Strange Beginnings

Chapter V

Upon returning to Hogwarts, Y/N had to admit the dread wasn't nearly what they thought it was going to be. The opposite in fact was true; they were excited to return to class and learn new spells and charms. The food was comparable to Mrs. Diggory's but they didn't have to clean dishes like at home. Perhaps going to school was slowly becoming a thing they would look forward to.

The first quittage match back from the holiday break was to be Slytherin versus Ravenclaw. Y/N was torn between going or not. The first match of the season between their house and the Gryffindor's had gone strangely when Harry Potter's broom seemed to become possessed by an incantation of sorts. Y/N figured the team captain of their house's team must have planned something dirty for that match in case they started to loose but in the end it didn't matter because Potter had caught the snitch. However, they still wanted to know who the teammates were to see if they'd be able to get along with (let alone tolerate) their housemates, should they ever try out. 

In the end they decided to attend the match but sit with Cedric and his friends who only wanted to support Alexander. He was a chaser and did exceptionally well, scoring the most points for their team, and when the seeker for Slytherin managed to catch the snitch they had beat Ravenclaw by nearly two hundred points. The group of Hufflepuffs and lone Slytherin in the stands cheered wildly, shouting Alex's name over and over who flew past their stand for high fives and knuckle bumps. Y/N figured they'd have three more years of school with Alexander and if he stayed on the team they could manage to deal with the others.

The semester picked up its pace. Material was being crammed into every inch of Y/N's brain and studying was an essential for them for multiple reasons. One excuse was because not many of the Slytherin students liked to use the library to read and work on homework. It was a nice break from Malfoy's constant jabbering and Pansy's gossiping. Honestly, you'd think the two would be perfect for each other, Y/N grumbled to them selves as they tried to tune out the two Slytherin's conversation a couple seats down. Y/N got up and downed the rest of their drink.

"Off to study then?" Alex asked with half a mouth full but politely covered by his hand.

"Yeah, Snape's potions essay is going to be my demise I swear." 

Alex chuckled, "You'll make it through."

"Would you want to join?"

"No, I'm actually meeting Ced in the astronomy tower so he can help me with some charts." 

Y/N headed to the library alone, happy to have finished their meal before the majority which meant they could pick any seat they'd like. Madame Pince smiled without setting down her book as the student walked through the doors and headed towards the tables just behind a couple shelves near the back. The shelves of old parchment musked the large room with a comforting smell, one that wasn't invading but gentle as it traveled from their nostrils to their bosom. 

Now that spring was well through half of it's season, the sun shown for a couple hours past supper. The clouds accentuated and twisted the rays peaking through their pillow-y forms, positively capturing all of Y/N's attention. They collided with a soft but boney form that gasped and let out a small yelp. 

"I'm so sorry! I wasn't watching where I was..." the person turned around as Y/N began to apologize, "... going."

Hermione scowled at Y/N and bent down to retrieve her fallen books before responding. They internally groaned but bent down to pick up the texts near their feet. Handing them back to a slightly surprised Hermione, Y/N felt the need to reiterate their apology (either because they assumed she hadn't listened the first time or perhaps they felt awkward to have run into their unspoken but unwanted rival).