~Sequentia~ Harry Potter One-Shots [Long]

In The Shadows [Harry Potter]

Harry Potter x Reader

[Theme: Student]

Requested by: JulzLovDraco4Eva

Since the day I was born, I was destined to forever live in my sister's shadow. Because of her excellence, everyone expected the same level of talent or better. How could a family of one extraordinary witch also have such an embarrassment at the same time? 

It was like this my entire life. There was only one year between Hermione and me and the world had given up on me before I had the chance to open my mouth. Hermione this, and Hermione that... the overachiever. 

When I received my Hogwarts letter, our parents were more surprised than they were proud. No, more... concerned. 

Despite all of this, I didn't hate Hermione. In fact, I love her a lot. She was the one who would stand up for me when people tried putting me down. Sometimes she would have to be the one who prompted my parents to stop comparing me to her and other students. I know they didn't mean poorly to me but... it still stung. 

It was no shock to anyone that I did poorly for my first four years at Hogwarts. Well, it was in first year. Professor Flitwick thought that I was underestimating myself and that I needed to unlock my potential. Professor Trelawney foretold me I would do great things but when I asked how, she started speaking to herself in the distance.

Some of them never gave up. They believed with all their hearts that I could improve myself with enough discipline. Others gave up on trying to turn me into the next Hermione. I never wanted to be the "next" her anyway; I wanted to be me. 

And that's what I did.

I focused less and less on trying to study to be her and focused more on my interests. I liked Defence Against the Dark Arts classes. It was the one subject Hermione wasn't able to get flawless grades in. I was still behind her, which was understandable considering the horrendous teachers we had suffered, but I did my best to be practical. 

Now, because everyone knew me as "Hermione's sister", people wanted things from me to be my friend. Because of this, Hermione took me under her wing; not as an apprentice by any means. She introduced me to Ron and Harry, her two best friends, and I was allowed to tag along whenever we all had free time. They didn't allow me to join in on any of their schemes, unfortunately. "It's too dangerous", Hermione said every time. 

During the downtime, I was an active member of Dumbledore's Army. It was little to say that Harry had been my biggest inspiration in DADA. He was an amazing teacher that I was able to keep up with some of the more advanced spells that many considered me hopeless at doing. 

.....

Today was the next session for the DA and Harry and I decided we would walk there together since Hermione dragged Ron with her to return a book to the library. We were talking about what Harry had planned for today when we were intercepted by Draco Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle who blocked our path down the corridor.

"If it isn't Potter and his Mudblood girlfriend. Going to show her how to cast her first successful Levitation Charm?" Draco snarled and Crabble and Goyle sniggered to support him.

"Lay off, Malfoy." Harry retorted and stepped before me. 

Draco slid back and held his hands up defensively but his face was still cocky, "Still so weak that she can't protect herself?"

My blood boiled.  Draco had it out for me since my first year when he realised it was oh so much more fun to harass the Muggleborn's inept sister than it was to fight the one with bark. My fist tightened and I gently moved Harry out of the way.