Not Our World (Harry Potter Fanfic)

Good Morning

She couldn't sleep.

The familiarity of the dorm didn't help her fall asleep, though it didn't help that the other girls were already gossiping, the chatter led by Lavender Brown and Parvati Patil. At the same time, Hermione couldn't remember who the other girls were. She'd simply never been into that kind of thing, yet there were also things on her mind which prevented her from falling to sleep right away.

And, thinking back on it the following day, she probably didn't set the best impression on the other girls by not joining in the conversation and getting to know the other girls in question. There was that inkling of memory in the back of her mind of not entirely fitting in because she was thought of as such a know-it-all, which in turn led to the troll incident.

Yet, at that moment, Hermione realized she was, in fact, alone except for the unknown Seeker-of the Future, so the thought crossed her mind that she might want to try and form relationships with the other girls so she wouldn't have to feel so alone in this new world she found herself in, to which she debated actually making an effort the following day to communicate with them. Except, she remembered something out of the blue.

"Never let anyone tell you you're wrong for being you, Baby Girl. Don't change for anyone."

Her mouth opened as she got ready for classes and breakfast. "I'd forgotten. I'd forgotten he'd said that, but he would have known. Dad never let what other people thought of him stop him." She took a deep breath and started from the dorm room, heading downstairs to see some of the older students already up and about. She stared, wondering if she should interact with them before heading down to the Great Hall. "That might make me stand out in a way I don't want to, although given there are computers down here, it might be written off as a curiosity."

So she decided to head out, but not before memorizing the first-year timetable, to which she remembered she would have to redo all of her classes.

She let out a sigh and headed out past the Fat Lady and to the Great Hall, where a warm breakfast was waiting for her, served by the House Elves. "Which, of course, I shouldn't know about the House Elves, right?"

Other students wandered in, and Hermione looked up, pausing upon seeing Regulus Black upfront. He seemed paler than usual while his eyes kept attempting to evade looking her in the eye. She frowned, wondering about that particular enigma, only to have her thoughts drawn away when Harry and Ron loudly appeared at the breakfast table. "Oh. Good morning."

Ron stared, caught off guard that she'd greeted him. Harry, on the other hand, smiled. "Hello. Your name's Hermione Granger, right?"

"Correct. And your Harry Potter and your Ron Weasley."

"Could have told us that was your name yesterday," Ron muttered. "And you don't have to say our names like that."

"Ron, be nice."

Hermione turned her head to look back up at Regulus Black. "So, the head of Slytherin teaches Defense Against the Dark Arts."

"I suppose. He's supposed family, but we don't talk about him," Ron said, diving right into the food.

"How come?" Harry asked.

"Because he's a Death Eater," Ron said before pointing his fork rather rudely at Hermione. "Of course, you're Muggleborn, so you wouldn't know what a Death Eater is."

"I do. And Professor McGonagall said not to judge Professor Black because of that."

"He's not that bad," Harry said.

"What would you know?"

"He's my godfather's younger brother."

"Was he able to bring Crookshanks over on your birthday?" Hermione asked. Harry startled. "He talked about it when we ran into him at Diagon Alley."