N/A: Hey people, sorry if this chapter takes a bit of time to updates, I'm trying to think of an idea. By the way, thanks for all the comments and review, and critics so no harm done. As usual, hope you guys enjoy this story very much and before I forgot, this story contains few other genres besides romance and adventures such as hurt/comfort, and a bit of comedy, since we have the Varia, and a few others.
Chapter 4: The Deep Thought
Hermione sits on her bed, looking at the window. The night sky was calming and stars shining brightly, yet loneliness lingers within her. The dinner with the Vongola family went a bit hectic, and the first meeting with the Vongola 10th family was completely beyond her imagination. She is proud of whom she is, yet these people are somehow more than just extraordinary than her, as she could sense their ability and talents are way beyond her. She is glad that the Vongola 9th acknowledges her, but yet could she compete against them, or win their trust. She knew since she left the Wizarding world, she has a lot to learn and in which some of it are beyond her own imagination.
Rethink back, she knew that there are only a few of them that she could trust, besides the Vongola 9th himself and Dino, while she just met the rest of them. And she knew she still had a long way to go. Even though she tries to act strong or cool, but she did admits that sometime curiosity and doubt has overcome her, as if fear was there for her and she seems too lost a bit of her confidence. And for all the attention she got during dinner with the Vongola had make her wonder if those attentions were meant to test her or simply to mock her, the way she often received back in the Wizarding world. She can't tell of what people think or say about her behind her back. She wishes to think it in a positive ways but still her curiosity manages to conquer her. She admit she enjoys the attention she got at first, but then slowly it begun to give the uncomfortable feeling for her as she become some sort of attention in which whether they just loves to stare at her or tries to test her patients and she hates it when she became the test subject for them.
Living in a world where she had faced constant humiliations and insults had taught her to become more patients, and learn to be lot strong, but still she has her best friends as her shoulder to cry on. Sometimes she wonder what did she do to earn such humiliation, such insults that had break her hearts more than others could wonder. She even wonders why most people hated her so much. Is it because she is a muggle born or because she is gifted with intelligent which makes her stand out above others. She remembered the first time she met Harry and Ron, and how they saw her as a bossy, know-it-all, bushy haired muggleborn, but then they brushed it away when they became best friends. She even remember it was during her first year that the twins begins to mock her, and they did it every year during in Hogwarts, but things got from bad to worst from mock to insults and humiliates when she reached her fifth year, their hatred towards her were unstoppable. She even remembered the first time Angelina Johnson slapped her hard in the face just because she stand up for her friend Luna when they called her weirdo, and that incident had shocked the whole Hogwarts in which Professor McGonagall gave the Gryffindor chaser a month detention with Professor Snape, but they didn't stop there, in fact things have got worse from day to day. And the pains they had cost are far more painful than what Bellatrix Lestrange had done to her. And because of that she had decided to leave the Wizarding world after finished her final year in Hogwarts, even she had risked her life saving them during the war.
Hermione didn't realized that her tears slowly trail down her soft cheeks, the sadness and pain she had bear for years still lingers, and now living in a world strange to her, all by herself and surrounded by people she barely knew, didn't help her much. She even wonders what madness had driven her to make such hasty decision in order to start a new page in her life. Her mind drifted away, thinking of her best friends, and her parents. She had missed them badly. Tears are now falling non-stop as she tries to control her loneliness that linger.
Rise from the bed, she walks to her luggage and takes out the photo of her and her best friends, the one that they had took before starting their final year. Four teenagers, four best friends, and now each of them are following their own path, but apart from her the other three still managed to see one another. Harry and Ginny are happy together, and Ron had finally found love in form of Luna Lovegood during their final year. Hermione had given her blessing to both Harry and Ron, and the three of them had sworn to remain best friends. Now, she herself didn't sure whether she will have the chance of seeing them again. She had promised Ginny once that if her redhead friend is getting married, she will be there, but now she didn't know whether she could hold to that promise. She loves to be among the Weasley, but not if the twins around, for all that they had done to her had made her hates them the most, sometimes her hatred towards them more than how she hates Voldemort, and she even felt sorry for saving them, but then hatred had never being part of her, and for that she just forget about everything.
Embrace the photo to her chest, Hermione walks toward the glass door and opens it, allows the cold, night wind to enter her room, she stand at the balcony as she looks outside, mesmerized by the night sight as the stars shines beautifully. Yet it didn't help her much to overcome her loneliness as tears are slowly trails down to her cheeks. She feels useless when she is unable to be with the one that she cares the most, and she has chosen to step away from the world she had familiar with to enter a world where she didn't have any idea of how to adapt into it. Looking into the night sky, the only thing she could do right now is to move forward, no matter what's the consequence is.
Deep in her thought, she didn't realize that someone has been watching her.
"Mukuro-nii, why are you still awake, don't you feel tired?" Chrome asked as she are looking at Ken and Chikusa whom already snoring heavily, she even can see them drooling. She then turns to Mukuro who is still standing at the balcony outside the bedroom, taking a fresh, night air.
"Nope, why don't you go to sleep? We do a long journey today, don't we?" Mukuro simply answered her as Chrome nods her head, ready to leave the room as Mukuro calls for her.
"Yes, Mukuro-nii, is there anything I can get for you before I leave?" Chrome asked and she didn't move an inch from where she stands. Mukuro leans on the door, takes a deep breath as he looks up to the night sky. He then shifts his view to something that has soothed his interest the most.
"Nagi, please tell me? What do you think of Hermione?" Mukuro begins to ask her, he wants to know what her respond to that question is. Chrome is a bit surprise and a bit lost at first, she didn't sure of what to respond to the question. "What about her that you wish to know, Mukuro-nii?" Chrome begins to wonder, why suddenly Mukuro has shown some interest on the young woman that they have just met.
"Tell me, what do you think of Hermione, and is she worth trusty?" the Mist Guardian states his question; he would to hear the opinion of others before making his own judgment. He knew Chrome had grown matured for the past few years after their last battle against Daemon, she now had better judgment on others despites being the quietest member, apart from Hibari, and she had learn how to recognize people's intention before trusting them, it's a precaution for her. Not only that, she had learn to read people by looking at their eyes, and from there she could tell of what is playing in their mind, but she is still learning, and still taking times to master it well. Among the other family members of the Vongola 10th, Mukuro would rely more on Chrome compared to others.
"Hmmm…well, from what I saw in her, she looks like she tries to control her emotion on the outside. She wants to show her confidence, but somehow she feels a bit uncomfortable since she was surrounded by strangers, by us, whom she didn't know and since that we had the Varia along today, things a bit chaotic. She seems to be an interesting person though, but we need to know her better, yet somehow I could sense that she can be trusted. But what I see from her eyes is so sad; I can see that she's in pain, full of sadness, and a bit of insecurity. She seems so lonely, as if she missed some important people in her life, even though she tries to cover it, her eyes still able to express it."
Mukuro could only to keep himself quiet as he listens to Chrome's opinion. His eyes still gazed the young brunette whose room was within his view, except that she didn't realized that she was being watched. Inhale a deep breath, he slowly nods his head.
"Do you think that we should be friend with her?" Mukuro could only think of the gorgeous brunette who is now standing at the balcony outside her room, taking some night air and seems to hold something in her chest, something in square and a bit flat with frame on each side, a photo maybe.
"Maybe we should, she seems so lonely though, and I understand of how she feels to be in that position, to be alone." Chrome speaks, smiles in her face, she know that Mukuro had shown an interest towards the newcomer. Mukuro had been her older brother since he chooses her, and she respects him as one. She would be more than happy if Mukuro had found himself some happiness, in which he deserves it very much. And she plan on helping him on it.
"Well, I think I should go to bed now, goodnight Mukuro-nii." Chrome wishes him goodnight before going back to her room where she had shared with Bianchi and I-pin.
"Goodnight Chrome," was only Mukuro could say as he still watches over Hermione whose sadness and loneliness still lingered with her.
The Varia didn't left that night after dinner; instead they stay a night at the Vongola Headquarters. And apparently they are taking their rest at the most exclusive bedrooms, which were connected with its private living room.
"Boss, are you really interested with that new chick?" Bel tries to tease Xanxus, while he was in his good mood. Xanxus gives him a glare as the Prince of Ripper back off a bit, almost knock Lussuria who tries to apply a mask in his face, resulting for him to misplace his mask at the wrong part of his face.
"Look what you have done, now I have to make a new one," whined the Varia's Sun Guardian as he storm towards the bathroom.
"VOIIII, WILL YOU JUST SHUT UP!" yelled their swords master, who was taking a nap in one of the room. Levi was in the kitchen, searching for some food, as she awakes from his unconsciousness, his shares of food was being eaten by none other than his own teammates.
"Well, boss?" Bel still tries his luck to see whether Xanxus will open-up a bit about his sudden interest with the newcomer.
"Interested with her? HAHAHAHAHA…don't make me laugh trash. Who said I was interested with her, I only plan to use her. Besides, I'm not stupid enough like that old man who believes that she is a great asset for them. HAHAHAHAHA," Xanxus can't help but laugh loudly as Bel backing away from the crazy, yet dangerous boss of the Varia.
Squalo couldn't help but to hear Xanxus' plan of using the new girl who is now part of the Vongola 10th family. Even though he hates doing job that doesn't regard his, but he can't help but to feel sorry for her, and he hated it when Xanxus used others for his own good.
Xanxus smirks as the rest of them retreat back to their rooms, leaving him alone in the private hall. Yes he plans on to use the girl for himself, and he too wants to see what her ability that makes his father is, Vongola 9th wants to have her to work with them. Along the way of discovering it, he might have some fun working with her.
Dino couldn't sleep well, thinking of Hermione who is now here, in Italy, with the Vongola. He was entrusted by her parents to looks after her after he and his men went to England to bring her to Italy. Even though she told him that it wasn't necessary for him to do so, but her parents' worries for her safety and well-being had made him promised to them that he will look after her. After all, she's the only child they had, just liked himself.
He remembered when the first time he met and saw her parents, it was right after he and his men came to the Granger resident to inform to her that they were sent by the Vongola 9th, and after found out of who she really is, and her parents returned from work a little earlier that day. When she was at the kitchen helping her mother to prepare some dinner, in which he and his men couldn't stay to join them, her father told him everything about her, about the constants humiliations and insults she had received during her school years in Hogwarts, despites she tried to be strong for herself, how she was hurt during the war (she told them almost everything after she reversed back the charm she cast on them), and how much she missed her best friends dearly but she couldn't returns to the Wizarding world, and it's really breaks her heart. Mr Granger even made him, and the rest who had listened, promised not to tell her that he had told them about her past. Even though they just met for the first time but somehow Mr Granger feels that he could trust Dino and he knew that somehow he could rely on him to looks after her.
Dino inhales as he tries to make himself asleep, but it turns out to be quite useless. He wanted to go and see Hermione but he isn't sure if she wants to see him at this very hour. But then, he is worried about her, not after remembering of what her father had told him, he isn't sure to leave her by herself. Getting up from his bed (Dino and his men stayed at the Vongola Headquarters for the night), he slowly open the door and goes to Hermione's bedroom. Just to make sure that she is alright.
Hermione is still standing at the balcony, just outside her room when someone's knock on the door. Hermione quickly wipes the tears in her face and puts the photo in her luggage. She then opens the door and sees Dino who smiles at her.
"Didn't sleep yet?" Dino asked her with concern. Hermione could only smiles as she shakes her head. Dino somehow could see Hermione's puffy, red eyes, as if she just cries. He begins to worry if anything had happens to her.
"Are you alright, is there anything wrong that happen to you?" Dino begins to question her, he is now worried.
"No, I'm okay. Please, don't worry," Hermione tries to laugh to assure him that she is in good condition. She then takes a deep breath to calm herself down as she doesn't want to gentleman in front of her worried about her too much, she doesn't want to be selfish about it.
Even how much he wanted to believe her, he still didn't convinces with it. Knowing that forcing her to admit is hard, he let her be as long as she is fine, he doesn't have to worried much.
"Okay, if you need anything please let me know," Dino told her as Hermione nods her, to let him know that she get his message.
"Okay," Hermione's simple answer as she smiles at him. Dino couldn't help but smile, seeing her smile help him to ease his worries for her. He is about to leave when Hermione calls him. Turns to her, he could see that she wants to say something but as if the word couldn't come out from her mouth.
"Thank you, for everything," said the brunette softly, genuine smiles forms in her face. Dino can't help but to smile back, nods his head. He then left for his room as Hermione closed her bedroom's door, knowing that she isn't alone at the moment.
Tsuna lay on his bed, still awake and couldn't sleep much. Despites being tired from the long journey, he couldn't help but to think of their new companion. Tsuna is of course glad to accept her in their family, even though she is not a guardian but she can be someone that is important to them, well if that is according to what the Vongola 9th had said earlier. During dinner earlier, Tsuna can't help but to glance at the young brunette next to him, and even had a short conversation after the dinner, in which most of his family are participates in order to get know of her well.
But in his eyes, Tsuna could sense a young woman in despair, as if she is in loneliness or in pain even she had tried to cheer herself and tries to boost up her confidence, but it seems that it didn't work out quite well for her. Tsuna didn't know if the other could see or sense it, but for sure he knew that Chrome or Mukuro, or even Dino might have sense something in her. And he plan on having a talk with them tomorrow, if possible.
Tsuna then determines to help her no matter what, and then slowly tiredness takes over as he fell into a dreamless sleep.
Before going to bed, Hermione begin to determines that no matter what happen, she must stay strong and for that she must begin to build back all her confidence and strength that was once almost lost, and to put back all the pain and despair behind. She wants to bring back her happiest moment into her life, and she wants to prove to them who often picked on her that she is no weak, and from now on, she will start to work hard on it.
Well, that's is for the fourth chapter and I hope you guys like it, have to admit it is a bit complicated though when tries to think of the idea how, I will start on chapter 5 anytime soon. For Harry Potter fans, don't worries I will have them in my story, and I also plan on making Dino as a brother figure to Hermione, so what do guys think…comments and review pls.