Title: Stand Up
Summary: A little peak inside Hermione's head when she slaps Draco Malfoy in PoA. Book version. Slightly AU.
Disclaimer: I don't own anything from Harry Potter The song is Stand Up by Trapt.
Hermione listen with quiet remorse as Hagrid led the three of them back up to the castle. She felt the stirrings of anger deep within her as Draco Malfoy walked ahead of then sniggering and joking with Crabbe and Goyle. That evil beast! Her hands curled into fists as she imagined what he could be saying.
"S'no good Ron," said Hagrid sadly as they reached the castle steps. "That Committee's in Lucius Malfoy's pocket. I'm jus' gonna make sure the rest o' Beaky's time is the happiest he's ever had. I owe him that…."
Hagrid turned around and hurried back toward his cabin, his face buried in his handkerchief.
"Look at him blubber!"
Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle had been standing just inside the castle doors, listening.
"Have you ever seen anything quite as pathetic?" said Malfoy. Yeah you, thought Hermione furiously. "And he's supposed to be our teacher!"
Hermione saw red. That arrogant jerk! Not only was his father pulling all the strings, doing his best to get Buckbeak killed, but the little twit was making fun of Hagrid and laughing! Harry and Ron both made furious moves toward Malfoy, but Hermione got there first-SMACK!
Why don't you let me be
Leave me alone
You start a fire inside that I could never control
You wanna see a reaction
Hermione was shaking when she stepped away from the thin blonde. She had slapped Malfoy across the face with all the strength she could muster. Malfoy staggered. She felt satisfaction in seeing the reddening side of his face. Harry, Ron, Crabbe, and Goyle stood flabbergasted as Hermione raised her hand again.
"Don't you dare call Hagrid pathetic, you foul-you evil-"
"Hermione!" said Ron weakly, and he tried to grab her hand as she swung it back.
"Get off, Ron!"
Hermione pulled out her wand. As Malfoy stepped backward she thought she saw a look of respect and almost pride on his face. Crabbe and Goyle looked at him for instruction, thoroughly bewildered.
Malfoy gave her one more approving look before muttering, "C'mon." and in a moment all three of them had disappeared into the passageway to the dungeons.
Come on and cut me down
You've gone as far as I'll go
Now you're crossing the line
And I am letting you know
Well here's your reaction
Hermione took and deep and shaky breath, not believing her what her eyes had seen and heard Ron speak up from behind her.
"Hermione!" Ron said again, sounding both stunned and impressed.
"Harry you'd better beat him in the Quidditch final!" Hermione said shrilly. "You'd just better had, because I can't stand it if Slytherin wins!"
"We're due in Charms," said Ron, still goggling at Hermione. "We'd better go."
As they hurried up the marble staircase toward Professor Flitwick's classroom Hermione's mind carried her off somewhere else and her hand slipped into her robes, looking for the Time Turner.
Stand up
I have had enough
Walk away before I finish what you started
Face to face I will put you in your place
End this game before I finish what you started
Face to face everything will change
Slipping away from the boys she paused in and empty corridor, watching the hypnotic rotations of the Time Turner.
Had she truly seen respect on the facial features of her most hated enemy? Had her anger caused her to see things? He hadn't sneered at her, no; he seemed impressed by what she had done. And proud of her for it. Hermione shook her head. That's impossible, she thought, after all, loyalty is valued in Hufflepuff. Not Slytherin. Or perhaps they put him in the wrong house…. This last bit made her laugh.
"And what is so funny Granger?" The Slytherin King stood behind her scowling.
She turned to smirk at Malfoy. "Oh nothing, just the thought of you in Hufflepuff!" Now laughing at the expression on his face and he imagined himself in the despised house, Hermione hurriedly ran outside. Her 'other' self would be down at Hagrid's hut right now and she needed to find someplace near the castle entrance to hide if she wanted to watch the 'action' that would be soon in coming.
As she settled down in the edge of the forest, Hermione suddenly realized that the Time Turner was still out and that Malfoy might have seen it! Mentally cursing herself for being so careless she watched as a curious blonde haired boy stepped outside. He was looking for her. She inhaled quickly and prayed her would give up quickly or just assume she had gone down to Hagrid's.
You planted the seed
How my anger has grown
Got a feeling inside that I can't seem to control
You wanna see a reaction
Malfoy stared about for a moment before striding back inside. Hremione breathed a sigh of relief and leaned back against a tree. That was close. She hoped he hung around and didn't go to a professor to report what he had seen. Not only could she get in trouble, but he might not be outside later when her friends returned form Hagrid's hut.
Hermione groaned as the sudden realization of what she had just done filled her head. She could have just screwed up time forever! A pox on Malfoy and his cursed peroxide colored hair! This was entirely his fault. If he hadn't been so confusing in the first place she would have never used the Time Turner! She gasped what if he had already known about the Time Turner and this was all some heinous plot to destroy her! He had done this on purpose-
Hermione slapped herself on the head. "Good grief, I'm turning out just like Harry. Seeing plots and things that don't exist. I must be more careful." She said aloud. "I know what it is, its stress! I simply must remember to take more time to study. That always helps me relax…."
She trailed off seeing herself and her friends star their walk from Hagrid's hut back up to the castle. She glanced around nervously, looking for Malfoy.
Come on and cut me down
You've gone as far as I'll go
Now you're crossing the line and I am letting you know
Well here's your reaction
Honestly. She needn't have worried. The arrogant Slytherin would never miss out on a chance to humiliate someone and he was right were he was supposed to be. Stand on the steps talking about Hagrid.
Hermione watched anxiously, waiting for her explosion and the slap. She simply had to see his face again…see if she had been imagining things. Hagrid was talking to Ron, and then he left….Here it comes, she thought. Hermione watched in almost slow motion as her hand came up and connected with Malfoy's rather handsome face.
There! He was wearing a look of respect! He was proud of her for standing up to him! Hermione wanted to hoot and holler and dance for joy, but managed to stop herself.
Alright, first of all, did I just think of Malfoy as handsome? And why does his respect and pride excite me so much?
Hermione sat down, thinking furiously.
Stand up
I have had enough
Walk away before I finish what you started
Face to face I will put you in your place
End this game before I finish what you started
Face to face everything will change
The man was an insolent jerk that didn't deserve the title of 'man.' He was a slimy cockroach of a human being who didn't deserve a minute of her time and thought! Hermione smiled to herself and stood up. Now that that was decided….Why was she still thinking about him?
"ARGH!" Hermione burst out and stomped down into the castle just in time to she her, Ron, and Harry's backs disappear up a staircase. Groaning she hit herself again. She was being far too careless!
Malfoy hadcome back out of the passageway to the dungeons and saw Hermione slap herself.
"Easy there Mudblood, I realize that you're regretting your ill treatment of me, but you needn't beat yourself up so badly." He drawled out.
She rounded on him, "You! You evil little-I should-" She choked on her death threats and tried to calm down. He just made her so mad! Standing there with that gorgeous smirk on his face….Hermione groaned and hit herself once more.
"Forget it Malfoy. I highly doubt that your miniscule mental capacity would be able to comprehend anything I would wish to converse with you about."
Insult
After insult
After insult
After insult
After insult
After insult
After insult
After insult
After insult
After insult
Draco Malfoy stared in amazement as she turned away from him and marched angrily away. A sly grin crept over his face. So, the little mudblood had trouble functioning when he was around. This could be interesting….
Sneaking after her he found himself, without much surprise, in the library. He rolled his eyes. Figures. Even when the little do-good had the guts to skip class she spent the whole time with books.
He found her in the jinks section muttering to herself. Slipping into the next section, he settled himself down to listen.
Hermione was furious. Blinking, howling mad! Mad at Malfoy, and most importantly, mad at herself. Since when did she consider that…that…weasel to be attractive? When did that happen?
"I can't believe him! The arrogance…." Dark muttering as she scanned the shelves. "I should have knocked his whole bloody block off! First the thing with Hagrid then…."
Draco strained to hear what she was saying. Only bits of her conversation came out clearly, most of it was just murmurings and mumbled who-knows-what. What one earth was she thinking about? Well, besides him of course….
Stand up
I have had enough
Walk away before I finish what you started
Face to face I will put you in your place
End this game before I finish what you started
Face to face everything will change
"Oooh! I can't take this anymore!" Her outburst shocked herself slightly and she rubbed her temples. "I need to study…."
Malfoy listened in amaze. Study? Granger studied to relax?
Hermione stomped into the Gryffindor Tower and sat down at her usual table. Picking up her Arithmancy book, she tried to calm herself down and resist the urge to rush to the dungeons and strangle Malfoy. Maybe after a bit….
Walk away
Everything will change
End this game
You wanna see a reaction
You wanna see a reaction
Stand up
She awoke to Harry prodding her. "Wh-what?" said Hermione, waking with a start and staring around wildly. "Is it time to go? W-which lessons have we got to go now?"
"Divination, but it's not for another twenty minutes," said Harry. "Hermione, why didn't you come to Charms?"
"What? Oh no!" Hermione squeaked. "I forgot to go to Charms!"
"But how could you forget?" said Harry. "You were with us till we were right outside the classroom!"
"I don't believe it!" Hermione wailed. "Was Professor Flitwick angry? Oh, it was Malfoy, I was thinking about him and lost track of things!"
"You know what, Hermione?" said Ron, looking down at the enormous Arithmancy book Hermione had been using as a pillow. "I reckon you're cracking up. You're trying to do too much."
"No I'm not!" said Hermione, brushing the hair out of her eyes and staring hopelessly around for her bag. "I just made a mistake, that's all! I'd better go and see Professor Flitwick and say sorry….I'll see you in Divination!"
Oh yes. Malfoy had a lot to answer to. This was his entire fault.
Am I the only person who saw something like this happening in the third book? I mean c'mon! Such a huge gap in Hermione's time line! And after all…her line about thinking about Malfoy certainly does leave room fro speculation….
So, what does everybody think? I realize that it might have gotten OOC in some places and I beg your forgiveness! Now remember, no flames. I wrote this at 12 o'clock in the morning. yawns