Chapter 10

Hermione burst from McGonagall's office, tears streaming down her face. Lavender had said such terrible things and made it look like it was Hermione that had written them. She had called McGonagall so many disrespectful names Hermione felt as if she should wash herself even after just having them read to her.

She had tried countless times to explain to McGonagall that she hadn't written the letter, that the real culprit was Lavender, but McGonagall wouldn't hear it.


"Hermione Jane Granger, this is the most repulsive letter I have ever seen in all my years of teaching. I have never once had a student call me, another staff member, or even a fellow student one of these names. And therefore, I think you should realize just what this means," Professor McGonagall growled, her face close to Hermione's.

"But Professor I swear it wasn't me!" Hermione sobbed.

"ENOUGH, MS. GRANGER! It is ridiculous that a brilliant girl like yourself thinks that she could get out of this by just blaming it on some random student."

"But it's not a random student! It's Lavender! Lavender Brown!" Hermione half screamed, trying not to break down completely.

"THAT IS ENOUGH!" McGonagall looked beyond livid. "This deserves a horrible consequence. A horrible deed like this needs punishment, and therefore, you, Hermione Jane Granger are, for a week's time, suspended from all things having to do with school. You will reside in the castle during this time, but you will be banned from class, or from making up work." She stood, grabbed Hermione by the elbow and turned her towards the door that McGonagall now held open.

"Just remember: you brought this upon yourself." with that, McGonagall flung her from the room.

Now Hermione ran towards the common room, trying desperately to hide her tears. It wasn't fair. She hadn't done any of it. None of it at all.

Finding the Fat Lady's portrait, Hermione wasn't startled to see no one about.

"What happened to you, dear?" the Fat Lady asked.

"Bugger off! Water nymph! There! That's the bloody password, now let me it!" Hermione was furious with Lavender and took it out on the poor portrait.

Taken aback by this sudden outburst, the Fat Lady swung in on her hinges and let Hermione pass without another comment. Once inside, Hermione ran to a chair by the fire in the empty common room. She didn't care anymore if anyone walked in and saw her. She just sat down, bowed her head, and sobbed.

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Lavender tried to hide the smirk on her face while she triumphantly replayed Hermione's reaction in her head. She was still in the Great Hall, Parvati by her side, and she was still ugly from the curse Hermione had set upon her, but she didn't care as much now.

"Hey, erm, Lavender?"

"Hmm?" Lavender looked up from her breakfast.

Parvati squirmed a bit in her seat. "Erm, can't you do something about that curse? I don't mean to be mean or anything, but it's kind of ruining my appetite."

Lavender scowled. "I'll go to the common room and try to fix it, then," she replied stiffly. Standing, she turned and headed from the Great Hall.

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Hermione wept for quite a while, thinking about all the horrible things that would happen to her because of this. She dreaded this all until something caught her attention.

There. It was a footstep. Someone was there. Raising her head slightly, Hermione searched the room for the source of the noise. When she spotted it, she nearly fell out of her chair.

Ron stood before her, a worried expression on his face. "Are you all right, 'Mione?" he asked, crouching in front of her. Out of all the ways she could have met up with Ron alone, this was not the one Hermione preferred, but she tried not to show it, and instead tried harder to hide her tears.

"I got worried when you were called in by McGonagall, so I stole some time to slip away when I wouldn't be noticed. I had a feeling you'd be here. How are you? What happened?" Ron asked, his head cocked slightly to the side.

Against her better judgment, Hermione told him all about Lavender's letter and McGonagall's reaction, although she left the cause of the letter out.

"And then-then Professor M-McGonagall told me that I-I'm s-s-s-suspended for a w-week!" Hermione sobbed, pouring her soul to Ron. It was too much. She broke into tears again.

She was only half aware at first of being wrapped in an embrace and of a hand stroking her hair. "Hush, Hermione. It's all right. You'll get through this," Ron reassured, holding her tightly to him so she could cry into his shirt.

She couldn't believe it. The part of her that wasn't numbed by her punishment was numbed by what Ron was currently doing. He was holding her, soothing her.

Eventually finding her voice, Hermione looked up and into his face. "I'm so sorry for dragging you into this. I never meant to get you involved. I'm just so s-sorry!"

"'Mione, it's fine. I promise. I'm here. I always was."

And then he kissed her.

It was a soft kiss at first, lips just barely brushing against each other, but then it grew in intensity. Hermione lost all idea of where she stopped and Ron began, and just poured all of her consciousness into the kiss, so overwhelmed by joy that this had finally happened, so relieved that it was her the Ron had chosen, and not Lavender, so grateful.

They pulled apart, and she stared into Ron's blue eyes. "I-I'm sor—" Ron began, but Hermione turned his chin towards her and kissed him again.

And that's when Lavender walked in.