Y/N woke up the next day, it was about six in the morning and he couldn't get back to sleep. So he decided to head to common room, to practice his guitar skills.
He had an acoustic Guitar and he played it pretty good. He had plenty of time as a kid to familiarise himself with it, since he wasn't into all too much.
His father was always so busy and didn't have the time. So it left with him being isolated. The man just wanted his son safe. He didn't want to danger him, but in danger him from what?
One day he had sneaked out and his father found out, let's just say he went completely mental. The guy was nice (in his own way) but could be a bit... dramatic sometimes, guess it ran in the family.
Like father like son.
Y/N walked into the room and found it was empty, so he just sat down at the nearest sofa and began strumming away. Playing soft and ambient songs that he knew.
He was doing this for about an hour and surprisingly no one bothered to disturb him, maybe they didn't hear it.
'Thank god.' He thought.
Well that was before he heard the sound of footsteps.
Y/N turned his head only to find the one and only Hermione Granger. "What are you doing up so early?" She asked while trying to stuff a yawn.
"Good morning 'Mione, I could ask you the same thing." He chuckled.
She approached and sat down beside him. "I couldn't get back to sleep, so I decided to get some practice done." Y/N explained to her
"You play Guitar?" She had a surprise and shocked face. "Can you sing?" She asked.
"Well I- I no, I mean yes, yes I can, I haven't sung in a long time though, its honestly not that great." He laughed nervously and stuttered, slightly embarrassed.
Hermione, god bless her cute heart, though it was adorable.
"I bet you're really great at it." She flattered him. "Could you... maybe sing me a song?" She asked, a sly smile across her face.
"I don' know..." Y/N gave her a sideways glance, as she was stared at him just waiting.
And in that time, she said nothing, but looked at him with an expecting, yet encouraging smile that reached her eyes.
"I'm not getting out of this am I?" He asked, noticing the lone silence, and her waiting gaze.
"Nope." Hermione replied with a, shake of her head, and smile gracing her lips.
Sighing, Y/N tuned his guitar slowly, before his fingers made their way to the strings, and he began a song.
"What a wonderful world."
I see trees of green
Red roses too
I see them bloom
For me and you
And I think to myself
What a wonderful world
It was a soft, blooming tune. Sweet like honey, and it had Hermione almost tripping up. The fact that he could perfectly play a guitar, and sing as good as he could at just twelve-years-old, was staggering to just about anyone.
I see skies of blue
And clouds of white
The bright blessed day
The dark sacred night
And I think to myself
What a wonderful world
The guitar was perfectly in tune, along with his voice. As his fingers strung across the cords almost delicately. It made Hermione think as if he was cradling a newborn baby with the way he was treating it. She understood that, maybe there was more to him simply enjoying the music flow.
The colors of the rainbow
So pretty in the sky
Are also on the faces
Of people going by
I see friends shaking hands
Saying, "How do you do?"
They're really saying
"I love you"
His voice went lower and lower as the song neared it's course. Sinking deeper into a calm and tranquil whisper (though enough for her to hear) as Hermione was almost hanging off the edge of her seat out of pure bliss.
She hadn't heard anything like it before, and in turn felt herself unwind and any stress that she would usually bare, left her entirely. Y/N had a calming about him when he sung, and played.
And Hermione liked that, she really did.
I hear babies cry
I watch them grow
They'll learn much more
Than I'll never know
And I think to myself
What a wonderful world
Yes, I think to myself
What a wonderful world...
Y/N finished the song, his hands slowly drifting away from the cords, and to his side. He opened his eyes to see that Hermione was absolutely dumbfounded at how good it was.
Which alone made Y/N blush,
"So how was it? Hermosa."
With such bliss, began a sense of calm and confidence. So much that he had called the girl across from him... beautiful. The Spanish pronounce being far cuter than others.
On realisation, his cheeks became flustered, blushing, he mentally slapped himself for calling her beautiful. No matter how true it was, but luckily enough she didn't understand it, or if she did, she didn't show it.
"It was amazing!" Hermione exclaimed, a massive grin spreading across her face, enough to make her cheeks glow in warmth.
"I'm glad you enjoyed; it cause that's the only one you're getting. And besides how about you try?" Y/N teased, finding great pride, yet humbled that someone had enjoyed his work (let alone even listened to him) and Hermione suddenly went red, completely embarrassed at the clear teasing in his voice.
"I- I don't know, I'm not as g-good as you." Hermione stammered, sheepishly looking away from Y/N's eyes filled with promise.
"It's fine Hermione, but I'll get you to sing one day." Y/N joked, managing to ease her, fearing that he would frighten her off. Yet, Hermione showed a relieved but unsure expression, and smiled greatly.
They both started chatting for a bit about ourselves and our hobbies until it came to more personal questions.
"Do you have any family?" She asked, to which she immediately widened her eyes at the question, shocking even herself. "I mean- any, I-"
"It's okay, Hermione." Y/N reassured her with placing his hand over her knee to stop her, "I know what you mean." He smiled as she calmed down. And then released his hand from her knee, he hadn't realised he did at first.
But question caused a frown to appear across his forehead in thought. He had family, for how much it was worth.
His father was his family but to him he hardly acted like a dad, being away from him he never got to fully picture what a dad was supposed to be, protecting, understanding and supportive. He couldn't remember the last time his dad had protected him, asides from leaving him at home, being distant.
Understanding? Since when had he been understanding? Never really, he didn't understand how he felt, he didn't complied when he wanted him to stay with him and he certainly didn't ask him about his feelings, or how he was, but maybe that was a guy thing?
Supportive? Joining Hogwarts was probably the only time he had seen his father truly support him in all his years.
To which he wholeheartedly loved him for.
"I do, I have my father, but I'm an only child, wish I had a brother or sister." Y/N said, facing her.
When he said that he really meant it, it was lonely on his own, without people his age.
Hermione was going to ask about his mother's side of the family but then realised it would be too stupid to ask, why would she? She knew most of them were either dead or locked up. Still it couldn't hurt. Hermione opened her mouth to speak, but soon found herself closing it shut at the sight of Y/N's face.
"What?" Y/N asked her, the frown only deepening.
Hermione blinked twice before answering. "It doesn't matter." She dismmised. "It's not proper-"
"'Mione." Y/N told her with soft eyes. And the new nickname made her heart beat fast, and heat to desecned on her. " It's fine. Ask me any question."
Hermione took a deep breath and then opened her mouth. "What happened to your mum?" She inquired.
Y/N's frown didn't deepen this time, no. It left, and was replaced with a mixed expression, one which could only be identified as emtionless.
For a second he stopped doing what he was doing and thought.'What about my mother? I hardly know her.' He thought, but answered her anyway seconds later.
"My mum died when I was born, that's what my dad told me." He spoke clearly and softly yet there was scent of sadness there. "I... in a way, blamed myself for her death." Y/N confessed, he didn't tear up at the mention, he was always strong.
But inside he was slowly tearing away. He didn't talk about her much. It was a touchy subject. Even though he always had a feeling that there was more to her death than he'd been told.
"I'm so sorry, Y/N." Hermione said softly and gave him a light hug. He always felt better after a hug, truth be told, which to be honest, he didn't get many.
Hermione let go and looked at him with worry, a concerned look in her eyes. "It's okay Hermione, I just don't talk about it much." He took a deep breath. "What about you, do you have anyone?"
"Yes." Hermione answered, seemingly to be brought back to her smiling self. "I have my parents, but I'm an only child too. I'm lucky to have them, they supported me a lot when I wanted to go to Hogwarts." She spoke very passionate about them.
It almost made Y/N heart's ache, to be able to warrant the same aspect from his parents would've been a dream of his.
"Yeah..." Y/N sighed inwardly. "My Dad was the same way," Define supportive? It was a quick congratulations and that was it. He half thought of asking his father about it, if he was really suited for the magical life but went against, knowing that his father would merely put it aside, "I'm glad he's here for me." for as long as it is.' Y/N wanted to add but couldn't find it in him to discredit his dad even if it was earned.
They both sat there in silence till Hermione broke it.
"Y/N?"
"Yes?"
"That photo you dropped, when we met at Diagon Alley, it had a woman on it, was that...?"
Y/N sighed again, before deciding to tell her, he didn't know why but he felt compelled to do so and he could trust Hermione, couldn't he?
"Yes, that's my mum." Y/N said in a mere whisper, the great flashes of his mother's dark eyes and black hair crossed his mind, her beauty causing him great grief. Of longing to have known her.
Hermione nodded in understanding, and again the silence came but not for long, as Y/N found herself breaking it first.
"Well I best be getting changed and ready, I'll see you in the great hall?" Y/N questioned as he packed away his guitar in his bag, using a charm to shrink it, that his father so gracefully teached him.
Hermione gave him a another nod and replied. "Yeah sure, I'll see you there, thanks for singing for me, it was truly the best." She smiled at him and Y/N couldn't help but blush at her compliment, and gave her a quick smile.
Y/N walked off back to his dorm and began getting ready for the day.
Hermione stood there for a couple minutes, lost in her own thoughts. 'There's something different about him.'
Sure Hermione only knew him for a couple of days, but still she couldn't help but wonder about him, he was mysterious to say the least, not like Harry or Ron but different, more open maybe? 'Well we do have things in common. Books is one of them I dare say, yeah definitely the books...' She thought as she trailed off.
'And his family...' Hermione thought on. She couldn't imagine it, being apart of a family that's seen as hateful and spiteful in the wizarding world. 'Did others think of him such? Horrible or evil? Destined to become a death eater or a monster?'
The very thought of someone comparing him to such barbarism was angering. She didn't know why, but she felt the sudden urge to protect him, to tell him it weren't true and that he wasn't any of those things. Yet doubt lingered in her mind, 'Is he?'
'He plays and guitar and sings and speaks Spanish which is quite interesting.' She sat back down. 'Nothing evil about that. Maybe I could learn? and what was that he called me, Hermosa? Hmm...'
Hermione couldn't wait to start her first day at Hogwarts. From what she read, it should prove to be pretty impressive.
—
Y/N came back into the common room just a few minutes later and saw Hermione reading through a book, He'd be lying if he said he wasn't at least curious as to what she was reading.
She noticed him and marked her page in the book and rested it against her side, under her arm.
"Shall we go to breakfast?"
"Sure thing, I'm starving." Y/N replied as his stomach growled in response causing himself to chuckle and Hermione to giggle slightly.
They both finally reached the hall and sat down at their usual spot and started digging into the food. Ron and Harry had just turned up a few minutes later and they all began started chatting away to each other.
Fred and George, the Weasley twins decided to join in and they talked about their mischievous plans but Y/N wasn't paying attention. He was mostly eyeing Hermione with her reading that book. He realized he was staring and turned back and faced Ron and Harry, hoping she didn't notice.
But it was too late, Hermione had seen him gawking at her and she couldn't help but wonder why.
It was going great.
Soon though, it would be time for their first ever lesson. Transfiguration with Professor Mcgonagall, Y/N had to be honest it, sounded super interesting. Also other lessons such as charms with Professor Flitwick and a lesson about history of magic which he was pretty curious to learn about and especially defence against the dark arts.
Y/N finally finished his breakfast, as Hermione got up out of her seat.
"Do you want to head to class now? Don't want to be late on the first day"
"Sure we might as well, you coming guys?"
Y/N gestured to Harry and Ron to which they shook their heads.
"No we're gonna wait around a bit more."
He nodded to them, and Y/N and Hermione started walking to their first class.
They made small talk on the way, about their lessons and what they both looked forward to the most and what they wanted to do when they were older, you know the basic stuff.
Y/N and Hermione both arrived to classroom to find it empty except for a lone cat sat on what he assumed was Professor McGonagall desk.
So the two of them decided to take a seat at the far right corner of the front row, next to each of course.
Y/N started writing down notes for the class and whatnot while Hermione read her book from before, sneaking glances at the boy who had done the same minutes before, the room began slowly filling up.
Finally after about fifteen minutes the class was all full except for Harry and Ron. Y/N looked back at the doors only to see them rushing in fast. He saw Hermione next to him rolling her eyes.
"At least Professor McGonagall isn't here, imagine the old woman's face if she knew we were late-" Ron was cut off by the cat jumping down and the cat itself transformed into Professor McGonagall. "Bloody hell" Y/N over heard Ron.
"That was amazing." Y/N muttered to himself, as Hermione nodded in agreement.
The Professor began giving the students a lecture while they all worked away and before they knew it, class was finished, Y/N had to admit he found it quite fun actually.
—
The next couple of lessons were eventful for sure, with fitting into new arrangements and new teachers. But it was great so far, but Y/N couldn't really say the same for their next lesson though.
They had a double potions class with Professor Snape and judging by his character Y/N doubt it would be fun for some of them.
Y/N had heard many things about Professor Snape and he wish he could say it was all good, but still, he wasn't sure what to make of him just yet.
In his mind, Y/N always knew to a note down a person's worth, not by their birth, or of what others told of them. But from what he could see of him, if his character and what made Snape, well, Snape.
And from what he gathered from the man, Y/N had found his first dislikable person in the school, well, the first teacher. Malfoy would always come first in that regard.
He arrived at the class just a few minutes early and spotted Hermione at the front row, with an unoccupied seat next to her.
"Do you mind if I sit next to you? Y/N asked her. Afraid that she'd asked him to move if he did.
But she didn't.
"Not at all. I was saving it for you actually" She turned to him with a smile.
But Y/N noticed a very small shade of red that appeared on her cheeks and the boy himself blushed just a bit.
"Thanks." He smiled at her as he sat down.
The two of them had definitely gotten closer throughout they're stay and he was grateful for it, it was nice having someone you can truly talk with besides Harry and Ron.
But the thought of people seeing him as an evil wizard or some sort of dark arts wielder still affected, he imagined one day someone would spot him in the corridors and call him out. But it was yet to happen. Still, it didn't help him, it couldn't stop thinking about it.
'You're not them, you're not them!'
He got out his note book from his bag and began dropping down notes for class, while waiting for everyone else, Hermione would occasionally lift her book down and glance at him but he didn't think nothing of it.
Finally the rest of class arrived just in time and out came Professor Snape, the head of Slytherin.
"You are here to learn the subtle science and exact art of potion-making." Snape began his speech. "As there is little foolish wand-waving here, many of you will hardly believe this is magic. I don't expect you will understand the beauty of the softly simmering cauldron with its shimmering fumes, the delicate power of liquids that creep through human veins, bewitching the mind, ensnaring the senses... I can teach you how to bottle fame, brew glory, even put a stopper on death."
The guy might be a bit of a pushover but still his classes were quite interesting even Y/N had to do admit. Snape might've been his favourite teacher until what he did next. Snape saw Harry and decided to pick on him.
He kept on asking him a bunch of potion related questions which he had no idea about. Y/N and Hermione were practically standing out of their seats with their hands raised so far in the air. They even attempted to answer but Snape snapped at them.
"Clearly fame isn't everything Mr Potter." Snape smeared.
"Clearly Hermione and Y/N know the answers." Harry fought back.
"Probably not the best thing to say in this situation." Y/N muttered under his breath. He let his hand fall down to his side.
Snape moved away from Harry and stared at the two of them. "Mr L/N, Miss Granger if you two are such know it alls, then maybe you'd be so kind to answer for Mr Potter."
'Kind of harsh not gonna lie, but okay.'
"Well asphodel and wormwood make a sleeping potion." Hermione said. "So powerful it is known as the Draught of the living dead."
Then Y/N continued for her. Far quicker, too.
"A bezoar is a stone taken from the stomach of a goat and it will save you from most poisons." He explained. "Monkshood and Wolfsbane are the same plant, which also goes by the name aconite."
Okay so maybe they were know it alls, but still it was better than being clueless.
"Well done Mr L/N and Miss Granger, it seems some people learn more than others. You remind me much of your mother, L/N, smart as ever but lack the true act of patience." Snape said in a cold voice. "And I'll be taking away 5 points for your cheek Potter, maybe it'll teach you to pick up a book once in a while."
'Of course. He grew up with my mother in Hogwarts. I'm pretty sure, they were the same age.' Y/N thought to himself as he continued on with his work. Deciding to ignore the clear coldness in his directness towards him.
About an hour later, they all managed to pass through the class which they still don't know how, it was eventful to say the least.
"God that was exhausting." The others simply nodded.
All four of them rushed out of the class room and walked at a slow pace down the hall. "Well that was fun." Harry said sarcastically.
"You can say that again." Y/N sighed.
That lesson was the last one for the day. So the four of them had the rest of their time for free.
Harry and Ron decided to head to the common rooms, or to maybe go and see Hagrid.
While Y/N and Hermione obviously went to the library for some much needed studying.
Because, like he had said, there was no rest for the wicked.