Trust Me | Hermione Granger x Female OC (Book 3)

Caught

The morning seemed to pass painfully slow, with Ellie still in shock. By the end of the day, Harry and Ron hadn't even noticed of Ellie's absence, being too busy talking about Quidditch. Hermione gave Ellie nothing but glares, as Ellie continued to rethink her actions. Classes had finished for the day, and Ellie watched as Hermione immediately shuffled out of the Potions classroom, nearly knocking over a cauldron.

Ellie stayed in the classroom, while everyone had already left for lunch. She particularly enjoyed that class, given that Slughorn would tell her about her parents. Their conversations allowed for Ellie to pass that class, despite her minimal efforts.

Slughorn was rummaging through his cabinets, seeming to be looking for something as he grumbled about a missing potion, when he caught a glimpse of the Hufflepuff sitting alone. He immediately stopped what he was doing and came up to her.

"Ellie! What are you still doing here? It's lunchtime," Slughorn asked in his usual loud and jolly tone.

Ellie snapped out of her deep thinking, facing reality again. She seemed surprised at the tone of his voice.

"Oh, sorry sir. I'll get going," Ellie apologized as she frantically tried to gather her belongings.

"No, no, Ellie. It's okay. I'm not kicking you out," Slughorn reassured.

Slughorn took a seat in front of Ellie, noticing her sullen features.

"What's the matter? You seem distanced today."

Ellie sighed, then proceeded to take a deep breath to calm herself. "Professor, have you ever made a mistake?"

Slughorn shifted in his seat uncomfortably. He leaned forward and hushed his voice. "I have, Ellie. And I'm not proud of it."

"Did you know it was a mistake then?"

"No, I didn't."

"Professor... I think I've made a mistake. But I have no idea what I've done," Ellie commented sullenly.

"May I ask what you think you've done?"

"It's... private. But I know it hurt someone I really care about," Ellie sighed.

"All I can tell you is to really think deep. About the way you've been acting. Think about why that person is hurting, why they feel the way they feel," Slughorn advised. "And it doesn't hurt to apologize."

Ellie stayed quiet as she pondered over his advice.

"I've been thinking the entire day. I want to apologize. But I can't find the right moment."

"Well, there's no time like the present," Slughorn remarked, standing up from the chair, concluding the conversation.

Ellie stood up as well, with the sudden urge to attempt to make things right. She started ti quickly gather her belongings in her satchel and slung it over her shoulder. She began to make her way out of the classroom, but stopped at the doorway.

"Thank you, Professor," Ellie thanked with a small smile.

"Anytime, Miss Evans. You know I'll always be here," Slughorn replied kindly. "Now go make things right."

Ellie made her way down the corridors, turning the seemingly endless hallways. She knew that Hermione tried to avoid social interactions when she was upset, and immediately made her way to the Gryffindor common room. Ellie whispered the password to the Fat Lady, who let her in through the portrait hole.

The common room was quiet, except for the eternal fire crackling at the center. Without the normal bustle of the students, the room would be considered cozy. Ellie quietly stepped into the common room as the portrait behind her shut and locked itself. Ellie cautiously walked within the shadows of the walls as a precaution, just in case a Gryffindor was present.

Ellie crept up the stairs to Hermione's dorm, and stopped just outside. She took a shaky breath as she closed her eyes in concentration. After opening them, Ellie quietly turned the handle to Hermione's dorm, revealing its occupants.

Nothing. No one. Not a single sight of the curly-haired Gryffindor. Ellie slowly shut the door with a confused expression, wondering where Hermione could have gone. Ellie shuffled down the stairs, back to the common room.

Just as she was about to leave, she heard a familiar voice escape from behind one of the couches. Its size was enough to cover the entirety of multiple people.

Ellie approached the couch cautiously, inching closer and closer.

"Who's there?" she croaked out.

A tall Gryffindor arose from behind the couch, his face flustered with a smile. His curly hair was a mess as his tie was loosened from his neck.

"Cormac," Ellie spat in disgust.

"Oh, hey there. Sorry, I'm a bit preoccupied," Cormac said devilishly, looking down at the couch.

Ellie was repulsed. She began to turn on her heel until another familiar voice was heard.

"Who's there?" the curly-haired Gryffindor asked innocently, seeming out of breath.

Ellie whirled around so quick that her head would detached from her neck from its velocity. She saw Hermione sitting upright, the strands of her hair sticking to her forehead, her tie completely let loose on the wrinkled shirt beneath it.

"Oh hey, Ellie," Hermione greeted breathlessly, a friendly smile on her face.

Her shock overpowered every other emotion in her body as her mouth hung open.

"What. The. Hell." Ellie uttered loudly, her mind trying to process why Hermione was underneath the body of someone she despised the most. She glanced back and forth between the two, Hermione with an innocent expression and Cormac with a smirk.

"Isn't he lovely? He's dreamy, Ellie. Perfect arms, hair, body, you name it. What's not to love?" Hermione droned, her voice coated with obsession as she ran her hands up Cormac's biceps.

Ellie didn't say anything, but the anger was building up, stronger than she had experienced.

"If you'll excuse us, we were in the middle of something," Hermione giggled, shooing away Ellie with her hands.

Ellie clenched her fists, her nails digging into the palm of her hand.

"Go on, then. We'd like some privacy," Cormac urged.

Tears started to form in Ellie's eyes, her lip quivering. She gave one last look to Hermione before storming out of the Gryffindor common room. Her eyes were blinded from her watery eyes as she stumbled through the corridors. She didn't know where to go, or specifically who to go to. She felt alone. Pained. Angry. Betrayed.

After 10 minutes of aimless stumbles, Ellie found herself in the Hufflepuff locker room. She locked the door behind her, then proceeded to hunch over the sink.

Louder than anything she had ever produced, Ellie screamed at the top of her lungs. Her shriek nearly ripped through her vocal cords, coming from a void so deep within her. The pain was overwhelming. Her throat became dry, until only a raspy mutter came from her mouth.

Ellie looked at herself in the mirror, her eyes on the brink of her tears. She drew back her fist and sent a full-blown punch to the mirror, shattering it into pieces. She drew back again, with an even stronger blow. Over and over again, Ellie swung at the mirror, its broken fragments piercing her knuckles.

By the time there was nothing left of the mirror, Ellie's hands were covered in her own blood. Ellie stepped back, looking at the disaster she created. Shards of glass were strewn on the concrete, some of it covered in Ellie's blood. The wall where the mirror once sat was now empty, its vacancy seeming to burn into Ellie's mind.

The painful feeling rushed into her body, something Ellie absolutely despised. Ellie stumbled backwards until she felt the cool metal lockers hit her back. Ellie slumped down to the floor, bringing her knees to her chest. Her whole body started to tremble, her hands shaking vigorously. Hot tears flooded Ellie's cheeks as she started to hyperventilate. The pain came all at once, her heart wrenching and twisting itself inside out.

Ellie looked around frantically, hoping someone would help her calm down. But there was no one. She was alone, and scared. And most of all, angry. It didn't take long for her to succumb to the pain. Within moments, Ellie had blacked out, her body thumping against the cool, concrete floor.