Helpless

Chapter 4 - Far Gone

Hermione looked up at the two of them when she heard her name, but didn't get up or say anything. Ron ran towards her and seemed ready to hug her, but stopped when he got near where she sat and she had made no move to stand or speak. He seemed to debate for a moment before sitting in the chair nearest her. Harry sat across from her, looking intently into her face. She wouldn't meet his eyes when she finally spoke.

"I'm sorry I left without telling you. I had... my parents needed help with something back home and I got special permission from Dumbledore." Hermione's voice seemed oddly monotone as she spoke.

"Are you alright?" Ron said gently, reaching to take her hand. She allowed it, but Harry noticed that while he held her hand, she made no effort to hold his. She nodded.

"I'm fine, Ron."

"I got my Potions essay back. I thought... I waited for you. I didn't look at the mark."

"That was kind of silly, Ron. It's your essay."

"You helped. Look, can we open it?"

"I don't care, I just... all I wanted was to wait for you two, just to apologize for having left so quickly. I should probably apologize to Lavender and Parvati, too."

"Yeah, you should," Harry said. "They were really worried, Hermione."

"Harry, it's fine." Ron said warningly. Hermione stood up and walked towards the dormitory.

"I said I was sorry, Harry." She didn't look back at him. "What more do you want?"

"You could explain where you were. We were really worried."

"Look, I know Dudley told you I was working at the office. There was an emergency there and they needed my help. I'm... I'm really good with numbers, they needed help on the books. They needed me." As she walked up the stairs, Harry heard her mutter to herself.

"No one needs me here."

* * *

Harry and Ron sat on Ron's bed, cross-legged, facing each other.

"At least she's back," Ron said, though he didn't seem convinced that it was as good a thing as he'd hoped.

"In a manner of speaking. She's not acting normal." Harry took his glasses off and cleaned them against his robe, staring at the bedspread.

"D'you think something happened to her while she was away?"

"I don't know. I mean, there's always the chance that's not even her."

Ron blinked, then laughed.

"Come on, Harry. I know she's acting weird but she's Hermione."

"How do you know?"

"I just know." Ron snapped, suddenly not so jovial. Harry sighed.

"Fine. Maybe... look, maybe she is just sorry for leaving like that. She'll probably be back to normal tomorrow. If she's not, then we'll talk to her. Try and figure out what's going on."

Ron nodded solemnly, and looked like he was about to say something else when the loud voice of Seamus and the rest of the Gryffindors came ringing from the common area. Harry got up and went to check what was happening.

Hermione was sitting in the corner of the common room, staring daggers at Seamus and Dean, who seemed to be quizzing her about her location over the past few days.

"I told you, Seamus, I was at home."

"Doing what?" Dean chimed in.

"I was helping my parents!"

"Why'd they need your help?"

Seamus had said the wrong thing, though Harry couldn't tell why. Hermione stood up and pushed him backwards into Dean, who stumbled but managed to catch him.

"Leave me alone, Seamus, just shut up. You don't... God, you're such a stupid prat." With that, she ran towards the portrait hole.

"Hermione, wait!" Harry called from the stairs. She turned and gave him a look of such coldness, it put him in mind of... he didn't even remember ever being on the receiving end of a look of such icy rage.

"I'm going to the library, Harry. That should be 'normal' enough for you."

With that, she turned and left the common room.

Harry felt as though his insides had been filled with ice. She heard us.

Ron came up behind Harry and stared after her, nervously.

"Well, the library... there can't be too much wrong," Ron said. Harry looked back at him, then down at his watch.

"It's after curfew. She'll get in trouble." Harry bit his lip. "And I don't think she cares."

* * *

The first thing Harry noticed when he entered the Great Hall for breakfast the next morning was a substantial crowd hovering around the four-coloured meter that dictated the points level for the four houses. He caught a glimpse of two identical red heads as he got closer, and realized the crowd consisted entirely of Gryffindors. Fred and George Weasley were standing in the thick of it, and a loud angry muttering was rising from the group.

"What's going on?" Harry asked curiously as he and Ron joined the group. The two boys had been planning on waiting for Hermione in the common room, but after almost forty-five minutes past their usual time they gave up and rushed down for the last half hour of breakfast. The rumbling of voices became clear as they came near, and they could hear distinct voices now. Seamus Finnigan. George Weasley. Colin Creevey.

"Look at that!"

"What happened?"

"Who did that?"

Harry and Ron pushed their way to the front of the crowd and looked up at the meter. Harry's heart dropped.

Gryffindor had somehow lost at least - Harry did a quick calculation, and realized it was exactly - 100 points over the course of the night.

"Harry, what..." Ron sputtered from next to him.

"I don't know."

A loud clunk from behind them caused them all to jump. Hermione had quietly entered the hall and dropped her bag, apparently stuffed to bursting with thick texts, on the Gryffindor table. She made no move to join the group or even look up at them. And with a jolt, Harry knew.

"Oh, no..." Ron said, apparently having come to the same realization. They quickly flanked Hermione where she sat, who made absolutely no move to acknowledge them.

"Hermione, what happened?" Harry said. Ron's face displayed some bizarre combination of concern and anger.

"Nothing," the bushy-haired girl said, taking a book out of her bag and shoving her plate out of the way to read it. Harry and Ron exchanged a look.

"Are you sure?" Ron's voice was cautious. Hermione didn't answer. "Come on, Hermione, tell us!"

Hermione slammed the book shut.

"Jesus CHRIST, Ron, what's the matter with you?" She hissed. "It's none of your goddamned business, just... leave me alone."

From the look on Ron's face, he had never Hermione talk this way any more than Harry had - and it seemed to confirm all their fears. Glancing around, he saw Seamus looking suspiciously their way.

"Hermione, did you do... whatever happened last night?" Harry went to take Hermione's hand but she pulled it away from him. She sighed in exasperation.

"It's not my fault, I just... I was in the library, Filch found me, he got McGonagall and... I... she should really mind her own business. I kind of... I yelled at her."

Harry and Ron both stared at her numbly. Harry had trouble wrapping his mind around the concept of anyone, anywhere, EVER yelling at McGonagall, let alone Hermione Granger. Ron managed to remember how to speak first.

"And what, exactly, did you yell at her?"

Hermione stared at the page beneath her.

"I called her... a..." and then she said something so rude that it even made Ron blush. Silently she gathered up her books and left the hall. Harry felt like he'd lost all feeling in his brain.