The Other Chosen One

*extra*

HERMIONE POV

I turned to the first years who hadn't been sorted yet, expecting to see Amelia. It was a bit of shock, as she wasn't there.

Where is she?

Wouldn't she be in the same house? With me? Like always?

Then again, you can't choose your house. I turned around the place, looking for Leia. I looked at the Hufflepuff table where people had started to eat. I realized the sorting ceremony was over, and I looked at the Ravenclaw table. No Leia.

I decided to get up, and report to Professor McGonagall. Where was my best friend?

As I got up, I froze.

At the table of the house I had expected least of Amelia, completely opposite ours, with a green banner on display. Sitting with a pale blonde boy, looking at Amelia while she was talking. A terrifying ghost was hovering over them, wondering where to sit. Amelia looked slightly disturbed by that, but continued talking to the blonde boy.

"Are you looking at Malfoy too?" I looked over to Harry, who had taken a seat next to me. He said it softly as some other first years were talking to a ghost. 

"Well, no. I don't know who that is. I was watching Amelia-" I struggled with my vocabulary, "adjust."

Harry looked at where I was pointing. "Oh. She's the other girl from the train, right? Why would she sit with a brat like Malfoy? Let alone talk to him?" He wondered aloud. He went back to talking to the others while I spoke with Percy, the prefect, a little disheartened.

 I waited for Amelia to wave, or even look at me. I was terribly upset that I had missed her sorting. Her sorting, for goodness' sake! THE sorting! I felt stupidly angry at myself. Of course, that's why she hadn't done anything yet. I'd missed her sorting, and now she was in a sulky mood with me, which was rare.

I ate my food in silence and as they sang the school song, I noticed that Amelia was a lost case for the lyrics. My instinct would be to help her, if that boy - Malfoy - wasn't already. She sang in a monotone, fast pace and I copied hers, hoping she'd notice. She looked at me and I felt my eyes light up and hers did too, but Malfoy scowled and nudged her to pay attention. I frowned. 

That boy was definitely not a good influence to Leia.

I walked to my common room with slow steps, hoping to catch Leia, which I knew was a lost cause. Slytherin's common room was in the dungeons, Gryffindor's in a tower.

Well, I could talk to her tomorrow.