Hey Guys! This is my first fanfiction. Please be honest and tell me what you think! See if you can find the Downton Abbey reference J Thanks to pockethuman, Marauder's Memory, and jc2016 for helping me improve and finish this fanfic!
This all starts in the Half Blood Prince, directly after the scene in Chapter 14, page 302.
I own nothing! Harry Potter and it's characters belong to the wonderfully brilliant J.K. Rowling.
Text from the book
Thoughts
"Oppugno!" came a shriek from the doorway.
Harry spun around to see Hermione pointing her wand at Ron, her expression wild: The little flock of birds was speeding like a hail of fat golden bullets towards Ron, who yelped and covered his face with his hands, but the birds attacked, pecking and clawing at every bit of flesh they could reach.
"Gerremoffme!" he yelled, but with one last look of vindictive fury, Hermione wrenched open the door and disappeared through it. Harry thought he heard a sob before it slammed."
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Chapter 14, page 302
Hermione had no idea where she was going. She just wanted to get as far away as possible from Ron and Lavender. She ignored the tears streaming down her face and kept running. "Stupid ignorant git! Why did he choose Lavender? Why didn't he even think to consider what I thought? I thought we were going to Slughorn's Christmas party together… Wait. Why do I care that Ron was snogging someone in the common room? Why should I be bothered with the fact that we obviously aren't going to the Christmas party together? It's not like we were a couple or anything. " "Because you love him, you idiot." The voice in her head reasoned. This just made the tears come faster, blurring her vision.
She continued to run blindly through the corridors. No way on earth was she headed back to the common room. That was already settled. No matter though, her feet seemed to be on auto pilot. "How am I supposed to face him now? I've been here for him the entire time! Sure we've fought a lot but that doesn't mean I've wanted to end our friendship! But he chose that daft dimbo… I just don't understand…"
Hermione was lost in her thoughts as her feet rapidly carried her through the halls in no particular direction. She came to a stop when she thought she was a safe enough distance away from the common room. She slid down the stone cold wall and slumped to the ground. She pulled her legs to her chest and buried her face in her knees. She didn't care anymore. No one would hear her now. She broke down and cried.
"Finally finished," Minerva McGonagall muttered to herself, "now maybe a strong cup tea before bed." She put away the newly graded third year transfiguration papers in the top drawer of her desk in her classroom. It's not that she didn't enjoy her job. Quite the opposite. Just with Voldemort gathering more followers by the hour, Albus leaving at odd times during the school year to find who-knows-what, and the Order of the Phoenix, well it made her life a bit more complicated. As deputy headmistress, she was second in command, therefore, when Albus was away on some sort of secret mission, as he so called them, it was her job to run the school. It was not like her to fall behind on grading, but with the situation at hand, it was hard not to.
She looked at the small gold watch on her wrist. "11 pm. Honestly, will I ever get any sleep?" Minerva walked over to the small tea set in the corner of her classroom and reheated the tea with a flick of her wand. Pouring herself a cup of Earl Grey tea, she reached for the tin of Ginger Newts that she kept in the drawer underneath the old tea set. She then sat back down in her straight-back, emerald green chair, closed her eyes and inhaled the smell of ginger and citrus fruit coming from the tea and biscuits. The professor was about to take the first sip of her drink when she heard it- a muffled whimper coming from outside of the door so small that she wouldn't have noticed it had it not been for her animagus traits.
"What on earth?" She drew her wand and crept slowly to the door. The sobbing grew louder as she approached it. "Please don't let this be a homesick first year." She understood why a student would be homesick at a time like this. She herself was terrified as a first year during the war with Grindelwald. She shuttered. No, she didn't like to think back to those days. It's not that she didn't want to help one of her students. She loved her cubs. If she were honest with herself, she hated that they didn't want to come see her first when they were troubled or just needed someone to talk to. But she figured that if she wanted to maintain her image as the strict head of Gryffindor house, she couldn't allow herself to turn into the person that she longed to be at times.
Wand held out in front of her, she grasped the door knob and turned it slowly as not to disturb the human being outside of her classroom. The professor quietly slipped out of the room and into the corridor. She looked down and saw someone she thought she would never see at this hour.
"Miss Granger?"
Indeed, there was Hermione Granger, arms wrapped around her knees, wild, bushy brown hair covering her face, and shivering as sobs shook her small frame. Minerva was absolutely baffled. "Why would Miss Granger be outside of my office at eleven o'clock at night, crying of all things? I thought the name calling had stopped quite a few years ago." During Hermione's first few years at Hogwarts, she was on the receiving end of some very vile names, mostly thrown at her by Slytherin House. Minerva had kept an eye on the young girl since the moment she was sorted into Gryffindor. She could tell that this girl, being a muggle-born, probably wouldn't have very many friends at first. Hermione's best friends were books for quite some time, often reminding Minerva of herself as a student. Just one month after school had started, little Hermione burst into the transfiguration professor's office with tears staining her face, asking if she could return home because there was no way that she would ever find friends. After a long talk with the little Gryffindor, Hermione was feeling much better and left the office with her head held high. A month later, she was best friends with Harry Potter and Ron Weasley. There had been very few instances since then that Minerva could remember seeing Hermione in tears.
Hermione mustn't have heard her, she made no reaction to the sound of her teacher's voice. Minerva tried again and gently tapped the girl's shoulder.
"Miss Granger?"
Hermione jumped a bit as her head snapped up to look at the transfiguration professor. Minerva's heart broke a little at the sight of her cub in such a state of obvious distress. Tears flowed like a river down her face and her breathing was uneven. What startled the professor the most was the clear look of defeat in the girl's eyes.
"Miss Granger, what, may I ask, are you doing outside of my office at almost eleven o'clock at night?"
She supposed she sounded harsher than she had intended to, for Hermione quickly stood up and found her shoes rather interesting.
"Well, you see professor, I was working in the library on some of my potions homework, and I didn't realize how late it had become. I knew I was out after curfew so I tried to run back to the common room as quickly as I could. On the way back, I… er… tripped on Mrs. Norris and hit my head on the wall outside of your office. That's why I was in the state you found me in. So…er… I guess I have detention now, don't I?"
"No, Miss Granger, you don't have detention."
A small smile appeared on Hermione's face.
"Thanks professor. So I'll just go back to the comm- "
"That doesn't mean I don't want to know the real reason why you were crying outside in the corridor."
Hermione looked down again at the floor.
"Why don't you come into my office, I just brewed a pot of tea."
As Hermione followed her professor into the room, she kept her eyes firmly planted on the ground in front of her. She really didn't want to talk about this.
"Professor, I really should be heading back, I still need to finish Professor Snape's essay on nonverbal spells and –"
"Miss Granger, if you are terrible at one thing, it's lying. I know you have probably already finished that essay, you were not coming from the library, and you most certainly did not trip over Mrs. Norris."
Minerva handed a Hermione a cup of the fragrant tea and conjured a comfy looking armchair for her next to her desk. Motioning for her to sit, Minerva sat in her throne-like, emerald chair. Hermione hesitantly sat in the scarlet armchair and gingerly took a sip of the steaming liquid.
"Now, why don't you explain to me why you were sobbing outside?"
Hermione knew she couldn't lie to her favorite professor and hesitated before the first words ever left her mouth. She took a deep breath.
"Well professor, there's not much to tell. It started earlier this morning at breakfast. I thought Harry had put Felix Felicis into Ron's pumpkin juice and I had warned him not to drink it. He didn't listen to me, as usual. Harry denied it of course. I was so angry that I decided to walk down to the quidditch pitch by myself. After the game, I went to try and confront them about the lucky potion. That's when I found out that Harry hadn't added it to Ron's drink but pretended to so it might help Ron not be so nervous."
At this, Hermione looked a bit ashamed and talked at the tea cup in her hand rather than look the older witch in the eyes.
"Ron and I had a bit of a row afterward and we both stormed out of the changing room. Ron walked into the common room first and I followed soon after. Lavender Brown…er… walked up to him and…um…kissed him. He um… didn't seem to mind."
Minerva could see a few tears rolling down the younger girl's face as she fiercely tried to wipe them away.
"He seemed to be enjoying himself and, well, it hurt professor. So I did the only thing that seemed sensible; I ran. I found an unlocked classroom and decided that I might be able to be left alone if I stayed in there. I thought that practicing some of the spells we learned in Charms class might help me clear my mind. That is until Harry found me, and then Ron came in with Lavender pulling on his hand like a lost puppy. Lavender walked out and Ron j-just avoided me. I kn-knew he w-would rather be w-with Lavender so I told him n-not to l-leave her waiting. I c-couldn't just leave th-though, as bad as it s-sounds now, I wanted him to r-realize what he d-did to me. I cast b-birds to attack h-him just to give m-me enough time t-to run before he s-saw me c-crying."
Hermione didn't care that her vision was blurred and she stopped trying to stop her tears from flowing down her pale cheeks.
"I r-ran as far as I c-could and I guess my feet just sort of c-carried me here. Why does it h-hurt so much p-professor? I feel like m-my heart has b-been ripped to s-shreds, thrown to t-the dirt, and stomped on r-repeatedly. I d-don't k-know if I can do t-this anymore."
Hermione ended her story with a sob that wracked her small frame. Minerva couldn't take it anymore. She placed her now stone cold tea down on the desk and got out of her chair. She gently took the tea from Hermione's small hands and set it on the desk. Pulling the girl out of her seat she wrapped her long arms around the young witch's shaking frame, giving her a most uncharacteristic hug. Hermione cried harder and clung to Minerva as if she would disappear at any moment.
"How could Ronald be so insensitive?" Minerva thought to herself. Even the staff has placed bets on when Miss Granger and Mr. Weasley would finally have some sense knocked into them! These two are far too stubborn for their own good.
Minerva continued to hold Hermione until eventually she calmed down. Looking rather embarrassed, Hermione pulled away from the hug and sat back down in the comfortable armchair while Minerva went back to her own chair.
"Professor, I'm sorry… I-"
"No need to apologize Hermione, it's perfectly alright to cry sometimes. I, myself, have done so on more than a few occasions. I find that it helps release some of the pent up frustration that life throws at us."
Hermione gave a small smile.
"Thanks professor. I really needed it."
"Anytime, Hermione."
They sat in comfortable silence for a few minutes, each lost in their own thoughts. Hermione still had a few tears dripping from her watery chocolate orbs and her hands twisted nervously in her lap as she appeared deep in thought. The transfiguration professor looked to be lost in her thoughts as well, occasionally looking at the young Gryffindor next to her with a worried look on her face. Only a few minutes had passed when Minerva broke the somewhat uneasy silence.
"Hermione?"
Hermione twisted her head to look at the older witch, still trying hard not to cry any more than she already had.
"I know it's hard now. Trust me, this situation seems to be quite familiar for me. I know what it feels like, to have you heart crushed to what you think is beyond repair, it hurts. Eventually over time, the rip in your heart will scar over and you won't feel the pain so much but it remains to be that still, a scar. After all, we must all have our hearts broken once or twice before we're done. I know you love him, Hermione. That much has been obvious since your fourth year."
At this statement Hermione's cheeks reddened considerably.
"Ronald has been equally fond of you for quite sometime now if my memory is correct… yes, I believe it is. I just wish that he would stop toying with Miss Brown's feelings. But Hermione, just realize that you are such a kind and brilliant witch with a heart of a lion if I ever saw one. Sooner or later Ronald will come around. Just be patient and don't quite give up on him just yet."
The older witch patted the young girl's hand and gave her a warm smile.
"Now why don't we walk back to the common room, hmm? It's far past curfew and I think most of the students will be asleep, don't you think? Yes, well then…"
The girl nodded absentmindedly and rose from her chair as Minerva did the same. The professor levitated the fragile tea cups to the tea tray at the back of the room and walked through the wooden doors, Hermione right beside her.
They walked in comfortable silence, Hermione looking considerably less broken then when the older witch had found her, until they reached the portrait of the Fat Lady.
"They've all gone to their dormitories, Professor McGonagall." The portrait stated.
Minerva nodded stiffly.
"Professor?"
Minerva turned to look at the young witch quizzically.
"I just wanted to say thank you. Ever since my first year at Hogwarts I knew you were looking out for me, and I'm truly grateful. You've always been there for me when I needed help and I know you didn't have to tell me everything you did but what you said means a lot. So, um, thank you for everything professor."
Hermione gave her teacher a quick hug.
"You're most welcome, Hermione." The older witch replied, returning the hug.
Hermione grinned.
"Goodnight, Professor."
"Goodnight, Miss Granger."
Hermione stated the password, "Audaces leones" and stepped through the portrait hole and into the common room.
Minerva allowed herself a small smile. Hermione would be alright. She was once again reminded of how much her cub and herself were alike. At least for the young witch it wasn't too late. She swallowed hard. The advice she gave Hermione was accurate, the wound heals eventually but it still remains to be a scar afterward, one that never goes away. She shook her head. Now was not the time to reflect on her past life. Now it is the time to focus on the future and what it holds.
Thanks for reading!