Holy shit. My heart was racing and panic set in. It was probably that rotten toad, Pansy. She'd do anything just to embarrass me like that. I started pacing, thinking about what I was going to do. I knew she was going to out me to the whole school, it was hard enough coming out to my best friends. The only comforting thought I had was that I never mentioned Hermione specifically, I was smart enough not to do that. However, it was quite clear I was regarding a girl in my writings.
The only thing I could do was to find Pansy and get the page back. I tucked the journal securely in my waist-band and I sped-walk out of the bathroom, over to Harry and Ron at their table in the far corner. It was blatantly obvious that I was a nervous wreck. "Harry, could I please borrow your cloak? Like, now?" Harry looked up at me, confused. "What for? And why are you acting like that?" he asked. Annoyed, and in a rush, I said, "Harry James please just let me borrow it and don't ask why." "Alright, alright, jeez. Don't have an aneurysm, I'll be back," he said, walking up to the boy's dorms. "Quickly, if you don't mind!" I shouted up at him.
He came back a few seconds later, and I ran over to him and threw the cloak over my head as soon as it was in my hands. "Thanks, I owe you one!" I said to him while running out of the common room. I didn't get to hear his reply, as I was sprinting down the halls towards the Slytherin common room. I did my best to recall the path from 2nd year when I was disguised by poly-juice potion. I realized how much noise my steps were making, I had to slow down to a speed walk, as I heard voices coming from behind a corner. I turned, and I saw Professor Snape, talking with Umbridge. I scowled at her from beneath the cloak. I couldn't hear what they were talking about, as I snuck past them as quietly as I could.
I walked down a set of stairs and came up to the common room door. I realized that I should've thought farther ahead. I had to stand here and wait for someone to open the door- which was highly unlikely at this hour, and their common room was probably full of people. I told myself I would wait for 10 minutes, and if nothing happened, I'd leave. After all, she had no way of proving the page was mine. Maybe I'd overreacted a bit, I mean what could she do with a small slip of parchment that happened to have a silly poem on it? After 10 minutes passed, I gave up and made my way back to the Gryffindor common room.
I entered, feeling discouraged and nervous, though not as bad as before. I slipped the cloak off and handed it to Harry. "Okay, who did you meet up with while wearing this?" He asked. "No one, sherlock. I'm going to bed. Night," I replied, failing to hide the sadness in my voice. "Er- night," he said awkwardly as I walked up to the girl's dorms. I got to my room, and Hermione was laying on her bed, distracted by a book, as always. She didn't acknowledge my arrival, so I changed into my pj's, and discretely slipped my journal back where it belonged, under the mattress. I laid down on my four-poster, facing the ceiling. What had just happened?
"Where did you run off to?" Hermione asked abruptly. "Oh- I was just talking to Ron and Harry," I said. To be fair, it wasn't a complete lie. "Oh, alright. Hey- don't tell him I said anything, but you've seen the way Ron's been looking at you lately, right?" I looked at her quizically. "What? Looking at me how?" "Well, I'm not sure, but your appearance has definitely changed over the summer, and I think he's taken notice," She said. "Oh- I hadn't realized. I've caught him staring a couple of times, but that's nothing," I said, still confused. I hadn't the foggiest idea that Ron fancied me. It was possible, but I didn't feel that way about him.
This is great, my friendships are about to get even more complicated. "Whatever you say, (y/n), just be aware," She said, then winked at me before rolling onto her side so she was facing away from me. I loved it when she winked at me like that. I laughed, and said, "Goodnight, Hermione." "Goodnight, (y/n)," She replied while turning out our lights. Laying in the silence only brought back the thoughts of what would happen tomorrow. It wasn't like Pansy to not take any opportunity to humiliate me. It seemed like hours before I could fall asleep, but finally, I did.
I awoke the next morning to Hermione shaking me. This was the best way to start the morning, in my opinion. "Get up, you're going to be late for breakfast. Again," She said, walking back to her side of the room. I loved it when she was bossy like this, which was a reason why I purposely didn't wake up on time every day. I got ready for the day, dreading what was going to happen. I walked with Hermione to the Great Hall, my heart thumping in my chest as we sat down at the Gryffindor table. We greeted the boys, and we all began eating breakfast.
Nothing had happened so far, and my anxieties were starting to lift a bit. Until I heard a familiar Slytherin voice approaching. "Care to explain what this rubbish is, (y/n)? Some sick poem I found, it's got your name on it." My stomach dropped. I might as well have died on the spot. I knew for a fact my name wasn't on that paper- she'd probably written it to prove she hadn't stolen from me. Anger was boiling my insides when she spoke. "It's none of your bloody business Parkinson, now give it back," I said, trying desperately to contain myself. Ron, Harry, and Hermione were sitting at the table, dumbfounded and unsure of what to do.
"I don't think I will, actually. I should make duplicates and pin them up all over the school to show everyone how sick you are. Seems to me like your bloody obsessed-," I hadn't realized I stood up, leveling her. I wasn't thinking when I drew my fist back and punched her nose with the force of the anger I'd pent up against her since 2nd year. She staggered backward, clutching her now bleeding nose. A silence fell over the Great Hall, I knew everyone had seen what I'd done. From behind me, I could hear the infamous cough, coming from none other than Umbridge herself. I turned around, and sure enough, there she was. "Well, Miss (l/n), we're not even 2 months into the term, and you can't seem to control yourself. You will have 3 days of detention with me, starting tonight, at 6 pm." My heart sank.
Everyone knew her detentions were the worst. She walked away, and I turned to face Pansy again. She was still holding her nose, and I could tell she was grinning at me as she threw the parchment back at me. All of the students in the room were staring at me. I couldn't take it, I crumpled the paper in my fist, and gathered my belongings, and left the Great Hall. Tears were welling in my eyes, as she would be telling the whole school about the poem, and how 'sick' I was. I went up to Myrtle's bathroom and I shut myself in a stall, and I couldn't stop myself from crying.
YOU ARE READING
Granger Beloved
Fanfiction(Y/N) has had a crush on Hermione Granger since their 3rd year at Hogwarts. Her feelings are growing, and there is a nagging inside of her telling her that her life is about to change. For better or worse, she doesn't know. (y/n) and Hermione are be...
