Lover of the Light

In the Snake Pit

Lover of the Light

Chapter Eight: In the Snake Pit

There was chatter everywhere, but that's exactly what she expected from the students of Hogwarts: sitting, eating, laughing, arguing, studying aloud, exiting and entering the Great Hall. For the most part, she could see and even feel the calmness, the happiness in the air. It was another week, new and safe, and everyone was content with the way things were progressing. That much had been evident from the very start of term. And she would've followed the crowd too—if she was not looking at every face around her and trying to decipher who cursed her; who knew her secret.

It took three days before she was discharged from the Hospital Wing and she was pleasantly surprised that it had been kept hushed up and no one was coming up to her and asking her what'd happened. She figured that they didn't want to cause a commotion: Brightest Witch of the Age attacked inside the walls of Hogwarts. The scandal was within that sentence alone; there was no way they were going to risk an outbreak of worry and question amongst students or parents over the protection inside the castle.

The only ones who knew about her being in the Hospital Wing were her two best friends, Blaise, Ginny, Luna and Parvati. It was very surprising to know that her roommate had not babbled about it the second she was told where she was—which apparently she'd bombarded Ginny for an explanation when Hermione didn't show up to sleep—but it was also very warming to know that the girl was genuinely concerned and thinking of others. On the other hand, she was told that Ginny had gone completely frozen from the moment Harry had told her and Luna where she was. She had gone to the Hospital Wing and begged for forgiveness more than three times. It wasn't her fault, Hermione knew that much, and she reassured the redhead of that every time she apologized.

Though one would assume that it was Hermione's reassurance to make Ginny feel better, it was actually Harry's understanding that smoothed the redhead over. Harry had to sit her down and tell her that he knew how it felt, to bring Hermione around and then have her be attacked; he knew how painfully guilty it was to know that she'd been hurt. But admirably enough, Harry had explained to Ginny that some things are just out of your control and you're not held responsible for those.

It had made her smile that day, watching them melt into each other, another experience tying them together. (Even one as upsetting as her attack.) It reassured Hermione of the fact that Harry and Ginny were meant to be. If only those two—mainly Harry—would speed along the process to get to their fairytale ending. But the stupid boy in Harrywas wasting time in trying to win her over; like if he'd lost her in the first place.

"I just want to give it time," Harry had said when he sat with her in an empty common room the previous night. "I want to give her space, to let her know that she has options. I want her to see if she still wants me."

Hermione had just shaken her head in that I-pity-your-gender way and continued to check his Charms homework.

Another upsetting issue that was also currently resting on her shoulders was Deon Zabini's fight with McGonagall to interfere with the security in the castle. Though Hermione could say she understood, in a very reluctant way, why the man was so insisting that Hogwarts gain more security, to even go as far as to have a private Auror investigate the matter of who attacked her, Hermione didn't want the man involved with anything. This wasn't his problem—he was just the cause of it.

Though she had been thoroughly annoyed with the Headmistress for contacting the Zabinis about her attack, Hermione had also been very grateful that the woman hadn't let it slip to the Grangers about what'd happened to her. She knew that the primary reason for that was that the Grangers had no legal rights over her anymore and that the Zabinis—as alleged parents—were the ones with priority, but nonetheless she was glad they were kept in the dark.