Chapter Eight
"Friends"
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Harry Potter characters. All characters are creations of Joanne K. Rowling, © 2007, to whom I am deeply indebted. I make no money from any of this. I'm just taking her world and tweaking it a bit. ALSO, I used some of the text from the Philosopher's Stone and that most definitely belongs to J.K. Rowling.
Note One: Thanks to my new beta/editor the_scribbler! He's a super awesome person!
Note Two: This chapter was very hard for me to write. I hate putting Hermione through things like this.
EDITED 06/13/2011: Date changes and minor edits.
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13 September, 1991
Hermione was very surprised when Harry and Ron approached her the following morning. She stiffened and slung her bag over her shoulder, looking at the two boys coolly. "Can I help you?"
"Last night," Harry began, keeping his voice down, "what did you mean that it was obvious the dog was guarding something?"
"I don't know what you're talking about," Hermione replied airily, stepping around Harry and out of the common room.
"Hermione," she heard him groan and chase after her. "Don't you want to know what it's guarding?"
"No, I don't." Hermione spun around and glared at the two boys. "That was the corridor Professor Dumbledore told us was off limits - we shouldn't have even gone into that room in the first place. No, I should've just let Filch catch us and explain that I was trying to stop you two. It was stupid on my part to let you two go out after curfew anyway. "
"But if that dog is guarding something it must be something important," he stressed. "Don't you want to know?"
"No."
"Come on, Hermione, where's your sense of adventure?" Ron asked snidely with a roll of his eyes.
"This is a school," Hermione hissed. "There isn't supposed to be any adventure! A school is a place for learning and books and safety, not having near death experiences!"
With a final glare, Hermione turned on her heel and marched down to the Great Hall, trying to calm herself down. She made it her goal then and there to avoid Harry and Ron as much as it was possible. The two of them obviously had no regards for safety or any sense of responsibility and Hermione didn't want to be around people like that.
For the next week, her plan worked with some degree of difficulty. It was easier to ignore Harry in their lessons because he seemed to be starting to buckle down and do the work. Ron, however, took more restraint. There was something about the lanky red head that just grated on Hermione's nerves, every single thing he did seemed to irritate Hermione. Incorrect wand movements, his lack of caring during History of Magic, not saying spells properly when they practiced in Charms - it all began to add up.
Fay, Shae, and Parvati noticed how much Ron bothered Hermione and were no help at all. If she was sitting by either girl during a lesson they would always poke her and whisper, "Look what Ron's doing." Hermione couldn't resist looking and nine times out of ten he was doing something that made Hermione have to bite her tongue.
"Why do you hate Ron so much?" Shae asked one night. She was having trouble with a questionnaire Professor Binns had given them and asked Hermione for help. Since Hermione had promised she would help out the next time Shae asked, the two girls were huddled together in the library.
"I can't tell you," Hermione replied, doing her own homework. "There's just something about him that makes me want to…" She trailed off and choked the air in front of her, making Shae laugh. Hermione sighed and fiddled with her quill. "We're just too different. I care about doing well in all my lessons and Ron…doesn't." Shae accepted that and went back to her homework, occasionally asking Hermione if she was doing it right.
There was a snapping sound and Shae suddenly groaned. Hermione looked up and saw that Shae's quill had snapped in half. "This always happens," Shae moaned, tossing the pieces onto the table. "Mum always insists on buying the cheap quills so there's more money to spend when we go clothes shopping. I think for my birthday this year I'll just ask for a nice, expensive set of quills."
"When is your birthday?" Hermione asked, laughing at Shae's disgruntled expression. She reached into her bag and pulled out two spare quills, pushing them over to her. "You can have those two if you want."
"Thanks," she smiled sheepishly and took the quills. "My birthday is November 20th. When is yours?"
"September 19th," Hermione replied.
"Hermione!" Shae exclaimed, looking horrified. "That was yesterday! Why didn't you say anything?" She reached over and smacked Hermione hard on the arm.
"Ow," Hermione hissed. "I didn't say anything because I figured it wasn't a big deal."
"Wasn't -" Shae cut off, looking disgusted. "Your birthday is always important. Did you at least get something from your parents?"
"Of course I did," Hermione said. Her parents had sent a special edition copy of Pride and Prejudice and Viola drew a picture of her and Hermione together with witch hats on. "Remember the package that came for me yesterday?"
"Right," Shae said, picking up her new quill and beginning to write with it. "But you aren't allowed to keep anything else from me, got it?"
"Why?" Hermione asked.
"Because friends don't hide things from friends."
Hermione's eyes widened at Shae's comment. She considered Hermione to be a friend? She felt warmth spread through her body as she watched Shae try and solve a question. Even though Shae had been one of the girls who ignored Hermione when she didn't defend Harry during the flying lesson, the two girls had begun to talk to each other more in the past week. Shae had even told Lavender off one night when she was being particularly cruel to Hermione.
Shae glanced up and raised an eyebrow at her. "What?"
Hermione shook her head, her throat feeling thick all of a sudden. "You consider me a friend?"
"Why wouldn't I?" she asked. "You've been helping me out when you don't need to, you're nice, and… okay, you can be a little on the overbearing side but that's just part of who you are. You consider me a friend too, right?" She added quickly, looking worried.
Hermione swallowed and gave Shae a huge smile. "Yeah, I do."
"Cool." Shae grinned widely and went back to work.
At breakfast the next morning, Neville let Shae hold his Remembrall (which Ron had returned to him) and it immediately turned scarlet as soon as she clutched it. She couldn't remember what she had forgotten and spent the majority of breakfast forcing everyone to list off possible things that she could have missed. When Hermione finally mentioned their Transfiguration homework that was due that day, Shae went white.
"That's due this afternoon!" she shrieked. She practically chucked the Remembrall at Neville and got up, bolting out of the Great Hall to finish the homework. Hermione didn't usually like it when people `forgot' to do their homework, but Shae's reaction was so funny she decided she could let it slide this time and laughed along with the rest of her year.
Owl post arrived minutes later and an excited murmur went throughout the Great Hall. Hermione looked up and gasped when she saw six screech owls carrying a long thin package into the hall.
"That looks like it's a broom!" Fay whispered as she and the rest of the Gryffindor first years watched the owls. To their surprise, the owls dropped the package down in front of Harry and immediately after another owl swooped down with a letter.
Harry grabbed the letter and quickly read it, Ron leaning over his shoulder to read as well. Within seconds, Harry grabbed the package and scrambled out of the Great Hall with Ron right behind him. `You will not go after them', Hermione told herself as she turned around and went back to her breakfast. `You swore you wouldn't meddle in their affairs anymore.'
Out of the corner of Hermione's eye she saw Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle head out of the Great Hall, no doubt going to follow Harry and Ron. Hermione shifted in her seat. She knew that the two Gryffindor boys could never say no to a challenge issued by Malfoy, and she had overheard them plotting to get revenge on him…
"Leave it," Fay warned. She had to be related to Professor McGonagall somehow because she had the same uncanny knack of knowing when Harry and Ron were getting in trouble - and when Hermione was going to make the situation worse. "You were doing so well."
Hermione was able to stay seated for all of two seconds before bolting up and out the doors, ignoring Fay calling her name and the other Gryffindor first years laughing at her. She arrived in the Entrance Hall just as she saw Malfoy shove the package back into Harry's arms. Hermione steeled herself, ready to go and stop the fight that was about to happen when Professor Flitwick suddenly appeared behind Harry.
"Potter's been sent a broomstick, Professor," Malfoy said quickly as Hermione crept up behind them.
"Yes, yes, that's right," Professor Flitwick said in his trademark high-pitched voice. "Professor McGonagall told me all about the special circumstances, Potter. And what model is it?"
Hermione's eyes widened as she watched Harry gloat in front of Malfoy. Professor McGonagall was the one who sent Harry the broom? He was a first year and first years weren't allowed to have brooms! She felt her temper flare up as Harry, once again, was able to bend the rules and get out unpunished. Malfoy and Professor Flitwick went back into the Great Hall and Hermione stomped up the stairs after Harry and Ron.
"So I suppose you think that's a reward for breaking the rules?" Hermione said angrily.
"I thought you weren't speaking to us?" Harry asked, raising an eyebrow at her.
"Yes, don't stop now," Ron pleaded, "it's doing us so much good."
Hermione bit the inside of her cheek to stop her from saying anything and stomped past them, going to look for Shae.
<><><>
31 October, 1991
"I have a surprise for you today," Professor Flitwick squeaked. He was perched on top of his usual stack of books and looking around at the class proudly. "I figure everyone is about ready to start working on some real spells. Nice little Halloween treat, don't you think?"
Immediately the class began to buzz as everyone expressed their excitement. Hermione grinned at Fay and perched herself on the edge of her seat, waiting anxiously for Professor Flitwick to go on.
"We will be working on Wingardium Leviosa, the levitation spell," he continued, pausing for a second when another excited buzz went through the class. "I will just pair everyone into partners and we'll spend the rest of the class working on it!"
Professor Flitwick jumped down from his stack of books and went around, saying who would be paired with whom. To Hermione's utter dismay she was paired up with Ron. Shae (who was paired with Fay) winced and shot Hermione a sympathetic look. Fay mouthed `Stay calm' as she passed by the desk to go sit by her partner.
Ron scowled as he moved to the empty desk beside Hermione. "Mind if I go first?" He didn't wait for her to respond and picked up his wand.
"No, be my guest," Hermione bit out. Ron had managed to perfect the wand movement but was still mispronouncing the incantation. Hermione bit the inside of her cheek as he repeated the wrong pronunciation over and over again, both of them getting more frustrated the more he tried.
"Wingardrium Leviosa!" he shouted, swinging his wand around violently. Hermione ducked to avoid being hit with the stick and glared at Ron, feeling her patience with him snap.
"You're saying it wrong," she snapped, grabbing his arm before he injured someone. "It's Win-gar-dium Levi-o-sa. You're adding an extra letter!"
"You do it then, if you're so clever," Ron snarled, his ears starting to go red.
Hermione sat up straight and rolled up the sleeves of her robe. "Wingardium Leviosa!" she said softly, flicking her wand. The warmth she had felt back in Mr. Ollivander's shop had returned and spread through her as the feather lifted up off the desk and flew up into the air.
"Look here!" Professor Flitwick squeaked excitedly. Everyone stopped what they were doing and turned to stare at Hermione. Ron grumbled and slouched down into his seat. "Miss Granger's done it! Oh well done, Miss Granger!"
Ron stood up and snatched the feather out of the air. He sat back down with a murderous expression on his face as he glared at Hermione. Whipping out his wand, he proceeded to ignore Hermione for the rest of the lesson and fail at making the feather fly.
As soon as the bell rang, Ron bolted out of his seat and over to where Harry was waiting for him. Hermione gathered up her things as she watched Fay, Shae, Parvati, and Lavender leave for lunch. She slung her bag over her shoulder and hurried up to leave with the Gryffindor boys.
"-Wingar-dium Leviosa," Ron was saying in a high pitched, whiny voice. "`You're saying it wrong, Ronald.'"
Hermione paused, her eyes widening when she realized that Ron was making fun of her. The other boys chuckled around him as he continued with more bad impressions of Hermione.
"It's no surprise that she doesn't have any real friends. No one can stand being around her for more than five minutes," Ron went on, oblivious that she was right behind them. "She's a nightmare, honestly."
Hermione felt as if she had been slapped in the face. She had friends! In the past two months at Hogwarts, Hermione had made friends with the girls in her dorm (save for Lavender) and Neville. She wasn't really able to see Sally-Anne outside of lessons but knew that she could turn to the black-haired girl if she needed to as well. Ron was just jealous that she had showed him up in front of everyone and was childishly making fun of her because of it.
`If you really had friends, they'd wait for you instead of making you walk to the Great Hall all alone.' A cold, harsh voice sneered from the back of Hermione's mind. She ignored it. `They're leaving you behind, you know. All you're good for is homework help.'
However much more mature Hermione prided herself in being than the other first years, she was still just a twelve year old preteen girl and Ron had planted the seeds of doubt. She felt tears start to form as Ron continued to mock her, her heart clenching painfully as she began to doubt the friendships she had been so confident in just seconds ago.
She needed to get out of there. Hermione ducked her head down and clutched her bag to her chest as she rushed through the group of boys, bumping roughly into Harry. A tear escaped and streaked down her cheek.
"I think she heard you," Harry said, sounding uncomfortable.
"So?" Ron replied. "She must've noticed she has no friends."
The dam broke and Hermione let out a sob, breaking out into a run. She ignored the concerned looks from other students as she hurried into the girl's bathroom. The bathroom was a very long, narrow room with cubicles on one side and sinks and mirrors on the other. Hermione ignored her reflection in the mirrors as she sprinted to the end of the room, throwing herself into a corner. She dropped to her knees and buried her face into her bag as another loud sob ripped from her throat.
Was Hermione just imagining the friendships? Looking back on it, she couldn't ever remember any of the girls waiting for her before breakfast or after a lesson. She had always been the one to wait. And Neville always came to Hermione whenever he needed help with something, never to just sit and chat. Not once had Sally-Anne suggested they meet up after a lesson either…
With that heartbreaking realization, Hermione let out a loud wail as fresh tears came.
"Don't you think you're taking this a little too far?" Lavender's voice floated around Hermione. "You're mad."
"Hermione… you really need to learn when to keep your mouth shut." Fay's voice floated right after Lavender.
"…you can be a little on the overbearing side…" Shae followed closely after.
"And it's really none of your business." Harry's voice intertwined with Shae's.
"Oh go tell it to a teacher, Hermione." Ron's voice was the loudest, repeating all the mean and underhanded comments he had said to her in the past two months.
Hermione whimpered and clutched at her hair as the little comments continued to swirl around her brain, tormenting her. She didn't know how long she stayed in that corner, it must have been hours, but no one entered the bathroom while she was in there. She knew she had missed Defence Against the Dark Arts and probably would miss the Halloween feast but she couldn't bring herself to care at the moment.
"Hermione?"
Hermione gasped and her head shot up as Parvati slowly entered the bathroom. She tried to slink further into the corner (which was covered in shadows now that it was later in the afternoon) but her scuffling caught Parvati's attention.
"There you are!" Parvati exclaimed, looking relieved. "You weren't in - you're crying!"
"It's nothing," Hermione ducked her head and quickly wiped away the tears.
"It's not nothing," Parvati chided lightly. "We were all looking for you."
To her dismay, fresh tears formed in Hermione's eyes. She sprang up, brushed past Parvati and went into a cubicle. "Leave me alone."
"Hermione!" Parvati exclaimed. She banged on the cubicle door. "Open up!"
"Go away!" Hermione yelled, sitting down on the toilet.
"But -"
"GO AWAY!" she screamed.
"Alright then," Parvati replied after a slight pause, sounding hurt. "I was just concerned. We all are."
With that, Parvati exited the bathroom. Hermione hunched over, gripping her hair and now thoroughly confused. Parvati had said that they were concerned about her, but all the thoughts that had been swirling around in her head for the past few hours made Hermione believe otherwise. She was torn, not sure what to believe or what she should do. So, Hermione did what any other twelve year old girl would do in her situation - cry some more.
Another hour or so later, Hermione figured she was all cried out. She had a massive headache, her eyes felt puffy, and her nose was tender from blowing it so much. With a big, shuddering breath, she wiped the last of her tears away and stood up, unlocking the door.
Hermione walked to the sink and turned on the faucet, wincing at her reflection. Her eyes looked twice as puffy as they felt and her nose could rival a clown's - there was no way she would go down to the Halloween feast looking like that. She cupped her hands and splashed her face with the cool water, sighing at how good it felt against her irritated skin. Hermione splashed herself a couple more times and turned the faucet off, reaching over to grab some paper towels when a horrible stench hit her. It smelled like someone had soiled themselves and then left it to sit there for a few hours.
She gagged and quickly wiped her face, turning around to see what the smell was. A loud shuffling sound was coming from outside of the bathroom and Hermione stood, frozen, waiting. As the sound got closer, so did the smell and Hermione had to cover her nose to stop from being sick. She saw a large shadow stop in the doorway and seconds later a hideous, twelve foot tall… something ducked into the girl's bathroom, dragging a menacing wooden club.
Hermione stifled a gasp as it slouched in, recognizing the hideous creature from a picture in her Defence Against the Dark Arts textbook. The troll hadn't noticed Hermione as it looked around the bathroom. She slowly crouched down and began to crawl as quietly as she could underneath the sinks. If she could just sneak by it without being noticed, she could escape.
SLAM!
"No!"
The scream ripped from Hermione's throat before she could stop herself. Someone had closed the bathroom door from out in the corridor and she could hear the tell-tale click of the door locking. Paling, Hermione peeked up from the sinks to stare at the troll. It turned around to look at the door with a dumb, confused expression and then slowly turned to the sinks. Fear shot through Hermione as she made eye contact with the troll and started crawling as fast as she could to the end of the bathroom when she saw the troll raise its club.
The club smashed through the sinks where Hermione had been seconds before. With a terrified scream, Hermione scrambled to her feet and ran to the back wall. Her bag -and wand - was still in the corner from where she ran away from Parvati. The troll swung its club again, destroying the cubicle she had been in and sending debris everyone. Hermione watched in horror as huge chunks of wood and plumbing covered her bag.
Now trapped, Hermione shrank against the back wall as the troll slowly made its way towards her. Her knees trembled as it swung its club around, smashing the sinks and cubicles like they were cardboard. Hermione closed her eyes, fresh tears falling. She was going to die. She had no way out of the bathroom, no way to protect herself from the troll, and she was going to die.
"Distract it!"
Hermione's eyes shot open. Through the troll's legs she could see Harry and Ron darting to opposite sides of the bathroom, yelling and chucking the wreckage the troll had caused at it. The troll seemed confused with all the noise and stopped feet away from Hermione. It turned as Harry whipped a broken faucet at it and was hit right in the forehead. With a snarl, the troll raised its club and made for Harry.
"Oy, pea-brain!" Ron yelled from the opposite side of the bathroom. He threw a metal pipe at it and hit the troll on its shoulder. The troll paused, looking confused, and then turned to snarl at Ron.
"Come on!" Harry yelled at Hermione, running around the troll. He grabbed on to her arm and pulled, but Hermione's legs weren't cooperating and she was frozen in place. "Run! Run!"
The troll let out an angry roar and started for Ron. Harry dropped Hermione's arm and ran at the troll. She let out a weak moan, her knees giving out as Harry leaped and managed to grab hold around the troll's neck. She couldn't see what happened, but the troll howled with pain and began to twist and flail its club violently. Hermione's heart stopped and for a terrifying moment, she feared that Harry would be clubbed as he held on for dear life.
Ron pulled out his own wand and pointed it at the troll. "Wingardium Leviosa!" he shouted. The club flew out of the troll's hand and high up into the air. It dropped and, with a sickening crack, fell onto the troll's head. It swayed for a moment and then fell flat on its face, the whole room seeming to tremble from the fall. Harry bounced off the troll's shoulder from the impact and onto the floor.
"Is it… dead?" Hermione asked, finding her voice. She couldn't find the strength to stand up so she sat against the wall, trying to calm her thundering heart.
"I don't think so," Harry panted, shakily getting to his feet. "I think it's just been knocked out." He bent down and pulled his wand from the troll's nose. Hermione shuddered and looked away, realizing that was why the troll had been in pain.
Ron snapped out of his shock and hurried over to Hermione. "Are you okay?" he asked worriedly.
It was so weird to have Ron speak to Hermione without any snide remarks that Hermione couldn't respond. She nodded and looked over to the corner where her bag was buried. "My bag-" she began. Ron looked to where Hermione was pointing and went over, digging through the wreckage to grab it.
"I am so sorry for locking the door, Hermione," Harry said, going over to her and helping her to her feet.
Hermione was about to respond when a sudden slamming and loud footsteps made her jump. Ron, who had just handed Hermione her bag, looked up as Professor McGonagall came rushing into the room, followed by Professor Quirrell and Professor Snape. Professor Quirrell took one look at the scene before him and whimpered, clutching his chest and stumbling back.
"What on earth were you thinking?" Professor McGonagall asked, looking furious. Her lips were so thin that Hermione could barely make them out. To her surprise, she was glaring at Harry and Ron instead of her. "Why aren't you in your common room?"
Hermione watched as panic spread over Harry and Ron's faces. She also wanted to know why they had gone looking for her but knew that now wasn't the time. Harry and Ron were going to be in serious trouble because of her and she couldn't let that happen, even if it was Ron's fault for her being there in the first place. Screwing her eyes shut and drawing a deep breath, Hermione spoke.
"Please, Professor McGonagall… they were looking for me."
Professor McGonagall stopped as she was about to go into another rant to stare at Hermione, surprise clearly on her face. Professor Snape glanced at her with a raised eyebrow and Professor Quirrell looked faint.
"Miss Granger!" Professor McGonagall gasped. "Explain yourself!"
"I - I went looking for the troll because I t-thought I could deal with it on my own… you know because I've read all about them," Hermione quickly made up. She couldn't look anyone in the eye and stared at the floor. She quickly explained how Harry and Ron had defeated the troll, hoping to get them out of trouble. "If Harry and Ron hadn't found me I - I'd probably be dead."
"Miss Granger," Professor McGonagall began. Hermione winced at the disappointment in her voice. "You foolish, foolish girl. How could you think of tackling a fully grown mountain troll on your own!? Ten points from Gryffindor because of your stupidity. Now if you aren't hurt, please go back to Gryffindor Tower - the other students will be finishing the feast there."
"Yes, Professor McGonagall." Hermione quickly glanced at Harry and Ron -both looking at her like she had grown a second head - and quickly walked out of the bathroom. She was tempted to wait outside for Harry and Ron but didn't want to risk Professor McGonagall's wrath and headed up to Gryffindor Tower.
"Hermione!" Three shouts of her name made Hermione start as she walked through the portrait hole. Shae, Fay, and Parvati were immediately by her and pulled her to a group of armchairs they had been sitting in.
"What on earth happened?" Shae demanded, taking in Hermione's dirty appearance. She threw herself at Hermione and hugged her fiercely.
"Parvati told us that she found you in the girl's bathroom on the third floor crying," Fay said, looking annoyed and relieved at the same time. "And then everything happened with the troll and we couldn't find you anywhere!"
"Neville told us what Ron had said," Shae pulled back and forced a plate of food on Hermione. "We all gave him a what for, let me tell you that!"
"You -" Hermione looked up as she was gently pushed into an armchair. Parvati pushed a goblet of pumpkin juice into her free hand. "What?"
"They all came into the Great Hall at lunch looking uncomfortable, except for that git Ron," Shae seethed. "All of us knew something was up and we kept asking and asking and asking but they wouldn't tell us."
"But when you didn't come down for lunch, we figured it had something to do with Ron," Parvati said. "We thought to just let it go for a little bit, you know, just to let you calm down and join us on your own."
"When you didn't show up for Defence Against the Dark Arts we got worried. We cornered Neville after the lesson and forced him to tell us what happened," Fay said with a mischievous glint in her eyes. Hermione wasn't sure she wanted to know how they forced Neville to talk. "Shae and I went to go have a little chat with Ron while Parvati and Lavender went to look for you."
"Hold on," Hermione said quickly. She looked around and saw Lavender with two second year girls. "Lavender was looking for me?"
"I know you and Lav don't get along," Parvati explained, "but she was genuinely concerned about you. Like I told you before, we all were."
"I can't…" Hermione trailed off, completely touched at her dorm mates' concern. "Thank you."
"So what happened?" Fay asked.
The portrait hole opened once again and Harry and Ron came stumbling through. Hermione handed her plate and goblet to Shae and said she would be right back. Running quickly to them, she stopped as they looked over to her. There was an awkward silence between the three of them, it was too crowded for them to have a heart to heart and Hermione knew that the girls were watching her like a hawk.
"Thanks," the three of them said at the same time. Harry and Ron scurried off to grab plates and Hermione went back to the girls.
"Something happened between you three," Fay observed. "Hurry up and eat and then you're telling us everything."
<><><>
The Gryffindor girls had been shocked when Hermione had told them what all had happened in the bathroom and furious when she expressed her doubts about their friendship. Fay was so angry that she threatened to beat Hermione with the Beater's bat she had brought from home if she ever had thoughts like that again.
"I'll kill Ron!" Shae exclaimed, going as red as her hair.
"That was just Ron trying to get to you," Fay reassured, looking peeved. "We never knew if you were going to the Great Hall or library so we didn't wait for you - that was our bad for not asking. But we still consider you our friend."
"Right," Parvati nodded. She glanced at Lavender. "Lav?"
Lavender, who was casually reading a magazine on her bed, looked up. "Hermione," she sighed, "while I don't really consider you a friend, that doesn't mean I want you to get hurt." She glanced at Parvati as if to say `There, happy?' and went back to her magazine. Hermione realized that was the nicest thing she was going to get out of Lavender and nodded.
The girls spent the rest of the night helping come up with a way for Hermione to talk to Harry and Ron before they eventually fell asleep. The next day was Friday so they only had to deal with Potions and then the rest of the day was free.
"Go for it," Fay muttered as soon as the bell rang the next day. Like always, Harry and Ron were the first out of the dungeon. Hermione quickly shoved everything into her bag and sprinted off after them.
"Harry! Ron!" she called, pushing through the crowd of third years heading outside to Herbology. "Wait!"
Harry and Ron stopped near the staircase as Hermione made her way over to them. "What is it?" Harry asked.
"Can we talk?" Hermione blurted out. "About - about last night?"
"Um, yeah," Ron agreed, glancing at Harry who nodded. "Common room?"
The three began to walk slowly up to Gryffindor Tower, in no hurry to get there. "Thank you," Hermione said hurriedly. "I know I said thanks last night, but I really owe my life to you two."
"I'm glad we got there in time," Harry replied. "I didn't think anyone would be in the bathroom when I locked the door."
"You thought everyone was at the feast," she shook her head.
"Everyone was being led to their common rooms, actually," Ron piped up. "Quirrell came running into the Great Hall during the feast screaming that there was a troll in the dungeon and everyone freaked out. Dumbledore had to use his wand to make everyone calm down."
Hermione frowned, "The dungeon? How did the troll get from the dungeon to the third floor so quickly?"
"The thing almost killed you and you're wondering how it moved so fast?" Ron asked incredulously. "I don't think it should matter that much to you since you're alive."
"I just find it odd that Professor Quirrell would make such a large mistake," Hermione said defensively. She sighed; they were going back to how they used to be.
"Anyway," Harry interrupted, "we heard from Parvati that you were in the bathroom and knew you didn't know about the troll. So we went to find you."
Ron shifted uncomfortably. "Yeah, about that," he stuttered, going red. "Sorry."
Hermione raised an eyebrow. She knew she shouldn't give him a hard time but wanted to make him squirm a bit. Ron had really hurt her feelings. "Sorry about what?"
"About … you know, what I said yesterday," he mumbled, looking extremely uncomfortable. Harry nudged him roughly and shot him a glare. "And how I've been treating you since the start of the term."
"Me too," Harry added.
"Shae and Fay put you up to this," Hermione stated, trying not to grin as both boys went bright red.
"W-well, they may have mentioned something," Ron stumbled. "But we were going to apologize, honest! Right, Harry?"
"Right," Harry nodded fervently. "Hermione… listen, I didn't exactly have the best childhood and, well, yesterday I realized I had been treating you like how I had been treated. I really am sorry." He hung his head down in shame, his face burning. Ron was equally as red and looked like he regretted everything.
"Okay," Hermione nodded, hurrying in front of them and turning to face them.
"Okay?" They both stopped and looked at Hermione in confusion.
"I don't like being mad," Hermione explained. "And I - I shouldn't have been so bossy towards either of you. So how about we forget about everything that happened and start over?" She held both of her hands and grinned. "I'm Hermione Granger."
Harry grinned and grasped her right hand, "I'm Harry Potter."
"Ron Weasley," Ron reached out and grabbed her left hand, a cheeky smile surfacing.
That was the day Hermione, Harry, and Ron had become known as the `Golden Trio.' Hermione and Ron still had their little spats - that was inevitable - and Harry and Ron were sometimes overwhelmed with Hermione, but at the end of the day they were still the best of friends. They stuck together through thick and thin, stood up for one another, and Harry and Ron were eternally grateful that Hermione was there to go over their Potions essays and catch their mistakes that Professor Snape was sure to fail them for.
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End Note: Phew, they're friends - finally! If my calculations are correct, we are a little bit over the halfway point of finishing Hermione's first year! Yay! I love PS but I can't wait until they become teenagers and the hormones start to attack.
See ya next week!
Kelci
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