My first attempt at a Potterverse fic', this should be fairly long, but it will take a while for me to finish it... my writting speed varies wildly (chapter 1 took a day, 3 took almost a month, 4 was done in a couple of hours), so I make no promises on how long between chapters. But here's the first lot of them to get you started.

This starts off in the summer before Goblet of Fire, and is somewhat of a cross between the book, the movie, and my own insane ramblings.

The only time I'll say it: I don't own Harry Potter, I'm just playing in J.K. Rowling's sandbox.

Darkest Witch of Her Age

Chapter 1.

Three weeks in the muggle world was enough to send anyone mad, Hermione decided as she lay in bed at her parent's house. Unfortunately, with their current 'a break from magic would be good for you sometimes' mood she didn't see that changing anytime soon. She'd just finished reading her school books for next year, and now she needed something more. Maybe the time turner from last year had spoiled her; taking what amounted to two years of classes in one had been exhausting even for the ever-studious young witch. But if anything her desire to learn had only grown with the extra workload. So now she was stuck with no new books, and no way to get more - if the argument with her parent's when she'd brought up a trip to Diagon Alley was anything to go by. Grumbling to herself she rolled over and attempted to get some sleep.

It was later than usual when Hermione went downstairs to fix herself some breakfast, padding into the kitchen she found her parents had already left for work, but she found a book shaped gift waiting for her on the dining room table. Quickly unwrapping it she flopped down into a chair in disappointment, 'The Complete Works of William Shakespeare' may have excited her a few years ago, but now the muggle poet wasn't at all the sort of thing she took much interest in. Her mood was not at all improved a few minutes later, when she managed to cut herself while chopping up some fruit. In shear frustration from not being able to just whip out her wand to fix a simple cut, she ended up breaking the glass front of the dining room sideboard when she threw the offending apple across the room.

Twenty minutes later a still somewhat grumpy Hermione made her way to the nearest tube station, having well and truly decided that she just had to get away from that house for the day.

Hermione sneezed as she pulled out another dust laden book from a dark corner of Flourish and Blotts; while most of the shop was brightly lit and full of people, she'd come across this little seen nook at the back and decided to look through it. She'd already found a number of interesting books on several topics, though was having to be more selective than she'd have liked due to her small budget.

The books didn't seem to be in any particular order, she noted while wiping off the cover of 'Advanced Spellcraft, Second Edition' which she'd found right next to a book of poetry. Looking through her find she came across a number of spells which were not in the fourth edition of the title she'd read at Hogwarts the year before. Sighing with disappointment she realised that - along with the copy of 'Ester Hamshoy's Guide to Obscure and Forgotten Potions' - she really couldn't afford any more with the few Galeons she had on her. Unless she skipped lunch of course, which was tempting, but she'd already missed breakfast after the fruit debacle that morning, and she'd found she could study better after a meal.

So dusting herself off and paying for the books, Hermione found her way outside to the ever bustling Diagon Alley and looked about in search of somewhere quiet to eat; and maybe read through her new books in peace. She'd just stepped into the street when she was shoved from behind, sending her sprawling over the cobble stones. The sound of the laugh told her who the culprit was even before she heard the hissed "filthy mudblood." Fortunately, a familiar shock of red hair stepped in front of Draco's scowl and proceeded to thoroughly - and rather passionately - tell the boy off.

"Are you ok?" a soft voice asked, and Hermione turned to find Ginny Weasley kneeling beside her with a concerned look.

"Yeah, thanks Ginny," Hermione answered only slightly less miserably than she felt, as she collected her books back from the younger witch. She gave a small smile as she got back on her feet, but then let out a laugh as a worried Mrs. Weasley pulled her into a much needed hug.

"Are you sure dear?" The older Weasley asked, while trying not to be obviously checking her over for injuries.

Hermione smiled. "Really, I'm fine, I've had worse from Harry and Ron just being, well, Harry and Ron." Ginny giggled, and Mrs. Weasley shook her head in exasperation at the two boys who were most likely lucky not to be within earshot at this moment. "So what are you up to?" Hermione asked after a moment.

"Oh, Fred used up the last of the beetle eyes last night in some project he and George've been working on," Mrs. Weasley answered fondly with an amused sparkle in her eye over whatever trouble the two of them were up to now. "Thought I'd best stock up again in case we need them." Spotting the books in Hermione's hand she asked, "getting your school books early?"

"No, well, I've already got my school books," Hermione answered shyly. "But I just... mum and dad are on this whole 'a break from magic will be good for you' kick or something, and I just needed to get away from the whole muggle thing for a while before I went completely mad!" She took a deep breath to calm down, then smiling a bit, continued "So I found a couple of books, and thought I'd just find somewhere quiet to eat and read."

"You could come back to the Burrow with us if you like dear," Mrs. Weasley asked kindly.

"And you can use my desk," Ginny offered when Hermione looked about to come up with a reason not to. "The boys won't bother you in my room."

With her excuse taken away by the now smugly grinning Ginny, Hermione just shrugged. "I really need to be back home before five though."

With the decision made, the three witches made their way into the Leaky Cauldron - dragging Ginny out of Quality Quidditch Supplies on the way - when Mrs. Weasley asked Hermione if she wanted to stay for dinner as well. After much discussion, some pleading about too many boys in the house, and some blatant bribes, Hermione found herself out on the streets of muggle London looking for a phone. She figured she'd best ask her parents, though wasn't particularly hopeful.

The two Weasleys kept their distance as Hermione used the device. Well aware of her dad's - rather disastrous - experiments with the things, Ginny nervously poked her head around the corner of the building to see Hermione slamming something against something else and stepping out of the little red booth. "She's coming back now mum." As they stepped back out onto the street, they saw Hermione coming toward them with a frown, which she hid - mostly - when she saw them nearby.

"I um, I either need to be back home by five, or I have to spend the night. Mum said she doesn't want me out late," Hermione said, eyes searching around the street for something, before looking at Mrs. Weasley with a slightly pleading expression.

Aside from the occasional shaking from whatever Fred and George were up to, Ginny's room was a good place to relax over a book, Hermione decided as she took some notes from the Advanced Spellcraft book she'd bought that morning. The room wasn't entirely to her taste of course - with the quidditch posters all over the walls - but the overall feel of the Weasley home was just what she needed right now.

She got so deeply absorbed in her reading that she didn't even notice when Ginny came in the room just after sunset. The resulting squeak, jump, and slamming shut of the book had Ginny in a fit of giggles.

"Mum sent me up, dinner's ready." Ginny said a when she was able to speak again.

Hermione followed Ginny downstairs after putting her book away, along with the parchment she'd been writting on. As she approached the table appeared to be utter chaos, with food making it's way to the centre as several conversations carried on and a wooden spoon floated above it all, smacking away the occasional hand trying to get an early taste.

"Hermione!" Ron called happily as he saw her, this was followed by a chorus of similarly friendly hellos from around the table.

Standing in the doorway a moment, Hermione looked at Ron, then let out a polite "Hello" before walking to the seat Mrs. Weasley pointed out to her. Dinner continued in the same disorderly manner, and Hermione found herself getting involved in discussions about anything. She even found herself talking about quidditch at one point, as she tried her best to ignore Ginny's tale to Mr. Weasley about Hermione using a phone - and the subsequent questions.

"Would you just shut up about the bloody muggles!" She finally snapped out at Mr. Weasley as he again asked her some question or other about the device. The whole table went silent as everyone looked at the young witch. "Sorry," she explained quietly after a moment as she sagged in her seat. "I just really wanted a muggle-free day for once."

Everyone was a little quieter after that, though the conversions did continue and gradually pick up again.

After dinner Hermione ended up reading some of her Obscure Potions book in the living room. Ginny was challenging her dad to a game of wizard's chess nearby, while Mrs. Weasley read some well worn romance novel as she kept an eye on a jumper knitting itself in the corner of the room. The twins were clearly up to something as they'd disappeared almost as soon as everyone had finished eating, Ron had apparently either joined them, or was hiding in his room before Hermione could talk him in to doing some school reading.

All in all it was a most relaxing night, Hermione decided later as she lay in the spare bed in Ginny's room. Despite how the day had started it had turned out rather well.

The next morning started out much better than the previous one had. Hermione sat in the garden reading more of her Advanced Spellcraft book as Mrs. Weasley pottered about in her usual manner. They both looked up occasionally when Ron and Ginny's two person quidditch match came close enough to the ground to be seen more clearly. She wasn't so in need of solitude today, and it was nice out here with a little chatter from Mrs. Weasley and the sounds of a quaffle being thrown about above them.

"What time do you need to be home today?" Mrs. Weasley asked as she stood up and dusted her hands off.

Hermione let out a long breath, and looked up from her book before answering, "sometime before dark I suppose. Mum doesn't want me out at night," or at all she added silently. She wasn't sure what she'd be facing when she finally got home, her parents hadn't wanted her to go anywhere the day before. But after the argument over the phone the where she'd ended up hanging up on her mum and disappearing to the Weasley's for the night, she was more nervous than she'd thought possible. The idea of being in trouble wasn't something she was used to, but she'd been keeping herself too busy to really think about it.

By the time lunch had passed in the usual disorderly - but happy - way that all meals at the Weasley home seemed to, Hermione was starting to feel her nerves. So she ended up not staying too much longer before saying her goodbyes and flooing back to the Leaky Cauldron. The bustle of the underground was enough that it wasn't until she stepped back up to street level just down the road from her parents' house that she felt her stomach turn again. She paused as she saw both her parents' cars parked outside their home, but taking a deep breath and squaring her shoulders she walked up to the front door; trying to ignore the family of squirrels that seemed to be playing quidditch in her stomach.

The screech of "HERMIONE JEAN GRANGER!" as she opened the front door did not bode well at all.