A/N: Hello everyone. I apologise for the biiiiiiiiig delay in posting this chapter. There is a reason for this though. I was stuck at this point. I didn't know how to move the story from the prologues. I am not very happy with this chapter but needed to move on. I have the whole story lined up; only this chapter was proving to be a block. I hope I haven't lost my readers and you like the chapter even if I don't.

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Chapter 1: Going to School

Blaise smiled at the frenzied girl in front of him.

"Calm down, will you?" he said, knowing fully well that the words will simply bounce off the girl's head.

"Merlin knows where I kept my blue socks," the girl cried from under the bed.

Blaise looked around the room. Books were lying, neatly, all over the bed. And that is where the orderliness ended. The floor was covered with clothes, quills, inks and parchment. Whatever space was left was covered by shoes. A trunk was lying open near the door, since that was the only empty space left.

Now that he glanced around the room, Blaise wondered how he had managed to enter this nightmare. The window, of course, Blaise thought. In the five years that he had known the girl, he had never entered her house through the door.

"Are you just going to stand there and smile or help me?" the girl asked Blaise, thus brining him out of his reverie, eyebrows raised.

That's totally from her dad, Blaise thought, visibly shuddering. "Of course, darling," he smiled.

Together they set on the search of blue socks. Half an hour later and they still hadn't found the above mentioned socks.

"Looks like you will have to leave without them," Blaise said, wiping sweat from his forehead.

"NO!" she shrieked, "They are my lucky pair and first gift from Bill."

Blaise rolled his eyes. "I sometimes wonder about your company. I mean, a Weasley?"

She turned towards him. A picture of fury. "What. Do. You. Me--"

"Hermione, dear, your clothes."

Both Hermione and Blaise turned towards the voice. And there on the top of the clothes were the blue socks.

"Thanks, Mom," Hermione shouted as she ran towards the pile of clothes, picking her pair of socks and jumping up and down.

Her mother smiled at her daughter's antics. "Hello, Blaise. When did you come?"

"Hello Mrs. Snape," Blaise replied, "I came an hour ago. To help her."

"Please do help her settle this mess," Mrs. Snape commented before leaving the room.

Blue socks were not only lucky for Hermione but also made her work faster. Within thirty minutes, the trunk was packed and the room clean.

"So, leaving tomorrow, eh?" Blaise asked, without looking at Hermione. They both were lying side by side on her bed, staring at the enchanted ceiling.

Hermione sighed. "Yeah," she replied softly. "I have been looking forward to this day for so long, but now … I don't want to go."

Blaise turned to look at her. She had a sad smile on her face. "Why? In love with Weasley?"

"Ewww, Blaise," Hermione reacted, "you are horrible."

Blaise batted his eye lashes at Hermione before laughing out loud. A moment later, he was joined by Hermione.

"I understand, darling," Blaise said, once their laughter had died down, "you are going too far. I mean, Salem's School, for Merlin's sake. Remind me why your dad isn't sending you to Hogwarts?"

"He says he would be biased towards me. Plus Salem's School of Wizardry is a good school."

"You know that doesn't sound very convincing," Blaise commented.

"I know," Hermione said, shrugging her shoulders. "But Mom has studied there and says I would love that school."

"It must be having a bigger library than Hogwarts, then," Blaise muttered.

Hermione didn't reply to the comment even though she had heard it. Silence set in.

"It would have been more fun if you had come to Hogwarts," Blaise said. "Remember the plan of smuggling Milky in there?"

Hermione laughed at the memory. Milky was their house-elf, though she never was treated that way. She was considered a family member.

"Well, there are always letters," Hermione said, "Promise me a letter every week." Hermione stretched her balled fist in front of her.

"Deal," Blaise said, putting her fist over hers. This was their personal hand shake.

"That makes it a letter every day, except Sunday," Hermione said, counting on her finger-tips. "Shouldn't be bad … living there, eh," she added sadly.

"It won't be," Blaise said, half hugging Hermione.

***

Knock! Knock!

"Come in, Dad," Hermione said. "Why do you knock?" she asked as Severus entered her room.

"Habit," Severus replied sitting on her daughter's bed. Hermione was lying, staring at the ceiling. "Everything packed?"

"Yes, Dad," Hermione answered, still staring at the ceiling.

Severus glanced at the ceiling. After seeing Hogwarts' ceiling, Hermione had demanded a similar one for her room. Dumbledore had charmed this one. There was nothing he could refuse her.

"I'll never be able to see the real one again," Hermione sighed.

Severus winced.

"I never thought I would go to Hogwarts," Hermione said, "then it became reality, but I am still not going to Hogwarts."

Flashback

"Dad! DAD!"

"Uh-oh," a sleepy Severus answered. Standing in front of him was eight year old Hermione. And she was crying. Crying?

"Merlin," Severus rushed to her daughter, "What happened? Why are you crying?"

"I won't go to that stupid school," Hermione answered between her tears, "the girls there tease me."

Since the age of five, Hermione had been going to a Muggle school. She had not shown any signs of magic and Severus had accepted the fact.

"Tease you? Why?"

"For everything," Hermione whispered, "my hair, my books, all the answers that I have, everything." She took a long breath. "Dad, why can't I go to the same school as Blaise?"

Severus sighed. "You know, dear, Blaise is a wizard. You are not."

"But both, you and Mom are magical, why am I not?" Hermione asked innocently.

Severus felt Ella, his wife's presence at the door. She smiled sadly when Severus glanced her way.

"Because," Ella said, sitting in front of Hermione, "not every child of magical parents is magical. That doesn't change the fact that we love you."

Hermione nodded sadly. "Blaise and Bill will also leave me one day."

Hermione was so sad that Severus couldn't stop a tear sliding down his cheek. Never before has he shed a tear but he wasn't the only one. Behind him, Ella was also sniffling. A moment later Severus realised that there was something different about the room. His eyes shot to the window and it looked as if the weather was reflecting Hermione's mood. Grey clouds were covering the sky and they were only getting darker.

"Severus," Ella was tugging at Severus' robes, "it's getting colder. Do you think…" she trailed off.

"Master!" Milky cried, bringing both Ella and Severus' attention to their daughter Hermione.

The air around Hermione was thick as if they were looking at her through fog. The floor beneath her had cracks in it and it was getting freezing near her. Hermione was swaying slightly, her cheeks stained with tears.

"What's happening, Severus?" Ella cried, "She is harming herself."

Ella rushed to Hermione as she went unconscious. Her lips had a blue tinge to them and her body was cold. Ella flicked her wand to warm the room but the foggy sphere around Hermione resisted the warmth. Ella wrapped her robes around Hermione but instead of warming Hermione it was making Ella cold.

"Nothing is helping," Severus commented before trying few more charms. Ella nodded weakly. She was sure if nothing happened within few moments Hermione and she would die of hypothermia.

"We need Dumbledore," Ella whispered weakly.

Severus need not be told twice as he sent his patronus to Dumbledore. He, then, hugged Hermione from front, so that Ella and Severus were covering Hermione between them.

CRACK!

"What's it, Severus?" Dumbledore asked as soon as he apparated in the corner of the living room, the only apparition point in the house. However, he stalled the answer by his hand as he took in the surroundings.

He glanced at Hermione and at the foggy and cold sphere around her. He motioned for Severus to take Ella out of the sphere and took her place. He spent the next two minutes muttering something under his breath and flicking his wand in between. Slowly, the sphere faded away, sky cleared and the floor repaired itself.

"Put Hermione to bed, Milky," Dumbledore asked Milky, who quickly obliged. "Stay with her."

Dumbledore stopped Ella who made to follow Milky.

"What was that, Albus?" Severus asked Dumbledore as soon as Milky was out of sight.

Dumbledore smiled at Severus. "Good news for you, Severus and Ella. Our Hermione is a witch."

If it wasn't for the seriousness of the situation, Dumbledore would have laughed at the reactions of Severus and Ella. Where Severus' mouth was open in perfect O, Ella was blinking rapidly and looking from Severus to Dumbledore.

"Yes, she is a witch and a powerful one at that," Dumbledore said, taking a seat in the living room.

"She did all this?" Ella asked.

Dumbledore nodded.

"B-but," Severus stammered, "she changed the weather … she-she … no … it's not possible."

"Er--- what's not possible?" Ella asked, confused.

"Severus here has understood the implications of what he witnessed today," Dumbledore said calmly, "It's possible, Severus."

"That's not possible Dumbledore," Severus repeated firmly.

"Please take seats, both of you," Dumbledore whispered. "This is going to be long."

Flashback finished

"I want to go to Hogwarts, Dad," Hermione said.

Severus looked at Hermione. They haven't given her the real reason for her admission into Salem's School of Wizardry. Having heard of Hogwarts stories throughout her childhood, it was obvious for Hermione to feel this way.

"Hermione," Severus whispered back, "do you think you can keep a secret?"

Hermione turned to look at her father. Second later, she nodded.

"You are a powerful witch, Hermione," Severus said, looking at Hermione, "you need training to control your powers and none other than Ms. Sophia Clarke can give you that training. Since she is the Headmistress of the Salem school, you have to go there."

Hermione was burning with questions but she let her dad finish first. Never had her parents discussed her strange powers before nor had they let her discuss with others. Not even Bill and Blaise.

"What powers, Dad?" Hermione asked excitedly, "Controlling water?"

Severus nodded. "It's not only that, Hermione. But if you remember well, you ended drowning yourself the last time you played with water."

Hermione, dutifully, lowered her head, muttering an apology.

"It's okay," Severus waved off the apology, "That happened because you don't know how to control it. That's what Ms. Clarke will teach you. She is the only one who can."

"You should have told me earlier," Hermione said, "This makes going away slightly easier."

"Don't worry, dear," Severus said, hugging his little daughter, "we will take care of you, even if you are far."

"I love you, Dad," Hermione said sleepily. Soon she was asleep in her father's arms.

Severus cringed at the words and smiled sadly. Hope you would love me in the future as well … once all the lies are out in the open. Severus kissed Hermione's head. I love you, my angel, I love you.

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Liked it? Please review it, so that I, at least, know where I need to improve in my writing style. Promise next chapter won't take this long.

Ciao.