A/N right-oh. This whole thing is based around a song I can NOT get out of my head. It's called Get Over it by Avril Lavigne. Look up the lyrics if you don't know it. It inspired the story, but I don't think it's going to make an appearance other than maybe mentioned in passing.
Disclaimer I own nothing except maybe the plot line. Of course, it's very possible it's all been done ahaha. In which case, I am the owner of nothing at all. Nothing is a lot for one person to own…
I walked down the hallway, books in hand. Passing Draco Malfoy, I gave him the satisfaction of being the first to see my new hair. Of course, he probably didn't even notice, I mean, it's Draco Malfoy. Even as different as it was, straight with some blond and black highlights, he wouldn't bother with something so insignificant as my hair. Only a funny thing happened.
As I walked, I knew it streamed out behind me all fancy-shmancy. That was the one thing that annoyed me the constant outward stream of it. It wasn't my fault it wasn't even different. Ginny had pounced the night before on my way up to bed. She had straightened it… permanently. The highlights were natural but hidden when it was a tangled bushy mess. The black ones however were another gift from Ginny. She was inspired by my favorite muggle singer, Avril Lavigne's hair back in some of the early days.
So anyways, my flowing hair brushed Malfoy's arm and I saw him turn curiously. And he stared. Draco Malfoy stared after me. Not with a snide comment even. He seemed, for once, at a loss for insults. I turned back to glare at him too and couldn't help the smirk spreading over my face at his dumbstruck look.
I walked into the Main Hall with my new hair and it was like a hush fell. All eyes followed me as I walked confidently over to the Gryffindor table. My new hair had given me self-esteem. As soon as I sat down the talking picked up again and I was positive I heard my name mentioned a few times.
"Wow Harry, now I think I have a slight idea how you feel most of the time." I said with a smile up at my best friend. He smiled back and adjusted his glasses before turning back to his toast and eggs.
"Not so pleasant, is it?" He spoke to me as normally as ever, I noted with relief. At least my friends wouldn't be changed towards me because of my new look.
"'Ow 'Ermione!" Ron choked out through his food. He gulped it down before speaking again, gazing at me with wide eyes. "Bloody hell, you look brilliant!"
"I'm the same person I always had been Ron." I told him, frowning slightly. I hadn't bargained on this, even though I really should have thought it from him. I don't mean to talk poorly of one of my best friends, but Ron was not the brightest crayon in the box. Not to mention the fact he was shallower than a puddle.
"Yes but now you look good!" He exclaimed with bright eyes. It was the most attention he had given me since the start of seventh year at Hogwarts. Since Voldemort had been killed and the three of us- four, including Malfoy who helped surprisingly enough- had been claimed heroes and girls had started fawning over him like mad. Since he had entered a mind-state similar to that of Malfoy's. I shook my head.
Harry laid a sympathetic hand on my arm and I turned to him with renewed hope. He still saw the old Hermione, I could read it in his expression. I smiled warmly and gave him a hug.
"Hey, how come he gets a hug?" Ron demanded obstinately. When neither of us answered he grumbled a little and demanded, "Why did you change your hair anyway?"
"Ginny did it, not me. You know how she gets about makeovers. Although I made her swear years ago she wouldn't do that to me. She mentioned something about Seventh year needing to be special… so she changed me to make it happen I guess." I explained. The reason kind of bummed me. I knew I wasn't much to look at with my hair bushy… but I was never comfortable with changing my looks for cosmetic reasons.
"She mentioned something about that to me during the train ride." Harry mumbled thoughtfully. He and Ginny were dating again now that the threat of Voldemort was over and done. They were currently a very happy couple… unlike Ron and I. I really had hoped… but it didn't matter. I would just have to move on.
"Did she now?" I asked, pretending to look offended at the idea of a conspiracy. Then I smiled and looked away. I liked Harry a lot but only as a brother. Kind of like the brother I never had you know? But still, people liked to spread nasty rumors and I just can't stand it.
My eyes drifted to the Slytherin table where they all had their heads together whispering. From the glances I was being shot it was no doubt about me. I met a pair of icy eyes that for once didn't bear a trace of contempt. He looked merely curious for once. I sighed and turned away. It was going to be a long year.
A few minutes later Harry, Ron, and I got up and headed out of the hall to go to class. It was going to be transifiguration and I was not looking forwards to it. Because seventh year focused on honing in the skills for the career you would go into, we had every class with Draco Malfoy. At least I thought we did.
By the time class had started Draco still hadn't shown up. In fact, the only Slytherin in the room was Blaise. It made sense that not too many of them were here. This was the Auror-to-be class schedule. Not many Slytherins wanted to be one… of the Slytherins that were left that is. Many were captured, killed, or went into hiding.
Blaise caught sight of us sitting towards the back and came towards us. Harry and Ron were automatically on their guard about him but he put his hand up quickly as he reached us. "Look, we're all on the same side now. I mean, to continue fighting after the war seems pointless. Truce?"
Harry was the first to take his offered hand. Then Ron, grudgingly. I stared up at him amazed and impressed. It was a Slytherin with a level head on his shoulders. Not something to be found often. He smiled at me as if reading my thoughts and sat down beside me.
"Hey" he said with a nod of his head at me. His smile, I noticed, didn't fully warm his eyes. Maybe that was the case with all people in Slytherin house though, unavoidable. He looked me up and down before saying, "Nice hair."
"Oh, thanks." I said quietly, focusing ahead as Professor McGonigall came in. I had a strong respect for the woman. She was now Headmistress (for there were just some things that could not be reclaimed from the war and Dumbledore was among them) and still taught class. I admired her level of patience.
After a class all about transfiguring solids into liquids, it was free time. I got up thinking already of the library and in my haste toppled all my books. I bent to pick them up and found someone already had. Blaise stood in front of me holding them out. I took them.
"Thanks… again." I said blushing wildly. My new straight hair fell over the side of my face, hiding me slightly. He took the liberty of brushing it lightly over my shoulder, taking care that my hair was the only thing he touched.
Ron and Harry had gone on without me. So we left the room together, already talking like old friends. In fact, I was so caught up in staring at him that I bumped into someone going the opposite direction. I spun to face them and was looking up at none other than Malfoy. When had he gotten so tall.
"I'm sorry, Malfoy." I said politely. His gaze flickered to my face before he glanced over to Blaise. He gave him a nod in greeting before turning and stalking off again. I felt my face heat up again, only this time with anger. "Must he always be so rude to me?"
"Take it easy on him." Came Blaise's voice from right behind me. I felt his breath against my cheek and it made me aware of how uncomfortably close he was. I shivered and turned to him questioningly. He went on, "Well I mean, he betrayed the only people he ever knew when he helped you lot. He's got practically no friends now. No doubt he's depressed."
"I hadn't thought of it that way." I breathed out, turning to face him. I noticed him lowering his hands, as if he had been about to wrap them around me from behind but got caught. "Blaise-"
"Don't say it, Granger." He said quickly, holding a hand up to stop me. Then he turned and walked away from me. I was left gaping open mouthed in the hallway. After a moment I turned and headed towards the library.
The library. It was like my safe place… yes, I needed on of those at Hogwarts. Books don't make fun of you. The open their bindings to you instead, and share everything they could possibly impart, from their words right down to the worn creases in their aging pages. They were beautiful things. The library itself, echoed with their rustling pages, silence becoming restless with the sounds of parchment, quills, whispers, and pages… beautiful sounds.
I took a deep breath to settle my nerves as I walked leisurely down the aisles. I wasn't looking for any book in particular. One would jump out at me in time. Even as I thought this a book fell at my feet. I looked down at it, then up at the ladder where the culprit stood. Malfoy. He was looking down at me with that same curious expression.
I picked up the book and looked back up at him expectantly. He began to climb down with another book in his hand. He held out his hand to me and said, "I'll uh, put that back."
I looked down at the title, Grimm's Fairy Tales. I hugged the book close to my chest. It had been the one I was searching for every so often without really thinking I could find it. He was still waiting. I looked up at him shyly through my eyelashes. "Uhm, I think I'd like to read this one thanks."
"They're just the typical stories, Granger." He scoffed, climbing down all the way. "You already know how they all end. It's so predictable and so…"
"Untrue." I finished for him. He looked up at me with his curious eyes. "I know. So, the great Draco Malfoy reads muggle fairy tales?"
He held out to me Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie. "Children's stories no less."
"I'm impressed." I said lightly before turning away to wander the aisles some more with my new book. Lunch would be shortly… of course, I could always skip lunch. Footsteps told me I was being followed. I spun to face Draco. "What is it?"
He blinked at me a few times before blurting, "Why on earth did you change your hair?"
It was my turn to blink. This was the first response I had gotten that seemed almost negative. Finally I said, "Ginny Weasley did it. She decided all on her own I needed a new look. Do you really hate it that much?"
"It's not you." He said, a sneer creeping into his voice. "Honestly, finally got sick of being a bushy haired freak huh?"
"That's not it at all…"
"You wanted to be just like everyone else, admit it." He is almost back to his old self, in both appearance and tone. I back away so that my back collides sharply with the bookshelves. He is standing in front of me and sneering. "Just the same as everyone else. With one exception of course, you're a filthy Mudblood."
I couldn't help it, couldn't take it anymore. I broke into tears and ran from the room, dropping the book in hurry. My original plan was to run all the way up to my room with was in Gryffindor tower and then up to the very top to my Head Girl chambers. I was got a stitch in my chest half that distance and so I walked slowly, dejectedly the rest of the way. My straight hair hung in my face, a sort of curtain from the outside world. I had my arms folded, guarded and no one bothered me.
Up in my room I put on music and sobbed into my pillow. The music wasn't loud enough so I turned it up, blaring it. A familiar muggle song filled my ears and I realized it was Avril, my hair's inspiration. The song made me feel like a pathetic infant, sobbing my eyes out cause someone did not care for my appearance.
I almost chuckled at that. He had never cared for my appearance. Why should it bother me now? I knew why… because I wasn't entirely comfortable with it myself. I had to handle countless stares, whispers, and attention. I wanted to be my old self just so I could be comfortable… even if that meant giving up my pretty hair.
I got up, resolved to find Ginny. First thing was first. I began to pull my hair back into a bun on my head. The words got to me though while I was doing this. I stared long and hard at my reflection in the mirror. What was I doing? I was going to let him bug me? No one else considered the look too superficial for me or whatever.
I tugged the elastic out of my hair and through it on my vanity table, picking up instead, the black eyeliner that sat there that I hardly ever used. I applied it artfully to my eyes and smiled. Oddly enough, it made their warm chocolate brown look lighter. Then I grabbed my book for potions class and practically skipped down to the Great Hall for the last half of lunch. I'd show that Malfoy.
I walked in, greeted by less stares then this morning but still more than I was comfortable with. One of them happened to be Malfoy's. I straightened and shook my hair out of my newly made up eyes as I began to walk through the hall. Someone tapped my shoulder and I turned to look up at them through my eyelashes… Blaise.
"Hey" I said with a genuine smile. He smiled back, it still never reached his black eyes. He stood there for a moment just staring at me, smiling like that. I got kind of nervous so I said, "What is it?"
"I was just wondering… would you care to be my partner in potions?" He said smoothly. He had a crooked, flirty type smile now. A bit too overconfident but…
"Of course, sounds fun." I said, trying to look at Malfoy out of the corner of my eye. He was staring down into his pumpkin juice with interest. Who knew orange colored juice was so eye catching? I smiled one last time at Blaise before going to sit at the Gryffindor table.
"So is he like your new best friend then?" Ron demanded, his ears turning pink. Oh sure, he couldn't notice me until some other guy already had. Typically of the slow thinking Ron. I rolled my eyes and decided not to answer him. Sometimes, he bothered me.
I ate my lunch in silence, trying to ignore the attention I was drawing just by being there. It would all die down eventually. It usually did with Harry, after all. I thought of this lightly as I ate with a small smile on my face.
"Are you ok Hermione?" Harry asked in his calm tone. Yes, Harry Potter had become the calm one after the final battle was over. All his real problems were behind him, along with his losses. He shook the hair out of his face and said, "You seem different today."
"I don't know what you mean." I answer. I knew exactly what he meant, but I was beginning to like the new me. I was confidant and I could afford to laugh something off and just have fun for once. I loved it. Just then it was time for class. We got up and began to leave.
Blaise met us at the door with that confident smirk of his and walked with us. I could sense Draco not far behind us. It's a wonder how I can feel his presence, even in a crowd. I didn't like the thought of that one bit. I should not be that aware of a kid who obviously still disliked me beyond words.
"You ok there, Granger?" A voice broke through my silent wonderings. I smiled up at Blaise but said nothing. He smiled back and walked slightly closer. I pulled slightly away. He didn't seem to notice.
We went to potions, conducted by Professor Slughorn due to Snape's continued absence since he killed Dumbledore last year. Blaise and I worked together, much to everyone's shock, and Harry and Ron worked together. While we worked I tried to talk casually about Malfoy, who was absent from this class as well.
"Why isn't Malfoy-" Blaise gave her a look. "Ok, Draco in this class? I mean, I thought he wanted to be an auror?"
"He must have changed his mind." Blaise answered shrugging. "I don't ask him questions. If he wants me to know something, he'll tell me about it. That's how we handle Draco in Slytherin House."
"You don't find it insufferable?"
"Everyone has their own personal battles, Hermione." was his only answer. I kept my mouth shut, dwelling on this as I stirred the potion absently. When class was over, Blaise asked me to accompany him to his quid ditch practice. He had made Beater this year. Surprisingly, I agreed without a minute of hesitation. I was liking Blaise.
I didn't count on the fact that Draco was on the team or that he might not be so happy to see me. As I sat in the stands watching, I tried to focus on Blaise, with his strong muscles tightening as he swung at bludger after bludger. My eyes however had a habit of drifting to Malfoy who also had a bad habit of watching me. I shivered.
When they had finally finished, Blaise and Malfoy came walking towards me, arguing together in a companionable way.
"I'm telling you mate, you're way off you're way off your game." Blaise was saying. "Perhaps you should get yours eyes checked?"
"And I'm telling you Zabini, perhaps you shouldn't bring your little toy to practice." Malfoy sneered, eying me with pure hatred. He knew I could hear him, the bastard! He went on anyways, never taking his eyes off me. "She's going to distract more than me. Leave your toys back in the castle. You can play when you get back."
Without really thinking it through, I walked forward and slapped him across the face. He glared at me icily. I felt my eyes prickling with unshed tears but I tried my best to keep them in. They were angry tears, but I wouldn't even give him that satisfaction. Without another word I turned and walked towards the castle with Blaise following in my wake.
A/N like it? Hate it? Sorry… read and review so I can improve as it goes along. Lots of Avril reference, just trying to get the point across.