Chapter Text
Hermione was following Ginny through the sea of people navigating the hallways of the Hogwarts Express as the train was just starting to move away from the platform.
They were late to embark because they got distracted saying goodbye to their boyfriends.
The word boyfriend still rolled out of her tongue weirdly. Ronald Weasley was her boyfriend.
Ugh…
First of all… disgusting.
Second of all… well, cute.
Ugh… bleh.
Still she spent the last 10 minutes before departure kissing his boy mouth.
To hell with the people staring at them all the while. People stare at them all the time nowadays, anyways.
Now she was late (thank you very much Ronald Weasley, fuck you) and they could not find an empty cabin for the life of them.
Hermione felt the people staring at them a lot more now that she did not have Ron to distract her (and did not have Harry and Ginny next to them being stare at even harder) so she just followed Ginny, eyes fixated on her back, until the redhead slipped into a booth on her left and Hermione slipped in right after her.
The cabin was not empty as Hermione expected but half occupied by Luna Lovegood, Neville Longbottom and other two Ravenclaw girls from Ginny’s and Luna’s year, that Hermione (kinda) knew from her time on the library and also the Dumbledore Army, who seemed to hang out with Luna from time to time.
Well she guessed they were from her year now.
Hermione and Neville decided to attend the 7th year of Hogwarts they missed during the year of all the Voldemort related terror. The two of them were the only ones from Gryffindor willing to do so when the opportunity was given to them all, but some kids from the other houses also opted to attend another year of school.
So they were going to be put into the 6th (well now 7th) year students' dorms and have all their classes with them for this school year.
To say that Hermione felt dislocated was an understatement.
She felt completely out of place.
She was always part of a very specific group of people.
And now without Harry or Ron or their other classmates from Gryffindor, she felt like an outsider.
She felt a lot like Ginny’s little sister (instead of the other way around), following the younger girl around and waiting for her lead all the time, not knowing where to place herself.
It was uncomfortable and honestly a little humiliating.
"Hello Hermione come sit here with me"
The word friends written in gold, gleaming on the ceiling…
Luna…
Feeling relieved by the familiar faces (amongst the, well, not so familiar faces) Hermione immediately went to sit by her.
Ginny was already gathered with the two girls on one side of the cabin to make space for Hermione to squeeze beside Luna and Neville.
"You look puzzled, Hermione. Did the Wrackspurts show up in your dreams?" - Luna hypnotizing eyes stared at Hermione deeply, uncomfortably so.
Hermione looked at her friend, really looked at her friend for the first time that day - we buried Dobby together - the thought came out of nowhere as she studied Luna’s oval and pearl like pale face - I was tortured and then we buried Dobby together on the beach, he was wearing unmatching socks and a hat…
"Sorry… Hermione" Neville cleaned his throat changing the subject quickly (bless him) "we did not introduce you, these are our friends Rhaenyra and Alicent" There was no need for him to introduce Hermino, after all now she was was…
"Hermione Granger" Alicent whispered as Rhaenyra and Hermione shook hands. "Hermione Granger" Alicent repeated extending her sweaty and cold hand to shake Hermione’s.
"Hermione bloody Granger" she whispered awkwardly to herself (kind of) a third time as she got back on her seat beside her friend.
"They are from Luna’s year on Ravenclaw" Neville completed the introduction.
"I know you… You're Alicent Hightower…" Hermione said.
Hermione may not know know them, but she already knew who they were. Alicent Hightower was always in the library and Rhaenyra Targaryen seemed to trail after her just as often.
Rhaenyra also massacred Ron on their last Quidditch match two years ago, she made goals on him. Hermione remembered her being a spectacular chaser, best in Ravenclaw even if she was only in her 5th year at the time.
And she was a Targaryen.
Hermione knew the history of all the greatest wizard families in Great Britain. She read about them all. And half of what there was to be read was about the Targaryens. Great blood wizards of the past who remained dragon lords to this day.
Every slightly informed Gryffindor knew about the Targaryens, like the Weasleys they were amongst the most (if not the most) traditional houses of Gryffindor, but they were also a lot richer and more powerful than the Potters or the Longbottoms.
House Hightower was no different, although completely different, they were an ancient Slytherin family, not as rich as or as traditional as the Malfoys and the Blacks, but they came as a close third and they were famous for being powerful, resourceful and involved in all kinds of mysterious sorcery and complex dark arts.
Weirdly enough both girls were in Ravenclaw. And they seemed quite nice enough every time Hermione observed them in the library - she liked to observe anyone who came to the library often enough to catch her eye and Alicent was there a lot.
Alicent always seemed to have a shy but brilliant energy about her and Rhaenyra was like a force of nature.
They had never been properly introduced, but she knew who they were.
She liked them, even.
They were the only ones of Luna’s roommates and classmates that had always been nice to her (for a change), and that earned them Ginny’s fierce loyalty. They were the first ones Ginny wanted to invite when they brought more people to Dumbledore’s Army, and both girls accepted the invitation on the spot.
So she knew who they were. She liked them, even.
Everyone seemed to know who she was nowadays, but Hermione also kept tabs on a lot of people.
Because Hermione was a wallflower, she studied them and made mental notes.
She researched them, even.
She researched everything.
She was an observer, an intellectual.
She was not a hero, she was just a muggle born girl in the library every day.
Hermione wished she had said all of that to them. She wished she had said any of that to them.
She wished she had said nothing.
"... Your father is a Death Eater" was what she said instead.
Looking directly into Alicent way too innocent brown eyes.
She did not know why she had said that. She saw Otto Hightower in the lists of people arrested after Voldermorts fall. She kept up with the trials every day.
She kept up with all the death eater trials every day.
The whole room fell in awkward silence again and Rhaenyra seemed about to say something
"Yeah.." Alicent just responded as her fingers played with Rhaenyra’s hand all of sudden "He is waiting for judgment from the Ministry" - she seemed mortified but not mad.
My mom still has trouble remembering me.
The random thought came to Hermione out of nowhere again, but she did not say anything. Just keep facing the girl, still not sure of why she said any of that in the first place.
Alicent was now looking at her and Rhaenyras joined hands in silence.
Why, why did Hermione say that? What the fuck was wrong with her.
Thanks Merlin they were interrupted by two younger Ravenclaws bursting to their cabin door, both looking a little out of breath.
"Guys! Alicent, Rhaenyra" the boy seemed to regain his breath a little until he saw Hermione then he lost it again "Hermione Granger… Hermione bloody Granger"…
Sometimes my mom thinks I'm still a child.
"Ali, your brother is getting in a fist fight on the last wagon, we thought of coming to get you before he gets himself into some real trouble, or some bullshit." - the girl that was obviously the boy’s twin seemed a lot more composed than her brother (even as her eyes kept darting towards Hermione every two seconds).
"Did you leave him there alone to be killed?" Rhaenyra asked but she did not seem really concerned
"Harwin is there to save his neck if he must, but we thought it would be better for you to put an end to it before he has to." - The girl responded.
Rhaenyra lifted both her brows to Alicent as a question.
"Go for it!" was all the girl answered before a white cat left running from where the blond girl was once seated. "Well guess I have to go before they make things worse." Alicent started retreating awkwardly with a constrained half smile on her face.
"Do you need something?" Neville asked very seriously, a certain authority tone to her friend that Hermione was not used to, but that kept showing more and more.
You killed a giant snake with a sword.
"Nah, I can handle Gwayne on my own I think" Alicent smiled at him "and I have Rhaenyra and Harwin and these two" She said, nudging the younger twins as they advanced in the corridor.
Hermione thought she heard them say "Hermione bloody Granger" again between them.
"Are we seeing you guys again before we get there?" - Ginny asked.
"Probably gonna hang with Laena and Laenor for a while, see you guys at the Great Hall" And with that and just a flick more of her eyes over to where Hermione was, she was gone.
Sometimes my mom forgets I've been a child at all.
Hermione was relieved to be just her, Ginny, Luna and Neville again.
The words friend written in gold on Luna’s ceiling kept gleaming before her eyes.