Title: The Butterfly Effect
Summary: "I know my worth, Ron Weasley." She hissed as he nursed his broken nose. The rest of the Gryffindor boys were staring wide-eyed, mouths agape. "You don't have to like me, but you WILL respect me."

In which first year Hermione confronts Ron instead of running off crying. This causes a chain of events no one really saw coming.

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter

Chapter One:

Mean Right Hook

Hermione Granger sighed in disappointment when Professor Flitwick's lesson was over. She was hoping to try to levitate more heavier things besides a feather. She relished the challenge, and was a bit annoyed the teachers were refusing to give it to her. Professor Flitwick dismissed her request, patting her head and encouraging her instead to help other students.

A grimace came to her face then, thinking back to her trying to help Ron Weasley. The boy frustrated her to no end, and she's more than once had to squeeze her stress ball in her robes to keep her temper at bay from lashing out at his attitude. Her parents and school guidance counselor always encouraged her to breathe and find coping methods instead of right away lashing out like she used to. It wasn't revealed until she came home one day and threw a lamp during a breakdown that her parents figured out why she was lashing out in anger all the time.

Her father was a former boxer, and when he had discovered her reason for lashing out was because of serious bullying, he sat her down and worked with her every day to develop skills to fight back, but also the discipline to know when to do so as well as working with her on her self-esteem. Dr. Granger made sure Hermione understood she did not deserve the treatment she was getting, and it was okay to be frustrated as well as there would be sometimes she couldn't sit there and ignore it He confessed he had a lot of problems with fighting when he was young and told her to only resort to a punch if there is no other option. Before leaving for Hogwarts, he gave her his lucky stress ball, and Hermione couldn't bring herself to part with it ever.

"For the little annoyances too small to solve with a fist" he had said. Hermione concluded that Ron Weasley was annoying for sure.

Fingering her stress ball, she gathered her things and hurriedly went to catch up with her housemates. Hermione wasn't dumb—she knew she was still the odd man out—but at least no one had openly tried to attack her or make fun of her like in her previous school. To her, that was a step in the right direction. It gave Hermione hope that maybe Hogwarts would be different and she could finally find someone to call a friend.

The laughter of some of the boys in her house caught her notice, and Hermione hastily made her way towards them, curious on what joke Ron was telling, from his exaggerated gestures and high-pitched voice. She couldn't help but giggle. However, as she got closer, her smile died quickly.

"It's leviosa! Honestly she's a nightmare!" Ron mocked, Dean, Seamus, and Harry chuckling at his impression of Hermione. "No wonder she doesn't have any friends!" Ron jeered.

A wave of icy cold water hit Hermione, everything else dulling around her except for Ron's words and her housemates' laughter. It echoed in her mind, and Hermione's hands were full, not being able to grasp her stress ball, anxiety building up in her stomach.

"Look at the lonely bookworm!" a girl sneered as she smacked Hermione's book from her hands. "Honestly, when are you just going to disappear?"

Everyone in her class laughed as Hermione had her head bowed, tears in her eyes.

Then she saw red.

It was so quick—the switch snapped off in her mind. Her amber eyes flashed, and before she could recall any pep talks or coping methods or pacifist mantra, she was already blocking Ron Weasley, Harry Potter, Dean Thomas, and Seamus Finnigan. They stopped, realizing she must have heard them and glanced at her nervously. Nonetheless, Ron Weasley didn't back down. His eyes narrowed.

"What do you want?" he jabbed. Hermione didn't answer.

The next thing Ron knew, her fist slammed into his face.

Many students heard his cry, turning around to witness bookworm Hermione Granger punch Ron Weasley straight in the face, the force of it making him crash to the ground. The boys looked alarmed, not expecting her retaliation. Ron's nose was gushing blood everywhere, and from its displacement, it was probably broken.

"If you're going to insult me, do it to my face and not behind my back, you sniveling coward!" Hermione said heatedly. The boys backed away. Ron was crying from the pain.

"Hermione—" Harry tried to step in, but Hermione's sharp gaze made him halt.

"No. I don't want to hear it! I've been nice to you guys since the train and instead of confronting me if you have a problem with me, you make a spectacle of me for you to laugh at, you bullies!" She yelled at Harry. Dean and Seamus exchanged anxious looks while Harry looked mortified. Her eyes then snapped back to Ron's teary ones.

"I know my worth, Ron Weasley." She hissed as he nursed his broken nose. The rest of the Gryffindor boys were staring wide-eyed, mouths agape. "You don't have to like me, but you will respect me."

With that, she turned and walked away with her head held high. She didn't care if she got in trouble for this later. She didn't care that tons of students were watching and would be whispering about her. She stood up for herself, and that was what made her happy.

Also punching him made her feel damn good.

Very short but next chapter is where things start to set off. Hope you guys liked it! Please let me know what you think!

Also, would anyone be interested in a Everyone Loves Hermione prompt where some like her and some want to adopt her? Please let me know!