Chapter Four

"What in bloody hell is taking her so long?" a red haired boy muttered impatiently as he kicked at the stone floor below. His friend, a boy with sparkling emerald eyes and a wry smile, chuckled in amusement. "Come on now Ron. You should know better than anyone that Poppy Pomfrey won't release a student until she's absolutely sure they've got a clean bill of health." His eyes flicked up to the opening door of the Hospital Wing. "Which it looks like she's got, thank Merlin." Harry raised a hand in greeting and said with relief, "Hermione! We were wondering if Pomfrey was going to let you out in time to breakfast with us."

Hermione huffed at the mention of the nurse, crossing both arms over her chest as she made her way quickly over towards her two close childhood friends. "You'd think," the bushy haired girl protested as she gave both Ron and Harry each hugs in turn, "That it wouldn't take an hour to complete an ordinary routine check up. Because I had a bump on the head though she wouldn't let me leave without double checking everything on her list!"

"Well," Harry replied allowing some of his previous worry to seep into his tone, "You do have to admit that was a rather nasty bump you had. All of us were really worried, Hermione. We're just glad you're okay now."

Hermione colored slightly as her hand lifted to cover the still purplish bruise in question. It surrounded the newly healed pink scar that extended up into her hairline. In all honesty Hermione's current state was little to nothing compared to her injuries of the past. She shuddered at the thought of the Basilisk's gaze. That had been the worst incident, where she'd lay petrified for weeks, oblivious to all until Professor Sprout's mandrakes had matured and an antidote could be brewed.

"I just want to know what bastard attacked you," Ron stated angrily, breaking into her silent reviere, fists clenched at his sides. Hermione shook her head, helpless to answer as she had no recollection of how she'd managed last night. "Honestly, I've no idea what happened." A slight furrow appeared between her brows as she concentrated on the fuzzy details of memory. "I can't remember anything except waking up, alone, in the middle of the corridor, at night."

Harry nodded quietly and reached over to place a supportive hand upon Hermione's shoulder. "It'll be alright, Hermione. We're here now."

She gave him a weak smile at the heartfelt sentiment and reshouldered her bookbag in an attempt to lighten the heavy weight. Ron meanwhile continued to go into detail about all the ways he'd make the person pay who had done this to Hermione.

"And then we'll go to Filch's office, hang the bloke up by his ankles, and force feed him Puking Pastels!" It was an unpleasant thought causing both Harry and Hermione's face to twist in disgust. "Ugh," Hermione placed a hand on her stomach, "Ronald, that is not an appetizing picture. We can talk about all this later, preferably after breakfast. The food in the Hospital Wing may be nutritionally sound but it is definitely lacking in flavor and you're causing both Harry and I to lose our appetites. If you wouldn't mind?"

"Stuff it for now, mate," Harry laughed, patting Ron on the back who had suddenly turned bright hot pink up to the tips of his burning ears. He mumbled a half hearted apology before slipping through the giant open doors to the Great Hall.

One almost wouldn't know that a war had taken place within Hogwart's given the scope of the restoration work. The Great Hall was almost an exact copy of the one from their memories. Giant colorful banners symbolizing the four houses of the school hung over equally giant wooden tables bedecked with platters of tantalizing food. Hermione glanced over at the Slytherin table and was suddenly hit in the gut, like always, by how fewer students sat eating breakfast there this morning. Many had died when they turned in the war and joined the ranks of their Death Eaters families and friends. Hermione shuddered at the memories of screaming students and the ultimate price they had paid for their ignorance. She was suddenly pulled from the memory by a hand gently gripping her shoulder once more. She turned her head to the side and met Harry's own heavy sorrowful gaze.

"I know," Harry whispered quietly before tilting his head back to one of the more racuous tables where students were laughing and shouting at each other the heaping plates of breakfast foods. "Let's just eat and take things from there."

Hermione nodded, grateful for his understanding. She placed her hand atop his and allowed him to guide her over to the bench at their table. Ron had already settled into his plate of kippers and was shoveling food away at an alarming rate, causing Hermione's stomach to turn once more. "Ronald Weasley!" Hermione groaned as she began pouring herself a goblet of pumpkin juice, unable to even think about food while it was disappearing whole into the red haired Weasley's stomach, "You're going to choke if you inhale your food any faster. For heaven's sake, it's not going to grow legs and run off your plate!"

Ginny laughed and elbowed her very embarrassed brother as he began coughing. "She's got a point, Ron. Why not grab the table and tilt it up to your mouth? It'd be quicker that way." Ron wheezed, turning even more red faced as his embarrassment grew, and kept coughing. Ginny only shook her head, reaching over to pound her brother on the back while turning towards Hermione and Harry. The fiery redhead was as spunky as always. Ron grabbed his goblet of pumpkin juice and began guzzlng it as Ginny leaned towards them on her forearms, her voice dropping to a low whisper. "So exactly what happened last night? I only caught the briefest of explanations from 'Pompous Pomfrey' before she bustled me out of the room. Said you were too wound up and needed your rest."

Hermione shrugged her shoulders as the morning post began to arrive. Hundreds of owls of all shapes and sizes soared overhead and began dropping parcels and letters down into the awaiting crowd below. She reached up and deftly caught the copy of the Daily Prophet that had been about to fall onto her head. "I honestly don't know. I've already told Harry and Ron that I can't remember anything except waking up alone in a corridor-"

"With a split head and very banged up," Harry added, recieving a dirty look from Hermione at that extra addition. "Yes, well," the bushy haired girl replied in a no-nonsense voice, "I'm certainly no worse for the wear. Especially after Madam Pomfrey had her way with me."

Ginny began laughing along with Harry when Ron suddenly went slack jawed. All the color seemed to rocketed upwards turning his face a vibrant shade of purple and leaving him speechless. Harry had averted his eyes down to the tabletop as the smile vanished from Ginny's face, leaving behind a sour expression on the girl's face as though she'd been sucking lemons. The bottom of Hermione's stomach dropped. There was only one person who could illicit such a mixed reaction from her friends. One horribly french, stuck up, know-it-all of a woman who seemed unwilling to let Hermione go on with her life as it was before the war.

"Well ... Poppy Pomfrey having her way with female students ... this is certainly news to me," The voice that spoke was cool and reserved but Hermione could hear the scorn and anger hidden behind the words. Fleur Delacour could never completely mask how she truly felt, especially from her. Not after all they'd been through together during the war. Hermione sighed, her stomach already twisting up in knots as she turned her head in the other woman's direction, already hiding behind her own perfect scowling face. "Was there something you needed, Professor?" Hermione asked shortly, not bothering to hide her irritableness.

The frown that had settled onto pretty french woman's face only grew deeper at the implied insult. "I require nothing from you, Miss Granger," she replied with equal annoyance, her words becoming slightly thicker with her accent, and more short and clipped, "But the Head Mistress does require your presence." Fleur looked over the group of now quiet Gryffindors and let her gaze linger upon Hermione's. "Her office, Miss Granger. Now."

Before Hermione could say anything else in her defense Fleur had turned on her heel and strode out of the Great Hall. Everyone remained silent until Fleur's silver blonde hair had whipped around the corner and all view of her was gone. "W-why the nerve of that- Hermione spluttered right at the same time of Ginny's angry growl, "Stupid twit needs to get-"

"Now girls," Harry said hesitantly recieving glares from the both of them. "She's not all that bad."

"You're only saying that because of her veela heritage, Harry! I thought you weren't affected by her thrall but I guess I was wrong," Ginny responded angrily, leaning back in her seat, both arms crossed over her chest. Harry sighed, running a hand through his already messy black hair. "No, I'm not," he replied evenly, frustration coloring his words. "Ginny … she helped us more than you could know during the war. She hid us at Shell Cottage when the risk of harboring the Wizarding World's 'Number One Undesirable' and his friends was the highest. Fleur even helped Luna and Hermione when-"

The clatter of silverware hitting the table broke through Harry's conversation. Hermione stood, face pale and taut with anger. A hot wave of regret and shame swept over Harry as he fell silent. Neither he or Ron ever talked about that terrible time of the war. When they didn't know if Hermione would ever wake up from the daze she'd fallen into or the horrible nightmares she suffered. He'd forgotten for a moment and carelessly brought up the memory of Fleur. Harry hadn't ever really understood why Hermione had cut all contact off with the french woman after the war had ended. They'd been so close when Hermione had been recovering at Shell Cottage. Harry thought he understood now though. Fleur brought up memories too painful to remember. And here he was bringing her up and all she'd done for Hermione.

"...Bollocks." Harry muttured beneath his breath as he looked up at his seething friend through messy black bangs and the scratched glass of his eyeglasses.

Ginny fell silent as she looked at first Harry and then Hemrione, suddenly uncomfortable at the hostility thick in the air. She'd never seen Hermione so ... furious. Like she was holding back everything within her to not slap Harry clear into next week. It was obvious that her erstwhile boyfriend had just stepped into something bad. Something very bad.

"Hermione," Harry spoke in a soft cajoling voice, "You know I didn't mean anything by it..." He reached for her with one open hand even though it might raise her ire. Harry's touch had the opposite effect on her. Hermione bodily flinched and pulled away from the touch, wrapping her arms tightly around herself, expression shutting down.

"… I'd better go and see what McGonagall wants of me. It wouldn't be right to put her off if it's an emergency. Be seeing you Harry, Ginny," Hermione's voice trailed off as her eyes drifted over Ron's still vacant expression, flashing with anger, voice now dripping with venom, "Ronald."

Ginny placed a hand on Harry's arm as he attempted to rise and go after Hermione as she turned and quickly fled from the table. There was no other kinder term for the overly controlled fast walking pace his friend had adopted in place of her usual slow and refined pace. "Hermione!" But she had already disappeared around the corner without even sparing them a backwards glance. With a weary sigh, Harry sank back down in his seat and slipped his hand into Ginny's own. "Well ... doesn't that bloody beat all?"

"Harry ... love ..." Ginny gave his hand a gentle squeeze. Both turned at a sound that was like a cross between a snore and a snort. Ron closed his open mouth with a loud click, reaching up like a man waking up from a deep sleep and began rubbing blindly at his face. "Blimey ... I hate it when Fleur comes around unannounced." His hand fell away from his now normal complexion and he blinked, looking around. Ron frowned as he looked to Ginny and Harry and the empty seat across from him and asked, "Say … where'd Hermione get off to?"

Harry's head hit the table perfectly in time with Ginny's rather loud smack to the back of Ron's head.