Countess

14. Not Sure if Hermione Granger or Rose Tyler...

Rhys Macnair, a fellow Slytherin student that I had never really noticed before now, had been acting shifty since the news of Buckbeak's fate had spread throughout the school. I figured it was because their dad was going to be the one to do the deed. I caught them trying to apologize to Fin on the way back from CMC that day. 

"I'm sorry," they were saying. "I've tried to make him see reason, but…" They looked a little like they might be sick. 

Fin shrugged. "S'not like yer gonna be the one who does it." 

"Yeah…" But Rhys still looked upset over the whole thing; in fact they almost seemed more pissed off about it than Fin did, which was saying something. 

"Hey, Foggie, how come we don't talk to Rhys?" Because I couldn't actually think of a reason not to. 

"We're anti-social?" Foggie suggested. 

"Good point." 

"Look at him blubber!" The Rich Twit and his friends were standing in the doorway, listening in on a conversation Hagrid was having with the Golden Trio and laughing like it was super funny. 

Fin started to charge the little twerp, but Nina held her arm out to stop her (though I had a feeling Fin could barrel right through Nina if she wanted to). "Fin, no. It's not worth it." 

"It'd be a bit worth it." Fin glared at the back of The Rich Twit's head as if she were trying to burn a hole through his skull.  

That look of pure hatred only intensified when The Rich Twit kept going, "Have you ever seen anything quite as pathetic?" 

"Yeah. You," Foggie told him. Rhys snorted with laughter; Fin seemed to appreciate the comment, small as it was.

But The Rich Twit wasn't paying attention. He just kept being an ass. "And he's supposed to be our teacher!"

Fin took a step forward, but someone beat her to the punch. Literally. Hermione Granger moved like lightning with a battle cry of, "YOU FOUL, LOATHSOME, EVIL LITTLE COCKROACH !" 

Next thing anyone knew, Draco Malfoy was flat on his ass, blinking up at the muggle-born girl with a look of pure blooded confusion and a pure bloody nose. Behind him, his friends were looking around dumbly, trying to do the math in their heads. 'So… one idiot running his mouth plus one angry muggle-born equals… a lot of pain?'

 When The Rich Twit got up and ran away, I swear he said something like "my father will hear about this!" but no one else remembered that part. 

Fast forward a little while later, I was on my way to Charms class when someone ran into me. We both fell to the floor, our things scattering.

"Sorry, Magnus…" It was Hermione. She was pretty civil considering at Christmas she'd been saying how I was just another untrustworthy Slytherin, but that could have been because of how tired she looked. She had bags under her eyes and her head kept flopping to one side like she was trying hard to stay awake. 

I was just wondering how long it had been since she had slept properly; I didn't mean to say it out loud, honestly, but I said, "You look like crap." 

"Wow. Thanks for that." She huffed and started picking up her books. 

I winced and tried to help her, but she just snatched the books from my hands when I gave them to her. "I didn't mean it like that…" 

"And just how was I meant to take it?" she demanded. 

"I just meant… oh, never mind. It was rude, sorry." 

I tried not to be too offended at her look of genuine surprise. Like "wow, Slytherins can be self aware? Who knew!"