Fiercely Stubborn Hearts

Chapter 4

The next week had everyone walking on eggshells around Hermione. She had been in an awful mood since her last conversation with Malfoy. She had tried to hide her annoyance at the rich, aggravating snob, but found herself slipping from her usual control. On most days, people were fine with approaching her, asking her for help with a problem in a class or something of the sort, but this time, her mood had even Neville tip-toeing around her. When someone had asked her to pass the butter at breakfast one morning, she had snarled and Neville had to apologize for her and summon the butter to give to the Hufflepuff. 

Only once before had she been so affected by a person. She had been bullied, tortured, nearly killed and, sure, those things hadn't made her happy to say the least, but this was far worse than any of those things for whatever reason. The only time that could compare to this was when Ron had left she and Harry on their hunt for horcruxes. And even then, it was different. She had been terribly sad then, now she was frustrated and annoyed. She had even caught Malfoy trying to melt into his plush armchair when she blotted the ink on her parchment, splintering the quill she was using.

It didn't help that most people at the school knew she could probably kill them and, if not, incapacitate them for a time. People began to go out of their way to make noise as they approached her from any direction, after one of the boys who had walked up to her from behind quietly had ended up in the infirmary and had yet to get out, a week later. It had taken Madame Pomfrey a full day to determine what spell had even been used on him. Hermione had needed a Calming Draught to stop pointing her wand at everything that moved after that, and a hallway on the fourth floor was now undergoing repair due to yet another unidentified spell. Even Pansy was terrified to ask what spell she had used, where she had learned it.

Sunday came with an early morning, and a close call for a young girl who was on her way outside for whatever reason. 

And then, Harry showed up unexpectedly in the Common Room just after breakfast. He looked different, Hermione decided, as he fearlessly walked up to her. He had grown a beard and was more muscular from the constant training he was now enduring. He had greeted Neville with a smile and a handshake and then, after being shown where Hermione was, walked over to her, hand ready to go for his wand if necessary. She was curled up in the darkest corner of the room, feigning reading a book, chocolate brown eyes watching everyone in the room. She saw him coming before he had the chance to make noise to warn her of his approach.

He didn't bother and leaned down to help her up, "Hi, Hermione."

She let him hug her and put her arms around him to make it look like she was thankful for his presence. She was. Really she was.

"Neville owled you, didn't he?"

Harry sighed, "Let's go for a walk."

They walked out to the grounds in silence and Harry sat down and leaned against one of the trees by the Black Lake. They had ignored the whispers on their way down but now Harry was forced to restrain Hermione as she nearly sent a hex in the direction of a group of first year girls that had followed them through the Halls.

"It'd be best if you leave," Harry said to them, pulling Hermione down next to him. "You wouldn't want to catch a spell from her."

They hesitated briefly before trotting away without a word.

Harry put his hands behind his head and leaned back again, "So what's got you in such a fiery mood, 'Mione. Can't say I've seen you like this before. At least not to this level."

Hermione restrained herself from snarling, "Malfoy."

Harry closed his eyes and let out a long sigh, "Thought it might be that. Why is he getting to you so much now?"