Here's the next chapter :) It's a sort of filler to show how a small town like Forks would deal with a newcomer having an episode like Hermione did. It's also a catalyst to her spending time with our favourite shape shifter :D
Chapter Eight
Stares
News travelled fast in Forks, something Hermione learnt when she returned to work the next day. Thankfully, Remus had called her in sick the day before so the day after she met the Pack, Hermione was returning to her job.
Remus dropped her off outside the shop and Hermione quickly hurried inside, her pack hitched over her shoulder and her head down. She really didn't want to see anyone before she had to.
As soon as she stepped in the stop, she was engulfed by a hug from Natasha. The older woman clung to her.
"Oh thank god you're alright. My husband told me what happened." She gasped.
Hermione was surprised. It was amazing how quickly she had bonded with those she worked with. In just a couple of weeks, it was like they had known each other forever.
It didn't quite rival her bond with her boys, or even Remus, but it was the closest bond she had ever had with a Muggle. Apart from her parents, that is, but their bond had waned during all those years at Hogwarts, all those away from them.
"I'm sorry to have worried you." Hermione replied awkwardly.
"Sorry?" Mandy exclaimed walking over to her. "What do you have to be sorry for? Something was wrong with you and you couldn't help it."
Hermione gave a small smile and accepted Mandy's hug once Natasha let go of her. They let go pretty quickly, however, when Hermione looked at the time.
She managed to sign in a mere one minute before her shift began. She went out to the stock room and began to help one of the other works, a younger girl named Naomi, take out all the new stock and put it on the shelves.
The whole time she was doing that, she felt Naomi's eyes on her. Watching her, judging her, mocking her.
She refused to meet the other girl's eyes and did her job quickly before going to the tills as the shop doors opened to the public.
Hermione's first few customers said nothing to her about the previous day. However that all changed half way through the morning.
Hermione scanned the clothes and folded them, placing them neatly in the carrier. She turned to the elderly woman she was serving and gave a friendly smile. "Is there anything I can help you with?"
"How are you?" The elderly woman asked.
Hermione blinked in surprise. "Pardon?"
"How are you? After the other day?" The woman elaborated.
Hermione felt her cheeks burn as she saw the woman being served by Natasha at the next till lean in a little to listen.
Hermione gave an uncomfortable. "I'm perfectly fine now, thank you."
"Whatever caused that?" The woman continued as if the two were old friends.
"Just one of those things." Hermione waved her off. "That's twenty dollars please?"
"Oh, yes." The woman dug into her purse and handed over the money. "So, you don't know what caused it?"
"I do, but I'm afraid that's private." Hermione's smile turned tight.
"Oh." The woman murmured, picking up her bag. "Thank you."
"Bye." Hermione said as the older woman walked away.
The woman met up with her friend who was waiting just off of the queue. "Is that the girl that went mad on Thursday?" Her friend asked, not so quietly.
Hermione gritted her teeth. So that was how she was going to be known in Forks, as the mad woman. Great. Wonderful. Just what she wanted.
She was thankful when the lunch break rolled around and the store closed. She sat in the chair in the staff room, eating her sandwich, when Bob sat opposite her.
"Is it true that you knocked out a security guard?" He wasted in time and tact in bringing up the subject.
Hermione nearly choked on her sandwich. "What?"
"Please tell me it's true. You'll be my hero if it is!" Bob begged.
"Bob!" Natasha scolded as she and Mandy took a seat by them.
"It's true. I didn't mean to. My mind was just…somewhere else." Hermione replied, fiddling with the remainder of her lunch.
She had suddenly lost her appetite. She put the sandwich back in her lunch box and put it back in her bag.
"Like in loony world?" Lauren sneered.
She and Jessica gave high pitched, annoying laughs. Hermione narrowed her eyes and she could feel her magic giving her hair volume. She took a deep breath and the magic receded. It wouldn't do for her anger to bring around a case of accidental magic.
She wasn't a child after all.
"That's for me to know." Hermione spat.
She got up abruptly and walked out of the staff room with the muttered excuse she needed some air.
She sat outside the store for the remainder of the lunch break, ignoring the stares and the fact no one would sit next to her.
The subject was broached once more during a quiet time in the store. It was just Mandy and Hermione on the tills, with the others doing something else on the shop floor and in the stock room.
"So, what really happened?" Mandy asked.
Hermione sighed. "I'd rather not talk about it."
"Oh come on. You know I won't tell anyone. Besides, I thought we were friends." Mandy begged.
Hermione studied Mandy and knew, somehow, that she could trust her. It might be the kind, yet concern, expression on Mandy's face, or the trustworthy air that she exuded. Either way, Hermione decided she would disclose some of it to her.
"Have you ever heard of PTSD?" She began.
"It stands for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, right?" Mandy nodded.
"Yes. Well, I have it. Certain noises, actions or even smells can trigger an episode. That's why Remus and I left England. There were too many triggers." Hermione continued, looking down at her hands.
"Isn't that what some of the Soldiers get? After the war, I mean." Mandy asked, tilting her head to the side.
Hermione nodded, going quiet.
There was no way she was going to tell Mandy about the war. It was still too painful, and trying to remember it would sometimes trigger an episode. She had already had one. The last thing she needed was another. She was already thought of as insane.
She sent a silent prayer up that somehow, sometime, the whole thing would be forgotten and she would no longer be social pariah.
She was brought out of her thoughts as the flow of customers resumed and she was thrown back into her work.
There was still another two hours left on her work schedule, when things took a turn for the worse.
"Oh, Hermione!"
Hermione looked up to see her next customer. She was the same woman she served on her first day. The one that nattered on about her son. Mrs Newton.
"Hello, Mrs Newton. How are you today?" Hermione gave her a false smile, though inside she was screaming. This woman could talk forever!
"Shouldn't I be asking you that? You know, my Mom told me all about your little…episode. She saw it with her own eyes. She said you were trashing and rambling like a nutter. I see you're all better now though, thank goodness." Mrs Newton gave a shrill laugh.
"Of course, my Mikey was ever so worried about you. He was planning on asking you out, bless his heart, and then it happened. He's waiting until you're better before he asks you now. But I see you're right as rain. I'll let him know. He'll probably ask you later." She babbled on and on.
Hermione inwardly sighed as she scanned Mrs Newton's purchases. She finished scanning them and gave a tight smile at her.
"Is there anything else?" She asked.
"Oh no. I mustn't keep you." Mrs Newton grinned.
'Too late for that.' Hermione thought.
Mandy had already served at least three other customers in the time that Mrs Newton had taken rambling on and on.
"Alright. Bye." Hermione waved a little bit as the woman ambled off.
She sighed and turned to the next customer, a big smile on her face.
"Hermione! Can you put this back for me please?" Mandy asked some time later, handing Hermione a jumper a customer had rejected at the last minute.
"Of course. I'll be right back." She smiled.
Hermione walked over to the display where the jumpers were kept and spotted Mrs Newton with her son at the store's entrance. She carefully avoided their gaze and placed the jumper back on its rack.
"Go talk to her. Ask if she's alright, and then ask if she wants to catch a movie." Mrs Newton was telling her son.
"Mom! I don't want to." Mike whined.
"Oh, go on. She's ever so pretty. She'd make you a nice wife." Mrs Newton replied.
Hermione shivered. She was worse than Pureblood mothers.
"Mom, she's weird. The freak of Forks. Who would want to date that?" Mike argued, pulling a face.
White hot rage raced along Hermione's veins and tears burned her eyes. That was the last straw!
All day she had had to suffer people whispering about her behind her back, Jessica and Lauren teasing her, Naomi avoiding her and everyone staring at her.
She had had enough. She left England to avoid these things; she was not going to take it in her new life.
She stormed out the back of the store and grabbed her bag from her locker. She ignored Jessica's shouts as she shoved past her.
"Hermione! Where are you going? You've got another hour left!" Bob shouted.
"I've got to get out of here. I can't take the stares and whispers any longer!" Hermione replied, running out of the store.
People stared as she ran down the streets, but she ignored them. She couldn't go home, not to Remus' pitying gaze. He tried to hide it, but she often caught him out of the corner of her eye. Even he felt sorry for her.
She knew of only one place to go where she wouldn't be judged like that.
La Push.
Please Read and Review. Hermione feels La Push would be better because only ONE member of the pack said anything, as opposed to the hundreds of people in Forks. Next Chapter: Hermione goes to La Push and spends time with the pack.
