A/: I beat my own deadline! For once I didn't actually procrastinate, when I had access to my computer I typed this up :) I'm happier with this chapter than I was for chapter two. I really want to change the last chapter but I struggled enough to just write what I did, so fixing it to a point where I'm is out of the question.
Hermione didn't know what to expect from the boy with the round yet friendly face and kind eyes, and his question greatly confused her. Somebody was trying to be nice to her? Here at Hogwarts? She must have fallen asleep from exhaustion or maybe someone was magical tampering with her mind. Either way it was downright weird.
"Are you okay?" The boy asked again in a quiet voice.
Gathering herself together the best she could, Hermione tried to put on her mature voice, that one she used when correcting classmates and when she wanted something out of a teacher.
"Yes, I am fine thank you. Now if you could just leave me alone like the rest of my house I would be much better." Her voice broke towards the end, the emotional strain unable to be kept away.
"Well if you say so then." When the boy began to retreat towards the door, something began gnawing away in the pit of her stomach, the unidentifiable emotion that came with it was screaming out her to say something, but she just couldn't bring herself to.
"Just so you know, not everyone hates you, but that's just how Slytherin house is. Anybody who is different from them is immediately an outcast." The boy stopped at the door, one last pitying look at Hermione's back brought more words to his mouth. "I'm Neville Longbottom by the way, in case you don't remember." Only silence answered him. "Well bye then."
When the room was silent again, an impulse that Hermione could not explain struck her and carried her feet to the door.
"Neville! Wait." She yelled at the blond boy's back. Slowly she walked over to him, a small smile tugging at her lips. "Can we walk for a bit?" A bright smile greeted Hermione in return and the two began walking towards the nearest staircase.
Talk was awkward. Neville struggled with making small talk, and Hermione just didn't know how to act. She had never had a friend her age, and nobody wanted to interact with her before. They made their up the moving staircase, both still in awe at the sight of constantly moving staircases. They trekked past portraits feasting on a meal or otherwise gossiping with a neighbour. Eventually when the moon was high in the sky with it's pearly brilliance highlighting the grounds, the two found their way into rarely used classroom next to a boy's lavatory.
"Looks like a good night to be outside." Neville spoke quietly as he stared at the window. Silence ensured for a few moments until a question nagging at Hermione couldn't be kept quite anymore.
"Why are you being friendly to me? It's not like anyone else has been"
"I didn't see a reason not to be I guess." Neville stated as if it were the most basic question.
"But everyone else did."
"No, just the Slytherins. But I'm sure that some of them are nice."
"I doubt it. They're all evil."
"Well, you're in Slytherin aren't you?
When the shocking revelation that she had just called herself evil hit, Hermione sat in silence again, questioning herself and whether she too must be evil.
"Don't believe that you are evil though. Not all Slytherin's are. I've heard my Gran telling many stories from when she was in school. Only when she has over-indulged in fire whiskey does she tell the ones about her friends in Slytherin. There are too many to tell, but I can tell you this; not all Slytherin's are bad. Maybe over the years the need to live up to their reputation have caused a few to go astray, but not all have to go that way. They're no different to the rest of us, no matter what they believe. You just need to be able to fit in with them."
"But I'm a mudblood. I will never be able to fit in with them." Unshed tears were forming again as Neville's truth came crashing down on her.
"Then make yourself be like them. You can never change your blood, but maybe if you begin to act like them you will make friends. They don't like you because you are different to them, you stand for something they have been told is bad. Maybe you can show them that they don't have to be the bad guys and either do muggle borns, that they're here with us to learn, share fun times and make memories together. Show the school that they can be good, that we can all get along."
"Like a unified Hogwarts?"
"Like a unified Hogwarts."
The two stared at each other before Hermione did what she had never done before, hugged someone other than family. Happiness bubbled throughout Hermione as she realized what she could do. She had the potential to make friends in her house if she played her cards right.
They bid each other goodnight with the promise if sitting together in Transfiguration again made their way back to their separate common rooms. All the way back Hermione had chided herself for not noticing what Neville had said earlier. She thought she had belonged in Ravenclaw, but if it took another student to open her eyes, maybe it never was the right house for her.
When Hermione awoke in the morning she struggled to remember if last night was just a realistic dream, or if she had indeed made a friend. Excitement coursed through her veins just at the thought of having a friend here at Hogwarts, when she thought she would be forever hated.
Yesterday morning Hermione awoke with little sleep and many plans on how to deal with her situation on Hogwarts. She tried making herself more confident and proud of who she was. It now struck her as the wrong way to treat her housemates. She no longer wanted to go home; she had a new plan now. Neville's advice the previous night had helped her see the other side of Slytherin. Maybe they were misunderstood, used to being shunned from the rest of the school that when somebody different joins them, they feel the need to shun that individual. Either way Hermione was sure she was going to challenge their approach to her.
Arriving at breakfast early, Hermione sat at the end of the table where the other first sat, and began to serve herself breakfast. As the Great Hall began to fill, she was noticed by the other first years entering.
"Hey mudblood, what are you doing here? Shouldn't you be searching for scraps of food outside like a dog?" Draco Malfoy's irritating voice rang with laughter at his own apparent humor. Over the otherisde of the hall Hermione saw Neville watching nervously, and attempted to give her an encouraging smile, which turned more into a grimace.
"Actually Malfoy, I am eating breakfast here as this is also my house table and I deserved to sit here."
"But it's your blood that's dirtying our pureblood's, so you deserve to be scrounging around in the dirt."
"Oh give it a rest Draco and just eat your breakfast." A female's voice broke in. Hermione looked her and saw a prefect badge atop green and silver robes. Hope flickered inside her that maybe she did have a chance here.
Begrudgingly Draco sat down as far away from Hermione as possible, followed by his cronies and Pansy, all of which gave Hermione, or at least tried, to give her the dirtiest look they could muster.
Hermione was the first to arrive at potions with the Gryffindors that morning. Sitting alone she hoped that Neville could join her, so she was surprised when a girl sat next to her. Even more surprised to see that she was a Slytherin. Neither girl said a word to the other and soon enough the lesson was in full swing.
Hermione already disliked her head of house, but the way he treated students was appalling. Never did he utter words of encouragement; in fact he quite happily insulted students. Or in her case ignored students when they clearly hand their hand in the air. They didn't prepare a potion today, but worked on the general theory behind potions and of the potion they would be working on next lesson.
There was no chance for talking, even though Hermione had a feeling if there was a chance to talk Snape wouldn't allow it. She had no idea of the girl's name next to her, but figured if she was going to try to make friends she needed to know the names of her dorm mates. Gathering the courage to ask would be difficult knowing that her only reply could be to 'go away mudblood,' or something along those lines.
As soon as class was over the students rushed out of the classroom. Clearly Snape was too intimidating for the students to handle. Hermione tried to find the girl who sat next to her but she was long gone.
Classes finished for the day and Hermione wasn't sure if she was dreading or looking forward to going back to the common room. So far she hadn't had any good experiences inside her common room, much less her dorm. But if Neville was right, she needed to face her peers if she wanted any good memories of Hogwarts. If they actually gave her a chance, then maybe they will see her for who she really