A Grimm, Grimm Story

A Grimm, Grimm Story (also known as Once Upon A Fairy Tale)

Chapter One: Into The Woods

To say that Hermione Granger was not having a good day would be a severe understatement. In fact, she was having a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day. It had started when she groggily woke up at 9:05, five minutes late to her Double Potions class already. She had to throw on her dirty clothes from the day before and rush off to class, running a brush through her hair as she jogged down the hallway. She didn´t even get to wash her face, or brush her teeth! And Hermione was certainly not a person who ever skimped on personal hygiene.

Then, her ink bottle broke on the bottom of her bag, completely ruining her three foot-long analytical essay on how the ban on the hunting of Golden Snidgets influenced the Goblin Rebellion of 1803, which had taken her the whole weekend to write. Thankfully, Professor Binns was quite sympathetic about the whole situation, and gave her another two days to rewrite the essay, but that did not change the fact that her work was ruined.

And at lunch, she made the terrible decision of sitting next to Lavender Brown, who was suffering from the world´s worst hangoverfrom the night before. Lavender, along with Parvati Patil and their current boyfriendsof the week (both from Hufflepuff), had decided to get a little wild, and drank three flasks full of Ogden´s Old Firewhisky all by herself, as well as far too many Butterbeers to count. The meal had only started when the heavy-eyed Lavender muttered, "I don´t feel so well," and proceeded to vomit violently all over herself, the table, and as luck would have it, Hermione. Only one mildly good thing came out of the whole situation: Hermione was still wearing her robes from yesterday, and so she didn´t get any robes dirty that weren´t dirty already.

To make matters only worse, after she had changed into new clothes, she tripped over the hem of her robes on the way to Double Muggle Studies, to the humor of a much-crowded hallway. She had to quickly run back to her dorm, change her now-torn robe once again, and rush back to the other side of the school before class started. Unfortunately, it already had.

Trying to ignore the disapproving look (since Hermione Granger never, ever got disapproving looks) from Professor Achebe, she sat down quickly in her seat, letting out a great sigh. Thankfully, she knew the day couldn´t get any more horrible.

And then it did.

Professor Achebe announced that the class would be starting their end-of-term projects. The class would be divided up into groups of three, with each group studying a different faction of Muggle folklore, which the class had been studying since the beginning of the term. Once your group had mapped out what you thought were the main points of Muggle folklore and cited various works of your specific faction of folklore, you were to, as a group, write a piece of Muggle folklore stylized after your specific faction. You could even include yourselves as the main characters, if you so pleased.

Normally, Hermione would have been ecstatic to do a project. Especially one so interesting. There was only one slight, teensy-weensy problem.

They didn´t get to pick their groups. And the seventh year Gryffindors shared Double Muggle Studies with the seventh year Slytherins. Thus, Hermione would most likely be in a group with at least one Slytherin.

The future didn´t look too bright.

"I have all your names here in my hat, and I´m going to draw random names," announced Professor Achebe. "I believe it´s more fair that way. Please go sit in your groups once your name is called."

Hermione gulped. It was a fair draw. She would really see if Lady Luck had abandoned her once and for all.

Things started looking more and more dreary for Hermione as Harry and Ron were both paired off, Harry in the group for Native American folklore, and Ron in the group for Japanese folklore.

"European folklore," called out Professor Achebe. "This group will be...Hermione Granger." Hermione felt her stomach leaping around, threatening to jump out her mouth. "Blaise Zabini." Hermione winced. She was with at least one Slytherin. But Blaise didn´t seem so bad. Hermione looked over at the sullen Slytherin girl. She was quite pretty, and seemed rather smart. At least she didn´t talk too much. Hermione´s thoughts were racing at one hundred kilometers an hour. Who would the third member be? Well, she thought, I don´t really care who it is as long as it´s not... "And Draco Malfoy." Him. Her heart fell off a high rise.

Funny, she thought, Luck wasn´t mentioned in the obituaries.

As she got up to move over by Blaise and Draco, Hermione made eye contact with Harry and Ron. Both sent her looks of compassion and pity. She groaned, and sank down into the seat next to Blaise.

"Mudblood," Draco Malfoy hissed at her.

"If you can´t say anything nice, Malfoy, don´t bother burdening the world with your incessant droning." Hermione paused for a moment. "I suppose that means you´d never talk. All for the better!"

He glared at her. "I hate you."

"Immature, aren´t we? One would never know that you´re seventeen," she shot back, and then proceeded to pick at her nails.

Blaise simply looked bored. "You´re both immature," she said smoothly, in her monotone voice. "Now can you please shut up and give my headache a rest?"

"Bugger off!" Hermione and Draco yelled at the same time, and then turned to each other, glared, and looked away. But they did shut up.

As they were waiting for Professor Achebe to finish listing the groups, Hermione surveyed Draco. His pale skin almost had a glowing tone to it. She briefly wondered if he had ever been in sunlight. His white-blonde hair, which could have been labeled as bleached if not for his complexion, hung loosely in his face, no longer held back by far too much gel like in his younger years. It was, she noted with disgust, roguishly long. And then there were his eyes, which were bluish-grayish, cat-shaped, and hard as steel. His cheekbones were high, but not too high, and his nose plummeted down from between his eyes in a long, even stroke. His jaw wasn´t too hard or too soft. His lips were perfectly shaped and set in a hard line. Hermione realized with a shock that Draco could have been beautiful. Not hot, not sexy, not even handsome...yet beautiful. But that was ruined by the sour expression he always carried on his face.

Draco looked up and for a brief moment, their eyes connected. And then, Hermione glared and stuck out her tongue. Once a Malfoy, always a hateful little wanker.

Professor Achebe had just finished grouping the students, and she said that she would now be coming around to suggest reading materials to each group. Thankfully, Hermione´s groups was the first one she came to.

"You guys have it easy," said Professor Achebe, pulling up a chair. "You have European folklore. Any of you know what this is commonly called?"

"Er...fairy tales?" guessed Hermione.

Professor Achebe smiled. "Correct! See, you´re lucky, because European fairy tales have been widely published by Muggles, and because you have a Muggle-born student in your group who is probably familiar with some of the more popular fairy tales herself. Now let me think..." Professor Achebe paused for a moment. "I believe there are a couple books in the library of Muggle fairy tales...two or three anthologies by the Brothers Grimm. The Brothers Grimm were the most influential writers of European folklore, so you shouldn´t have any trouble finding prime examples. Good luck on your project!"

"Well," said Hermione rather timidly, "shall we go to the library, then?"

The walk to the library was, to say the least, rather uncomfortable. Malfoy simply glared ahead of him and walked at a curt, swift pace. Blaise lagged behind, seemingly dragging her feet. And Hermione...well, she was just Hermione.

Once they were in the library, however, they were in her domain, and Hermione was able to fall comfortably in to the domineering role. She pointed Draco towards the science fiction section of the Muggle books, Blaise towards the young adult section, and personally searched the fantasy section. In a few minutes, each was holding a different copy of "Grimms´ Fairy Tales."

"Three copies," Hermione commented with a smile. "We won´t have to share!"

"And thank the Great Wizards for that," Draco sneered.

Hermione chose to ignore him.

The three relaxed in chiffon chairs in the library, each reading their own book. After a few minutes, Malfoy let out a cold snort.

"Muggles are so stupid. They have the dumbest ideas about magic," he drawled, his eyes narrowing towards Hermione.

"Malfoy, if you don´t like the Brothers Grimm, just find yourself some other fairy tales, and shut up." Hermione rolled her eyes and returned to her book.

"I will!" Draco growled, and stood up quickly, stalking away.

After a few moments in silence, Blaise spoke up. "We´re not all like that," she said simply, not bothering to lift her eyes from her book.

Hermione started. "Who? Like what?"

Blaise sighed, as if Hermione were ignorant. "Slytherins. We´re not all like Draco," she said, looking Hermione in the eyes. "We just like our privacy. And true, we can be a little mean sometimes. But we´re not all cruel."

The end of Blaise´s short speech left Hermione staring. Then she gave Blaise a reassuring smile. "Yeah, I know." For a moment, the two girls connected. And then Blaise´s eyes darkened.

"But it´s not like I want to be friends with you or anything, Granger." Blaise turned back to her book.

Hermione chuckled to herself. True, it wasn´t much. But it was a start.

When she returned to the common room that night, she was instantly hounded by Harry and Ron. "Draco Malfoy! What bad luck, Herm," said Ron, shaking his head.

"Really," agreed Harry. "It´s enough to have to see his snide, ugly little face everyday, but to be working on a project with him for a whole two weeks...well, that really, really, really sucks."

Hermione snorted. "You´re telling me. He was acting so...indignant today! All I was doing was trying to get him to participate. Prat. But Blaise isn´t that bad. I think she´s pretty smart, and she doesn´t seem to be too rude, so there aren´t any worries where she´s concerned." Hermione plopped down on a couch near the fire, and Ron and Harry sat down at a chess table. "Who´re you guys with?"

Ron played his first move, and turned towards Hermione. "I´m with Neville, and Millicent Bulstrode," he said, making a face. "Obviously it´s good that I´m with Neville--though he does seemed a bit confused by this whole folklore thing--but Millicent! Ugh. She´s a hideous beast! It´s obvious that I´m going have to be pulling all the brains in this operation." He sniffed.

Harry finished his first play, and grinned. "Yeah, right. Brains," he laughed, and ignored a mean look from Ron. "I´m with Parvati, and Goyle." Harry groaned. "Parvati´s okay, I guess, but she´s rather...well, she´s sort of vapid, you know? And Goyle..." Harry stuck out his tongue. "Let´s not even go there."

Hermione laughed. "Well guys, I´m feeling rather zonked, so I´m heading up to bed. G´night!"

"Night, Hermione," Ron called as she started walking upstairs. Harry, however, was too busy concentrating on the game.

Hermione´s thoughts immediately darted to the project as soon as she got to her dorm. She, Blaise, and Malfoy had agreed to keep reading through the fairy tales that night, and then they´d meet up in the library after classes tomorrow to further discuss the project. She yawned, changed into her night clothes, and then crawled into bed with "Grimms´ Fairy Tales." She flipped to where she had left off, a story called "The White Snake" and started reading.

"A long time ago there lived a king whose wisdom was celebrated far and wide. Nothing was unknown to him, and the news of the most secret transactions seemed to reach him through the air..."

Slowly, Hermione´s eyes drifted close, and she was transported to a dream land of knights and princesses and valiant quests.

Hermione couldn´t wait to start the project, regardless of her group members. Although she personally didn´t care too much about the technical part of the project, she was itching to start writing the story. When she met her group in the library the next day, ideas were already bursting out of her head.

"How about we write the story first, and due the whole research part second?" she asked Blaise and Malfoy, her eyes gleaming with excitement.

Blaise shrugged, but Draco sneered. "Why should we do what you want, mud-blood? I say we due research part first. Then we´ll be prepared for writing the story."

You won´t yell at him, you won´t yell at him, Hermione´s brain screamed at her. She sighed. "Well, we read over the fairy tales last night. I think we should be pretty ready to start writing. Unless you didn´t read them, Malfoy?" She crossed her arms over her chest and threw his look back in his face.

"I´ve read it," he snapped angrily. "Not that I personally like the writing style of the Grimms. Can´t we find fairy tales by someone else to model our story after?"

Blaise stood up. "Quit whining, both of you, and let´s go look."

They walked together over to the fantasy section and started scanning the shelves. Hermione was surprised when Blaise pulled out a thin book. It was titled Once Upon A Fairy Tale. "This might work," said Blaise, handing it to Hermione.

"Funny," Hermione said, "I didn´t see it yesterday..."

Malfoy clicked his tongue. "Maybe you need glasses," he growled, grabbing the book from her.

"Hey! I was looking at that!" spat Hermione, but Draco just ignored her, and flipped open the book.

"What is this?" he murmured, his eyes darting over the first page. Hermione and Blaise assembled around him, reading over his shoulder.

In bold print, it read:

Herein contains the tale of two bright princesses and a white knight on their quest to restore peace to The Kingdom. And if you, the esteemed readers, should choose to read this story, you shall become one with it. For indeed the moment the page is turned, the story will become reality.

"So...if you read this, you have the fortune of the princesses and the knight?" asked Blaise skeptically.

"Yeah right," snorted Hermione, "and I´m the pope in Rome."

Draco eyed her warily. "What?"

"Never mind."

He rolled his eyes at her. "Well, it sounds pretty good to me," he said, as he turned the page.

"No don´t!" yelled Hermione, attempting to grab the book away from him. "You should never trust a book that has a spell on it!"

But it was too late.

All of a sudden, there was a large rumbling. The floors started shaking and books started falling off their shelves. Hermione shrieked, and fell over, grasping Blaise´s arm. She pinched her eyes close, but even then she could tell that everything had gone dark. And then the shaking and rumbling stopped, and everything was light again. The three stood up.

"What was that?" Draco said, incredulously. "An earthquake?"

"Stupid, we´re in Scotland," snapped Hermione.

Blaise was pulling on Hermione´s arm. "Malfoy, Granger...where are we?"

And then Hermione looked around her, and felt very, very faint.

They were in broad daylight, standing in the clearing of a forest. Except it was no normal forest. The air was almost pulsating with the feeling of magic. There were no traces of the library that they had been in moments before, and the book Draco had been holding was gone. It seemed that they had left Hogwarts completely.

"Was that a Portkey?" Hermione asked quietly, her eyes wide at her surroundings.

Draco was grim, and more serious then Hermione had ever felt like. He shook his head, his white-blonde hair falling into his eyes. "No, Portkeys don´t feel like that...that was something completely different in all."

A rustling was heard from the trees behind them, and the three teenagers snapped around. A man in full armor was trotting by on an extravagant, beautiful white horse. He nodded to Hermione and gave her a scandalous smile. "Good morrow, sweet mistress." Then he trotted across the clearing, and back into the other side of the forest.

"Where the hell are we?" Draco questioned suspiciously.

Hermione´s mind started working together quickly. The magical forest, the knight, the way the knight spoke, and the most mysterious thing of all: the book that had somehow transported them to where they were. She gasped, eyes the size of galleons, and put her tiny hand over her mouth.

"Cor," she muttered, "I think we´re in a fairy tale."