Hey all! I'm sorry I took so long to post something new... I'm a horrible person.
Blind
Hermione scowled at no one in particular as she got out of her parent's car and walked towards the entrance to Kings Cross Station. Already she could hear people whispering. She could all but see the people milling about, pausing for a moment to point or stare at the poor girl with the sunglasses and cane. Everyone hurried to make sure she had a clear path to her destination, and she could feel the bubble of space between her and everyone else in the area, in the station, in the world. She leaned on the bricks between platforms 9 and 10 and continued walking to board the train.
"Hermione! Are you OK?"
"Here Hermione, let me take your trunk."
"Hi, Hermione. It's Lee. Can I help you find Harry and Ron?"
The barrage of questions and offers of guidance annoyed her, but she tried to be polite in refusing everyone. They were only trying to be helpful. They didn't know how she hated them treating her like some sort of invalid. They didn't realize how degrading and condescending they were being.
"Do you need me to lead you to the train?"
The last question, asked by a third year pureblood Gryffindor who she couldn't remember the name of, made her lose control.
"Thank you, but I'm perfectly capable of getting on a train by myself. I have done it successfully more times than you have, and I have been doing it since before you were born! Now, please, get out of my way!" She started to march angrily towards the train.
The girl stepped aside, eyes wide with shock. "How did she know I was between her and the train?" She asked a fellow third year.
Hermione spun around and pointed directly at the young girl. "I'm blind, not deaf! I can hear you, and I can hear the bloody train!"
She heard the two girls run off and sighed. "So much for keeping my temper in check." She grabbed the railing of the steps leading onto the train and walked down the hallway. She was only a few meters down the train when she realized she had no way of figuring out which compartments were taken and no way of locating Harry and Ron without looking helpless to those around her.
"Oi! Hermione!" At the sound of Ron's voice, her panic receded. She turned around and smiled, hearing two sets of footsteps; she knew Harry had to be with Ron.
"Hi, Ron! Hi, Harry! How was the rest of your summer?" Harry walked forward and hugged her.
"It was great, 'Mione." She hugged him back and he could feel her suddenly tense when Ron spoke.
"Wait, how did you know Harry was with me? I thought you couldn't see anything." Hermione disentangled herself from Harry and stormed off, no longer worried about finding an empty compartment. She just needed to get as far away from Ron as possible so she wouldn't jinx his head off. Harry glared at his still confused friend as Hermione walked off.
"What did I do?" Ron scratched his head, his face the absolute epitome of bewilderment.
"I don't know Ron, but you pissed her off, and now she's mad." Harry scuffed his foot. "I don't know how she knew I was there either." They stood there awkwardly for a moment and then Harry's head snapped up. "Oh, bugger."
"What now?" Ron asked.
"Hermione can't see who is in what compartment, and she certainly can't see if she's walking into a compartment full of Slytherins!" He started walking towards the back of the train and Ron ran to catch up. Just as they were starting to really worry about where their friend was, they heard her laugh from the compartment on their left.
"Hermione! Thank goodness! Are you OK?" Harry looked her over as if expecting to see an injury of some sort.
"And why wouldn't I be OK?" She asked coldly, her eyebrows pointing downwards and her sunglasses hiding her intense glare.
"How did you manage to find a compartment? Oh. Did Neville and Luna help you?" He looked questioningly at the other two people in the compartment. Hermione opened her mouth, ready to express her outrage at his offensive question, but Luna spoke up first.
"Actually Harry, Hermione came in of her own accord. I doubt even Firey Lagenburts helped her to find her way." Ron had an inquisitive look on his face, but Harry shook his head violently. The last thing he wanted was an explanation of what exactly a Firey Lagenburt was.
"You two need to realize that I am perfectly capable of going about my every day life" Hermione stated in her most McGonagall-like voice "and if I ever need any help I will ask for it. I'm not so stupid as to risk injury because I can't swallow my pride, but I refuse to be treated like some sort of baby who can't do anything for herself!" In her fury, she had stood up and now she sat back down, grabbed a textbook from her back and opened up to a marked page.
"That book has no words! How can you read it?" Hermione's head snapped up with such a force that Neville winced.
"And how would I read it if it had words Ronald?" She removed her sunglasses to let him see the cold fury in her eyes, directed right at him. "I wouldn't be able to see the bloody words if they were there, so what does it matter that they aren't?" He stuttered. "Besides, there are words there. The book is written in Braille."
"How did you manage to learn Braille so fast, Hermione?" Harry asked.
"My aunt is blind so I've known Braille since I was six. Now please let me read!" Harry and Ron looked at each other in shock at their friend's temper, but didn't dare say anything else as they sat down. Neville asked Ron about the Chudley Cannons and soon all three boys were in deep discussion over the latest Quiddich tactics. Hermione and Luna both sat quietly reading. Hermione wasn't really reading though. She was regretting how angry she had been earlier. She would have to apologize eventually, but she was also sad that expressing her anger had felt so good. A lot of the time that they had been friends, Hermione had repressed her feelings to protect their friendship and avoid conflict. Over the past few years she had become more and more bitter; her held back comments becoming more and more sarcastic and biting. What was wrong with her?
These thoughts plagued her until she found a paragraph previously unread in her textbook that explained the generally unknown healing properties of several common garden flowers native to Britain. She started reading eagerly and the rest the train ride was peaceful, as was the carriage ride to the castle.
Double chocolate chunk brownies for anyone who reviews!!