Disclaimer: I own nothing! God I could cry over that fact.
Chapter Two: Midnight Lullaby
Hermione's first night at Hogwart's was getting to be very restless. She tossed and turned in search of a cozy position. Since the war, she rarely slept except for when she moved into Grimmauld Place over the summer. Uuch to Mrs. Weasley's distress, she never slept alone, often curling up to Harry and on occassion with Ron. Mrs. Weasley tried separating the boys and Hermione at bedtime, thinking of Hermione's modesty. It would take alot of Molly's screaming for Hermione to crawl in bed with Ginny. The war had made it's mark on Hermione, leaving her feeling completely alone, though she was desparate to take back her life.
Hermione laid in her bed, scared and lonely, her only company was Crookshanks and the noise that leaked under her door from the Common Room. As she rolled out of bed she noticed from her alarm that it wasn't even midnight. She could hear Draco Malfoy clearly arguing with one of his text books. The text was slammed shut only to be followed by a rummaging noise. Then a noise made had caught her ear and stung at her heart, but more so it also sparked her naturally curious nature.
A faint smile began to play at her lips, her body slowly moving towards the door, her ear pressed on the door, as the sounds of a guitar's strings being plucked could be heard. Then suddenly the music being made stopped. She pressed her ear hard against the door trying to hear what Malfoy was doing, the only sound that she could hear was of Malfoy marching up the stairs leading to his room.
Angry curses were heard before his door shut.
Turning her back to the door, Hermione stumbled, her hands groping for some sort of support as memory after memory flooded her mind. The memory of her father sitting in the den of their home, playing his guitar. Having her dad teach her how to play, while her mother would mock her father in that loving way that Hermione had inherited. 'Hermione, sweetpea, daddy only became a densist because he made better music with a drill jammed in someone's mouth.' She remembered that her dad had chased her mum around the den, causing a young Hermione to squeal with delight and clap her hands as her parents would run and throw funny insults at each other.
Tears threatened to spill from her eyes when the music started again. The french doors, that led to a huge curved balcony that was shared by the Head Boy and Girl, were lit up by a torch. Quietly and quickly, she barely cracked the door to allow the music that was thought to be private into her room. Hermione walked back to her bed, scooping up Crookshanks on the way, and snuggled beneath the plush coverings. After a few minutes of playing, Malfoy began to sing along with the notes, which Hermione noted to be a muggle song.
Before she knew it, her alarm was going off, the sun was shining through her windows. She rolled out of bed to ready herself for the first day of classes. It didn't matter that she has no idea when she went to bed, all she cared about was that she hadn't felt this good since before the war. As she left her room, the Head Boy was standing at a mirror in the Common Room, fixing a stray hair.
"Well, well Malfoy! Don't you just look pretty." Hermione bubbled as she walked out the protrait, the slight bounce in her step was obvious.
"So do you Granger,...so do you." he whispered to the empty room.
Ginny was the first to notice that Hermione was seated next to her and seeing a half eaten bagel in her hand, Ginny guessed that she had been there for a few minutes. It took Ginny stomping on her brother and friend's feet, to gett them to acknowledge that Hermione was sitting across from them.
"Good Morning, 'Mione." they chorused.
" Morning." she chirped. Three faces looked at her, all seeming rather startled. "What?"
There is always one person who sticks their foot into their mouth, without thinking about it. But Ginny knew better. "No Ron!" .
Ron was about to open his mouth to say something, but was cut off by Ginny's foot colliding with his shin. Harry gave a small smile, joining Ginny by smacking his friend beside him in the back of the head.
"What'd I do?" Ron scowled at Harry, while rubbing his shin.
"It's okay, guys!" Hermione cooed. "You three look like you had a fight with the Whomping Willow! Did any of you sleep last night?"
Her reply was three head shakes.
"You?" Harry asked, concern present in his eyes.
Hermione gave a shrug with indifference. "Last night was better since..."
Ron quickly got up. "Come on guys, we'll be late for Charms if we don't hurry. Bye Gin."
Harry and Hermione tagged along after Ron, who was walking like a tornado was strapped to his back. "You know, Herms, Ron and I follow our brain to class. I think that this is the first time since first year Ron has ever went rushing into class with out his brain."
Hermione let out a small laugh, remember how she had recieved that nickname. She had disappeared to Hogsmeade last year without telling the boys, having them search frantically for her, only to have Dean Thomas tell them that they had left their 'brain' in Hogsmeade, he had seen her only a hour earlier.
Tiny Professor Flitwick only refreshed the class of Gryffindors and Ravenclaws on what they were taught the year before. Lots of the students played with the charms that they practiced until the bell rang. Hermione still had a bounce to her step, causing both boys to become abit nerve-racked. Heading down to the dungeons, the three had passed Malfoy in the corridor.
"Well, well. Good morning Hermione! Having a pleasant day?" Malfoy said as she skipped past him without a word.
Ron began to charge forward as Harry grabbed his robes. "What'd you do to her Malfoy?"
"I haven't done a thing to her, yet."
"Don't even try it, Malfoy. One hair on her head harmed and I'll rip you limb from limb!" Harry growled, dragging Ron with him.
Students were lined up outside the Potion's classroom, most evesdropping on an argument between Snape and Dumbledore. Before they could reveal what the argument was about, Dumbledore told Snape that he had a class waiting and they could talk later. Before the class could come through the door, Snape roared after the Headmaster, "You promised before this term started! Don't you dare think you can take this away from..."
"Hurry children, take your seats." he turned back to the potion's master. "I said that we'll talk later."
"We better! Everyone to their seats now." Snape said, letting his eyes flicker over the class, as if searching for something in particular. He quickly regained his composure and placed a cold look and his face. "Turn to page 128. You will begin this potion by yourselves and work quietly."
Potion's went by with no so much as a whisper. Malfoy kept stealing looks at Hermione, fueling Harry's anger. He nudged Ron, and both boys kept a close watch on the Slytherin. When Hermione left class to head to Ancient Runes, they caught Malfoy in the corridor. As Ron slammed him up against the stone wall, Harry began to rant at him while Ron continously threw threats at the boy pinned to the wall. Malfoy pushed Ron off him with some effort, drawling out in his normal bored voice, "What's the matter, Potter, scared of alittle competition? Or you, Weasel, afraid I'm gonna hurt your mudblood? You two are really full of it, aren't you? I think that Hermione is a big girl now, so why don't you let her come beat me up. In fact, I would rather enjoy that." Then came a malicious smirk.
Without anything else to say, lettling his words sink into the two Gryffindors heads, he stalked off. The last remark hit Ron first. "Harry, you don't think that he meant...? I mean, Hermione has been awfully bubbly today. It's not possible that she...well you know." his face redden as he spoke.
Harry's face was hard as a stone. "No, she wouldn't." The bell rang. "Shit, we're late for Divination. Come on, we'll figure out what Malfoy is up to later."
It had been almost three weeks since the start of term and everyone fell into their normal routines. Hermione hadn't slept much since her first night back in the castle, much to her dismay, since her new roommate hadn't given her another unknown lullaby. She was beginning to look abit more than stressed out. Inside she wanted to break down and cry, but her pride wouldn't let her. She knew that several of the younger students, who had fought in the war as well, were all looking up to her for emotional strength. When others were around her, she keep up her facade of carrying on with a normal life because her letting others see how much she was affected was unacceptable to her. That if Hermione Granger couldn't be normal again, how much hope could others have? There were many times that Ginny, Ron, and Harry would drag her out long enough to let her cry and vent her pent up emotions. They were all afraid that she would eventually blow up and do something crazy.
Ron tried his best to show her as much compassion as possible, seeing as he and Ginny had lost their brother Charlie. When anyone would bring up the war or the capture of rogue Death Eater's, Ron was often seen bolting out of the room dragging Hermione with him. The friendship that they had was beginning to grow stronger.
Harry, who was more miserable than ever, was being more protective over her. His efforts of trying to keep Hermione as far away from Malfoy only slightly worked. Hermione never noticed what Harry was doing, she was used to the extra attention that he was giving her. The summer had made Harry realize that she, too, was now an orphan. He stayed at her side majority of the time, bonding in a way that they both desired. They were becoming a family, no matter how broken it seemed.
One afternoon in the quietness of Gryffindor Tower, Ginny screamed in frustration. "I NEED SOME NOISE! I CAN'T STAND ALL THIS QUIETNESS! IF SOMEONE DOESN'T LIVEN UP THIS PLACE, I'LL OWL FRED AND GEORGE, IF THEY CAN'T COME...I'M GONNA JUMP OUT A WINDOW!"
Ron had quickly shut Ginny up, holding a hand over her still moving mouth, suggested that they all go to the Quidditch pitch. Flying did wonders for them all, except for Hermione, who was afraid of flying. Ginny had nearly broken her brother's arm, tearing out of the Common Room, to grab everyone's brooms. Ron had to run after her as she bolted pass them and out of the common room. Harry and Hermione followed behind them, walking at a nice pace. As they approached the pitch, Hermione broke the comfortable silence.
"Hey Harry? I was thinking... I mean... shit...well, would you mind if I fly with you?"
Harry stumbled over his own feet at her unusual request. "Herms, you're afraid of flying. I thought that you were gonna squeeze my arms off when we flew on Buckbeak! You really want to go up there?" he said pointing to the sky.
As soon as the words escaped her mouth, she found her shoes to be fascinating to look at. "It just gets lonely sitting in the stands alone. You know? And I trust you enough not to drop me." Her voice suddenly had a hint of panic in it. She grabbed his forearm. "You wouldn't drop me, would you?"
He raked his fingers throught his unruly raven colored hair, picking up the broom that Ginny had laid on the ground for him when they caught up, seeing that her and Ron were already in the air. He couldn't help the smile that was tugging at his lips. "No, I won't drop you..."
A/N: I can't wait to hear what you think!!!
Much love,
deranged