It Started With an Insult (Hermione x Pansy Parkinson)

The Encounter at The Three Broomsticks

The Three Broomsticks. At six. Granger wanted to meet me, and she wanted to talk. It was Sunday, a little bit after noon. The clock tower in the courtyard chimed, letting me know that it was 5 o'clock. I was in my dorm, staring at the floor length mirror my dorm mates and I shared. My hair was tidy, and my clothes weren't wrinkled. I dressed for warm weather, knowing it was a sunny day, but in the Slytherin common showed no mercy. I shivered, approving of my appearance. I set off in the direction of Hogsmeade, narrowly avoiding an encounter with peeves. 

Thankfully, none of my fellow Slytherins were around to question why I was going to Hogsmeade alone. This morning when Daphne had asked me if I wanted to go with her, Tracy, and Millicent I had feigned sickness. Daphne had raised an eyebrow in disbelief, but there was no way I could go with them only to break off from the group to go and meet a Gryffindor in the Three Broomsticks. At the thought of meeting Granger my stomach sank. I was positive she had invited me to convince me into letting her help me study, only for her to rub her judgmental superiority in my face again. I huffed in annoyance, wondering why I was even going to give her the satisfaction of showing up. As I continued to walk in the direction of Hogsmeade, I considered the option of simply not showing up. It was tempting, I could catch up with my dorm mates instead and tell them I had gotten over my short lived fever. 

But I knew it wasn't a possibility. Granger was annoyingly pushy and insistent, she wouldn't let this go unless we talked. As I arrived at Hogsmeade, I made sure to blend in with the masses of Hogwarts students the best I could. I didn't know how I would explain my lie to my friends. I arrived at a slightly crooked, but cozy looking structure. The Three Broomsticks. I sighed, suddenly feeling silly and self conscious for being perfectly on time. I didn't want to seem to eager to meet with Granger. I entered, and was overwhelmed with the ambiance and aroma. The Three Broomsticks had no ventilation, and it felt stuffy in the late summer. Feeling out of place and awkward because I was alone, I nervously searched for Granger. 

I spotted her seated in a cozy booth in the corner, toying with her frizzy hair nervously, and I made my way towards her.

"Hi." She greeted me, spotting me as I arrived. She reached her hand out towards me, and I awkwardly took it. She shook it semi- aggressively, as if this were a business meeting. I took my hand back and wiped on my shorts, hoping to offend her, but she wasn't paying attention. 

"Hi," I responded, sliding into the booth opposite to her. Granger looked as if she was deep in thought. So deep, in fact, that she seemed to have forgotten where she was and who was sitting across from her. 

"Um, what did you want to talk about?" I asked feebly. I wasn't used to feeling so small, but something about Granger's intense focus made me shiver. I shrank back into my booth, waiting for her response.

Granger seemed to snap out of her trance, looking at me with intent. 

"I wanted to talk about what you said to me earlier. In the library." She remarked, making eye contact with me to see how I would react. So this wasn't about her trying to tutor me. I relaxed, curious about what she wanted to say to me. 

"People like you don't deserve the same that things people like me do," Granger quoted what I had said to her, word for word. I frowned in confusion. Did she want me to elaborate? Explain to her again that she was a mud blood and that I was not? I thought I'd made myself clear.

"Yes, and?" I said, starting to feel annoyed.

"Why?" She asked, looking into my eyes. She didn't look mad, annoyed, or even remotely offended. She just looked curious. Furiously curious. I felt my heart beat quicken. Her eyes burned into me as I responded.