Title: Outcast
Summary: Love is like riding a broomstick. Some people are addicted to it and others just can't seem to get the hang of it.
Disclaimer: Apart from all the movies, all the books and a couple of pictures I own nothing.
A/N: Thanks to all my reviewers but especially to Vic who gave me the sweetest review, so this chapter is for you!
Funny. She felt like she was floating but in reality she was falling. Crashing down, towards the ground. Everything around her had been spinning and she had struggled to keep control, but it had simply been too hard. So now she was falling. People around her started to fade until finally all she saw was his red hair. She smiled. It was all she ever wanted to see. Ever needed to see. Her legs weren't able to carry her anymore and she just allowed herself to fall over. Colours blended, everything around her seemed to swirl, peoples' voices were mixed up and she felt peaceful. In this strange world where everything was jumbled up she felt right at home. But she couldn't fall forever. Some day she would have to reach the ground but for now falling felt nice.
Suddenly the falling stopped. Whisperings penetrated through the fog that seemed to have replaced her brain. Gasps. She realised she was in someone's arms. It felt nice. She felt safe, so safe that she didn't dare to open her eyes. What if she was in the arms of a teacher? She couldn't ever get over the embarrassment if Snape had been the one to break her fall!
"Hermione"
His voice whispered and immediately she recognised whose arms she was in. She belonged in these arms. It almost seemed too good to be true. Wait a minute...it was too good to be true! He would never catch her fall! He would let her drop down to the ground and snicker at the sight of it! He would turn around and he wouldn't be so sweet as to ask her how she was doing and if he could get her a glass of water or something? But yet he did. He really did.
"Are you alright? Can I get you a glass of water or something?"
The whispers reached their peak and then weakened again. She heard feet shuffling, people removing themselves from this unusual scene. She still felt like she was dreaming, and it was a dream she never wanted to wake up from. But she knew she had to. He wouldn't want to waste more time on her than was absolutely necessary. So she opened her eyes, looking at him shyly.
"I...I'm alright..."
I guess. She added silently.
He put her back on her feet, but his arms were still around her waist.
"Are you sure? Maybe I should walk you to your room just to be sure..."
Why was he being so sweet? Maybe he was playing a game. Maybe Harry had finally come up with the masterplan to destroy her life all over again. Maybe this was his grand idea to make her realise once and for all that nobody should mess with Harry Potter.
She softly but determinedly pushed his arms off of her. Her eyes didn't dare to travel up to his eyes, so instead she focused them on his robes. She cursed the red blush that was creeping up her cheeks, the only visible proof that there were something more than friendly feelings for him in her heart.
"I'll be okay"
Her voice was still shaking a little. She should have eaten more. She couldn't ever pass out like that again in public. They already knew something was wrong with her, they didn't need more evidence! The urge to hurt herself, punish herself for what she had done, grew stronger with every second that passed in that awkward silence.
"Are you sure? You gave us all quite a scare Hermione"
God, it had been so long since he had spoken her name like that. She felt like crying. She had missed him being this sweet.
Her laugh was scornful.
"I'm sure that's not true Ron"
She realised that not only he had refrained from speaking her name for so long, but that his name hadn't come over her lips since their fight either. It sounded so good to speak his name again. Ron. It made her feel like repeating it over and over again but she didn't want to look even more silly than she already did.
He chuckled, but it wasn't a chuckle out of glee. He wasn't making fun of her, or laughing at her benefit. When she looked up she could see him smiling at her, and although the smile didn't quite reach his eyes it was better than she had hoped for.
"I'll be alright"
When she wanted to walk away he grabbed her wrist and unconsciously she whinged. It had been only hours before that she had cutted herself again, and the wounds hadn't become painresistant like they usually did after a day. She hoped he wouldn't have noticed but one look at his face made her wish turn into smoke.
His face was deadly pale and his fingers trembled slightly. She bit her lip and casted her eyes downwards while he slowly moved her robe upwards to reveal the many red lines running across her wrists. Some were healed, but others were obviously recent. Toadies' cuts seemed to stand out harsh from the others. Her flesh was torn, frayed. She could easily understand why someone would think her to be crazy.
She was scared for his reaction. But he just stared at her wrist, and then at her. And she...she just stared back, not able to come up with any excuse for what he had just discovered.
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