In Ruins (Dramione FF)

First Day

03/04/2015

The corridors were very noisy that morning. Throngs of students bustled to and fro on the way to and from the Great Hall and there was a loud buzz of activity. Teenagers, who hadn't seen each other since the end of the last term, were doing their best to trade experiences before the start of their first lessons. For some it was even longer than that as many had, like Harry, Ron and Hermione, made the sensible decision to miss the previous year of schooling.

Hermione was more or less at home within these halls; although much had changed during the reconstruction, there were still a lot of similarities. Sticking to the old blueprints made it easier for the older students and, as Ron had suggested cheekily, for the teachers themselves. The addition of the familiar portraits hanging from the walls and the return of the quaint decor almost made the castle appear as if nothing had changed.

Rather than choosing to show Yasmin the entirety of the Castle ("It's very large. You'll come across a new passage every other week."), Hermione decided to just show Yasmin the parts of the castle that she needed to know, which led them onto the discussion about her house.

"I 'ave been told zat I will be in Ravenclaw." To say that Hermione was surprised was an understatement. From what she had gathered from the pretentious blonde so far, would not have lead her to believe that the girl would have been sorted into Ravenclaw. "I do not know what zat means. We 'ave none of zis nonsense at Beauxbatons."

Hermione was sure that by the end of their tour, she would be more than fed up of hearing about Beauxbatons and everything that they did differently to Hogwarts. The moment the pair had left the Great Hall, Yasmin had launched into a debate about the various breakfast meals offered by the school - all of which had been healthy and the perfect start for a stimulating day.

The more that Hermione heard about the school, the more grateful she was that she wasn't actually learning here.

"Ravenclaw is a good house." Hermione replied at last, smiling weakly. "I have a friend there that I can introduce to you." Just the idea of Luna and Yasmin together was beyond comical. After all that Yasmin had stated about her impressions of Hogwarts and it's houses, Hermione couldn't imagine what her ideas abut Luna and the Quibber would be. But she had little choice as she herself couldn't actually spend hours in the Ravenclaw common room with Yasmin.

"I would like zat very much."

Then the silence fell again. By the time they'd reached the end of the corridor and turned the next corner, Hermione had begun to feel more than awkward. Try as she might, she found it almost impossible to create a lasting conversation with the french girl.

She wasn't sure whether it was she at a fault or Yasmin, but she knew that she had to try to resolve it.

"What lessons have are you taking?"

"Deevination, ov'course." she replied, "Transfeeguration, Charms, Defence Against ze Dark Arts and Astronomy."

"The Charms classroom is on the third floor and Transfiguration classroom is on the Ground Floor. They're both fairly easy to get to. Astronomy is at the top of the Astronomy Tower and Divination-"

"Why ees eet so big? 'Ow many floors ees zere? I will not know where to go."

"Don't worry I'll show you-"

"In Beauxbatons eet ees a lot easier. We do not 'ave a seventh year. We are finished at ze end of our sixth. I theenk zat ees better."

Hermione almost rolled her eyes at the clueless blonde's interruptions, but still she continued.

"Eef eet was not for Papa and 'ees new job, I would not 'ave come 'ere. I do not see why you would all come so willingly back 'ere. Eet can not be fun. In Beauxbatons, at least our school was nice. Zees ees not nice and eet ees very cold. I do not understand 'ow you can stand zees chill."