then?" he bit at her.

She just scowled and performed the spell perfectly. It got an exclamation from Professor Flitwick about how she had done it well and a mutter from Ron about her being a show-off. She frowned slightly at that. Trying to be helpful and make a new friend, then making them upset was not having control of the situation that she needed to make a friend.

As they were leaving Charms class she got caught behind Ron and Harry Potter. At first, she wasn't paying much mind to what they were saying but then she heard her name mentioned.

"...It's no wonder that no one can stand her." she hadn't realized a strangled noise rose up in her throat until they turned sharply at it.

Harry said something she didn't quite catch but she did catch what Ron had said when she turned tail and ran. "So? She must have realized by now that she's got no friends."

At first, she stormed up to Gryffindor Tower, but finding the room occupied by the two gossipiest classmates she had, she threw her stuff onto her bed and turned tail, and ran again. This time she ended up on the floor of the bathroom somewhere. She didn't care who came in and saw her, there was no guarantee that they would recognize her again.

Hours had passed by slowly. Some other girls had come in and out to use the restroom and leave. Thankfully most paid her no mind. A girl with dark skin crouched down to her level where she had sat against the wall, she had moved from a stall because her bum had gone numb. "Hermione? Do you want me to get Fred and George?"

At this point, she recognized her as Angelina Johnson, one of the girls that the Twins had introduced her to. She rapidly shook her head no and croaked out a poor excuse of being homesick. The older girl frowned slightly as the answer but nodded slightly at her and left.

Why would she offer to get them? It's not like they're my friends because they want to be. They probably just feel bad for me. I'm still just a freak even here when I'm not supposed to be. She thought to herself bitterly.

A few more hours passed before she resigned she was done crying. She got up to wash the tear tracks off her face when the door suddenly banged open. The stench hit her nose before she even turned and saw what it was. She pressed her back against the sink in fear after she saw what was in front of her. A Mountain Troll, her brain whispered.

Screaming she dropped and tried scurrying underneath the sink for some protection, just as the troll started to swing its club. At that moment she heard shouting and then the two boys that didn't like her the most barrelled in. After that Ron and Harry took the attention of the attacking troll onto them.

Using the distraction she scurried underneath the stall door. Not long after the wooden stalls splintered above her. She screamed again as she had to scurry away from another swing of the troll's club.

"Wingardium Leviosa!"

Watching the scene unfold in front of her she couldn't believe it, but she had to. A wand was stuck up the troll's nose and its club were starting to levitate above it. Soon the levitation spell was released and the club landed on the head of the troll.

The troll hit the floor with a heavy thud. She didn't even get a minute to breathe a sigh of relief before teachers barrelled in. Questions were flying left and right, what were they doing, why weren't they in their dormitories? At this Hermione stepped up, she couldn't let the boys who just saved her life get in trouble because of her.

"It's not their fault Professor. I came looking in search of the troll thinking I could beat it." everyone looked at her like she was ridiculous. The excuse was ridiculous but it was the best one she had.

Setting her mouth into a thin line Professor McGonagall looked at all three of them before she spoke. "I am very disappointed in you Miss Granger. Five points to each of you for your bravery and sheer dumb luck. Now off to your dormitories!"

After getting back to their common room they all stood uncomfortably around one another. Hermione knew that tonight had changed something between them. They couldn't just go back to the way things were now, it would be too awkward and too much of a debt to pay. So she bid the boys goodnight and said that she would see them tomorrow.

The Twins, Angelina, Lee, and Katie Bell all ran up to her after the boys left. Angelina and Katie were checking her over for any type of wounds while the Twins and Lee were commenting on how wicked it was that she went looking for the troll.

After she was done being looked over she caught Angelina's eye. She gave her a look that said that she knew that Hermione wasn't looking for the troll but it had found her. The look was also a determined one to figure out as to why she was there in the first place Hermione would address that at a later date if it ever came it.

Her friendship with Ron and Harry blossomed over the next few months. She had sat with them or near them in every lesson, and spent much of her free time with them, while still hanging out with Fred and George and everyone else, and eating meals with them.

They were now inseparable she felt. She had written a couple of letters back and forth with her parents about her newfound friendships but left out the troll part.

She was sitting in the library penning her next letter about the upcoming holidays and that she was looking forward to seeing her Mum and Dad again. A throat cleared in front of her. Looking up she saw Draco Malfoy scowling down at her. "Yes?"

"You're sitting at my table," he drawled. Hermione scrunched her nose up at him. How could anyone own a table here at Hogwarts? He looked at her expectantly. Oh, he expected her to move. She snorted in response to his look.

"You can sit with me if you'd like. But I am not moving just because this is your table." She stated as a matter of fact. This earned her a glare from the blond but after he just huffed and angrily threw himself down into the chair.

Making a big show of getting his things out to do homework, he was hiding nothing about his displeasure over the situation. Ignoring his little tantrum she set her attention back onto her Potions essay.

"How does this come so easily to the likes of you?" the question startled her out of her bubble. Looking up at him she quirked a brow at him. This only made him huff in indignation. Rolling her eyes she went back to work on the essay.

Every now and then Draco would try and get her attention by clearing his throat or asking a question about how did she learn so much so quickly. Doing her best to ignore him she moved from Potions to Charms.

After about an hour she had, had enough of him asking questions in between his essays and questions in the homework, and the clearing of his throat. He was acting like a toddler who didn't get his way, in her opinion. Clearing her belongings off the table she decided she would answer him.

"Because I have something to prove of myself over the ones who grew up with magic." with that she turned and walked away.

Throughout the last few weeks of the term Draco had frequented the table, she normally sat at. If one of them arrive before the other they would leave half the table cleared for the other. She couldn't help but feel a bit satisfied that she was befriending the top male student of her year.

Now maybe she wouldn't feel as bad for droning on about subjects at school she had found fascinating. She knew that Ron and Harry both hated listening to her talk about exams, "They're months away Hermione," and that the Twins only were interested if it helped them in pranks. Which she was against but at the same time what was she a First Year supposed to do?

But that turned out to be wrong. As they were sitting one day some of Draco's Slytherin friends found them. First, they didn't say anything but after the pug-faced girl whispered to the two bigger boys and the darker-skinned boy did they make comments.

"Starting to sully your blood with this filth?" the girl sneered. Filth? Hermione questioned. She showered often so she couldn't be filthy. She kept a strict and controlled schedule of her hygiene routine. But that comment made Draco sneer back.

She really didn't process any comment after what Draco said. "I have no choice, she sits with me after I'm already here."

That wasn't true, they had an unspoken agreement about this table. How dare they, they didn't even know her, and they were insulting her hygiene. She started quickly packing her things. Shortly after she left but she caught the last taunt they threw at her, "Good taking her filthy self away from your pureness Drake."

That last exchange between her a Draco left a bitter taste in her mouth for the rest of the term. She now dragged Harry and Ron with her to the library and chose a new spot. Every time she spotted Draco she would glare at him. There was no excuse in her mind for the way he treated her. But then again her mother had told her no matter where she went there were always bullies and sometimes they turned out to be friends.

Today Harry and Ron were talking about Quidditch. More specifically about who they thought jinxed his broom in the first game. They all thought Professor Snape because he was keeping eye contact with Harry and the spell stopped after Hermione set his robes on fire. "Still can't believe you set him on fire 'Mione."

But now the conversation slid easily into plans for the upcoming holidays. Hermione was going home to spend time with her parents and attend a skiing trip their family hosted every year. Harry and Ron were staying behind at Hogwarts this year. She promised that she would bring back gifts for them in the new year. While Ron promised he'd save some of his mum's pastries and sweets she sent him.

Soon term came to an end and she was saying goodbye to her two best friends until she saw them in the new term. Fred and George hugged her as well and told her they would have gifts for her when she got back. She replied that she would do the same.

She spent the train ride with Angelina and Katie, all the while pointedly ignoring the looks from a certain blonde in the compartment across from them.

A/n: Hey guys! Hope you enjoyed this chapter. I was hoping to get this out sooner but I got sick shortly after I posted the second chapter, and then life got busy. I have an Ao3 now (SilverMoon82) and I will be posting this story and all of its future updates there as well. Until next time! ~ Moon