Archive of Our Own

Hermione sat on the swing set mournfully glancing at the large group of girls over by the sandpit. Smiling playful faces. Hermione shifted her eyes to the others by the climbing frame and monkey bars. The chorus of children at play abounding around the park but Hermione's voice was not among them. The shy five-year-old had tried to join in with all three groups earlier but none of them would speak to her.

Speaking up and having everyone ignore her really hurt and slowly drained her enthusiasm to try and get along with everyone. It was clear she was an outsider who didn't belong and the other children already knew each other from playschool or nursery.

The only acknowledgment Hermione had received were whispered insults about her hair looking like a 'bog brush' and how funny her big front teeth were. Hermione had done her best not to cry in front of them and waited till she'd gotten away from them as she knew crying only made children like them try to push her around, even more, the next time she would see them.

Hermione had shuffled away with her head hung low soon after, rubbing the dampness from her eyes to go sit on the swings. Normally she would've sat here and read one of her ladybird books but her mother had said today she had to try and make friends it would be good practice for when she started primary school in September.

'I don't need friends I have my books,' Hermione had thought but she dare not say this out loud or her mother would likely scold her again.

'You have to learn to get along with others! You can't sit inside all day reading Hermione!' Her mother would snap before sighing and going back to her paperwork.

Hermione looked around for her mother and found as usual she was paying little attention to her daughter or her struggles as she was busy typing away on her laptop on a bench just outside the small play park. Hermione wished her mother would listen to her and that she didn't want to go to a school where she just knew other children would make fun of her. She might even end up doing that thing again with the fire.

Hermione had been sitting on the grassy green of her estate when some older children of about ten or eleven had walked up to her and snatched away her picture book. Hermione had chased them trying to get it back as they played keep away. At one point she had tripped and fallen scraping her knee and causing the older girls to laugh ignoring her bawling and cries for her mother. Something in the little girl had snapped in that moment as she'd looked up at her tormentors glaring with watery eyes.

The sky seemed to darken, a cold air blew and the estate had grown entirely quiet even Hermione's bullies had noted the change in atmosphere and grown rather scared. They had exchanged glances with each other before looking back down at a furious Hermione whose tears had stopped and suddenly the book in the older bullies' hands burst into flame and the pair had run screaming as far away from Hermione as they could.

Hermione had felt terrified not understanding what had happened but knowing that she had been responsible. She had felt a great anger filling up inside her and she'd been thinking about how badly her knee hurt and how much she wanted those big bullies to feel the same. She'd envisioned a fire burning and the next thing the book had been in flames.

A strange old man in funny clothes had appeared on the green soon after smiling down at Hermione looking over some half-moon spectacles.

"Might I know your name?" The man had asked smiling warmly down at Hermione, he'd seemed to appear from nowhere.

"I'm not supposed to talk to strangers," Hermione said getting up and dusting herself down taking a few tentative steps away from this odd-looking man.

"Very wise, well I'll introduce myself so we are no longer strangers. I am Albus, I sensed something powerful coming from this area and decided I would stop by and have a look around. I'm always looking for gifted people who might one day attend my very special school," The man said and Hermione bit her lip still a tad cautious of this man.

"I'm Hermione...Hermione Granger...I'm I in trouble because of the book? I didn't mean to do it," Hermione said starting to fret and Albus had quickly shaken his head.

He had told Hermione not to worry about the book and when he'd reached down to pick up the smoldering object it had suddenly looked like nothing had happened to it at all.

"There we are, now run along home, I think it shall rain before too long, don't worry about any of this. We all make such little mistakes when we are young Miss Granger," The strange man had said stroking his long white wispy beard eyeing Hermione curiously before the little girl had given a small nod and rushed towards her house. Hermione had remembered, just as she reached her front garden that she had forgot to thank the old man for fixing her book but when she turned to say 'thank you' the man was gone.

After that strange day stories about Hermione had gone around the local area, wild rumors, the idle fancies of cruel children. They had pegged Hermione as, a freak and a monster treating her like an outcast. Hermione frowned deeply as she looked back at the children by the climbing frame noting how a few were clearly pointing at her and telling tales to each other.

Some of them would likely start the same school as her and be in the same class with her. It was going to be a nightmare. Hermione wished that strange old man would have invited her to his school maybe people were kinder there and accepted people like Hermione who could do such strange things. Hermione had never seen that old man again however and when she mentioned him to her mother and described him in great detail she had simply laughed.

"It sounds like someone fell asleep reading the Hobbit, you probably just had a little daydream that you met Gandalf," Hermione's mother had said dismissing her claims about a man in strange robes with a long white beard down to his belt buckle.

'Maybe he wasn't real...maybe I'll really have to go to a normal school with these people who hate me,' Hermione thought sinking low in the swing.

Hermione felt her eyes welling up again and she glared up at one of the girls who was pointing at her from atop the climbing frame.

Hermione had heard the word 'freak' and the next moment after shooting daggers up at the girl Hermione's eyes soon went wide as the girl's hair had turned dark green.

Hermione gasped and covered her mouth as slowly other children around the girl who had been pointing at Hermione took note of their friend's new hair and began to laugh and ask her how she had done that. The girl lifted a strand of her hair in confusion and brought it in front of her face examining it before screaming and rushing off the climbing frame running into her mother. She received a stern scolding for somehow managing to get her hair into such a state and her mother dragged her off so they could head home and wash it out right away.

Hermione bit her lip feeling bad for a split second before a wicked grin crossed her lips and she actually found herself feeling that tell-tales deserved to have their hair turn green and she soon found the whole thing as amusing as the other children. Hermione jumped slightly as she heard a giggle behind her and turned to find a little girl with big silvery eyes, long messy dirty blonde hair smiling at her. She was wearing a bright yellow summer dress with flowers around it and a strange necklace that appeared to be made of bottlecorks.

Hermione didn't know why but she could feel a certain warmness raiding off this girl. She wasn't mean or nasty like the others around here, Hermione didn't know why she knew this, she just did. Perhaps it was those big silvery eyes so full of curiosity and tenderness. This girl had never hurt anyone in her whole life and Hermione couldn't help but shyly return her smile.

"That was funny, can you do other things? I made my fingernails grow really long last week," The girl said proudly in an airy voice before giving Hermione a soft push on the back so she could start to swing. Hermione noted she had an incredibly relaxing tone, so soft and soothing it made Hermione feel safe and comfortable not like how the other girls always talked to her. However, the words themselves made Hermione panic a little and she found it hard to reply.

Had this girl somehow known, Hermione had turned that other child's hair green? Also, what did she mean about her fingernails? They looked rather normal at the moment.

"Um...I..." Hermione stuttered unable to speak her cheeks going a little pink. Hermione just swung back and forth for a time letting her questions about this girl go round and round her head. 'How did this girl know she had done anything? Had she been behind Hermione all the time? Was she really even there? Was she imaginary?

She must be, no real children ever wanted to play with Hermione before' Hermione had thought biting her lip thinking about maybe calling her mother over to see if she would notice the blonde girl. However the girl, still gently pushing Hermione, spoke again before she had a chance to shout for her mum.

"It's okay, I can do things as well, you must be a witch like me," The blonde girl said excitedly giving Hermione another soft push on the swing. Hermione gasped then and looked over her shoulder mildly upset at that assertion.

"I'm not a witch! you can't be one either...witches are ugly, with warts and green skin and awful teeth and...and you're pretty," Hermione declared dragging her feet on the ground to stop swinging then so she could turn around and talk to this girl, face to face. The blonde girl just grinned at this statement her eyes twinkling with delight.

"You're pretty too...but you've got it all mixed up about witches though. My mummys a witch too and she's the most loveliest beautiful witch in the world," the small girl said pointing behind Hermione to a thin, soft-featured blonde woman leaning against the railing of the play park.

She seemed to be wearing strange blue robes and looked different from all the other parents around the play park. The woman smiled and waved at Hermione and Luna. She looked glad her daughter was speaking to someone and let Hermione know that she wasn't talking to an imaginary friend. Hermione smiled back at the woman and returned her wave shyly before turning to face the little girl again.

Hermione wanted to ask about all this witch stuff but the strange girl had already decided to change the subject rather abruptly speaking up before Hermione could open her mouth again.

"I like your hair...can I touch it?" The girl asked eyes admiringly looking over Hermione's frizzy locks.

"Oh...um thanks...okay," Hermione said unable to fight a small smile from her lips as Luna quickly reached up with one hand to run her fingers through Hermione's wild hair.

"Wow...lovely," Luna sighed seeming to enjoy how Hermione's hair felt.

"I'm Luna, What's your name?" Luna asked still playing with Hermione's hair at last naming herself.

"I'm Hermione...it's nice to meet you, Luna," Hermione said putting her hand out to shake Luna's remembering what her mother had taught her about manners. Luna looked at Hermione's hand a little confused before she took it in her own freehand. Luna didn't shake it however and instead brought it up to her lips and gave Hermione a tiny peck on the back of her hand before giggling. Hermione chuckled as well not expecting that.

"W-would you like to be my friend Luna?" Hermione said blurting the words out before she could help herself and instead of answering Luna simply threw her arms around Hermione and gave her a tight hug.

"Oh I've never had a friend before," Luna said squeezing Hermione so tight she almost knocked her off the swing.

"Same," Hermione gasped managing to breathe again as Luna pulled back beaming at her.

"How old are you?" Luna asked eyes still dancing with glee at having made a friend.

"I'm five...well almost it's not my birthday for a week yet, how old are you?" Hermione asked as Luna moved to sit on the free swing next to Hermione.

"I'm one thousand four hundred and nine days old," Luna said as Hermione just looked at her a tad confused.

"Oh...that's cool," Hermione said abandoning trying to work out Luna's age by trying to recall how many days there were in a year exactly. She would have to ask her mother later, Hermione would remember it from then on it was one of her gifts her mother said, once she was told something once Hermione never forgot it again.

"I like your shoes, I have some pink ones at home too but I like blue ones now," Luna said lifting up her foot slightly so Hermione could see her blue slip-on shoes.

"Lovely," Hermione said before reaching out and touching Luna's shoulder for a second just making extra sure she was real. Luna giggled at this and touched Hermione right back on the shoulder and before either one really knew what they were doing they were chasing each other around the play park having an impromptu game of 'tag'.

********

What felt like hours later Hermione and Luna's little legs finally gave out and having chased each other to every corner of the play park and back the girls sat down on the see-saw. The sun was getting lower in the sky now and many of the other children and their parents had headed home. Hermione could feel her time with Luna was coming to a close and she hated this feeling.

However, Luna's mother was sitting on the bench next to Hermione's mother reading a book as the other woman continued to work on her laptop. They appeared they would have a little while longer together yet which was good as Hermione still had some pressing questions.

"Luna...have you ever met a man called Albus, with a really huge beard and wearing funny clothes? Do you know anything about his special school...is that where witches go?" Hermione asked for the first time giving into this notion and feeling a great weight lift from her shoulders as Luna nodded excitedly.

"Albus Dumbledore is the headmaster of Hogwarts, when you are and I are older we'll both go there to learn proper magic! I hope we're in the same house!" Luna said eyes alive with glee at this possibility.

"Hogwarts? Same house?" Hermione repeated unsure what any of that meant and only having more questions spring up in her mind. Hermione didn't get to ask them as the dreaded moment finally arrived as Luna's mother called to her telling her it was time they were off.

"Will i ever see you again...I don't want you to go," Hermione said bounding off the see-saw and grabbing her only friend's hand. Luna said nothing but simply smiled at Hermione before taking off her bottle cork necklace and placing it around Hermione's neck. Luna kissed Hermione on the cheek before giggling as Hermione got rather shy and looked to her feet unsure what to say.

"I'll want it back someday...when we meet at Hogwarts. Don't forget me Hermione Granger and remember when you look at my necklace you're not alone," Luna said in her dreamy cadence before skipping off towards her mother who scooped the tired little Luna up into her arms and carried her off as Luna waved at Hermione over her shoulder.

Hermione watched and waved after Luna and her mother till they disappeared over a hill and out of sight. Hermione held one of the bottle corks between her finger and thumb bringing it to her lips and giving it a tender kiss.

"Come along Hermione...it'll be dark soon...where did you get that necklace?" Mrs. Granger asked as Hermione and she left the park, at last, a few minutes later.

"My friend, Luna," Hermione said beaming up at her mother who looked pleased at this.

"See I told you, making friends is easy when you put yourself out there, maybe we'll see her here again next week?" Mrs. Granger had mused and Hermione nodded though she had a certain sinking feeling again and could tell it wouldn't be the case. Hermione's feeling was as usual, unfortunately correct.

As the years went by and Hermione went off to Primary school she never saw Luna or her mother again but she still held onto her necklace wearing it everywhere under her shirt to stop her bullies from snatching it and she never forgot the wide-eyed smiling girl who had given it to her.

A few weeks before Hermione's eleventh birthday she jumped for joy upon picking up and reading a letter from Hogwarts declaring she had been accepted to their school for witches and wizards and would start in September. Thoughts of seeing her dear Luna again filling her with warmth and tenderness. However, during her first year, Luna had been nowhere to be seen and Hermione finally realised that Luna was clearly a year younger than her. She was crestfallen at first and for a while feared Hogwarts would be just like muggle school where everyone ignored her or mocked her.

It had been a hard first few months until Harry and Ron had made up for their earlier treatment of her and saved her life from a rogue mountain troll. Hermione had felt wonderful to have friends again but Harry Ron were still no Luna and Hermione still missed her every day.

'Please come to Hogwarts next year Luna,' Hermione wished with all her heart while stroking a bottle cork from her necklace as she often did these past many years.

It wasn't until her second year at Hogwarts as she guided Ginny Weasley down the isle of the Hogwarts express as they searched for Harry and Ron who had mysteriously vanished after they'd arrived at Kings Cross that Hermione got her wish.

"Oh, I bet they think this is funny hiding on us, wait till I get a hold of them prats!" Hermione snapped as a rather tearful Ginny finally cracked a smile a little upset that Harry and Ron had seemingly run off and left the girls on their own.

"Let's check this compartment shall we? If they aren't in here we'll just go have a seat and eat lunch without them and when they do pop back up we'll give them the silent treatment for a week! How does that sound," Hermione said beaming down at Ginny who nodded eagerly before sliding open the last compartment they had left to search.

Hermione's mouth fell open and her heart fluttered as a slivery-eyed blonde girl who was reading a strange magazine upside down by the looks of it turned her head and smiled at her two visitors.

"Hello Hermione, I hope you haven't forgotten me," Luna said rather casually as if she was unshocked to see her long-lost friend before Hermione had lunged at the young first year and pulled her into a hug happy tears flowing from her eyes.

"Oh, Luna how could I ever forget!" Hermione said squeezing Luna so tight that Ginny got a tad concerned and tapped Hermione in the shoulder to get her to reign it in a little.

"Careful, she'll pass out in a second...um why are you crying?" Ginny asked with a shy smile at Luna as she moved to sit down next to the girl.

"That'll be the Nargles they like to cut onions during reunions of old friends, they are quite a tricky bunch," Luna said matter of factly as Hermione chuckled and moved to sit on her friend's other side. Ginny just furrowed her brow in confusion. Hermione could hardly believe Luna was with her again and she kept her eyes glued to her admiringly scared to blink in case she vanished. Hermione took off the necklace she had carried for the past seven years and placed it around Luna's neck while she was busy explaining Nargles to Ginny.

"There we go...it looks better on you than me," Hermione said and Luna gave Hermione a small peck on the cheek taking a hold of Hermione's hand and squeezing gently. Luna looked delighted Hermione had still been wearing her necklace after all this time. The three witches lost the entire afternoon chatting and Hermione and Ginny quite forgot Harry and Ron were missing. Hermione was just so happy to have her first friend back and nothing else mattered. Luna seemingly just had a way of taking away the worries of those around her and putting everyone at ease.

It was a shame Hermione found Luna and Ginny's conversation so engaging as it led to her missing several opportunities to see Harry and Ron flying next to the train in the Weasleys old beat-up car. Luna had glimpsed them however but had decided against saying anything as she assumed it was just the Nargles playing another trick on her.

"They must be mad I have my good luck charm back and are pulling out all the stops," Luna had sighed talking more to herself than Hermione or Ginny and the two witches getting used to Luna strange musing just shrugged and shared a smile before going back to snacking on all the teats Hermione had bought from the trolley witch. Life was good.