Hate mail continued to find its way through the cracks to Hermione, though McGongall put up a good effort to keep it out.
Something had been done, actually, and Rita Skeeta had been banned from the Hogwarts grounds. If she wanted to interview the tournament players, she had to arrange time with them outside, at Hogsmeade.
While Seamus was pleased steps had been taken, it seemed to only intensify the disdain for Hermione, as many believed it was her fault this change was made. Which, it was, but Seamus thought that anyone who had such opinions was a bloody terrible person anyway.
And Hermione was unconvinced it would actually do much.
"Skeeter is determined. Something tells me that saying 'no' hasn't stopped her before," She said glumly, "And, we've just taken away her cash cow...I don't think she'll go down without a fight, or take this lying down."
"Who cares? We've just made it harder for her to bother you; I don't think she's that obsessed. Or, Merlin, I hope not." Seamus guffawed.
Still, stray ones still found their way into her classrooms, the Common Room, or the Great Hall.
At first, she just ignored them, but some were Howlers.
Seamus did his best to make those burst into flames before they started, but he didn't catch all of them. And even though Hermione said it didn't bother her, that these girls had no creativity and had far too much time on their hands, it was hard to be yelled at and called awful names multiple times a day for something you didn't even do. Even Hermione was not made of nerves of steel, and sometimes, Seamus would catch a crestfallen look as another found its way into her hands.
That was the worst; knowing he was doing everything he could, and it still wasn't enough.
It seemed Harry was finally in her corner, though, with a little prodding from Seamus to defend one of his best friends. He wasn't sure it was helping too much, however.
Harry was getting tired of telling people that he wasn't dating Hermione, though it seemed to be falling on deaf ears.
"It's straight from the source!" Harry said, throwing his arms out, "Why don't they believe me?"
"It's much more intriguing for them to think otherwise," Lavender said, "You're ruining their little fantasies."
"Oh, boo hoo!" Harry sputtered, "We're not dating! I've never even kissed her! I would never!" He said, waving back at Hermione to a group of girls glaring at her.
"Tell me how you really feel, huh?" Hermione teased with a grin.
"What? Oh! You know what I mean," Harry was bright red, "You wouldn't want me kissing you anyway."
Seamus tried to announce that Hermione was his girlfriend one of those days, after a particularly nasty Holwer.
No one seemed to believe him.
"If you kissed in public instead of privately, they'd get the message," Dean said, "Maybe. You know, I think you'll have to be really annoying. Like...get detention for kissing too passionately or annoyingly, but that should do it, right?"
Seamus and Hermione shared a nervous look.
Forget about 'public', they hadn't even kissed, full stop!
"Oh, really? You haven't yet?" Dean asked, surprised, "I…huh…I kissed Eloise the night of the ball."
"We're just waiting," Hermione said, "It's not that I don't want to-,"
"Yeah, I certainly want to too," Seamus jumped in, smiling stupidly because Hermione Granger wanted to kiss him.
Dean looked between the pair, "You're nauseating, you know that right? It's worse than when you were with Lavender Brown."
Hermione gasped jokingly, "Take that back."
"I'm just saying; it would go a long way to get people here at school to believe what Harry's saying," Dean said with a shrug, "But, no pressure."
XXX
The Easter sun warmed the cobblestones leading up to the Great Hall.
"Really, no candy on Easter? Ever?" Seamus was laughing with Hermione, "Your parents are intense."
"They're dentists ," Hermoine corrected with a grin, "And had very strict regimens regarding candy. Christmas was always worse." She bit her lip, "I actually don't mind staying here sometimes, because I sneak a few extra pieces without them knowing or bothering me about it."
"Oh, wow," Seamus teased, "Three extra pieces of candy. What an absolute rule-breaker you are, Hermione."
Hermione lightly shoved his shoulder, "Oh, shut up," She said, her face blushing, "It feels like I'm breaking laws when I do it, the way I was brought up."
"So what did you get for Easter instead?"
"Real eggs," She shrugged, "A book."
"You're just all the same, aren't you three?"
Hermione couldn't help but a wide, infectious grin that overtook her face as they joined the rest of the Gryffindors for breakfast, and it warmed Seamus' heart to see it.
"Right on time, Hermione. Mum's sent Easter gifts!" Ron announced happily, tearing through the bag, "Ohh..okay, here's Fred and George…Ginny's…here Harry…" Ron started dolling out wrapped items, "Here's mine and…wait, no, here's yours, Hermione." He said, fishing out a tiny wrapped parcel for her. Seamus watched as her bright smile wavered as she took it, trying not to seem ungrateful.
"Oh, how kind of her," She said, unwrapping it slowly. But Seamus couldn't help but see the very obvious difference between hers and the ones everyone else got.
"Wow, look at this!" Ron boasted, holding up three eggs the size of dragon eggs, made out of chocolate. He shook the first one, eyes lighting up to hear something clinking around inside, "Mum's outdone herself!"
Seamus craned over the table to see Harry breaking into one of his large eggs to find a cache of homemade toffee inside.
Hermione's was shrunken in comparison; hard the size of a chicken egg. It seemed almost absurd sitting between the other two, and, two of hers were half-crushed. Still edible, and likely delicious, but it sent a clear message.
"Luv-," Seamus began, but Hermione sniffled, wiping underneath her nose quickly, re-wrapping them.
"Mum would be upset for me eating chocolate so early in the day," She lied quietly, but he watched her eyes still focus on the eggs, unable to stop it.
"Wow, yours are small," Ron said, completely oblivious, invading her personal space to poke at one.
"Your mum…she wouldn't…by any chance…read Witch Weekly, would she?" Hermione asked in a tiny, warbling voice.
Ron shrugged, "Course she does. She gets her recipes from there."
Seamus stared, waiting for Ron to make the connection and apologize, or tell Hermione that he was sure it was something else - as though there was a reasonable explanation - but instead, he just prattled on about how good the candy inside of his was.
"I've lost my appetite," Hermione said, getting up, the rims of her eyes red and puffy, as she gathered her books and left.
"Oi! You forgot your eggs!" Ron called after her, scratching his head in confusion. He looked at Harry, who shrugged.
Seamus held back a sigh. Harry couldn't be that oblivious also? And they'd made such progress with Seamus feeling like one of her 'friends' was on her side...but those two were quite the pair together, weren't they?
Seamus scooped them up, fire biting at the back of his tongue, "Are you really that dense, Ron?" He muttered as he left, not entirely meaning for Ron to hear, but apparently, it had been louder than he'd thought.
"Wait, woah! What does that mean?" Ron demanded, stomping after him out of the Great Hall, his eggs so large that when he scooped them in his arms, it looked like he was a circus performer precariously balancing oversized items. Seamus tried to ignore him, but Ron shuffled his candy to one arm, grasped Seamus' robes, and pulled him around.
"Are you really so thick not to get it?" Seamus demanded, furious and fully annoyed, "About why Hermione's upset?"
"She's just jealous," Ron said, eyes narrowed, "It's kind of Mum at all to make her anything-,"
"Oh, real generous," Seamus spat, "Such a thoughtful woman."
"Don't use that tone talking about my mother!" Ron snapped, "You'd better watch your tone, Finnigan!"
"Or what?" Seamus threw his arms out, "Your Mum will act like a petulant child toward me too?"
The eggs clattered to the floor, chocolate breaking and skidding across the stony tiles.
He dodged Ron's first swing but missed the second. He heard the crack of his nose a millisecond before he felt the blinding pain, and stumbled back, swearing in Gaelic and grasping at his face.
"You take that back!" Ron was puffed out like a Zouwu, "About my mother!" He roared.
"I cannae believe you can't see it?" Seamus shook his head, "Yer mum is choosing to believe a magazine rag over her children and judging a girl more than half her age because of it!" He pointed out, still covering his face, "Unless you haven't told her differently. Is that it? Do you think so little of Hermione you'd let her be bullied by an adult?"
"I…I…" Ron's eyes were wild, and his whole face was bright red, the color going all the way up to the roots of his hair, "She brought this on herself!"
"Oi, just say you hate her and be done with this then," Seamus waved a tired hand, still holding his nose closed, sure it would spurt blood at any second if he didn't, "And let her find far better friends. She doesn't need to be patronized by you."
"Oh, but she needs you to defend her?"
Seamus gave a rickety laugh, "Have you met Hermione Granger? She doesn't need anyone defending her. If I were you…I'd watch your back, Ron." Seamus said with a snort.
He winced. It hurt to snort.
"Why…what are you gunna do, Seamus?" Ron asked, backing away like Seamus was about to stab him.
"Not me. Her." Seamus said in all seriousness, and was pleased to see a flicker of fear across Ron's face, "I just would really hate to get on Hermioen's bad side, but, I'm sure you know that."
Ron stood, stony and immobile as Seamus scooped up the eggs, Hermione's and shards of Ron's, and started off towards the Gryffindor common room.
Blood wanker.
XXX
"I don't know why you're crying about Ron."
Hermione raised her face, sniffling, to see Lavender sitting on the edge of her bed, concern lacing her features.
"I'm not crying about Ron," She corrected, wiping her eyes, "I'm crying that his mother thought it was mature to send me…" She felt her lip quiver, "It hurts, you know? I thought she liked me."
"I wouldn't give a damn what she thinks either," Lavender said with a scowl, "I know she's been kind before, but she's showing her true colors right now, you get that, right?" She pointed out, "And we both know you're far better than the opinions of old ladies who do nothing more than read gossip magazines all day."
Hermione rolled over, "I thought you read Witch Weekly?"
"I only really do it for the makeup tips. I always take any gossip article with a grain of salt," Lavender shrugged, "They'll write anything to sell volumes. Besides, I protested as soon as they started talking about you on their pages. They have no right to write about students. Especially underage students who haven't consented and aren't celebrities."
"It's true," Parvati broke in, "She sent three owls voicing her displeasure. And she convinced her parents and cousins to write in too, and some other students. Not everyone here is against you, Hermione."
"They shouldn't be writing bout you or Harry or even Krum; I know he's a Quidditch player too, but he's still mostly a kid," Lavender said.
Hermione grasped her pillow, hugging it to her chest, "I never knew. That's really…kind."
Lavender took the compliment with a modest shrug. She had always wondered why Lavender was a Gryffindor, but this showed the hat's forethought. A voice for the voiceless and a hero for those who need it; that's why she was here.
"Either way, you really shouldn't cry over Ron," Lavender repeated, "It'll ruin that perfect skin you have," She said, offering Hermione a handkerchief, "I'd kill for a face like yours."
"I just feel so beaten down lately. Between the Holwers and the article and this…I just want to focus on my studies, is that too much to ask for?"
"It's not," Parvati agreed quickly, "I think it's all dreadful too. We've tried to catch a few before they get to you, but we're not as fast as Seamus."
Hermione frowned, pausing her motions entirely, "What do you mean?"
"You haven't…noticed?" Lavender asked, tilting her head. Hermione thought through the query, before giving an embarrassed shake of her head. "Seamus has been trying to intercept letters. Burning them to a crisp before they get to you. It's…sweet."
Hermione bit her lip, trying to keep a smile from her lips, and dabbed her eyes.
"That's a boy you should cry over," Lavender teased with a gentle smile, "You know…" She tilted her head, examining Hermione, "Seamus always cared for me. He wears his heart on his sleeve, like a true Gryffindor. But Merlin…the way he cares for you…" She shook her head, "I don't know if you realize how lucky you are."
"I am. I do." Hermione corrected herself quickly, "I'm seeing it more and more."
"Speak of the devil-," Eloise knocked on their door, "Seamus is in the common room looking for you, Hermione. I told him he should go to the infirmary, but he refuses-,"
Hermione vaulted over the bed, "Why? What's wrong?" She demanded frantically, almost falling down the steps. Lavender and Parvati were right behind her, and their expressions must have been so comical because Seamus tried to laugh as soon as he saw it.
"I take it my state has been greatly exaggerated?" He asked, "Eloise thinks I'm about to keel over right here," He said, rubbing the side of his face.
"Your nose!" Lavender gasped, "It's all crooked."
"Yeah," Seamus winced, "You know, some girls may call it rugged."
"What happened? Did you walk into a wall?" Parvati sputtered.
"Someone disagreed with some opinions of mine," He shrugged casually, "Isn't the first, won't be the last."
"Would that someone start with 'R' and end with something rhyming with 'Sneezly'?" Hermoine asked dryly.
"You suddenly take an interest in divination?" Seamus teased.
"No, but Ron just came into the common room and left at once right now, looking downright bitter," Lavender said, "Seems to be a theme lately, eh?"
"Plus, you and Ron haven't been seeing eye to eye lately," Parvati said, "Really, a logical conclusion on Hermione's part."
"Well…if Ron would stop being an utter wanker…" Seamus muttered, "I got your eggs if you still want them. I'm sure they still taste good."
Hermione pulled Seamus to a chair, pushing him down to sit.
"Why are you always getting into fights for me?" She asked with a half-amused sigh.
"Told ya, you deserve someone to do it. Besides…Ron won't bother you. I may have insinuated you have a worse something coming." He said. Hermione rolled her eyes.
"I have nothing of the sort."
"No, but maybe he'll apologize," Seamus said with a grin.
Hermione sighed, placing two fingers on the side of his nose. Seamus' eyes widened as he realized what was happening, but before he could protest, she cracked his nose back into place. Seamus swore so loud the entire Gryffindor common room looked up.
"It's fine! Just resetting a nose!" Lavender waived people away. Most went back to their tasks; resetting broken noses wasn't exciting, since Gryffindors had a penchant for running headfirst into fights. Pretty much every Gryffindor friend group had at least one person skilled at fixing noses and one person who broke them far too often.
"I figured with Harry I should learn a few things," Hermione said, sitting back on her haunches, wiping her fingers on her pants, "Seems like it will come more in handy for you instead."
"That works for me, Luv," Seamus panted, touching the bridge of his nose and wincing at the gingerness of the skin.
Hermione examined his face; she connected the freckles with her eyes like she was finding constellations, lost herself in the deep burgundy of the bruise forming around his nose, and found herself drawn to the drip of blood that streaked his chin. His cheeks were flushed the same color as the curtains behind him, and his eyes were shimmering and green, just like the Great Lake on a beautifully sunny day. When he caught Hermione looking at him, his expression crinkled in joy, and it was such a genuine, unbottled emotion that crossed his face that Hermione couldn't help it.
She grasped his cheeks in both hands, leaning up, and placed her mouth on his.
She tasted the coppery tang of blood dried halfway on his lips, along with the lingering flavor of pumpkin juice from breakfast.
Seamus responded immediately, carding his fingers through her hair and taking hold at the roots, tugging her towards him, running his tongue along the seam of her lips.
She gasped a bit, leaning into him, but as soon as she put pressure against his face, he winced.
"Ow." He whispered, laughing, as Hermione pulled back just a hair, "Sorry."
"No, don't apologize," Hermione said, pressing her forehead to his, "I…well, sort of accosted you."
"Feel free to do that whenever you'd like," He insisted.
"Aww!" Parvati whispered behind them, breaking the spell. Lavender just gave a slow clap, a devilish look on her face.
"That was absolutely shiver-worthy," She said, winking, "But seriously…he should probably still go to the infirmary. Just in case."
"Care to escort me?" He asked, standing up.
Hermione tried to hold in a grin at his cheesiness, "C'mon, my gallant hero," She teased, "Let's go get a bandage for you."