Smudged Mascara // Hermione Granger

Loneliest time of year

Christmas time at Hogwarts was always a jolly time for the students. Excitement bubbled all over the school as the anxious countdown to the end of term which the students who decide to go home get to board the scarlet train. Its always the time of year everyone looks forward to. There's something about exchanging gifts with your friends or receiving quickly wrote Christmas cards which just warmed the hearts of those around Hogwarts.

This Excitement did not include the heart of Hailey Elizabeth Munroe.

For her, Christmas time was always the loneliest time of year. she got the front row seat of watching everyone get gifts or cards, but she never received one. Snape wasn't a gift giving person and he was the only remaining family she had. Snape always stayed at Hogwarts for Christmas so over the festive season, Hailey was always alone. Ever since Draco and her went neck and neck in the snow over Hermione's name, she hadn't uttered a word. Back into the silence she was pushed into all those years ago, it was like a machine had wiped all the personality from her, leaving the shell of the girl she once was. 

and Hermione Jean Granger hated this. 

Hermione regretted everything she did that day, she should have helped her sooner instead of leaving her in the snow, cold and bleeding. Hermione missed the cold voice that would only speak properly around her, she missed when those grey eyes didn't have a piercing lost gaze in them. She missed everything about the girl. Guilt was eating the girl from the inside out and she couldn't bare it. The ashtray she brought the girl piled up with more ash as Hermione watched the blonde girl smoke her youth away. Eye-bags formed under the girls pale skin. A blank look constantly on her face, the ghost of the past on her lips. 

To Hermione, Room 241 was hell. 

She watched as the girl sat on the window smoked her 3rd cigarette of the evening, it was like she had replaced any person she was close to with the toxic smoke she chose to let inside her body. "I'm going home tomorrow" Hermione announced, causing Hailey's fists to tighten together. 'at least the girl has a family to go home to' Hailey thought angrily in her head. Angry tears formed in her grey eyes as she stared out of the window, the smoke she had found comfort in drifting out of it as she ignored the warmth in the room. 

Cold water feels warm when your hands are freezing.

"Say something, please." Hermione begged, looking over at the curled up figure on the window sill. Hermione's heart couldn't take it any more, she wanted to make everything okay again, to go home for Christmas knowing the girl she revolved herself around would still be here when she returned. Hermione watched as Hailey's Hands tightened as much as they could, her whole body as angry eyes turned to look at the brunette.

"You left me to bleed whilst you laughed with your friends." Hailey Condemned, her voice icy cold as she put out the cigarette that slowly burned her hands in the ashtray she had received from the girl she had once respected. But now, Hermione Granger had became like the rest of them. Hailey Munroe had put up her icy walls once more.

"I'm so-" Hermione Granger started, but was quickly cut of by a cold voice once more. "I defended you! I bled for you! I defended you with every power i had left in my body because i actually thought you wouldn't hurt me like every other fucker in this god damn world but somehow again i was proven wrong, you are nothing to me any more." Anger beat cold as she spoke, her cold calm demeanour was quickly changed as her voice got louder and louder. 

"I really thought i had found someone who actually understood me but no! You left me when i needed help just so you can laugh with your friends, Ron is a horrible friend to you Hermione, he constantly mocks you and laughs about how you present yourself. Harry's too focused on the world around him to realise how much you give him. I don't see them getting beat to a near inch of your life just because someone called you a stupid fucking slur that i don't even see the point in because of the end of the fucking day we are all human, we are all magic and people need to learn how to fucking respect that and respect each other before someone else gets beat just for defending their only friend!"