Chapter Text
Hermione Granger lay on her four poster bed thinking about everything she had been through. Tears ran down her cheek as she hugged her pillow. She kept the hangings around her bed closed and did a spell so that no one would be able to open them.
She tried not to think about the rumors that were going around the school about her. She tried to think of something happy but it didn't work. All her really happy memories had to do with Hogwarts and that's where all the trouble began. More tears started to fall at the memories that haunted her.
She suddenly different voices swept into her mind and she hugged her pillow closer to herself. She recognized the voices as her room mates, Lavender Brown and Parvati Patil. She shut her eyes tightly at what they were saying. They were the ones with all the gossip at Hogwarts and of course they knew the whole situation with Hermione. So Hermione knew that they were going to spread it around the whole school.
"Can you believe she hasn't been out of this room in a week?" Lavender asked.
"Probably hasn't even left her bed, let alone taken a shower." Parvati replied looking disgustedly at the closed hangings around Hermione's bed.
"I know you can hear us Granger and you know...the school would love to have you down to…erm…have a chat with." said Lavender with a smirk on her face.
Hermione couldn't take it. She burst out crying even harder at her former friends' words. She couldn't believe that they would still want to torment her after she had already lost everything. With her loud sobs she could barely hear the other voice that had apparently came into the room.
"You two are so cruel. Can't you see that she's in pain? Why don't you just leave her alone?" said the voice.
"Why don't you forget about her and start hanging out with us? You know you're probably going to be shamed for still hanging out with filth like that. But if you start hanging with us we could totally up your popularity." Parvati replied to her with sarcasm.
"I wouldn't be caught dead with the likes of you Patil. Now go away, you've done enough damage all ready." The girl said with bitterness in her voice.
"Suit yourself Ginny. But don't come crying to us when she has screwed your life over okay." Lavender demanded.
Lavender and Parvati stalked out of the room, haughtily. Ginny walked over to where Hermione was and called to her softly. She frowned as she heard Hermione's loud sobs through the hangings. She still could not believe that everyone was against Hermione for something she didn't even do. She was the only one who believed her. Not even her so called two-best-friends Ron and Harry believed her.
"Hermione, it's me Ginny. Open up please." Ginny pleaded with her.
Hermione took the spell off the hangings and opened them. She looked up at Ginny. Her eyes were blood shot and her hair a mess of tangles. She looked fairly thin and very pale. She wiped the tears from her eyes and sniffed hard. . Ginny stared down at her long time friend, frowning at what she could see.
"Hermione you shouldn't worry about what they say. They're just stupid cows who have nothing better to do with their time than to make up horrible rumors about someone." Ginny said to her with distaste.
"I know Gin, but it still hurts."
"Don't even bother Hermione. Besides, I'm still here for you." Ginny said with a smile.
Hermione put on a weak smile and decided to get up. She really had been in that room for far too long. She rose from her bed and told Ginny that she was going to take a shower. Ginny smiled at her and nodded her head.
Ginny sat on the side of the bed and started to think hard. What had actually started the rumors? How did this whole thing begin? Why did no one believe Hermione?
Ginny vowed then and there to help Hermione figure out what had happened no matter what. Hermione could only count on her now and she wasn't going to leave her. Hermione came out of the shower fully dressed not too long after and walked up to Ginny. Since it was the weekend and they didn't have classes she wore a pare of blue jeans and white shirt. She wore no make up and her hair looked bushier than ever but at least she had stopped crying.
Hermione and Ginny walked down to the Great Hall together being stared at as the passed the other students. Hermione kept her head bowed down, not wanting to look at anyone. They finally reached the Great Hall and went to sit at the Gryffindor table. Ginny filed her plate and the put more on to Hermione's plate, where she had only put a small piece of chicken.
After they had eaten they made their way to the library. Which Hermione felt that she hadn't been in forever. She was about to walk to an empty table when she noticed a few Slytherins sitting near by. She started to back away, when Ginny grabbed her arm and led her to the empty table to sit down. There were a few books on the table and Hermione picked up a random one and started to read hoping that no one would notice her. Unfortunately, some one did.
Pansy Parkinson made her way over to the two Gryffindors sitting by themselves. Hermione felt her presence and buried herself deeper into the book hoping she would go away. But to her deepest disappointment she did not. Ginny looked up at her not very pleased she was there.
"Can we help you Parkinson?" Ginny asked through gritted teeth.
"Well actually you can't, but she can." Pansy replied with a evil smirk on her face. She looked back at her fellow Slytherins and her smirk grew even wider.
Hermione sighed and put down her book looking up at Pansy. Pansy stared at her a few moments before she got really close to her face. Hermione's eyes widened and she started to back away. But before she could make it too far there was a loud SLAP and burning sensation on her face. Pansy had just hit her, and hard.
Hermione put her hand up to her cheek and tears started to form in her eyes from the sting. There was a long silence after the slap and then everyone in the library started to laugh one by one. Hermione decided that she couldn't take it, got up, and ran out of the library not looking back.
Ginny looked at Pansy with loathing in her eyes. She lashed out at the others, "Shut up!" She then turned back to Pansy and glared at her before leaving the library herself.
Ginny made her way back up to the Gryffindor dormitories where she knew she would find Hermione. In only a week everything had turned upside down…
'Please don't worry, please don't cry. I'm here for you Hermione. I'll never leave you.'Ginny thought to herself, desperately wanting to reach her friend.
She finally arrived at the portrait whole and took a deep breath before stepping inside to try to comfort a distressed Hermione.
'We'll figure out who did this to you Hermione. I promise you that.'