Chapter 1 – Prologue

The head girl sat tucked away at her usual desk in the head common room as she attempted to focus on the Transfiguration Essay her class had been set, her brow furrowed on her smooth tanned face as she willed her concentration to kick in.

She longed for peace and quiet to envelop the head dorm so she could complete the final paragraph on her now 2 foot long parchment.

Finally after staring at the wall for 5 straight minutes, Hermione gave in to the thoughts that plagued her mind.

Lost in thought she smiled to herself absentmindedly, as she hummed along to the voice of Larissa Grey; the famous witch singer; her angelic, silky tones echoing around the Head dormitory.

Hermione had a secret that only she and one other knew, a secret that she hated keeping from her friends.

Hermione couldn't lie; not for fault of trying, but because those closes to her knew that she displayed all she felt in her face, particularly her almond shaped amber eyes, who was she kidding her friends could read her like a book!

She knew deep down that they were beginning to realise that something was amiss lately, and as a result she was finding it harder and harder to explain her absences to her friends.

She so wished to tell them but she needed to keep it a secret.

It was the first time Hermione had ever put herself first; it was her chance to do what she loved doing without any of the hassle.

It was her opportunity to have her own chance at being her own person, instead of just been known as the brains of the golden trio, an acknowledgement that bugged her to no end.

Was it too much to ask for to be recognised as just Hermione?

The head girl stifled a bitter laugh, Of course it was!

Even in her chance to shine, Hermione hid behind someone else.

Harry Potter sat in his seventh year DADA class engaged in a conversation about Quiddich with his two best friends, granted Hermione wasn't paying attention to the conversation having little interest in Quiddich - sure she watched the games when Gryffindor were playing but only to spur on and support Harry and Ron.

Hermione's focus was on Ron the man she was sure she was slowly falling in love with, not that he knew of course, sometimes Ron was too oblivious for his own good, it took all of Hermione's self-control to not jump the red headed man and kiss his cupid bow lips.

Suddenly the youngest of the Weasley family ran into the classroom and approached the desk the trio were sat at.

"Have you heard?" she asked.

The three blank faces confirmed that they knew nothing of what Ginny was referring to.

"Heard about what Gin?" Harry said.

Ginny let out an excited squeal: "Rumour has it that Larissa Grey has been booked for the Yule Ball!"

Ron's mouth hung wide open in shock.

"Y-you mean as in c-coming to Hogwarts?" he stuttered, disbelief etched across his features.

Hermione would have laughed at his flustered face if it wasn't for the feeling of dread that was suddenly making itself known in the pit of her stomach.

Her anxiety reaching fever pitch when the rest of the class caught wind of what Ginny had said.

"She's beautiful" Ron proclaimed, a faraway smile forming as his eyes became glassy as he began to daydream, his thoughts were diminished with a sudden violent outburst from a tall blonde man, hostility laced his tone of voice.

"You don't have a chance in hell with her Weasel!" A sneer forming on the man's feminized face.

"What and you do ferret?!" Ron spat back, his pale face began to turn crimson in anger.

The blonde man smirked.

"More of a chance than you, someone like Larissa Grey deserves more than the pittance you could give her, you're a shambles of a pureblood!"

Ginny was as hot headed as her brother and reacted instantly she wasn't going to have her family bad mouthed.

"You can talk, you're scum Malfoy! You and your death eater family!"

Draco Malfoy stood abruptly.

"Shut it blood traitor."

Malfoy moved his slender hand to his wand, which was in its holster, his intention to hex the loud and increasingly angry girl in front of him.

Before Malfoy could raise his wand to her Remus Lupin entered and took in the class that awaited him.

"Expelliarmus" he pronounced clearly, the wand flew from Draco's hand and Lupin caught it.

Draco turned to see who the perpetrator was that dared to disarm him, his icy blue-silver eyes met with warm brown ones that belonged to the professor.

"I hardly think that is appropriate behaviour Mr Malfoy" he said.

Malfoy clenched his jaw his dislike for the man showing in the tenseness that overcame his body, spinning on the heel of his dragon hide boots he stormed back to his seat next to Blaise Zabini at the back of the room.

Hermione was seemingly unaware of the events that had taken place in the classroom before her; she was too consumed by the article that had caught her eye in the Daily Prophet:

Festive Performance for Wizarding Sweetheart

Word has it my loyal readers that one, Larissa Grey the overnight sensation and sweetheart of the wizarding world is rumoured to be making a special performance this year at Hogwart's annual Yule Tide ball.

The delightful singer was seemingly picked from thin air when she released her first single 'Sparks Fly', music critics commented in weeks after her appearance that her voice added new depth to the wizarding world's music scene.

It is claimed that Miss Grey is the only singer to have pure natural talent, and sing without magical enhancements.

Little is known about the girl except that she is pureblood but had a muggle up bringing…

Hermione swallowed the bile that had risen in her throat and read the line again 'special performance this year at Hogwart's annual Yule Tide ball'.

Shit!

This wasn't part of the plan, it didn't make sense, Hermione didn't know about this and she should!

After all Hermione Jean Granger was Larissa Grey!