Family Ties

[Hermione Walden]

When Hermione had been getting ready to attend Hogwarts she had had her ear talked off by her cousin Leila about her best friend Jess and how she had a cousin attending the school. At her cousins request Hermione had listened out for anyone with the name Cade at the sorting ceremony. After seeing Eleonora Cade sorted into Hufflepuff Hermione had decided she would head up to the common room after breakfast to try and catch the girl either on her back or as a last resort she would pick out a random Hufflepuff kid and send them in to get Eleonara.

After twenty minutes of standing against the wall opposite the entrance to the Hufflepuff common room Hermione decided to go to plan B. "Hey you, can you go inside and tell an Eleonora Cade she has a visitor," Hermione leaned back against the wall as the boy went into the common room and she was left waiting for the mystery Cade girl to emerge.

 

[Eleonora Cade]

Eleonora didn't know how to feel about being sorted into Hufflepuff on her own. She longed to be with her cousins but that obviously wasn't an option anymore. She would have to just own being in Hufflepuff and use it to her advantage and see her cousins whenever she could when she had spare time. Therefore, she decided to spend sometime in the Common Room and hoped that she would find something inspiring that would rub off on her.

It wasn't long before her thoughts were interrupted by a fellow Hufflepuff who told her that there was someone waiting outside for her. She frowned as she couldn't think of who it could be but got up from her chair and made her way out of the common room nonetheless. As soon as she walked out she noticed one of the girls that was in the crowd from sorting a few day ago. She was someone that Eleonora had first noticed but hadn't got the courage up to say hello to yet and she couldn't believe her luck that the girl had come to her first. "Hi, er, you were asking after me?" she said, a little breathlessly.

 

[Hermione Walden]

When Eleonora appeared at the entrance of her common room Hermione blushed, something out of character for the young girl but there was something about the girl. She cleared her throat in an attempt to regain her composure. She wondered if this was how Leila felt when she was around Jess, though lately she had begun talking more about a boy called Ulrich so perhaps not. "First off, Eleonora is a bit of a mouth full so if you don't mind I'm going to call you Ellie," Hermione smiled softly at the girl. Despite her dominating tone it was probably the softest she had spoken to anyone since she had arrived at the school.

"My name is Hermione Walden, I don't know if that means anything to you but I was told to look out for you at the sorting ceremony," Hermione paused wondering how to go about telling her why she was there without it sounding like she was just doing what her cousins had told her to. "My cousin Leila is friends with your cousin Jess, I was actually hoping we'd be in the same house like they are, it would have been fun," Hermione blushed again as her mind lingered on that thought. "Anyway, I'm your new best friend,"

 

[Eleonora Cade]

Eleonora looked up at the girl and tried to stop herself from smiling so widely as she couldn't help but notice the newly appeared pinkish glow on the girl's cheeks. The young Hufflepuff shrugged her shoulders and looked at the floor when Hermione gave her a nickname "that's okay with me" she giggled. As the girl continued to talk and introduce herself she tried to think where she had heard the name 'Walden' before, it seemed to familiar to her but she couldn't place it. "Who told you to look out for me?" Eleonora asked Hermione, she wondered which relative had kindly thought about her enough to offer support already. However, it wasn't long before the other girl had mentioned names that Eleonora recognised "so Jess told you to do this?" she asked, a little confused. Their two families were so closely linked that it was hard to keep up sometimes. She smiled when Hermione mentioned that they should have been sorted into the same house "I would have liked that actually" she replied, grinning. Even though she didn't know Hermione that well she already liked her very much "that was easy!" she laughed "I don't think I've ever made a friend that quickly, let alone a best one!" she grinned "Shall we hug it out?" Eleonora offered while holding out her arms.

 

[Hermione Walden]

Hermione smiled at the sound of Ellie's giggle, it was easily the cutest sound she had ever heard. "Good I'm glad, friends give each other nicknames," She grinned and nudged her new friend gently. At the mention of Jess she nodded firmly. "Yes, she said something about having a Walden best friend and how she means the world to her, she got pretty mushy actually," Hermione giggled. "And I guess she was worried about you being all alone, but now you won't be because you have a Walden best friend all of your own," Hermione's smile widened as Eleonora opened her arms to give her a hug, she moved over to her and wrapped her arms around Ellie's waist. "I guess I'm just easy," She giggled.

 

[Eleonora Cade]

Ellie smiled at her new best friend "I need to find you a nickname now too though!" she replied "I'll make sure its a really good one!" she winked as she linked her arm with Hermione's and set off down the corridor with no destination in mind. Ellie listened intently as Hermione spoke about Jess and her Walden best friend and grinned at the story. "Their friendship certainly sounds beautiful" she said dreamily "ours will be even better" she said squeezing the Slytherin girl's arm. "It's sweet of them to worry though, I really appreciate it. Without them we might not have met so quickly" she thought out loud "it definitely helps having a best friend in the first week" she smiled "we're going to have the best time together!" she said excitedly.