If You Could Be Anywhere

The next morning I woke up early and got changed into my Slytherin robes quickly. I noticed that Millicent and Pansy were all gone and Tracey and Daphne were fast asleep. I quietly slipped out of the Slytherin common room and into the dungeons. It took a while to figure out where I was going, but I finally made it to the Great Hall and was about to go to the Slytherin table when a girl with brown, bushy hair nearly ran me over.

"Blimey 'Mione." I said as I held onto her arm, trying to stable her, "What is wrong?"

"Maggy I feel so unprepared and nervous for the first day of lessons." she let out.

I thought for a second but immediately knew just what to do.

"Let's play a game," I said as I led Hermione over to the Gryffindor table. I grabbed both her hands and sat across from her.

"I don't see how a game is supposed to help me with a-"

"Just trust me 'Mione. My mother used to play this game with me to help me calm down whenever I was anxious or scared." With that, Hermione reluctantly became quiet.

"Now close your eyes and take a deep breath" I paused, so she could, "Now think, if you could be anywhere, where would you be?"

She took a second before saying, "I'd be in the Gryffindor common room, studying and learning more about Hogwarts."

"That's good. Now try to picture it and describe it more." she did. "Deep breaths," I reminded her.

She described the common room and I imagined it with her, taking deep breaths with her, and holding her hand. When she was calm enough, she opened her eyes and pulled her hands away.

"Thanks, Maggy. I don't know how, but that made me feel so much better,"

I smiled and gave her a hug. Then I did what no Slytherin would dare to do. I moved my seat to be right next to her and started to eat breakfast. Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs, Slytherins like Malfoy and Gryffindor Weasleys all came piling into the Great Hall and would not stop staring at me. The Slytherin traitor breaking bread with the Gryffindor enemies. But I didn't care, I sat with my best friend Hermione, and when they came in, Harry and Ron, and had a nice, peaceful breakfast.

Unlike the Great Hall fiasco, the entire rest of the first week, I was invisible. I couldn't say the same for Harry. Everyone around us would gawk at him and whisper. It was already hard enough to get accustomed to an actual Wizard School, but being stared at for your every move definitely couldn't help. Yet, he managed to make it work, and soon enough, it was Friday the end of the first week of school.

I was eating with the Gryffindors when Harry asked,

"What've we got today?"

"Double Potions with Slytherins" Ron replied, and they all looked at me.

"Guess we are gonna have to beat your Gryffindor arses in Potions." I said, and we all started to laugh.

For the rest of breakfast Ron droned on about Professor Snape favoriting Slytherins, Harry responded to an owl he got. Hermione and I discussed our new potions book. How exciting today would be.

Boy, was I going mad. Potions class was crazy. Professor Snape despised Harry and Hermione and seemed to treat all Slytherins like royalty. As unfair as it was, I couldn't complain. He called Hermione a know it all but he called me intelligent. I was not mad about the favoritism. When Neville made a mistake in his potion, Snape absolutely berated him, but when I made a mistake he said in his low creepy voice, "More Porcupine Quills Ms. Roberts". It was creepy but it was better than getting yelled at. Neville was taken by Harry to the Hospital Wing after his potions mishap.

After potions was finally over, I grabbed Hermione and dragged her to the Slytherin common room, which was not far from the classroom. Harry and Ron had gone to Hagrid's hut so we decided we would study and hang out together. I said the password and dragged her inside. Most people had classes at this hour, so it was mostly empty. I dived down on the couch nearest to the fireplace while Hermione awkwardly stood. I gestured to the seat next to mine.

"This is completely different from the Gryffindor Common Room", she said.

"I know, it's so cozy right?" I said, snuggling up on the leather couch.

"Well" she drew out, "Not as much as the Gryffindor Common Room"

"We can agree to disagree," I giggled.

And with that, she sat on the couch next to me and opened her potion book. We studied for about a half-hour before taking a break and fooling around, talking about anything and everything. As we were chatting, people started piling into the common room as some classes are over. We got so many nasty looks, from elite Slytherins who thought I was crazy for bringing a lowlife Gryffindor in our common room, but I didn't care. We ignored it as we continued to study and fool around until I felt a tap on my shoulder and a dip in the couch next to me.

"Hey, Maggy, who's this?" I turned around and saw that it was none other than Tracey and Daphne.

Hermione looked intimidated as if these people would pick on her and ridicule her, but she fought past it and stuck her hand out, "I'm Hermione Granger"

The two Slytherins introduced themselves and shook hands with the Gryffindor girl, eager to make a new friend. Suddenly it didn't matter which house we were in, or blood status because we were just four friends sitting in the common room laughing studying, and talking. We left only to eat dinner in the Great Hall. After, we came back and continued where we left off. Everything seemed fine for a bit. Until we heard Pansy shriek. All eyes in the common room immediately turned towards the girl's dorms, where Pansy and Millicent had just come from.

"What's wrong Pansy?" Tracey asked.

"What's wrong is that you lot have brought a filthy Gryffindor scum into our common room. And a muggle-born no less." At this point, Pansy was having Millicent fan her as she was hyperventilating and going into hysterics.

"Bloody hell Pansy, just shut it. She has done nothing wrong" I said, suddenly becoming angry.

Pansy scowled, realizing that no one was backing her up besides Millicent. The two teetered back and grudgingly walked to the dorms.

"Don't worry about it Hermione, she's not worth your time. She doesn't know what a cool, smart friend she is missing." Daphne said, trying to cheer her up.

"Thank you all for sticking up for me. But I really must go to my common room now before curfew," Hermione said, trying to ignore what just happened.

She gave hugs to Daphne and Tracey and I walked her out of the common room as the two Slytherins went to their dorm. When she left, I gave her a big hug and apologized for Pansy again. She left, walking down the halls, while I slipped back into the common room, only to see Malfoy in the corner of the room smirking at me. I rolled my eyes at him and walked into my dorm, where everyone was still sleeping. I sighed as I got into bed and snuggled with Leeroy. It blows my mind that Slytherins are so prejudiced against muggles and other houses and act so high and mighty. It absolutely infuriated me that anyone would act like that to Hermione. How could my mom be in a house like this? I know she would never act like Pansy and wouldn't want me to either. In my angry haze, I slowly started to drift off to sleep, but not before promising to myself that while I was in Slytherin I would try to change how the people in this house act if it is the last thing I do.