Chapter 7- Shut up, please

Hermione was a mess. She had tears and snot running down her face and her head in her hands. That was how Ginny found her in the heads common room.

"Hermione, where have you been? I had to threaten the password out of Romilda Va…What the hell?" Ginny dropped to her knees beside Hermione on the floor. Hermione wiped her face hurriedly, prepared for a fight. What could Ginny possibly need now?

"Go away Ginny, now isn't a good time to complain about how horrible your life is!" She snapped angrily, too hurt and confused to worry about the consequences of saying something like that to Ginny of all people.

Ginny froze for a few seconds, "I guess I deserve that. Tell me what happened anyway." Hermione blinked through the tears incredulously.

"Why do you even care? I got pushed down a flight of stairs and you didn't even see if I was alive! Now, after a few tears, you decide it's worth seeing if I'm okay? What the hell, Gin!" Hermione said in one breath, breathing furiously.

Ginny flushed, "Harry, he…explained things. I just didn't want to listen… until today. I was just coming to talk and found you like this."

Hermione calmed and wiped away the rest of her tears, "Did you say Romilda Vane gave you the password?"

Ginny nodded slowly giving Hermione a strange look, "Yeah she did, why?"

Hermione shook her head, thoughts flying at a hundred miles per hour. She got to her feet and pulled Ginny out of her room.

"I need to go see Minerva. I'll talk to you later, all right?" Hermione explained sincerely. Ginny looked put out, but nodded and left without protest. Hermione made her way up to Minerva office, glad another problem was close to being solved. Ginny seemed to have given up on the insanity for the time being and now this mystery was being solved. It made sense, as Romilda was the only one, aside from Ernie and herself, who had the password. What Hermione didn't know was why. Why would Romilda want to push her down stairs? Hermione couldn't remember ever doing anything to her.

"Miss Granger? How can I help you?" Minerva said, looking up from her desk. Hermione sat down across from her, wringing her hands nervously.

"Well I just realized that Ernie's girlfriend had the password to our rooms." She blurted in a rush of garbled words, but Minerva seemed to comprehend them all the same. She stood and paced around the room for a few moments before speaking.

"I don't understand teenagers these days anymore. What reason could possibly be good enough for her to push you down a flight of stairs?" She asked shaking her head incredulously.

Hermione was just as confused and shrugged from her seat, "I really don't know."

Minerva made an angry noise and strode from the room with a stern look Hermione knew very well. Romilda wouldn't know what hit her.

Hermione was relieved after they expelled Romilda and apparently she was on probation from the ministry as well. Nice to know they didn't hold a grudge against her causing seven billions galleons in damages to the place in her lifetime. And they hadn't ever billed her.

What was bothering her now was visiting her parents. Hermione didn't know what she would find when she got there and was dying to ask Madam Pomfrey what to do. Maybe there were unknown side effects from memory charms. How was she to know? Everything moved so quickly during the war and Hermione didn't have time to check in the library to see if there were down sides to saving her parents' lives.

Minerva was giving her a few days off to go see them early instead of waiting for the weekend. Hermione didn't think her Dad could wait.

"Come in dear, come on in." Madam Pomfrey motioned her through the doorway where she was standing awkwardly.

"I…I put a memory charm on my parents and now my father is having unusual memory problems." Hermione cringed at the sound of her voice; it was much too even to be talking about her sick father.

Madam Pomfrey froze at her outburst, blinked a few times, then burst into action. Three different medicinal books flew out of her private office and onto the desk. Hermione watched with dread. Maybe it really was her fault.

"It's a common side effect, even in magical folk. So I'll assume this took place during the war? Hmmmm, well on magical brains the effect eventually goes away with time, but I'm not sure about muggle brains. You're sure there isn't a squib or anything magical in your family, presently I mean."

Hermione's heart beat picked up rapidly," Aside from me, no one had magic in my family. Believe me I've checked."

Madam Pomfrey shoved her glasses on her face and pressed her face into the book. Hermione rocked on her heels, glancing around the too familiar infirmary. Gosh how many times had she been in here?

A loud thud at the door made her spin around just in time for Draco Malfoy and Ron Weasely to stumble through the door. Her jaw fell open slightly, too shocked to spring into action.

It was obvious they weren't fatally injured, but the amount of blood was worrying. Ron's nose and right temple was bleeding profusely. Malfoy's wrist as swollen and purple, his lip busted, and a large jagged cut ran from his left eyebrow to the crease of his lips.

"What in the name of Merlin? Miss Granger, help Mr. Malfoy, he seems better off than that concussion!"

Hermione gripped Malfoy uninjured wrist and led him to the other side of the infirmary without protest. It wasn't hard to figure out what happened. Ron had such a temper; sometimes it was really and truly annoying.

"Well aren't you going to kiss it better?" Malfoy joked stiffly. Hermione could tell he was hurting somewhat do to the lack of smirk. She fished out a pain reliving potion and pried him mouth open with nimble fingers. He tried to resist, but she crammed the foul liquid down his throat too quickly for him to stop.

"Bitch." He muttered, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. Hermione paid it no attention and tapped her wand to his wrist. He let out a string of curses as the bone righted itself and the swelling went down. Fractures weren't her specialty.

"What the fuck Granger?" He hissed, leaning away from her in revulsion. Hermione rolled her eyes and pointed her wand at his cheek. The gash healed over, leaving a noticeable pink scar. Opps. She wasn't very good at deep cuts either.

"You've ruined my beautiful face haven't you!" He shouted and put his head in his hands.

"Actually I believe that would be Ronald's fault. Not mine. Plus you can use the salve that madam Pomfrey keeps to make the scar fade." She said softly and turned to go check on Ron. He grabbed her arm and pulled her against him in one motion. Hermione wasn't shocked by the move; it was just a matter of time when he confronted her.

"So don't you want to know why Weasely came at me like a deranged ape?" He said conversationally, as if he was currently breathing in her ear.

"I'm pretty sure he thinks your seducing me." Hermione said bluntly, shoving him back onto the bed and leaning over him.

"He's a very protective, somewhat lost, best friend. Maybe you should have thought about that before taking up stalking me." She pulled her hair out of her face and glared at him, hardly believing she had ever been afraid of this…boy. He was beautiful, but so proud and egotistical.

"Stalking? Granger you really have no experience. I want you, plain and simple. I'm pretty sure you want me as well but obviously you weren't considering me a candidate. Now you are." He smirked widely giving her a knowing look.

"Shut up! Please!" Hermione shook her head and turned to look at Ron. He was sleeping.

"You're lucky he's asleep or I'd ask him to have another go with you."

He glared at her, his manly pride dented probably, and grabbed her so quickly Hermione didn't have time to think of anything to do or say. She couldn't think at all when his lips fastened so tightly, angrily on hers. The angry and irritation she felt earlier left and she pushed her hands through his hair and pulled his mouth down on hers harder. Gosh, what was she thinking?

"Hermione!" Malfoy's lips were ripped away harshly by Harry who seemed to come from nowhere.

"Harry…"

Hermione closed her eyes and wished everything would just go away. Harry shook her shoulders," Did he hurt you?" His green eyes stared into hers so seriously Hermione burst into laughter.

"Hurt me? Are you kidding? It would obvious to a first year I was sucking his face Harry. I know you and Ron are angry, but don't delude yourselves. I mean, come on!" Hermione through up her hands, but her façade was ending. Her palms were sweating and her voice was high pitched.

Harry's face turned pink with angry, Ron was still out, Malfoy was trying to slip out the door. Hermione grabbed her wand and ran from the room, intent on just getting out of there as fast as she could. The moment she reached the gate, she apparated.

Her parent's house was just the same as three weeks before and she went to the door with relief.

A/N: Yea, I know, super slow. Review anyway.