Oh, Just Leave Me Alone! I'm Trying To Study! (Serenity)

Hermione sat among her usual stack of books. She was studying for an exam in Transfuguration and wanted to get the marks she usually did. She had been writing notes for the better part of an hour, and had filled a roll and a half of parchment.

She finished with the book that she had been looking through and pulled the next one toward her. As she did, she saw someone enter the library and immediately ducked behind the pile that sat in front of her. It was Serenity! The last person she wanted to see right now.

Yeah, right, Hermione! Like she's not going to know that you are the one that is behind all these books! she thought to herself and straightened back up. Maybe if she just ignored the other girl, she wouldn't even notice that the Gryffindor was there.

Unfortunately, Hermione hit part of the stack as she rose and knocked the whole lot to the floor. Now she had the attention of everyone in the library, including the librarian.

"Sorry," she whispered, turning flame red, and now having no place to hide had to acknowledge the Slytherin, even if she didn't want to. "Hi, Serenity."

Serenity glared at Hermione...why? She had no real reason. It was just that Serenity did not like the girl. She never had, and mostly it was because they were at constant competition between one another when it came to classes. Hermione insisted that her marks were just because of her father being Headmaster, but Serenity worked hard for her grades! And if she fell shy of one good letter, her father nearly exploded.

"Hmph." she glared, her familiar Snape glare coming out. "Gracious as always, Granger."

She wasn't eve here to talk to Hermione. She was looking for Harry...her Harry...well, not hers yet.. but they were working on it. Harry was just so damn clueless to when a girl liked him or flirted with him! But that was okay, Serenity found it to be adorable. The only problem was that his friends hated her. Hermione competed with her, and Ron Weasly thought that she was a bloody Spawn from Hell.

Bending down she helped the girl by picking up one of her copies of Hogwarts: A History and set it on her stack. She had already studied for the exam and was ready to take it...Hermione however looked fairly unprepared.

"Have you seen Harry?" she asked coldly. "I want to talk to him about this Hogsmead weekend."

Hermione glared at the other girl as she gathered up her books. Harry had enough to deal with right now. He didn't need to be getting involved with Serenity Snape. For any reason. All right, so Harry liked her, but that wasn't enough reason to start a relationship with someone when it had no future, was it? Especially since her father was the Headmaster!

"I haven't seen Harry lately, but even if I had, I woudn't tell you," the brunette sneered. Hmm. Curious that being around a Slytherin made her act as one. Hermione restacked all her books on the table and situated herself again. "Why don't you go bother Malfoy or something?"

She returned to her work, although she had the sinking feeling that this conversation was far from over. And one look up, told her that she was right.

Serenity glared at the girl in front of her! How dare she! She loved Harry more than this brown haired bitch ever could! It wasn't her fault that the only boy she had to choose from was the red headed weasel. Glaring down at her she felt her wand scraping against her leg in her jean pocket.

"You cannot choose who Harry likes, Granger," she hissed. "And I will hang out with whom I wish."

She knew that the girl in front of her wouldn't dare to touch her. One Harry would be angry, two she was the daughter of the Headmaster and her father really did not like Granger to begin with. She supposed that hatred had just been passed down to her.

"You are all talk Granger," she sneered. "Everyone here knows that you won't do a thing to me. And if you did...you know that Harry would be furious...is it me or do I sense a hint of jealousy in your voice?"

That was probably it...the little know it all was scared that her best friend had fallen for a girl and would move on from her. However Serenity wasn't sure if Harry did love her...she liked to think that he at least liked her...and she was very nice to him always...she adored him and everything he was about.

Hermione would never admit it to anyone that she'd had a long time crush on Harry. Especially since she knew that he didn't feel the same way about her. It was sad, but Hermione would live. But Serenity wasn't good enough for Harry!

"I didn't say that you couldn't hang out with anyone, I just said that I wouldn't tell you where Harry is. He needs to study and you would just be a distraction." She returned once more to her homework, looking through the book that she'd picked up from the pile.

"Why do you want to see him so badly anyway, and how is it you thought that he would be here?" Hermione asked. She looked up at the other girl.

"Were you worried that he might be with me?" she said with a small smile. That would get to Serenity, she was sure of it!

Serenity's glared deepened and she squeezed her wand menacingly. She was going to curse this little muggle born brat all the way back to her mummy and daddy. But then she remembered that this was Harry's best friend and she had to be as civil as possible.

"Hmph," she smirked. "What do I have to worry about? It's not like you are much of competition."

She didn't want to admit it, but Serenity was very intimidated by Hermione Granger. Not for her mental capacity...but because the girl was around Harry when she wasn't. That there could be a chance that Harry would fall in love with the girl. But she knew that he wouldn't...because Ronald Weasly liked Hermione Granger...Harry would not try and cause conflict between his friends.

"And I had been told by another Gryffindor that he had been seen up here." she hissed. "But with your toxic presence I can see why he wouldn't be there."

Hermione shrugged. It didn't matter what Serenity thought of her. She didn't care about that. All that she cared about that Harry didn't get hurt, and she had the feeling that he would if he were involved with Serenity Snape. The other Gryffindors would use it as ammunition to tease him to no end, the Slytherins would use it to get information about Harry and give it to Voldemort. That thought made Hermione shudder.

"Well, I don't know what Gryffindor told you that, but Harry hasn't been here all day, and since the library is going to close soon, I don't think that you were given the correct information."

She gave up on doing her studying and put all her things back into her bag. She stood and gathered an armful of books and turned to Serenity.

"Since you are here, you mind helping me put these books back?" She gave Serenity a nasty little smile and walked off to the shelves.

Serenity glared and with her wand she flicked it sending her books all over the floor. She did not like Hermione, that was no secret...but when it came to Harry if she wanted to know something than she expected answers straight away! Not a moment before or after! Still keeping her wand out unless this got messy she waited to see what Granger would do. In a way she almost yearned for a fight, but then she knew that her father would have a reason to ground her ass and keep her away from Harry.

"Oops," she smirked. "Granger...it looks like you dropped something."

Serenity wasn't a bully by any means...she was actually one of the calmer Slytherin in her house. Her father even said so himself, however that did not excuse the fact that she could not stand the girl in front of her.

"Have fun picking up after yourself Granger," she hissed. "I gotta go and find Harry."

Hermione sighed. She had to pick up the books again?! This wasn't fair! Why was it that the Slytherins all picked on her to no end? What had she ever done to them? Oh, yeah. She existed. And she was a Muggleborn. But that wasn't her fault, was it?

She put down the books that she was holding and started picking up the ones on the floor.

"Serenity, I would like to help you, but honestly, I haven't seen Harry since breakfast. He could be at the Quidditch pitch, in the Gryffindor Common Room, the Great Hall, down at Hagrid's. There are quite a few places that he could be, and I am not always with him, contrary to what you might think."

She sat on the floor and looked up at her.

Serenity sighed, now she felt bad. Getting on her knees as well she began helping the girl pick up her books and put them away. It was no secret that Serenity didn't like Hermione...but at least she had friends. Serenity could barely keep one friend. No one liked her. They all thought that it was unfair that she could go to Hogwarts while her father was Headmaster. It hadn't always been that way, any other year they were just fine with her...but now it was like she had committed some type of crime.

"M'sorry," she grumbled. "I guess I'll try down at Hagrids."

It was strange that Serenity could get along with the grounds keeper. None of her other Slytherin classmates could, but she wasn't like them. Serenity liked to consider herself somewhat different than her fellow students. She knew she was a heck of a lot more mature than the other students in her year.

"Umm," she said looking away. "If you do see Harry...can you tell him that I was looking for him?"

Hermione nodded. She knew that Harry would more than likely be in the Common Room or at Hagrid's this late, but she would keep her promise. A Gryffindor kept their word, if possible.

"Serenity, why don't you like me? I haven't done anything to you, or any of the Slytherins! Why do you all hate me so much?" She finished shelving the books and stood up. She didn't want to turn around for fear that she would start crying. It just wasn't fair! She did nothing to this group of people and they hated her because she wasn't a Pureblood?! Who thought like that?

She picked up her bag and shouldered it.

"Never mind, forget I even said anything. It's not really all that important."

Serenity sighed, this was a question she that she had tried her damnest to avoid. She had no real answer to give the girl. She didn't like Hermione because she was a threat, didn't like her because she KNEW that she had a crush on Harry, didn't like her because she felt the need to mother everyone and act like a fucking know it all! There were many reason's that she did not like Hermione, but they were all her problems...not the girl in front of hers.

"It's nothing personal Granger." she sighed. "I just don't like you...try not to think about it too much."

Serenity knew that wasn't really an excuse, but she just could not give her more than that.

"Just know that it has nothing to do with your parents being muggle," she said softly. "My father's parents were both muggle and witch...so blood means nothing to me, Granger. I dislike you for more personal reasons."

She smirked, hoping to reassure her somewhat.

Hermione nodded. She knew that Serenity was more than likely talking about her crush on Harry. If Serenity only knew about Hermione's other crush....

No, that would only make more trouble. And more trouble was the last thing Hermione wanted. But still, maybe it would calm Serenity's fears that Harry would be taken away from her if she knew?

Hermione looked at the Slytherin girl. She didn't know how to bring it up. He'd always been so mean to her, but for some reason, that was what had brought the most attraction. He was a bad boy, and Hermione had an attraction to that apparently. But she knew that Serenity would never help her. She would only sneer and laugh. But maybe......

"Would it help you to know that I have a crush on someone other than Harry? And that this crush is stronger than anything I could feel for him? There's just one problem. I know that he would never like me in that way. He hates me." She dropped her eyes to the remainder of the books she had yet to pick up.