Growing Wings

There's something about the look in your eyes,

Something I noticed when the light was just right,

It reminded me twice that I was alive,

And it reminded me that you're so worth the fight.

- Incubus, Echo

Growing Wings

~~

Walking into the Great Hall the next morning was very uneasy for Hermione. She got so many stares and whispers behind her she blushed a deep red. Even with Harry behind her, holding her hand in an effort to comfort her, she still felt a little queasy around her classmates that she'd known for so long. She took a seat at the Gryffindor table and propped open her book against a milk jug. She felt a little breeze hit her face as her wings moved slowly. There were no teachers at the staff table, remarkably, because there usually were. And to her great misfortune, someone from the other side of the Hall had to the nerve to stand up and make rude remarks about her wings loudly. She seethed as she heard the drawl of Draco Malfoy talk of her as a freak.

"First it was a mudblood, but now it's disguising itself as a half-bird. What next? Half toadstool?"

To her thankfulness, no one but the Slytherins laughed. The rest of the tables merely whispered amongst themselves. She couldn't help it. She had to get out of there. She stood up and ran out of the hall as fast has her legs would go, forgetting all about Harry and Ron, who were staring after her. She only made to the entrance hall, when she stopped and collapsed onto the floor in a heap. She cried hysterically and banged her fist on the ground. After a couple of minutes of anger releasing, she regained her self-control.

Remember... you're better than him now... you could scratch his eyes out if you had the chance ...she smiled to herself at the thought of this...you can't let this control your life. But it's already taken the reins and I'm foolishly going along for the ride...

She got up to her feet wobbly and held up her chin. She walked back into the Hall where she got what felt like more stares. As if everyone had gained 3 more pairs of eyes. She hastily wiped her eyes and sat down back in her seat. Harry and Ron stared at her in amazement, but also glad she came back.

Harry slid his arm around her waist and leaned into her ear.

"Bouncing ferrets shouldn't get you into a hissy fit," he said rather softly so that only Hermione could hear. She tittered at this. Harry smiled and kissed her cheek. Never had Hermione hear Harry say the phrase "hissy fit" before, and it sure as hell didn't fit him, either.

~~

She ate the rest of her porridge and was off to her first class. Draco, who had been leaning on the Great Hall's massive doorways, was stunned as Hermione walked past him without acknowledging him. He thought she might've thought of something clever to retort to him, but she didn't even notice him.

He looked at her wings. He gaped at them. They were, undoubtedly, the most beautiful wings he'd ever seen, even better than his eagle owl's wings. He wanted to reach out and grab one, but of course, what would Hermione's reaction to him be?

He quickly withdrew his hand, looked about to make sure no one had seen him, and smirked. He drawled off to the dungeons for Potions that morning.

~~

Harry sat at the table in the common room that night. It was late. He squinted at his watch 1:24? He sighed and took off his glasses. He rubbed his eyes and laid his head in his arms.

He shot his head up when he heard soft footsteps towards the stairs. He quickly put his glasses back on and looked around.

He caught Ginny sitting on the sofa. He let out a sigh of relief.

"Ginny?? What are you doing down here?"

She looked down and merely shrugged.

Harry gave her a puzzled look.

"Gin... what's wrong?" he asked politely.

"Well...lately... everything. From Hermione... to Ron...I don't know... everything just seems so distant from me," she said rather morosely.

There was a slight pause in the conversation.

"Care to talk about it?" Harry offered.

She finally looked up.

"Well, what's there to say? My closest thing to a sister is now a half bird, my brother is backing off into his corner...Where's Fred and George when you need them?"

Harry felt a white-hot anger surge through him at Ginny's unbelievable, yet bitter words.

"She's...not...a half...bird!" Harry said through gritted teeth.

"Well, then what is she?? She hasn't exactly explained to anyone what the bloody hell is going on with her shoulders!!!" Ginny nearly yelled.

"She's told the people who matter to her! She told me! She told Ron!" Harry let it out. He failed to notice a light turn on behind Ginny.

Ginny looked at him in disbelief.

"And I don't matter to her? Harry, who do you think she came to when she needed to let her frustrations out? Not Parvati, not Lavender, not Cho, not Hannah, not NOBODY BUT ME!" Ginny started up again.

"Ron and I promised her we wouldn't tell anyone until SHE was ready!"

"Ron? Harry, Hermione has scared the living hell out of Ron!"

"What?" Harry said, in a much calmer tone.

Ginny panted and gave a great sigh.

"Ron is deathly scared of Hermione. He told me he feels as if he just lost something very important to him. I'm scared for him," Ginny said.

"But ... but he... he sounded perfectly fine with it when she told him," Harry panted out. He was holding himself up on his knees when he noticed the crowd of people around the common room. He spotted Hermione looking horror-struck at Harry, and then to Ron, whose gaze was fixed on Ginny. It was one of his death stares.

Oh, shit. Harry thought.

Harry saw a little stream of tears escape Hermione's eyes before she ran up to her dormitory.