Hermione Snape and the Divergence Point: Volume #1

Chapter 6: September Year One

Chapter 6

Just her luck, Hermione was the resident ugly girl among two pretty girls. Parvarti was stunning with large dark brown eyes on soft cheekbones and black hair trailing past her waist in a plait and even medium brown skin. Lavender was pretty with wavy blond hair that fell past her shoulders and rosy cheeks with bright blue eyes and an even brighter smile.

She didn't care much for Lavender, she seemed to have intense emotional reactions that changed like the breeze. She didn't seem like a bad person, she was just difficult to be around. Parvarti, on the other hand, seemed patient and compassionate, though she didn't seem to go out of her way to bond with Hermione. Neither of them did. But they so far only had one night. Things could change.

Hermione descended the stairs into the common room and searched for a sign anyone was there. She spied Fred and George leaving the porthole, tormenting Ron and Harry. She jogged to catch up to them, but they seemed to increase their pace.

Maybe it's not intentional, she told herself and she mustered the courage to call out to them. "Hey, wait up!"

No response. She knew they heard her, the four of them even looked back, but only quickened their pace after. That stung. George defended her last night. Why was he avoiding her now? Maybe Neville would see her.

Hermione sat next to Neville at the table, but he inched as far as he could away from her. He muttered something about losing his appetite and left.

This was going to be a long seven years.

Breakfast was lonely, but morning break was hell. Every time she tried to join a conversation or a group she was shut out. She told herself she would get used to the sight of others walking away from her, pretending they couldn't see her or hear her. At one point she was even met with a cliched "must be the wind" from a group of second year girls.

Hermione clutched her books to her chest and decided to make a run for the corridor off the library. She kept her head down and told herself not to cry. If anyone saw that she was as good as dead. She weaved through the corridors until she collided into someone.

"Three metres, you pathetic shite!" An Irish voice called.

"Sorry!" she squeaked looking up to see the red-haired Slytherin boy, O'Malley.

She finally remembered where they had met and suddenly wished her father had expelled him. He was thirteen, she was eleven, he towered over her. What reason had he to treat her so poorly?

"Don't worry, Heather," Pansy Parkinson said loudly as she entered the library. "I already know to stay far away from that stupid, ugly cow."

"Shh!" Madam Pince hissed at the girls. "If you're going to cause trouble, Miss Snape, you should just go!"

"Sorry!" Hermione bowed her head repeatedly and backed away.

Hermione ducked into a broom cupboard and let herself sink to the floor and sobbed.

"Get the hell up, you little idiot!" a voice snapped.

"Sorry!" she cried, melting into the wall. "I-I thought I was alone!"

"And I thought I raised a functional human being!" her father spat grabbing her arm."It appears we were both wrong!"

Hermione cautiously rose to her feet.

"This is pathetic!" he continued. "Do you think this is an even remotely appropriate response?!"

Hermione tried to speak but no sounds escaped her lips.

"It's like speaking to a fucking four-year-old! Did I not tell you that the world out there was cruel? Did I not specifically say that this world would eat you alive? I seem to recall telling you all this and more, girl. And you, my insufferable child, insisted you wanted this!"