strength & brains • hermione granger

| chapter two |

Entering the chatter-filled hall, they went to sit at their table when, all of a sudden, an idea popped up in Mackenzie's head. Nudging her friends, they moved towards the Gryffindor table where Mackenzie plopped down in the seat beside the one and only, Hermione Granger while the Pansy sat next to her and Luna and the two boys sitting opposite them, next to Harry and Ron.

"Uh, what are you doing?" Silence filled the hall as everyone's eyes moved to one of the tables in the middle where four Slytherin sat on its rivalling house table. The headmistress and other teachers shifted in their seats slightly, the former raising her head higher as if too see what was happening and stopping any problems if they were to happen quickly.

"Can't we sit here?" Blaise asked, raising a brow as Mackenzie smirked slightly, amusement clearly shining in her eyes along with three others.

"Uhh," Ron was at a loss for words, not knowing what to do.

"Is it forbidden to sit with our friends?" Pansy asked, emphasising on the 'friends' part.

"Or are we not friends?" They pulled on an act, something everyone in Slytherin knew about because the four would always do this to the people in their house.

"You know what, let's go." The four went to stand up, and that was when Harry snapped out of his weird trance.

"No!" He exclaimed, all attention on him which made his cheeks heat up. Clearing his throat, he continued, "What I mean is that we are friends and we don't mind you guys sitting with us." The only reason the boy who lived even said that was to be with his crush, enjoying his presence and loving every time he smiles genuinely.

Mackenzie smirked and sat back down, the others following. Realising that nobody was talking, she looked around to see everyone staring at them. "Problem?" She snapped, eyes narrowed and filled with a sense of fire that seemed to scare everyone as they went back to eating and chatting. Hermione rose a brow as she looked at how quickly Mackenzie changed moods. She sighed, shaking her head.

'She's going to be really troublesome.'

The great hall was rather loud; it was filled with chatter from students and teachers alike. Everyone was having a rather joyful time as the night became upon them. The ceiling of the Great Hall was bewitched to look like the sky, and so, the students could see the stars singing brightly and the moon listening with a warm smile as her babies sang their beautiful melody.

In the great hall, there were four long tables, each for one of the four houses. The last table at the right was for the kind and honest home, Hufflepuff, the home of yellow and black. The table next to it on the left was for the wise and the original house, Ravenclaw, the house of blue and bronze.

Next to the Ravenclaw, was the house for the brave and the daring, Gryffindor, the home of red and gold. Next to them was their rivalling house, one for the cunning and the sly, Slytherin, the green and silver house.

Even though the rivalling house hated each other, four from the green and silver sat with four from the gold and red, which seemed to be the main topic of everyone conversation as the whole thing shocked them.

"So, Mione." A golden-haired witch started, her chin resting on her palm as she stared at a brown-haired witch. "What's our schedule for tomorrow?" Hermione rose a brow as she glanced at the girl next to her, who had a hint of mischief swimming in her sea blue eyes.

"Our schedule?" Confusion laced her voice while the blonde let out a small laugh, one that sent tingles through the brunette's body as her heart sped slightly.

"Of course. I've got all your lessons now." She grinned cheekily, and that's when Hermione realised what she was trying to do. By being with her all the time, Mackenzie could easily win this game, which she didn't want at all.

Putting on a warm smile, the smartest witch of her age leant down and pressed her lips to the Slytherin's cheek, who's heart just stopped as sparks ran through her.

"Well, I'm glad." The brunette grabbed her books and left Mackenzie with a racing heart and slightly widened eyes.

"Well, damn." Pansy nodded, impressed at the girls come back. "That was good." Makenzie nodded, eyes lingering at the distancing figure of the brightest witch that just left her stunned.

A genuine, slightly warm, smile spread across the blonde's face as some sort of warmth flooded her body; cheeks painted a light, baby rose pink.

"That was." A sense of proudness filled her as she finally realised that Hermione was standing up for herself. Mackenzie's presence gave her this sense of confidence which allowed her to do such a bold action that shocked not just her but her friends as well, all except for Ginny, who just grinned, proud of her best friend even though she used to be with Mackenzie.

Ginny wasn't upset about the whole ordeal because she knew that the blonde Slytherin and the brown-haired Gryffindor was meant to be.

They're the strongest and the smartest.

The strength and the brains.

They were meant to be, even if they were very different. They're one and always will be one.