What was going on? Hermione was confused. Why are everyone charging at her with those angry faces. She wondered what conclusion they had come up with this time, and when they had done it. But deep down she felt the fear in the pit of her stomach.
"You witch! Bring it out." A man who looks to be in his fifties shouted.
"What?" Hermione questioned, not understanding what he meant.
"Bring it out, witch!" Another man spat.
"I do not understand. What am I supposed to bring?" Hermione said with evident fear in her tone.
"You witch! How dare you steal from me and deny it. The man who was in his fifties shouted, his shoulders shaking with every word.
"What! You are mistaken, I didn't steal anything from you!." Hermione said, shocked.
"Liar! She's lying." The man screamed, turning back to look at the others.
"My most priced possession was gone when she passed by." He explained.
Hermione felt anger cursing through her, so much that she let out a mocking laugh. "You mean to say that I passed by and your item disappeared?" She scoffed.
The man looked at her with rage. "I'll burn you, you witch!"
"I will like to see you try." She said just to spite him off. Only God knows how scared she was inside.
Hermione turned around to go home, but her arm was grabbed by someone. She turned to see the old man holding her. "Let go!" She told him calmly.
He refused. "Let go!" This time wasn't so calm like the last. She felt the man flinch, he was scared but still persistent.
Releasing a huff, she turned to him. "I don't even know what you are talking about Mister. I swear I didn't steal anything that belongs to you." She explained, hoping for it to make sense to him, but it was all for nots. It all fell on deaf ears.
"Schemeing witch. You think we will believe you?" Another voice was heard from the crowd.
Sigh, this was getting messy.
"Search her!" A different one said.
"Yes! we should search her, search her!"
They all started to echo in the big market.
Hermione's heart began to beat rapidly against her chest.
No! this wasn't happening, it should be a dream. No, a nightmare, yes it's a nightmare. Hermione shut her eyes tightly and quickly fluttered them open. It's real. no!
"What is she doing?" One amongst the crowd shouted.
"She is trying to use her powers." Said another one.
Hermione couldn't believe their theory. It's the second time this is happening to her, being blamed by the crowd for what she did not do. The same situation that made her encounter Sir Aspen.
"I said I didn't steal anything! Can't you just believe me?" She screamed, terrified when she saw a man coming towards her in an attempt to search her.
"If you say so, then why are you scared about being searched?" Came a woman's voice.
It didn't surprise her. They live in a society were women didn't support their fellow women, but instead added more wood to the burning fire. She gave a look of disappointment at the other women present in the crowd.
As if reading the meaning in her gaze, they all reciprocated with a look of disgust and hate.
Returning her attention back to the old man, she said. "Fine. Search me."
"Not you." She relented.
"I want a woman to search me." She added after seeing a man walking forward.
None of the women were brave enough to go forward to search her, she saw the fear in their eyes.
"Go on, search me." She said, nodding her head in the direction of a woman in the crowd, and instead of coming out, the lady squeezed herself away from sight.
"No woman wants to touch you because you are a Witch, they fear you might bring badluck." A man spat from behind.
"Fine then, if that's the case, I'm leaving. Because no man will touch me!" Hermione said, readying herself to leave. And she did mean it, because she was not going to let a man lay their hands on her all in the name of searching for something she has no idea about. Already she could see the lewd gazes they all threw at her.
The same people who claimed her to be a Witch. How ridiculous.
"You can't leave!" The owner of the lost item closed in on her. "That item is too precious to let go." He bellowed, walking towards her.
Hermione gave him a skeptical look. "What are you doing?"
"I will search you myself." He grunted.
"No you will not!" She shrieked.
"Then you will not leave until you are searched."
"Someone search her!" He was referring to the women present.
Silence! No one said anything.
The owner got so furious he sprang towards her with force.
Her eyes raised in shock from what was about to happen, she knew she will be too late if she tried dodging his arms on her. She stood still, not finding strength to move at all. Her eyes were shut tightly, expecting what was to come.
Before she could comprehend what was to come, she felt a force grabbing her from behind. She was twirled around, and her forehead made an impact with something hard.
She suddenly felt a pull. Hermione didn't know what happened but as long as she didn't get the old man's hand on her she was good.
A strange scent hit her nostrils, and she realized it was coming from the hard thing she had her head leaned on.
It smelt good, it smelt somewhat….Musky, fresh, and masculine….Masculine! Her eyes widened when she finally felt an arm that had been on her waist. No way!
Hermione was about to pull herself from the hard structure which she now finally realized to be a man's body, when she heard a very unfamiliar, yet familiar voice.
"I will buy it. Whatever it was that got lost, I will buy it."
She stiffened, knowing very well who the voice belongs to.