One more chance

Chapter 1

Hermione Granger never liked Quidditch. It is a brutal sport with no safety regards for its players - or the people who are watching it.

The bloody butcher nearly smashed hers and Ginny's head off when it came flying by just moments ago. All because of the bulgarian seeker who flew too close to their seating places. Victor Krum zoomed past them to pursue the golden snitch. The beaters from Ireland were hot on his heels aiming the butcher right at his head. Krum, of course, doged their attack with graceful ease, but Hermione almost wasn't as lucky.

If it weren't for her red haired friend and her fast reaction, Hermione would have been knocked right off the stands. They sat incredibly high and Hermione doesn't even want to think about what could have happened if the younger girl hadn't grabbed her and hurled her to the ground.
She tumbled onto Ron who was standing next to her. Ron wasn't as helpful as his little sister.

No, that useless idiot had even complained to her that her disturbance (her falling nearly on top of him) robbed him of the chance to see his favorite player up close. This… this… insufferable dump Weasley!
Thankfully Fred smacked him right upside down on his stupid head for that commentary. Ron continued to grumble, albeit for a different reason - his empty head hurting.

Hermione paid him no mind as well as the game which ended at some point. She was still too riled up by what nearly happened. Ireland apparently won the championship, despite Krum catching the snitch. She couldn't care less, she was just glad to finally leave the stands and return to the warm tent of the Weasleys. It was so cold out here.

On their way back Hermione caught up to Harry, who waited for her at the bottom of the stairs with a lopsided grin. Hermione tucked him along before Ron made it down. She was still mad at his reaction to her near death experience. Harry didn't comment and followed after her.

“So, I guess I don't need to ask if you enjoyed the game?” Her best friend started. Hermione answered with an exasperated sigh, which earned her a quiet snicker from Harry. “I’m just happy I get to spend some time with you guys before the next school year begins. I missed you so much!” Her friend squeezed her arm. “I missed you too ‘Mione.”

They continued to walk through the crowd. There was a lot of commotion on the way. Fans who were happy that the Irish won, fans who were angry that the Bulgarians lost. Praises were sung and quarrels began. Harry, Hermione and the rest of the Weasleys quickly tried to wave their way back to their shelter.

“Which is why I wanted to ask you if you want to stay over at my house next week. Mom and Dad would be happy to have you over. Mum has gotten a ton of new books from some Brazilian researcher about some rare snake venoms and uncle Sirius wants to -”

“Say no more, you already had me when you mentioned the books. Does she have anything about the ‘Ilha da Queimada Grande’? The island isn't well explored since it is inhabited by a lot of snakes and -”

“Okay, okay I get the picture, I'll ask her about it.” Harry interrupted her. They reached the tent and went inside. “Why would anyone even want to go there?”

“Where does no one want to go?” Ron appeared behind them. “And why didn't you guys wait for me?” “Really Ron?” Hermione was still annoyed by the red head, not even wanting to bother to explain her frustration to him.

“Well mate…” Harry started awkwardly but didn't finish his sentence. Hermione loved her best friend, she really did. After all Harry was the first person to befriend her after she was shunned in her first year for being an insufferable Know-it-all. But Harry, bless him, avoided confrontation wherever it was possible. And he seldom picked sides. He would rather not mention the topic at all. Forget and forgive.
It infuriated Hermione, but she bit back any snide remark she had at the tip of her tongue. There was no point in starting another fight right now. It wasn't the first time she suffered under Rons lack of awareness and it certainly wouldn't be the last time. She could be the bigger person.

Besides, she was invited by the Weasleys and didn't want to ruin the mood for them. Everyone was really happy about the results of the game (except for Ron, who swore that the Bulgarians would win against all odds, just because they had Krum).

The rest of the evening went more pleasant. They had pumpkin pie and some roast with butterbeer. It was like their own little version of the Hogwarts welcoming feast. It filled Hermione with a strange sense of nostalgia.
She even made up with Ron, who did something that vaguely resembled an apology, after he got back from a serious conversation with Ginny and Fred.
And so the night went on. Soon all of them excused themselves and went to bed. Hermione and Ginny shared a compartment of the tent. They stayed awake a bit longer, still talking for a few hours about ‘Girls stuff’.

“He really is an attractive bloke.” Her friend said and turned around to look at Hermione. “Although I like green eyes more.” She mumbled.
Hermione was already half asleep by that time. “Who's attractive?” she asked.
“Well Krum, I guess.” Ginny replied. “Don't you think so too?”
“Ehm… I don't know, he plays Quidditch.” At her reply Ginny groaned and threw herself back into her pillows. “I want to know if you find him attractive, not if you like his way to earn money.”
Hermione stared at the ceiling of the tent. She didn't really take a proper look at the guy. So she couldn't say. Somehow Ron appeared in her mind. But before she could think deeper about it she quickly replied - “Yeah, sure he is.” and with that she turned around, signaling her wish to sleep.

Ginny turned around as well and soon began to softly snore. Hermione still continued to lay awake for quite a while, her face slightly heating up whenever her thoughts drifted to Ron.

-

Draco Malfoy followed after his father, who finally left the ministry's box. He was tired of watching his dad socialize with other boring men in politics. This was a Quidditch game for fucks sake! Why couldn't they just watch the damn match! It was always business with his father. He couldn't imagine himself ever doing that. He would rather become a blood traitor. Well - no he wouldn't.

Stooping so low as the likes of the Weasleys. They were an embarrassment for the proper wizarding community. Associating with half bloods and mudbloods like Potter and Granger. Pathetic. He hated both of his classmates.

Potter was a showoff, with that perfect little family of his. His dirty mudblood mother being a famous thought out potineeress and his blood traitor brick of a father being the head of the Aurors Department.

Draco despised them and the people who enabled them to rise to these positions. Like Dumbledore. His father told him to ignore it all for now, that someday they would get what they deserve and that the real, pureblood wizards, like themselves, would soon be rewarded.

And then of course there was Granger. How she managed to rank first in every damn subject was bejoned him. She was nothing but dirt and yet she proved everything that he was taught from childhood, to be wrong. No matter how hard he tried, she was always better. Every year he came home to his family's estate, disappointing his parents because he ranked second to a mudblood.
Well third to be exact. Second place always belonged to his cousin Black.

Atlas Black, the son of Regulus Black, heir to the ancient house of Black. The two of them spent a lot of time together when they grew up and both of them were sorted into Slytherin at the beginning of their Hogwarts education, starting in the same year.

Atlas didn't come to the game. His fathers opinion about blood purity changed over the years, as did his sons and so they didn't socialize as often as they used to. He didn't like the distance that seemed to form between them.

The change in their interactions were subtle at first, but after they started school and they both were challenged by the Gryffindor Golden Girl, they disagreed more and more. While Draco tightly held onto his beliefs, Blacks began to change, or they were never as strong as his own to begin with.

Last year Regulus Black reconnected with his older brother who was kicked out of the family for being associated with blood traitors.
His mother, Narcissa Malfoy, was outraged when she learned that Regulus and Sirius Black started to mend their broken relationship, which in turn caused his father to sever most of his business ties with the Blacks. Despite all this Draco still made sure to spend as much time with Atlas as he could, since he was his favorite cousin.

He did have another cousin - Lestrange, the son of his mothers older sister Bellatrix Lestrange's ne Black, but that guy had more than a few screws loose. As did his mother. Both of them took the pureblood ideology to a whole different level. It sometimes even scared Draco. So he tried to keep their interactions as minimal as possible.

But ever since their fallout with the Blacks, his aunt spent more and more time at their place and so did her son. Spending time with Raphael Lestrange was unsettling. He was unpredictable and more often than not, violent. Atlas didn't like their shared cousin either. Raphael was two years older than himself and Atlas, so even if they all were in Slytherin, they didn't spend a lot of time together… thankfully.

Draco vaguely knew that he had another older cousin. A woman who is a halfblood. He never met her.
No one ever spoke of the shame his mothers younger sister brought upon the family by marrying a mudblood and the offspring the two of them had, which was said cousin.

Draco was so deep in his thoughts he didn't even realize they returned to their living quarters for the night.
“Draco? Did you hear me?” His father looked at him. Draco didn't listen to a word he said besides the question he just asked him. “Ehm…” He started but then he noticed the man behind his father. For a moment he thought it was his cousin Lestrange, but it was in fact his father, Rodolphus Lestrange. The two of them had the same large frame that didn't suit a wizard, a pureblooded one at that.

Wizards like himself and his father, tended to be more on the leaner side, not muscular like the Lestrange man. Why would one need physical strength when you had a wand? His mother guessed that it was her sister's personal preferences that motivated the man of the family to work out. Either way they looked terrifying.
Like right now.

Draco began to shift uneasily from one foot to the other. His father hated it when he did that. Malfoys didn't show weakness, not even in front of their own family.
“Go to your room.” His father repeated. Draco cast one last look at his uncle and father then turned around and left them to speak in private.

-

Hermione had a great time at the Potters. The books Harry's mother got from her acquaintances in Brazil, were pure gold. Lily Potter loved to share her passion with someone.
Her husband and son supported her interest and love for potion making but they didn't understand her like Hermione did. They were Griffiondor men after all. Loud, brave and funny but definitely no schoolars.

The youngest Potter, Harry's brother Edward, only turned two this year. It was yet to see whether or not he would take after his mother or father.

Lily enjoyed spending time with Hermione. They both shared a mother-daughter connection with one another that either one was missing. Not that Hermione didn't have a loving mother, but she couldn't share her magic with her. Jean Granger just couldn't understand her, a witch, because she was a muggle.

The Potters often included her in most of their activities. Harry and her, after they became friends, grew closer quickly and were more like siblings now.

Sometimes Hermione couldn't believe her luck. She received the gift of magic, met wonderful people and had a bright future ahead of her and soon school would start again! Everything was great. Like the English breakfast Harry's mum prepared for them, which they now enjoyed on a sunny Sunday morning.

"It's going to be an exciting year, I can tell you that.” Said James Potter as he sipped on his morning coffee. “But why dad?” Harry asked with his mouth full of food. Meanwhile Edmund threw his applejuce across the table. His mother caught the flying juice with ease, redirecting it back to the cup. Two sons honed her reaction to any mischief her boys tried to accomplish. Edmund let out an annoyed shriek at being denied his fun and started to throw things around randomly. Lily sighed and picked him up, leaving the rest of them back at the breakfast table. Seems like Edmund would take after his father after all.

“Nah-ah you find out when you get back to school.” James continued, completely unimpressed by his youngest son's little outburst. Harry crumbled into his own cup of juice, something about ‘it all being so unfair’. Hermione continued to eat as well. She had a lot to accomplish this year. She had to prepare for her OWLs, which she had to take next year and she wanted to be selected as a prefect in fifth grade as well, so she had to give it her all.

When she showed Harry her study plan after they received their booklist for this year, he just shook his head and left to fly on his broom. Lily lovingly patted her head and promised to take the two of them to Diagonal Alley as soon as possible.

So the next day, on monday, all Potters plus Hermione dressed up and flooed over to the Leaky Cauldron to start their shopping for their new school supplies. They soon split up, Lily and Hermione left for Flourish and Blotts while the boys visited the Quality Quidditch supplies.

Hermione greatly enjoyed her time with Mrs Potter, browsing through rows and rows of books, getting way more reading material than was required for her curriculum. She was rather surprised when Lily urged her to finish up quickly at the bookstore to guide her over to Madam Malkins in order to get new dress robes. Fancy dress robes, which Lily insisted she paid for.

“We have more than enough money my dear. Let me spoil you.” She said but when Hermione asked her what exactly she would need a dress like this for, she didn't receive an answer. Normally she would be too curious and pry more, but the dress really is gorgeous and the girly part in her told her to just take it. And so she did.

-

Atlas Black left Gringotts together with his father. He didn't have a glue for why the hell he was taken along to begin with. His father hadn't told him or spoken to him at all since they entered the wizarding bank. He even had to wait in the wagon while his father went into the vault. He has become more and more secretive over the summer. Maybe it was related to his reunion with his uncle, Sirius Black. But he couldn't be sure.

His uncle has visited often over the summer. Atlas liked him well enough. He was a brilliant wizard, an established auror who fought and won many fights, but he was although a rather loud and ill mannered bloke. Maybe it just came with the line of work. Or him being a Griffondor.
His father didn't like the behaviour of his brother either, but he started to tolerate it for the sake of family peace.

He was glad the two of them started to make up. Sirius Black was, after all, his teacher in Defence against the Dark Arts. It was weird to share the same last name, but having no relation whatsoever. Especially since Professor Black adored his Godson Harry Potter.

He remembered how jealous he felt during his first year at Hogwarts when he saw how close Potter was to his uncle. They shared the same blood but there was nothing where there should have been a connection, a familiarity, another parental figure perhaps.

He got over his displeasure fairly quickly, but he still hated the Potter boy, albeit for a different reason. He often watched him interact with his friends - the idiot Weasley and… Hermione. She was the entire reason Potter got under his skin. The way they treated her during first year.
For making her feel bad for doing good in school. How they laughed behind her back and later even in her face. And how easily she forgave them and let herself be used as their personal library to copy her homework and class notes.
He would never let himself be used like that, but she was to gryffindor like, to… innocent.

Over the years he watched and watched her and now it kinda became a habit. So when he scanned the crowd on Diagonal Alley his eyes immediately latched onto her bushy hair. Of course she would be here as well. He slightly faltered in his steps, his feet automatically trying to follow her before his brain was able to realize his movements. He caught himself but he earned a curious glance from his father. “Something wrong son?”

“Y- Yeah, just thought I saw someone familiar.” He replied. Lord Black just hummed and they both continued on their way. They still had a lot of shopping to do. And so Atlas tried to shove all his thoughts about her and her wild mane to the back of his mind.