Greengrass

~10~

Harry met Hermione at the astrology tower after their classes the next day.

"I just don't think you should take Ron too seriously. You know how he is." He was trying to convince her to go to Hogsmeade with him and Ron later that week. She wanted to go, but not if she had to spend time with Ron. Things were still frosty and he never apologized to her for the way he spoke to her.

"You're exactly right, Harry. That's just how he is." Her tone was sharp and she purposely didn't look at her friend. Instead, she looked at the sunset. The sky was quite pretty and that time of day. Pinks, oranges, and purples chased away the day and prepared the sky for the moon. She was able to appreciate the order that came with a day ending.

Harry moved from her right side to stand on her left. "Come on, Hermione. Do you really want to miss out on going to George's shop and the ratty old bookshop you love?" He tried to smile enthusiastically at her, but it was a bit too forced and fell flat.

She huffed as the night's chill began setting in. "We never get to stop at the bookshop because you and Ron always complain that I take too long."

It wasn't a lie. The last time they had gone in with her had been fourth year. She didn't even take that long either! It had barely been half an hour before they became insufferable to the point where she didn't want to be there anymore. She'd been back several times by herself, of course, but it was nice to not be by herself sometimes.

Either way...

"Just drop it, Harry. I see what you're doing and it's not going to work." Harry rolled his eyes at her, but she kept going. "I'm serious. This isn't just another one of our fights. He made it personal. He's been an absolute tosser since he read that stupid bloody letter and I'm tired of it."

Harry sighed and then it was silent. The chill of the night caused her to shiver but she made no move to go back inside. The Hogwarts grounds looked lovely at night. She seldom got to appreciate it since her common room was under the lake. Her only view now was of the green water and the magical creatures inhabiting it.

"I think you should try and see things from his perspective," Harry said. Hermione whipped her head and choked on a scoff, but Harry held his hand up to stop her. "I'm serious. You aren't the same girl he loved! And that's fine and all but you can't just expect him to love this version of you as much as the version he grew up with. Not to mention your new house." He grumbled the last part and Hermione narrowed her eyes.

"Don't tell me you have a problem with me being in Slytherin now, too?" She felt the fresh flames of anger licking at the space around her heart and her throat felt dry.

Harry's hands went up into the air exasperatedly. "Well, can you blame me?"

She leveled him with a gaze and fought to roll her eyes. "Unbelievable." She turned to walk back inside. She wasn't going to have this conversation again.

"Hermione, seriously?" She heard Harry following behind her but it did nothing to slow her pace. "Did you forget about the years of bullying that we went through at their hands? Did you forget about all those disgusting blood-purist remarks they shot at us every chance they got? Or does none of that matter anymore now that you're a pureblood?"

His last words were laced with so much venom that she had to stop and gasp. The audacity of him! Why did everything have to be so black and white with them?

"No, I didn't forget, and neither did they. Have you ever stopped to wonder why they treat outsiders that way? Why they feel the need to always be on the offense? It's because the school has been against them from the very start. As long as there were some bad apples in the bunch, they would never get the respect the other students got. All everyone ever saw were the evil wizards that came from Slytherin and never the trailblazers, never the wizards who did good!" She went to turn back down the stairs when she stopped again. "And don't you ever try and tell me I've changed because of my blood status. I may be a pure-blood, but for seventeen years I was a muggle-born and nothing can erase that. And for you to use that against me just to try and get me back into your friend's good graces is low, Harry Potter, and you know it."