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All This Anger

RPOV

She's off school until the Thursday. But she's on the bus that morning, pale as a sheet, dark circles under eyes and thinner than she was, but she smiles nonetheless when she sees me. Her bandana today reads "Chemical" in green letters on a grey background. She cuddles in close when I sit next to her. I hold onto her firmly. Ginny seizes her when we get off the bus. They hold onto each other for a while. Harry looks at me when we all walk into Assembly together, Hermione and Ginny whispering to each other, arms linked. My heart aches to see how frail and small Hermione looks now beside my sister.

"So, how is she really?"

"Not well, Harry. It's taking it's toll - but she says she's missed enough school. She won't stop. Not until she literally can't. At least she can actually keep food down now."

"Interesting conversation, Potter, Weasley?" Snape hisses at us as we pass him at the door. "You can join Miss Granger and Miss Weasley, in the lab, at break." I wait until we're sitting down next to the girls.

"Slimy git."

We file into the Chem. lab at break. Today is not shaping up to be a good day. A four page essay for McGonagall on symbolism in Dracula, two pages of algebra for Moody. And detention with Snape. Who doesn't bother showing up. We wait until the bell, and then we leave. Hermione napped for most of it.

"You should go home," I whisper during RE. We're having sex education. The poor woman at the front is fluttering her hand nervously at the man she's with. I take the opportunity to tell Hermione off for being here at all. "You know what the doctor said. Go home, go back to bed."

"Ron, really, I'm fine," she says, yawning. She even attempts sitting up when the lecture about Why A Condom Is Cool starts. I lean past Hermione and poke Harry firmly.

"Pay attention to this one, mate," I say. "If you get Ginny pregnant, I will personally encase you in a condom and then bury you." Hermione sniggers happily. Harry blushes beetroot. Trelawney glares at us. We're missing her lesson for this, and she isn't happy. Whilst she's a ditzy twit most of the time, she does get annoyed if they yank us out to do other stuff. She isn't the only teacher in here. Burbage, the drama teacher, has had her lesson interrupted to do this. But all attention is distracted from us when the woman starts talking about erections. Draco Malfoy and his cronies find this very, very amusing. Various catcalls and comments fly around the hall.

And then Draco crosses the line.

"Hey, where's Granger?" He cranes his neck. He meets Hermione's eyes and he smirks. He transfers his gaze to me. "Ah, there you are, Weasel. I was wondering: something about baldy that gives you a hard-on? Can't think why else you'd want to date her - it must be for the sex, I reckon she must be a delicious little whore -" I leap to my feet. Hermione grabs my arm.

"Ron, don't!" I barely hear her.

HermionePOV

His face darkens with rage as he leaps to his feet.

"Ron, don't!" But he shakes me off and charges for Draco with all the speed of a raging bull when faced with a red flag. I turn to Harry to try and get him to get Ron to see sense, but he's going for Draco as well, who seems to realise he's made a massive mistake. Suddenly the front half of the hall irrupts. The fight spreads. Hands of steel are suddenly wrapped around my arms and I get yanked out of my chair and hustled out of the hall. Professor Snape looks down at me for a split second, and then charges into the hall. In less than five seconds, the Hall is deadly silent. I go back in. Ron is nursing a bloody lip, Harry a bleeding cheek. But Draco had a rapidly blooming black eye, both lips spilt, a nose bleed and a bruise forming on his jaw.

"What happened?" Snape demands, his voice harsh. "Weasley. Potter. Why is it always you?"

"It wasn't their fault Professor. Draco said - things, and Ron got upset. Harry just went to help his friend."

"What did Draco say when he said "things", Miss Granger?"

"Please don't make me repeat what he said, Professor."

"Draco called her a whore!" Ron bellows. A big sixth year moves up behind him and physically restrains him.

"Ron, please!" I say, desperately. He looks over at me. "Don't." He wrestles out of the sixth years grip and go over to him. "Enough," I say. I turn to Draco. "I've got cancer, Draco." The entire Hall stares at me. "I'm bald because of the chemo. Ron is with me because he wants to be - I gave him the opportunity to walk away, but he didn't. And let's not talk about hard-ons - people might start questioning your own ability to get it up." He goes scarlet with rage. "Professor Snape, I'm going to take Ron and Harry to the medical room."

"Why'd you do it, anyway?" I ask, watching Ron wince as the nurse dabs antiseptic onto the cut on his lip. Harry has butterfly stitches on his cheek. I glance at him. "Ginny will kill me," I say, regarding him. "I'm supposed to keep an eye on you two."

"He called you a whore."

"I've heard worse. Draco is scum. Just ignore him, he's being immature. Ah, speak of the devil."

"Good Lord," the nurse says. She hustles us out to make way for Draco. He glares at me as he passes. I smile happily.

Mum had heard about the fight. I am fussed over. I say I don't want dinner and slip off to bed early. My phone beeps. It's a text from Ron.

Hope ur ok. Sorry I upset u bout the fite. Sweet dreams, xxx. I text him back happily.

Dnt worry, hun. Miss u already. Sleep well, xxx. Ps, D is a loser! Dnt let him wind u up! Xxx

U in 2moro?

Yes. Im sure Snape will invent horrid punishment 4 all! C u on the bus, xxx

Night night then. Miss u 2. Xxx

A/N: Cute little text conversation, no? really hope you liked it. Please review, give me some lovely constructive criticism!!!! They make updates come faster…