Born Into Darkness

We Already Know

I walk into the dining hall ready for the first day of classes. Sitting down next to Daphne nd Pansy I begin to fill my plate with a well balanced breakfast. Draco and Blaise come in and sit across from the rest of us. The four of them begin to talk amongst one another. I try my best to remian silent so I make it out of breakfast unscalved, but Draco tendency to question began to entice the others. I found myself under a telescope with everyone's eyes on me. Daphne nudges me slightly. "Well, Hermione, we're waiting. Tell us all about your family." Something about the way she demanded a answer instead of asking politely made me assue she wasn't use to not getting what she wanted. I glare at Draco, who gives his classic slytherin smirk. Then looking from the three other of my housemates, I freeze.

Unsure of what to do I decide to seek refuge elsewhere. Getting up, I move over to the Gryffindor table next to Ron and Harry. Whom as I expected were not having a very interesting conversation. When Ron noticed my presence he snorted. "What are doing here, snake?" Harry although not as negative as Ron wasn't to keen on my arrival either. "Shouldn't you be anywhere, but here?" Ignoring their obvious annoyance, I give them a positive greeting. "I wanted to wish you luck in your classes today." Ron smacks hos lips. "More like curse your wrath upon us." Realizing my greeting were unwelcome, I left the Gryffindor table.

Harry's and Ron's housemates all gave me disgusted expressions as I passed by them to the doors of the dining hall. Looking back to my table, I see Draco, Pansy and Daphne sending me disapproving stares. My head falls as I leave the dining hall and start on my way to Professor Snape's class a bit earlier than planned. Once there I failed to notice Professor Snape's presence. "Ms.Granger, a bit early to be in class don't you think?" I shrug my shoulders, sitting my books down. "Rather here than there." Serverus huffs in surprise. "Not making friends, are we?" I place my head down. "How can I when I don't fit in with anyone here." He laughs, making me glare at him. "My apologies, I do not mean to make light of your crisis. However I do think you underestimate the children in my house."

I shot out of my seat and gave him the most apolegetic expression. I'd come in his classroom insulting the very students he took pride in controlling. "Pardon my words, Professor. I meant nothing by them. I am sure your teaching aid in multiple students success in Slythrin. I only wish I could fit in more with them, seeing as I am stuck in this house." He laughs agains. "You not fitting in, inside Slytherin? If only you knew." Fishing for more I urge him to continue. "If only I knew what?" He expression returns back to it's stotic display. "Nothing. Ms.Granger if you wish to make friends, might I suggest giving the students inside your house I chance to know you, instead of judging what you think you know about them." Accepting his advice, I return to my seat as student begin to pile into the Potions lab.

Once class does start, I end up sharing a lab desk with none other than the Prince of Slytherin himself, Draco Malfoy. He continues to look at me from the corner of his eye as Professer Snape details the class. Paying Draco's antics no mind, I answer questions on Potter's behalf as Snape humilates him. "What would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?” Harry frozen, drops the book in his hand onto his desk and my hand shoots up. "I don't know, Professor." Snape shakes his head and keeps pounding Harry with two more questions, all of which I knew the answers to.

Harry replies the same answer to each question until, Snape ultimately gives up. "I guess fame isn't everything, huh Potter?" To which Harry remains silent. Draco sits beside me with a evil grin on his face, while I wait for Snape to allow me to answer. With a large sigh, Snape gestures to me. "Yes, Ms. Granger?" I let out a breath of relief and drop my hand, smiling. All of which causes Draco to snicker at me. I shoot him a death glare, befre opening my mouth to respond. "To answer your questions, Professor, asphodel and wormwood make a sleeping potion so powerful it is known as the Draught of Living Death. A bezoar is a stone taken from the stomach of a goat and it will save you from most poisons. As for monkshood and wolfsbane, they are the same plant, which also goes by the name of aconite."

Snape although never shows it, shows through his eyes that he is proud that a student from his house knew all the right answers. "Right you are, Ms.Granger. 30 points to Slytherin for coming to class prepared." Half the side of class, complete with Slytherin first years erupt in low level cheers. Daphne and Blaise smile to me from their desk and Pansy gives me two thumbs up. I look to Draco who for the first time gives me a genuine smile. "Well done, Granger." While examining his smile, I take note of how beautiful it actually is. "Thanks." We lock eyes for a second, but the contact is broken by Snape's lecture. "As for the rest of you. Well, why aren't you writing this down."

In a full scramble the class starts writing down whatever they can remember from what I state. While they do that I take a moment to send Professor Snape a smile of gratitude. He does not return the smile, only nods.

We continue on with class and begin to brew our first potion. Everything went well for me and I finished with 15 mintues to spare so I decided to assit Draco. "Thanks, Granger. I could use your skills." He gave me that same smile once more and I felt my inside melting. As we worked together on his potion, there was a loud blast from the opposite side of the room. All the slytherins broke out in small laughs at the sight of Neville with black smog all over him, and broils on his arms. Snape rushed over to examine what went wrong. And it did not take long to find either. "Mr. Longbottom, what did I say to do before placing your feather into the cauldron?" Longbottom coughed up some smoke before responding. "Umm...to..to take the cauldron off of the fire." Snape nods. "And did follow my instructions?" Longbottoms looks at the broils still breaking out on his skin then back to Snape. "No, sir."

Draco snickers. "What a twit." Surprising, I found myself laughing with him to which he seemed to approve of. Longbottom is escorted to the infirmary and class is soon over. Draco and I meet up with Daphne, Pansy and Blaise to go together to out next class. We all begin to laugh up a storm as we discuss Longbottom on the way. I feel an arm swing around my neck, and realize it's Draco. I relax into it and he smiles, as none of the other seem to pay any us any mind. Interlocking his hand that placed at the end of my shoulder with mine, I join back into the conversation with Daphne and Pansy. I finally start to feel like this year won't be half bad.