Disclaimer: I don't own any of the plot lines or the characters. Those belong to the wonderful JK Rowling. However the twists and spins on the story are of my own invention. Hey, everyone. I think this will be my longest chapter yet, so enjoy. And I still feel miserable from last week. These updates will be so much better, I promise. As Draco would say… "you can ALWAYS count on me"… Kisses! -Grace 3
I looked ahead of myself and smiled a little. There she was, she was walking alone, that's odd, I thought Ron and Harry were her friends. I skimmed my eyes over the people in the courtyard, which was fairly hard. I wasn't the tallest there, per say. To be fair I was only a first year. There they were, just in front of her. Harry said something, which made them both laugh, and then Ron must have commented back because they both put thoughtful faces on. At that exact moment, Hermione pushed past them, slamming into Ron's shoulder. Before I could stop myself, I ran after her.
I found her sniffling in the girl's lavatory, the one close to the dungeon. I banged on the locked stall door.
"Hermione, it's me, open up."
"Are you alone?" came a voice, harsh from crying.
"Yes, now please let me in," I pleaded. I heard her stand up and the bolt being unlocked. The door swung open and I gasped. Her face was red and puffy, like she had been crying this entire time. But that wasn't the worst part. Her arms were bloody, crissed-crossed with cuts and fading white scars. (A/N: I wanted to put a little spin on the story, I know Hermione, or Emma Watson for that matter, doesn't self-harm). She realized that her sleeves were still up and with a squeak attempted to pull them down. I was faster. I grabbed her wrist and started asking a million questions.
"Tell me why you did this. Was it because of me? Ron? Harry? How long has this been going on?" I was close to tears. I couldn't bear to see a sweet girl like herself go through something like this.
"It started about a year ago," she managed to croak out, "I hate the way I look, and I was such an outsider at school. Unpopular, and everyone hated me because I was grade above the rest of the girls my age. I thought I would fit in here, I would finally get a chance at having friends. But then I overheard Harry and Ron talking about how weird and smart I was, a-a-and." She started sobbing again. I sat down beside her and pulled her into my arms, smoothing her hair.
"Shhh, its ok 'Mione. You don't have to tell me. No pressure, and no rush."
"No," she said, wiping her eyes and clearing her throat, "I have to get this out. She continued. "And then Ron said that's the reason I don't have any friends. I was getting better, I promise. I hadn't done it for a while. But when he said that, I realized it was true. I don't fit in anywhere, even in a school for magic, of all places. I just wanted another chance, but it looks like I'm not going to get one."
"Hermione, listen to me. There's no need to do this. You are so so smart and that's why I like you. And come on, were still friends, right? You can ALWAYS count on me no matter what, I promise." She hugged me back, wrapping her arms around my waist.
"Ok," she whispered. We sat there for three hours. I didn't care about my classes. I just wanted to be with her. She spoke suddenly, "Draco, go to dinner. I don't want to you to be stuck here. Go be with your friends."
I began to protest, but she shut me up. "I'll be fine, now go before you're missed. I'll be right here if you want to come back." I left without saying a word. I figured that was better. I felt that saying goodbye would have been too morbid.
Dinner, per usual, was a complete bore. Until Professor Quirrell burst into the Dining Hall.
"TROLL! THERE'S A TROLL IN THE DUNGEON!" Then he passed out onto the floor. I felt my stomach turn to ice. Hermione didn't know. She was in one of the closest rooms to the dungeon. I ran out, but everyone else got trapped when Dumbledore said in his booming voice, "QUIET!" He continued, but I was so far away at this point I didn't hear him.
I slammed into the bathroom, finding Hermione fast asleep in the stall I left her in. I quickly shook her awake.
"Hermione, you've got to get out of here. There's a troll in the dungeon and I fear he may be coming this way."
Her eyes widened, "You mean that troll?" she pointed behind me. I have never done a faster 180 in my entire life. There he was. Huge, and muscular, carrying a club that you did not want to get in a fight with.
"DUCK!" I screamed. We both got cover in the first stall, then Ron and Harry burst in just as the club came down, splintering the wood into a million pieces. Hermione scrambled under the other stalls, narrowly avoiding being hit several times. I went the other way, well I really just stayed where I was hoping he wouldn't see me. He smashed the sinks, bursting a pipe onto Hermione. He picked Harry up and started to swing him around. Ron shouted, "WINGUARDIUM LEVIOSA!" The troll fell to the ground as it was hit with its own club. Ironic, isn't it?
After the teachers had given Hermione, Ron and Harry the talk about behaving, and how no first year could've have survived, she came up to me and helped me up. We walked back to my dorm and fell onto the bed that was plenty big enough for the both of us. I leaned my head back on the pillow and she wrapped her arms around my waist, using my chest as a pillow. We both fell asleep in the complete darkness, sharing body heat.