Alternate Reality

The Gifts

Hermione POV:
Today is the day, It's my first game with the Slytherin team. I'm a bit intimidated to play against players like Oliver Wood, but, I'm sure it'll be okay. I'm currently sitting in the Slytherin common room, watching as the boys in my year present a girl in our year with a necklace. "What are those for?" I ask Theo, who sits to my right, both of us watching Blaise give a pretty green and silver snake locket to Astoria Greengrass. "It's a Slytherin tradition for a boy to give a girl his family's considering for him to marry later on in life a necklace the day of the first Quidditch match of the year. Every boy in our year is giving one today." He informs me, his cheeks slightly turning red. "Who got yours?" I ask him with a grin, knowing it was probably Pansy because his mum loved her family. "Actually, I've not given mine yet... but, now that you've mentioned it." He reaches into his robe pocket as he speaks, pulling out a black velvet box. I look at him with raised eyebrows as he offers me the box, the entire common room now watching us.

"Me?" I ask softly, my eyes looking up to meet his. "I talked to my parents and they already adore you... my dad said you're a huge consideration right now, so, I picked your necklace myself." He explains, opening the box to reveal a beautiful Opal necklace, with gold and diamonds around it. I hear Blaise suck in a breath from across the room as I lift Theo's gift from its box and hand it to him. "Fasten it." Is all I say, a smile gracing my face as Theo's eyes light up. I turn my back to him, and lift my hair, allowing him to place the chain daintily around my neck and snap it into place. When I turn back to face him, I can hear the whispers starting up from all around the common room, especially from the older girls... "I can't believe he got her that kind of necklace... that's pricy even for a family of his history." And "I've never gotten a necklace half as beautiful as that and I'm nearly done with schooling." Being the two most prominent. Pansy looks ready to blow a fuse as she watches Theo and I, apparently she hadn't gotten a necklace.

"The mud blood stole my promise." Pansy finally snarls out, seemingly to no one in particular. The eyes of everyone in the common room drawn to where her glare is settled, on me. "She stole nothing, Pansy. It wasn't yours to begin with, my parents asked me who I wanted to give my promise to, and I told them Mione." Theo defends me hotly, Blaise moving from his spot across the room to stand on my right, putting a protective brotherly arm around me. "Why would you give the mud blood a promise?" Marcus Flint asks from his seat next to Pansy, a glint of anger flashing in his eyes. "Because, my family and I talked it over, Flint, and we decided that the family tree is a little to close for comfort, so we want to branch out... it also didn't hurt she's incredibly intelligent and I honestly like her as a person." Theo snarls at him, his tone causing the older boy to flinch, no ones ever heard Theo mad like this. Just as Marcus goes to respond, Adrian comes storming out of the boys dorms, Fred and George on his heels, apparently he's had enough of the M word.

"That's it, Flint. I dare you to say it again, You'll wish you hadn't. I don't care if we're friends or not, I'll hex you until you can't walk straight." Adrian snarls, the tip of his wand firmly planted on Marcus's chest. The twins were flanking either side of Adrian, making Marcus look ready to wet himself. People knew better than to mess with the Pucey brothers, it usually meant an entire dorm would catch hell because one person had crossed them. "Flint, I'm going to advise you not to say anything else, not because I care if they fuck with you, but because I'm not about to wake up with blue hair again because you pissed off the Puceys." Graham Montague. Graham and I have sort of become friends since I started practice with the Quidditch team, not that he can announce it to the world, but, he's told me he prefers my company to the other girls in our house. "So what if they come after us? We're two years older than they are, you're not afraid of a bunch of third years, are you Montague?" Marcus challenges.

"No, I'm not. What I am afraid of is the Pucey Brothers calling up their older brother, Jacob, and us having to deal with a pissed off Auror." Graham growls at Marcus, watching the sneer fall from the other boys face. "Not to mention, she's not only got the Pucey family backing her, but the Notts, Zabinis, Harry fucking Potter, and Montague backing her." Astoria whispers to Cassius Warrington, causing the older boy to snort. "I don't know what the deal is with you, Montague... but I don't like it. I suggest you pick a side." Marcus snarls, not expecting Graham to respond in the way he did. Graham stands on a table, cupping his hands around his mouth and beginning to speak loudly. "LISTEN UP! Anyone on the Slytherin Quidditch Team who has a problem with Hermione playing or even being a part of our house, Step forward." The other player look at each other, before Marcus, Cassius, and some boy who's name I don't know step to the front. "Flint, Warrington, And Higgs. You're of the team. I need you to remove your uniforms and hand them to the Pucey siblings, immediately. You can try out next year, but your season ends now."

The common room is silent as the three boys share enraged looks, stripping to their underwear and handing Adrian, Fred, and George their uniforms. "I expect you three to play like you did last year. No excuses." Graham says to Adrian and the Twins, before walking off and heading back to his dorm. "All this trouble over one little necklace." I laugh, Not seeing Fred's shoulders tense up, or the wide eyed look George and Adrian share. "Necklace?" Adrian questions, his electric eyes peering down at my neck. "Theo gave her his promise." Blaise grins, his smile slightly falling when he meets Freds eyes. "Well, You might as well." Adrian laughs shoving Fred in front of me, "I hope your okay with having two necklaces... The Pucey family is considering you, but, for which of us they aren't sure, so, this necklace is a promise from all three of us." George explains, watching a Fred pulls out a dragon shaped necklace with a beautiful aqua blue heart in the middle, three little aqua hearts hanging down off of it on little chains. "That's absolutely beautiful." I breathe out, allowing Fred to fasten it on my neck.  "I can't believe Nott beat us to the punch." Adrian laughs, watching Theo and Blaise stare at the Dragon with wide eyes.

Pucey Promise Pictured Above

Nott Promise Pictured Above