HERMIONE GRANGER started wide eyed at everything around her. Her parents had bought her all the books about this new magical filled life she was about to experience, and she had spent the last nights devouring everything. Even after spending the last many nights reading about what Hogwarts was and what magical people were, she felt her body fill with constant anxiety and panic. Her fellow classmate had most likely grown up around magic their whole lives, so she felt like she really needed to catch up on a whole lifetime of knowledge. If there was one thing young Hermione detested most, was feeling behind.
She could see that everyone was already bunching together and so not to intrude on anyone, she found herself a quiet spot and pulled out Hogwarts a history from where she left off. She was just reading the chapter on the moving staircases when a sharp voice started yelling in the hallway. "Anything from the trolly?" Feeling her stomach grumble at the thought of food she stood and watched the other students swarm around the cart. The woman was calling out all sorts of food stuffs that Hermione had never heard of. What in the world where Chocolate Frogs? or Pumpkin Pasties? She wondered surveying the cart curiously. There were no Cadbury chocolates or Kinder eggs in sight. Yet another reminder of how behind she was.
"You never seen confectionery before?" A voice asked behind her. Turing around Hermione met the gaze of a pale skinned, white-haired boy. Even he did not look like the children of her world.
Biting the side of her check in annoyance for finding herself in a foreign situation she mumbled reluctantly, "Not this sort, no".
"Try a pasty then" he added before ordering a bucketful of snacks. Hermione waited for the others to finish their orders before the round woman smiled at her and asked what she wanted.
"I'll have a pastie thank you" she added before handing the coins over and collecting the parcel. Retreating to her compartment she took a bite and was surprised by the flavour. A new announcement at the door brought her out of her reading once more, to see a boy looking worried "Hi, I am Neville, have you seen my toad?" Hermione had
remembered reading the part about bringing pets, she remembered recalling how surprised she was at the full list.
"No, but I can help you look if you like?" she asked, closing her book and following him out. They called the toads name and asked ever single compartment. At one carriage she saw a redheaded boy leaping after what looked like a brown frog. His mouth was already smeared with chocolate and his seat littered with crumbs. Her noise rose in distaste before continuing her exploration. After a short while they found it sitting beside a suitcase. The toad was not the most attractive of creatures, but she was glad that the boy had found his friend. She retreated to change into her new uniform.
With her previous compartment taken, she joined a group of girls who seemed nice enough. It appeared that two were twins, and the third held a strong accent. "May I join you?" Hermione asked after mustering up some courage. The girls nodded and cleared a space. "I am Hermione Granger, a pleasure to meet you" she started.
"Nice to meet you, Hermione, I am Cho and these two are the Patil twin's Parvati and Padma" the conversation continued naturally, and the Minister looked back at Medera with confusion.
"Surely you have not brought me here to listen to idle gossip" he stated. She shook her head with laughter.
"Well as you have seen. Granger is fully emerging herself in her fate. Here we can see that she strives for knowledge. In the Potter timeline, she meets Harry Potter and decided that she wants to be brave and embrace the magic, like Harry. Mind you, both Hermione and Potter grew up in the muggle world, and so she takes comfort in their friendship. That is the key distinction, for if we go to the Sorting, the hat will pick up on her fate. Her fate is no longer intertwined with that of Mr. Potters you see." The Minister of Magic did not see. Shaking her head, she brought her to wand to the sky and began to rotate it around. Water like ripples formed before the Minister found himself in the great hall of Hogwarts during the sorting.
"The hat is made of old magic. Therefore, it has the ability to sense both the past and future. Not only does it identify your inner most passions, but it places you in the house that would best support your future aspirations. Take you for instance, have you noticed that all former Ministers are either Gryffindor or Ravenclaw?" She stated clearly.
"In this world. Hermione Granger does not need to learn to be courageous. Her aspirations are different" she repeats with a smile watching the scene play out before her eyes.
"Hermione Jean Granger" Dumbledors voice rang out. The frizzy brown hair girl stood shakily and twiddled her fingers as she approached the stool. She felt fearful, what if she didn't belong anywhere. She hadn't belonged in her previous schools. Sitting down
she closed her eyes as the hat sat on her head. It felt like an eternity before the hat stopped blabbering.
"RAVENCLAW" it called out. She felt relief as she approached the blue table. After her research, this was the house she wanted to be in. She had heard that the common room was perched in a tower and the hallways were lined with books. Sitting down she felt like she belonged. The students at the table greeted her with big smiles and warm introductions.
Medera swished her wand in the air again. Finding them in the library.
Hermione looked older as she was surrounded by books, her legs crossed as she leaned on the wall of the library. It was her secret isle where she could be alone and fill her mind with all sorts of interesting things. Even though her common room was filled with books and cosy reading corners, she found that she preferred the silence of the library instead.
A sniffled broke her concentration as she stood up quickly to investigate as she sounds continued. Turning into the next isle she called out softly "hello?" She could have sworn him a ghost with his pale skin and blond hair. But he was Draco Malfoy the Slytherin seeker. He had won the last handful of quidditch games and always gave her house team a hard time on the pitch, or so she was told. "Are you alright?" She asked crouching in front of him. He did not look like the proud boy that people often spoke about.
"I'm fine" he hissed back causing her to flinch. To his surprise the brunette crossed his legs and sat patiently in front of him. "What are you doing?" Malfoy hardly recognised his own voice. It cracked, and he hated that someone was seeing him being weak. Malfoys were not weak.
"Waiting for you to tell me the matter" she added meeting his gaze. Draco noticed the unfamiliar look of caring in her eyes. "Surely it can't be so very bad?" She asked again waiting for him to go on. In fact, she opened her satchel and passed him her handkerchief that her father had given her before they had left, it had a buttercup flower embordered on the edge.
"My father wants to send me to Durmstrang. I failed my potions exam. Malfoys never fail" he stated wiping his eyes with his sleeve. He hated that school, and no one spoke English. He would be alone without his friends.
"I could help you. We have another exam coming up. I am certain that if you excel, they wouldn't have any reason to move you?" She asked tilting her head to the side watching him. He seemed like a spoilt kid, but studying alone was not so fun for Hermione so she didn't mind.
"Why?" He asked.
"Why not?" She laughed softly before standing up. "Meet me back here tomorrow at lunch" she added before disappearing again.
Medera was so caught up in the cuteness of the moment that she forgot the Minster of Magic was standing next to her, until he cleared his throat. "Right sorry. Let's continue with the tour" lifting her wand she twirled it around again.
Hermione sat at her favourite table in the library, she enjoyed coming in here when she knew others would be busy at the great hall or classes. It felt as if she hasn't all these beautiful books to herself. She had offered to help Malfoy with his studies, but she half doubted that the boy with the notorious reputation would turn up. In fact, when he slammed his books on the table, she almost fell of her seat. Instead of swanning around the boy, Hermione was so transfixed in her teaching and explanations that Malfoy was the one who was shocked. It was strange for someone to not try to get something from him, and surprisingly he found himself enjoying it.
She took time to explain things, for a muggle-born she was fluent in explaining the intricateness of magic to him – a pure-blood. "You will have to tell me how it goes next time won't you?" To all their surprise, Draco blushed and nodded.
With a smile, Medera waved her want slowly, the scenes that fast forwarded before Kingsley's eyes were unbelievable.
They caught Draco staring at Hermione in a long pause, she looked up only to mutter "You need to focus, our exams are tomorrow". They caught their hands brushing and blushing cheeks. It had become their table, and before they knew it. Draco stood up and stomped to an aisle. "You are being a child Malfoy" Hermione sang standing up to follow him.
"You don't bloody understand. How could you agree to go out with Cormac McLaggen. He is a Gryffindor!" Draco exclaimed.
"Why do you care Malfoy!" Hermione crossed her arms over her chest.
"How dare you! you call me Malfoy and you call McLaggen by his given name. I have known you longer Hermione. You brush me aside like a lazy house elf" Draco added. She always found it extraordinary that he was smart and intelligent in one moment, and then revert to his childish ways the next. She was always grateful for her parents who did not spoil her, as Draco's parents so clearly did. He would complain about one thing one day and then receive it in the next.
"First, I hate that you treat your elves so. Second, Draco. I am allowed to go on dates with whomever I chose. He asked me, and I had no reason to decline".
"Other than the very clear fact that he is a git" Malfoy added. His pouting moment was ended by soft giggles, that caught him off guard. Hermione approached him and wrapped her arms around his neck. "What are you doing Granger?" he asked.
"Giving you a hug Draco, you looked like you needed one. Suck it up and hug me back, you git" she smiled to herself. And if on cue, he did too. "You are a big baby sometimes" she whispered into his chest. "And I hate arguing with you".
"I do too. I am sorry. I just..." he started taking in the warm smell of vanilla from her hair. Even with wizard hygiene products, she continued to insist on using her muggle ones. Hermione's warm eyes looked up and met his. She didn't need to say anything, Draco Malfoy knew her well enough to decipher the message in her eyes. She was willing him to tell her more.
"You deserve better". Confusion ran through her eyes as she picked up the sadness in his. "Better than me even".
In that moment, Hermione felt her heart break into a million pieces. "Draco" her hands were on his face, willing his eyes to meet hers again. Before she could think, she stood on her tiptoes and pressed a kiss on his lips. "You really are a stupid git. I won't go on that date if it means so much to you" she smiled before stepping back and retreating to their table to collect her things.
With a strong twist of a wrist, Medera and the Minister moved further in time, landing at the Quidditch Court. It took the Minister a moment to find their protagonists, but after a while they spotted Hermione, bundled under a coat and scarf, her eyes transfixed on the blond player whizzing through the air. The scene happened in a blur, where Draco was knocked off his broom by a bludger.
The fall and agonizing landing sent the whole stadium into a painful silence. Fear clouded Hermione's eyes as she raced off her seat and bolted down the many stairs. Medera was hot on her tail and followed to the scene of Hermione's pale face watching Draco being moved to the medical wing. "He will be alight, won't he?" she asked anyone that would listen.
The scene played slowly, and so Medera waved her wand into ripples again.
They watched Hermione come every day and stay as long as she was allowed. They could tell that she was not getting any sleep or food. With a wave of relief, the Minister watched Draco Malfoy awake and was half temped to call out to Hermione to come and see for herself. When the witch did arrive, she had to wait as Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy took their time to comfort their son. Kingsley watched as Hermione snuck into the room at night and reached for Draco's hand. "Hey, you" Draco whispered "I wondered when you would find a way to get in here" Hermione didn't say a word but wiped the tears from her eyes. "Come here" he whispered.
She shook her head. "Hermione Jean Granger, come here" he stated again. She sat next to him and carefully lay next to him.
"I don't want to hurt you" she whispered watching his chest rise and fall.
"I am fine. I promise" he smiled looking down at her.
"You are not bloody fine; you are the opposite of fine" she whispered before wiping her nose with the back of her hand. "You are an idiot for playing that stupid sport." She added after a series of sniffles.
The minister was so caught up in the scene that he did not notice that they were being taken back to his office. Medera smiled before stating. "There are many more storylines where that came from if you do not believe me Minister" he shook his head and stared down at her lines. "So, what do you recommend Medera?" he asked finally.
She nodded with a curt smile.