by D/H Shipper
 
 

Prologue
 

"There comes a time in every teenager's life when you have to let go."
 

Hermione Granger glared at Harry Potter proudly strutting down the corridor to the Potions Dungeon with his girlfriend, Cho Chang. It was just like every other day, Hermione would see him, wave - and get no response , like she was a disance apart in the crowd. As captain of the quidditch team and all-around popular guy, she was an outcast. Cast away like worn clothes with holes, and it hurt.

Ron was just as bad, he'd gotten together with Pavarti Patil. Nothing wrong with that at all, except he was concerned with - Hermione couldn't bear to think about it. She hurried outside to the glistening lake, shining in the broad daylight. A figure splashed by the lake, but Hermione didn't care. 'Bloody hell, Hermione. Don't let Harry get to you.. He's just a boy. Nothing wrong with making mistakes.'

She sat on the bench, the breeze blowing through her bushy brown hair . The cold air burned her cheeks, but she stared out to the cold water. It was Draco Malfoy, and nothing could be more tempting than staring at Harry's Slytherin Rival. 'What are you doing?,' the voice asked. "Nothing more than getting even." Hermione muttered. She took out her Defense Against the Dark Arts homework and began to read about Boggarts once more.

The thoughts waning in the air flew back to her - as if she called the 'accio' charm. "Mudblood what do you want?" Draco Malfoy's call came to her from the water in which he was treading.

"None of your business." Hermione replied as she wrote down her name on the piece of parchment. In all of her six years at Hogwarts, Draco had never spoke to her in the tone that he was speaking in.

"Need you be so rude?" Hermione closed her eyes, all she wanted was to be left alone. "You know my father's dead. Died in the battle with the Ministry of Magic before Voldemort was killed by Potter. I don't have to live his legacy anymore. A legacy
of lies. God damn lies."

"So you did that for your father? All the days of torturing others over being mudbloods and in other houses. You put that act up for your father who left you with a bad name? A bad legacy. A bad outlook." Hermione said calmly.

"I never meant anything I said you know. Look, I had no other choice.."

"You didn't have to lie about things. Your father was a-"

"He had spies here, Granger. Spies that would report my every word. Remember Pansy Parkinson? She died too, right next to her father. Went to tell Father what I wrote in my journal." Draco blushed, which was rather uncommon for a Malfoy.

"What things, Draco?"

"Going by first-name basis, eh Hermione? Well that's none of your concern. I just want your forgiveness and then I can get that off my bloody conscience." Draco stoutly replied.

"I forgive you," Hermione said quietly. "It's just that.."

"What?"

"Nothing. It's probably nothing , just a glitch in reality."

"Nice to talk to you, Hermione."

"Yeah.. you too."

**

Later by the fireplace in the Gryffindor Common Room, Hermione was doing yet another homework assignment and Harry snatched it away from her giving her a dashing smile and began to copy off her flawless cursive written in black ink. 'Two can play at that game..' "I don't think so, Harry." She snatched back the paper and tucked it into her Defense Against the Dark
Arts textbook and glared at him.

"What's wrong with you? I just didn't know the answer to number five. Why so bitchy all of a sudden?" Hermione rolled her eyes exasperatedly. "If I didn't know any better, you're probably jelous of Cho."

Hermione stood up and glanced down at Harry Potter and Ron Weasley. "Look you two. I have put up with you for about
six years and I want out. You've just been using me all along. Like our friendship meant nothing in the world to you. You just wanted Hermione's homework to copy. I should have known that two people named Harry and Ron would never like Hermione Granger. I ought to have opened my eyes sooner. To see that I was blinded by my ambition to be liked. To have friends. To have a social life. I guess I was wrong when I wanted all these things." Hermione ran out of the Common Room door with all eyes on her. Harry flinched and Ron sat with his eyes averted to the ground.

With her heart pounding, Hermione knocked on Albus Dumbledore's office door. Apparently he was still awake because he'd been inside the Common Room just a mere five minutes ago. "Headmaster?"

"Who is it?" Albus opened the door and smiled when it was Hermione. "Come in, my dear. Is something the matter?"

"I'd like to file for a house change." Hermione said, taking a deep breath.

"I'm sorry Hermione, but we only have house changes if there is something devastatingly wrong."

"But Professor ! There is... Harry and Ron have left me alone and no one else wants to go against their will. Not even Ginny Weasley, sir. I'm dying day by day in that house. I beg you Professor to let it sort me into another house." Her eyes were filled with desperation and the willingness to succeed.

"I suppose we could see if the Sorting Hat would allow such a thing.. Though it is highly doubtful that it should succeed. If it does put you in Gryffindor, you must remain there for the remainder of your stay at Hogwarts." Professor Dumbledore dusted off the black, well-worn Sorting Hat and placed it upon Hermione's head. "Now relax."

**

'You want to get out of Gryffindor? Then .. let's see you're smart and cunning. Ravenclaw? Is that the house for you? Or perhaps Slytherin because you're bossy. You could even belong in Hufflepuff for your loyalty.'

"Slytherin - not Hufflepuff or Ravenclaw. Slytherin - nnot Hufflepuff or Ravenclaw." Hermione muttered , praying that the Sorting Hat would listen to her good judgement.

'Slytherin? They're all purebloods. You're a half-blood, a mudblood on their terms. Why would you want to go there? Fine, so be it...' "Slytherin!!"
 
 
 

Very cliche right? Okay. It's going to be a lot better sooner or later, but this has an angsty ending with lots of action in between so review for chapter one . Now you get to see how Hermione adjusts to the Slytherin Common Room ;D
* D/H Shipper *
 

Chapter 1