Disclaimer: JK owns all of Harry Potter, as we all know!

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Pleading Eyes

Considering the lesser amount of students going to Hogwarts now after the war classes had a different structure this year. For this day of classes there were people from each house in every class, instead of just two. Some classes, like potions and Defense Against the Dark Arts, that had big amount of students from each year was still separated into two groups. Head Mistress McGonagall had felt it to be better if each class was still mixed with students from each housing though, as it would be better for the students. What the war had taught her was that people needed to be more united, as a whole, instead of deciding themselves up into groups. Hate had never been tolerated, sadly always present. House unison was still to be expected, and wanted, however, the bashing of other houses was not.

The war had really killed a lot of witches and wizards, of all ages. Considering it had taken place here at Hogwarts as well, a lot of the students had fallen. The one house that had taken the biggest toll was Gryffindor. With their bravery and courage they had went head first into battle, and skillfully displayed where their loyalty lay. Next were Ravenclaw together with Hufflepuff. Their students had a split as to those who had left the school, those who had gone into hiding, and those who had helped. All houses had suffered losses however, including Slytherin. Many of the Slytherin student's parents were of course also killed during the war, or sent to Azkaban afterwards. The students had either been shipped away, or been fighting on the side they were expected to.

This really had nothing to do with the school, but was merely a place where it all had gone down due to Harry Potter's location as well as the Elder Wand. A lot of students had suffered from this, but also a lot of teachers. A few had even passed away, trying to protect their students, and make a stand against the dark lord.

All losses were still losses, and it was still hard to grasp and understand the severity of it all. Going back here had been an escape for many but also an awful reminder of that had passed. Everyones reactions to things such as trivial as death were simply due to post traumatic stress. A way to comprehend reality. At least thats what Hermione thought.

She was walking to her class now, facing all kinds of ruined spots of the school on her way there. It made her feel unsteady and confused as to what to make of it. At the same time as she was trying to stay focused and sigel in her mind to studies and different subjects, she still couldn't let go of the horrifying memories that were haunting her. The scars on her body were mere reminders in themselves, no where could she escape reality, not even her own mind. Many people had decided to not come back for this very reason. She could understand, as some needed time. However, the pain reminded her that it ever happened in the first place! And since she couldn't escape in anywhere anyways, what was the point in prolonging the suffering. She would have to confront what had happened at these grounds sooner or later anyways!

Hermione was so wrapped up in her own thoughts and feelings she had closed off all surroundings, including other students also making their ways to class.

"Thanks Salazar for having her drop dead last year. I honestly couldn't stand her. A disgusting disgrace to our world was what she was anyways. I heard He-who-must-not-be-named himself killed her! It was much below him, but I guess it had to be done. Teaching students muggle studies really wasn't the worst part. I heard she actually brainwashed her students!" The Slytherin girl was speaking to her younger friend who listened tentatively.

"Brainwashed them? How?" The other girl asked.

"I'm not sure, she probably handed them potions and stuff in the form of muggle stuff. I don't know, I would never step foot in that class! Lucky she got killed, or else I'd kill her myself."

The other girl pouted her mouth and rolled her eyes at her friend. "No you wouldn't. You'd be sent to Azkaban in a second"

"It'd be worth it" She stuck her nose up in the air and increased her walking pace.

Hermione had been passing through the same hall, but had been walking in front of them. She was bussy trying to make it to their first class but couldn't help feeling like she had to speak her mind. Her feelings were taking over now. How could this girl be speaking so lightly about all of this? Had she even been there during the Battle? Probably not, she thought.

"Hey, don't be like that!" The other girls foot steps was rushing to catch up. "Besides I think it's back on the schedule."

"What!?" The Slytherin girl shrieked.

How could this girl not know this? She was obliged to take the class now, after the war, just like all of them.

"Yeah, it was never taken off."

Hermione couldn't keep her mouth shut anymore. She halted her step fast and turned around. Her hair shot out as she turned in great speed. "If you had actually looked at your schedule you would know that you have it every Tuesday, together with all others, decided into two groups. And on Fridays, but then only with your fellow pure-bloods, as you have more to learn from the subject than the rest of us"

The older girl huffed and made a scrunchy face. "Oh, isn't it the famous Golden Girl" He words were dragged with annoyance and so filled with hatred Hermione felt a little confused. What had she ever done her?

Their argument was cut short by a ginger girl coming at them in full speed. "Hermione!" Ginny was running up towards her shouting her name on the way. She looked genuinely happy to see her and Hermione felt huge relief she could get some back up on this. Not that she needed it. She could easily bicker with these two till they dropped to the floor, but she wanted to not let this ruin the rest of her day. Hence why Ginny was so very gladly welcomed.

"Ginny!" She smiled warmly at her friend. The two other girls huffed and scrunched up their faces and quickly moved on whispering something along the lines of "Mudblood" and "Blood Traitor" to each other as they quickly walked off.

Ginny's brows furrowed "What was that all about?"

Hermione shrugged and sighed. "I don't know. Some stupid girls that have hearts of ice."

"Or stone." Ginny added when she got the idea of what they could have said. "Don't mind them, they're not worth it." The girl wrapped her arm around her best friend's shoulders. "So, we start the day off with Ancient Runes together! It's kind of nice."

"Yes, but what I want to know is why you are taking the class, of all people?" Hermione didn't mean it to sound so much as an insult as it had. She was honestly interested!

"Well, you know, I have always found it fascinating. Languages are wonderful, and these artistic swivels all have separate meanings, that differ over time. How is that not fascinating to people?"

"That's what I thought!" They both laughed together as they moved through the door. Browsing the set up of desks the class looked a little bigger than what it used to back in the day. Considering it was only one class together now for the seven, six and fifth years, of all houses it was to be expected.

They walked together to a table in the middle of the room. Hermione would have preferred to sit towards the front, but knowing Ginny preferred the back they settled for the middle. A compromise.

Soon their teacher walked in and started the class. The lectures were always quite long and rather boring, however it did leave them time to reconnect a bit.

"Hermione" Ginny whispered.

Hermione furrowed her brows and huffed, but looked up from her parchment where she was dribbling down notes. "What?"

"Why weren't you at breakfast today?"

"Oh" She hadn't expected this question just yet. "Well, I had a lot of things to do." She was trying to think of an excuse as to why she had been absent this morning. Her memory brought her back to the lovely morning surprise earlier that very same day. She blushed slightly and looked back down at her parchment. "I had to prepare some parchments for the Prefects. We are having another meeting later today. Did you know they were all going to be very difficult when it came to being paired up with people out of their houses?" She had a face of shock while she whispered the last bit.

"What'd you expect? Sheers instead of sneers? Oh, common Hermione, this is still students were talking about. Teenagers at that."

Hermione really had no idea why she had lied just now. Was it because she was embarrassed, or because she had actually enjoyed it? Was it the fact that Malfoy of all people had gotten her breakfast? That he had actually tried to keep her living there, even if it was for his own gaining had grown on her a little. This whole situation made her very confused.

"Yes, but they are Prefects! They were selected out of their age groups and brought together. They should be over joyed to be able to work with another student of the same scholastic standards!"

Ginny giggled a little. "Not everyone take school as a matter of life an death, like you do"

A flash of a memory shot cross her sight.

The death eater was holding his wand at the boys neck hissing with a grin.

"I got you now, you little bastard mudblood."

Hermione was dueling with another death eater out in the corridor, and couldn't help the poor boy in the class room. Her breathing was hitched in her throat, and she shouted to get the mans attention, but he didn't even flinch. Her own death eater shot a spell that she barely managed to duck away from. She was trying her hardest to fight her way towards the room, but the death eater was having none of it.

The boy cried out in pain. His friend that was standing behind the death eater now. He rushed up closer and shot an "Expelliarmus!" at the death eater, followed by a stunning spell. "Johnny, are you okay?"

The boy coughed but nodded his head. He had sunken down onto the floor and tears were rolling down his little face. "Why are you out here! I told you to stay in the safe place McGonagall told us about. You are supposed to be hiding. I promised mom to keep you sake, and I can't if you keep on running out into the fight like this!"

"I just wanted to help" the little boy, Johnny, cried.

"It's okay, come here." The older brother grabbed Johnny's arm and pulled him in close to him. "I'll protect you."

Hermione was still fighting the death eater, and was trying her hardest not to let him get closer to the room where the two brothers were. A curse shot her way and she flew quick to action again.

"Protego! Incendio!" She shrieked and the death eater jumped from the fire coming at him. She glanced over and saw that the death eater that had been threatening Johnny was coming to again and shouted at them. "Run! He's waking up!"

The two boys had quickly looked over their shoulders and noticed the man that was starting to stand up. He was already rising his wand, and a grin was plastered on. His eye's were narrowed in on the little boy. "I can smell your dirty blood from here, you little twat" He hissed.

Johnny's older brother pushed him out the door and yelled at the death eater "You don't speak to him like that!" Without taking his eyes off of the death eater he spoke over his shoulder. "Run Johnny! I've got this! Find McGonagall and hide!" He was now speaking directly at the death eater. "I'll protect you Johnny, no matter what."

Johnny watched from the doorway and screamed when the death eater managed to disarm his brother. It didn't take many seconds before Hermione had managed to finally properly stun her opponent and run to Johnny. She picked him up in her arms and ran, as fast as she could. He didn't need to see this. He was screaming over her shoulder, but his grip on her body was tight as if he was clinging on for dear life. He shouldn't have to watch his older brother get killed. Not here, not like this, not ever.

But he did.

No, school actually was about life and death.

"Maybe it should be, not just for me" Hermione mumbled very quietly to Ginny. It was so low it was astonishing for Ginny to even be able to pick up a word of what she had said.

Ginny could see it on Hermine's absent and pained expression where her mind had traveled. She placed a hand onto of Hermione's shoulder and gave her an apologetic look. She should watch her mouth when she speaks, she thought to herself.

The rest of the remaining class time she let Hermione do her thing, and tried to seem as entranced by the lecture as she was. It was a special gloom over them, an unspoken knowledge of how the other was feeling.

/

Class finished much too late for Ginny's taste, and she smiled and stretched happily when they stood up to leave.

"Potions next, right?" She smiled brightly at Hermione. They had Professor Slughorn for potions still, and Hermione didn't know quite how to feel about it. Nevertheless, it actually gave her a chance for an outstanding grade, compared to what she would have gotten if Snape still had taught the class.

But because of his passing, and history she quite didn't know how to feel. She didn't like the man, but she could understand him. Basted on all Harry had told her about him, she really couldn't blame him for turning out the way he did. She felt sorry for him, no one should have to grow up that way. That sort of heart break and public embarrassment is not acceptable. He had influenced her to do as much as she could to prevent bullying since then. He had inspired her.

The love he had felt for Harry's mother, went beyond what Hermione had ever felt for a man. Surely she wasn't old, but neither was she a girl any longer either. She admired him, for all he had done for her, and the dedication it must have taken. She could see herself acting similarly if she one day felt the same way about someone as he had.

"Yes" She smiled back meekly. "Potions it is."

They started heading there together. Since this was the first day of Potions class they were all to be gathered in the potions classroom down in the dungeons. They were to be decided into two groups after that. Hermione couldn't honestly understand the meaning of gathering first, since they were all to be decided anyways. They could just have formed the schedule around it so they would all be separated already, but no.

It was quite the walk, and half way Ginny left to go to her History class. Hermione made it on time, despite the distance. Harry and Ron were already in the classroom, as well as the rest of the students. When Hermione caught sight of them she smiled and started walking towards them. Her smile quickly dropped however when she remembered what had happened just a few days ago. She took one look at Ron, who was leaning onto the table, with his head on the surface. When she came closer she noticed how his eyes were closed and his mouth wide open. Drool was pooling around his face, and it made half of his hair a little moist.

"What happened to him?" She asked Harry when she arrived at their table.

Harry smiled at her and hugged her before answering. "He's been up all night." He stated and glanced over at Ron who had made a snoring sound.

"Why?" She was honestly puzzled by this.

He shrugged at her. "He's been waiting for you." He sighed. "He's not the brightest, but he has heart."

Hermione's brows furrowed. Why would he wait for her? He knew she was sleeping in the Head dormitory. This fact alone made her a little annoyed.

"He didn't seem this gone yesterday" She stated flatly, considering it had been two days since the news had hit him.

"Well, the first night I believed he fell asleep on the couch or something, cause we found him there next morning when we were going to breakfast." He took another breath before continuing. "Cant you two please just make up already." He looked pleadingly at Hermione. He seemed so tired. As if he just wanted all of it would go back to the way things were. Only problem was, nothing was the way it used to be anymore. It would be silly for anyone to even believe so.

She didn't know what to say. Harry's eyes were so full of pain and desperately wishing for her to notice it. And she did. It made her question herself, and her actions.

It wasn't Ron's fault that he was a little daft at times, and she knew that. But somehow she couldn't help but hold it against him. It wasn't that he was stupid, it was just that he didn't notice her. Ron had been so different with other girls, that she had expected him to treat her the same. Obviously he hadn't. It was as if it was mostly out of convenience he had agreed to date her.

This new act of attention from him however was very new. And she didn't know what to think about it. He was possessive, in a way she couldn't understand. Was it because she was alone with the enemy and wanted to keep her safe. Or was it because she wanted her back in their dorm, closer to him again. Had she not been living that far away, would he still have reacted the way he did in another senario? Was this an act of friendship or love?

Nevertheless Hermione couldn't help but feel a little bit flattered.

Her mouth opened, and then closed again. She really didn't know what to say. "I don't know" She finally whispered with an equally pained expression.

"You know he does stupid things sometimes, but he always apologizes for it!" Harry hurried to remind her.

"He does, but…"

"And you two barely started dating, you could at least give it some more time!"

"I know, but… It's really not about…"

"Please, 'Mione" His pleading eyes were back on her now, piercing her soul.

She sighed and closed her eyes. "I'll think about it."

Slughorn passed through his door at that moment, and Ron shot back up at the sound. "What!?" He asked into thin air. Half of his face was read from laying on the table so long. He blinked frenetically and rubbed his sore neck. Sleeping on tables really didn't do your body good, he thought. He looked over to find Harry with Hermione next him. He was beaming while Hermione looked a little unsteady and… disgusted?

A surprised "Oh!" escaped his mouth before a warm, wide grin came in place. "Hello Hermione!"

"Um, hi." She said nervously. She was a bit unsure if she were to say the next part or not, but decided it would probably be best for him to find out as soon as possible.

She came up closer to him and leaned in to whisper "You've got something here", and pointed at his mouth. "Actually here too" Her hand was moving in a circle in the air infront of his face.

A much smaller "Oh…" escaped Ron's mouth this time, as he quickly went to wipe his face with his sleeve. A very unsure smile was shot in Hermione's direction. "Um, thanx".

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UN: Hey! I know it's been a while since the last update, but a lot has happened, and the time just hasn't been enough. Isn't that usually what happens in life though? :)

I really hope you enjoyed this chapter. I had this one planned up already, still I couldn't help but add a lot of things as I was writing.

Please do comment and review, it really is what keeps me going! And of course the story itself. But the reviews makes me beyond happy, although I'm always very anxious to read them.

Love