Hermione wiped the wispy strands of hair away from his face with trembling fingers. Her fingers traced his cheekbone sliding down to wipe away the blood at the corner of his mouth. And slowly she lay down next to him resting her head on his chest and taking his hand winding her fingers with his. She pulled herself closer draping a leg over his and trying to keep them grounded trying to keep them together.
She was in another time, a time where the only thing that really counted was her grades, where things like the war were just distant shapes on some unknown horizon. Where life was…..just was. There were pitfalls and the good times, she cried and she laughed but it was her life. There were the crazy adventures and mishaps Harry, Ron, and her always seemed to get in. She wouldn't change one single thing.
It was a rainy day and she was sitting in the window seat trying to keep back her tears. She just couldn't believe that he was gone. She couldn't believe that he could go from being her teacher one day to dead the next. Hermione was going to miss Remus Lupin. He had been so much to her, had been able to share the pain of being a pariah to most of the wizarding world. He had never made her feel that her troubles with being Muggle born were any less than his being a werewolf. She loved Harry and Ron, yes, but they couldn't really understand what it was like, to have people automatically hate you because you're parents possessed not a speck of magic. Couldn't understand the pain the word 'mudblood' inflicted. Her only consolation was gone, and she had never felt more alone.
Hermione got up slowly sniffling and wiping away her tear heading down the hallway towards the Great Hall where dinner was in session. As she neared she heard sounds of a fight from inside a classroom and she ran over throwing the door open violently. She froze at the sight that met her eyes. Ron was holding Malfoy's arms behind his back as Harry punched him repeatedly in the stomach. Malfoy's neck was bent his hair covering most of his face but she could see blood dripping from his mouth and nose, and watched as he was hit again the strange absence of emotion on his face. No pain, no fear, not even hate it made Hermione shiver.
The door collided with the wall making Harry spin around wand in hand even as Ron kept a firm hold on Malfoy whose eyes stayed on the ground. As Harry saw her his face went slack.
"What the hell are you doing?!" She shrieked in shock. Ron seeing it was her gulped but didn't let go of the other boy.
"Hermione-" Harry began but she cut him off.
"No, no don't even try to explain." Her face was hard and her insides were frozen with disbelief even a lit bit of horror.
"It's not as bad as it looks." Ron said his face showing no repentance.
"Not as bad as it looks?" She said slowly repeating his words slowly. "So me walking on you savagely beating up a fellow student isn't as bad as it looks." Her voice slowly faded into cold anger.
"It's his fault Remus is dead!" Harry shouted suddenly his face tinged red and his hair in disarray. A line of blood was at the corner of his mouth.
"Harry you know it isn't!" She shouted back, "It was Greyback-"
"Yeah and who brought Greyback into our school last year? Who Hermione? Who?" He shouted spit flying out of his mouth as he looked half mad. Her eyes were wide and her breath stuck in her chest. This was not the Harry she knew.
"If you leave now I won't report you. Clean yourself up and get to dinner." Her voice was cold and flat leaving no room for argument.
"'Mione-", Ron said pleadingly.
"Now or I will go straight to McGonagall and report this. Don't you even dare to doubt me." She said her eyes narrowed in revulsion. Harry's eyes met hers and his face was calmer now, but his like Ron's held no guilt. "Leave now." She managed to grit out and Ron dropped Malfoy who fell to the ground and didn't move. She waited her body rigid until the door closed softly. Hermione ran over to Malfoy dropping to her knees hearing them crack against the stone. She turned him over slowly her eyes scanning his beaten face.
"Oh shit. Oh no. What am I supposed to do?" She muttered. "How could they do this?" She moved her hand to check his pulse and screamed when his hand grabbed her wrist.
"Not so fast Granger." Malfoy said his voice low and cracking.
"Thank god you're alive." She said closing her eyes and taking a deep breath.
"Thank who?" He whispered and she stared at him blankly.
"Oh it doesn't matter. Can you sit up?" She asked reaching behind him to help him not waiting for an answer; she barely noticed his small wince and leaned him against the wall. "Oh fuck, Harry." She muttered her hand reaching out to touch his swollen eye but he swatted it away his eyes angry and wary.
"Don't touch it." He said heatedly.
"Sorry." She said feeling chastised. Hermione pulled out her wand and before she knew it Malfoy had grabbed her hand slamming it against a desk and she dropped her wand. He kicked it away viciously glaring at her. "Bloody hell. I only wanted to heal you!" She cried out trying to rip her hand away from him but he never let go. "What are you doing Malfoy?" He suddenly jerked her forward nearly causing her to fall in his lap and their faces were barely an inch apart.
"Never try to pull your wand on me again Granger." He said quietly and she couldn't help swallowing heavily, they stayed like that for what seemed like hours before he pushed her backwards and she landed on her butt. He made to stand grabbing the wall to help him and she scrambled to her feet as well. He was heading towards the door and she ran in front spreading her arms to block it.
"You can't go out there looking like that." She said glancing at him nervously and he just studied her for a moment before sneering.
"Trying to protect your little friends huh?" He asked his voice hard. "Watch me." He added pushing her aside easily. She ran out after him.
"Malfoy-" He turned quickly causing her to jump and clamp her mouth shut.
"I'm keeping this to teach you a lesson." He said holding up her wand and her mouth fell open wondering how he had managed to get it.
"But-" she stuttered. "But I need it for classes!" She tried not to think about the tinge of hysteria that was all too noticeable in her voice. She watched as he grinned slyly walking towards her a bit before stopping and looking down at her.
"I guess you'll just have to be good or I might just feed it to the squid." He said his eyes twinkling merrily, more like evilly Hermione muttered to herself, and then he winked and walked away. Hermione stood dumb founded not even quite comprehending what he said until he had turned the corner.
"Wait! Malfoy!" She ran after him but when she turned the corner he was gone. She screamed softly before heading to find her two soon to be ex-friends.