A/N: I really like this chapter. It is when... well you'll see. But I will say now that the fiction keeps going from here. Even with Ron knowing her secret she has struggles she has to go through. I hope you guys still keep reading though and please enjoy this chapter.
Hermione ran through the woods in her animagus form playfully. She loved the fact that she was a fox for an animagus and she found it suited her quiet well. She stopped and sniffed around a bit but finding nothing she went along on her way. She loved being in her animagus form and she found she got a lot of attention from Ron now. She was kind of happy, things where just seeming to brighten up for her now with at least one person knowing and McGonagall was okay with it though not at first.
She jumped into one of the bushes near her when she head a few voices talking and looked out carefully to see Draco and the gang walking around in the woods. She growled to herself when she head that it was her that they where talking about.
Don't they have anything better to do then talk about me?
She jumped out of the bushes after they passed by and growled lightly which grabbed Draco's attention along with the others as well.
"Lookie here, there is that small fox that scared all the Death Eaters away boys," Draco sneered as he looked down at the fox. "You don't scare us you filthy wild animal," he snorted though he had been one of the ones running in that battle. Yes, Draco Malfoy was in that battle with his fellow Death Eaters and had been scared by the fox.
Hermione stuck her nose up and started to walk the other way but felt a sharp pain shoot up from her tail making her yelp. She turned to see Draco move his foot off her tail and almost felt like crying. Now she knew what Crookshanks went through when someone accidentally stepped on his tail though this was no accident and she knew it.
"Walking away from a fight, are you?" Draco asked as he looked down at the fox with a sneer. For some reason this time he wasn't afraid but it might have been because the fox wasn't putting up a fight in return.
Hermione simply growled at him, making sure to show him her sharp teeth that she could easily puncture his skin with. She growled again before she turned away and tried to walk away again but was unsuccessful. She felt a kick in her side which flew her into the bushes with another yelp.
"Come on fox, put up a fight why don't ya!" Draco called in laughter with his crew laughing along with him.
Hermione growled as she jumped out of the bushes though she was in so much pain it wasn't very funny to her any. She bite Draco's leg hard but didn't puncture the skin, trying to give him a chance to stop while he had the chance to do so.
Draco cried out in pain and threw the fox away and off his leg with one simple fling of his leg. "How dare you do such a thing you filthy animal!" he scowled loudly.
Hermione yelped as she hit the ground which had hurt pretty bad considering the fact that she was thrown to the ground pretty hard. She got up carefully and growled at Draco not sure what else to do that wouldn't cause her pain any. She knew Draco well enough by now to know he'd do something to her if she tried to do anything to him again.
"What are you waiting for foxy? I won't stand here all day."
Hermione simply growled know Draco probably would stand there all day until she made a move or if she lost, one of the two. She thought for a moment more before she ran the other way which was another thing she loved about being a fox animagus, she could run fast.
She could hear feet thumping after her but they where no match for her really unless she was slowed down some how. She could hear the group following her though and knew they where behind her but how far she wasn't sure and she wasn't planning on stopping to find out.
She ran as fast as she could into the Castle and to the Great Hall though she wasn't sure why. She at least knew she could get some protection since everyone was eating lunch. She ran down the long rows and could feel Draco was following her and was close too but she still wasn't sure how close. She wasn't very familiar with her fox senses yet so she wasn't sure how far he was from behind her with the eye sight she had.
When she caught sight of Ron, Harry, and Ginny all talking she quickly ran over to them and jumped in Ron's lap and growled at Draco.
"You lame fox, can't even put up a real fight," Draco scowled and walked away with the group.
Hermione looked up at Ron and then made herself comfortable in his lap. She loved it when she was fox, she could be in his lap all she wanted and he would never have to make her get up because she was heavy.
Ron watched Draco leave then looked down at Hermione in his lap with a small smile. "What did you do this time missy? Can't you stay out of trouble?" he asked as he scratched Hermione's ear gently.
Hermione loved this, that was one of the reasons she loved being around Ron when she was in her fox form. She loved the feeling of him scratching behind her ear, it was such a great feeling and she wasn't sure why. She looked up at Ron sadly since she couldn't really answer him though.
"Ron, why are you talking to some random fox like you know it completely?" Ginny asked her brother quietly. She had never been told about what happened and she was about to think her brother had gone completely mental.
Before Ron could answer McGonagall came over and kneeled down in front of Ron so she was face to face with Hermione. "Go ahead and tell your other friends but make sure no one else finds out," she told Hermione in a soft tone before rubbing Hermione's head gently and walking off.
Ron smiled and looked down at Hermione with an even bigger smile. "You'll see you two. Follow me and you'll see," he told his sister quietly.
Hermione jumped out of Ron's lap and raced out of the Great Hall but made sure that Draco hadn't seen her. She didn't need to be beaten anymore then she already had been by him. She knew that she would have some bruises from what happened once she transformed back into herself again.
Ron got up, followed by Harry and Ginny who where both rather curious, and headed out of the Great Hall behind Hermione. He found Hermione waiting for them to join her, just sitting there and waiting quietly. "Go on girl, you know it is alright," he told her softly as he looked down at her with a smile.
Hermione nodded her head softly before transforming back into her regular self again. "Ron, I'll explain what happened later but I swear that I didn't do anything. I tried walking away twice but Draco wouldn't let me," she said as she hugged him tight, not sure if she wanted to hear Harry or Ginny's comment about her being an animagus but she knew she would eventually.
Ron held Hermione close and stroked her hair softly. "It's alright 'Mione. Draco is a jerk," he told her which he could hear made her giggle lightly before he looked over at Harry and Ginny who where looking at each other in shock. "You two alright?"
Hermione laid her head on Ron's chest comfortably and looked at the two. "I am sorry I didn't tell you guys but McGonagall just wouldn't let me. Ron only found out by catching me," she said gently, making her apology now before they could yell at her about this.
Ginny laughed gently as she walked over to her friend and gave her a small smile. "Why are you saying sorry? You didn't do anything wrong. Being an animagus is something special and it is something that should be kept secret until you know everything and can do things with no problem at all. McGonagall was right to have you not tell anyone about this," she told her friend simply.
Hermione looked at her friend curiously before smiling lightly. "Thanks Ginny," she said quietly and then looking up at Ron.
"See, not so bad," Ron told her and then placed a kiss on the top of her nose gently making her giggle.
"Hermione, I understand too but now that we know we could use you a lot more. You obviously scare away the Death Eaters," Harry chuckled softly, trying to lighten her mood up a little bit.
Hermione laughed gently as she glanced over at Harry. "Sadly not Draco. He practically beat the life out of me when I was in my animagus form," she said softly and then letting out a small sigh.
"Hermione, what did he do to you?" Ron asked as he looked down at her. "Whatever he did I am going to get him for what he did to my 'Mione."
Hermione chuckled softly as she put her hand on Ron's chest gently. "Slow down Ron. I will tell you but you can't kill Draco for it. I'll tell all of you," she told them as she took Ginny's arm and Ron's hand.
After Harry took Ginny's hand they group walked along as Hermione told them what happened. All of them where shocked how Hermione had made it through something like what she did. The pain of being kicked around and everything.
