Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.

Compass

Chapter 1-

Hermione's POV-

I went for a walk trough the long covered bridge to Hagrid's hut. Maybe I'll say hi to Crookshanks who's there as well. I guess that's where all the unmanageable animals end up eventually.

I need to clear my head. Things seam so grim since I woke up, and for no apparent reason. Nothing really changed since yesterday, except for the far and looming danger of the war. No problems to resolve. So why am I feeling so down? I guess I'll just have to let the day pass. Maybe I'm sick or something, or about to be.

It's really pleasant here at dawn, nobody around and morning sun peeking over the horizon. Birds chirping as wooden boards crackle beneath me, a soothing melody of sorts, no voices and information they impress upon me. When I wasn't in the mood, I'd rather not hear about latest quidditch match. Nor any other pointless chatter!

I'll just walk till I'm tired, I decided. That seams to work best, to tire out the body and mind, and than I can rest.

When I looked up from the ground, I saw a certain person I despise. Parkinson… That's just perfect, and she's walking my way. What the hell is she doing up this early? I watched her lips shape into a smirk.

I looked away. I thought I'd pretend to look out on the scenery. She needed no encouragement to be an evil bitch, but best I avoid looking her way. Hopefully she'll walk by me. I imagined exactly that as she bumped into me, shoulder to shoulder. I should have known better.

"Ooops! Sorry Granger!" She said with apparent dishonesty and a sly grin.

I rubbed my shoulder as if wiping dirt off my robe and looked back at her, my eyes instinctively narrowing and teeth gritting. I could feel my blood boil. The mere sight of her would have this effect on me.

Why did I have to suffer her, such a worthless person, what good is she to anyone? Mean to everyone all the time! Not even the Slytherins appreciates her snarky attitude. Would anyone even miss her if she just disappeared? I doubt even Malfoy would. I'm sure she only hangs around him for the bullying, so she can feel safer jabbing at people from the safety of the group. Damn the lot of them! Sometimes I wish I had that Slytherin self-righteous and deluded perspective. I'd be a lot easier than this.

I returned to reality, realizing I was probably staring for far too long. Parkinson's confused expression had assured me that I spaced out for while.

Without a word I walked on, attempting to blank her out of my mind immediately, but like I feared, this wasn't over. I heard footsteps behind me.

"Mudlood!" She screeched. Her high-pitched voice felt like nails digging into my skin.

"Don't you walk away! I didn't give you permission to leave mudblood!" She persisted.

"I didn't ask for it!" I snapped back, spinning around on my foot.

She had a victorious smirk. I can't believe she pulled me into one of these conflicts again, the ones she alone seams to enjoy.

Every time was the same, she'd spew hate over me, anyone or anything related, and all I would do was give these angry, unimaginative retorts and hope she'd get tired of torturing me sooner than later.

Only way to actually stop her would be to forcefully shut her mouth, which I did with a hex once. She reported the "assault" to Snape and I spent a week in detention, doing her homework while Snape kept an eye on me over the papers he was grading. Truth was, I couldn't do much to stop her and she took full advantage of that.

"What's the matter Granger? What's the hurry? Going somewhere?" She teased with a barrage of questions.

"Away from you!" I said honestly, which was the only good thing about quarrelling with her. I could be as honest as I wanted, but the allure of that wore off pretty quick.

I picked up my pace, but she kept up. I wasn't in the mood, not today. I just couldn't handle it, so I turned around to face her. "Why don't you just leave me alone?" I tried pleading, sounding more desperate than I intended.

"Why don't YOU just leave?" She retorted at once, only thriving on my despair. "Go back to your muggle world, ha?"

I only sighed in response. There was no reasoning with her.

"That's where you belong, you know." She continued and gazed up into the air, looking very proud of herself. "It's like I'm doing a public service here, letting your kind know you're not welcome here."

"Okay, so you told me. Could you leave me alone now?" I tried once again calmly and attempted to walk away again. No use, she followed. I felt like a fish on a hook, being reeled in. She wouldn't give up easily. I planed on riding this out as calmly as I can. I'll just walk a straight line, and off into the woods if necessary. She'll have to give up at some point.

"So why are you alone out here? Where's your boyfriend?"

"What?" I droned.

"You know the…"

"If you're talking about Harry, we're friends." I cut her off. "And that joke is way too old by the way."

"No, I mean the ginger one."

"The same, friends, something you'll never have."

"I'd rather not have friends than hang out with Weasleys." She started laughing forcefully. No doubt I was about to hear what was so amusing.

"It's hilarious, when you think about it. You wanted to make friends and be a part of magical society but best you could do was the Weasleys, how pathetic… Tell me, what's their house like inside?"

"No." I said plainly. I had no intention of giving her any more insight into my life, nor any other person I knew, although she seamed to gather quite a lot without my help. Just from overhearing and gossiping I suppose.

"Well I saw that place once… form a far thankfully, I wouldn't step into that Weasley rat hole they call a house, lest it fall on my head."

"I'm sure they wouldn't invite you in their home."

"Oh good! I don't wanna go near it! I bet they're fucking like rabbits in there. They got fifty kids! Enough of ginger brats already!" She exclaimed.

The thought she put in my head was just… disgusting, I couldn't bear hearing one more stupidity like that. "Just fuck off! Leave me alone!" I yelled out in her face. I finally lost my temper. I could feel the vein on my temple pulsing. "Why the hell are you doing this?! You know I wish you would just disappear! If I could just kill you right now… damit I would!" I lost restrain and found myself speaking words I didn't actually think first.

I saw her expression change. If I didn't know better I'd say that really hurt her. That brief expression however, changed into fury. I swear I could see sparks in her eyes. She was staring me down, as if attempting to kill me with a stare.

I turned around to walk off, thinking I just might make it this time. That she has given up.

I sure was wrong as never before. She pounced on me and grabbed a fist full of my hair. I yelled out in pain as she pulled on it with all her might. I turned around swiftly and pushed her off. I knocked her down, but she was back up in an instant and coming at me again. There was no time to draw a wand and this turned into a real brawl. Not only was I trying to defend myself, but I really wanted to hurt her now. We were wrestling down on the floor.

When I managed pushed her away with my leg, I seized the opportunity and kicked her right in the face. She grabbed hold of her mouth, looking at me in shock, her eyes grew wide as they could possibly be.

She moved her fingers over her lips and brought them up to her eyes. When she saw a bit of blood on there, she completely lost it. I might have overdone it, I realized.

We both stood back on our feet. Knowing just who I injured, I could already imagine myself getting expelled. The thought paralyzed me.

As Parkinson reached in her pocket, so did I. "Expelliarmus!" We cried out simultaneously. Our wands flew yards behind each of us, and were back to wrestling on the dusty floorboards.

The rest was a haze. She was clawing at me like crazy, and I was trying to balance between defending myself and not harming her. I'm sure I could have wiped the floor with her, but knowing she'd use any excuse to get me in trouble, I just couldn't do it. I managed to pin her down at last and restrain her hands by grabbing hold of her wrists.

She was getting exhausted and submitted after what seamed like the whole 12 rounds of a boxing match. I was breathing heavily myself as she stopped struggling.

"Let me go." She said quietly, averting her gaze.

So I did.

With much effort she crawled over to the windowed edge of the bridge and sat under it. She hugged her knees and buried her face in her arms, sitting like that quietly.

I walked over to my wand and picked it up. Seeing as she didn't move, I went to pick up her wand as well. I felt safer knowing it was in my possession.

I could feel my cheek stinging just now. She must have scratched me in the commotion. "You're crazy! You really are insane, do you realize that?!" I yelled out standing over her. "Why the hell did you attack me?!" I demanded, but she offered no explanation, nor any sort of response. She kept her pose. Her face was hidden from me. "There's something really wrong with you!" I concluded, ready to storm off and intent on putting this whole thing behind me.

"I know." She said in a muffled whimper.

This made me spin around. "What?!" I asked, thinking I heard that wrong.

"I said you're right. I'll tell you what's wrong…" She paused looking up at me with eyes more crimson than usual.

"Well!? Go on then!"

"Forget it! Why should I tell YOU!" She spat after a short pause. Than she crossed her legs on the floor and pulled out something silvery out of her pocket.

I flinched at that, but realized the silver object was only a fancy looking cigar case.

"As if you'd understand it, if I did." She added opening the case that contained a few, from the looks of it, homemade cigars rolled up in some parchment scraps.

She put a cigar between her lips and extended a hand toward me, holding the palm open. "My wand!" She demanded.

"I don't think so." I said sternly.

"I'm just gonna light my cigar, if that's okay with you?! Besides it's my wand!"

"Alright, it is yours, but I'm warning you…"

"Yeah, yeah, just give it here!" She snatched it as soon as it was in range. She lit the cigar with the glowing tip of the wand and threw the wand behind herself, down below in the trees and bushes.

I was shocked and puzzled by this. Who throws away their wand like that anyway?

"I got a dozen more." She explained seeing my bewildered expression. "That one was broken. I know I cast that expelliarmus a second before you did."

I scoffed at that. "Yea, whatever you say."

She wiped her lower lip with the sleeve of her white school shirt. It was just a small lip cut. Those tend to bleed a lot, however it seamed to have stopped. The blood on her chin was dry, still being such a scaredy cat, she touched her lip between each smoke that she carelessly blew out in my face.

I waved the smoke away and coughed a few times, but I wasn't ready to go all the way back just yet. My legs felt week and drained of energy.

Parkinson glanced my way as I sat down and leaned back on the wooden board. I made sure there was plenty of space between us though.

It felt great just be alive. After that physical and mental stress… not having to move right now was heavenly. "I need to rest for a minute." I said.

She only shrugged blowing out a smoke, which was unusual of her. "Want one?" She offered, opening her cigar case.

That was even more unusual, I thought. I looked at her suspiciously. Maybe she has realized her fault and wanted to redeem in this way. I was tempted to accept, but still… "No." I refused after a pause.

"Suit yourself… wuss." She muttered quietly.

I never gave into such silly dares, but this really hurt my pride. If anything, I was no coward, and as well… I just didn't care for myself as much, not today. "Ok, give me one!" I demanded.

I stretched out my hand as far as I could and she did so as well, holding the cigar between her two silver painted fingernails. We were a bit short to make the exchange and neither was willing to move any closer.

"Get it!" She snapped, so I leaned over and got it with the very tip of my fingers.

I inspected the poorly rolled up cigar. It was about to fall apart. She never did anything thoroughly in school, and this was no different. I still had doubts, but what doesn't kill you makes you stronger, I figured. This is something I liked to think applied to all situations, presuming a favourable outcome, of course.

"Just give it back! If you're just gonna stare at it…" Parkinson scoffed, interrupting my inner dialogue.

"Hold on, I'll do it." I said. I lit the cigar and inhaled. I felt the smoke fill my lungs and a choking sensation in my throat.

Parkinson leaned her head back on the wooden board and watched me cough with a corner of her eye. I was expecting some insult any moment now, but she just sat there looking unusually calm.

I wonder if it's the cigar that's making her tongue so still. I took another smoke and it felt much better. I didn't cough as much.

For you Pansy/Hermione fans. Let me know what you think of the 1st ch. I wrote up to 6th chapter, may change things, so I will update in time. My ID on deviantArt is RagPrince , so visit for some Pansy/Hermione pics I also made recently.