Truly Magical - Hope Mikaelson

7: Drawings And Proposals

The girls had been at Hogwarts for two weeks now and they had both settled in quite nicely. Hope continued to excel in classes and had set up a painting area in her dorm, while Lizzie worked hard with Harry and on occasion Hermione to catch up with the other fifth years on the new curriculum. Unknowingly the girls had been slowly bridging the gap between houses, on occasion you could find Hermione Granger walking the halls with Hope, Lizzie, and Daphne Greengrass, something no one saw coming. Pansy still kept the Gryffindors at a distance but she seemed to be treating them with less distaste than before and that alone was a shock to many muggleborn students. The animosity between houses was far from gone, Harry and Draco still had routine spats and slurs were still thrown in the halls but the fragile friendships that Slytherins like Daphne, Lizzie, and Blaise had formed with a select few Gryffindors and other students outside their house had given a bit of hope for house unity.

"I'm bloody hopeless at Herbology!" Dean Thomas sat next to Hope in the common room surrounded by various notes in preparation for their upcoming Herbology exam.

"You can't be that bad!" She laughed as he hit his head off the table.

"Oh no, he is that bad." Hermione didn't even glance up from her own notes, she was sitting across the table studying for the same test. Hope, however, had decided to take a break and was sketching out some of the new plants she had learned about and labeling them.

"You must have something to so that's more fun than studying," Fred dropped into the seat beside Hermione while George leaned on the back of Hope's chair. She had grown to quite like the twins seeing as they reminded her of her Uncle Kol.

"They are studying," Hope held up her sketch book, "I'm drawing." George was quick to snatch it from her hands and circle to the table to show Fred. He couldn't help but be curious and Hope didn't really mind if they looked.

"I didn't know you could draw, Hopie." The twins had taken to using the new nickname which Hope found herself not hating, well not anymore.

"My dad taught me when I was a kid." Hermione and Dean were leaning in to look at the pages as they flipped through.

"Who are the people?" Dean gave her a questioning look. Most of her drawings were of her family.

"It's my family," A sad smile found it's way on to her face. "My parents mostly."

"You're really good." Hermione also made her smile. They talked for a little longer about classes and their plans for the first Hogsmeade weekend before heading to their dorms.

"You never really talk about them," Hope turned to face Hermione who sat on her own bed in her pajamas, "Your parents, I mean." Hope had expected this at some point especially after seeing her drawings she was just happy Hermione waited until they were alone to ask.

"They passed away when I was fifteen." Hermione nodded in understanding.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked." Hope turned and sat down on her own bed so she was facing her roommate.

"You don't need to be sorry, Mione. It doesn't hurt as much to talk about them anymore. I actually like it sometimes, talking about the good times." Hope felt a small tear trail down her cheek.

"You can always talk to me about it," Hermione stood and walked over to sit beside Hope. "Harry and Ron too." She wrapped an arm around Hope who leaned her head onto Hermione's shoulder.