x x x Chapter Seven x x x
The halls were quiet as she treaded silently towards Gryffindor Tower. Not once did she see a single student, prefect or otherwise, out wandering. Surprising, though not that much so. It was rather late for students to be out, after all.

She felt like a woman in an old movie, she supposed, walking the lines towards her inevitable execution. Not that her housemates were going to kill her. Or even touch her in any way, she was sure. But their dirty looks and harsh glares would be enough. And she didn't have enough hope left in her entire body to wish for anything else.

The Headmaster had offered to come with her, to stand there in the very common room of the Gryffindor dorms as she defended herself and her supposed choice to the very same housemates that she'd known for years in most cases, less for the younger students. But she'd turned him down. What was the point? He could stand there all night if necessary, but he couldn't be there for her tomorrow, or the day after, or the day after. She had months of school left and during that time he couldn't be with her every step of the way.

And, besides that, he couldn't make them stop thinking what they were undoubtedly already thinking. Standing next to her only prolonged the inevitable. No one would speak their mind in front of him, they'd just bite their tongues, smile and pretend all was okay when it wasn't.

It was what would happen when he left that she wanted to get to, thus the reason she had turned down his offer to begin with. Best to just skip the forced cheeriness, those lying offers of comraderie, and get right to the heart of the matter.

Hermione stopped outside of the door to the common room, ignoring the questioning looks the Fat Lady was giving her. She knew what was going on, of course. All the portraits did. They were the very lifeblood of the rumor mill at Hogwarts, after all, if for no other reason than their propensity to overhear what others didn't wish spoken of.

"You can't stand there all night," the kindly portrait murmured sympathetically.

"I very well could," Hermione rolled her eyes, fighting off the shiver that was running up and down her spine. This couldn't be any worse than the other things she'd faced through the years, could it? She'd all but gone toe to toe with the Dark Lord himself, why was the thought of facing her peers so much the harder?

Because they could hurt her in ways that no one else could, she told herself silently. They could turn their backs on her and make her life that much more the miserable for the remainder of her time as a student at the school.

With a trembling that was only a fraction of what she felt, the bushy haired seventh year looked up into the Fat Lady's face, and said the password.

x x x

Harry looked up as the door to the common room opened, glancing towards Ron, then at the others that were waiting, split down the middle, on either side of the room. Supporters of Hermione's choice on one side - those that thought she had gone 'round the bend on the other. It was surprising the way things had split, almost evenly, right down the middle of their house.

Surprising. . .and sad. Gryffindors were supposed to stick together. But there was nothing that either he or Ron had been able to say to make those against Hermione's choice see anything other than the suppositions that immediately began to jump into their minds.

"She'll be alright, Harry," Ginny whispered, though her thin hand clutched his sleeve as if she were afraid to let go. Afraid to get washed away in the midst of this house sundering event that no one really had any control over. He looked down at her, nodding.

"Sure it will, Gin," he forced a smile to his lips, though it was thin and not at all cheery, he knew.

He just hadn't figured out yet -how- it was going to be okay. And, looking around the room - at faces both angry and supportive - he felt that conviction wavering just a little.

x x x

The first thing she saw when the portrait door swung open was the line of emptiness down the middle of the common room. It wouldn't have been so easy to notice, she told herself with a mental gulp of apprehension, had there not been two groups of students - one on either side of that empty space.

So this was how it was to be, she told herself silently, holding her head as high as she could under the glares and stares, searching for a familiar face amidst the crowd. There, Harry, Ron and Ginny; to her left. The House was divided from this. It made her feel sick to her stomach. She walked into the room, letting the portrait swing shut behind her.

The second it clicked into place, the whispers started, the comments began, and all hell broke loose as angry accusations began to be thrown.

"It's going to be okay," Ginny assured her, rushing over and hugging her for all she was worth. Hermione felt her body begin to shake with tears she hadn't been able to shed for hours. Yet still they wouldn't come, couldn't break free from her eyes. She didn't know what she was waiting for. This, if any, was the time to cry.

But she didn't.

And the comforting words of her friends, the soothing words of her supporters, began to slowly drown out the discontent on the other side of the room, until she couldn't hear it for all their murmured assurances. Until she felt like maybe the tears weren't necessary at all.

"We don't know why you chose him over Malfoy," Neville sighed as he took his turn hugging her. "We can make guesses, and start rumors of our own. But there must be a real reason. We trust you."

She nodded, whispering her thanks.

"I don't believe the Ravenclaws for one minute," Lavender snorted. "I've seen you study. If sleeping with Snape was the easy way to passing marks. . .why would you spend all your time in the library?" She paused, grimacing. "And that was an unpleasant image."

Hermione giggled, leaning her head on Harry's shoulder. The others were still waiting, on the other side of the room. Some surprising faces. Parvati, for one. The Creeveys for another. She'd thought for sure that they would stand by her. But that wasn't to be the case. There were alot of first years on that side, and a good portion of the second years; students that hadn't had a change to get to know her well enough to dispel the rumors, the snide remarks, she told herself with resignation.

And now they never would.

". . .we should have known. . .good grades. . .Snape's little. . ."

Hermione's head shot up, in the direction of the voice that had spoken purposefully loud so as to make itself heard above the din of her supporters. She stiffened, meeting Parvati's eyes. Of all the students on that side of the room, that girl alone should have known, just as Lavender did, what pains she went through to make sure her grades stayed perfect. They were roommates, for Merlin's sake!

"Why else would she choose him over Draco Malfoy - think about it," Parvati continued, unblinkingly, as she met Hermione's eyes from across the room.

"Because Draco is an evil little ferret," Ron protested. Hermione felt the corner of her mouth curl up in a half-smile. Even now, when the odds were stacked against her, her true friends were there to make sure her honor didn't get tainted.

Well, more tainted, she told herself ruefully. Perhaps it was just the sheer exhausting quality of the day that was making this seem all too amusing now. Hysteria, that was it. She was hysterical from the stress, the overwhelming grief. That was the only excuse she had --

For laughing.

She felt it bubble up inside of her, escaping through her mouth and nose in a very unladylike snort. Her hand flew to her mouth, trying to keep the nervous giggles inside, but they just wouldn't stay put, flying out around her hand, between her fingers. She was laughing so hard that tears were coming to her eyes, and her sides were rapidly starting to hurt. Everyone was staring at her like she'd lost her mind.

And maybe she had.

But tonight she didn't want to have her mind. She didn't want to think about what the morning would bring. This was just a taste of things, after all. The Slytherins would be openly worse, the Ravenclaws would be snide and awful. The Hufflepuffs. . .well they'd just try to destroy her with kindness, she supposed. A big old gut-squishing hug of support that would smother her just as sure as any of the hateful, vindictive things that came from others.

". . .he's so handsome. . ."

"Not like that greasy git . . ."

". . .would've treated her like a queen. . ."

That brought another snort of laughter from Hermione - and surprisingly everyone on her side of the room joined in, as well.

"Malfoy would've treated her like a queen?" Neville frowned. "They really don't get it, do they? We all know what his dad's like and yet they all assume he's -better-."

"Or they just can't understand why I chose Snape," Hermione shook her head, the giggles still floating through her brain despite the severity of the accusations coming from the other side of the room.

"And there were reasons, I'm sure," Lavender nodded knowingly. "We'll all figure it out one day, right?"

Hermione nodded, knowing the answer to this question, even if she doubted everything else in her life at that moment. One day the wizarding world would know the danger that Snape had indulged in. They'd understand why he was the way he was. When all this was said and done they'd -know- why she hadn't chosen Draco. And maybe the ones that were being mean now would understand. But it wouldn't matter at that point - because they'd know the truth, whether or not they chose to see it.

She gave Lavender a small smile. "I guarantee it."

x x x End Part x x x