Chance Encounters

Chapter 1:

1 September 1991

Swaying back and forth with the train, eleven year old Hermione Granger made her way past full compartment after full compartment. Some had an empty seat or two, but they held members of older years, so Hermione continued down through the train to find other first years in hopes of making a friend before arriving.

Finally she came up to a compartment containing two boys her age; one was chubby with a toad on his knee, the other a mass of black curls. You can do this, she told herself, taking a deep breath before opening the compartment door.

"Hi!" Hermione gestured to an empty seat. "Anyone sitting here?"

The boy with the toad gulped and shook his head. "Go ahead." The other boy pushed back his curls to look at her before returning quietly to his book.

Placing her rucksack below the seat Hermione made herself comfortable. "I'm Hermione Granger." She leaned over offering her hand to the first boy.

"Neville Longbottom." He took her hand and smiled nervously. "And this is Trevor." He lifted the toad.

"Lovely," Hermione scrunched up her nose. "And you?" she demanded of the other boy.

He looked up quickly in surprise at being addressed before his expression changed to that of annoyance. "Blaise." He went back to his book hiding behind his curtain of curls.

"Blaise?" Hermione asked. "Blaise what?"

"Zabini," he snapped shutting his book to take a better look at the annoying girl across from him. Blaise and Hermione engaged in a staring contest for a few moments before he nodded as if he was content with her endurance and pulled out the book again.

"What House do you think you'll be put into?"

Blaise was sure that this Hermione girl was the most annoying creature he had ever met excluding Pansy Parkinson, who was why he was currently hiding in a compartment with Neville. No one would expect Blaise to be sitting with "the Squib," as the boy had been nicknamed in childhood. But as he was avoiding Pansy like that plague and thus his other childhood friends it was good that he was where they least expected him. It was a perfect plan until another nuisance found her way into their compartment.

"I've never heard that name before. Granger?" Blaise looked thoughtful for a second. "Your family's not magical, is it?"

The girl bristled at this. "No, but that doesn't matter, does it?" Neville sat there looking nervously between them.

"It doesn't." Blaise sat back looking at Hermione with dark brown eyes learning what he could from the witch. "It's just odd that you know about Houses already is all."

Hermione got a strange gleam in her eyes. All her studying this summer was paying off as she already knew as much as another full blood wizard. "Of course I do. I've read Hogwarts, A History straight through. I know all about the Houses, the traditions, the ghosts -"

"Oh, I forgot about the ghosts," Neville said morosely.

"So, Ravenclaw bound?" Blaise asked.

"I suppose I would do well there," she nodded, "But I'd like to be in Gryffindor."

"Oh! Me, too," Neville squeaked. "My parents were in that House," he said proudly before his face fell. "But I'll probably go to Hufflepuff."

"Hufflepuff is a good House in its own right, but if you think you can make Gryffindor, I'm sure you can," Hermione consoled.

"Why do you want to be in Gryffindor?"

Hermione turned back to Blaise and stammered for a moment. "I, I just think bravery and courage is very admirable. What's the point of learning if you can't use it? And where do you see yourself?"

"Probably Ravenclaw. If not there, then Slytherin." Blaise ignored the tensing of Neville's body next to him as Hermione straightened a little in her seat. "The only Houses my family's ever been in."

"What are you going to ask for?"

"You can ask for a House?" Neville perked up.

"Well, technically the Sorting Hat still puts you wherever it feels your best placed, but you can make requests," Hermione spewed, "Though it can right well choose to ignore them." She turned back to Blaise capturing his gaze to keep him from avoiding the question. She wished the boy Neville would stop interrupting so often. "Well?"

"I guess wherever most of my friends go." Blaise felt small in Hermione critical stare.

"Do you both already have friends here?" Her brow furrowed at the idea of another point against her at the new school.

"We both know the other magical families, it's how we know each other," Neville said. "Mostly I know people from Gryffindor," he grew quiet again. "Because of my parents."

"My parents know all Ravenclaws and Slytherins. And my cousin is in Slytherin, it would be nice to be with him." Knowing something of Neville's parents, Blaise tried to steer the conversation away from the awkward.

"How are you going to know where to go to be with your friends?"

"It's the only convenience being at the end offers." When Hermione blinked he added, "Zabini, Z. Highly useful letter after all, know-it-all."

Hermione usually didn't like the epithet but coming from the boy with the curls she didn't feel it an insult. She hoped they would be in the same House as he was growing on her already. The train went around a sharp turn and bumped, causing Neville's toad to jump for freedom out the compartment door which slid open.

"Oh no! Trevor!" Neville chased the toad out into the hallway.

Hermione stood immediately, following him. "Aren't you coming to help?"

"No, I'd rather like to stay here. There's someone I'm not looking forward to bumping into." Blaise looked at the bushy-haired girl, but now with some fondness. "I'll still be here once you've found the toad," he assured her and with that she left.

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12 September (present day)

Hermione Granger paced through the office for what seemed like the millionth time that morning nervously adjusting an armchair here and a teacup there before Kieran O'Keeffe finally lost his patience. "Hermione! Enough ... Relax, the office is perfect. There is nothing more you can do now."

Hermione nodded, fiddling with a stray lock of hair. "You're right, of course you are." She sat on the edge of the armchair, one ankle crossed perfectly behind the other.

The offices of Arden Gallager, Member of the Assembly of Magic, were pristine thanks to his head of staff Hermione Granger, now 28. Kieran fulfilled the role of Research Assistant and they had a couple of interns that ran through the offices occasionally to fill out the staff on a daily basis. Smoothing out her skirt in an attempt to smooth out her nerves Kieran placed a hand on hers. "It'll be fine."

Arden had recently been given a cabinet level position within the Ministry on top of his representative duties. His first official act as the new Undersecretary to the Ministry's European Involvements was receiving the Italian delegation just in from Rome. This put Hermione in the hot seat as well, on show immediately after his promotion while she was still learning all the ins and outs of their new responsibilities.

You always find yourself in over your head and come out swimmingly in the end; she tried her hand at calming her own nerves. The weather mages had blessed them with a clear, sunny day and everything really was in place. Hermione was more than capable of charming some rich Italians for a few hours, knowing full well that Arden would dominate the conversation at any rate.

Laughter filled the room as Arden opened the door letting in the Italian embassy workers. "Hello, Hermione. Ambassador, my head of staff, Miss Granger. Hermione, this is Anthony Romero." The Ambassor extended his hand shaking hers firmly giving her a warm smile. See, everything is fine. "And this is Kieran O'Keeffe, head of research. Please, everyone sit, get comfortable."

Hermione was pleased to see that the party was limited to three members of staff. As Arden went through introductions, Hermione studied the faces of the men before her. The third, a man about her age struck her as familiar, but she couldn't place him immediately.

Removing his fedora, curls spilled forth and he leaned towards her taking her hand, "Hermione, as lovely as I remember," he had a hint of accent that she never remembered belonging to this face she recalled but could not name, though he definitely knew her. The man brushed his lips across the back of her hand and gave her a wink.

"Oh, good, Hermione! Then you know Blaise Zabini?"

Blaise. She took in a deep breath. Zabini. Everything clicked into place her memory coming back full force speeding through images from school. "Yes, of course, Blaise," her voice was shaking slightly. "It's been years." She smiled at him. Her nerves never accounted for this.

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The last time Hermione had seen Blaise was her last day at Hogwarts, the day after the war ended. She remembered now him saying he was leaving "this godforsaken island" for a place far warmer and more beautiful. How could she be so foolish as to forget that he went to Italy? She wanted to run away then with him, not only to escape the aftermath of war, but simply to be with him.

"Now, Anthony, that's Hermione's pet project, you know. Since working to liberate House Elves our party is focusing closely on other legislation concerning 'non-traditional' magical creatures. The Goblin Lobby is full behind this work, as you well may have guessed." Arden passed around another plate of biscuits to the group as he said this.

"I see." Romero said politely clearly showing no interest in the topic. "You Brits have been moving ahead quickly in these areas of rights related legislation in the past few years." He gave Hermione a stained smile. "But as I was talking with you about earlier," He turned back to Arden. "I am most interested in setting up an economic community that mirrors the muggle community. I am by no means suggesting we fall right in line behind them, but it seems that they have a good idea or two."

"Excuse me, sir," Blaise cut in. "But I'm actually very interested in the work Hermione's been doing. Before we go on, could you elaborate?"

Hermione smiled cautiously at Blaise, glad he avoided a touchy subject for her. The Italians, while her favorite country to visit, still had some backward views, paralleling the conservative politics of its muggle ministry as well. "Oh, I'm sure no one wants to be bored by the details, but I do think these issues have been unfortunately ignored for too long and it is our responsibilities to set these things to right." She paused to gauge the men's reaction a moment before concluding. "It'll never heal all wounds, but it will be a step in the right direction."

"Watch out, Arden. Looks like little Miss Granger here will make a better politician than you," laughed the large, bald Signor Colangelo. "Better keep her in your office as long as possible before she steps out of her place to take your job." Arden laughed politely with the Ambassador and his staff. Blaise straitened his tie looking elsewhere in the room while Kieran placed a reassuring hand on Hermione's.

"Surely, without her, you'd be completely lost, Arden," Kieran said. "You wouldn't even know where to get a new pen."

"Hermione is far more valuable then you men can imagine," Arden poured another cup of tea giving her a smile. "But, tell me about this economic plan, Anthony. Any chance for international cooperation is a good thing, I think."

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An hour later the delegation was leaving for another social engagement with Minister Bones. Wonder what they'll think of our female Minister, Hermione thought as she wished them a good day, Hope she rips them to pieces.

Blaise, as ever, was the last one to leave. Taking Hermione's hand again, he whispered, "It's been wonderful to see you. I look forward to more of it during our time here." He kissed her hand again before adding, "Never mind them. Your critics were never right." With a wink he followed the party leaving a speechless Hermione in his wake.

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1 September 1991

Sitting comfortably at the Gryffindor table, Hermione reasoned out her nervousness she had while under the hat as she watched the last of her year get placed. "Zabini, Blaise!" Professor McGonagall called and Hermione came to attention as the boy she met earlier move towards the hat.

As he sat down he caught Hermione's eye. Their contact lasted barely a moment before the hat descended on his head. Hermione giggled to herself as the overlarge hat could not completely cover his black curls.

Blaise had not been under too long when the hat called, "SLYTHERIN!" Hermione let out the breath she'd been holding. She wished he'd been placed in Ravenclaw; then she may have had a chance to be real friends with him. Now they never would. Or so she thought; proving that even Hermione Granger is not always right.