Chapter 9

"I think she's mad at us." Neville whispered to Harry watching Hermione walk past them without a hello. Harry nodded. She'd barely been speaking to them for the past four days. Unfortunately he couldn't figure out why she was upset.

"I don't know how, we haven't done anything." Harry replied readjusting his books.

"I overheard Lavender tell the other girls that she doesn't think Hermione likes Natalie," Neville reported.

Harry stopped mid step. He looked at Neville and tried to think if that were true.

"I don't see how, she's really nice and she's smart. They should get along fine."

"She's a pain is what she is." A familiar voice sneered. Draco Malfoy, flanked by Crabbe and Goyle stood only a few paces behind them. Tilting his head slightly, Malfoy sized up Harry. "She has no manners and is Hufflepuff. That's the worst house to be in, next to Gryffindor."

Green eyes narrowed as Harry tightened his grip on his books.

"Better than being a forked tongue Slytherin." He spat back.

"You only wish you were a Slytherin," Malfoy began, his lips curling in a cruel smile. "After all, we have the best of everything. Better marks, better friends, better clothes, better, well everything." He laughed.

"You do not." Harry growled. "You don't have the better Quidditch team. We beat you soundly as did the Hufflepuff team."

Malfoy's smile disappeared.

"At least my friend didn't disappear."

"He came back with a new student."

"Who punched me in the face."

"Which you deserved," Harry snapped.

"She's a Hufflepuff half-breed who has no manners whatsoever." Malfoy snarled.

"Lover's spat?" A cool female voice purred in Malfoy's ear. His face went white and he whipped his head around to find a pair of hazel eyes twinkling mischievously at him. Natalie smiled slowly. Behind her, Crabbe and Goyle were standing stiffly, frozen in place by a hex. Ron stood next to her holding his wand out, providing ample evidence as to what had happened.

Harry grinned at his friends as Malfoy turned bright red and bolted down the hall. Natalie's smiled broadened as she watched him go.

"Whatever you said to him, thanks." Harry said, his anger ebbing. Natalie winked at him.

"You're welcome," she replied. Ron gave her a disgusted look.

"I don't think you want to know what she said," he commented.

"It was the only thing I could think of to get rid of him." Natalie pointed out crossing her arms. Ron eyed her warily.

Harry shrugged glad that at least they'd chased Malfoy away.

"So what was his problem with you today?" Natalie asked, nodding her head in Malfoy's direction.

"The usual, me breathing." Harry lied. There didn't seem to be a point to tell them about Hermione. She would get over whatever it was she was mad at in time. Until then, they'd have to bare it.

Ron and Natalie nodded in unison and the four headed down the hall together.

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Skulking through the rows of shelves, Hermione checked to make sure she was by herself. So far today she'd managed to dodge her friends. She didn't want to speak to them; she just wanted to be alone. After the day she was having, she needed it.

"Your marks have improved, did DeWinter help you?" Snape had said nonchalantly that morning handing back last Friday's quiz.

Hermione had wanted to throw her cauldron of boiling water on him. How could he even suggest she couldn't bring up her grade on her own? Before Natalie had come, she'd always been the brightest student in her year, not to mention the school. She loved the praise, the honor that such a position brought. Now that had all shifted to Natalie, leaving Hermione out of the spotlight. Academics were the one thing Hermione was good at and she hated to have it taken away.

Along with my friends, she thought angrily, turning a corner and ducking behind another row of shelves.

One by one, everything that was hers was being taken away. Perhaps it was selfish, but they were her friends and her honors that Natalie was stealing. Hermione wanted them back.

Adjusting the books in her arms, Hermione cut over two more rows to the Herbology section. Professor Sprout wanted a paper on the various uses of Belladonna and Hermione was going to give her the best, most thorough, paper she'd ever received. She'd make sure it outshone Natalie's.

Slowing her pace slightly, glanced up at the tags along the shelves. Reading Herbology on the label at last, she zipped down the row scanning it for the right book. After a quick search, Hermione pulled out two books on Belladonna and three more general books on plants. Smiling to herself, she knew this was just the start of her research. These are getting heavy though, she thought adding another book to her pile. There was a table around here, she remembered, that she could leave her stack at while she looked for more.

Rounding the last shelf, she emerged in a little alcove and froze. She wasn't alone; in front of her, arms wrapped tightly around each other were two students. Rooted to the spot, she helplessly watched a pair of hands slither up the back of Ron's maroon sweater.

Her mouth felt like cotton has been forcibly stuffed into it. Fingers clenched the books in desperation as her mind whimpered.

No, please, not this.

Ron tilted his head more as the hands slowly crawled back down. Behind him Hermione could see the cinnamon top of Natalie's head. They were kissing. Soft incoherent sounds emanated from them as Ron hugged Natalie closer.

Tears welled up in Hermione's eyes. She needed to leave, now. Stiffly, she took a step back and then another.

"Ron..." Natalie breathed heavily, lifting her head.

Hermione went numb. Willing herself to flee with what was left of her functioning brain, she turned and ran back down the row. She stumbled and lost the top book off her stack as she righted herself. It hit the stone floor with a resounding "smack", but she didn't pause to retrieve it.

Tears sliding down her face, she ran out of the library and dashed up the stairs to Gryffindor. Dropping all the books on her bed, she sank to the floor. Sobbing, Hermione tried to organize her feelings, but they weren't cooperating.

He's with her. He'll never be with me. She replayed the scene again and knew it was true. Natalie has him; she has Ron. I should've told him yes to the Yule Ball. If I'd said that, he wouldn't have become Nothing and never would've met her and I wouldn't be losing all my friends to her! Slamming her fist into the mattress to accent her point, Hermione continued to weep. Her grades are better than mine, she's become the darling of all the teachers, she's...PERFECT. I don't stand a chance against that. It would've been better if she'd never come back!



 Furious and hurt, Hermione continued crying until her eyes burned. Wiping her face in her coverlet, she sat on the floor trying to decide what to do. The only thing that came to mind was the same tactics she'd applied before. Silence.

"I'll ignore her," she whispered hoarsely to herself. "Let's see how Miss Perfect DeWinter can handle that."

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Ron stood ankle deep in snow, the wind whipping his hair about.

"I don't get it," he said lifting his gaze to the sky. "What is Hermione's problem?"

Beside him, Harry knelt down and scooped up snow. Fashioning it into a ball, he tossed it up in down a few times before pitching it into the yard.

"I don't know. She's been ignoring me for a week now. I can't even get her to help me with my Potions homework."

Sighing, Ron stared out as other students started throwing clumps of snow at each other. As usual, the twins were in the thick of it, happily dumping snow on whom ever crossed their path.

"She's mad at us for something," Harry commented, standing. "I just don't know what."

"I haven't seen her all day, not even at breakfast." Ron muttered. Suddenly a chill ran down his spine. His eyes widened. Turning abruptly, he grabbed Harry by the arms, his fingers digging into the thick material of his jacket. "Harry. What if she..." He swallowed trying to control his sudden fear. "What if she's become Nothing?"

All the blood drained from Harry's face.

"S-s-she wouldn't do that." He stuttered, trying to fend off the growing alarm.

"Harry, she's showing the signs I did." Ron said slowly, evenly, hoping he was wrong.

The other youth shook his head.

"No, she..."

"Harry! Listen to me, she could!" Ron's voice tightened in fear. "It's easy to slip into that mind set. To think you're nothing. I know; I did it."

"So did I." Natalie interrupted coming forth from under the covered walkway behind them. "We need to find her."

Gloved fingers released Harry as Ron let his hands fall to his sides. Taking several breaths he tried to calm down. Harry sighed, pushing his glasses up on his nose. Turning together, they faced Natalie, seeing for the first time the look of concern in her eyes.

"I'll check Gryffindor." Harry said firmly.

"I'll check the Library." Ron stated.

"I'll check the girl's bathrooms. We'll meet back here in half an hour." Natalie told them. They nodded then ran inside, scattering to their appointed locations.