Longing for You
Chapter One
A young girl of about 16 sat in Gryffindor tower, looking for a secret incantation in her Ancient Runes dictionary. This girl's name was Hermione Granger and she had just started her sixth year at `Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry´.
She was rather depressed and lonely on this particular day, since her two best friends Ron Weasley and Harry Potter had gone off on a Hogsmeade trip, claiming they needed a break from all their homework. Hermione stayed naturally because...well, she had too much work to get through to go out enjoying herself, prior to usual; after all the end of the year exams were nine months away...
She sighed and looked out the window. It was drenched with rain. Hermione
doubted if her life was as perfect as it seemed; but of course it was. Wasn't
it? After all she had two wonderful best friends. But were they so wonderful to
just abandon her at the slightest mention of Hogsmeade? She didn't know. The
only thing she did know apart from every textbook in the school was that she
craved something more than friendship- but right now she wasn't too sure of what
it was yet, for crying out loud she didn't know what she wanted...
And yet again her thoughts were beginning to stray from her homework, something
that rarely happened.
That was it. Hermione had finally had enough. After several hours of intense
study she now felt too depressed to work, she slammed her Ancient Runes
dictionary and set out to the grounds. She was going to take a walk, even if it
was raining. But after thinking twice she muttered, "Agilis Tectum" and conjured
a small umbrella out of thin air with her wand; she liked being cautious.
Hurriedly she passed the Fat Lady debating with her friend Violet over frame
polish and turned to a corridor full of armour.
Hardly anyone was about. No surprises there, she thought. It was after all the
first Hogsmeade trip of the year. Why did it always have to be her? She sighed
depressed.
It was always her left behind by the dream team, she was always the tag along to
help them with their homework and schemes to break yet another dozen or so
rules. But where were they when she needed them? Needed their company? They were
off to Hogsmeade to stuff their pockets with Acid Pops and Chocolate frogs,
that's where. It made her feel incredibly special that she came second on their
list of priorities that day. Just under Hogsmeade. And she was supposed to be
their best friend.
Turning towards the entrance hall still occupied in her own thoughts of what she
would do in the grounds and starting to be very sulky over Harry and Ron, she
knocked into someone. It was Malfoy. He gave her a nasty look.
"Do watch where you're going Granger, now I have to wash my robes from the
absolutely appalling mudblood filth that's gone and dirtied them," he literally
spat, sneering at her.
Hermione was no fool to start a row when a teacher could be turning the corner
any minute to find them at each other's throats. So she merely said, "Shut up
Malfoy," and pushed past him, his irritating voice echoing behind her.
"Are you too stuck up talk back Granger? You shouldn't be you know, there's
nothing to be proud of when it concerns you: Bushy hair, nerdy attitude, oh yes
I almost forgot, Mudblood Heritage. I'm surprised you still have the dignity to
even to try to walk in front of us purebloods, you only dirty our halls."
This time he had gone too far, Hermione had to put up with that crap day in day
out, all she could see was red and all she knew was she was going to teach that
bloody ferret a lesson once and for all. She marched right back up to him and
gave him a nice hard slap across the face.
"Never, ever call me a mudblood again, you great disgusting, repulsive, pathetic
excuse of a human being, and since when were these your halls? Your father was
sacked as school governor in our second year if I've been informed correctly, in fact he's in Azkaban now, is he not?
And if you think it belongs only to purebloods you're very much mistaken. We all
have the right to be here, just as long as we are willing to learn the art of
Magic," she hissed at him venomously.
He looked quite taken aback but gave her a malicious grin after a moment which
greatly confused her.
"You're screwed up, you know that? Leave me alone Malfoy. I don't have time for
your stupid games."
"Why? I like messing with your brain, Granger, it stops you from always being
that bossy little know it all that always struts around with Weasel and Potty.
It's fun," he jeered at her.He gave her another nasty grin, just as she kneed him in the groin in
frustration. He gritted his teeth in pain, as he pushed her away. Good. She
thought.
He deserved this pain for what he had put her though theses past years.
But little did they know that McGonagall was watching them in silence up till now,
she had arrived at the Entrance Hall a good few seconds before and saw
everything.
Her eyes popped out of their sockets at what she had just witnessed and she
thought it her duty now to step in.
"MALFOY! GRANGER! In my office NOW." She shrieked somewhat hysterically beside
herself with rage at such behaviour amongst sixth years.
***
"I am absolutely appalled at your behaviour Miss Granger and you Mr. Malfoy. I would never have believed it possible unless I saw it with my eyes-" Malfoy chose that moment to but in. "Please professor but first impressions can be rather misleading." He drawled with a somewhat bored expression.
Hermione was surprised he could keep his cool in such situations with Professor McGonagall. "I DON´T CARE, your behaviour was unacceptable, and the both of you must learn how to respect one another. You are after all classmates, and might I add prefects which is your duty to set a good example to the younger pupils in attendance here, am I correct? I am therefore deducting thirty points from both Gryffindor and Slytherin."
It was Hermione's turn to but in now in an apologetic yet slightly shrieking voice, "Professor you can't possibly-",
"ENOUGH, Don't you dare tell me what I can or can't do Miss Granger, the both of you will also receive detentions. I hope this will teach you that your actions are in the face of the school and I will not tolerate such behaviour of the sort. Am I understood?" McGonagall fumed, in a fashion quite similar to that of a Hungarian Horntail.
A scowling Draco and forlorn Hermione both nodded their heads. Hermione blinked back the frustrated tears that had started streaming down her face as she walked out.
It seemed so unfair, it was all Malfoy's fault as far as she was concerned; he had started it, but she had to admit she deserved some sort of punishment. Why the hell did she lose control like that, anyway? She was just as angry with herself for rising to his bait, it must have been from stress she supposed. She fumed silently, dabbing her red eyes with a hankerchief. She needed to take her mind of things, she needed sanity, she ran out of the castle into the grounds to the only person who would listen. Hagrid.