1995-09-15: Always Look On The Bright Side


Hermione_icon.gif GPerpetua_icon.gif

Scene Title Always Look On The Bright Side
Synopsis Hermione and Perpetua 'run' into each other in the school hallways. The unlikely pair strike up a conversation and Hermione offers, gasp, research.
Location Hogwarts Hallways
Date September 15, 1995
Watch For Hermione's new study buddy
Logger Pet

The hallways, like usual, have students milling about between classes. People wander from place to place or sometimes stand in groups to the sides. Hermione is neither of those. With a book tucked under her arm and a determined look on her face, she is headed to either the library or the common room to study. Either way, she weaves between each person in turn, trying not to run into anyone or anything.

Which technically doesn't happen. Since ghosts don't really count as people or things. "H-Hey!", Perpetua squeals as Hermione passes right through her. That's a feeling she's not sure she'll adjust to for awhile. It's.. indescribably weird!

Passing through ghosts is just as weird for people! Stumbling just slightly, Hermione stops and whirls about this way and that. Suppressing a shiver, she blinks and focuses in on Perpetua - she was almost impossible to see there until she passed right through her. "Oh! I'm terribly sorry!"

"It's okay, I suppose," Perpetua says as a firstie swings a bag carelessly through her lower half. "At least you apologized," then she turns around and hollers after the firstie, "Show some respect for your upper classmen!" The firstie in turn, takes off running in fright. "Ooooh, hey, you're Harry Potter's friend," she says, as if suddenly recognizing Hermione. Perpetua doesn't go all googly eyed like Myrtle. Harry's a bit young for her, or was.

"Why wouldn't I?" Hermione is normally quite a polite and compassionate person. Just because Perpetua is a ghost doesn't mean she doesn't deserve the same respect as she did before. As she's recognized, the bushy-haired witch gives a bit of a wry smile. It's been so long that only being known as 'Harry's friend' at times doesn't bother her as much as it used to. "Hermione Granger, yes. A pleasure to meet you. I do apologize for walking right through you before."

Pet waves her hands, "It's okay, it's nice to get an apology now and then. Some students get so spooked, they just take off without so much as a by your leave. Oh hey, where you off to? I don't want to hold you up or nothing." She clasps her hands behind her back, floating there a few feet off the floor. "OOh yeah, the brainy one in your year. Hey, word gets around. Some of my year grumbled about how your marks put them to shame."

Though she's not exactly the most modest - when there's something to say about academics, that is - Hermione just beams and shrugs. It's always good to hear that her know-how is being talked about in years even older than hers. "That's rude!" Before she starts to spin off into making a Ghost Appreciation Group (G.A.G.), her thoughts are interrupted by the second question. "Oh, I was just on my way to the library to study a bit." Which is probably why her marks put others to shame. "I have some time, though." She senses that poor Perpetua has suffered some neglect lately. With a frown, she's not sure what to speak about with her, though. She flounders. "Um, so how are you?"

"Mind if I follow? I get a bit bored and sometimes I miss flipping through books. Being transparent takes the fun out of now being able to roam the Restricted Section whenever I want." Perpetua sighs a bit drearily, but nowhere near Myrtle's depressive nature. It's more of a sigh of longing. "Yeah, kinda rude n'all.. I guess I can see it their way. Not everyone gives ghosts a second thought. I know I didn't.. before.. n'all." She's getting more adjusted to her situation as time goes by. "Me? I'm okay, all things considered. I miss my parents, but I'm not sure I can just pop away to visit, y'know?"

"'Course not." Hermione doesn't mind helping out fellow students - even if one of those is technically a former student. "You can read with me if you want. It's just a Arithmancy book." Most people find it boring, but the witch likes the subject. "Well, I think they should," the brunette huffs. "It's not like you don't have feelings." They can all hear about Myrtle's feelings in the Girls' Loo. And at least Pet isn't like that all the time. Already, the girl starts moving forward - slower now that she has company. "I'll research that, if you'd like," she says without thinking. Maybe there's something about how far ghosts can go.

"Nice! I opted for Ancient Runes and Care of Magical Creatures myself. There's just not enough time to take all the subjects. I also kinda figured I'd have time after school to look into things that interested me." Perpetua can't help but sound a little sad about that. Stupid Death Eaters. Stupid rat. She'll never look at rats the same way again. "Maybe. We still have feelings and all, even some of the oldest ghosts in the castle. It's okay, really, it's a thought that sometimes crosses my mind. I get to the border of the grounds and lose my nerve. I think it'd upset them too much. I still don't even know how I wound up here after.. what happened."

"I love both of those classes as well. Arithmancy is my favorite, though." As for all the things she planned on doing, well, Hermione frowns and thinks that over. "On the bright side, you can study as much as you'd like now. You have all the time in the world to learn whatever you'd like." Only Hermione would think that's a bright side. "I don't know, either," the witch admits. And that's not something normally sits well with her. "I'll just look it up. It'll be a side project. I've done most of my homework for this week anyway. Ron and Harry still have their parchments to do, but I've been trying to get them to study more anyway."

"True enough. I could be like an on call study buddy or something," Perpetua says, trying to follow Hermione's lead on looking at the bright side of li — things. "Wow, the rumors about you are true. You are crazy mad for learning things." The words are said with awe. While Pet likes learning fine, Hermione's zeal is a whole new level. "You sure you aren't a Ravenclaw in disguise?"

With a roll of her eyes, Hermione shakes her head. The Ravenclaw question comes up a lot. "No no, I'm pretty sure I've been living in the proper dorms. There are smart Gryffindors." And Hermione is not afraid to stand up for her opinions and her friends - a bravery that marks her as a Lion with some pride. "Just because I enjoy reading as opposed to beating a Bludger with a club doesn't make me a Ravenclaw. Though, there are Ravenclaws that like Quidditch, too. Anyway, I look better in red and gold." The last is said with a grin. A joke, see!

"I know, it's just wow, you know? We all get our stereotypes, and then people like you come along to smack that off the pitch," Perpetua says, swinging a hand out in the air as if smacking a quaffle away. "Just like us Hufflepuffs get our share of stereotypes and all. I know I didn't make my house proud." She was just your average nobody run of the mill student who did her best to blend with the background. A grin is flashed at Hermione for her joke. "I'm sure Professor Flitwick is jealous Professor McGonagall got you in her house."

"I know. That just goes to show you can't believe all stereotypes!" Trust Hermione to bring the After School Special to the table. "You did your House plenty proud. I'm pretty sure Professor Flitwick is just fine to not have me in his House. I've lost Gryffindor plenty of points." What with all the sneaking around she does with Harry, and the fact that Professor Snape has it out for her and anyone who associates with her friend. "It all balances out in the end, I guess."

Perpetua shifts a little in place uncomfortably. "I couldn't do a thing, I was a coward." Who got smacked around by Pettigrew of all Death Eaters for crying out loud. Not wanting to wallow, she latches onto the shift in regards to points. "Yeah, you guys do make a lot of trouble. I kinda envy some of you Gryffindors, the times I've wanted to speak up in class, but just never had the courage. It was easier to keep my head down and do what I was told."

"Well, I never had a problem speaking up in class," Hermione says pensively. That's not anything she ever has a problem with. If she know an answer, she figures she should let everyone know it so they can do better as well. "But, it's not raising our hands in class that gets us in trouble. Harry gets nervous about it, too. You should see him fretting about History of Magic work some days. Or, better yet, Transfiguration. He always thinks he's going to leave something on or off."

Perpetua looks around to make sure there aren't teachers around, "No, I mean, that's different. Speaking up when you know the answer.. I mean about getting cheeky in class. Professor Snape had me so rattled, I didn't even want to breathe loud." A giggle escapes, "I think that's just boys in general. They get too proud to let their mates know they have the answer. Or they don't want to appear brainy."

"Ugh, Professor Snape." Hermione will still call him by his proper title most days, even if Harry and Ron have done away with it. "He's completely biased and unfair. Believe me, I know. The way he picks on poor Neville." And not to mention how he has it in for Harry. "Ha, I doubt many of them are actually brainy. You'd have to see some of their parchments before I have to read through them. They could spell their own names wrong sometimes, I swear."

Perpetua laughs aloud at that. "I know the boys in my year didn't want to seem smart or anything. Dunno why. My brother hasn't quite reached that point yet. I don't think. I couldn't imagine deliberately not doing assignments because someone might call me names for being smart or something." She plucks idly at her skirt as she ponders, "I guess that's a good thing about being dead and all. No more potions class. The class itself is pretty cool, but I was always so scared of getting something wrong."

"I can't imagine that either." Slipping into the library, Hermione's voice grows softer to a whisper. "I know. It should be a great class, but everyone hates it other than Slytherins because they can basically get a free pass." The witch finds a free table and opens her book to the first page. "Here, let me know when you're done reading a page and I'll turn it once we're both ready, okay?"
