Chapter III Stare Downs
The whispers followed her like a mocking breeze, mere rustles of barely breathed voices. But she swept them off defiantly and with her head held high marched down the corridor, an aura of pride radiating from her being.
News about her speech down in the dungeons had spread across the student body like wildfire. The whole school had been abuzz with discussion and arguments and debates on the validity of her words.
Receiving smiles and pats and appraising beams along with scowls and glares and swear words, Hermione never let her poise falter.
Offering sunny smiles to those who supported, and cool glances to those who opposed, she knew exactly how to proceed.
She demonstrated her point one Thursday morning.
Hermione hurried down the hallway, shifting the heavy volumes in her arms uncomfortably. She had just got out of Advanced Human Transfiguration, and she was running late for Ancient Runes.
As she hastily spun around a corner, she collided with a hard figure, causing her to dangerously teeter backwards. Suddenly, a burly hand reached out and roughly shoved her, causing her to topple to the ground and land in an unceremonious heap.
Loud guffaws followed, and a thick, oily voice rang out arrogantly, "If it isn't our revolutionary Mudblood." Hermione sat perfectly still on the floor, a few defiant curls slipping from her haphazard bun. Other than the slight twitch of her lips, she seemed absolutely calm.
With a smooth toss of her head, she looked up into the unpleasantly sneering face of Otto Flint, Marcus Flint's younger brother. He possessed the same burly, bulky figure and dim expression as his older sibling.
He watched her expectantly, seemingly pleased to see that a small audience had gathered around them to watch. He basked in the attention.
"Waddya gonna do now, Granger? Yell at me?" was his intelligent taunt, and with a triumphant bark of laughter he high-fived his mates. Hermione didn't bother trying to stop her eyes from rolling.
"Pick up the books, Flint. And when you do so, you'll apologize," said Hermione in a cold, even voice. Murmurs broke out in the crowd.
Otto looked slightly startled, then twisted his face into a snarl.
"Oh, yeah? I don't have to listen to Mudblood scum!" he snapped thickly, squaring his shoulders and glaring down his nose. Hermione folded her arms across her chest and smirked at him coolly. And smirked. And smirked.
A few moments went by, and when Hermione didn't shift her blazing gaze off of him, he shifted uncomfortably.
"Stop staring at me," he warned, his voice shriller than he intended. Hermione's smirk widened and her eyes narrowed, mere slits of blazing amber.
"Stop it," he warned. Hermione continued to stare him down. Everything was written in her eyes: hatred, defiance, pride. The emotions swirled so ferociously, the intensity so bright, that her eyes seemed to glow, as if some internal energy had illuminated them.
"I said, stop staring at me, damn it!" he yelled, making the gathering crowd jump.
"Scared, Flint?" she mocked, revealing the white points of her teeth in a skeletal grin. He swallowed so loudly the sound seemed to echo against the walls.
"N-no way! You're just a Mudblood bitch!" he cried, sounding to all the world like a person on the verge of tears.
"Pick up my books, Flint," ordered Hermione, motioning to the scattered volumes with her hand, eyes never leaving his face.
Otto looked around at the gathered faces, and twisted his face into a mask of calm.
"I dare you to, Flint!" she whispered with a manic excitement, as if she knew what was coming and was very pleased with it.
The Slytherin looked at the books, carefully avoiding her eyes, and slowly turned around and walked away. Hermione watched his wide back shrink into the distance with a miniscule smile.
She sat there, absolutely motionless, until the crows grew bored and dispersed. Her smile had grown into a wide grin by the time the last person had left.
With a shriek of triumph, she fell back against the ground amongst her scattered books and ecstatically kicked her feet.
"Clever Granger. Conquer the world for me," whispered a voice in the shadows, lost in the screams of happiness.