Scars That Heal (Dramione Fanfiction) [COMPLETE]

13 - All Hallows

That year, Halloween was on a Friday. The morning dawned misty and cold. Hermione had Care Of Magical Creatures first, and pulled on a scarf as she ran down to Hagrid's hut. Their task was to get fingerless gloves onto the school's Nifflers. Unfortunately, as they had very sharp claws, this was a very difficult feat. They had to work in fives to pin down the Niffler's paws and tug on the gloves.

"Why are we doing this, Hagrid?" Ginny complained bitterly as she wiped mud out of a cut on her hand.

"They get awful chilblains if we don't keep 'em warm," he said, throwing more pairs of gloves to a group who had run out, "An' they're very handy creatures, yeh know." Ginny mumbled something under her breath before launching herself back at an escaping Niffler. By the end of the lesson Hermione was incredibly dishevelled and worn out. Hagrid wanted to talk to her briefly before she left, so she reluctantly stayed behind.

"I jus' wanted to say thanks," he said solemnly, "Fer yer research, I mean. I saw to Grawp, and he seems a little better now. 'E's strugglin', yeh know? It's hard on 'im. So thanks for 'elping me to understand."

"No problem," Hermione smiled.

"'Ave you seen Ron and 'Arry recently?" he asked, "I 'aven't seen 'em in ages." Hermione told him they had visited Hogsmede together a little while ago, and he chuckled.

"Glad they're doin' all right. They're bright kids, and you are too, 'ermione. 'Ave a good weekend, an' I'll see yeh at the feast later!"

***

Hermione was starting to worry about the Support Group. She had a very loose idea in her head about what would happen, but there was no real structure yet for what would happen that weekend. It was at the back of her head all through the final lessons that day, which were to be cut short for the feast and Weird Sisters performance.

Lunchtime arrived, and Hermione went to the library with her psychology books. There was no real desire in her to follow any advice they might give her on coping with stress but she thought she would try something different. Opening all three of them across a desk she flicked through the pages, jotting down notes of pages for reference, and copying short passages onto some parchment. If she was dealing with other students suffering as a result of the same things she was, then she could at least try to share her coping methods.  On and on she wrote, pages about PTSD and trauma, imprinting and association, neurological pathways and reconnections... Surely some of this could apply to her Support Group?

The bell went, and almost instantly Madam Pince was on her.

"Come on, clear up, the bell's gone. I need to clean these desks, and yours in particular has some nasty ink spots. I'll need Mrs Skower's help for this one, her Magical Mess Remover gets rid of those stains like nobody's business... Come on!" She flapped at Hermione, who quickly corked her ink bottle and pushed her sources into her bag.

There was an undeniable air of excitement in the air as the students wandered down the corridors to the Great Hall. Some of the younger students had wild guesses as to the Halloween entertainment, but other than those theories it was to be a complete surprise.

"Maybe it's an aerial display of dragons, like the fireworks from Weasley's Wizard Wheezes!"

"Don't be daft, Clark will have sorted out some dancing. Maybe she's got the ghosts to do it!"

"They got Nearly Headless Nick to do something a few years ago, that would be boring. Hey, look, there's Head Girl! Hermione! Do you know what's happening?" One boy called out to her.

She smiled at the boy, and said, "You'll find out, but it should be great fun!" The group of third years fell back and started chattering excitedly, looking up at her with reverence. It was odd that they held her in such high regard. She was still the same person who had thrown toast to the squid with Ron and Harry, made potions in the girl's bathrooms... That she was Head Girl made such a difference meant some people's reactions had entirely changed. Then Hermione overheard the end of a conversation.