"Of all the words of mice and men, the saddest are, "It might have been." - Kurt Vonnegut
Draco all but strutted around Diagon Alley. His mother and father were getting his schoolbooks in Flourish and Blotts so had decided to have a look around. He didn't get very far, however, as he bumped into a figure hurrying in the opposite direction.
"Watch where you're going," he snarled, straightening his robes.
"Oh, sorry," a female voice replied breathlessly. She wasn't exactly pretty, but she wasn't ugly either. Her hair was a mane of very bushy brown hair and her eyes were a chocolate brown. When she opened her mouth to talk, she displayed very large front teeth. In one hand was a roll of written parchment and the other was dragging along a cauldron. She looked around his age.
"Off to Hogwarts too, then?" he drawled, catching a glimpse of the logo on the parchment.
"Oh, yes!" She nodded enthusiastically. "I'm here to buy my supplies."
"So am I," he said in the same bored voice. "Who are you, anyway?"
"I'm Hermione Granger. And you?" she said bossily.
"Malfoy. Draco Malfoy," he smirked.
She shifted the cauldron slightly. "Pleasure."
He stared at her lack of being impressed. "You are one of our lot, aren't you?"
"Our lot?" she questioned, confused.
"Wizarding type," he said in a superior tone.
"Well, I'm a witch, if that's what you mean," she said proudly.
"And your parents?"
She never got to answer as their conversation was cut off.
"Draco!" A blonde woman called from the other side of the street.
"Coming, Mother," he said, his voice just above normal speaking level. "See you around, Granger."
"You too, Draco," she said and, dragging her cauldron, she headed to Ollivander's.
He watched her leave.
Lugging her trunk with her, Hermione wandered up and down Hogwarts Express, looking for a suitable compartment. The compartments were filled with older students. She had found one with a group of girls her age but they were constantly giggling and, frankly, it only annoyed her. She was starting to get desperate when she saw a remotely familiar blonde in one. Hesitantly, she slid open the glass door.
"Er, excuse me," she said, sticking her head in. "I was wondering if I could sit here?"
As the others in the compartment exchanged looks, Draco was surprised for a moment. "Yeah, sure, whatever."
Relieved, she saw in a corner of the seat with her trunk at her feet. She looked at the others. "I'm Hermione Granger, by the way."
A girl wrinkled her pug-like nose in distaste. "Pansy Parkinson."
"Daphne Greengrass," the girl sitting next to Pansy said, her nose turned up snobbishly.
"I'm Blaise Zabini," a dark-skinned boy introduced. He jerked his thumb at the two remaining boys left. "They're Crabbe and Goyle."
"Nice to meet you all," she said politely.
Pansy sneered and they all lapsed in an uncomfortable silence.
"So," Pansy folded her arms. "I've never heard of a Granger."
"Well, I don't think I've heard of a Parkinson," Hermione pointed out.
Pansy scowled. "I don't like you at all."
"Nice to know the feeling's mutual," Hermione said coolly.
Draco didn't know whether to laugh or frown at her nerve, so he settled for smirking.
Sensing the tension between the two girls, Blaise spoke. "What house do you think you'll be in, then?"
"Well," Hermione turned to him. "What do you think you'd all be in?"
They all exchanged looks again and Daphne spoke for them. "Greengrass, Parkinson, Zabini, Crabbe, Goyle and Malfoy. Do our surnames not speak for themselves?"
"Sorry?" Hermione said, confused.
"Slytherins, of course." Pansy rolled her eyes. "Not getting into Ravenclaw with that brain, are you?"
"Play nice, Pansy," Draco said and she just rolled her eyes again.
"Ravenclaw wouldn't be so bad," Hermione said, choosing to ignore the insult thrown at her. "But I'd much rather be in Gryffindor."
There was a shocked pause.
"Very funny," Daphne said, though no one was laughing.
"Yeah, I'd rather leave than be in Gryffindor," Blaise added.
"I read that Professor Dumbledore himself was in Gryffindor," she said defensively. "And you all want to be in Slytherin but that was the house You-Know-Who was in."
"Yes, that's why we want to get in Slytherin," Pansy said slowly, as if talking to a dumb child.
Hermione flushed at her tone. "Why on Earth would you want that?"
"We're purebloods," Daphne said, as if that settled the matter. "What do your parents do?"
"They're dentists," Hermione replied.
"What?" Everyone turned to look at her blankly.
"They examine people's teeth," she explained. "I did some research and it turns out that Muggles take care of their teeth very differently, actually. Why, what do all your parents do?"
"Wait a minute," Draco said slowly, but not in the same way Pansy did only moments before. It had lost its mocking tone. "Are you telling us your parents are Muggles?"
"Well, yes, I suppose."
Everyone's eyes widened and Blaise stood up quickly. "Erm, Crabbe, Goyle and I are going to find the trolley." The three left hurriedly, wincing slightly as they passed her.
"Bathroom," Pansy and Daphne said, giving her a dirty look.
"I knew there was something wrong about her..." She heard Pansy say before the compartment door managed to shut.
Hermione flushed again and felt tears stinging her eyes. She turned to Draco, but he had edged away from her and was also avoiding eye contact.
"You said you were one of us," he said, quietly.
"I am," she said, hurt. "I am a witch."
He felt some anger kick in. This girl intrigued him - he might even like her - but it turned out she was out of bounds, anyway. And the ironic and most stupid thing of all was, he didn't even notice until she told him. "No, you're not. You're a Muggle."
"I'm not!" A tear rolled down her cheek. "I got my Hogwarts letter too, like all of you!"
"You shouldn't have," he spat harshly. "People like you don't belong here in the Wizarding world."
She wiped her eyes. "I'm not listening to rubbish." She heaved her trunk out and, only a moment later, Pansy and Daphne walked in.
"Mudblood gone?" Pansy said, sitting own again. "Good."
But Draco couldn't help feeling what a shame it all was.