3
*A/N: wow, The 1st chapter is up and redid, because I had gotten a beta person... the lovely kaljinxi, If you ever so wondered ^_^ Anyhow I dont know how things are going to go because she's an awfley busy person and I thought I better damn well get this chapter up even though only the 1st has been mended because Im finshing up ch5 at the currrent moment :) Anyhow if your still reading this story, I comend you...*
Damn... it had been better when things were normal. When she didn't even have to consider something happening. It all was very well wanting to be around a guy you don't know, but then you learned something stupid. Like this. And it all comes crashing down on top of your head... Hermione didn't want to actually have a chance with her potions teacher. Ok, so she did.
No, I don't! Hermione told herself mentally. No. No. No. Never in a million years, don't think Hermione. Don't think. Of course that would never work. She started thinking as her teacher as a young guy. He was practically the age of Fred and George. I mean, Christ!
"Ms. Granger?" Hermione snapped up to her professor, looking slightly behind his shoulder. She didn't want to look at him. No, it wasn't right. "You know you can't go telling the whole school this. Well to be precise." He looked down looking straight into her eyes. Hermione couldn't pull his gaze away. He was as though daring her to even try something. His voice had become a low snarl of authority "if you tell a single soul, I will find away to make sure that you will regret it."
He had to say something. She just had zoned out. Why did it have to come out so, brutal? Snape asked himself. Why, because I'm the professor. He repeated it in his head as though to stamp it in. It was the hormones of a twenty-one year old guy that made him want Hermione. It wasn't him. It was the potion. The dumb potion that Dumbledore said he should tell her about. His mind thought back to that morning breakfast...
"Severus, you have to tell her what potion you're making." Dumbledore had said looking up at him seriously "She's smart, she'll understand." That's the point! Severus's mind had screamed. I don't want her to understand! Why should she?
"What and give her more of a reason to think she's at the same level as I am. What if she crosses boundaries Albus?"
"What if you cross boundaries, Severus?" Dumbledore eyes were looking amused at him. I could just slap that man; Severus fought to steady his shaking hand down. If he was saying he would want to be with Hermione, then he was, right... No he was wrong! The other side of his mind screamed at him. The sane side. Snape had to listen to the sane side from now on.
That was his problem out in the hall. His sane side had lost control. He couldn't let that happen again. No matter how bad he wanted to be friendly to Hermione.
"Jeez, Its not like you cant be nice to the poor girl." Dumbledore had said.
"Yeah whatever." He had begun to study his breakfast not wanting to look at Dumbledore anymore...
"So, I guess we should get started" Hermione said, bringing Snape out of his daze. Not like they should stand uncomfortably around his desk all day. She had been wrong getting her hopes up of having an enjoyable day. She felt the words tug bitterly in the back of her mind.
"Yes, the water will need to be at a boil." Snape was walking towards the other end of the room. She followed. Throwing off the cloak into the chair. It was going to be warm over there anyhow, right?
...
Snape looked down at the potion. They had been working for 2 hours now. Successfully talking of nothing but the potion and possible side affects of it. Dumb and pointless stuff. He wanted to talk to Hermione like a normal person. Not the guy who had just spilled his biggest secret out to her and was afraid of what she might think of him. And now the potion was nearly done to where there was 3 hours of simmering. What could the do for 25 minutes? Standing around didn't seem like an option that he wanted to explore very openly.
"That's about it." Hermione said dropping in the last pinch of dried willow leaves. She looked into the potion, seeing his reflection. She hated herself for looking at it. She hated herself for wanting to be closer to him. She hated the uncomfortable silence in the room.
It was all dark except for the fire under the cauldron. The air behind her was cold. Still. Why couldn't there be a breeze? Hermione asked herself. Just the silent, stillness in the room. Snape finishing stirring, not once did the spoon clang against the cauldron. Why did he have to be so precise? So perfect? So fucking young? She could imagine his taste. She was so close. But so very far. She hated him for it.
Don't get emotional Hermione. Just don't, she told herself. It makes things worse.
"So Ms. Granger," He said deciding to break the silence. Putting down the spoon. He didn't know what to do, what to say. Every single one of his own movements was causing him so much agony. We wanted to look natural, comfortable, he wasn't. Don't cross your arms Severus, he told himself. Just let them hang limp. What? "Um," Oh that was bloody brilliant! Let's just say um. I'm a fricken scholar. "So what happen between you, Potter and Weasley?
Damn, it why did he have to ask? She didn't want to tell him. It made her feel so vulnerable. She couldn't tell him. It was too horrible. He would have to punish her for a story like that. No matter if it was her fault or not. It wasn't her fault. At least she could hope.
It kind of is my fault. I had always such a smart alike... I was the one who brought it up. But they were the ones who had gone through with it. They had chosen their victim. She just had played a minor role. But such a minor role would have won her the academy award for supporting character. But if I'm not going to tell him, how will I get out of it?
I could run away, I could lie, I could... Hermione's mind read through the possible options. None seemed right. Hermione could feel the panic rising in her chest. How long had she been standing there playing this all out? Don't look at me! Hermione screamed mentally. She turned abruptly going towards the desk. It was darker there. He couldn't see her so well. She could think of something then. The lump in her throat was rising as she sat on the desk, and he came to sit beside her. ..
See could see Harry's face looking down into her eyes. His green eyes full of. She didn't remember what exactly it was. Terror, or simple truth. It was how honesty was right then. In that moment. Only in that situation would you see such pure, soul less eyes looking straight into your own tear stricken ones, and it would be pure honesty you saw.
"If you ever tell a single person" Harry's voice lowered to a low growl "I will kill you." Hermione had no doubt that he would. She nodded weakly. The tears still had been silently running down her face.
"And," A smile played on his lips now "if you tell a single person associated with him... I will kill your parents. Slowly, and you will be right there. Maybe then you would understand my that made me pain did this. Only," the wicked smile showing his teeth now, glistening like Hermione's eyes "you know you will be locked up in Azkaban to relive it for all eternity."
Hermione remembered that her supporting role would still get her locked up for life. She had nodded weakly again. He had placed a bitter kiss on her lips, to seal the deal. She remembered how he had torn her lips open, making her taste him...
Hermione tried to breathe, but it came out as a sob for air. Snape watched as her tense figure finally gave in. She was sobbing, though still not daring to look at him. What had he done that made her so afraid of him? There was no way she could still want to protect them. He wanted to move over and hold her let her sob in his arms. Whisper to her that everything is all right now. The past is gone. That he would never hurt her like they did. Whatever they did do.
But he couldn't do that. His fear was that she was pull away and run. That maybe he caused her too much pain in the past. When she had been friends with those boys. And now she would see him for nothing but a bitter Gryffindor hating professor. Severus wanted her to be more.
...
Hermione looked down to see Snape's hand over hers, softly rubbing her hand. She hadn't even noticed. How was that even possible? He was being so gentle and she had been stuck inside her head trying to shut the whole world out. He had been sitting there comforting her, silently. She wanted to thank him, for not asking any questions. She didn't know how to, though...
"I remember how," Hermione voice cracked at her own surprise that she was actually talking. Snape took his hand off hers feeling the distance between them grow. She's going to say something now though. No need to pressure her. "How, we used to walk down the corridors, me, Harry and Ron. Anywhere actually - outside, in the common room, sneaking out"
She acknowledged the last fact knowing perfectly well it would help just saying it. Yes, she had snuck out with the two of them. Sometimes on her own accord, others with them standing there saying she had to go... Not to be such a prick.
"And," Hermione continued specking after the brief pause, closing her eyes to remember "I would be thinking of something, anything. And it would always be some little interrogative voice from one of them coming in to say 'God Hermione, don't space out!' followed by another 'What could you possibly be thinking about anyhow?'
"It was meant not to harm me, but sometimes I swore I could just punch their little faces in" Snape laughed slightly at the thought of Hermione beating up the famous Harry Potter. The part being it was all too possible. "So I just got so frustrated with it that one-day I made up something so impossibly stupid that they, just must be able to catch a hint.
"Yes, I thought about what if a turtle got stuck inside a teapot for all eternity would he actually learn divination, if Dumbledore would look better in a pale peach or lime green dress... and if Professor Snape were my secret fairy godmother who was pissed off at the counsel for giving you me." Hermione looked up in time to see him roll his eyes at her. He was still smiling, that was good.
"It became quite like a joke, not like my original intent. I never got any peace then. It was rather depressing, if you ask me." Hermione added this last bit on, with a bit of finality. She didn't want to go on anymore.
"That's really not it all right, the thing they did?" Snape looked over in time to see her shake her head. It was ok with him though. Why had she just remembered that then? It was a good way to ease things up though. He didn't quite over evaluate his every move now. Maybe she's glad I didn't press her for answers. Snape thought if he had it would be rude. Were Potter and Weasley really that rude. To make her expect rudeness as the norm? Or had he just been such an ass she thought he would be?
"Severus," Hermione whispered his name into the silence. It was so beautiful coming out of her mouth. He wanted to hold her close. But he kept the distance of them sitting about a meter between them. "It sounds so old..." Oh that was nice of her, he grimaced at the weight of being old "so wise" she continued on, that was better at least. "What is it like? To, you know, have all that time taken away from you?"
He held her words in his mind. She was right, it had been quite odd to just be 20 again. He remembered when he had just taken the potion last year; In a sense he had been robed. He looked up into her unwavering glance at him; he saw her brown eyes look intently on him, as if trying to see inside his soul.
"Sometimes its great" He said whispering back into the comfortable silence they had created in the room "Being able to endure more in one day, to run up the hall yelling at head girls to mind their professors" He could see her blush. "But there are other times where you think I've already been through this. I've already done this... and it didn't turn out quite as well as I wanted it to. Why should I have to go through the same thing as before?"
Hermione looked up at her professor to see his pain moving across his face. She wanted to go and hug him to pull him close to her. To tell him it could be better this time around. But it seemed to be an imposable task. How was she to know? He had been through so much, and her so little. So was so afraid when she asked that question, he could have gotten angry and told her to leave. Tell Dumbledore that the head girl had a crush on him and she would listen as the whole school talked about it.
"Hermione?" He said her name, her real name, not Ms. Hermione Granger. Severus liked how it sounded; he liked being able to be comfortable enough to talk to her on an equal level. Not like he was so incredibly superior to her. "Do you think we should go to lunch now?"
Hermione laughed at the stupidness of it all. Her and her least favorite professor had been sitting talking about small things. She didn't know where it was all going. But it all ended with the chance to go and be with the people they normally were around. To go and pretend that nothing out of the normal happened. That they still hated each other.
"Sure." She got up and walked to the door, hearing him get up behind her. They walked out the door that way. With him just a bit behind her. Trying their best to take things perfectly normally.
...
Hermione felt her nerves build up as she approached the table. She had successfully wiped all the tears out of her eyes, and was now hoping no one would ask any difficult questions. She looked to see Lavender, Neville, and Ginny, look at her as she came closer.
"Wow, Hermione!" She saw Lavender smile; it made Hermione feel so much better as she smiled back... what was she kidding. She always had a great time when Lavender and Neville were around. Your not supposed to feel awkward around your best friend. "You survived! I'm so very proud." Lavender wiped away an imaginary tear. They all laughed.
"Snape though..." Neville looked unsure "Just for a dare? Come on you have to be fucking crazy."
"But she is." Lavender said teasing her, Neville snickered.
"Well if you remember what happened that one time you didn't do one of Lavenders dares" Hermione said flashing back to the time Neville had to wear a rather dashing green frog suit the whole day "You see my point, plus I'm getting you all house points from Snape"
"And how many has he taken away, already then?" Some one called across the table. God, everyone WAS listening.
"None, yet so far." She called down; she was rather enjoying all this attention. How the whole house, on the other hand, had found out she didn't really want to know "Ginny," She said finally taking in the silent girl next to her "what's wrong?"
"Nothing" Ginny said, it was evidentially not true. Of all of her good friends, Ginny was the most mysterious at times. It was ok though. "Its just, Ron owled into say he's never coming back" Hermione could have breathed a sigh of relief, but didn't want to make Ginny feel anymore uncomfortable.
"Honestly now" Neville said in a look of remembrance " Why would a guy go through 6 years of this bloody school to pull out in the end and say, Oh I'm going to be A back out now, its too much pressured."
Hermione looked at Ginny seeing her shock. She didn't know why Ron had suddenly decided to give up wizarding life after last summer and go out 'finding himself.' The family thought it would be a month thing... but here more then 1/2 way through the year, its permanent. She could almost feel the Weasley family's rage. He had been a decent student. It was more that Ron couldn't face some people now, and ran away. Hermione wanted to. But Hermione wasn't the type to actually go through with it. Ron was different.
"I just can't believe he can just go out and do this!" Ginny said forcefully, Her eyebrows knit. "He just leaves. How can you fucking just leave? Our family has a bad enough time getting by without the comments of that one child who gave up." Hermione remembered how Ron had taken a good deal of money without letting his family know when he left. Hermione leaned over and hugged her friend.
"It will be ok though... Between Charlie in the dragon business, Percy working his way up in politics, Fred and George's shop, and whatever amazing thing you decide to do with your life, the Weasley name will not die." Ginny sighed, failing to hide the smile that spread across her face, as hermione said all this
"If you say so Hermione the great" Hermione smiled as she finally stared to eat the food on her plate. Almost wishing she still could take the day off. But she glanced up at the head table seeing her professor, reminding her of her morning. Today was different she would have expected. And it was only half way through.
*A/N: wow, The 1st chapter is up and redid, because I had gotten a beta person... the lovely kaljinxi, If you ever so wondered ^_^ Anyhow I dont know how things are going to go because she's an awfley busy person and I thought I better damn well get this chapter up even though only the 1st has been mended because Im finshing up ch5 at the currrent moment :) Anyhow if your still reading this story, I comend you...*
Damn... it had been better when things were normal. When she didn't even have to consider something happening. It all was very well wanting to be around a guy you don't know, but then you learned something stupid. Like this. And it all comes crashing down on top of your head... Hermione didn't want to actually have a chance with her potions teacher. Ok, so she did.
No, I don't! Hermione told herself mentally. No. No. No. Never in a million years, don't think Hermione. Don't think. Of course that would never work. She started thinking as her teacher as a young guy. He was practically the age of Fred and George. I mean, Christ!
"Ms. Granger?" Hermione snapped up to her professor, looking slightly behind his shoulder. She didn't want to look at him. No, it wasn't right. "You know you can't go telling the whole school this. Well to be precise." He looked down looking straight into her eyes. Hermione couldn't pull his gaze away. He was as though daring her to even try something. His voice had become a low snarl of authority "if you tell a single soul, I will find away to make sure that you will regret it."
He had to say something. She just had zoned out. Why did it have to come out so, brutal? Snape asked himself. Why, because I'm the professor. He repeated it in his head as though to stamp it in. It was the hormones of a twenty-one year old guy that made him want Hermione. It wasn't him. It was the potion. The dumb potion that Dumbledore said he should tell her about. His mind thought back to that morning breakfast...
"Severus, you have to tell her what potion you're making." Dumbledore had said looking up at him seriously "She's smart, she'll understand." That's the point! Severus's mind had screamed. I don't want her to understand! Why should she?
"What and give her more of a reason to think she's at the same level as I am. What if she crosses boundaries Albus?"
"What if you cross boundaries, Severus?" Dumbledore eyes were looking amused at him. I could just slap that man; Severus fought to steady his shaking hand down. If he was saying he would want to be with Hermione, then he was, right... No he was wrong! The other side of his mind screamed at him. The sane side. Snape had to listen to the sane side from now on.
That was his problem out in the hall. His sane side had lost control. He couldn't let that happen again. No matter how bad he wanted to be friendly to Hermione.
"Jeez, Its not like you cant be nice to the poor girl." Dumbledore had said.
"Yeah whatever." He had begun to study his breakfast not wanting to look at Dumbledore anymore...
"So, I guess we should get started" Hermione said, bringing Snape out of his daze. Not like they should stand uncomfortably around his desk all day. She had been wrong getting her hopes up of having an enjoyable day. She felt the words tug bitterly in the back of her mind.
"Yes, the water will need to be at a boil." Snape was walking towards the other end of the room. She followed. Throwing off the cloak into the chair. It was going to be warm over there anyhow, right?
...
Snape looked down at the potion. They had been working for 2 hours now. Successfully talking of nothing but the potion and possible side affects of it. Dumb and pointless stuff. He wanted to talk to Hermione like a normal person. Not the guy who had just spilled his biggest secret out to her and was afraid of what she might think of him. And now the potion was nearly done to where there was 3 hours of simmering. What could the do for 25 minutes? Standing around didn't seem like an option that he wanted to explore very openly.
"That's about it." Hermione said dropping in the last pinch of dried willow leaves. She looked into the potion, seeing his reflection. She hated herself for looking at it. She hated herself for wanting to be closer to him. She hated the uncomfortable silence in the room.
It was all dark except for the fire under the cauldron. The air behind her was cold. Still. Why couldn't there be a breeze? Hermione asked herself. Just the silent, stillness in the room. Snape finishing stirring, not once did the spoon clang against the cauldron. Why did he have to be so precise? So perfect? So fucking young? She could imagine his taste. She was so close. But so very far. She hated him for it.
Don't get emotional Hermione. Just don't, she told herself. It makes things worse.
"So Ms. Granger," He said deciding to break the silence. Putting down the spoon. He didn't know what to do, what to say. Every single one of his own movements was causing him so much agony. We wanted to look natural, comfortable, he wasn't. Don't cross your arms Severus, he told himself. Just let them hang limp. What? "Um," Oh that was bloody brilliant! Let's just say um. I'm a fricken scholar. "So what happen between you, Potter and Weasley?
Damn, it why did he have to ask? She didn't want to tell him. It made her feel so vulnerable. She couldn't tell him. It was too horrible. He would have to punish her for a story like that. No matter if it was her fault or not. It wasn't her fault. At least she could hope.
It kind of is my fault. I had always such a smart alike... I was the one who brought it up. But they were the ones who had gone through with it. They had chosen their victim. She just had played a minor role. But such a minor role would have won her the academy award for supporting character. But if I'm not going to tell him, how will I get out of it?
I could run away, I could lie, I could... Hermione's mind read through the possible options. None seemed right. Hermione could feel the panic rising in her chest. How long had she been standing there playing this all out? Don't look at me! Hermione screamed mentally. She turned abruptly going towards the desk. It was darker there. He couldn't see her so well. She could think of something then. The lump in her throat was rising as she sat on the desk, and he came to sit beside her. ..
See could see Harry's face looking down into her eyes. His green eyes full of. She didn't remember what exactly it was. Terror, or simple truth. It was how honesty was right then. In that moment. Only in that situation would you see such pure, soul less eyes looking straight into your own tear stricken ones, and it would be pure honesty you saw.
"If you ever tell a single person" Harry's voice lowered to a low growl "I will kill you." Hermione had no doubt that he would. She nodded weakly. The tears still had been silently running down her face.
"And," A smile played on his lips now "if you tell a single person associated with him... I will kill your parents. Slowly, and you will be right there. Maybe then you would understand my that made me pain did this. Only," the wicked smile showing his teeth now, glistening like Hermione's eyes "you know you will be locked up in Azkaban to relive it for all eternity."
Hermione remembered that her supporting role would still get her locked up for life. She had nodded weakly again. He had placed a bitter kiss on her lips, to seal the deal. She remembered how he had torn her lips open, making her taste him...
Hermione tried to breathe, but it came out as a sob for air. Snape watched as her tense figure finally gave in. She was sobbing, though still not daring to look at him. What had he done that made her so afraid of him? There was no way she could still want to protect them. He wanted to move over and hold her let her sob in his arms. Whisper to her that everything is all right now. The past is gone. That he would never hurt her like they did. Whatever they did do.
But he couldn't do that. His fear was that she was pull away and run. That maybe he caused her too much pain in the past. When she had been friends with those boys. And now she would see him for nothing but a bitter Gryffindor hating professor. Severus wanted her to be more.
...
Hermione looked down to see Snape's hand over hers, softly rubbing her hand. She hadn't even noticed. How was that even possible? He was being so gentle and she had been stuck inside her head trying to shut the whole world out. He had been sitting there comforting her, silently. She wanted to thank him, for not asking any questions. She didn't know how to, though...
"I remember how," Hermione voice cracked at her own surprise that she was actually talking. Snape took his hand off hers feeling the distance between them grow. She's going to say something now though. No need to pressure her. "How, we used to walk down the corridors, me, Harry and Ron. Anywhere actually - outside, in the common room, sneaking out"
She acknowledged the last fact knowing perfectly well it would help just saying it. Yes, she had snuck out with the two of them. Sometimes on her own accord, others with them standing there saying she had to go... Not to be such a prick.
"And," Hermione continued specking after the brief pause, closing her eyes to remember "I would be thinking of something, anything. And it would always be some little interrogative voice from one of them coming in to say 'God Hermione, don't space out!' followed by another 'What could you possibly be thinking about anyhow?'
"It was meant not to harm me, but sometimes I swore I could just punch their little faces in" Snape laughed slightly at the thought of Hermione beating up the famous Harry Potter. The part being it was all too possible. "So I just got so frustrated with it that one-day I made up something so impossibly stupid that they, just must be able to catch a hint.
"Yes, I thought about what if a turtle got stuck inside a teapot for all eternity would he actually learn divination, if Dumbledore would look better in a pale peach or lime green dress... and if Professor Snape were my secret fairy godmother who was pissed off at the counsel for giving you me." Hermione looked up in time to see him roll his eyes at her. He was still smiling, that was good.
"It became quite like a joke, not like my original intent. I never got any peace then. It was rather depressing, if you ask me." Hermione added this last bit on, with a bit of finality. She didn't want to go on anymore.
"That's really not it all right, the thing they did?" Snape looked over in time to see her shake her head. It was ok with him though. Why had she just remembered that then? It was a good way to ease things up though. He didn't quite over evaluate his every move now. Maybe she's glad I didn't press her for answers. Snape thought if he had it would be rude. Were Potter and Weasley really that rude. To make her expect rudeness as the norm? Or had he just been such an ass she thought he would be?
"Severus," Hermione whispered his name into the silence. It was so beautiful coming out of her mouth. He wanted to hold her close. But he kept the distance of them sitting about a meter between them. "It sounds so old..." Oh that was nice of her, he grimaced at the weight of being old "so wise" she continued on, that was better at least. "What is it like? To, you know, have all that time taken away from you?"
He held her words in his mind. She was right, it had been quite odd to just be 20 again. He remembered when he had just taken the potion last year; In a sense he had been robed. He looked up into her unwavering glance at him; he saw her brown eyes look intently on him, as if trying to see inside his soul.
"Sometimes its great" He said whispering back into the comfortable silence they had created in the room "Being able to endure more in one day, to run up the hall yelling at head girls to mind their professors" He could see her blush. "But there are other times where you think I've already been through this. I've already done this... and it didn't turn out quite as well as I wanted it to. Why should I have to go through the same thing as before?"
Hermione looked up at her professor to see his pain moving across his face. She wanted to go and hug him to pull him close to her. To tell him it could be better this time around. But it seemed to be an imposable task. How was she to know? He had been through so much, and her so little. So was so afraid when she asked that question, he could have gotten angry and told her to leave. Tell Dumbledore that the head girl had a crush on him and she would listen as the whole school talked about it.
"Hermione?" He said her name, her real name, not Ms. Hermione Granger. Severus liked how it sounded; he liked being able to be comfortable enough to talk to her on an equal level. Not like he was so incredibly superior to her. "Do you think we should go to lunch now?"
Hermione laughed at the stupidness of it all. Her and her least favorite professor had been sitting talking about small things. She didn't know where it was all going. But it all ended with the chance to go and be with the people they normally were around. To go and pretend that nothing out of the normal happened. That they still hated each other.
"Sure." She got up and walked to the door, hearing him get up behind her. They walked out the door that way. With him just a bit behind her. Trying their best to take things perfectly normally.
...
Hermione felt her nerves build up as she approached the table. She had successfully wiped all the tears out of her eyes, and was now hoping no one would ask any difficult questions. She looked to see Lavender, Neville, and Ginny, look at her as she came closer.
"Wow, Hermione!" She saw Lavender smile; it made Hermione feel so much better as she smiled back... what was she kidding. She always had a great time when Lavender and Neville were around. Your not supposed to feel awkward around your best friend. "You survived! I'm so very proud." Lavender wiped away an imaginary tear. They all laughed.
"Snape though..." Neville looked unsure "Just for a dare? Come on you have to be fucking crazy."
"But she is." Lavender said teasing her, Neville snickered.
"Well if you remember what happened that one time you didn't do one of Lavenders dares" Hermione said flashing back to the time Neville had to wear a rather dashing green frog suit the whole day "You see my point, plus I'm getting you all house points from Snape"
"And how many has he taken away, already then?" Some one called across the table. God, everyone WAS listening.
"None, yet so far." She called down; she was rather enjoying all this attention. How the whole house, on the other hand, had found out she didn't really want to know "Ginny," She said finally taking in the silent girl next to her "what's wrong?"
"Nothing" Ginny said, it was evidentially not true. Of all of her good friends, Ginny was the most mysterious at times. It was ok though. "Its just, Ron owled into say he's never coming back" Hermione could have breathed a sigh of relief, but didn't want to make Ginny feel anymore uncomfortable.
"Honestly now" Neville said in a look of remembrance " Why would a guy go through 6 years of this bloody school to pull out in the end and say, Oh I'm going to be A back out now, its too much pressured."
Hermione looked at Ginny seeing her shock. She didn't know why Ron had suddenly decided to give up wizarding life after last summer and go out 'finding himself.' The family thought it would be a month thing... but here more then 1/2 way through the year, its permanent. She could almost feel the Weasley family's rage. He had been a decent student. It was more that Ron couldn't face some people now, and ran away. Hermione wanted to. But Hermione wasn't the type to actually go through with it. Ron was different.
"I just can't believe he can just go out and do this!" Ginny said forcefully, Her eyebrows knit. "He just leaves. How can you fucking just leave? Our family has a bad enough time getting by without the comments of that one child who gave up." Hermione remembered how Ron had taken a good deal of money without letting his family know when he left. Hermione leaned over and hugged her friend.
"It will be ok though... Between Charlie in the dragon business, Percy working his way up in politics, Fred and George's shop, and whatever amazing thing you decide to do with your life, the Weasley name will not die." Ginny sighed, failing to hide the smile that spread across her face, as hermione said all this
"If you say so Hermione the great" Hermione smiled as she finally stared to eat the food on her plate. Almost wishing she still could take the day off. But she glanced up at the head table seeing her professor, reminding her of her morning. Today was different she would have expected. And it was only half way through.