V: Now after that last chapter I'm sure some of you (if not all) are thinking this this may be a HP/OC pairing but I'm not sure yet. I guess we will all find out together...
"It's hard. You just keep going."
Loretta Devine
5
"Professor I think Pegasus is having a hard time here." Hermione said to McGonagall.
"I don't know what to tell you Miss Granger."
"Isn't there something you can do?"
"Her grades aren't dropping so I don't quite see what the problem is."
"The problem is the bullies. They keep teasing her. She has low self-esteem already but this is making it worse.
McGonagall sighed. "I don't think there is anything I can do that won't make it worse."
Hermione sighed. "Are you sure Professor?"
"I'm sure Miss Granger. If I send a teacher or someone to follow her around they will only get her worse when they can."
Hermione nodded and sighed. "Thank you, Professor."
"I'm sorry Miss Granger. I want to help her really. She is a good girl."
"Thank you anyways." Hermione stood to leave.
"Course if by chance there were a group of students that followed her around that were able to hide any magic they did to help the girl I would be powerless to stop that group of students as well." She said softly turning to the stack of papers on her desk.
Hermione nodded and tried to hide the smile. "I understand Professor. You must do as you can in your power."
"Of course you understand." She smiled and nodded.
"Love is all that we have, the only way that each can help the other."
Euripides
Hermione quickly left the office. She rushed to the common room in Gryffindor tower. She looked for Harry, Ron, and anyone else that would help her. She sighed when she didn't see them in the common room and sent up a third year to get them. She sat at a table and pulled out a piece of parchment, ink, and a quill. She started to write quickly.
Harry and Ron came down looking confused. The third year seemed to shrink as he stood near them. They towered over him Ron having hit another growth spurt. They sat down. They looked at each other confused. Both knew better than to interrupt Hermione when she was on a roll.
Finally Harry sighed tired of waiting. "Hermione…What's going on? You call us down here then ignore us."
"I've figured out a way to help Pegasus." She said beaming as she looked up at them.
"How?" Ron asked. "Did McGonagall agree to help us?"
"No she can't do anything." She said still smiling.
"Then what have you figured out and why are you smiling?" Harry asked.
"Well she also can't do anything if there were a group of students protecting her. If we get a bunch of the students to watch out for her the bullies won't be able to hurt her anymore."
"Hermione…How are we supposed to get enough students to help us?" Ron asked confused.
Hermione reached in her bag and pulled out an older piece of parchment. She showed Ron and Harry. It was the DA list. She smiled and put it down. She watched them as they tried to figure out what she had meant by it. After a few minutes she sighed and showed them what she had been writing.
It was a flyer for a new DA club revised to PA. Both boys looked even more confused. They didn't need the DA now. Dumbledore was dead and the war was over and the ministry had to affect in the school anymore. No more Umbridge or anything. Harry sighed.
"Hermione mind explaining?" Harry asked confused.
"Yeah what's this all mean?"
"Well I was thinking if we got all the members of DA together they would be willing to be part of PA."
"What is PA?" Ron asked confused.
"Pegasus' army. Come on Ron you aren't that thick."
Ron flushed and looked at the list. "How are we going to get them all together?"
"Putting up the flyer in three of the four houses. Since Slytherin is where most of the bullies are coming from then we won't put one in there."
They nodded. "Well let's make copies of this flyer then hand them out. We have to be careful though so that Slytherin doesn't find out." Harry said.
Hermione nodded. "Yes, it will be hard but I'm sure we can do it."
"We did it with DA. Why not PA?" Ron asked smiling.
"I'll write up the flyers then you two can go take them to a Ravenclaw and a Hufflepuff so that they can put them up. Make sure they are at least fifth years." She explained.
They nodded and waited for her to finish writing up the flyers. She was quick about it and soon they were on their way to find the students. They first went to the library. People were always in there. They smiled when they found two sixth year Ravenclaws in there. After explaining what was going on the Ravenclaws agreed to help.
They then went off to find some Hufflepuffs. They went to the Great Hall and found a group that was willing to help. With that done they headed back to the Gryffindor common room. When they got there they saw Hermione talking to a group of Gryffindor's.
Pegasus then came down the stairs and the room went quiet. She looked around and hung her head. She started to go back upstairs when Hermione hurried over to her. She grabbed her arms softly and Pegasus jumped. She looked at Hermione then Harry and Ron.
"Pegasus...Please come and sit down. We have something to talk to you about." Hermione said softly.
"Um...Ok..." She nodded.
Pegasus sat down in one of the large armchairs. She looked around. Having a lot of people around her made her nervous. She looked to Hermione who seemed to know what was going on more than anyone else. Hermione sighed. She wasn't sure how Pegasus would take this.
"Pegasus...We have set up a group of people that want to help protect you from the bullies."
"What do you mean?" Pegasus asked softly.
"Well we have asked Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs to stay around you and protect you when the bullies start to bother you. That way you won't be lonely and you won't have to deal with the bullies on your own."
"What about in my classes?"
"We are making sure that there is at least one person in the class that is on your side if not more."
"Do we really have to do this? I don't want to make anyone go out of their way..." Pegasus said softly as she hung her head.
"It will be better if we do. Then we can show everyone we aren't afraid of a fight. And you have a right to be protected...Even if the teachers can't do anything about it..."
"The teachers don't know?!" Pegasus' head shot up. "I don't want to get in trouble..."
"You won't. I already made sure that we won't." Hermione smiled. "So relax. Everything will be fine. Trust us."
Pegasus looked around. There were more people standing up for her than she thought would ever. Even if her father and made them. She nodded and sighed. This was going to change things a lot. She wasn't use to people being around her all the time and now she will have to get use to it.
Hermione smiled. "Don't worry. Everything will be fine."
Pegasus nodded. "I trust you. I won't be use to this..."
"We know and we understand." Ron said. "But we want to help you and if this is how we have to do it then so be it."
Pegasus nodded again. She really didn't want to put anyone out. Plus she could handle a little bit of hurting. She had for most of her life anyways. She smiled softly showing she did appreciate what they were doing. She didn't want anyone thinking that she couldn't handle herself or that she was weak.
She was far from weak. She didn't want people to be misled about her. She didn't much like that. Plus they hardly knew her. Why would any of them want to help someone they didn't even know that well if at all. She was different than them all and wanted to prove her worth.
Hermione saw all this and sighed. She knew what went through the girls head and wanted to help. She hated the fact that she was forced to accept help. But what other choice did they really have? Pegasus wouldn't stand up for herself. She just wanted to get along with EVERYONE.
There is no way for her to get along with every single person. It was hard for one person to please everyone like Pegasus tried so hard to do. She wanted to be nice but stand on her own two feet as well. She wanted to be perfect. She strived for it actully.
"Man creating his own destiny, man, however wearied with the long task of resistance, achieving some conscious community of aspiration, and dreaming of the perfection of himself: the poet whose lovely and noble art makes us a great symbol of that, is assuredly carrying on the work of Homer."
Lascelles Abercrombie
The next morning was strang for Pegasus. She actully had people who WANTED to sit with her. There were people that talked to her like they were long lost friends or something. It was awkward and she didn't know how to respond when asked questions.
And that morning there seemed to be no end of questions. People really did want to get to know her. By the time first class started she had a sore throat. She felt like she had talked more in that morning than she had ever talked in her whole life.
It made her un easy. She wasn't sure how to handle all these new people who seemed really intrested in her. She was usually quiet. She started to think that it was better when she had been unnoticed and bullied around. There was a plus now though. There were no bullies.
No name calling. No teasing. No painful words. Now there were words of encouragement. Happy words. Friendly words. No more words like idiot, stupid, loser, screw up, and let down. She mused the thought that she may actully be able to get use to all these people if it meant happy words.
"True happiness arises, in the first place, from the enjoyment of one's self, and in the next, from the friendship and conversation of a few select companions."
Joseph Addison
Pegasus sighed as she woke on another weekend. It was the first weekend she would have that people would be around her. She could have stayed up in her dorm but she would have to go down to eat and do things that you can't do in a dorm that you need to do on a daily basis.
She didn't like the thought of being bombarded with more questions. Plus keeping everything straight was hard. She had to tell the same lies so that they wouldn't find out that she is, or was, Voldemort's daughter. She didn't want to think of what everyone would do if they found out that little secret.
She sighed again as she pulled on some clean robes and finished getting ready. Then she sat down to brush her hair. It would take her at least ten minutes if not more to do just that. She hummed softly as she brushed her hair. She wasn't aware that Hermione had come to see her.
"You have a pretty voice. You should sing." Hermione said softly.
Pegasus jumped. "Oh! I'm…I'm not that good…"
"Sure you are. It was calming. Sorry to have scared you."
"Oh, no, you didn't scare me. It's all right."
Hermione nodded and went to her. "I thought I could stay with you today." She offered.
"I would like that very much." Pegasus smiled.
"That's great. Do you need help brushing your hair?"
"If you would please." She handed her another brush.
Both girls sat there and brushed Pegasus' hair. It was long and silky. Hermione was slightly jealous of the girl. She had everything most girls wanted. She had wonderful hair, eyes, skin, singing voice, talent for magic, talent for musical instruments, and much more.
"You are so lucky." Hermione said.
"What do you mean?"
"You are so pretty. And a lot of guys like you."
Pegasus blushed. "I'm sure they don't…"
"I've seen the way they look at you. Do you have some Veela in your family?"
"No. We aren't even pure blood."
"Really?! I thought you were. Was your mother muggle born or something?"
"No my father's father was a muggle. You didn't know that?"
"No…I thought he was pureblood…Odd…"
"What's odd?"
"Nothing." She said softly as she finished brushing Pegasus' hair.
"Oh…All right." Pegasus nodded and put the brushes away.
"Let's go eat now. The boys are waiting for us in the common room."
Pegasus nodded and stood. She followed Hermione out of the room and went down the stairs. When they got down there they saw Ron and Harry waiting for them. Ron and Harry smiled at her. She smiled back weakly. She was still trying to get use to the attention of a few people.
"I was thinking that maybe we could go down to Hogsmeade. It is a Hogsmeade weekend after all." Harry suggested.
"Yeah that sounds good." Hermione said smiling. "What do you think Pegasus?"
"We are allowed off school grounds?" Pegasus asked confused.
"Only at certain times." Ron said.
"Oh…It sounds nice." Pegasus smiled and nodded.
"Then let's do that. I've wanted a butterbeer for a while now." Ron said grinning.
They then all went down to the great hall for breakfast. They sat down in their usual spot and ate the usual foods. After breakfast they went to where all the students were gathering for the Hogsmeade trip. Pegasus looked around confused and curious. This was all new to her.
Give the people a new word and they think they have a new fact.
Willa Cather
Pegasus sat quietly listening to everyone talk and laugh. She watched as people moved around the crowded The Three Broomsticks. She slowly sipped her butterbeer. It was good. Better than she thought it would have been. She had never had one before in her life. Course she had never had a lot of things before.
Harry, Ron, and Hermione seemed like they were going to change all that and rather quickly too. They wanted her to experience as much as she could as quickly as she could. They didn't want her to feel like she had been left out on anything while living with her father. Even though the world had spun right past her.
She had a lot to learn. She was ahead of her class though. That was a good sign. It showed that even with how evil Lord Voldemort had been he had at least been good enough to give the girl a proper education. Hermione had no doubt that Snape had been the one to teach her.
After all she did very well in potions and Defense Against the Dark Arts. It was odd that Voldemort would allow his daughter to learn such things. Course he had told her he was the good guy in all of this. It surprisingly hadn't been hard to convince her that he was really the bad guy.
Hermione found that odd. Other's just passed it off as she was trusting. Perhaps Pegasus knew already and just didn't believe it fully until she saw the papers. Perhaps Pegasus had some hurt feelings towards her father. Or perhaps she was leading then on. What if she wasn't really this innocent girl she portrayed?
Hermione shook her head. She knew the girl wasn't lying. She had gone to St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries and had been treated. There was nothing wrong with the girl other than she was shy. They had looked at her for everything possible. They had found nothing.
"Harry…" Hermione leaned over to Harry.
"Hm?" Harry looked up from his homework.
"I think we need to find a boyfriend or something for Pegasus…You know someone we know we can trust with her and everything."
"Do you really think she will go for that? I mean come on Hermione…That seems a little forced."
"I know, but I think it may help her self-esteem. This morning I was talking to her and she doesn't think that she looks pretty or anything."
"I thought she had some Veela in her blood line."
"No." Hermione shook her head. "They aren't even purebloods."
"I know. Voldemort had a muggle father. What about it?"
"You knew?!" Hermione's voice raised above a forced whisper.
They both looked over at Pegasus. Lucy for them Pegasus and Ron were both in deep conversation with each other now. They were talking about Quidditch. Harry sighed. That was a close. Pegasus had a knack for knowing what was going on even when she wasn't around.
"Yes, I knew… I don't know how long I've known. I thought it was common fact or something…"
"Not exactly…"
"Well now I know. And no one told me that it wasn't. Anyways, I think a boyfriend would be a little harsh on her right now. Let her get settled in."
"I'm going to talk to Lupin about it." Hermione said stubbornly.
"Hermione…She is new to this all. Can't you just let her settle in? I mean you had time before you and Ron started to go out."
"That's different."
"How?"
"I'm not sure yet but it is."
Harry sighed. "I don't want any part of it. I'm all for helping her but I don't want to force anything on her."
"Fine then don't help me. I don't need your help." Hermione said defiantly.
"All right then." Harry said turning back to his work.
There is nothing on this earth more to be prized than true friendship.
Saint Thomas Aquinas