Cool Steel Chapter 2- And So It Continues

Disclaimer: Once again I do not own any of the characters or main back story. That pleasure resides solely with JK Rowling... I only own the unfortunate plot bunnies that contribute to this.

AN: Sorry it's so short. Also, I don't currently have a beta so if you would be interested please PM me.

The next morning Hermione woke up to a stinging in her hip. She smiled at the reminder of the control she had given herself last night. It may not be permanent, but it damn well helps she thought to herself as she slipped out of bed. Grabbing her bag of toiletries Hermione headed to the prefect's bathroom. Once inside she locked and warded the door, before stripping down and going to stand in front of the mirror. She slowly began to peel the bandage away and let out a hiss when it stuck to the wound. Gritting her teeth she ripped the bandage off with another sharp hiss.

The wounds looked red and angry, and began seeping blood in the places where the bandage had stuck. Hermione looked at the four marks sadly and wondered whether she should heal them. Thinking back over the day before she decided that no she needed these physical reminders to maintain her control.

With that decision made Hermione began to clean and bandage her hip with some of the supplies she kept in her toiletries bag. She then dressed in her uniform and fixed her hair into a thick French braid with a few curls framing her face. When satisfied with her hair, she headed back to Gryffindor tower to collect her books from her room. Unfortunately she ran into Lavender on the way.

"Oi! Hey Hermione," Lavender called cheerily.

"Hey"

"Listen, have you done your Arithmancy homework yet?" Lavender asked in a sweet voice.

"Yeah I finished it a few days ago. Why?" replied Hermione suspiciously.

Lavender gave her an innocent look before responding with, "Well the thing is... I haven't done mine yet, and I have big plans with Parvati over the next couple a days... So I won't have time to do it ya' know... So do you think I could copy yours?"

Hermione looked at her for a long moment before saying, "I don't think so Lavender. It's not a difficult assignment, so it shouldn't take you too long to complete."

"Yeah so? That's the bloody point isn't it. It's waste of time, so what's it matter if I'm the one to complete it or I just copy yours?" she snapped back.

"Lavender I'm sorry, but no."

"Merlin! Your such a bloody bitch! No wonder Ron doesn't want to hang out with you. You're such a stuck-up snit I doubt your own parents like being around you!"

With that proclamation Lavender stormed out of the common room, leaving Hermione to stand there in shock for a moment, before her eyes began to well with tears. I will not cry here Hermione thought to herself, just as she took her thumb and pressed it hard against the bandage on her hip. When the pain wasn't enough and the tears still threatened to fall she used her thumb nail to dig into the flesh until she felt one of the cuts pop open again. The stinging pain brought a sigh of relief to Hermione's lips as the tears cleared from her eyes.

The week continued on much the same as it had started. The boys continued to pay little attention to her, Malfoy persisted in being an arse, and Lavender kept making occasional snide comments about Hermione's personality and looks. However, Hermione kept the smile plastered on her face and continued to pretend nothing was wrong. If she felt overwhelmed or in fear of crying she simply pressed hard on the wounds and the burning pain would return her tenuous control.

As the wounds healed Hermione believed her ability to remain calm was strengthening and felt she would no longer need injuries to keep herself calm. That was until she received a letter from her parents at breakfast on Thursday.

Hermione,

We realize the Holidays are still a ways off but your mother and I wanted to give you forewarning that we expect, no demand, for you to come home for the break. We will continue the discussion that you refused to listen to reason on during the summer. Please know that we have decided that if you refuse our request we will disown you as our daughter, and will have nothing further to do with you. We only do these things out of love and concern for you

Your parents.

And that was it... an ultimatum that left her no real choice in the matter. She knew that the logic her parents wished her to see was to remain home and never return to Hogwarts. Circe and all other deities help me she thought. How can they say they will disown me out of love! They don't even seem to feel remorse or regret over this decision.

With that thought Hermione felt her mask of calm begin to slip. She slowly slipped the letter into her bag, and excused herself from the table. She managed to walk until she was out of sight of the Great Hall before she took off at a run for the closest girls lavatory. As soon she was in a stall she locked it and put up a silencing spell. While gasping for breath and shaking from fighting the oncoming sobs she dug around in her bag until she latched onto her potions kits. She ripped it out and grasped desperately at the pristine knife she kept inside. She knew it to be sharp enough to cut flesh from the many times she'd nicked her fingers on it.

Quickly becoming desperate she ripped down the edge of her skirt and panties exposing the unblemished flesh of her uninjured inner hip. She then pressed the knife hard on the skin and drug it quickly across. The relief she felt was instantaneous, and a sigh of almost pleasure escaped her lips. She then moved the knife slightly lower, taking time in making this cut and watching in fascination as her skin split open under the pressure of this cool steel.

Hermione stood there for a while watching as the blood ran from the self inflicted cuts; allowing the physical pain to wash away her seemingly endless emotional pain. She then slowly roused from her stupor and decided not to bandage these cuts, instead only cleaning the blood away and pulling her panties over the still bleeding cuts. She hoped that the irritation they would cause could keep the troubling thoughts of her parents away for the remainder of the day.

Realizing that she was dangerously close to being late for Transfiguration she hurried off for another monotonous day.

And the day was indeed monotonous. It passed in a blur, with the only significant moments being when she would turn quickly and feel the cuts reopen. Where Hermione had left them bleeding the cuts had dried to her panties and every time they moved too much they would rip the cuts open with a sharp pain that would bring a gasp and a slight smile of relief to her lips.

While sitting at dinner, being ignored as usual, Harry suddenly turned to Hermione with a thoughtful look, stating "Oi don't you have detention with Snape tonight?"

"Yeah, yeah I guess I do. Thanks for reminding Harry, I had forgotten," Hermione replied with a soft smile.

"Hey what are frien-" he started before being interrupted by Ron.

"Bloody 'ell Hermione! If you've got detention tonight what am I supposed to do about my Potion's homework? You were supposed to help and it's due tomorrow! Now what do I do?"

"You could do it by yourself Ronald, or ask Harry for help."

"Yeah, but I wanted a good grade. That's what you're good for! Oi ... I could copy yours couldn't I?" he said thoughtfully.

"No Ronald you can't," Hermione stated firmly. "You had two weeks to do this assignment."

"Merlin, I'm startin' to think Lavender's right about you. You are a stuck-up bint," he snapped before turning back to his sister.

Harry quickly leaned over and whispered to Hermione, "Just ignore him 'Mione. He doesn't mean anything by it."

"Yeah, sure, whatever," she replied digging her fingers into her once again bleeding hip, as Harry turned to Ginny as well. Hermione shoved her plate away and looking at her watch decided 6:37 was as good a time as any to head up to the DADA classroom.