When It Rains
Chapter 3
Thank yous: Apollonia2, LadyKaresse, ghypscee, Summery-ice, coconut and Fiona
She had been thinking a lot, she usually did a lot of thinking, but this was like nothing before. It was hard to believe but Hermione Granger was actually having an inner-argument with herself and it was about whether to turn up for her lessons or not.
'I could barricade myself in', she thought bitterly, 'or I could just face the world and pretend to be perfectly normal. If only they could see me now, ha, Hermione Granger, best friend of Harry Potter, the brains, the girl who doesn't do stupid things…'
Sighing she looked at herself in the mirror, she hated looking at herself, the bruise, there were still traces of it, visible to anyone. Waving her wand unconsciously, she covered the bruise with a concealment charm and tried to practice her smile.
There was a knock on the door, she wasn't going to answer it, until she heard Ron shouting that he wanted to walk her to breakfast. Slowly she walked over to the door and opened it, there was Ron, and of course Harry standing beside him.
"Hi, are you ready?" Ron asked.
"Yes, I suppose," Hermione answered quietly, joining them in the corridor.
"You know Hermione, are you sure you're okay, you've been acting terribly different to normal," Harry said gently as they all made their way to the Great Hall.
Hermione looked at him wearily, "oh and what is normal behaviour Harry?"
"Well, usually you would be in the library on a Sunday, turns out you didn't even leave your room – and you usually cheer for a Gryffindor match, but you completely missed it this Saturday," Harry replied.
"Maybe you don't know me then after all, how can you assume everything?" she growled at him angrily. He looked at her with surprise.
"I'm not assuming anything; it's just that those were the things that the Hermione Granger we used to know did," he answered simply, "I guess you're just going through a bad patch."
"Has schoolwork finally caught up with you?" Ron turned to her grinning at the thought. Hermione's glare was enough to make him drop the smile completely and carry on walking.
"Maybe I am…" replied Hermione turning back to Harry, he gave her a small smile.
Upon reaching the Great Hall they bumped into Draco Malfoy with his two lackeys.
"Well, well, well," he sneered at the trio, "if it isn't Potter and his two sidekicks, Wealsey and," he looked at her with a twisted smile, "the mudblood". Hermione felt sick, she wanted to run, if he knew – oh God, she couldn't move her legs, they either weighed so much or they had been super glued to the ground.
"Oh go away Malfoy," Harry frowned at him, he and Ron began going into the Great Hall, thinking Hermione was right behind them. She couldn't escape, she couldn't move.
"Granger, what on Earth are you doing?" he asked coldly, she stayed facing the ground, glaring he moved downwards so he could get a better look at her face, when he felt a fist connect with his jaw and suddenly he was catapulted to the other side of the Entrance Hall.
"What the..?" he began as he sat up, keeping his hand to his jaw, "WEASLEY!" he yelled, catching sight of who had hit him.
"Why don't you just bugger off you ferret," Ron muttered and turned back to Hermione. He looked at her, she was crying.
Turning in rage, he growled at Draco, "What did you do, you piece of scum?"
Draco who was brushing himself down, glared back at Ron, "what are you talking about Weasel, I did nothing, but I'm about to." With that he kicked Ron's leg and pulled him to the ground.
Harry who had been coaxing Hermione into the hall, looked at the fight in horror, Malfoy was seriously hurting Ron. Without another thought, he ran into the Great Hall and yelled at the eating teachers, 'FIGHT!'
It was Professor Snape who had come to sort out the fight, Harry sighed, he was bound to let Malfoy off.
"Mr. Malfoy, Mr. Weasley, explain yourselves," Snape demanded coldly.
"If I could Professor Snape, it was Weasley who hit me first, all I was doing was looking at the mu.. uh Granger, and the only reason I was doing that was because she was being rather peculiar," Draco answered politely, the Professor nodded and then looked at Ron, who had a split lip and a black eye.
"Well, Mr. Weasley, care to add anything?" Snape smirked at him cruelly. Ron nodded.
"He upset Hermione, she was crying when I found him looking at her, it's bound to be something he said to her, he has a thing about derogatory remarks," Ron answered.
"Ah, I believe that detention will be in order for both of you and I think that 20 points from Gryffindor should be just enough, it's the bare minimum but I forget that you haven't earned more than 50 points," Snape smirked at Ron, who in turn went red but with anger.
***
She had just lost it when she saw his face, when she saw him she saw his father, the similarity was uncanny and sick.
She looked at her breakfast, she didn't think she could manage a bite without throwing up at the moment, perhaps she could eat at lunch time. And what did Malfoy try and do to her back out there in the Entrance Hall. All she remembered from it was him bending down, probably to laugh in her face.
"Not eating Hermione?" Ginny said, watching the bushy haired girl curiously. Hermione looked up from her plate and caught Ginny's eye.
"No, I don't think I'm that hungry," Hermione answered slowly, pushing the plate further away from her.
Ginny sighed, "I know you're not stupid but breakfast is the most important meal of the day," she smiled at Hermione from across the table.
"Yes, but I just don't feel like having any, I think lunch will be more appetizing," Hermione answered.
"Whatever you say," Ginny replied as she swallowed a piece of toast.
A/N: Sorry about this chapter guys! Don't worry, I have an idea of what's going to happen, but you see the fight was never part of the plot, but now it is. Oh yes, there was a review about beta – reading, I don't know if I will have one, but sure if you want to be a beta – reader for this story then that would be great, just include that you want to be one, with a reason why you want to be one and either do this in a review or email.
REVIEW!!!
