Broken Smile

Broken smile

Hermione rushed back to her dormitory, thankfuly her roomates were not there, she closed the door with a snap. Tears streaming
down her cheeks she stood still in the middle of the room.

Two years ago she would have either slapped Malfoy silly, hexed him or both. Lately though Hermione had been to emotional to do anything
that her old self would have done.

Hermione didn't hear the door opening, "Hermione, you okay?" Ginny aksed.
Keeping her back to Ginny trying to wipe away the evidence of tears from her face, suddenly she felt Ginny's
hand on her shoulder, "Hermione, what's wrong?"
"I'm fine...really" Hermione said still wiping tears, "so stupid...."
"No your not stupid, alot has happened to you. If you want to cry Hermione, it's okay"
Ginny said in a warm voice. Ginny took her hand leading her to the older girl's
bed to sit down.

Ginny noticed Hermione's wrist. "What happened?" Ginny asks.
"Oh....I fell...." Hermione said covering her wrist.
"It doesn't look like you fell, it looks...."
"Oh, when did you become the authority on falling?" Hermione asked in an irritated voice.
Ginny stood up from the bed, "Hermione will you stop pushing me away?
You're just isolating yourself away from those of us who care about you."
"I'm not pushing you away...."
"YES! Yes you are-you hardly talk anymore or and you barely even smile" Ginny said angrily
Hermione was now on her feet too, "Well, I'm sorry if I'm not the same old
Hermione....I...everything is so...." more tears fell, "I can't stop crying"

"I'm glad your crying" Ginny said. Hermione looked at Ginny questionably
"You have to feel to cry Hermione, like I said, If you need to cry,then cry"

Standing there looking at her friend she felt the tears falling continually down her cheeks.
"It's so hard" she whispered, "I'm never going to see them
again, never again be able to tell them that I love them."

"I know it's hard, I understand..." Ginny began.
"Do you understand? Your so lucky Ginny....you have a big wonderful family...." Hermione said a little bitterly

Ginny walked over to Hermione and took her hand, "Their your family now too. Now, are you going to tell me what happened?"

Ginny had noticed Hermione's other wrist was also very red. Almost unwillingly she told her what happed with Malfoy.

"Hermione you have to tell Professor McGonagall. You can't let that git get away with this."

"Look, I just want to forget about it, please don't tell Harry or Ron."
Hermione said pulling her sleeves back down.

Ginny looked uneasy about not telling anyone, but finally nodded before standing up. "We better go down to dinner,
Harry and Ron sent me up to get you."

"Does it look like i've been crying?" she asked as she wiped away the last traces of tears before running a brush through her hair.
Ginny shook her head in answer. "Come on." Ginny said taking hold of Hermione's hand
and leading her to the door.

Ginny and Hermione came down hand in hand to see Harry and Ron sitting in the fluffy chairs by the fire.
They looked up as the girls descended the stairs.
"What in Merlin's name took you so long?" Ron asked standing up, "I'm starving!"
"Your always starving, Ron." Rolling her eyes, Ginny sighed.

Grinning Harry noticed them holding hands, "You girls can snog anytime, but not when hungry
men are waiting to be fed."
"We were doing far more than just snogging I'll have you know." Ginny said wng ang at Hermione.
"Hold on, let me visualize it!" Harry said laughing while both girls rolled their eye's.

"You okay?" Ron asked Hermione as they left the Common Room.
"Yeah, great." Hermione said weakly.


Hermione sat at the Giryffindor table, picking at her dinner while Harry, Ron and Ginny talked about
Quidditch.

Even though she felt someone watching her, she did not have to look up because she could tell it was Malfoy's cold gray eyes almost piercing her skin. Hermione looked up at the head table and that noticed Professor Snape
was staring at Malfoy with his usual sneer firmly in place.
Snape turn his gaze to collide with Hermione's and their eyes locked. Pity still lingered in the potion master's black eyes.
Hermione was the first to break eye-contact before standing up.
"Where are you going?" Ginny asked
"I'm tired, I need an early night." Hermione said before turning and leaving in a hurry.

Hermione headed back to the dormitory slowly all the while trying to clear her head.
The portrait had just closed behind her before suddenly reopening. Turning around she saw a very red faced Ron Weasley.
"Why didn't you tell me?" Ron asked angrily as
Harry and Ginny came through the portrait. Ginny looked guiltily at her friend but looked Hermione right in the eyes.

"Thanks Ginny! And this is why I didn't tell you, because I knew you would react like this. All red faced and
Ron like." Hermione said pointing her finger at him.
Ron's face turned even redder, "what do you mean *Ron like*?"
"Over reacting as usual!" she said as her hair seemed to expand.
"I do not over react!!" the red haired boy yelled.
"Stop yelling at me Ron." Hermione said before looking down at her hands.

Harry came between the two of them, "Lets all just calm down, especially you Ron."
"You should take Harry's advice, Ron." Hermione said as she crossed her arms.
Harry turned to her, "Your one to talk, you should have told us, Mione." Harry said, his tone lined
with hurt. Hermione looked down again.

"If I would have you two would have went after Malfoy and….." Ron cut Hermione off.

"Your damn right I would have. These two had to hold me back from hexing the little ferret in the great hall after Ginny told us." Ron exploded before
taking Hermione's wrists and rolling up her sleeves. "Ron." she said trying to pull her hands away from him.

Ron could see Malfoy's hand prints around her wrists and knew by morning there should be bruising.
Ron looked down at Hermione, her eyes filled with fear, tears threatening to fall. Ron still had a hold
of her wrists rubbing the marks. "You should have told me. I'm not leting him get away
with this." He told her in a voice she'd never heard him use before, one belonging to a man.

"Ron, I know your looking out for me but please don't go after Malfoy. Promise me please!" Hermione's eyes
pleaded with Ron's. Ron let go of her wrists as if he had
been scalded. "Why are you protecting him?" he asked as his anger returned.

"I'm not protecting him but please Ron, just let it go." Hermione sounded defeated.
"Your having some secret love affair with Malfoy, is that it?" Ron asked disgustedly.
Hermione shook her head, Harry and Ginny both looked sharply at Ron.
"Oh yes, every night I sneek down to the dungeons, just to let Malfoy tie me up and give him a happy!"
Hermione shouted.

Ginny laughed making Hermione give her a look that reminded Ginny very much of her mother.
"Look, I don't need a knight to protect me. If you want to be anyones knight, be Jen's." the older girl said.

They just stared at one another silently. Harry and Ginny were not sure what to say to diffuse or rectify the situation that they thought would be escalating out of control.


"You know what, I don't need this shit." Ron said before walking through the portrait. Harry went to go after
him but Hermione stopped him, "I should go, Harry. This has nothing to do with you really." Hermione said.
Before Hermione left Ginny said, "Hermione, I'm sorry, I just…."
"It's okay" Hermione replied smiling weakly.

From the distance Hermione could see Ron sitting on the snowy grounds by the lake. Hermione always
seemed to look for answers to the many questions floating around her mind in the rippling water, maybe Ron did too.
Standing behind Ron, looking out onto the almost icy water, feeling the cold nipping at her nose she spoke quietly.

"I'm sorry." Hermione said softly.
"You have nothing to be sorry about." Ron said in a tired voice.

"I'm honored you want to look out for me, protect me…." Hermione tried to verbalize her thoughts.
"Yeah"
"Ron, I am….tt's just.."
"It's what? I'm listening." Ron spoke in a rough tone, his back still to Hermione.

Hermione focused on the back of Ron's head, before speaking in a soft voice.
"I'm scared…..everyone knows Malfoy's father….." Hermione couldn't say it. Ron's head became fuzzy
because her eyes again filled with tears.
"I don't want you upsetting Malfoy." she said through sobs, "I couldn't bare to lose anyone
else I care for….anyone else who I love." Hermione broke down in quiet sobs with here ine in her hand's.

Feeling his arm's go around her, pulling her to him, she buried her face in Ron's chest
She clung to him as if he would suddenly disappear.
Ron kissed the top of her head, running his hands up and down her back gently.

"I'm sorry for getting angry with you. I'm your big brother now and I have to look out for you." Ron said before
kissing her head again.

Looking up at him she said, "Promise me you'll let this thing go with Malfoy."
Ron looked at her for a long moment before saying, "I promise to fix that broken smile of yours."
****************************************

Jamie-thanks for your constructive criticism, my spelling, I know .
Hope you keep reading.

A big thanks to pinky my new beta.

Next chapter Christmas at the Weasleys.