A Harry Potter Love Story

Hermione's POV

After helping Neville with no succuss, I returned to my compartment to change into my robes. Lily looked really upset and Elena looked surprised. I didn't bother asking why though.

The train slowed to a stop just as I was pushing my muggle clothes into my trunk. We filed out of the compartment and joined the bustle of students trying to exit the train. Once off we walked side by side to a man with a bushy beard. He was obviously in charge of getting the first years to the school as he was rounding us all up.

I noticed Harry Potter was standing next to Lily. She edged away, glaring the whole time. I briefly wondered what had happened between them. Elena was looking like she wanted to take the now empty space beside Harry, but at the same time, to punch him in the nose.

I decided to just let it go (frozen moment) though.

"First years! Follow me!" I turned to see the biggest man that I have ever seen before. He was easily two times my height. Definitely more than that though. I glanced around to see the reactions of everyone else.

Lily gasped and Ron Weasley looked amazed, but Elena and Harry had huge smiles plastered across their faces.

"Hey Hagrid!" they said at the same time. I noticed a slight blush creep onto Elena's face and one look at Harry and I could tell that he was hiding a blush of his own. I smiled to myself as Lily glared at an apolegetic Elena.

I wondered again what had happened between Lily and Harry. I would have to ask her about it later. He didn't seem that bad to me. It was that Ron Weasley that I had to watch out for.

I might have thought that she was jealous, but she liked Dean Thomas, not Harry Potter. It proved that idea even less likely when Dean stood next to her and she immediately smiled hugely and started a conversation.

We followed Hagrid to a fleet of boats and we climbed in four to a boat. Lily and Elena seemed to be arguing, which I had never seen them do before. Eventually Lily sighed and they got into an empty boat and waved to me. I sat across from them with Neville, who nobody seemed to want to sit with.

Lily kept glancing over at Dean and his friend Seamus who were sitting with Harry and Ron. Elena would steal a quick glance at Harry every time this happened, but then attempt to drag a reluctant Lily into a conversation.

The boats glided along the water with Hagrid in the lead. I spouted out random facts from Hogwarts, a History. Lily and Elena laughed at the giant squid that popped up and ignored me. I smiled. They seemed to be back to normal.

Hagrid found Neville's toad when as we crawled onto shore. His chubby fingers gripped the toad tightly all the way up to the castle.

We waited in the Entrance Hall and waited to be sorted into our houses.

"So what do we have to do to get sorted into our houses?" Lily asked us sounded nervous.

"I'm not sure. I never asked my parents," Elena told her, shrugging.

"They use the sorting hat," I tried to hide my smile. Of course I had read it about it before.

"What's that?" Lily asked.

"You'll see," and because she still looked nervous I added,"It doesn't hurt at all." She let out a breath and Elena laughed.

A teacher, Professor McGonagall led us to the Great Hall and we followed her to the front of the room, single file.

Crabbe, one of that Draco kid's friends was one of the first to be sorted. He sat on a stool and pulled a musty wizard's hat onto his head. After a short pause it yelled, "SLYTHERIN" and he proceeded to that table. Seamus Finnagan became a Gryffindor. Then it was my turn.

"Granger, Hermione," McGonagall called. I stepped up slowly and pulled the hat onto my head.

"Hmm," it spoke in my head,"You would do well in Ravenclaw. Plenty of logic, but the courage is there as well. Yes, I see now that you would be of more use to GRYFFINDOR!" it yelled the last bit out loud. I happily went to sit across from Seamus.

I didn't even have time to hope that Lily would be with me before the hat screamed Gryffindor and she sat next to me. Neville and Elena became Gryffindor as well. Goyle and Malfoy became Slytherin.

Harry Potter, to everyone's delight except Lily's joined us and to everyone's delight except mine, Ron Weasley sat next to Harry. Dean Thomas and Lily were deep in a conversation and Elena was switching between glaring at her and staring at Harry. I could tell this was going to be an interesting year.