Opposite.
It had started early in the term; snide comments, notes in class, standard issue school verbal abuse. Hermione barely noticed enough to pass any kind of judgement, let alone calculate the maliciousness of each hollow threat or empty warning. Hermione's mind was a strange and intriguing place to be, and the bullying was merely deflected by the fact she already had so much to think about. Occasionally, a rapid stream of images would flash through her brain suddenly, usually just before she slept, but sometimes during the day. These would often include the threats and dirty words, but they melded with everything else into a dark recess of Hermione's memories, where until recently no one has been able to penetrate.
It got physical after Harry and Ron ended up in the closed ward at St Mungo's. It was nothing serious, in fact it was barely even a common cold, but without Dumbledore to cut through all the beaurocracy, Scrimgeour had them locked away to make sure it wasn't foul play. Some Slytherins had taken it upon themselves to replace what would have been Malfoy's role, and avenge the absence of their ring-leader accordingly. Since Harry and Ron weren't around anymore, it made Hermione an easy target. With Hermione's main weapon being passive ignorance it wasn't long until word spread that the dear little mudblood wouldn't defend herself.
"Stop, please, stop" she murmured. Though she could isolate herself, more so with every kick; isolating herself from the problem didn't exclude her from herself, and she was still confined within the walls of shame, guilt, and physical pain once the violence had stopped.
"Hear that? She's had enough!" One of the elder Slytherins bubbled with glee, directing a kick at her ribs.
"You know, I think Draco would be dissapointed that we've stooped to the mudbloods level" A clear leader figure spoke, he paused and inspected his finger nails coolly before directing a blow to her back."Intially" he drew out. "Until he found out the intense primal pleasure of kicking the life out of the dirty little thing. Call me old fashioned, but hexing people to within an inch of their lives just isn't as pleasurable" he paused, to give her a swift kick between the shoulder blades. "I prefer the, let's say, 'Hands on' approach" he said laughing maniacally.
"You're sick, absolutely sick" Hermione spat, her voice sticky and awkward, and her lips' so coated with blood, it were as though she was wearing cheap lipstick. The leader stopped laughing and turned to glare at her, without breaking a sweat he stamped firmly on her face. A crack confirmed he had hit the spot, and her body fell limp.
"Right she's out, that's enough for today boys" The Leader gave a nod, and the boys all scarpered to their pre-destinate positions.
Hermione came to not long after, a ringing in her ears and a metallic taste fresh on her tongue. Her head was popping and her eyes were glazed, it usually took a few minutes for her to regain use of her faculties. She hauled herself into a sitting position and propped herself against a wall. Pain leaking from every pore, she concentrated all her power on non-verbally summoning her wand, a few seconds later it appeared slowly shuffling along the floor, almost as if it too had given up hope.
She was getting to know there was an art to everything, The Bullies fulfilled their role with cleverly timed kicks and methods years in the making; a kick in the arse might not even feel painful at the time, but it would ensure she wouldn't be able to sit comfortably for weeks; this wasn't accidental. The Bullies had an art of causing the maximum damage, in such intricate ways Hermione hazarded a sense of admiration for them. But she too was an artiste, covering up such immense damage was no easy task, she had read every book in the library on healing, medicine (magic and muggle) and surgery, to ensure she always new what spell to use on a broken nose, or which herb was used to reduce swelling of bruising. Booksmarts were the easy part, Hermione was naturally gifted there, but she wasn't always guarded, that was a recent skill she had accquired. Never flinching, never telling a soul, never crying, she had almost gone as far as not even talking at all, and someone had noticed.
"I am more intelligent to them, I am morally superior, I am strong. They can't hurt me, they can't hurt me" Hermione repeated her mantra, closing her eyes so tightly as she peformed an unusually painful spell, she was concentrating so hard that she didn't hear the footsteps.
"I know you're intelligent mate, who else are you trying to convince?" Ginny mouthed off, and the seconds the words had finished forming on her tongue, the second she saw the state Hermione was in, she wished she hadn't said anything at all. Hermione looked positively nauseated, her biggest secret splayed infront of her like torn wrapping paper on christmas. Her eyes glassed over, and they stared at Ginny in shock, shame, and a silent plea. Ginny had played quidditch long enough to know about pride, and naturally with the biggest secret of her biggest secret in front of her like that she did the most normal thing; ignored it. She sat next to her silently.
"Hey, I wondered where you'd got to" Ginny said, dripping with phatic talk. "You must have been in the library". Ginny struggled in vain when she was met with nothing but silence. Hermione honoured Ginny's foolish attempts to preserve her pride, and to an extent was even amused by them but it had to stop.
"Sorry" Hermione said quietly.
"Sorry? What' you sorry for you mug!" Ginny smiled.
"Sorry you had to see me like this" Hermione said waving her arm to gesture at her dismal state. Soon Ginny's smile had faded and concern flooded her eyes.
"Don't you ever be sorry. Not for this, not for anything, and not to me. You're never to be sorry about anything with me, no regrets, understand?" Ginny said, with a somewhat harsh urgency. Hermione stared deep into her eyes with awareness and nodded frantically. "The only ones regretting anything will be them. Mark my words" she added bitterly. "C'mon I'll help you get cleaned up" Ginny wordlessly performed a painkilling spell, which caused Hermione to shudder.
"Calcius reparo" Ginny said aloud to Hermione's arm.
"Gin?" Hermione said quietly.
"Mmm?" was the reply, testing the waters of conversation lightly.
"That's, that's erm really advanced, h-healing stuff" Hermione noted, all eloquence gone from her voice.
"I know a few things" Ginny nodded with a sexy, modest, smile in her eyes. Hermione had now returned to normal, other than feeling sore, to the outsider it would look like nothing had happened.
"Gin?" she repeated later, a long silence in between.
"Mmm?" she replied.
"Thank you" she whispered. "It means alot"
"You mean alot" Ginny declared, sheepishly backing out of the statement. "You mean alot to me" she said in a quieter voice.
"I do?" said Hermione, swimming with disbelief. Ginny grabbed her gently by each arm.
"You mean the world to me. Don't ever think that. They can't take it away, what I feel about you. They can't get to that." Ginny quivered.
"And how do you feel about me Ginny?" Hermione said, flooded with seriousness, and a small spark of hope that she was about to enjoy the answer she was going to receive. A child like innocence, wanting her to heed the call of her heart and return it.
"I feel like the opposite of this" she gestured to the violence. "I think you're beautiful, and you should be celebrated, that your fragile young body should be worshipped and caressed, never damaged. That you are the most wonderful person I have ever had the pleasure of meeting. That. That is how I feel" Ginny declared, alarmed at the strength and sincerity she portrayed; She knew she had those words, and she had carried them in her heart, always.
Hermione wasn't even thinking, what Ginny said may well have been a friendly gesture, to alleviate the pain she was feeling. But rational thought had been beaten from her as she took Ginny's neck in her hands and kissed her. A soft kiss that was gentle, and extremely edifying to both parties. Ginny ran her tongue along Hermione's lips and tasted the pain, like metal, in her mouth. Hermione shook under her touch, it was magnificent, as though someone had got a rubber and erased every bad feeling in every cell, and then coloured them in with a bright, beautiful, gold. Hermione smiled for the first time in nearly a month, she closed her eyes in absolute bliss.
"Hermione, you mean alot to me" Ginny stated. "I promise you don't have to worry, or ever feel scared. It's ok to be scared, but there's no need in it any more" She kissed her again. Hermione felt like she was sat atop a striding giant, invincible, and able to see for miles upon miles. The first time she had revealed this horror to anyone was the last; in the morning, safe on the shoulders of giants Hermione noticed some familiar Slytherins sporting black eyes and bloody noses and had a sneaking suspicion she knew who was to blame.