Chapter 9

Jasmin took a seat at the Gryffindor table and put toast and 2 eggs on her plate, she looked at Ron's plate which had 4 times the amount of food.

"Good morning" came the voice of Hermione as she sat down next to Jasmin, smiling. She had asked if they could be friends the night before but Jasmin didn't think it was genuine, she and Ron had saved her life, even if it was their fault she was in danger in the first place, Jasmin had also cried in front of Hermione. It was likely that she just took pity on her, she had shown before that she didn't like her.

This annoyed Jasmin, she didn't want pity, fame or anything. She was just Jasmin take it or leave it. But would people like her for her, she had spent less time with Ron and he was more with the boys. Pavati and Lavender were nice to her but they did spend most of their time with each other.

The Quidditch team was friendly, Fred and George made her laugh, the three chasers encouraged her during practice and when she did very well Oliver Wood looked at her as if she was the cup trophy, her first game was coming up soon, what if she didn't get the snitch, would the team still talk to her?

"Hey Jasmin, you alright?" Hermione asked and put a hand on her shoulder, Jasmin jumped from the sudden touch.

"Oh, pardon. Yes, good morning"

Hermione gave her an odd look and asked. "Did you sleep well?"

"Yeah.. mostly" Jasmin lied, the fact was that she had slept rather awfully, she had been plagued by the same dream all night, finding Hermione's mangled body in the girls' toilet and then seeing the troll smash Ron before attacking her.

"You had nightmares," Hermione said, it was not a question. "I did too, I woke up a couple of times and heard you"

Jasmin felt her face heat up, the look of compassion on Hermione's face did not make Jasmin feel better. She thought she saw blood dripping from Hermione's mouth but when she blinked it was not there.

For the rest of the day, Hermione sat next to Jasmin and Ron, at first the tension between Ron and Hermione seemed a bit stiff but it had gotten better at the second class of the day.

Jasmin came out of the bathroom after the last class of the day and was met by Hermione outside.

"Hey, can we talk?" Hermione asked.

"Haven't we all day?" Jasmin asked back, they had been together in all the lessons.

"Ron and I have talked, you barely said a word. Are you feeling alright, you seem a bit.. off." Hermione had a slightly worried look on her face.

This was not a conversation Jasmin felt like having. "I am fine, I just don't like talking a lot."

"You have given me strange looks all day, have I done something wrong?

In a way, Jasmin preferred that Hermione pretended that she wanted to be friends, but she rather had an honest enemy than a false friend. Jasmin took a deep breath and with a real effort looked Hermione in the eyes.

"Look, Ron and I did help you last night with the troll, but it was also our fault you were there... you don't owe me anything."

"Owe you? Do you think that is what this is about" There was some anger in Hermione's voice, this is the Hermione Jasmin knew. "I said yesterday that I wanted to try anew, that I had been wrong about you."

"I am the bloody Girl who lived, that is the only thing people care about. When they get to know the real me they will disappear." Jasmin said darkly.

"That is not true." Came a voice behind her, she turned around and saw Ron standing there.

"When we first meet the first thing you asked about was my scar," Jasmin said and glared at him.

Ron looked hurt. "I am sorry, I had heard about you my whole life, I was curious if it was real. I did have a good time on the ride, we are friends aren't we?"

"You seem to spend all your time with the boys lately."

Ron gave her a look, he looked uncomfortable. "I have tried spending time with you but you always hide up in your dorm or go away."

Part of Jasmin recognised that it probably was the truth but a part of her said it was just an excuse, that he soon would cut ties with her, she was a freak after all, she did not deserve friendship.

"You wanted to be friends with the Girl Who Lived and got disappointed when you meet me."

"No!" Ron exclaimed.

"What are you talking about?" Hermione asked but Jasmin just ran off leaving two confused Gryffindors behind.

Jasmin found a small hidey-hole behind a tapestry. She sat there, she felt hungry but did not dare go to dinner, she did not want to meet Ron or Hermione.

Much later Jasmin stiffly left her hiding place. She wanted to lie down in bed and wondered if she could make her way through the common room without anyone seeing her. She got to the fat lady, said the password and climbed in, she tried to sneakily get to the stairway to the girls' dorms but got blocked by Ron and Hermione.

"There you are! Are you alright you didn't come to dinner" Hermione exclaimed taking a step closer.

Jasmin took a step back, she was not sure what to do, she could not do this.

"What is going on? You are acting strange"

Strange? Or as her aunt and uncle used to say, freakish. They were right all along, nothing she could do would change it.

"I have to go... I... forgot something" Jasmin mumbled and backed away and quickly made her way out of the common room and then ran off, she did not know if she was followed so she zig-zagged until she ended up in an old classroom.

She was angry, at herself for being such a freak, and Ron and Hermione, why wouldn't they just let her be? Jasmin found herself in an old classroom, it did not look like it had been in use for a long time, dust everywhere.

Jasmin thought it was a great place for her foul mood, empty or was it? She heard a rumble from something that looked like a closet, like somebody was inside. It rumbled again.

"Hello?" Jasmin said unsure

Was there someone inside, maybe a student was locked inside? She had been locked into a much smaller closet by Dudley and his friend Pierce, it had not been a pleasant experience. Jasmin opened it up and gasped, it was not a student...

Jasmin's blood froze, and out came a very large man with a very angry purple face, his beady little eyes glaring at her.

"You..." he snarled

It was impossible! How could he be here?

"You little freak, ungrateful good-for-nothing girl! Not even your so-called friends like you, do they?"

Jasmin stood there frozen in shock, it was impossible, she could not face him, not now, not here! Hogwarts was safe!

"We are going to beat this rubbish out of you once and for all, no one will miss you, they won't even realise you are gone."

The man took a step closer, Jasmin held up her hands in front of her face, terrified.

"What's going on here? Who are you?" Another voice spoke, and Jasmin barely registered it.

"Oh! I see, Riddikulus" the same voice spoke. "Jasmin?"

Something touched Jasmin's arm and she stumbled backwards and fell on her bum holding her hands protectively in front of her face.

"No! I am sorry! Please! I will do better!" She cried

"Jasmin! Calm down! It was just a boggart!"

Somebody tried to remove Jasmin's arms from her face, she crawled into a ball trying to protect herself from the blow that would come, but it did not come. She peered out and saw somebody kneeling next to her, she had dropped her glasses so she only saw a blur from her teary eyes but she saw bright red hair. Ron? No not Ron, he had something on his face, that looked like glasses.

"P..Percy?

"Yes, it is me, Oculus Rapairo here. You dropped your glasses."

Jasmin took her glasses and put them on, it was indeed Percy looking down at her, his normally snobbish face looked a little worried.

"Are you alright?" He asked.

"Yes," Jasmin piped between sobs.

"Take a deep breath, that was a boggart. They transform into your biggest fear. It is gone.

"A b.. boggart? So it wasn't..." Jasmin trailed off.

"No, it wasn't... who was that man?" Percy asked her.

"No one!" Jasmin said quietly still sobbing, how could she tell Percy or anyone else for that matter that she was afraid of her muggle uncle?

"Looking at his clothes I would guess a muggle, have that man hurt you?" Percy asked. Percy always had a snobbish way of speaking, hearing him worried sounded strange.

"I heard some of what he said, you are not a freak, and what was this 'stomping out'?"

Jasmin pulled her legs to her chest and hugged them, she could not stop sobbing.

Percy sat down next to her, he tentatively put a hand on her shoulder but quickly removed it when she flinched.

"Talk to me," Percy said.

Jasmin's head was spinning, this was private, no one must know!

"Percy... you can't tell anybody about this."

"I must report this to McGonagall, something is..." Percy said before he was interrupted.

"Please! No!"

"Why not?"

"Please just don't."

Percy sighed "Against my better judgement"

"Thank you," Jasmin said, her voice very small.

"I overheard my brothers speaking about you." Jasmin stiffened, she understood that Ron was disappointed in her, but Fred and George too? Did that mean the whole team disapproved of her?

"Ron told Fred and George that he was worried, that you always were by yourself, asked if you were more social during Quidditch training... congratulations on making the team by the way"

Ron was worried about her? But he wanted to be with the boys.

Percy continued "What this 'man' screamed are lies, you do have friends, they do care about you.

"Y...you sure?" Jasmin stammerd.

"Yes, it is bad when Ron goes to the twins for emotional support. So go talk to my brother and see for yourself. Ron is way too blunt to trick someone he likes them. Come now, it is after curfew, I will escort you back."

Jasmin followed Percy to the Gryffindor tower, he allowed her to stop at a toilet to freshen herself, so it wouldn't be obvious that she had cried.

They stopped outside the portrait.

"Take a deep breath Potter" Percy was back to his normal way of speaking, he said the password and climbed in followed by Jasmin.

When she got in someone touched her shoulder and she jumped.

"Easy there, don't worry"

"We all been caught out past curfew, least once"

It was the Weasley twins.

"Percy might be hard."

"But don't take it personally"

Jasmin was glad that they took her being a bit down for being caught, that would mean fewer questions.

"We know what will cheer you up!"

"A little prank on our prat of prefect brother."

Both of them had very mischievous grins on their face.

"No! Don't!" Jasmin said a little too fast and both twins gave her an odd look and then the smiles were back.

"Don't worry," said George "He will not expect you."

"No need, he actually meet me before curfew and took me here, I might have been in trouble if he hadn't" Jasmin looked at the twins she hoped they would not prank Percy that evening, he had been nice to her.

The twins looked at each other and then at her, with a small bow they said "As Miss Potter commands." and walked off and joined Lee Jordan before they left she got a thumbs up from George.

Jasmin looked around in the common room, she saw Ron and Hermione sitting and talking as she saw them Hermione's head swung quickly to Ron like she had been caught looking.

What should she do? Go up and talk to them or leave them be? She was still not sure if they wanted to be friends with her but Percy has said that Ron had talked about her, and said he was worried. Jasmin looked at the pair again and they suddenly looked away, they had been looking at her.

She took a deep breath and walked up to them, they looked up at her and there was an awkward silence between them.

"Hi," Jasmin said timidly.

"Hey" Ron answered.

"You okay?" Hermione asked.

She did not know what to say or do, she did not know what kind of damage she could have done already.

"I am sorry" she mumbled.

"It's okay," Ron said, it looked like he was trying to smile.

"Anything you want to talk about?" Hermione asked looking expectingly at her.

"No," Jasmin said a little too quickly, at the pained expression she added. "Not now... later?"

"Later" Ron and Hermione agreed.

"You want to sit with us?" Ron asked

"I should go... okay," Jasmin said and took an armchair next to them. Hermione was beaming at her.

Ron and Hermione slowly started to talk again, they tried to add Jasmin to the conversation but only got nods and "ahuh" from her. They looked disappointed but after a while the conversation got pleasant, Jasmin even smiled and laughed with them even if she kept her talking to a minimum.

After about an hour and a few yawns later they said their goodnights, Jasmin followed Hermione to the dorm. The other girls were already asleep so they quietly made ready for bed and whispered "goodnight'.

It was Saturday so no classes, but there was of course Quidditch practice and homework.

Jasmin was woken up by Hermione, she looked up and saw the room was empty except, for them, Lavender and Parvati must already be at breakfast. She yawned and put on her glasses.

"Morning"

"Good morning, did you sleep well?" Hermione asked brightly.

Jasmin had not slept great, she had once again had nightmares about Hermione being brutally crushed by a troll.

"Mostly... Hermione, you are usually an early riser, what are you doing here?"

"Well, I waited for you, so you don't need to go alone"

"Why didn't you wake me sooner?" Jasmin asked a little uncomfortable, she didn't want to force Hermione to wait for her.

"You looked so peaceful so didn't have the heart to wake you, but we need to go soon if we want breakfast."

"You didn't have to..."

"It was no bother, I got some reading done."

Jasmin quickly vent to the loo, made herself ready and changed. When she came out Hermione stood ready waiting for her.

When they arrived at the great hall they found Ron, so they joined him.

"I thought you would miss breakfast."

As she ate Jasmin listen to Ron and Hermione bickering about homework, Ron wanted to relax and play chess while Hermine pointed out all the homework they had. Hermione was already finished with most of hers.

Jasmin looked around and saw that nobody was sitting close.

"I..." Jasmin started carefully and somehow both Ron and Hermione heard as they stopped talking and looked at her. This made her slightly more nervous.

"Sorry for yesterday"

"It is okay, are you ready to talk about it?"

Jasmin nodded but added "Not here"

The trio found an empty room and sat down on a chair each. The two faces looking at her expectantly made her swallow.

"I don't have friends." Jasmin began, she saw the others were about to say something and continued "I didn't have any friends before Hogwarts."

"Why not?" Ron asked. Hermione's eyes looked a little sad. Jasmin tried to think what she should say, that her cousin had scared everyone away could lead to worse questions.

"I just didn't, I am weird and people tend not to like me."

"That is not true" Hermione sounding a bit agitated.

"You didn't" Jasmin countered and regretted it when she saw Hermione's face.

"I am sorry," Hermione said sadly.

"Please don't be, you had valid reasons."

"But..." Hermione tried.

"Don't worry about it... please?"

After a second Hermione nodded even if it looked like she had to bite her tongue.

"I did not have, friends. Suddenly when I learned that I was a witch and is famous... because my parents were killed and I survived. Things got strange, people staring at me, whispering behind my back about something I can't remember. The first thing you asked was if I was me, and how Fred and George reacted when they saw my scar. I don't say this to doubt you Ron, but when everyone around me is obsessed with my scar, I don't know if anybody cares about the girl around the scar."

Jasmin slumped back in her chair, she was not used to sharing her feelings, she only got in trouble with the Dursleys if she showed any, she had to make sure that they never saw her cry, she could not let them see her vulnerable, but here she did that, why?

"As I told you, I thought Fred and George lied about it, I was surprised to meet you. I hope that you by now understand that I want to be your friend, for you, not your scar."

Jasmin looked down and took several deep breaths to get her emotions under control as she felt her eyes burn.

"Thank you, Ron," Jasmin said.

"Why have you been avoiding me?" Ron asked.

"I have... not been feeling great, I don't like attention and when I get too much... I" Jasmin trailed off.

"Need to decompress?" Hermione asked helpfully.

"Yes.. and when I come back you looked like you had a good time with the boys, I did not want to intrude."

"You can join us if you want, they would not mind, and if you want to do something with just me, just say," Ron said and stood up and walked up to Jasmin, he put a hand on her shoulder and she once again flinched. He let go quickly.

"Okay, Ron.. thanks."

"If you want or need to talk you can always come to us, right Ron?" Hermione said.

"Right" he replied

The rest of the day went well, Jasmin did not talk a lot but still took part in their conversations. Quidditch practice went well even if Oliver got more frantic the closer they got to the first match.

Later that evening the trio were doing their finishing touches on their homework in the Gryffindor common room.

Percy walked up to their table.

"Doing your homework? Very well, mom will approve." Percy said, he looked at Jasmin and asked. "You okay there?"

Jasmin looked up at Percy, he had his normally stern face but she could see in his eyes that it was a genuine question, she stood up before she knew it and hugged him, she let go as soon as her hand meet his back, she whispered "Thanks" took her books and quickly made her way to her dorm.

Hermione almost gasped when Jasmin suddenly hugged Percy, she had noticed how Jasmin never gave anyone physical contact and always flinched when someone touched her, it was a worrying sign. But here she suddenly hugged someone and Percy of all people.

Percy looked confused for a second and then left, Ron looked gobsmacked. Before anyone could say anything she heard voices behind her.

"What is going on here?" Asked Fred

"Did Jasmin just hug our brother?" George asked.

"Looks like it, is that strange?" Hermione asked not wanting to let out anything she had seen or heard from Jasmin.

"It is nuts, not even Ginny hugs Percy, very often," Fred said

"And I don't think Jasmin is a hugger." George continued

"Why not?" Hermione asked thinking she already knew.

"Well, she always avoids touching people," Fred said

"Angela put an arm around her shoulders to congratulate her during practice and Jasmin cringed," George added.

"I have seen it too" Hermione agreed.

"So why did she take the step and hugged Percy?" Ron asked.

"I guess we will have to find out," Fred said conspiratorially.

"She didn't want us to prank him, hmm" George mused.

When Jasmin got to the dorm she put away her books and made herself ready for bed, the room was empty which suited her fine as she was a little flustered after her stunt, she don't know what came over her, she hoped Percy wasn't offended.

She went to the loo did her business, brushed her teeth and changed into her pyjamas. The dorm was empty but to be safe she changed in the loo for if any of her dorm mates came in.

She laid down in bed and pulled down the curtains. She relaxed, it had been a rather good day, she was exhausted not only from practice and homework but also from the emotional stuff that happened.

Ron and Hermione seemed genuine, they actually wanted to be friends with her. For the first time in a while she sleepy peacefully with no bad dreams and woke up refreshed and ready for a new day.

A/N

Hope you enjoyed the chapter. The stats have been down since I started posting again after my hiatus so I have no idea how many people are actually reading it. At least 4 from favourites and follows.

Please post a review or a pm if you have something to say, I want to get better at writing.