You Are What You Pretend to Be

AN: For the sake of the story and my sanity Dumbledore and Sirius are still alive. I just can't bring myself to make them dead. Also, since I no longer have Microsoft Word I was wondering if anyone would like to beta for me. Mostly for things like spelling since WordPad has no spell checker. Stupid thing. Anyways, if you would like to volunteer just email me at [email protected]. I would greatly appreciate it! Also, please excuse any spelling mistakes in this chapter. Those are my fault. Anyways, enjoy!

You Are What You Pretend to Be

Chapter 3: The Hunter Twins

Walking down the corridor I smiled at everyone, waving to those I knew. Appearances were important. I opened the door to the compartment I knew my friends were in. Looking in I stopped in my tracks. Apologizing quickly and closing the door I proceeded to run to the front and exit the train, trying desperately to erase the image of what I had seen in that compartment. Surely they hadn’t changed that much? Right?

Shuddering I headed to the carriage for the new Head students. Ok, granted I have seen much worse. Hell, I had participated in much worse myself, but those were my friends, not people who would do things like that in private, let alone in a place where there was a chance to be caught. ‘Harry, Ron, Ginny…what changed?’ What had Ginny neglected to mention when she was relaying the summer visits to me? Surely I had missed a huge chunk of what had happened. Going over the entire conversation in my head I climbed in the carriage, not taking care as to what I was doing and sat down.

“I know I’m good looking Mudblood but do me a favor and get off before you taint me.”

I jumped and scrambled to the other side of the carriage, blushing and muttering sorry. Man, today was just crazy and strange. First my friends don’t notice my new look, then I find out the Slytherans are getting their Dark Marks during Christmas break, then that…disturbing display on the train and now I’m apologizing to Malfoy. What was happening to the world? Pulling my legs up on the seat I stared out the window, my arms around my legs, wondering why the carriage couldn’t go just a little bit faster.

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Draco’s POV

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‘She’s so small…’ Draco raised a brow slightly, startled at his own thought. What did he care about how she looked? Where the hell did those thoughts come from? Shaking his head brushed away the creeping thoughts and sneered at her. "So Mudblood, your muggle parents must have been so proud to find out their mudblood daughter managed to suck her way up to becoming Head Girl."

She frowned, still staring out the window. He caught the glare she sent him through her reflection in the window. "And what about you Malfoy? How much did your dad have to pay for you to be Head Boy?"

"So your true opinion of Dumbledore comes out." He laughed mockingly at the blush that now covered her face. "Don't worry, I won't tell anyone of your less than complete and utter devotion of the muggle loving fool."

She huffed and looked ready to spout off on one of her rants that she loved to give him when the carriage suddenly reached a halt. She closed her mouth and glared at him once more before standing, a little bent because she was too tall for the inside of the carriage and exited out gracefully. 'Granger? Graceful? What the hell is the matter with me?' He shook his head before exiting the carriage himself. Looking up he smirked at the now looming castle of Hogwarts. He would never tell anyone but he was always amazed at the majesty of the castle and proud that he attended this school, no other was better. No other was worthy. He turned in time to see his fellow Slytherins running to catch up with him. He was their leader, now more than ever. Out of the corner of his eye he noticed Granger meeting up with the things she called her friends. They were a motley crew, the whole sorry bunch of them. Dirty blood. What a waste of perfectly good magic. Shaking his head he turned back to the castle and headed up the steps. Home at last.

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Hermione's POV

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'Stupid Malfoy! God! The arrogant fool. What right does he have to go off and say the things he does? The boy should burn in the flames of-' Her thoughts were cut off as she heard her name called out by Ginny. She quickly masked her feelings and waited for the younger girl to catch up with her. Pushing aside the image that threatened to pop up again she smiled and waved. "Hey."

"Hey! Oh my god, I just heard from Luna that Malfoy was Head Boy! Is that true??"

Hermione frowned, "Unfortunately, she's correct."

"Oh dear, wait until Harry and Ron hear about that. They're going to throw several kinds of fits."

"I know, let's just hope the fireworks won't be too noticable." She looked behind Ginny and noticed her two other best friends walking towards them, both with fuming looks on their faces. "Uh oh...looks like they just found out."

Ginny turned and watched the two boys coming. "This could get ugly."

Hermione nodded and quickly moved to intervene the argument that was bound to happen before they had even entered the castle. She hooked her arms with each of them and smiled, heading towards the steps. "Come on boys, we're going to be late. You both know how much I hate that."

They opened their mouths to say something before being cut off by Ginny this time. "Yeah! Besides, I'm totally famished. I feel like I haven't eaten all day!"

Hermione looked gratefully at her for the help as they dragged the two boys inside and made their way to the Great Hall. Smiling she quickly launched into an incredibly edited and mostly made up account of the summer she spent with her parents, including the places she attended that had been the reason she could not spend the summer with them as she had previously. While she told her tale out loud, successfully distracting the now placated boys, her thoughts wandered to what she really did during the summer. She smiled inwardly at all the adventures she had missed out on for the previous two summers she spent with Ron, Harry and the rest of the Weasleys. She had almost succumbed to their request that they join her this past summer but she had quickly declined when she met up with her old party buddies who had missed her, then proceeded to show her how much. She almost blushed when she remembered but managed to keep herself in check. It wouldn't do to be thinking about all that now so she'd leave it alone to remember when she was by herself and wouldn't be distracted.

Just as she was about to launch into another fake story she looked up and noticed with a inward sigh of relief that McGonagall was now calling for silence as she proceeded to call out the names of the new First Years for sorting. Hermione spaced a little during the process until she heard a name that made her snap to attention. Her eyes narrowed as she say the rather small boy head emerge from the group and sat under the Sorting Hat. The hat sat on his head for a minute before it screamed out, "Gryffindor!"

She tilted her head as he smiled and walked towards her. He looked pointedly at Ron, who was sitting next to her and then back at her. Hermione scooted the opposite way to make room for him to sit between her and Ron.

"Jocelyn Hunter."

Both Hermione and the boy turned to watch his twin sister walk towards the Sorting Hat. McGonagall lifted the hat to place it on the girls head and nearly jumped in surprise when the hat shouted out "Slytherin!" Hermione raised a brow in curiousity, the hat hadn't even reached the girls head yet before it gave an answer. That though was little disturbing. She shook her head and looked down pointedly at the boy by her side now, this time in question. He shrugged and they stayed silent until the rest of the sorting was done. They stayed in that silence until after Dumbledore's speech and the food had appeared on the once empty plates.

"So Daemon, why didn't you tell me you and your sister were coming to Hogwarts this year?"

Daemon smiled as he started eating the food he had placed on his plate. "The same reason you never told us you went here. Jocelyn knew though, she has this ability to sense magic...or something like that. That's why I knew ahead of time."

Ginny butted in, "So Hermione, how do you know this kid?"

Daemon glared at her for the kid remark but kept silent as he continued eating, waiting to hear her answer since he seemed to pick up the fact that none of these people knew who the real Hermione was.

She shook her head and smiled at Ginny, "I'm so sorry, how incredibly rude of me. Everyone, this is Daemon Hunter. I met him and his family during one of the trips I told you about. Jocelyn is his twin sister." She started pointing people out as she introduced them to Daemon, "These are my friends Ginny Weasley, Ron Weasley, Neville Longbottom, Dean Thomas, Parvati Patil, Seamus Finnigan, and Harry Potter."

Daemon nodded in acknowledgement to all of them. "It's nice to meet you."

Ron looked confused, "How come you and your sister got seperated if you guys are twins? My brothers Fred and George both got in here in Gryffindor when they came."

He shrugged, not really concerned about the split. "We have different points of view."

Hermione almost snorted from his light response. Different points of view? These twins may be similar in looks but their personalities were as different as night and day. However, when it came down to it they would protect the other with a vicious fierceness that they extended to anyone they deemed worthy of their loyalty, which Hermione had won after a long talk with Jocelyn during one of their summer adventures. She smiled at the fond memories she had of hanging out with the interesting Hunter twins.

"Hellooooo. Earth to Hermione!"

She snapped out of her reminisence and playfully glared at Ginny who was snapping her fingers in front of her face. "I'm back, sorry," she laughed.

"Looks like my sister made a new friend."

The slightly moody tone of voice Daemon used caused Hermione to turn and she watched, slightly shocked, as Jocelyn, who normally was very quiet around people she didn't know, was now in a quite animated conversation with none other than Draco Malfoy. Everyone around the two was watching as well and she knew by the look on their faces that the two were in a heated argument. However, judging by their body language also suggested that the argument was purely fun. Hermione was confused, since when could she read Malfoy's body? She frowned at the question, since when did she look at his body? Yeah, this was definitely one of her more confusing days. She needed to get some sleep.

Just as she said the thought she heard the clink of glass as everyone quieted down to see Professor Dumbledore stand. After he made the last few required annoucements he smiled. "I would also like to take this time to announce and congratulate our new Head Boy and Head Girl, Draco Malfoy and Hermione Granger."

There were cheers from Gryffindor and boos from Slytherin for Hermione, the opposite for Malfoy. Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff both cheered for them both, wise and smart enough to know that they shouldn't be choosing sides.

There was silence once again as Dumbledore wished them a goodnight and the whole student body stood to go to their respective houses. Hermione stood and bid her friends goodnight as she headed towards McGonagall who would direct her to where she would be staying as Head Girl. She nearly stumbled as she realized something she hadn't really wanted to think about before. As Head Girl she would be staying in the same house as Draco Malfoy! 'Oh Fate, you have one sick and twisted sense of humor.' She was still cursing Fate in her mind when she reached McGonagall and Malfoy, who was standing beside her. 'Oh yes...very sick and twisted.'

AN: I know, kinda short but I'll try my best to make the next one longer. I've been trying to work on this chapter for months because I got writer's block and couldn't come up with anything! Anyways, please review! Thanks! =)