Why We Fight

Hermione frowned as she awoke to "Twist and Shout" by the Beatles playing. She looked around the room curiously. Where am I? she wondered. Then it all came back to her. In the past, Lily's room, Beatles posters. The Beatles posters singing had indeed awakened her.

Lily stretched out and yawned. "Thanks for the wake up, boys." She winked at the poster and Ringo winked back. "I love those posters."

Hermione nodded. "They make a good wake-up call," she stated. With a frown, she thought about what she knew about Lily and James. She knew things about them that their own son didn't know. It was sad. Harry never got to know that his mother was mad about the Beatles; he never got to know how entertaining his father was.

She shoved a curl behind her ear and stepped out of bed. She wiggled her toes and headed toward the bathroom. "James is in there," Lily said, flushing.

Hermione arched a brow at her new friend. "Oh?" she asked.

Lily looked mortified. "He didn't lock the door." She grimaced.

"Was he really that bad looking?" Hermione questioned.

"Unfortunately...no," Lily sighed. "But I didn't want to see him naked! He's James Potter after all."

"He's a Seeker, right? Aren't they supposed to have nice bodies?" Hermione said distractedly, inwardly cursing at her derailment of thought. Blame Parvati and Lavender, she told herself.

"He's also my mortal enemy," Lily stated.

"Things change, circumstances arise." Hermione shrugged, blushing.

"He's been in there an hour," Lily changed the subject, rolling her eyes. "He has to 'artfully' muss his hair. Honestly, I've never met a vainer man."

Hermione snorted. "You've obviously never been that close to Draco Mal--Aquilus," Hermione caught herself. "Draco is so vain."

"It's the veela in him. Veelas are extremely vain," Lily said. "I did an extra credit research project about veelas for History of Magic."

"They're scary when they're angry," Hermione said, shuddering as she remembered the Quidditch World Cup.

"It must take a lot of patience to date one," Lily said, her voice soft with understanding.

"Date--oh, you mean me and Draco?" Hermione asked, wincing at her poor grammar. "Draco and I."

Lily nodded. "So what's the story?" Lily asked.

Hermione sunk onto her bed. "I wish I could tell you...but I'm not even sure," Hermione stated. She wasn't liking this heart-to-heart girl moment. She strode across the room and knocked on the door. "Hurry up in there."

"Wait your turn," came James's voice.

"Men," Lily sighed. "I'm a girl and I don't even spend that much time in the bathroom. It sucks being Head Girl...sometimes." A thoughtful look passed over the redhead's face.

Hermione smiled at Lily. She liked her friend's mum more and more. "Lily and I need to take showers, so get out of there!" She scowled at the door. The shower ended and Hermione heard a door close. Hermione entered the bathroom, making sure to lock both doors. She took a quick shower, Lily following after.

Hermione got dressed in one of the school uniforms she'd found in the Room of Requirement as Lily showered. When the redhead reappeared, she dressed and the two left the Head Girl's room. They were early so Lily let Hermione look over her notes for yesterday's classes. Hermione was impressed by her meticulous note-taking, much like her own. She already knew most of the things in Lily's notes and figuring in the fact that Lily was a year ahead of her, Hermione Granger wasn't going to be behind.

Eventually, Draco and James appeared from the Head Boy's room and the four started out. "I suppose they'll Sort you," Lily stated.

"Sort me?" Hermione asked. "I'm just a...visitor, why would they need to Sort me?" The brunette frowned.

"To tell what House gets your points," Lily replied, shrugging.

Hermione sighed. They didn't sort the Beauxbatons and Durmstrang students, so why me? she mused as they entered to the Great Hall. It didn't look much different from the Hogwarts Hermione knew...except the Head Table. Most of the staff was the same: Professor Dumbledore, Professor McGonagall, Professor Sprout, and Professor Flitwick. Professor Snape wasn't there and there were two professors that Hermione didn't know; Hermione guessed that one of them was Professor Flaherty but she had no clue who the other teacher was.

"I have a special announcement to make," Professor Dumbledore said and the Great Hall was silent. "I would like to introduce Mr. Draco Aquilus and Miss Hermione de Lioncourt; they have transferred to Hogwarts from the Agnitio Academy of Magic in Salisbury. Please welcome them."

The Great Hall was filled with applause and Hermione blushed darkly under the school's scrutiny. "Due to the fact that they were delayed from the Sorting Ceremony, they will be Sorted now," Dumbledore said. Professor McGonagall disappeared and reappeared with the Sorting Hat and a stool.

"Draco Aquilus," Professor McGonagall said and Draco took a seat on the stool. The Sorting Hat was placed on Draco's head.

"Well, how odd," came the Sorting Hat's voice in Draco's head. "You are very ambitious, Mr. Malfoy...but your ambitions have changed greatly recently. Defying both your father and a very powerful wizard is a very brave thing to do...I know just where to put you." Draco stiffened noticeably and Hermione frowned. "GRYFFINDOR!"

Hermione Granger came very near to passing out at the Sorting Hat's proclamation. Draco... Malfoy... was... just... Sorted... into... Gryffindor? Hermione asked herself. The Gryffindors including Lily, James, and the rest of the Marauders clapped enthusiastically. Draco looked sick as he made his way to the Gryffindor table and sitting by Remus. James and Peter clapped him on the shoulder. What happened last night?

"Hermione de Lioncourt," McGonagall said and Hermione made her way to the stool, knees wobbling slightly. She had been nervous last time she'd been Sorted but this...this was much, much worse.

The Hat was placed on Hermione's bushy head and Hermione feared the outcome. "Brave, yes...but your bravery has turned into ambition as of late, Miss Granger," the Hat told her. "SLYTHERIN!"

When the Slytherins cheered, Draco looked as if he was going to fall out of his seat as did Lily, James, and the rest of the Marauders. The brunette's body was numb as she climbed off the stool and walked to the Slytherin table, where she slumped down beside a dark-haired boy who was poring over an ancient tome. She suddenly didn't feel hungry anymore. I'm a Slytherin, how can I be a Slytherin? I'm a Muggle-born for Merlin's sake! she thought anxiously. Then again, Voldemort was half-Muggle.

The boy looked up from his book and stared at the girl who had sat by him in shock. Hermione's eyes widened in disbelief; she knew this boy. The same pale skin that looked as if sunlight had never touched it, greasy black hair, black eyes, and the hooked nose. She had just sat by Professor Snape as a teenager. "S--Snape?" she squeaked.

He frowned and then glared at her. Hermione found herself frightened of that glare even when he was nineteen years younger than he was. She could almost hear him telling her that she'd lost points from Gryffindor. Which couldn't happen now, I'm a Slytherin, she scowled. "How did you know my name?" he asked.

Hermione scoffed. "I was told," she said evasively.

"Who told you?" he scowled.

"It's none of your concern," she stated. Desperate to change the subject she added, "What are you reading?"

"Potion Theory and Application," he said.

"So you like Potions?" Hermione asked. I'm having an almost-civil conversation with Professor Snape. What now, will pigs start flying? Hermione mused.

Snape nodded. "They're more scientific than most magic courses," Snape replied. "You can do so many things with potions."

Hermione nodded. "Yes...you can bottle fame, brew glory, even stopper death," she murmured. Snape looked at her in admiration and Hermione froze. Oh sweet Merlin, no! she thought. Not Snape too! If it isn't weird enough with Sirius and Lucius!

But Snape wasn't attracted to her in the "date" way but in the friend way, thankfully enough. The two spent breakfast talking about Potions and Defense Against the Dark Arts. "You can make a corporeal Patronus?" Snape asked.

Hermione blushed. "Yes...my Patronus is an otter," Hermione stated, flattered. "I learned it last year."

"Wow," Snape said, smiling. Hermione realized that this was the first time that she had seen Severus Snape smile at anyone, even his beloved Slytherins. She was actually surprised that she was finding Snape as entertaining as Ron and Harry.

From the Gryffindor table, James, Sirius, Remus, Peter, and Draco stared in shock as Hermione talked to Snape. "I can't bloody well believe it; your girlfriend's talking with Severus Snape!" Sirius stated.

"Snape?!" Draco demanded, eying the two. Bloody hell, he actually looks young! Draco mused. He felt a strange sensation as he watched. Was that...jealousy? No...not jealousy. Malfoys don't get jealous over Mudbloods. It's just...disgust. I'm disgusted that she's making Snape smile.

James smirked. "Don't worry about your bird, mate...Snivellus doesn't stand a chance with her," the dark-haired boy said.

"I know...I just never expected Hermione to end up a Slytherin," Draco stated with a frown. "I mean, she's a Mu...ggle-born. And I thought Slytherin was all about purebloods."

"More about ambition...but blood's a big thing," Remus replied. "But I wouldn't recommend you telling anyone of her lineage. The last Muggle-born in Slytherin didn't last very long." Draco frowned, curious at the emotion that Remus's words caused to stir in him.

"Slytherins are a bad lot, you know," Sirius stated and Draco chose to ignore that comment.

"They can't all be bad," Lily piped up. "Hermione's nice."

The Marauders ignored Lily and eyed the brunette across the room. "But that's Snivellus!" Sirius whined.

Lily rolled her emerald eyes. "Honestly, if anyone has a reason to dislike Severus Snape, it's me. You've heard what he calls me."

"He's a git, Li--I mean, Evans," James stated.

"Smooth, Potter," Draco muttered under his breath to his newfound friend. The dark-haired boy blushed darkly, mussing his hair nervously. Sirius sighed and Remus rolled his eyes. "Try to be nice to the girl..."

"Is that how you got Hermione?" Peter inquired.

Draco took a sip of the pumpkin juice and sputtered it out all over Peter Pettigrew as he realized what the rat-faced boy had said. "Oh...yes, right," he stated. The four eyed the blonde curiously.

"So...you're not dating her?" Sirius asked, casting a glance at the brunette who was laughing at something Snape had said.

Draco scowled at Sirius. "Sirius, mate, the girl's mine," Draco murmured. He cocked his head curiously as he felt a shiver go up his spine. Since when did I get all possessive about Herm--Granger? Possessive and jealous of Hermione Granger? Bloody hell, I'm going to be disowned, Draco thought. He suppressed a shudder as he watched his fake girlfriend talking to Severus Snape and the scariest part was that Snape was...smiling; really, truly smiling. It was creepy.