sekkoon

Chapter 25:

Hermione had to wait two days for a reply from her parents, but she did so patiently, knowing they would be disscussing anything and everything that could have possibly gone wrong, that could have possibly happened to make her so anxious to leave. When she finally tore open the letter and read through it, her heart sank...

Hermione,

Sweetheart, whatever's happened I'm sure will be sorted in no time! Surely you can't wish to leave because of... well you never said what exactly had happened! Darling we think it's a bad idea for you to flee Hogwarts, no matter what's going on right now. You're strong Hermione, and these trials and tribulations will only make you stronger.

We don't want you to leave the place you have loved so much - it's your life now! But, if you really are distressed enough to be certain on coming home, then of course you're welcome. But please Hermione, think everything through before you do so.

All our love,
Mum and Dad. Xxxxxx.

The letter was peppered with tearstains by the time Hermione had read it through twice. It wasn't the fact that they didn't want her to leave that caused her upset, it was that she knew everything they had said in that letter was true. She could get through this if she tried hard enough... but she didn't know if she could be bothered to try anymore. It seemed ever since first year when she had become a member of the 'Golden Trio' all she had done was try... fight... and try... and now she was too tired to start it all up again. She knew it would be the best thing to do... but she just felt drained now, as if everything had come to a sudden end that had deflated her and left her hollow and empty.

'Miss Granger, can you stay behind for a moment please.' McGonagall's voice rang through the quiet classroom just after the bell had sounded in transfiguration. Hermione glanced up, confused as to why she had to remain as everyone else packed their things and scuttled from the room.

Draco had been in the lesson with her, too, sitting at the far end of the room, as far away from her as possible. She had felt new tears start in her eyes when she had seen him, looking pointedly away from her, but she had forced them back, and worked her way slowly through the lesson, not daring to look his way.

Harry and Ron were there too, sitting at a desk near the front. She had taken a seat alone at the back, in the shadows, glad to be out of people's accusing eyes for an hour.
Hermione nodded now, and McGonagall turned and walked back to her desk as the last people filed out.

'Yes, Professor?' Hermione asked quietly, and McGonagall turned to face her, scrutinizing her.

'You're ok, Miss Granger?' She asked gently, and Hermione looked up to her.

'Yes, Professor.' She replied automatically.

'I... I recieved a letter from your parents, they're quite concerned about you.' McGonagall revealed slowly, and Hermione didn't respond. Instead, she focused her eyes on the chalk board behind her teacher.
'They said they recieved a letter from you, requesting to leave Hogwarts, is that correct?'

'Yes, Professor.' Hermione whispered, and McGonagall's concerned eyes bored into hers, which were still diverted.

'What on earth for? Why would you wish to leave?' McGonagall asked carefully, worried for her student.

'I... I just... I don't belong here, Professor.' Hermione said, her voice only just audible. McGonagall placed a hand on her shoulder, making Hermione's eyes jump back to hers.

'I don't think I've ever met anyone who belongs here more, Miss Granger.' She smiled, withdrawing her hand. But Hermione shook her head.

'I'm sorry, Professor, I believe you're wrong. It would be better for... for everyone if I could leave.'

'I highly doubt that. Miss Granger, whatever it is that's going on bwtween you and Potter and Weasley, I suggest you put it into your own perspective. These things always work themselves out.' McGonagall began packing up her own things.

'I don't think this will work itself out. In fact I think they would prefer it if I left too.' Hermione whispered, tears leaking down her cheeks now. McGonagall looked up to her and saw her crying, but before she could say anything, Hermione had whirled around and taken off down and out of the classroom, ignoring McGonagall's calls for her to come back.

As Hermione turned the corner, a hand clasped around her wrist and pulled her back out of sight to a dingy broom closet. Hermione's eyes locked with Draco's, and her stare turned to a glare as she pulled her hand free.

'Leave me alone.' She cried, trying to push past him. He stood firm in her way, not about to let her run off, no matter who saw him with her.

'No - Hermione -calm do-'

'DON'T TELL ME TO CALM DOWN!' She screamed, and she tried to push him away from her again and again, so as it became more like she was hitting him than trying to push away from him. He grabbed both of her wrists when they were raised and held them there; she just broke into more sobs, defeated yet again.

'Shhh...' He soothed, pulling her hands to her side and wrapping his arms around her, hugging her tight and placing a kiss to the top of her head as she clung to him, crying and desperate. 'Mia... shh... don't cry...' He pleaded, running his hands up and down her back. They stayed like that for long minutes, the only sound being Hermione's crying. Finally, she stepped back, wiping her eyes with her sleeve.

'What do you want?' She whispered.

'I just... McGonagall kept you back... and I wanted to know-'

'Because I'm leaving Hogwarts. I thought... when they wrote back... I thought I could stand it... but I can't. I've changed my mind. So I'm getting out of here as soon as-'

'What?' Draco gasped, staring at her, his hands still on her arms. 'You can't-'

'Everyone hates me Draco. They don't even know it was you that Ron found me with, and they already hate me! Can you possibly imagine how people will react when they find out that it was you? And what about your side, as well? I doubt the Slytherin's will be all to happy if they ever found out about us!' She sobbed, and Draco had no answer to this. 'So it's better that I just go. I'm not leaving anything behind, it's not as if anyone'll miss me.' She shrugged, no self pity in her voice.

'What about me?' Draco whispered.

'What about you?' She retorted, colder than she had intended.

'I'll miss you.' He said truthfully.

'No you won't. You haven't bothered speaking to me for the past week - don't act like you care, you obviously-'

'I didn't have a choice! I still don't! I shouldn't be speaking to you-'

'So why are you?' Hermione hissed, finally managing to push past him and reaching out for the handle of the door.

'Wait! You don't understand! Hermione-'

'Forget it. I don't care that much anyway - I care more that my two best friends want nothing more to do with me. You don't mean anything, you just messed things up.' She was suddenly angry, angrier than before certainly. Her words seemed to freeze Draco for a second, but he accepted them.

'Fine...' He said quietly, pressing his lips together. 'Fine.' He repeated.

'Fine.' Hermione nodded, pushing the door open and stepping out into the light of the corridor again.

'But if you do go; I will miss you.'

'Yes. Until you find someone else's life to ruin.' She didn't mean what she was saying - and she knew she didn't. But it was like she couldn't stop herself saying these things. Partly from anger, partly sadness... and she needed someone to take it out on.

'You don't know why I haven't been speaking to you-'

'I told you.' Hermione began, walking away. 'I don't want to know.'

'What are you doing?' Ginny asked Hermione the next day, as she watched Hermione throw things in random orders into her trunk.

'Packing.' Hermione replied bluntly, then she stopped. 'Although I won't need any of these things anymore, will I?' She asked herself, throwing magical books and quills back out onto her bed - knowing she would have no use for them anymore; once she left the magical world she didn't intend to return, at least not in the near future.

'What? Why on earth are you packing?' Ginny gasped, plonking herself down on the edge of Hermione's bed. Hermione didn't answer immediately. She had reached her beloved copy of 'Hogwarts; A History'. She desperately wanted to keep it - when she looked at this situation from a distance, and imagined it in a muggle environment, she would have thought it reasonably trivial: A girl found with a boy who wasn't her boyfriend, not exactly the end of the world, was it? But this was different. Ron was her boyfriend, Harry Potter her best friend, Draco Malfoy, their worst enemy and likely Death Eater the boy she had been found with... this was anything from trivial.
She placed the copy of the book back in her trunk; she wanted to keep some memories. Ginny repeated her question, thinking Hermione hadn't heard.

'Because I'm going home.' Hermione shrugged, searching now in her draws from her jewelerry box which she had hidden somewhere she couldn't remember. 'Oh I'll find it in a minute...' She spoke to herself, flinging open her wardrobe and grabbing the hangers in handfuls, throwing them and the clothes into her trunk.

'Home?'

'Yes, Ginny, home. I'm leaving early.' Hermione replied, stooping to her knees and throwing her shoes into her trunk as well, pair by pair.

'But you're coming back next year, for the sixth form thing, right?'

'No. I'm... well I just don't belong here. It's time I faced up to it - purebloods always said Mudbloods don't belong in this world, well they were right about one of them anyway.' Hermione said quietly, pushing her wardrobe doors shut once she had emptied everything from it.

'What? You're... you're leaving for ever?'

'Mmm-hmm.' Hermione mumbled, and she ducked under her bed and reappeared holding her jewelerry box. She slung that in the trunk too, before slamming the lid shut with a thud.

'But... but Hermione - over this?'

'Everyone hates me, Gin. There's no point in me staying.'

'Ron doesn't hate you! He just needs time to cool off... and Harry's angry, granted, but same goes for him!' Ginny protested, running a hand thruogh her hair.

'Maybe. Maybe not, as well. Look don't make a big deal out of it, it doesn't matter. I'm sure I'll manage being a muggle - I did it for eleven years after all.' Hermione gave Ginny a brief smile, before waving her wand. Her trunk dissapeared.

'Where'd it go?'

'To McGonagall's office. I've sorted it with her - last night. She said I could go if I really wanted.'

'Oh...'

# posted by Sek Koon @ 9:39 AM