Downside of Aging Potions - Chapter Ten
"In the darkest hole, you'd be well advised
Not to plan my funeral before the body dies, yeah
Let the sun never blind your eyes."
-Alice in Chains, Grind
The day passed with more ease after Care of Magical Creatures and Defense Against the Dark Arts. But then it was History of Magic.
No Snape there to protect her.
She had said goodbye to him while he went his way to Muggle Studies.
Apparently, he had begged Dumbledore not to take History of Magic again, for fear of turning into a ghost himself. So, Dumbledore made him take Muggle studies.
Severus had walked her to class. "Ignore them, okay?"
She nodded, but was feeling more and more at ill ease as Snape drifted further from her.
Hermione took her seat and two seconds later, she felt a hand on her shoulder.
She sighed in relief as she saw Harry and Ron. "What's up, guys?"
"We heard some of what happened." Harry said softly. Ron looked away, very apparently moody. She boiled with anger again.
"I suppose you believe the rumors, don't you, Ron?" She asked coolly. When he didn't answer, she snorted, "Yes, I bet you also started them. So typical of you, Ron."
"What?" He burst.
She raised her eyebrows, "Did you miss any of what I just said?"
Ron gave a cry of rage and went to the back of the class.
Harry sat down, "Hermione..."
"What? It isn't my fault I am mad at him. You'd be too. You heard the rumor, right? You know Ron was jealous of Snape. Snape of all damn people." She pointed out.
"Well, yes, but you can't blame him-" Harry said apologetically.
"Can't blame him? What the...What do you mean, 'I can't blame him?'" She asked irritably.
"Hermione, you know he likes you-"
"What?" She burst disbelievingly.
"Don't tell me-The whole school knows... You never knew that?" He asked.
"No, of course not, why...That doesn't even matter, I don't like him." She pushed the thought away and shuddered.
"I always thought you kind of liked him too." Harry said awkwardly.
Hermione raised her eyebrows, "Harry, he drives me insane. I could never be more than just friends with him. I'd go mad."
"But-"
"Harry, I don't want to have this discussion. Tell Ron, if he is wise, he will keep away from me." She turned her head.
He sighed, "Hermione, why do you have to be so difficult?"
"I am being difficult?" She asked hissed. The freaking nerve of him! She had all the houses turned against her, her best friend, and she was being difficult?
She was not going to make another scene; two a day was fine.
"What do you propose I do then, Harry?" She said his name with as much venom as she could.
He looked hurt for a second, then stood up, "Just talk to him, see how things go." He said loudly.
She stood up to try and match his height and started her voice at a low rumble, letting volume increase from there, "I don't have to, just get the fuck away from me! And tell Ron too!"
"Miss Grant, please settle down." Professor Binns said, walking through a wall and sitting down in his chair.
Harry walked back to Ron's desk and Hermione sat back down, enraged by what Harry was suggesting.
All of that just over Ron.
She lost two friends because of Ron; Gryffindor house, most of Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff because of Malfoy, and why?
No. She wouldn't say it. It wasn't fair. It wasn't his fault. God, what was happening to her? She was losing all her friends, only to gain one?
!
She counted down the seconds until class was over. She just wanted to leave, get away from everyone.
Except maybe Snape, but, she hated saying it; he was kind of the problem.
She went into her room and locked the door. She got out her journal her parents had gotten her for her birthday and opened to the second page.
It had only been written in it once since she had gotten it, about three months ago.
She went to her desk and took out a quill and an ink bottle. Biting the end of the quill in thought, she wrote:
Mum told me when you are frustrated; it is good
to write things down, so that you can get it all out.
I suppose I will give it a try. I never really have time for things like this,
but I am really confused, I don't know anything anymore.
A while ago, I started working with Professor Snape as his assistant. I was
dreading it at first, but then we sort of...Bonded, or something.
But he wasn't as much of a... A bastard after that.
But I know the story and don't feel like reviewing it to myself. Kind of
redundant, I think.
Anyway, Snape or 'Sloan', as he's now known, had an accident. He's my age and
now has to go back to school and everything. I really do feel sorry for him.
And he is a rather poor eighteen year old.
Apparently, while all this shit was going on, there was a rumor going around
school that I was fucking around with Snape. Well, I didn't take it too well
and said something to Malfoy about his father. When he tried to curse me, Snape
froze it or something and now Malfoy wants to be all buddy-buddy with him.
Bloody prick. Malfoy, not Snape.
Hmm... well, what a really want to get to is: see, Snape got drunk and when I
went to leave, he asked me to stay with him. And he didn't like force me upon
anything or anything. I just stayed with him until he fell asleep, which
actually wasn't too long. But... I don't even think he remembers it. He didn't
seem to and he called 'Hermione'. And he doesn't really do that. But...
Hermione frowned and sat back. This was pointless. She put her quill down and sighed.
Perhaps she was the kind of person who needed to say her feelings; not just write them down.
Folding up the parchment, she tucked it under her pillow and sprawled on her bed, letting her thoughts consume her head.
Snape managed to keep away from the whiskey, but it was constantly nagging at him, like a small child constantly tugging at his robes.
What had he normally done when he was bored? He thought... Library.
Maybe that's what he did. At least he could get his mind off some things on the way there.
He locked his rooms, (currently still his own until Dumbledore found replacement ones,) and walked slowly to the Library, remembering not to tell off some Gryffindors on the way through the corridors.
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