"Death eater scum" a loud shout broke through the booing. "Great now the daughter of Bellatrix Lestrange will murder us all in our sleep" someone else dramatically sighed. "Not before she contacts her whore of a mothe..." Ron blurted out, wands from the slytherin table suddenly appeared trained on the redheaded wizard.
"Put your wands away now" the headmaster demanded. No one obeyed him.
The Gryffindors retaliated in kind, bringing their wands out and aiming at the green table fury written on their faces. "Protecting an unwanted death eaters brat" Lavender Brown stuck her two pennies worth in.
Her vision was blurred, her head span and her heart was frantically beating in her chest threatening to abandon her as well. She forced her legs over the bench and wobbled up, the attention yet again on her. Hermione could feel the room gradually spinning around her, her throat constricting.
"look the whores brat wants to play" Ron cruelly mocked, suddenly feeling brave.
Theo and Blaise flanked Hermione's side and Draco stepped menacingly up to redhead. "Brave now are we Weasley wait till Bellatrix comes for you" the blonde boy sneered. "Anyone that touches Hermione will suffer a warning issued by Narcissa Malfoy herself". Draco shouted upon the table top "if that doesn't stop you I'm sure Bellatrix will enjoy hearing your pathetic screams when she tortures you and your families". Jumping off the table Draco helped Hermione regain her composure as they retook their seats.
The comment caused quite a few of the red table to back down at the thought of Bellatrix coming for them including Ron.
"I am appalled at this behaviour. The sins of the parents are not the sins of their children. While I do not approve of threats Mr Malfoy I am glad to see that Miss Lestrange has you and your friends looking out for her" the headmaster kindly smiled, his twinkle absent. "Welcome first years to Hogwarts I can assure you that not every day is as hectic as today just unrest from a long train journey. Welcome back returning years I hope you enjoyed your summer and are ready to get started with a fresh year of schoolwork". Quiet moans followed. "We have professor Snape taking over for defence this year and our returning potions master professor Slughorn for potions. Yes yes give them around of applause".
Slytherins hooted with glee for their head of house. Hermione and Draco remained silent.
"With us this year we have aurors Tonks and Black providing extra protection". Hermione glanced up at a bubble gum pinked haired witch waving mischievously and Sirius who waved cheekily, both of them dressed in the baby blue auror robes.
"Who for?" Harry rudely asked.
The headmaster fondly smiled at him, his eyes twinkling. "It's for her isn't it" Ron interrupted, red in the face. He jumped up from his seat, his wand aimed at Hermione "you couldn't help yourself Lestrange not only did you fake being a muggleborn you used us for information and now you are taking our protection away just because your mother is a whore getting no doubt fucked by her master oh wait are you the dark lords bastard child". He laughed screw of his fellow lions followed.
Angry tears streaked down her cheeks. Hermione hated feeling this week and pathetic.
Draco calmly stood and before anyone could stop him, he cursed the foolish boy "levicorpus". Ron screamed hanging upside down over his house table, his robes covering his face leaving his boxer shorts on view. "Never speak about my aunt and cousin like that again Weasley you are lucky your beloved headmaster is here to protect your worthless arse. Next time you don't be so lucky". Draco cancelled the spell letting the boy drop heavily on to the table, tangled up in his hand me down robes as laughter echoed around the hall at his pathetic attempt to free himself. Even Harry cracked a grin trying to hide it behind his hand.
Hermione stood followed by the three boys "no stay have dinner. I know your hungry Draco please I just want to be alone". She quickly left the hall missing the guilty and ashamed looks from some of her former friends as they noticed her tear stained face. Auror tonks nodded to Sirius slipping out the doors to keep an eye on her cousin.
Harry went to follow but was intervened by Sirius who sadly shook his head. "Leave her alone Harry you and your house has done enough". Harry instantly obeyed. "Tonks will look after her" Sirius finished.
Hermione's feet took her to the library, her safe haven at Hogwarts. Sitting curled up in her reserved spot at the back of the room, she allowed the tears to fall.
She wasn't naive, she knew problems were going to rise at her true parentage especially as her parents mostly her mother have actively destroyed lives and put innocent people like the Longbottoms in St Mungos for the rest of their lives leaving their son Neville to grow up without their love and guidance. She could understand Neville hating her but the likes of Harry and Ron who wasn't effected by her new reality was crushing her tortured soul she never asked to be their daughter nor did she believe in their beliefs.
"Wotcha Hermione" Tonks smiled, sitting cross legged on the table. "So you are my cousin huh mom would love to meet you".
She couldn't tell if the older woman was joking or not.
"Mom isn't petty you know well she can be but only over me dating useless men. Mom told me about you when I was younger". Hermione narrowed her eyes at the smirking witch. "She was the one who sent you to the Grangers".
"Why would she do that? She took me away from my true family just to live a lie" Hermione growled, furious that her own aunt was the cause of all this.
"She never wanted to. She thought you would be better off with her but the ministry intervened and you lived..".
"I was brought up by strangers then I came here to a world where I thought I belonged but to have it ripped out from under me because I was a filthy mudblood I wasn't worthy enough. Your bloody mother did that and I will never forgive her". Hermione screamed, her tears mingled with her salvia.
Tonks backed away, her hands up in surrender. "Mom beats herself up every day for taking you away but what sort of mother could Bellatrix really of been? She's insane".
Hermione slashed her wand in the air watching the curse smack her cousin in the chest, flinging her across the room, her body colliding hard with the brick wall, her head lolling on her shoulders, blood seeping on to the robes. Fuck.
Hermione ran, she ran hard, she didn't dare look back as she rushed out the gates of the school, she didn't stop as her legs tired, she ran through the empty streets of hogsmeade, she ran as her heart painfully flipped she killed her cousin. She only stopped just the manic night bus braked in front of her, climbing on board she paid the conductor with the change from her pocket and muttered her childhood address. She didn't hear what the crazed man said even when the bus sped off squeezing in lung destroying tube. She paid no attention to her surroundings till the bus flung to a stop outside her street.
She stood in the darkness of the night staring at her childhood home, bracing for the incoming lectures of her worried parents Hermione rushed up to the front door, twisting the door handle easing it open. The hallway was dark and musty which was unexpected as her father hated the air being anything but smelling strongly of mint and vanilla. "Hello mom? Dad?". Stepping in she shut the door with a bang.
Fumbling for the light switch Hermione flipped it on but no light appeared. Strange mom would never allow the lights to be turned off she was always ahead of the bills.
Knowing she was breaking the law for using underage magic outside of school she didn't bring herself to care no doubt the aurors were on their way to arrest her for murder anyway.
"Lumos". A weak light appeared allowing her to navigate her way through the house. Maybe they went on holiday but I didn't receive any letters from them but then again I doubt I would of been allowed them if any one at the manor intercepted them.
The front room was empty, bare empty. Her heart hammered hard against her ribs. She ran blindly into the kitchen it was the same nothing just the kitchen cabinets and the sink. Dashing the stairs two at a time Hermione ran to each room but got the same result each time. The last room was hers and the sight caused her body to fold beneath her, she screamed and screamed.
Her room was untouched, her belongings were still here left just as she expected. Her parents were gone, she was truly alone.
She screamed till her throat became raw thumping her fists repeatedly on the hard floor, her knuckles protesting at their bruising treatment. She didn't stop even when the blood ran down her wrists, she didn't stop when she heard her hand sqelch, she didn't stop at the burning sensation running through her left arm and she didn't stop when loud footsteps ran up the stairs and her screams continued on as arms latched themselves around her, pulling her damaged bloodied hands behind her back.