Chapter Two: As It Is

Disclaimer- I sadly do not own the Harry Potter characters, but I will borrow them for the enjoyment of myself, and others.

A/N: I really am sorry and I apologize for the long wait, thanks to those of you who reviewed. Here's Chapter Two… again.

And as always:

"talking"

'thinking'

As It Is

Sitting at the Gryffindor table, the brains of the Golden Trio was in a state of shock. This new "professor", Umbridge, was absolutely ghastly. And the way she treated Professor Dumbledore! Atrocious. 'I can already tell... this year will not be pretty.'

Zoning out, Hermione was barely listening to the other two members of the Gryffindor trio and the sound around her dimmed to a hum. Soon she found herself watching the Slytherin table, observing them you could say. Pansy sat near the edge with Millicent to her left and a new first year, Hermione didn't catch the name, to her right. Farther to the left of her new friend Parkinson was the usual collection of Slytherins; Malfoy sat with Crabbe and Goyle on his left and right respectively, and across from him sat Zambini and Nott. There was a sad gleam in Pansy's eyes as she rolled food around on her plate. 'Yes, this year would be interesting.'

"'Mione, 'Mione are you even listening?" Ron demanded with part of his chicken leg still in his mouth. Not waiting for an answer he continued, "Harry said that the pink toad up there was at his Ministry Hearing."

Hermione, continued watching the "Snake pit's" table, and she saw Blaise Zambini lean over and whisper something in Pansy's ear. The Gryffindor didn't have any clue as to what the snake said, but she did know that the next moment her new friend was up, rushing out of the Great Hall in tears leaving Blaise staring, dumbfounded, at the empty spot where she had been a few moments before. As soon as the sight registered in her mind Hermione was up and dashing out after Parkinson.

An eyebrow arched as Severus Snape surveyed the scene, watching the insufferable-Gryffindor-know-it-all follow one of his Slytherins out of the room. Rising from the Head table and briskly nodding to the other professors he stalked out of the Great hall after them.

Still seated at the Gryffindor table Harry looked at Ron for an explanation, and the Weasley boy simply shrugged. Planning on asking later the two boys returned to their food with the same thing on both their minds, 'Girls sure are complicated.'

Shadows provided excellent cover for the potions master as he watched the two fifth years. The two walked the halls together, their voices low whispers to each other as the Gryffindor comforted the Slytherin. Where were the other Slytherins? He knew that they were better than leaving the Parkinson girl like that. But, more than anything, the man lurking in the shadows found it hard to believe that they're could ever be a connection between the two before him, let alone that there was.

Walking, or more like storming down the corridors towards the Library Hermione seethed. She was focusing on fuming about Umbridge rather than paying attention to where she was headed. "That Ministry Toad doesn't even deserve to teach. She can't teach. I bet Umbridge couldn't even handle a class of first years." Filled to the brim with anger and frustration the girl slammed open the Library door and heard a sickening crunch, followed soon after by a dull thud. She had hit someone!

"Oh I am so sorry!" she gushed leaning down to find Professor Severus Snape on the floor. Gasping, Hermione couldn't believe her luck. 'How could this get any worse?' "I am so very sorry Professor." She exclaimed before she saw the blood, yes blood, running into his hands from his nose. From his hand it dripped down, falling to the ground below. Yes, the situation had indeed gotten worse. "Professor I can't apologize enough. I am so sorry, here let me…" she trailed off.

"Granger do you believe me daft?" Snape hissed. "I can fix it myself." He continued to do just that, "I am not one of those two fools that you run around with."

"..."

"Twenty points from Gryffindor…. Granger."

Looking down the Gryffindor apologized once more before turning around. She rushed over to sit down with Pansy and work on a Charms essay before he could give her detention for, in-advertently, assaulting a professor. Shaking her head she attempted to concentrate, but her thoughts quickly wandered... and took a turn for the worse.

'Blood' she thought as her breathing began to quicken. 'Mom and dad- they were in a car when…when another came virtually out of thin air. That second car crashed into mom's, smashed it to the point of no repair, and when the door opened… Blood... there was so much blood.' She shuddered before being shaken "awake" by a frantic and worried Pansy, she soon returned to her new form of 'normal'.

"What is it, what's wrong?" the slightly shaken Slytherin asked.

Hermione looked at her, "Pansy I'm fine. I was just thinking too much, it's not that unusual for me to do." She 'smiled' at her new friend and continued to assure her that she was "fine."

Pansy didn't quite believe her, she thought Hermione's smile looked unusual, it looked fake. But who was the Slytherin to judge? She was just getting to know the Gryffindor. So instead of protesting she simply nodded and the two returned to their respective essays. They were later joined by a familiar voice that giggled, "Quibler?"

"Harry, what's up?" Ron asked looking over at his best mate. "You've been out of it lately; you started acting weird at about the time you got detention with that toad. And…" he trailed off at the sight of his friend's hand. "Bloody Hell mate, what happened?" the red head demanded, nearly shouting.

"Hey 'Mione, what is it that's been bothering you?" Pansy asked as the two girls sat, leaning against a tree looking out at the Black Lake. Her friend had been becoming more and more distracted as of late. The Slytherin knew that she had only been friends with Granger for a few weeks, but still, this was so….so, unsettling…. The way the other girl would walk, unthinking, or how she would zone out consistently, even during classes. And how Hermione looked when she didn't see anything, she looked… almost hollow.

Oh, she didn't know, Parkinson was just so worried. Her new friend was just starting to be, well... she was acting increasingly unusual. Hermione was always reading, which in itself is not unusual, but lately she had picked up reading during classes. Zoning out during lessons was one thing, but reading just showed a blatant disrespect towards the professors.

"I'm fine Pansy, really. You're a great friend for worrying about me, but there's no need to. I'm alright, truly I am. I've just been searching for something, it's all I seem to think about lately, that's all." Hermione assured, and then the two girls returned to gazing out at the beautiful lake.

"Miss Granger, may I borrow you for a moment?" Professor McGonagall asked stepping forward to stand before the two girls. She had a watchful eye on Pansy as she tilted her head down to look at Hermione.

Nodding to her Head of House she replied, "Of course Professor." Standing and brushing herself off Hermione turned to Parkinson. "Pansy I'll meet you in the library soon, alright?" and after receiving a positive response she turned and followed McGonagall to her office.

Sitting down in one of the red arm chairs across from McGonagall's desk she tilted her head, "Did I do something wrong Professor?"

In the corridors near the library Pansy walked with her nose in a book, a habit she had recently picked up from 'Mione.

As carson and a few other Slytherin boys walked through the halls to the dungeons they spotted Parkinson headed towards them engulfed in the book she was reading. They looked between themselves before looking back at her, she was the perfect target.

Once again walking in the shadows of the hallways Severus Snape saw an interesting scene. Now even at Hogwarts students mistreating each other is not so very uncommon. So seeing violence in the halls was not shocking, but realizing that it was Slytherin against Slytherin was.

Oh Hermione was aggravated now. Professor McGonagall had brought her in about her essays. They were still Outstanding quality, but were appeared more "shaky and distracted" than normal. Though that may be so it wasn't what was bothering her, no.

Umbridge, that toad that calls herself a teacher did. Calling her in about joining that "Jerk Squad' of hers. Why in Merlin's name would she do that? Join them, ha, not likely, actually impossible. She was a prefect, she would not allow Umbridge to mesh the two forces. 'And as if that weren't enough, on top of it, I'm taking Newts this year instead of Owls do to outstanding performance in the past. Bloody Brilliant!'

For Merlin's sake, now she was talking like Ronald. Speaking of the ginger-bloke, does he have nerve. Right after calling her a dunce for wanting Pansy in the D.A. and on top of that, after refusing it, he felt it alright to ask her to Hogsmead. The git. And after he criticizes her decisions and judgment he expects her to accept, not likely.

She had considered, but no. She had at a point in time liked him; she had at one time a crush on him. But Ron just wasn't someone that she could imagine herself growing old with. 'Ronald can't even tell…'

"Pansy!" she screamed seeing the girl fall to the ground, as she was hexed. "Perfeculus Totalus!" she shouted along with several other choice spells as she ran to the aid of her friend. With the other Slytherins lying bounded on the floor Hermione attempted to coerce Pansy into taking her arms away from her face.

Worried sick Hermione barely noticed the boys she had sent sprawling across the floor and had focused only on her friend. So naturally, she was startled as a familiar voice calmly stated a stunning spell aimed at a Slytherin that was attempting to hex her from behind. But more than that it was what it said a few moments later as it rang through the corridors, "Miss Granger, help Miss Parkinson to the infirmary. These boys will be dealt with appropriately."

A/N: I have a question; I want Draco to be gay, not a jerk, for my own reasons… and for a better fit in the scheme of things. So he needs a partner, I was wondering who it should be? Vote in reviews or message me please. If no one votes I'll make it Harry.

Thanks again for waiting, I apologize for the long wait I hope you enjoyed it, and please review.