Era of Potter (HARRY POTTER FanFiction)

Chapter Elven-The Prank and Other Things

Hermione didn't get much sleep that night as she thought of everything that had happened that day. For the first time she had ever remembered someone had chosen to sit next without having the intent of picking on her or asking her for help. Though, she had to admit that she didn't like the fact that he had only sat there so he could try and rope her into doing something as ridiculous as pulling a prank on someone, she couldn't deny that she had enjoy talking to Harry. He was really well read, intelligent and was rather funny, a quality she never thought she would look for in a potential friend but she found she rather enjoyed it.

Still, she was wary about getting too close to him. He had said when they had talked for a few minutes when she was waiting for her mum to drive her to school, that he was going to have to act friendly towards Chris and his friends and if they said anything against her, he was going to have to let it go. She couldn't help but feel that Harry really might being pulling the cruelest prank on her, by pretending to be her friend and then...

She hated thinking this, that he would actually do something as terrible as that to her, but she had too many practice with cruelty to not consider this a possibility. The memories of her first week at school flood her mind at that point and how much people had made fun of her for her bushy hair and overlarge front teeth. It had also crushed her when she found out that she wasn't accepted by most of her peers because she just happened to enjoy learning and was a little too enthusiastic about it.

Then there was the other thing that made people want to single her out more then anything else and yet it made them all a little afraid of her. Weird things seemed to happen around her, things she's never been able to explain no matter how hard she had looked for answers (and she had looked all over the place). Like the time when this girl had made fun of her bushy hair and the next thing anyone knew the said girl's hair was much worse than Hermione's has ever been. Then there was the time that kid was picking on her mercilessly, and she wished that he would just stop talking already and how he suddenly seemed to have lost his voice instantaneously after that thought. Hermione didn't care what her parents said (for she told them and only them about this), she knew that this was her fault somehow, though she didn't know the reason at all.

Still, as she thought of Harry's eyes when he had told her that he had to act like git to her if the others were around, and she couldn't help but believe him. Plus, she thought to herself, if I don't trust him now, it might stop us from become really good friend in the future and I don't want that. So, by the time lunch came around she was in a more cheerful mood then she normal was, but she unpacked her book along with her lunch unsure if Harry would be spending this meal time with her again or not.

"Hm.... I was hoping that you would have some time for me, but I see it's going to be all about your book again," Harry said, sitting next to her with a tray from the cafeteria today.

"I wasn't sure if you had to keep your act up today," Hermione said.

"Er... well that's kind of a hard thing to make a comment about," Harry said, rubbing the back of his hand, making his already messy hair look more ruffled than ever. "Seeing as from their point of view that's what I'm doing when I'm hanging out with you... so in a sense this is an act and yet I really do want to sit here so it's not an act at all."

"Er... whatever you say Harry," Hermione frowned.

"I was just wondering if you wanted to come over to my place today," Harry said, after he had finish eating must of his lunch, shoveling it in his face as quickly as he could.

"So I can help you with the prank of yours," Hermione said.

"Yeah," Harry said looking up hopefully at her.