SAVING HER

It was on a particularly warm and sunny afternoon that Hermione Granger found herself seated on a park bench, legs crossed and a book resting against them. Next to her was a small bag, filled to the brim with different kinds of food, all her boyfriend's favourites. She had thought, yesterday, that it would be a good idea to have lunch in the park as some sort of a picnic, and had asked Ron to join her.

Will there be cake?
Of course, I can bring cake.
With chocolate?
Yes, with chocolate.
I'm in!

Hermione chuckled to herself silently as she remembered their conversation, before checking her watch. He was running a bit late, but she didn't mind. The shop was probably super busy, with the first of September rapidly approaching, and he was probably running around, trying to hurry to meet her in time. How could she ever be angry with him when he shows up, out of breath, with guilt written all over his face?

She turned a page in her book, and was reading intently for about three minutes, when she heard a loud gasp followed by a shocked "Granger?"

Hermione's head snapped up from her book, and she found herself looking at two girls, about the same age as her, who seemed quite familiar to her, though she couldn't place the faces.

"May I help you?" She asked in a polite voice.

"Don't you remember us?" Said one of them, who was a blonde. The other was a brunette, and they both looked beautiful in a way that would surely attract any male's attention, from their perfect make up and hair to the tight and revealing clothes.

"No, I am afraid I don't." Said Hermione with a smile.

"We're Sarah and Jessy!"

And quite suddenly, the smile was wiped clean off Hermione's face as her memory rushed back to her. She remembered the two girls, quite younger than they were now but no less beautiful, and she remembered the years she knew them, from kindergarten till sixth grade. She cringed internally as she remembered the nicknames and the eternal mocking she had to put up with for years...

Know it all
Bushy head
Buck teeth
And of course all of them in a perfect mix:
Know it all freak!

"Ah, I see you do remember us" said the blonde, who Hermione recognised now as Sarah, with a smirk, upon seeing Hermione's uncomfortable look. "Long time no see!"

"Uh...yeah...Hey.." Hermione stuttered weakly, mind unable to form a coherent thought as she was plunged head first into a series of horrible flashbacks, her insides wilting more and more as every flashback crossed her mind.

She suddenly felt extremely self-conscious and inadequate, wearing almost no makeup and in her comfortable and unattractive clothes, a shirt and jeans. She had plaited her hair this morning, partially because it got it out of her face, but, mostly, because she loved the feeling of Ron's fingers in it, weaving into it and pulling it loose and wild, as he snogged the breath out of her. So while she felt like a queen with him, she now felt extremely idiotic and silly looking...

"So you managed to fix your teeth then, good for you," sneered Sarah, "however did you manage to convince your parents? Promised them that you'll get full marks for all eternity?"

"What?!" She whispered in shock, amazed that she would bully so bluntly rather than subtly, after all those years.

"Shame you couldn't do something about your hair though. I can't say that I am surprised however. Nothing probably can tame it, am I right?"

"I am surprised she hadn't just cut it all off" said Jessy with a laugh, and Hermione was reminded of all the times they told her to do just that, back in what she now thought of as 'the years of hell'

As Hermione tried frantically to come up with some witty comment that would shut them up, Jessy moved on to the next subject, her sneer threatening to be permanently plastered on her face.

"Where did you leave to for all this time then? We terribly missed you in high school. Word had it that you went away to study in some school, but Sarah here thought you just wanted to run off. Can't say I disagreed. We did miss you though, and we missed our...conversations with you."

Instead of the rage that was supposed to fill her at their horrible words, she only felt intense sadness and fear. She couldn't reply and was getting more and more tongue tied by the minute, amd so could do nothing but stare silently at them, wishing for a miracle to save her and her dignity.

"So Granger, finished college, haven't you? I mean, we, normal people, are still in second year, but with you being such know it all, you probably finished it months ago." Said Sarah.

"Probably wanted to escape that as well" Muttered Jessy, just loudly enough for her to hear.

"N-no, I haven't gone to college," muttered Hermione quietly, squirming slightly in her seat, before realising that this wasn't the right thing to say. Great going Granger, you just gave them more ammo to...

"Oh haven't you? Shame. Your only slight perk going to waste like that. So tell me, are you a waitress or-"

"Oh wow, check it out!" Suddenly exclaimed Jessy, pointing to her right.

As both girls turned to see what the girl was pointing at, she felt an involuntary sigh if relieve escape her.

Her miracle has arrived.

There stood, in the distance, six foot five of ginger beauty, her beauty. His body was facing them, but his face was looking away, one hand shielding his eyes from the sun, clearly searching for her. He was wearing her favourite jeans and shirt, the ones that she bought him a while ago as an anniversary gift. She had made sure to get things that would show off his muscles and strong body and that would cling tightly to him in all the right places. She was, in that moment, extremely glad that she got them, for right now he looked like a masterpiece sculptured by a world famous artist.

"Oh my god, he is soooo hot, it's as if he is a sex god!"

"Oh my god Jessy, you HAVE to talk to him"

"I can't, I am too embarrassed! You talk to him. he looks like a blonde type of guy."

"No you do it!"

As the two girls argued among themselves, both too scared to be turned down by such a gorgeous man, but unwilling to turn down the opportunity, an idea sparkled in Hermione's mind, and she decided that it was time for revenge.

"Well," she said primly as she stood up and collected her bag, causing the girls' heads to snap back to her, clearly having forgotten her presence, "I have to get going. It was lovely seeing you again." And without waiting for a reply, she set off in Ron's direction.

As she got closer to him, his face turned and he spotted her, his face morphing from a frown to a beam, and he ran up to meet her. When he was close enough for her to hear him, he began apologising immediately.

"Oh love, I am so sorry I made you wait so long. The shop was so busy and-"

Upon reaching him, Hermione abruptly stopped his rambling by grapping his collar and pulling him down for a deep snog, despite the fact that she didn't really like public displays of affection. Ron, completely unprepared for her assault, remained unresponsive for one second before responding with equal gusto, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her against her body while plunging his tongue into her mouth. They remained snogging heatedly for a few minutes, during which, to Hermione's delight, his hands slid up her back and sank deep into her hair, his fingers doing a ritual they had done so many times before.

When Hermione thought she was actually going to pass out with lack of air, she reluctantly pulled away, resting her forehead against his.

"Hey," she whispered breathlessly," I found us a perfect spot to eat." She pulled away and beamed up at him, staring happily into his beautiful blue eyes. She reached out and grapped his hand, sighing with giddiness as he interlaced their fingers and gripped her hand tightly, before turning around and seeing a view that made her even more happy and triumphant.

The two girls- she had actually forgotten that they were there- were standing still in the distance, their faces masks of shock and fury. As they neared them, she saw disdain in their eyes as they glared at her, clearly wanting to murder her but being held back by Ron's presence. She completely ignored them until they were passing them, at which point she turned to face them, smiling in a way that she hoped was a good smirk. By the way the rage on their face intensified, she knew she was spot on.

"Everything alright?" Whispered Ron to her, uncertainly, worry evident in his eyes as he turned his head slightly to eye the girls now behind them.

"Everything is perfect." She smiled back at him before pulling their intertwined hands to kiss one of his fingers. "Thank you," she sighed.

"What for?!"

"Everything" And she didn't just mean about saving her from those bullies, she meant for saving her, period.