Quick Note: I've been going through a lot, My friend just died, teachers have piled on the schoolwork, I'm in the middle of an investigation. Excuse me if it's not the same quality, and doesn't arrive in a timely manner.
Warmed or not, I was determined to get not just a good grade on the potion, but an excellent grade. I grabbed only a necessary amount of each ingredient, scaling to the goal size of each our potions. Snape only expected half a cauldron and the normal amount would yield a full one.
I wondered Harry and Ron would manage, since they were both rubbish at anything to do with potions. Well, it wasn't really my concern, they'd abandoned me to work with Malfoy. They could kiss their failing grades, for all I cared. I exhaled a puff of defiant air, and glanced at the two of them. They were looking for aid in the textbook. So be it.
I walked back to my table and Malfoy stood, taking everything from my hands. I almost didn't let him have them, but I wasn't going to make a scene. I pushed my sleeves up, and started adding ingredients, stirring clockwise. Malfoy stood ready, handing me items to be added next.
Stir clockwise for five minutes... I thought, adding a dash of an ingredient Malfoy handed me from his seat on bench. He seemed interested in giving the ingredients and nothing else. I stood at the cauldron, my cheeks hot with the steam coming up and my hair getting in my way. My hair was in no way any more manageable than it happened to be in my first year, but it just so happened that longer hair retained curl a lot better than shorter hair.
So as a result, it certainly did appear to be sleeker and more stylish, but through no intention of my own. But once again it got in my way and I almost stopped stirring. I blew a puff of hair out of the way, who knew what would happen if my hair got into the potion? Malfoy stood but I knew better than to look at him, this potion was going to be held to the highest standard.
"Malfoy, I need the- . W-what are you doing?" I asked, incredulously and perhaps a little too loudly. His hands pushed into my hair then lifted and only Merlin knew what he was doing back there. Scratch that. I said that far too loudly. The room went silent beside my heavy breathing as I labored to continue stirring the thick potion.
"That's enough, Ferret!" Ron stormed over, leaving Harry with their potion. Not the brightest idea. Not to say that Harry wasn't as smart as any other... when he paid attention. Which he certainly didn't do in Professor Snape's class.
Malfoy stepped away from me and I almost frowned, giving up so easily? Then my wand went off to let me know that my laborious five minutes was up and my arms would be given a break. I instantly turned towards Malfoy and touched my hair.
"What did you do to my hair?" I asked, my voice accusatory. He simply smirked and never looked my way, staring condescendingly into Ron's eyes. Harry finally came over and it seemed he only wanted to add fuel to the flame. I stormed off to the biggest mirror I could reach with my height. I examined my hair closely, not that it would account for much. There was so much of it that something could easily be hidden inside.
But with an outsider's eye, you could see that my hair had been put up rather skillfully. It was gathered up and off my neck which was impressive because I'd never been able to keep it up. And as I took a closer look, there was nothing holding my hair in the fine position aside from thin air. I touched it and it felt as though someone had woven a string into my hair.
Magic, of course. But how would Malfoy know such an intricate charm? My heated with guilt, I'd been prepared to jinx him when all he did was get my hair out of my way. I licked my lips, words of apology only tasted bitter on my lips. I walked over to the trio I had left waiting.
"That's enough, boys," I said. The words were only aimed at Harry and Ron but Malfoy still gave me his attention. Which was more than Ron gave me. I grabbed him and pulled.
"I said, that's enough, Ronald." I ground out and it was clear that he only came with me because he wanted to. Ron had grown so much during our years in Hogwarts, that I barely came to his shoulder and I guess I never taken the time to properly notice that. He wasn't that same orange haired boy I met on the train. He clearly wasn't any more mature mentally, but he had grown up some.
"Really, Ronald, calm down," My eyes softened for him. And at the same time I could feel someone burning holes into me. I didn't spare a glance backwards, Ronald was like an animal. A breach of eye contact and everything I had to say would become untrustworthy. I rubbed his arm gently, I remembered reading somewhere in a book that animals enjoyed physical contact.
"He only moved my hair out of the way for me," I tried to say in a soothing tone but I was annoyed beyond belief. How many times would we go over the fact that we were not an item before the jealousy would stop? He made it very clear when he made a grab for that Brown bint. I didn't turn into a homicidal psychopath, I simply acknowledged that our paths wouldn't be as connected as I'd thought previously.
He took a step closer to me, nostrils flaring like a bull. Well, that method didn't work.
"Hermione, he was touching you, a person he says is below him. Is it even humanly possible to count the number of times he's called you a mudblood? With all that how can you expect me to just-. Do you really expect me to let that go?" He finished, passionately. He was right, in a way. What Malfoy was doing was uncharacteristic, to say the least. He should've rejoiced in my filthy hair ruining the potion, yet he went out of his way to put it up for me. But I wasn't going to admit this, in fact, I was going to contradict logic.
"He only wanted to secure a good grade for himself, it's our last year, Ronald. I hardly think anyone wants bad marks due to some rivalry." I said, matter of factly. I moved my hand off of him, my message conveyed and tried to walk away. He grabbed my forearm tightly in his paw of a hand. He pulled me close to his body and wrapped me in his arms. His eyes bright in anger, he was going to make a statement and I was going to listen.
"What happened to your hate for him? Hm? What happened to being pleasantly surprised and grateful when I stood up for you, huh? What happened to us?" He growled meanly in my face and for a second, I was stunned. Ronald Weasley was manhandling me?
"Get off it, Ron. There's no us, and you know it." I said, struggling to get out of his grasp. "I'm going back to my potion! Let go, you mindless idiot!" I pounded on his chest and I didn't affect him at all.
"Ron," I heard Harry say, perhaps about to intervene but he was interrupted.
"Let go of her, Weasel." A cold voice said behind me. Ron looked away from me and sneered.
"What are you going to do about it, Ferret?" He taunted. I saw my chance, and thought it was now or never.
I pulled my leg back and brought it back full force into his groin. He let go of me and fell to the floor howling. I gasped and covered my mouth with my hand. Harry crouched next to his friend, giving me an admonishing glance.
If anything, that was more than enough to get Snape's attention and he stormed over.
"Fighting? 50 points from Gryffindor!" Snape declared. "Some pitiful human beings may deem it acceptable to bare his fists in public, but a true wizard knows his place." He looked at Malfoy, clearly thinking this had been a quarrel between he and Ron. Ron curled into the fetal position, moaning in pain.
"As much as I regret to send a man of my own house to the Headmaster, I must, if I wish to uphold the integrity of my classroom. Mr. Malfoy, Granger, Potter," He looked down passed his hawk-like nose, "Weasley, report to the Headmaster immediately. I won't stand for protest," He said, effectively silencing me. "Go to receive your punishment, I will have your potions disposed of and you will receive 0s for the day."
I was crestfallen. A 0? Malfoy was barely effected and Harry was still trying to help Ron stand, but I? I was brought to the verge of tears by this injustice. Malfoy hadn't even tried to explain. I wouldn't forgive him.
"NOW!" Snape roared, and we scurried out, Ron, in tow.