The sun peaked out through her bedroom curtains and hit her face. It left a warm gentle feeling on her cheek and Hermione couldn't help but bask in the early morning light as she slowly opened her eyes. Languishingly she looked at the time and realized that she still had a little more than an hour before she had to rise her normal early time.
Immediately, a heavy dreaded feeling weighed down in her chest...anxiousness for the coming day. It would not allow her to rest so she got up, did her daily routine shower and dressed. Knowing it was too early to eat at the Great Hall, Hermione decided to head to the library.
Each step she took echoed loudly in the corridor; the sun streamed as it peaked out from the horizon to light the halls in a soft glow. For Hermione, to have that early morning sanctum, that rare sort of peaceful serenity was a pleasure that made it worthwhile to be an early bird. She made it a point to always treasure them and use the time for a sort of reflection.
But not this morning. Instead she moved with a steadfast purpose with a lack of her usual leisure and came upon the library rather quickly. Of course it was empty when she got inside with no signs of any stray Ravenclaw coming to research at an ungodly hour like her. She easily moved to her destination with no fear of any prying eyes.
The restricted section was oddly colder in temperature than the rest of the library. Admittedly, Hermione had never dared to enter the restricted section in the past since she abhorred breaking rules...but that was before she knew the truth; no longer did she have those feelings, not after realizing the secret her teachers were involved in. She lost a part of her trust in them after last night. For instance, she didn't trust that they would tell her everything about what she just found herself irreparably bond to, so she was here to find those answers. She would not be caught unawares again.
She moved through the aisles picking up anything to do with blood curses and flicking through the index to see anything with relevance and only finding three promising books. She then moved to animal curses before she exited the restricted section all together and moved to the records section of the library, which showed public Magical documents of the ministry and took all the records of each Pure family. After that she went to the normal sections and with expertise found and gathered books on legendary magics throughout the ages.
Thinking these were a good enough start, Hermione and all her levitated tombs and documents made their way to the closest empty table. She immediately set to work on the books, using her wand to open all of them to the pages that mattered to her and then proceeded to use her wand to copy the chapters she found significant.
By this time the sun had risen higher in the sky so it shouldn't have come as a surprise to Hermione when the warning chime for first class sounded. Sighing, she separated the books she wanted to take and sent the other books into the bin for Madame Pince to put back and stuffed the records into her satchel. Her stomach growled at her for neglecting it in favor of research and Hermione shot it a pitying look as she took off for first class. Lucky for her, Defense was not too far from the library, unlucky for her it held most of the Pures.
She couldn't help but recall her strange night.
She walked so as to not be first to class and was relieved to see Dean and Seamus already seated. She froze for a second in surprise to see that Ronald Weasley and Neville Longbottom were already there as well in the seat in front of her table. She did not recall seeing the two boys in the last class and wondered if there sudden placement was a coincidence or really because of her.
Nervously tightening her grip on the books in her arms, Hermione straightened her spine and plopped down beside Dean, avoiding everyone's gaze as she set down her books from the library and let her bag clatter to the floor beside her feet. She knew that the Pure boys were watching her or at least as aware of her as she was to them and that made her feel very uncomfortable, especially at her disadvantage of not knowing all the facts.
"Hey Hermione." Dean greeted loftily. Still averting her eyes, Hermione mumbled a response and reached down into her bag for her text book. As she straightened, she couldn't help but let her eyes flick up to the other boys and nearly choked when she saw that both boys were turned in their seats towards their table.
Her eyes locked steadfast onto the clear baby blue eyes of Ronald Weasley who sat diagonal to her. Neville Longbottom sat in front of her an there was an empty seat in the middle of them; she couldn't tell if the empty seat was because they wanted someone to sit between them or because the two boys didn't want to sit next to each other...Hermione had a completely irrational nagging feeling that it was because of the latter.
As she mused this with her eyes still held by Ronalds, his eyes suddenly flicked down at the books in front of her and then back up again. She immediately caught on to what that meant, that he had seen the title of the books she had brought with her. She watched for his reaction and got one quickly when he slowly shook his head, his eyes conveying warning and disapproval.
A strangely rebellious side of Hermione wanted to stick out her tongue and humph like a two year old. Instead, she just stubbornly arched a brow with a glare and shoved the books inside her crammed satchel, not raising her eyes back up to his as she opened her text for the class open to the right page.
She knew as soon as the rest of the Pure boys entered the room by the furious whispering that sprouts whenever they first arrival. Usually she would completely tune out the annoying whispers of the daily blabbering girls saying the same whispers everyday of 'Merlin, shouldn't it be a crime for anyone to be so hot' and 'oh their so bloody gorgeous!' and Hermione's ultimate favorite 'By the founders! He just smiled at me! This is the happiest day of my life!' A truly pathetic diminishment on the female mentality in Hermione's opinion. It made her slightly grateful she didn't have any 'girlfriends' if that was what she would have to be reduced to for daily conversation.
With the revelation of yesterday, instead of just ignoring their pestering presence, Hermione tensed up, especially when she could hear them sitting down directly behind her. That wasn't all though, Pansy Parkinson and horrifyingly enough, Millicent Bulstrode saddled up in the table next to hers sufficiently boxing Hermione in entirely.
Gripping her text book, Hermione gazed unseeingly at the pages in front of her, letting her wild mane of hair shroud her face from Pansy's superior and unwavering stare. She felt every nerve ending stand on alert especially since it felt like whomever sat behind her was breathing down her neck. The feeling of everyone's eyes on hers too sparked some paranoia in her so much that the trembling in her hands were making her text book shake a little as well.
Dean cleared his throat uncomfortably next to her, making Hermione shift her eyes to glance at him. He was frowning, his brows pulled down as he gazed with an intensity down at his text book though his eyes took sneaking glances at the Pures with confusion, animosity, and slight wonderment. Hermione could relate.
She felt all too relieved to focus her attention on Professor Lupin; when he started the lecture she immediately dipped her quill and started taking notes. She didn't want to admit just how bothered she felt and let the Pure know they were getting to her.
But as the day progressed and Hermione found herself entrapped by the Pures, little by little, her anxious feeling averted to irritation which lead to anger and that Hermione never could hide well. So when lunch came Hermione impatiently stomped after the Pures who were the first to leave class but always one of the last few to arrive.
Clutching her books, her hair flopping behind her and brisk loud steps Hermione in all her bookish, bushy haired glory marched right on ahead in front of the Pures before turning sharply on her heel to face them.
If anyone would have happened to take a picture of that moment, it would have seemed impressive. The blazing look of determination as Hermione opened her mouth to square of with the ultimate 'arrogant cool kids' while completely outnumbered. Like a cover for an old western movie with one cowboy about to have a showdown against twenty...Unfortunately, there would be no showdown as the Pure's didn't even spare her a glance as they maneuvered around her, Pany and Draco making it a point to slam into her shoulders.
She gaped at their blatant rudeness but paused as the last of the group walked up to her. As he stood up in front of her, she couldn't help but be reminded of his height. She, herself, reached to a whopping 5'5 and had to cram her head back to look at his face. His blue eyes met hers and in that briefest of seconds, it was like they shared an entire conversation.
Of course, his shoulders were slightly hunched, and he peered at her from underneath the fringe of his hair. As always there was something guarded about his blue eyes but for once it seemed like he was really looking at her, sizing her up and examining her as if she was the oddest thing he'd ever seen. She met his stare with open curiosity not only as to why he had been watching her in the first place but also why it seemed that there off about him...something mysterious.
They stayed watching each other as he continued towards her, his shoulder brushing against her's as he walked passed. She turned and kept watching him even when he finally looked away followed behind the rest of the group.
Her mind raced as she pondered the tall boy. He, to her, seemed to be the most enigmatic out of the Pures. She sensed that behind his silence was a strong presence he locked away for reason's she didn't know. Her insatiable know it all needed answers and she assured herself that she would find out eventually.
A second later she pouted to herself, angered that she let her mind wander so much that she missed her chance to properly have a row with the Pures. She knew that the Pures didn't go to the Great Hall to eat during lunch but went off somewhere until class. Sighing, Hermione went to the Great Hall, unable to ignore her rumbling stomach any longer.
She stomped to the hall, grumbling all the way at the insufferable behavior of what she would now refer to as 'that lot'. Her ire melted away when in the second she opened the Great Hall doors the eyes of her all peers fixed blankly on her, conversation ceasing entirely. Slowly, as if trudging through water, Hermione made her way to the table, bemused at the glares and whispers of her fellow peers. She had just sat down when obnoxious laughter sounded. Hermione followed the sound till she reached the Slytherin table and saw that most of the people from that house were looking and laughing directly at her. She blushed and immediately averted her eyes, a panicked feeling slithering over her as she made sure she still was wearing clothes and nothing was on her face.
She stiffened as she heard steps behind her, knowing that whomever was approaching was up to no good. Reflexively, she grabbed her wand and tensed, preparing for a battle.
"Well, well, well," Millicent drawled as she plopped down besides her, the rest of her croonies coming to surround her on all sides. Hermione slowly closed her eyes with dread. "You've got more guts than I thought you did, mudblood. Daring to even show your face after your...stint..." Millicent said, nastily playing with a curl of her hair condescendingly. Hermione swatted her hand away angrily, glaring at the bigger girl as her friends laughed.
"What are you talking about?" Hermione couldn't help but ask as Millicent smirked at her.
"Oh, come off it mudblood! Everyone already knows what you've done, not like anyone is stupid enough to believe any excuse you try to give considering what you are and..." she trailed her eyes down Hermione's body, making Hermione scoff in disgust and gave her a pitying look "how you look."
"I won't ask you again Bulstrode! What are you going on about?" Hermione asked sharply, standing up to put some distance between her and her croonies that laughed at her haste.
"What is this? Surely, you jest..." Daphene asked mockingly making Hermione's face turn red with her ire.
"No I'm obviously not since I'm actually asking you daft lot a question!" Hermione spat.
She had expected a row with her answer not Millicent blinking up at her and giving a cruel laugh of realization, "This is brilliant, you really don't know! Well let me enlighten you, mudblood... Your little play with Amortentia has been found out! Of course, it's to be expected that someone with your upbringing would try that with any pureblood but to think you were stupid enough to try that on one of the Pures! It's disgusting to even think that you were using it so you could get pregnant! As if anyone would want to have sex with you! That's why you had to resort to the potion in the first, so pathetic! Merlin, your even more worthless than I thought!"
They laughed cruelly at her as Hermione felt her entire body freeze up with horror at what they were implying.
"Of course, everybody hates you now-" Flora piped in with a pleased smile, her eyes hungry for Hermione's suffering.
"But really, what did you expect trying to use such underhanded way to trap a pureblooded man?" Hestia finished with a pompous giggle.
"Besides, even if you did manage to get away with it, it wouldn't have helped you anyway since you will always be nothing but a lowly pathetic mudblood!"
"It really is the quiet one's you have to watch out for..."
"Trying to steal our pureblooded men! Greedy, dirty thing to do, just like a mudblood..."
"NO! You're wrong!" Hermione bellowed, "I would NEVER do that! That is just so so...conniving-" she stopped suddenly, revelation slamming into her.
It was them... They did this! Hermione thought with astounded revelation, anger pounding in her veins. She immediately turned on her feet and marched away to search all around so she confront the Pures. Hex them till they resembled a mound of fungus! How dare they! Why would they! She had already agreed to keep her mouth shut so why start such a...a, foul rumor?
To scare you. To ensure you know just what they could do to you; they are Purebloods after all...
Caught up in her epiphany, she didn't even see it coming. The force of the hex knocked her off her feet and sent her crashing to the floor; boils bloomed all over her skin and Hermione cried out in agony as some erupted. Malicious laughter erupted from around the hall as her teeth grew at an alarming rate past her jaw and horns sprouted from her head. Hermione started to stand as another curse hit her that sent her staggering, her skirt pulling upwards as a long ugly tail grew from just above her butt.
Tears streamed down her face as their laughter taunted her mercilessly.
"MUDBLOOD FREAK!" someone shouted out as suddenly it seemed everyone was pointing at her and crying out 'Mudblood Slut!"
Astounded, Hermione could only gap like a fish out of water from her spot on the floor. Her horrified eyes staring at those laughing with elated delight with cruel glints in their condescending eyes. Most of them were Slytherin's, relishing in a mudblood's misfortune, but there were plenty of Ravenclaw, Hufflepuffs and Gryfinndor's joining in. Other's just looked uncomfortable and nervous as they forced laughter, or just sat playing with their food; few like Dean looked furious but no one did anything.
And then they started throwing food at her.
She just couldn't believe it... that so many could be so cruel. That no one, not even from her own house would try to defend her, to help her out. Distantly she was aware that some of the professors whom actually came down to the Great Hall for lunch, were bellowing for order and looking stark mad at this behavior but there effort were futile. Their shouts of 'mudblood' seemed to get louder and louder, their callous eyes growing larger with delight at her misfortune and pain as she was plummeted with food.
A frenzy feeling took over Hermione and she knew she needed to get out of their now! She ran the last few steps for the doors, nearly slipping on the mess and had just reached them when they opened unexpectedly, making her fall back down on her bum. Time seemed to slow as she raised her head and saw who stood before her.
He stood tall over her, his green eyes blank as he took her in, from the top of her horned head down to her dirty trainers. She stopped breathing as his eyes met hers, just waiting for the hurt of his cruel laughter, his glee at her despair but she received none of that as his eyes drilled into hers. And then he did something completely unexpected...
He extended his hand.
Hermione stared at it for a moment, completely beyond rational thought as she wondered just what he was doing. Movement behind him made Hermione glance up again to see the tall frame of Ronald Weasley behind him.
For once that blank look on his face was gone, replaced with a scowl and fury in his eyes that sent a chill through her. What in the world could have gotten him so mad?
All thought left her when he and Harry squatted down before her, Ron reaching out to grab her right arm and Harry grabbing her left.
Together the two boys lifted her off the floor, standing her up between them.
She stared down at the floor for a second, trying to make sense of their actions, an indescribable feeling in her chest as both boys let go of her arms. She couldn't explain it but she felt like something had just irrevocably changed in that moment though she wasn't quite sure yet what.
And then the world came rushing back, the pain from the boils making her hiss and the overwhelming silence that hovered in the hall. She chanced a look at the two boys on either side of her and saw them staring back at the Great Hall, intense expressions on both of their faces as they stared at the people, as if accusing and berating each person individually.
Hermione nearly jumped out of her skin when she felt a small smooth hand slide into her own. Turning, her wide eyes met the kind baby blue eyes of Luna Lovegood who smiled at her with that gentle yet vacant sort of smile.
"Come one, Hermione," Luna beckoned in such a way that Hermione couldn't help but follow, like some sort of wounded puppy. She felt dazed as they walked, glancing back at the Great Hall doors as they closed with a resound thunk. She almost didn't want to go when she saw that Harry and Ron were not following behind her. She didn't question the feeling, didn't analyze it, just let herself feel it. Why did they do that? Why did they help her up back there? Why did it look like they were defending her with their presence back there?
When she turned back around, Hermione was surprised to see Luna staring intensely back at her, still holding her hand. Immediately a hundred more questions spurned in her; it must of showed on her face cause the next second Luna was smiling as she shook her head.
"We came to the Great Hall because we were ordered that we have to make your subconscious aware that we are watching you for any slip ups. Though, I tried telling them that I already know you won't have any. You're a wonderful person Hermione; one of my favorites and I know you'll make splendid friends with us, especially Harry and Ron. I am so happy that you were chosen to find out our secret." Luna said in that wispy lit voice of hers.
Hermione frowned in confusion as she took in the girls strange way of speaking.
"What do you mean chosen to find out your secret?" A suspicious feeling started to rise in Hermione though it dissipated entirely with Luna's response.
"Yes, you were chosen because of the Crumple-Horned Snorkack! They gather in your hair and can read the goodness of your heart so they chose you." she said with such seriousness Hermione could only gape at her.
"But there is no such thing as a Crumple-Horned Snorkack." Hermione said immediately as Luna nodded fervently.
"Yes, there is. There are many eye-witness accounts. They're prone to stick by people with kind hearts that like to eat Cornish Pastries so I'm sure that one day soon I'll see one. When I do, I'll make sure to tell you okay? But if you manage to see one before me than you absolutely must come and get me no matter what, alright?"
"Alright," she said slowly, realizing that she would have to tread differently than she normally would with this one. "And why would the Crumple-Horned Snorkack want me to know your secret?"
Squeezing her hand gently, Luna gave pleased laugh.
"Because of the curse, of course!" Luna said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "Now, come, you're in pain."
Hermione opened her mouth to protest, wanting more answers but could not deny that Luna was right. She was in pain, and she looked and smelled ghastly so she didn't want to force Luna to talk to her.
A surreal feeling settled over her, as if she was in a dream and sure to wake up soon.
"There's so much I don't understand." Hermione whispered. Luna turned her head back and met her eyes while they walked, somehow managing not to trip.
"You can understand if you wanted to." she answered vaguely.
"Not if no one tells me anything!"
"But it's all in front of your eyes, you just have to use them."
"Are you saying that I'm not observant?"
"I'm saying that actions speak louder than words. If you just focus on the actions and try to find the reasons behind those actions, then you'll be sure to understand. You can't take anything at face value since you don't know what someone might be trying to hide."
Hermione's mouth snapped shut as she frowned. Unfortunately those words were the most understandable irrefutable words she'd said.
"It's up to you if you want to know the truth. Will you take everything for face value? Or will you look beyond the initial words and find out the extenuating circumstances, the real emotions behind the actions? The Blibbering Humdinger's all agreed that you would so I have confidence. There, we've reach the infirmary." Luna announced.
Hermione sighed and shook her head but strangely enough decided to heed her words since some of it had truth. She had taken the Pure's at face value, believing them all to be just as they seemed, unattached, shallow and lazy. She had received quite a bit of shock to find that it wasn't so. Harry and Ron had helped her during one of the hardest times she's had in school and Luna was providing care and advice. Overall, she concluded it was time to think with a broader prospective.
Luna stayed with her up until Madame Promfrey came out of her office, waving something that smelled like lilacs all around her just before she left 'to make the mischievous nargle's go away'. The experienced nurse tusked at the damage the hexes made but did quick work on setting her right.
"I can write a pass excusing you for classes." Madame Pomfrey offered almost nonchalantly as she busied herself with placing potions back onto her try. Hermione's head shot up to look at her, noting her eyes that gazed at her with a little pity. Turning away, Hermione mulled over the offer.
She knew it would be smart to take the out... to ignore it all for the day and cry alone in her dorms for a while.
Don't even Hermione Granger! she chided herself. You are a Granger! A Gryffindor! You're braver than that! You have done nothing wrong! Don't put your mother's words to shame!
"No, thank you" Hermione answered, a small willful smile on her face as Madame Promfrey fussed around her. "I'll go to class."
By the time she was done Hermione had missed only two of her classes; the boils would need ointment so they wouldn't leave any scars.
She moved quickly through the halls with the feeling of eyes persistently following her.
'Chin up Hermione!' Her mother smiled down at her, reaching out to cup her chin and raise her face. 'Always walk with your chin up, it shows you aren't weak or afraid. And just keep telling yourself nothing is ever permanent. Someday, you'll be done with school entirely and moved on to other adventures of life like working and marriage and parenthood. All that you're feeling now will end my darling.'
Taking a breath, Hermione straightened her back and clutched her books tighter to her chest. Just ignore them...Just ignore them she chanted in her head over and over as she walked up to charms.
Of course, as soon as she opened the door to the classroom all eyes fell on her with wide fixated eyes, making her whole body freeze and tremble. Never had she ever really been looked at by her peers before. Much like ones eyes would pass a decorative picture, Hermione was pretty sure her fellow classmates never paid her any mind. Sure, they would occasionally glance and see her when she would be getting picked on by Millicent's bunch...
Like Lavender Brown, for example. Just a little over a month ago Hermione had been cornered by the clock tower on her way to defense by Millicent. Lavender had been passing by with her usual flair, her long dirty blonde hair adorned with barrettes, short skirt wafting dangerously high on her legs... and then she flicked her hair over her shoulder and her blue eyes dully met Hermione's as she was shoved into the wall by the girls. She had paused for half a heart beat before she continued on her way.
And Seamus Finnigan...Hermione could recall many times over the years looking past Dean and meeting the Irish boy's hazel eyes but like everyone else he never held her eyes for long. He would just gaze at her for a moment before he would turn to talk to someone else.
Always when people happened to catch her eyes they held that disinterest, that dismissal. Hermione had come to be very used to this so to have all those eyes on her made her just freeze up.
The feeling was consuming but Hermione fought through it and forced her wobbling legs to move to an empty chair. She zeroed in on the chair in the front row aisle and marched to it, clutching her texts like a life line. She was halfway there when suddenly she was ass over elbows dangling by her skinny ankles in the air.
Blood immediately rushed to her face as her robes fell all around her; laughter sprouted uproariously from everyone's mouths sounding loudly over her squeak of surprise and the clatter of her books falling to the ground.
"Nice underwear mudblood!" someone called out from the laughing crowd.
Humiliation and indignation welled up inside of Hermione as she hung upside down in the air. She wanted to scream! To curse her classmates to next Tuesday! How dare they do this to her! How dare nobody, not even from her own house, raise a finger to defend her!
"Put me down!" She shouted furiously "Put me down this instant or I'll...I'll...!" She couldn't conjure up a threat sufficient enough to quell her rage because, unfortunately there wasn't anything she could do besides go to a Professor. She could feel herself getting dizzy, black dots swarming through her vision, suggesting she was about to pass out.
"You'll what mudblood?" Someone taunted "You're as defenseless as a newborn baby!"
She opened her mouth to retort a waspish 'let me down and we'll see how defenseless I am on equal ground you cowards!' when suddenly she felt completely weightless, her body floating upright in one graceful movement as if she was swimming underwater.
Surprised, Hermione wide eyes fell onto the tip of Harry Potter's wand pointed right at her. For a moment, she couldn't help but feel a spark of fear at the boy's face; a fierce expression of powerful fury and it suddenly felt as if she was back to that night, gazing at the righteous phoenix screaming its blazing cry as it took flight.
But then his vivid green eyes looked away and she was released from its hold, relieved. Instead he turned that intensity to those around him who were now all silent in surprise and awe.
"Who did this?" his voice was low with barely contained fury. Shock hit Hermione at his rage; Why was he so angry? Because they were bullying her? But that seemed so strange to her considering just who this was.
Still kept afloat, Hermione could see that she was not the only one utterly shocked. She could also see that Harry was not alone; Neville, Blaise, Draco, Pansy and Ron all stood behind him, stating loud and clear that they had his back. Ron, she noticed, looked pretty infuriated himself, Neville disgusted, Blaise perturbed, while Draco and Pansy looked simply like they were just following a routine.
"It's nothing, really. Just teaching a mudblood a lesson. You're Pure, you understand." A boy Hermione knew to be Miles Bletchley said with a smirking swagger, reaching out and laying his hand onto Harry's shoulder.
Slowly, Harry glanced down at the offending hand on his shoulder, his eyes cold and flashing with anger. Never before had Hermione ever felt such palpable anger from just a look; it screamed dangerous and evoked a heavy tension about the room.
Miles chuckled nervously but quickly snatched his hand back, a bead of sweat trailing down his forehead.
It was at that moment that Professor Flitwick came into the room, his small, overweight frame wobbling to the podium.
"What's this? You all should know better than to be standing around when a Professor is a little late! Now, come on! Get to your seats...on you go!"
Quickly, Hermione went to sit at the seat in the front, noting that it was the only empty seat. Most of the time the Pure's sat in the back of the classroom so, of course, when all of them moved to sit around her, forcing other's out of their seats, Hermione was immensely surprised that they followed her.
Shaking her head, Hermione got her books and listened diligently to Professor Flitwick, taking notes and trying not to think about the Pure's sitting in their strange blase way around her or everything she had just undergone. It wasn't until halfway through the lesson that she noticed the writing on the corner of her desk.
Same place. After class ends.
Glancing up, Hermione's eyes sought answers as she looked at Neville and Harry on either side of her but only Neville turned his head slightly to look at her. She raised her eyebrows in question but he gestured his head back down to the desk. Glancing down, Hermione watched the inky black letter's appear on her desk before slowly fading.
You'll get your answers then.
A/N: Thanks so much for the reviews everyone!
I apologize for the late update but I have good news. The next chapter is already done so I will be posting that quickly!
As always let me know what you think, any questions or concerns!