14 November 1992
Hermione refused to leave Eloise's side from the time she was released from the hospital wing. Malfoy's words echoed in her mind, she was constantly in fear for her friend. While Eloise thanked the boys for helping her, she had yet to utter a word in front of them since, choosing to hide behind books and blush furiously when forced to be in their company. Since Luna was still disappearing all the time, it meant Hermione was in the library with Eloise most free periods. Hermione loved to read, she spent so many hours at home under her favorite tree while her brothers were on the pitch. She also loved quidditch and no matter how hard she tried she couldn't seem to get Eloise to share her passion for the dangerous sport.
"Come on, it's perfect playing conditions. Probably one of the last nice days!" Hermione whined as she stood in front of Eloise in the library.
"No, I don't like quidditch. I don't see what's the big deal." Eloise said firmly, not taking her eyes off her book.
"I brought you my lucky scarf. Harry's playing so it probably won't even be a long game and we are already late." Hermione coaxed with a bright smile, holding out a faded red and gold scarf.
"Hermione, you know I don't like quidditch and I would much rather be here studying." Eloise whined.
"You've never been to a match! You never once came last year. Come on it'll be a blast! Don't you want the full experience of school? Even Percy goes to all the matches!" Hermione giggled.
"Why is it so important I go?" Eloise paused her reading to look at her friend.
"It shows house unity."Hermione said bluntly.
"You're afraid to leave me alone. I'm fine, nothing will happen to me with Ms. Prince around. I don't need your pity or whatever this is." Eloise said heatedly.
"So, you think my friendship is a pity, do you?" Hermione snapped back.
"Friendship? You follow me around like a lost puppy and distract me from my reading. Ask me about muggle things, act like muggles are so quaint. Like muggles are some interesting little animal in the zoo you can feed and pet when it grabs your fancy! As if I would even be bothered with someone like you. Even Looney couldn't wait to get away. You're dull and the only reason you even do well in class is because you have the advantage of having 6 talented older brothers. If that's your idea of friendship, I don't want it." Eloise hissed, her blue eyes hard. Hermione took a step back, trying to figure out what made this normally soft spoken girl snap. When she looked at the girl she thought was her friend glaring at her with so much venom, she bristled. It wasn't her fault she was exposed to magic all her life, she never held Eloise's birth against her. Hermione went out of her way to try and learn about muggles, did her questions offend her? If only she knew how close Hermione once was to living the same kind of life with her birth parents.
"Well, I just thought- you know what? Fine, you know what I thought? I thought you were the only girl in our dorm who wasn't a total fucking blinkered twit but I guess I was wrong. I enjoyed hearing about muggles from someone who actually knows a fucking muggle. Luna is still my best friend, she's the best friend you could ever ask for so don't you dare call her Looney. I never pitied you, I thought you were an sweet girl who had a great sense of humor when she wasn't hiding from everyone. Too scared to show her bloody face, I'll just bugger off now. Won't bother again." Hermione ranted, she wrapped the scarf around her neck and stalked out of the empty library. Eloise sat stunned at her table, feeling disappointed.
"Where the hell have you been?" Ron yelled out when Hermione rushed towards the large procession of Gryffindors leaving the field. In the center was Harry on a floating stretcher with Madam Pomfrey shaking her head angrily.
"What happened? The game can't be over already?!" Hermione cried as she pushed her way through to walk beside Harry.
"I caught ta sitch, Mine." Harry slurred and thrust the fluttering gold ball into her hand before passing out.
"You missed the most brilliant bloody game! Malfoy fell on his arse and Lockhart banished all the bones in Harry's arm! Oh there was a rogue bludger but it had nothing on Harry! And-" Ron recalled the game to Hermione in great detail as she walked along to the infirmary, her argument with Eloise totally forgotten.
"Hermione..." Eloise came up behind Hermione as she was changing into her pajamas that night. She planned to wait until her dorm mates were sleeping then use Harry's cloak to go visit him in the hospital wing.
"Is there anything else you really needed to add after this afternoon?" Hermione said bitterly.
"No I...I wanted to apologize." Eloise said quietly. Lavender, Pavarti, and Hope entered the dorm room giggling and stopped when they saw the expression on Hermione's face.
"Yeah, sorry can't be bothered." Hermione said sarcastically as she pulled on a jumper. "If you'll kindly piss off, I'm going to go see if I can't learn something from one of my brilliant brothers." With that she walked past her gaping dorm mates and rushed to the 2nd year boys dorm to pinch Harry's invisibility cloak.
"Harry." Hermione whispered as she entered the hospital wing hours later. Harry was sitting up in bed, looking a little dazed.
"Hermione!" Harry smiled happily, his eyes a little unfocused.
"You alright, there?" Hermione sat on the chair beside his bed
"Ace! I have a killer house elf after me." Harry grinned.
"A killer house elf?" Hermione snickered.
"Yeah, Dobby came. Begged me to leave Hogwarts. Said 'it's not safe for the Great Harry Potter, Sir!' Then banged his head on a lamp." Harry's impersonation of a squeaky house elf was pretty accurate in his drugged state.
"Did he tell you why?" Hermione asked, bemused.
"Nah, couldn't betray his masters. Why can't I be normal?" Harry sat back heavily, pouting.
"Uhhh...'cause you're not normal." Hermione smiled sheepishly.
"Yes I am, I'm just Harry Potter." Harry grumbled.
"But you're not, not really. You're Harry Potter, baby who vanquished Voldemort. You're Harry Potter, boy who smacked down Voldemort last year, literally. Harry Potter, youngest seeker in a century." Hermione laughed happily at the disgruntled look on Harry's face. "Sorry, I know you hate it. Dobby tell you anything else?"
"Other than he only wanted to maim or seriously injure but never kill me? Nah, same thing he said at the burrow, it's not safe at Hogwarts." Harry sighed sadly.
"I wonder if we can find out what family he works for..." Hermione trailed off thoughtfully.
"Dunno, just wish he would leave me alone. I felt bad for him when he popped up, he's rather pathetic but then he tried to kill me. Oh, and he locked the barrier." Harry grunted, shifting his arm.
"Does it hurt?" Hermione sat up, worry filling her eyes.
"A bit, growing back all those bones. Random spike of pain." Harry hissed and looked longingly at the potion on the table that he couldn't reach.
"Is this a pain potion?" Hermione asked. Harry nodded when Hermione picked it up and uncorked it. "Why didn't she just give you dreamless sleep potion?"
"Dunno, something about it being addictive." Harry shrugged as he downed the potion eagerly.
"Try and get some sleep. I'll visit you in the morning." Hermione yawned and stood up. She fussed over his blankets a moment and shot him a warm smile before throwing the invisibility cloak over herself to disappear.