[A/N: Yesterday, when I saw that I had gotten like 13 more reviews I was in
shock. I was a bit afraid that they would be flames, I love criticism but
at times I fear it. When I read the messages for my fanfiction I was so
flattered! Thanks! I thought I was acting drastic in the sixth chapter, but
I'm also very evil, so oh well. Now, here's the seventh chapter, I go on
everyday to check for reviews, they inspire me, I got 3 more
today! Plus, I had the same thing on my mind about Severus and Remus, I
love them both, but now I can't decide!]
Chapter VII
Emitting a low groan, Hermione turned over in the thin sheets, seeing red. Recognizing that it was her eyelids, she slowly opened them to look around. The room was white, reflecting the glow from the sun in the windows. It was empty, turning over she saw a rather amusing sight.
Remus Lupin was lying down on the floor, sleeping peacefully. Severus Snape was in a chair, he only looked slightly relaxed as he slept, his body was still stiff and his mouth was closed. Slightly disappointed that she couldn't see the Potions professor looking like a normal lazy man, she turned to face the ceiling.
Hermione felt pretty okay, except for the ache in her jaw and neck. She guessed that they had been broken, thinking about that only made her feel worse. The whole school had attacked her, it was absolutely appalling that the people she had called her friends had been apart of that group. The Slytherins, Hermione understood, they would jump at the chance of beating up a Gryffindor (a muggle-born at that). But her own house?
A cough came from Lupin's form, his eyes slowly flickered open, and he literally jumped as he saw that she was awake. He walked over to her bed right away, face etched in worry.
"Hermione, feeling alright?" he said, rubbing his neck, it had apparently cramped up from his uncomfortable position on the stone floor.
"Err-" Hermione didn't really know how she felt.
"Well, Madam Promfrey was having a bit of trouble with more of the, err, serious broken bones," Remus looked around nervously.
"Will they be okay?"
"Yes, they'll just be aches in those parts of your body. Luckily, you were only asleep for twenty hours, Madam Promfrey will be surprised. We thought you would be in a coma for weeks," Remus smiled.
"Well, I'm definitely sleepy," Hermione sighed.
"Hermione, I am really sorry we didn't arrive sooner. With the Order meeting and everything, but Severus said that he thought he heard something. We all rushed to get there-"
"It's okay, I'm fine now aren't I?" Hermione didn't notice until now that her voice was hoarse and faint.
"Yes, I just can't believe they would behave like that," Remus said.
"Did Harry join in?" Hermione asked irritably.
"No, he didn't. But he was also apart of those cheering it on, I don't know what has gotten into him," Remus' face darkened.
"The funny thing is, I had made a friend that morning, he said he would protect me," Hermione muttered.
"What happened? Hermione, did anyone start this?" Remus asked, but stopped and looked over at Severus who was stirring.
"It was all conducted by a rumor started by the same guy," Hermione replied.
"Who?" Remus asked, he looked over at Severus in curiosity again. "Not an easy one to blackmail, eh?"
Hermione laughed, it felt good, but it ended in coughs. Remus looked at her apologetically, but she just smiled.
"I really thought that someone could stand up for me, you know, really care. Someone I could hug and hold onto, after all, I had lost those friends earlier this year," Hermione's smiled to one that was cold.
"He knew about my parents, he helped me admit the truth, and then he just stood by as they came... after me," Hermione's brown eyes glistened with clear, unshed tears.
"Where am I?" Severus asked, looking at his surroundings in suspicion.
Remus chuckled lightly to himself, and turned back to Hermione.
"Hermione, I have a question. Did-did they use knives on you?" Remus looked at her, his features becames serious.
Hermione was confused.
"Why?" she inquired.
"There were, err, cuts all of your arms," Remus looked around again, uncomfortable.
Hermione's eyes widened in guilt and understanding.
"No, Pro-Remus," Hermione looked down.
"Then, what, how-" he stopped, his eyes widening as well.
Hermione sniffled slightly, she felt something wet roll down the bridge of her nose, then slowly to the side. She concentrated on the floor.
"Have you been conducting self-mutilation?" Severus asked, surprising her, as he was suddenly standing opposite from Remus, by her bed.
Hermione slowly nodded, averting her eyes from the two men.
"Gods, Hermione!" Remus gasped loudly.
"What is going on here?!" a shrill voice interrupted.
Hermione looked up, Madam Promfrey stood outside her office looking angry. When she saw Hermione sitting up, she quickly rushed over and pushed Hermione back into the bed.
"How are you feeling?" she asked, looking through the reasonable amount of medicine bottles on the bedside table that Hermione didn't notice.
"I have a few aches, but that's it," Hermione replied quietly, still avoiding the stares of Severus and Remus.
"Good, good,"Madam Promfrey said absently, pouring medicine in spoons and levitating them as she filled the next one.
"Did you ask her about the cuts?" the medi-witch looked up at the two adults.
"Yes," Remus replied.
"Well?" Madam Promfrey sounded irritated by the silence that followed his words.
"She is the one that made the cuts," Severus answered.
"Miss Granger! I demand an explanation!" Madam Promfrey exclaimed, she took out her Hermione's arm and examined it. The cuts were gone, but there were a few white scars left.
"I lost hope," Hermione whispered, her words explaining everthing.
"You do know that I will have to tell the headmaster?" she said, knowingly.
Hermione hesitantly nodded. At the corner of her eye, she saw Remus staring at her arm in disbelief. Madam Promfrey left the Hospital Wing right away.
"Well, at least we don't have to worry about convincing the houses to work together. They have great teamwork, when wanting revenge," Hermione whispered sarcastically.
"How could you hurt yourself?!" Remus exclaimed, ignoring her.
"No one seemed to care, everyone hated me, I wanted to see to my parents... The possibilities are endless," Hermione's tone was cold and sarcastic.
"I must go, there is a staff meeting in a few minutes," Severus said, lacking any emotions.
Severus left the infirmary, robes billowing behind him. Remus turned to Hermione, and placed a gentle hand on her cheek, she winced slightly at his touch. He immediately withdrew his hand.
"I can't believe-" Remus stopped, once again.
There was muffled shrieking. Remus smiled faintly.
"We sent letters to the parents, we got an immediate answer from Molly. She told us to tell you she was very sorry for her son and daughter's disrespectful behavior, and she said that she would make sure to send a Howler to Ron and Ginny," Remus said, Hermione sighed.
Remus continued, "Fred and George tried to send you most of the new Weasley's Wizard Wheezes products, and almost all of Honeyduke's. But Madam Promfrey said she wouldn't allow it, everything is in your common room at the moment."
"Oh," Hermione said.
"Who was the boy you were talking about? The one who started rumors and then befriended you?" Remus looked at her, she glanced at her sheets, then sat up in the bed.
The spoons were still floating near the spot where Remus was sitting, she stared at them as they hovered.
"Draco Malfoy," Hermione whispered, but he heard her perfectly.
"What? I am going to have to tell the staff," he stood up, but she grabbed his forearm.
"No, please. Stay here," she pleaded.
Remus' face softened and he sat back down.
"I don't know what I possibly was thinking," she began, another tear rolling along the side of her face. "I had been so stupid, actually believing him when he told me that he would stick up for me. Protect me. I was so vulnerable," Hermione played with the hems of her sleeves.
Remus sat there as she criticized herself.
"I was just feeling sorry for myself, and letting him get uder my skin. And now I'm talking to you about all my problems like I did with him," she began to cry, her soft whimpers muffled by the sheets.
Remus took her limp body and hugged her tightly, she turned to his chest and sobbed quietly into his robes. Her body trembling and wincing from the pain.
After some time, Remus gently took her chin and lifted her head to face his.
"Hermione, your not vulnerable. You just suffered a great loss, anyone would be as depressed as you are feeling now. The people who don't give a care are oblivious idiots," he said softly, smiling at her.
She returned his smile slowly.
"I'm sorry for ruining your robes," Hermione mumbled, embarassed.
"Think nothing of it. Hermione, you can write me, or if I'm here, come to me anytime you need someone to lean on," Remus said.
"Thank you," she replied, and embraced him again in a hug of gratitude.
VVVVVVVVVVVVVV
Breakfast and lunch was filled with students (none of the Slytherins, seeing as how they're parents were happy that they beat up a muggle-born) receiving Howlers. Dinner was quiet, the only sounds were of a few Slytherin girls whispering to eachother, and the clinking of forks as people ate.
At the end of the feast, Dumbledore stood up, calling attention. Everyone turned to look at him, eyes expectant.
"I am disturbed and disappointed by such behavior of my students. Hermione Granger had already gone through an ordeal this summer, adding to the fact of rumors," Dumbledore turned his eyes to Draco, everyone followed his gaze, then turned back to him. "What all of you did yesterday was completely inappropriate. Miss Granger's spine was almost broken, close to paralyzing her from the neck down, and her jaw was broken as well.
"She is now in the Hospital Wing recovering, gratefully suffering no permanent damage, except traumatizaton from now two things," Dumbledore stopped as everyone looked at eachother in surprise. "During the summer, while Miss Granger was staying with her parents, she suffered what we now found to be a brain effecting trauma. On the night of July thirty-first, Hermione found her mother's dead body.
"Jane Granger was beheaded by her husband, Richard Granger, and then she witnessed as her father committed suicide. I arrived before she took her own life also, she stayed at Hogwarts for the rest of the holidays," Dumbledore looked down, a few teachers were crying silently. Severus just stared ahead, determined not to catch anyone's eye.
The students all took this as a shock, a few mouths were gaping. Harry and Ron looked at eachother wearily, Lavendar was looking down, and Ginny had tears running down her freckled face. Draco Malfoy avoided any stares from his fellow Slytherins or other houses.
"Any rumors that were started early this year, are untrue. Miss Granger will have seperate classes from the rest of the seventh years in private, so that none of this happens again," Dumbledore sat back down and excused the students, they all rushed back to their common rooms, in silence.
"What a bunch of bullshit," Pansy sneered, as she placed her napkin on the table and got up.
"Feel sympathy for the mudblood," Blaise mimicked.
"Shut up," Draco muttered.
"What? What's wrong with you Draco?" Pansy asked, looking at him as if he was some kind of lunatic.
"Just shut up," Draco stormed out of the Great Hall, guilt as strong as ever.
[A/N: Ooohh! Angsty! HBP... yay! Anyway, thank you all again for the reviews, I am extremely flattered]
Chapter VII
Emitting a low groan, Hermione turned over in the thin sheets, seeing red. Recognizing that it was her eyelids, she slowly opened them to look around. The room was white, reflecting the glow from the sun in the windows. It was empty, turning over she saw a rather amusing sight.
Remus Lupin was lying down on the floor, sleeping peacefully. Severus Snape was in a chair, he only looked slightly relaxed as he slept, his body was still stiff and his mouth was closed. Slightly disappointed that she couldn't see the Potions professor looking like a normal lazy man, she turned to face the ceiling.
Hermione felt pretty okay, except for the ache in her jaw and neck. She guessed that they had been broken, thinking about that only made her feel worse. The whole school had attacked her, it was absolutely appalling that the people she had called her friends had been apart of that group. The Slytherins, Hermione understood, they would jump at the chance of beating up a Gryffindor (a muggle-born at that). But her own house?
A cough came from Lupin's form, his eyes slowly flickered open, and he literally jumped as he saw that she was awake. He walked over to her bed right away, face etched in worry.
"Hermione, feeling alright?" he said, rubbing his neck, it had apparently cramped up from his uncomfortable position on the stone floor.
"Err-" Hermione didn't really know how she felt.
"Well, Madam Promfrey was having a bit of trouble with more of the, err, serious broken bones," Remus looked around nervously.
"Will they be okay?"
"Yes, they'll just be aches in those parts of your body. Luckily, you were only asleep for twenty hours, Madam Promfrey will be surprised. We thought you would be in a coma for weeks," Remus smiled.
"Well, I'm definitely sleepy," Hermione sighed.
"Hermione, I am really sorry we didn't arrive sooner. With the Order meeting and everything, but Severus said that he thought he heard something. We all rushed to get there-"
"It's okay, I'm fine now aren't I?" Hermione didn't notice until now that her voice was hoarse and faint.
"Yes, I just can't believe they would behave like that," Remus said.
"Did Harry join in?" Hermione asked irritably.
"No, he didn't. But he was also apart of those cheering it on, I don't know what has gotten into him," Remus' face darkened.
"The funny thing is, I had made a friend that morning, he said he would protect me," Hermione muttered.
"What happened? Hermione, did anyone start this?" Remus asked, but stopped and looked over at Severus who was stirring.
"It was all conducted by a rumor started by the same guy," Hermione replied.
"Who?" Remus asked, he looked over at Severus in curiosity again. "Not an easy one to blackmail, eh?"
Hermione laughed, it felt good, but it ended in coughs. Remus looked at her apologetically, but she just smiled.
"I really thought that someone could stand up for me, you know, really care. Someone I could hug and hold onto, after all, I had lost those friends earlier this year," Hermione's smiled to one that was cold.
"He knew about my parents, he helped me admit the truth, and then he just stood by as they came... after me," Hermione's brown eyes glistened with clear, unshed tears.
"Where am I?" Severus asked, looking at his surroundings in suspicion.
Remus chuckled lightly to himself, and turned back to Hermione.
"Hermione, I have a question. Did-did they use knives on you?" Remus looked at her, his features becames serious.
Hermione was confused.
"Why?" she inquired.
"There were, err, cuts all of your arms," Remus looked around again, uncomfortable.
Hermione's eyes widened in guilt and understanding.
"No, Pro-Remus," Hermione looked down.
"Then, what, how-" he stopped, his eyes widening as well.
Hermione sniffled slightly, she felt something wet roll down the bridge of her nose, then slowly to the side. She concentrated on the floor.
"Have you been conducting self-mutilation?" Severus asked, surprising her, as he was suddenly standing opposite from Remus, by her bed.
Hermione slowly nodded, averting her eyes from the two men.
"Gods, Hermione!" Remus gasped loudly.
"What is going on here?!" a shrill voice interrupted.
Hermione looked up, Madam Promfrey stood outside her office looking angry. When she saw Hermione sitting up, she quickly rushed over and pushed Hermione back into the bed.
"How are you feeling?" she asked, looking through the reasonable amount of medicine bottles on the bedside table that Hermione didn't notice.
"I have a few aches, but that's it," Hermione replied quietly, still avoiding the stares of Severus and Remus.
"Good, good,"Madam Promfrey said absently, pouring medicine in spoons and levitating them as she filled the next one.
"Did you ask her about the cuts?" the medi-witch looked up at the two adults.
"Yes," Remus replied.
"Well?" Madam Promfrey sounded irritated by the silence that followed his words.
"She is the one that made the cuts," Severus answered.
"Miss Granger! I demand an explanation!" Madam Promfrey exclaimed, she took out her Hermione's arm and examined it. The cuts were gone, but there were a few white scars left.
"I lost hope," Hermione whispered, her words explaining everthing.
"You do know that I will have to tell the headmaster?" she said, knowingly.
Hermione hesitantly nodded. At the corner of her eye, she saw Remus staring at her arm in disbelief. Madam Promfrey left the Hospital Wing right away.
"Well, at least we don't have to worry about convincing the houses to work together. They have great teamwork, when wanting revenge," Hermione whispered sarcastically.
"How could you hurt yourself?!" Remus exclaimed, ignoring her.
"No one seemed to care, everyone hated me, I wanted to see to my parents... The possibilities are endless," Hermione's tone was cold and sarcastic.
"I must go, there is a staff meeting in a few minutes," Severus said, lacking any emotions.
Severus left the infirmary, robes billowing behind him. Remus turned to Hermione, and placed a gentle hand on her cheek, she winced slightly at his touch. He immediately withdrew his hand.
"I can't believe-" Remus stopped, once again.
There was muffled shrieking. Remus smiled faintly.
"We sent letters to the parents, we got an immediate answer from Molly. She told us to tell you she was very sorry for her son and daughter's disrespectful behavior, and she said that she would make sure to send a Howler to Ron and Ginny," Remus said, Hermione sighed.
Remus continued, "Fred and George tried to send you most of the new Weasley's Wizard Wheezes products, and almost all of Honeyduke's. But Madam Promfrey said she wouldn't allow it, everything is in your common room at the moment."
"Oh," Hermione said.
"Who was the boy you were talking about? The one who started rumors and then befriended you?" Remus looked at her, she glanced at her sheets, then sat up in the bed.
The spoons were still floating near the spot where Remus was sitting, she stared at them as they hovered.
"Draco Malfoy," Hermione whispered, but he heard her perfectly.
"What? I am going to have to tell the staff," he stood up, but she grabbed his forearm.
"No, please. Stay here," she pleaded.
Remus' face softened and he sat back down.
"I don't know what I possibly was thinking," she began, another tear rolling along the side of her face. "I had been so stupid, actually believing him when he told me that he would stick up for me. Protect me. I was so vulnerable," Hermione played with the hems of her sleeves.
Remus sat there as she criticized herself.
"I was just feeling sorry for myself, and letting him get uder my skin. And now I'm talking to you about all my problems like I did with him," she began to cry, her soft whimpers muffled by the sheets.
Remus took her limp body and hugged her tightly, she turned to his chest and sobbed quietly into his robes. Her body trembling and wincing from the pain.
After some time, Remus gently took her chin and lifted her head to face his.
"Hermione, your not vulnerable. You just suffered a great loss, anyone would be as depressed as you are feeling now. The people who don't give a care are oblivious idiots," he said softly, smiling at her.
She returned his smile slowly.
"I'm sorry for ruining your robes," Hermione mumbled, embarassed.
"Think nothing of it. Hermione, you can write me, or if I'm here, come to me anytime you need someone to lean on," Remus said.
"Thank you," she replied, and embraced him again in a hug of gratitude.
VVVVVVVVVVVVVV
Breakfast and lunch was filled with students (none of the Slytherins, seeing as how they're parents were happy that they beat up a muggle-born) receiving Howlers. Dinner was quiet, the only sounds were of a few Slytherin girls whispering to eachother, and the clinking of forks as people ate.
At the end of the feast, Dumbledore stood up, calling attention. Everyone turned to look at him, eyes expectant.
"I am disturbed and disappointed by such behavior of my students. Hermione Granger had already gone through an ordeal this summer, adding to the fact of rumors," Dumbledore turned his eyes to Draco, everyone followed his gaze, then turned back to him. "What all of you did yesterday was completely inappropriate. Miss Granger's spine was almost broken, close to paralyzing her from the neck down, and her jaw was broken as well.
"She is now in the Hospital Wing recovering, gratefully suffering no permanent damage, except traumatizaton from now two things," Dumbledore stopped as everyone looked at eachother in surprise. "During the summer, while Miss Granger was staying with her parents, she suffered what we now found to be a brain effecting trauma. On the night of July thirty-first, Hermione found her mother's dead body.
"Jane Granger was beheaded by her husband, Richard Granger, and then she witnessed as her father committed suicide. I arrived before she took her own life also, she stayed at Hogwarts for the rest of the holidays," Dumbledore looked down, a few teachers were crying silently. Severus just stared ahead, determined not to catch anyone's eye.
The students all took this as a shock, a few mouths were gaping. Harry and Ron looked at eachother wearily, Lavendar was looking down, and Ginny had tears running down her freckled face. Draco Malfoy avoided any stares from his fellow Slytherins or other houses.
"Any rumors that were started early this year, are untrue. Miss Granger will have seperate classes from the rest of the seventh years in private, so that none of this happens again," Dumbledore sat back down and excused the students, they all rushed back to their common rooms, in silence.
"What a bunch of bullshit," Pansy sneered, as she placed her napkin on the table and got up.
"Feel sympathy for the mudblood," Blaise mimicked.
"Shut up," Draco muttered.
"What? What's wrong with you Draco?" Pansy asked, looking at him as if he was some kind of lunatic.
"Just shut up," Draco stormed out of the Great Hall, guilt as strong as ever.
[A/N: Ooohh! Angsty! HBP... yay! Anyway, thank you all again for the reviews, I am extremely flattered]