Her heart lodged in her throat. She unconsciously stood up, as Headmistress McGonagall called her name, signifying to the Hogwarts students, that she was their new Head Girl. However, she could not tear her eyes from the Head Boy. Harry and Ron beside her had stood up as well, looking as if all they wanted was to run up to him and start a fight. Her breath caught in her throat as she heard the next words of Pro..Headmistress McGonagall, this is the appointment that Professor Dumbledore had wanted before he died. As the students filed out of the Great Hall, most did not understand the shocked looks on the faces of a few select Seventh Year students. Hermione quickly tore her eyes away from the new Head Boy, and ran. Her burgundy and gold ascot tie was whipping across her neck, as her long untamed curls blew behind her. Her Oxford shoes pounded the stone of the corridors, as she ran to the one refuge where she knew no one could find her. The doors to the library were locked when she reached, but with a mighty heave, she managed to open them. She slipped past countless bookshelves, as tears began to fall from her eyes. The last table in a dusty corner was always hers. It was blocked by large bookshelves filled with ancient tomes that no one besides her had any interest for. This corner was always secluded, had always been her refuge. However, as she emerged in front of her table, she saw that someone was already standing by it. Tumultuous gray eyes peered out at her from behind a curtain of blond hair. The boy standing in front of her was easily a head taller than her, towering over her petite frame. However, her sheer anger seemed to make up for it. Without a thought, her wand was raised, aimed at his heart.
"What are you doing here." Her tone left it clear that this was a statement, not a question. He shrugged.
"It's a library for all students. I am allowed." She lowered her wand.
Without a word, he picked up his bag and left, leaving her alone in front of what used to be her secret table. She sat down slowly, fingering her wand. This boy had grown up quite a bit. He was at least a head taller than her, but he also seemed to have matured since the previous year. She was disgusted with herself, but she found that she was rather in awe of him. His horrific actions last year left her with different thoughts about him than she had previously entertained. When she had first learned from Harry about the nature of Malfoy's involvement in the death of Professor Dumbledore, she was shocked, but she was also in awe of him. He had discovered the hidden vanishing cabinet, fixed it, and used it to bring in Death Eaters without anyone in the school suspecting a thing. He had managed to keep the trust of most of the individuals at school, including herself, throughout most of the year. She knew that he was second to her in class rank, but had never thought much of it. She figured that Snape's preference of him, and his father's influence was enough to bring him that rank. Now, she realized that he was intelligent, and cunning. However, he had faltered when he had to kill Dumbledore. Everything else that he had planned he had done without remorse, but he couldn't kill his headmaster. And Moaning Myrtle had complained that he had been in the girls' bathroom crying, stressed, and wanting to quit. Maybe he had a soul, maybe he wasn't exactly his father's son. Maybe that was why Dumbledore had wanted him to be Head Boy. She still couldn't believe that she had to work with the same boy who had worked to kill her beloved headmaster for the rest of the year. She looked around her, the library would be closing soon, and she was exhausted. She picked up her bag, and settled it over her shoulder. She straightened her gray pleated skirt, brushed the remains of her tears from her eyes, and made her way out of the library.
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