Brown Eyes

Chapter 3: Suspicion



Hermione couldn’t get over the feeling that something big was going to happen to her, this tingling feeling just wouldn’t go away. Especially when she was around Harry. There was thin indescribable tug on her senses when he was around, so she tried to avoid him. Unfortunately the security Harry felt around her caused him to seek her out every chance he could. She sighed in defeat after the first class was over. She walked between Harry and Ron as they talked incessantly about Quidditch tryouts which would take place tomorrow.



Harry heard Hermione sigh in agitation, “Maybe we should talk about something else mate.”



They entered defense against the dark arts where they saw Remus getting ready for today’s lesson. “Hey Professor Lupin how did your classes go yesterday?” Hermione asked curiously as she set her bag on the front desk.



He stood watching her until Harry snapped his fingers in front of Lupin’s face, “What? Oh sorry, they went great Mya. You know how much I like teaching.”



Remus looked up to see three blank faces before him and realized his mistake. “What’s with that name first Dumbledore and now you?” Ron asked.



“Just prefer it to Mione.”



Before they could say anything else the students began to file in so the trio took their seats. Lupin turned back to his desk to get everything ready.



“Ok class, this is our first day of lessons. I feel that with the impeding war that you all need to be taught the proper defensive spells to protect yourselves a little better. So right now I want you all to get into groups of two’s and practice.” With the wave of his wand the desks were moved out of the way.



The Slytherin’s groaned, but did as they were instructed. Today was turning out to be worse than Hermione initially thought, she was left unpaired and the only available person was Malfoy.



“Damn,” she mumbled.



“Let’s go mud blood, I wont go easy on you.” Malfoy sneered.



“You couldn’t hit me if I was two feet in front of you with a target painted to my chest.” she taunted and his lips curled distastefully.



“Watch yourself mud blood.”



Malfoy and Hermione circle one another, neither taking their eyes off the other. The air sizzled between them with unresolved tension, they both waited for the other to make their move.



“Diffindo.”



Hermione jumped out of the way, the curse clipping her shoulder. “Stupify.” Malfoy flew back to the other end of the classroom, slamming into the wall.



He got up and brushed himself off and turned angrily back at Hermione, “You’ll regret that Granger.” By that time everyone had dropped any pretense of dueling, all staring at the two to see what would happen next. “Furnuculus.”



“Protego. Petrificus Totalus.”



Malfoy’s body froze and he couldn’t move, when Hermione turned around to ask the Professor to go to the hospital wing Malfoy regained control of his body.



“Reducto.” He spouted angrily, her body sprang into action.



“Locomotor mortis.” Hermione roared as she ducked.



“Sectumsempra.” She bled heavily now from the gash on her thigh. “Incendio.”



“Augementi.”



“Waddiwasi Desk.”



“Immobulus. Reducto.”



Malfoy’s eyes widened as he was hit in the stomach and thrown backwards into the wall. Lupin was finally able to get through the throng of students blocking his way. “Move aside.” He studied the scene before him and found and unconscious and Hermione was bleeding heavily from her shoulder and her leg. “Mr. Zambini please escort Mr. Malfoy to the hospital wing.”



Blaise nodded and he pointed his wand at Malfoy, “Mobilicorpus.” and Draco floated behind Blaise to the hospital wing.



“Harry if you would please take Ms. Granger to the hospital to get those cuts looked at.” Harry nodded and took Hermione by her uninjured arm. So Lupin went back to the class and started them off on the dueling again.





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Harry watched Hermione worriedly she could barely stand on her own, much less walk to the hospital wing. She had lost a lot of blood in the duel with Malfoy, he shook his head he needed to pay attention to Hermione right now. Out of no where she fainted dead away and Harry barely caught her. He struggled a little walked towards Madam Promfrey, but made it there with very little problems.



Madam Promfrey was bustling around Malfoy clicking her tongue in agitation, she turned to Harry and saw Hermione. “Another one, I’m surprised it’s not you Mr. Potter. You were who I was waiting for, now I need you to place her on the bed next to Mr. Zabini and you two will tell me why I have two unconscious students.” She looked at the two boys expectantly.



“Well…” Blaise looked at Harry for help.



Harry sighed, “We were practicing dueling in defense against the dark arts and Hermione and Malfoy ended up paired up. Anyways their duel got a little out of hand and Hermione knocked Malfoy out after he cut her up a few times.”



While Harry talked Madam Promfrey’s lips thinned until you could barely see them, but all she did was nod. “Ok off you go, back to class you two.” She pushed them out and went to tend to her patients. Clucking around like a disappointed mother hen.





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The news spread like wild fire, it was a hot topic that the King of Slytherin lost to the Gryffindor Princess. All the Gryffindor’s stopped in to see Hermione, but mostly just to catch a glimpse of whether or not the rumors were true. Hermione hadn’t regained consciousness yet, she had lost too much blood and had needed a blood transfusion.



Malfoy just stayed in bed whining about his near death experience and whimpering from the pain in his stomach after Madam Promfrey had given him a pain potion. It was a pathetic sight to behold and everyone passed on the news.



Hermione’s wounds kept her in the hospital wing over night and she finally regained consciousness when Hogwarts was silent.





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The next morning Harry picked up Hermione from the hospital wing and they met up with Ron and Ginny for breakfast. Ginny kept glaring jealously at Hermione from Harry’s constant attention being on her. It was like Ginny didn’t exist when Hermione was around.



She left for first block stomping her feet loudly for all the Great Hall to hear. Harry was deeply concerned for Hermione’s well being that he didn’t even notice Ginny’s abrupt exit, which seemed to only enrage her more. The trio walked to transfiguration hoping they had an animal.



Last lesson Professor McGonagall had told them about animagus and how they were going to see which of them had the potential to transform. She had promised that this lesson would be about identifying the animal. So the students were all abuzz about the lesson and the gossip of Malfoy’s tragic defeat swept to the back of their minds.



The trio took their seats just as Professor McGonagall turned around, “Today class we will be identifying your inner animals, I would like you each to stand up and concentrate really hard on your inner being. Than with a flick of your wand you will say Animalia. Ok, please begin.”



The classroom was immediately filled with muttered spells and only a few succeeded their first time. Everyone saw that Hermione’s animal was a doe and Harry’s was a griffin. What surprised most of the class was Neville, his animal turned out to be a tiger. Eventually by the end of class everyone had managed to conjure their animal. Ron was a duck, much to his embarrassment. Lavender a small hummingbird, Seamus was a shaggy dog, Dean was a dolphin and Parvati was a turtle.



Hermione was too exhausted from last nights injures that she asked McGonagall if it was okay to forego today’s extra lesson and so she wrote and note and sent it to Professor Sinistra.



“Can you believe I’m a bleeding duck, bloody hell I have no luck. First my patronas is a terrier and now my animagus is a duck.” Ron ranted.



“Patronus, Ronald.” Hermione corrected as he rolled his eyes and Harry laughed at them as Ron stuck is tongue out childishly.



They walked into the dungeons with heavy hearts that they would be spending so much time with Professor Snape. Malfoy stepped in Hermione’s way as she followed the boys to their seats.



“Where do you think you’re going Granger?”



“To my seat Malfoy, move.” She rolled her eyes.



He sneered as she walked around him and he stuck his foot out just as Professor Snape swept into the classroom. Hermione fell face first to the ground and disappeared. Malfoy looked utterly frightened when Hermione disappeared and Snape’s eyes widened.



Without a doubt he knew exactly who Hermione was, all the proof was before his eyes. Just as the classroom was about to go up into uproar Snape’s voice broke through. “Fifty points from Slytherin Mr. Malfoy.” But before he could go on the door opened.



“Am I to assume correctly that Ms. Granger is no longer with us?” Dumbledore asked with a slight twinkle in his eyes.



Snape glowered at that twinkle but nodded anyways, “Ms. Granger is indeed back.” Dumbledore nodded and left for his office. Leaving behind many confused students and more questions than they started with.



“Mr. Malfoy you will be serving a weeks worth of detentions with Mr. Filch.” No one commented on his out of character behavior, they were too focused on the spot where Hermione had once sat and how they were going to get her back.