Later that night they had the welcoming feast. For Hermione's sake,
Dumbledore didn't make any special announcement that night, but he might be
forced to if word of mouth got too out of hand. But until then, he decided
not to make it public. Too much attention could be bad.
Oh and how right he was.
Hermione sat quietly at the table, Harry on one side and Ron on the other, of course. Fred was sure to stay far, far, away from Hermione, mostly because he was scared that she would sic someone powerful on him because she was mad. Hermione was pushing food around on her plate and she could feel dozens of pairs of eyes on her. When she looked up they all quickly looked down at their plates. She looked back down at her lap and once she felt everyone's eyes on her again, she said,
"It's true." She looked up at the eyes following her every move. "It's true, okay? My parent's were killed." She was speaking quietly and only her table could hear her. She sighed and her voice quivered. "I know what you're going to ask, and no I'm not okay. I know what you're going to say, and yes, it was caused by You-Know-Who. So can we please just continue and act normal?" Everyone stared at her. "Please?!" She pleaded and the guys shrugged and the girls bit their lips and gradually began to speak.
"That was very brave of you, Herm." Harry said, turning to her. The corners of her mouth turned up a little, and most people wouldn't notice it, but Harry and Ron both noticed that she was smiling.
"Thank you." She said, her voice shaking again. Ron reached over and rubbed her back.
"You'll be fine." He told her and then he continued to eat. "Well what about this pumpkin juice, eh?" He commented, and Hermione started giggling.
"What?" He mouthed to Harry. Harry shrugged and smiled, then he began to laugh. Ron looked at them like they were both insane, and shook his head, smiling. He was just glad she was laughing. Even if she was laughing at his attempt to be cool. Finally she calmed down.
"Thank you!" She exclaimed, touching his shoulder. "I needed that." Ron looked at her like he didn't know what she was talking about, but then smiled a little.
"Welcome."
"Hermione." A voice she didn't recognize came from behind her. "Potter. Weasley." He said in disgust.
"Malfoy." Hermione said, without turning around. "What do you want?"
"What? Can't I say hello?"
"You didn't say hello. You said 'Hermione.'" She proclaimed, turning around and staring at him. He bit his tongue and rolled his eyes. Harry and Ron both smothered their laughter.
"Granger." He said, walking away, shaking his head.
"What was that all about?" Ron asked.
"You know as much as I do." Harry replied.
"He was going to say something to me," Hermione said thoughtfully. The trio shrugged and began eating, that is Harry Ron began eating and Hermione pushed some more food around her plate. She sighed.
"I can't eat anything."
"Don't push yourself." Ron told her.
"I'm going back to the common room."
"I'll go." Harry volunteered. "You finish eating." He told Ron. Ron merely nodded. Hermione and Harry walked out slowly.
"It's been a long day." She told Harry. Harry nodded and took her hand.
"Listen Herm, you go sleep and Ron or I will stay waiting for you and the other one will get all our assignments. You won't miss much, okay?" Hermione smiled.
"You're great, Harry, you really are." She said. He just smiled. "But do you think you go to the classes? You're a lot more, I dunno, I just trust you more with my work." She smiled and touched his arm. He nodded.
"Course, Herm, I'd do anything." She smiled even brighter.
"If it weren't for you guys I don't know what I would do." They were now walking. Harry just smiled and squeezed her hand. They were up to the girls' rooms.
"Now you get some sleep and I'll get all the work together for you. I'll come up before lunch, okay? And I'll tell Ron he can miss the first days of class. He'll fancy that!" Hermione laughed.
"Thanks. I really am grateful. Thank you so much." They hugged and she kissed his cheek. "Night."
"Night Hermione."
Oh and how right he was.
Hermione sat quietly at the table, Harry on one side and Ron on the other, of course. Fred was sure to stay far, far, away from Hermione, mostly because he was scared that she would sic someone powerful on him because she was mad. Hermione was pushing food around on her plate and she could feel dozens of pairs of eyes on her. When she looked up they all quickly looked down at their plates. She looked back down at her lap and once she felt everyone's eyes on her again, she said,
"It's true." She looked up at the eyes following her every move. "It's true, okay? My parent's were killed." She was speaking quietly and only her table could hear her. She sighed and her voice quivered. "I know what you're going to ask, and no I'm not okay. I know what you're going to say, and yes, it was caused by You-Know-Who. So can we please just continue and act normal?" Everyone stared at her. "Please?!" She pleaded and the guys shrugged and the girls bit their lips and gradually began to speak.
"That was very brave of you, Herm." Harry said, turning to her. The corners of her mouth turned up a little, and most people wouldn't notice it, but Harry and Ron both noticed that she was smiling.
"Thank you." She said, her voice shaking again. Ron reached over and rubbed her back.
"You'll be fine." He told her and then he continued to eat. "Well what about this pumpkin juice, eh?" He commented, and Hermione started giggling.
"What?" He mouthed to Harry. Harry shrugged and smiled, then he began to laugh. Ron looked at them like they were both insane, and shook his head, smiling. He was just glad she was laughing. Even if she was laughing at his attempt to be cool. Finally she calmed down.
"Thank you!" She exclaimed, touching his shoulder. "I needed that." Ron looked at her like he didn't know what she was talking about, but then smiled a little.
"Welcome."
"Hermione." A voice she didn't recognize came from behind her. "Potter. Weasley." He said in disgust.
"Malfoy." Hermione said, without turning around. "What do you want?"
"What? Can't I say hello?"
"You didn't say hello. You said 'Hermione.'" She proclaimed, turning around and staring at him. He bit his tongue and rolled his eyes. Harry and Ron both smothered their laughter.
"Granger." He said, walking away, shaking his head.
"What was that all about?" Ron asked.
"You know as much as I do." Harry replied.
"He was going to say something to me," Hermione said thoughtfully. The trio shrugged and began eating, that is Harry Ron began eating and Hermione pushed some more food around her plate. She sighed.
"I can't eat anything."
"Don't push yourself." Ron told her.
"I'm going back to the common room."
"I'll go." Harry volunteered. "You finish eating." He told Ron. Ron merely nodded. Hermione and Harry walked out slowly.
"It's been a long day." She told Harry. Harry nodded and took her hand.
"Listen Herm, you go sleep and Ron or I will stay waiting for you and the other one will get all our assignments. You won't miss much, okay?" Hermione smiled.
"You're great, Harry, you really are." She said. He just smiled. "But do you think you go to the classes? You're a lot more, I dunno, I just trust you more with my work." She smiled and touched his arm. He nodded.
"Course, Herm, I'd do anything." She smiled even brighter.
"If it weren't for you guys I don't know what I would do." They were now walking. Harry just smiled and squeezed her hand. They were up to the girls' rooms.
"Now you get some sleep and I'll get all the work together for you. I'll come up before lunch, okay? And I'll tell Ron he can miss the first days of class. He'll fancy that!" Hermione laughed.
"Thanks. I really am grateful. Thank you so much." They hugged and she kissed his cheek. "Night."
"Night Hermione."