OK, once again I'd like to give a quick thanks to my reviewers! And by the
way, Midnight's Inertia, I really appreciate your advice, I know my
chapters have been horridly short, and I'm working on it. As far as the
"changing point of view" thing. I'm not. As this fic is written in the
third person, meaning no one in the fic is narrating, (me=narrator) I can
delve into any and all of the characters thoughts and feelings. You will
notice I describe them as "he" or "she" never "I", and when I put in their
thoughts, it's quoted with 'these things' so you know they are separate
from what I'm saying as the narrator. Make sense? Well, let's get on with
the fic, shall we?
Closer
Chapter: 4
Hermione ran all the way back to the Gryffindor common room without a single look around. At this point she didn't care who saw her. She couldn't believe her luck! Of all the people she could've run into it was bloody, freaking Malfoy!
"Wake up!" She was short and rude in barking her command, but the fat lady woke up, grumbling all the while.
"Hocus pocus." and the picture swung open. Hermione clambered inside and flopped down on one of the couches that faced the fireless fireplace. Her mind was, once again, reeling with far too many thoughts.
'Malfoy will relish this one, take full advantage of it! Damn him.' she thought furiously. 'I hope he doesn't know how right he was. Oh Merlin! I hope he doesn't know how right he was. With my luck he probably does.' She glanced at the clock, 3:17 AM. It was futile to even think she would get any rest tonight.
She continued to let her mind wander, going in no particular direction, and she didn't bother to steer it away from the negative. She hated herself for not being able to stand even five minutes in any room alone with a man. Hell, she was paranoid, scared to death.
Her thoughts wandered a little longer before she fell into another bit of restless sleep.
~
Hermione woke to the first rays of light (around 5:30-5:45) blinking and squinting her eyes painfully. Her body felt like a ton of bricks and her spirits were particularly low. She looked around the common room. 'No one is up yet, good.'
She got up from the couch with a groan and headed to the girls room to get dressed. She did so quickly and soon fled Gryffindor tower for the Great Hall. At the moment she didn't feel like speaking to anyone, and either way she doubted she could with her throat so dry.
She ran her fingers through her hair in an attempt to straighten it. It hadn't been bushy for quite a while since she had gotten over her carelessness with it.
Hermione plopped herself down at the far end of her house table where virtually no one sat. A quick look around told her it would be a while still before all the students finally made their way down.
'Perfect.' she thought bitterly as she opened one of her books and began reading it. She was dead tired, but Satan himself would kiss God's feet and beg for forgiveness, before she would admit that to anyone. 'Just like I refuse to tell anyone about the... dammit Hermione! Stop thinking about it! It won't help, it won't...'
Her mind wandered back to yet another moment she hadn't found pleasant. Early last night all the students, who were not Prefects or Heads, arrived for the first day at school. Hermione had not liked this at all. The one week before they all came was just not enough time. She prefered the big, empty school, but she supposed all good things must come to an end. But she would be damned if anyone saw her broken so, that night at the feast she had forced herself to make light conversation with her friends and kept a fake smile plastered on her face. She cringed at the memory, 'Not today.'
She planned on practically inhaling her breakfast as soon as it was served, then rushing off to her first class as soon as she was done. Some twenty minutes later, students were filing into the Hall, all chatting animatedly to one another and the food had appeared on the table.
Hermione glanced down at her book, she had gone through about five chapters without much thought to what she was doing but she managed to absorb most of it. She turned her eyes towards the door and watched faces, new and old, make their way in.
She was deep in thought again when someone tapped on her shoulder. She jumped, dropping the muffin she had started on. It fell with a plop onto the table. She turned to see her younger friend, Ginny Weasly, smiling down at her.
"Morning 'Mione!"
Hermione merely smiled at her.
Ginny frowned, "Why are you sitting all the way over here? Com join us." She said nodding towards Harry, Ron, Neville, Dean, the whole usual gang several long feet from where Hermione now sat.
"Uh, sorry Gin. I'm almost done here anyway and I have to see," her eyes glanced up to the staff-table so as to name someone who was not there this morning, "Professor Snape." she said fluidly. She was better at this lying thing than she gave herself credit for.
Ginny gave her a sympathetic smile, "Ouch, no wonder you look so miserable. OK, I guess I'll see you later. I'll tell the guys what's up. Bye!"
"Bye..." she responded to no one as Ginny had already turned and walked away.
With a sigh, Hermione picked up her muffin, took a few more bites than put it down and closed her book. She took one last sip of juice and stood up. 'Someone's watching me...' she thought and her eyes quickly scanned the room.
She found the source and the corners of her lips tugged downwards. 'Malfory, god-damned, stupid Malfoy.' He had just stalked into the Hall flanked by his two cronies.
Hermione guessed that he would just march over to his table while continuing with something between glaring and smirking at her as if he knew something important. 'But he does.' her mind told her. 'Dammit, dammit, dammit!'
He had stopped not three feet in front of her. Crabe and Goyle standing to either side him, stupid grins in place.
"What do you want Malfoy?" She snapped quickly. She didn't want to do this right now, especially when she knew more than half the student body would be staring in a moments time.
"And here I thought you'd be happy to see me. I'm guessing your little friends weren't able to induldge you in you sick fan-" Draco was cut off as Hermione slapped him soundly across the face.
The silence that filled the Hall echoed in her ears, the only disturbance was that of shuffling and then fast-paced footsteps in their direction.
Draco was faster though, regaining his composure, he closed the gap between himself and Hermione, leaned sown and whispered so only she could hear. "I know" His gray eyes flashed as he looked down at her one last time before walking off.
Harry and Ron now stood beside her. "Hermione! Are you alright?"
"Did he hurt you? 'Mione, talk to us!"
She didn't respond, instead stood stalk still, tears brimming her eyes, forcing back the need to kill someone.
"MALFOY!" Harry shouted across the room.
Draco stopped, turned, and took a few steps in his direction. "What is it Potter?"
"Just what the hell did you do to her?"
At this Draco straight-out smiled. "Me? I didn't do anything. I was more under the impression that it was-"
"STOP IT!" Hermione screeched.
"'Mione..." Ron began, putting a hand around her waist.
"Don't touch me!" She shouted again, ripping away from Ron. "Don't you ever touch me! Never!"
More stunned silence insued. Ron was angry, Harry worried, Malfoy amused, and Hermione was beyond reason.
'Well, now that we've caused a scene, might as well continue.' "And Malfoy!" Hermione's eyes flased with just as much malice as his, "Unless you want to start something, I suggest you keep quiet." He simply sneered.
She looked at her dark-haired friend who was about to say something, "And you stay out of this!" She then turned to the final person involved in the fray and gave the red-head a most un-Hermione like glare. "Weasly, if you ever come near me again I swear I'll hex you balls off!"
Ron looked flustered for a second, "But Hermione-"
"Care to test that theory?" Hermione had pulled out her wand and pointed it right towards his groin.
Ron backed up a few steps, a vicious glare in place before he ground out a solid, "No."
Harry hesitantly stood beside Ron, a questioning look in his eyes, "Please 'Mione, calm down..."
Hermione shook her head sadly. "I'm sorry Harry, but our friendship," she emphasized the word with a glare at Ron, "ends here."
With that she turned on heel and stormed away.
Only two people in the Hall now knew what was happening. The red-head and the blonde just glared at each other before going their separate ways.
Harry was thinking on the exact same line as everyone else who watched the exchange, 'What the hell happened?'
OK! That's all for chapter four! So, can you guess what happened? It was pretty clear to me, but then again I wrote it! I do hope this was longer than the others. Please review!
Love,
AngelicEmpress
Closer
Chapter: 4
Hermione ran all the way back to the Gryffindor common room without a single look around. At this point she didn't care who saw her. She couldn't believe her luck! Of all the people she could've run into it was bloody, freaking Malfoy!
"Wake up!" She was short and rude in barking her command, but the fat lady woke up, grumbling all the while.
"Hocus pocus." and the picture swung open. Hermione clambered inside and flopped down on one of the couches that faced the fireless fireplace. Her mind was, once again, reeling with far too many thoughts.
'Malfoy will relish this one, take full advantage of it! Damn him.' she thought furiously. 'I hope he doesn't know how right he was. Oh Merlin! I hope he doesn't know how right he was. With my luck he probably does.' She glanced at the clock, 3:17 AM. It was futile to even think she would get any rest tonight.
She continued to let her mind wander, going in no particular direction, and she didn't bother to steer it away from the negative. She hated herself for not being able to stand even five minutes in any room alone with a man. Hell, she was paranoid, scared to death.
Her thoughts wandered a little longer before she fell into another bit of restless sleep.
~
Hermione woke to the first rays of light (around 5:30-5:45) blinking and squinting her eyes painfully. Her body felt like a ton of bricks and her spirits were particularly low. She looked around the common room. 'No one is up yet, good.'
She got up from the couch with a groan and headed to the girls room to get dressed. She did so quickly and soon fled Gryffindor tower for the Great Hall. At the moment she didn't feel like speaking to anyone, and either way she doubted she could with her throat so dry.
She ran her fingers through her hair in an attempt to straighten it. It hadn't been bushy for quite a while since she had gotten over her carelessness with it.
Hermione plopped herself down at the far end of her house table where virtually no one sat. A quick look around told her it would be a while still before all the students finally made their way down.
'Perfect.' she thought bitterly as she opened one of her books and began reading it. She was dead tired, but Satan himself would kiss God's feet and beg for forgiveness, before she would admit that to anyone. 'Just like I refuse to tell anyone about the... dammit Hermione! Stop thinking about it! It won't help, it won't...'
Her mind wandered back to yet another moment she hadn't found pleasant. Early last night all the students, who were not Prefects or Heads, arrived for the first day at school. Hermione had not liked this at all. The one week before they all came was just not enough time. She prefered the big, empty school, but she supposed all good things must come to an end. But she would be damned if anyone saw her broken so, that night at the feast she had forced herself to make light conversation with her friends and kept a fake smile plastered on her face. She cringed at the memory, 'Not today.'
She planned on practically inhaling her breakfast as soon as it was served, then rushing off to her first class as soon as she was done. Some twenty minutes later, students were filing into the Hall, all chatting animatedly to one another and the food had appeared on the table.
Hermione glanced down at her book, she had gone through about five chapters without much thought to what she was doing but she managed to absorb most of it. She turned her eyes towards the door and watched faces, new and old, make their way in.
She was deep in thought again when someone tapped on her shoulder. She jumped, dropping the muffin she had started on. It fell with a plop onto the table. She turned to see her younger friend, Ginny Weasly, smiling down at her.
"Morning 'Mione!"
Hermione merely smiled at her.
Ginny frowned, "Why are you sitting all the way over here? Com join us." She said nodding towards Harry, Ron, Neville, Dean, the whole usual gang several long feet from where Hermione now sat.
"Uh, sorry Gin. I'm almost done here anyway and I have to see," her eyes glanced up to the staff-table so as to name someone who was not there this morning, "Professor Snape." she said fluidly. She was better at this lying thing than she gave herself credit for.
Ginny gave her a sympathetic smile, "Ouch, no wonder you look so miserable. OK, I guess I'll see you later. I'll tell the guys what's up. Bye!"
"Bye..." she responded to no one as Ginny had already turned and walked away.
With a sigh, Hermione picked up her muffin, took a few more bites than put it down and closed her book. She took one last sip of juice and stood up. 'Someone's watching me...' she thought and her eyes quickly scanned the room.
She found the source and the corners of her lips tugged downwards. 'Malfory, god-damned, stupid Malfoy.' He had just stalked into the Hall flanked by his two cronies.
Hermione guessed that he would just march over to his table while continuing with something between glaring and smirking at her as if he knew something important. 'But he does.' her mind told her. 'Dammit, dammit, dammit!'
He had stopped not three feet in front of her. Crabe and Goyle standing to either side him, stupid grins in place.
"What do you want Malfoy?" She snapped quickly. She didn't want to do this right now, especially when she knew more than half the student body would be staring in a moments time.
"And here I thought you'd be happy to see me. I'm guessing your little friends weren't able to induldge you in you sick fan-" Draco was cut off as Hermione slapped him soundly across the face.
The silence that filled the Hall echoed in her ears, the only disturbance was that of shuffling and then fast-paced footsteps in their direction.
Draco was faster though, regaining his composure, he closed the gap between himself and Hermione, leaned sown and whispered so only she could hear. "I know" His gray eyes flashed as he looked down at her one last time before walking off.
Harry and Ron now stood beside her. "Hermione! Are you alright?"
"Did he hurt you? 'Mione, talk to us!"
She didn't respond, instead stood stalk still, tears brimming her eyes, forcing back the need to kill someone.
"MALFOY!" Harry shouted across the room.
Draco stopped, turned, and took a few steps in his direction. "What is it Potter?"
"Just what the hell did you do to her?"
At this Draco straight-out smiled. "Me? I didn't do anything. I was more under the impression that it was-"
"STOP IT!" Hermione screeched.
"'Mione..." Ron began, putting a hand around her waist.
"Don't touch me!" She shouted again, ripping away from Ron. "Don't you ever touch me! Never!"
More stunned silence insued. Ron was angry, Harry worried, Malfoy amused, and Hermione was beyond reason.
'Well, now that we've caused a scene, might as well continue.' "And Malfoy!" Hermione's eyes flased with just as much malice as his, "Unless you want to start something, I suggest you keep quiet." He simply sneered.
She looked at her dark-haired friend who was about to say something, "And you stay out of this!" She then turned to the final person involved in the fray and gave the red-head a most un-Hermione like glare. "Weasly, if you ever come near me again I swear I'll hex you balls off!"
Ron looked flustered for a second, "But Hermione-"
"Care to test that theory?" Hermione had pulled out her wand and pointed it right towards his groin.
Ron backed up a few steps, a vicious glare in place before he ground out a solid, "No."
Harry hesitantly stood beside Ron, a questioning look in his eyes, "Please 'Mione, calm down..."
Hermione shook her head sadly. "I'm sorry Harry, but our friendship," she emphasized the word with a glare at Ron, "ends here."
With that she turned on heel and stormed away.
Only two people in the Hall now knew what was happening. The red-head and the blonde just glared at each other before going their separate ways.
Harry was thinking on the exact same line as everyone else who watched the exchange, 'What the hell happened?'
OK! That's all for chapter four! So, can you guess what happened? It was pretty clear to me, but then again I wrote it! I do hope this was longer than the others. Please review!
Love,
AngelicEmpress