Right, so my long absence is inexcusable, although I was staying on a farm over the summer and had no internet and have since then been extrememly busy. pant. pant. But for those of you who still care I still have a story to tell you. And its a good one. So here's the next part of it.
Chapter 3: As the Bruises Turn to Yellow
Ron might have easily accepted Hermione's silence. But the following day everyone was curious to know what happened to Hermione's eye.
She insisted that she had just had an accident with a spell backfiring, her cheeks reddening both with the lie and the fact that she didn't like people thinking that Hermione Granger, the Hermione Granger, would ever have a spell backfire in her face.
At breakfast Hermione didn't dare look anyone in the face. She resolutely stared down at her plate while Ron and Harry ate by her side in silence. Ginny occasionally made attempts to make conversation to which both Harry and Ron responded with minimal enthusiasm.
That morning when Hermione had traipsed down to the bathrooms in a sleepy stupor she was shocked to see her face in the mirror. One of her eyes was a dark shade of blackish blue with lighter blue along the fringes.
Staring at herself for several moments, contemplating the effect of the dark stain on her otherwise pale skin, she was surprised to find that it comforted her. Goosebumps rising on her arms and legs from the cold, Hermione inhaled sharply as her finger pressed into the bruised area, testing it gingerly.
She winced from the sudden rush of the pain, and then turned to take her shower, somehow reassured.
Now, in public, Hermione didn't like her bruised face. The only pretty scars are the private ones she thought as she caught yet another student's eyes resting rather annoyingly on her face, eyebrows raised in surprise.
After Arithmancy Hermione resolved to do the thing that she really ought to have done before breakfast that morning; visit Madame Pomfrey and have her bruise healed.
In the hallway, Professor McGonagall stopped Hermione, asking rather more loudly then Hermione would have cared for,
"Good heavens Miss Granger! What on earth happened to your eye?!"
Had Hermione not blushed and bowed her head in embarrassment she would have noticed Draco Malfoy turn around at the sound of her name.
As it was, Malfoy leaned against the wall inconspicuously, strangely amused by Hermione's flushed face at this question.
Keep this scene inside your head as the bruises turn to yellow, and the swelling goes down.
"Oh, professor I was just on my way to Madame Pomfrey! I had a bit of an accident with one of my spells in charms."
"Well, let me fix it for you, no need for you to go all the way up to infirmary."
"Thank you, Professor." Hermione mumbled after Professor McGonagall had completed a series of motions with her wand and nodded her head sharply to indicate that Hermione's bruises were gone.
"I'm rather surprised that Professor Flitwick didn't offer to mend it himself."
Professor McGonagall added as she moved on, in a tone of voice that suggested that she very much doubted that Hermione received her black eye during a charms lesson.
Hermione continued on her way to Potions alone.
Malfoy watched her carefully, leaning broodingly against the wall.
Why had the mudblood lied? She could have gotten him into trouble—this was the first time she had ever missed the opportunity for doing so. Hermione was almost level with him. He studied her face. It was rather a shame McGonagall had healed her. He had been rather proud of the impression he had made on the mudblood. He thought perhaps he ought to tell her so.
Malfoy debated with himself silently… before noiselessly stepping out of the shadows.
Don't you want to know what happens? They story is still in progress but I have some other parts of it written already and it is all very exciting!
Oh, by the way, this time, the words in italics are from a Placebo song, Pierrot the Clown.
Tell me how I'm doing!
xx. Bexie1217