Harry Potter 1. Chapter 1

This story takes place during Blaise and Draco's 7th year in Hogwarts. Here, Hermione is a junior in 5th year. Enjoy.

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I thought my defenses couldn't possibly be weakened. Honestly, it was terribly disappointing that my cool, expressionless exterior was cracked so easily. I'd strengthened my walls for 12 years and 5 months, and despite it all, they bowed in at the most inappropriate time.

Every summer since I was 5, Mother would, without fail, introduce yet another one of her boyfriends to me. "Blaise, say hi to Jacob!" Or sometimes, they were already her husband. "Blaise, this is your new father, Colby. Be nice." Every summer, without fail, I'd meet a new one. Every summer, without fail, the Zabini accounts would gain in another few million gallons. Even at the age of 5, I could see the viciousness in Mother, in the way she'd effortlessly grab hold of handsome, young men with promising futures, and in the way she'd break their hearts without any qualms. I'd understood that, at 5, and vowed to never fall down that same way. Women just cared about finding someone with money, or looks, or someone who cared about them—just not someone they had to care about. I'd decided, long before, that I would be stronger, that I would never fall to their selfish intentions.

But plans never do work out when you want them to, do they? She didn't even _happen_ to me, in fact, I watched her happen to someone else. I was walking to potions with Draco on a perfectly normal day when a mess of hair, books and quills bumped right into Draco. We were right in the middle of the damn hallway, I'd have thought they were visible to anyone who had eyes. I looked down at the girl who was miserably sprawled at my feet. Curly brown hair stuck up in all directions like a bush. I watched coolly as she picked herself up.

"Watch where you're going, kid," Draco sneered. "Or perhaps you need a haircut so that bush won't block your view, midget." The girl stood up and huffed.

"I'm sorry, I couldn't see behind my books. You don't have to be so rude though, you know?" She replied indignantly, before hurriedly gathering her books. The stack _was _really too high to look over. She turned to us, paused, and started laughing at the affronted look on Draco's face. "I'm really sorry for laughing, but you really should close your mouth, even if you're shocked." I'd never heard another girl with such a full-hearted laugh. In fact, it was like she didn't care at all what anyone thought about her laughter. Which was weird, because, what girl wouldn't care about her appearance and image?

She stuck her hand out at Draco. "Hi, I'm Hermione Granger, 5th year, Gryffindor. I apologise for knocking you over. Are we on good terms now?" Draco was so taken aback that he actually took her hand, shook it, and muttered something that could pass for a murmur of assent.

At this, Hermione nodded happily and turned to face me instead. I found myself absolutely terrified of the mad woman. I didn't show it though, of course. "Hi, and you are?" I raised an eyebrow at her. She seemed just a bit too eager and positive about the whole matter. "Oh well, I suppose you don't want to be my friend, do you? Well never mind that, I'll be your friend, and you can just accept that I'm a friend." She looked thoughtfully at me.

And it was here, right at this point, that I felt my walls weaken. I found myself actually liking this girl and her weird, slightly brash forwardness. I smiled, albeit a bit awkwardly (after all, I hadn't smiled for so long that I almost forgot which muscles to use).

Hermione shifted the weight of her books slightly, turned around and said a quick goodbye to the two of us slightly taken aback slytherins, before walking briskly down the hallway. She still couldn't see over her books. And I suddenly felt this odd, fuzzy, tingly warmth spread through my body, as I watched her walk away. Puzzling.


	2. Chapter 2

I have updated Chapter 1. It would be less confusing to re-read Chapter 1 before reading this chapter. Enjoy (:

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It was a few days later that I met Hermione again. This time it was, unsurprisingly, at the library. I was trying to rush out a Charms essay for Flitwick, who, being the eccentric professor that he was, decided that setting the essay topic as the Fidelius charm would be beneficial and highly enriching for our learning. The Fidelius charm wasn't even taught at NEWT levels! As I struggled with explaining the effects of the charm, a shadow was cast upon my parchment.

"Fancy seeing you here! I wasn't under the impression that Slytherins actually bothered studying." I bristled at the insult, although I couldn't be sure that it had been intentional. After 2 hours of fruitless research, I was at my breaking point. I looked up. Oh, I should have expected, it was Hermione. Who else?

"Well, I am, so keep on walking down the row, find a seat far away from me," I mumbled, finding that her voice was giving me a headache. I turned back to my essay and stared at the 3 lines I'd written so far. What exactly did the Fidelius charm do to keep a secret, well, secret?

"Oh, I know this charm! It involves the magical concealment of a secret inside a single, living soul. That's from _Advanced Charms for the Experts_, page 263. If I remember correctly." She scrunched her nose, and that suddenly struck me as cute. I never, ever think anything _cute_. I shuddered at the grossness of it all. The second thing that hit my senses was how incredulous it was that she should know about the Fidelius charm. After all, she was only a 5th year! A faint smidge of respect for her worked itself into me.

I quickly scribbled down what she said. She continued on to dissect the side effects, counter measures, flaws and requirements for the charm. I recorded down each and every word. In that way, I managed to finish my essay in 30 minutes. I stretched my arms above my head. While I was glad that I'd completed the essay, I did feel a bit sour at the fact that a 5th year had helped me with it. I grabbed my satchel and stood up.

"Well then, I'd best be going," I said. Upon taking a few steps, I hesitated before glancing at Hermione. She stood there looking at me with her scrunched up expression again. "And thanks." She broke into a grin and waved. It was unnerving how I felt the corners of my mouth twitch into a half-smile. Unnerved, I swiftly turned on my heel and walked back to the dungeons.


End file.

Harry Potter, Friendship, Romance