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Chapter Text

Hermione was in panic. The joyous trip with her best friends and the Weasley family to watch the final match of the Quidditch World Cup had turned into a nightmare. There were people running and screaming all around, tents were burning and a group of masked men marched with a tortured family of muggles howling in despair while being levitated. The gruesome group only laughed. Ron and Harry pulled Hermione to a nearby grove. It was so dark she couldn’t see anything until she heard Ron screaming, which made her stop abruptly. 

“What happened?” she asked anxiously “‘Ron, where are you? Oh, this is stupid – Lumos!” 

She illuminated her wand and directed its narrow beam across the path. Ron was lying sprawled on the ground and explained that he tripped over a tree-root. 

“Well, with feet that size, hard not to” drawled a velvet voice from behind them. The trio of friends turned sharply. 

Draco Malfoy was standing alone nearby them, leaning against a tree, looking utterly relaxed. Hermione couldn’t help but notice how much he’d grown since she last saw him: the day she punched his face at the end of the third year. He was as tall as Ron now, but - differently than her friend- he owned each centimeter, not slouching a bit. He was leaner too, not scrawny, but fit. His arms folded, he seemed to have been watching the scene on the campsite through a gap in the trees. His long pale fingers rested on his biceps covered by a tailored black suit and couldn’t tell for certain if she winced because of the way his platinum blue eyes were glistening under the flash of her wand or because of the poor language Ron used answering the slytherin. 

“Language, Weasley”’ said Malfoy smirking with an aristocratic tone. ”Hadn’t you better be hurrying along, now? You wouldn’t like her spotted, would you?” He nodded at Hermione, and her stomach gave a somersault. At the same moment, a blast like a bomb sounded from the campsite, and a flash of green light momentarily lit the trees around them. 

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Hermione asked defiantly. 

“Granger, they’re after Muggles,” said Malfoy. ”D’you want to be showing off your knickers in mid-air? Because if you do, hang around … they’re moving this way, and it would give us all a laugh.”

Hermione couldn’t hear Harry defending her over the piercing noise that deafened her hearing momentarily. There was something so filthy about Malfoy talking about her blood status and her knickers at the same time. She felt like she could vomit. 

Malfoy was grinning maliciously. 

 “If you think they can’t spot a Mudblood, stay where you are. Tell me Granger, are you wearing something exciting? Perhaps a red lacy thong as a good gryffindor? Or is it something beige and huge like a grandma would?” He was staring at Hermione making her feel naked and asked the last part with a disgusted face. 

“You watch your mouth!” shouted Ron. 

“Never mind, Ron,” said Hermione quickly, restraining Ron so he wouldn’t jump on Malfoy. 

There came a bang, a few screams and Malfoy chuckled mocking people. Harry asked if his parents were among the masked ones and Draco said:

“Well … if they were, I wouldn’t be likely to tell you, would I, Potter?”

Hermione had had enough. She pulled her friends so they could go try and find the others. 

“Keep that big bushy head down, Granger,” sneered Malfoy. 

And Hermione wasn’t proud, but she did just that for the rest of the evening. After they saw the dark mark exposed on the sky. After they were found by minister people and Ron’s dad finally took them home. She was scared. She read about what Voldemort had done to muggles and muggle born wizards. She knew the prejudice from Malfoy and other slytherin’s mouths. But that night everything became too real. She was scared for her life and her parents for the first time. 

And the worst part was that something was telling her that it was only the first time she’d be scared. 

Something was cooking in the air. She could almost taste it. 

So she buried herself in the books for the rest of the summer. She ignored the grown ups talking about what mysterious thing would happen at Hogwarts that year. She ignored the boys at the train talking about quidditch. She ignored Malfoy’s entrance in their cabin. She even ignored the sorting ceremony and half of Dumbledore’s speech. But she couldn’t ignore the knowledge that her food was made by house elves slave work nor that the school would be hosting the triwizard tournament That year. 

And the Students from Beauxbaton and Durmstrang made quite the dramatic entrance. 

Hermione rolled her eyes when she spotted Malfoy across the great hall staring right into the French girls asses through their blue robes. She turned to tell her friends what a disgusting pig the slytherin was just to find Harry and Ron doing just the same. 

Boys. 

Hermione was now noticing exactly how many things she took for granted at the castle that were probably fruit of the elves slavery: the clean sheets, the warming pads, the already lit fire. However, as she struggled to sleep with her empty stomach she decided that a hunger strike would be the least effective solution. So she ate her breakfast the following morning and went to her classes of herbology, transfiguration and care of magical creatures still thinking about how exactly she should proceed with her endeavor. 

That Is until her thoughts were interrupted by the annoying drawl of Draco Malfoy cutting Hagrid’s explanation on the blast-ended screwts they were to care for as a project that year. 

“And why would we want to raise them?“ he asked with a long arm around Pansy Parkinson’s shoulders and two chuckling Crabbe and Goyle behind him  “I mean, what do they do? What is the point of them?”

Hagrid began to point their abilities and characteristics. 

“Well, I can certainly see why we’re trying to keep them alive,” said Malfoy sarcastically. ”Who wouldn’t want pets that can burn, sting and bite all at once?”

“Just because they’re not very pretty, it doesn’t mean they’re not useful,” Hermione snapped. ”Dragon blood’s amazingly magical, but you wouldn’t want a dragon for a pet, would you?’”

“Oh I get it! ” Pansy said in a high pitched mockery “it’s like you Granger, a know-it-all that could get all the right answers but with an appearance that no one would dare want as their girlfriend, right? “

Hermione thought at several answers to that despicable comment of the witch. 

She thought about saying that Pansy was neither useful or pretty - but she knew it was a lie. The brunette was everything Hermione was not: she was tall, thin and had a long and delicate neck like a swan, with smooth white porcelain skin that shone against her ebony black bob cut hair that was smooth, shiny and so straight it looked enchanted. 

She was elegant, poise and beautiful. 

Hermione on the other hand was short, curvy and clumsy. Her brown bushy hair was all over the place, her eyes were dark brown and her fingertips were always dirty with quill ink. 

She thought about saying that Pansy hadn’t been exactly claimed by Malfoy as his girlfriend so she shouldn’t be so smug about it. But Hermione couldn’t know for certain if it was true. It was not like Malfoy or Parkinson would share their relationship status with her anyways. 

She thought about saying that she’d rather be single than be like Pansy; the laughing stock of the school because everyone knows how her so-called ‘boyfriend’ is snogging every single girl he can get his hands on. But it felt rather cruel. 

So she remained silent, limiting herself to an eye roll as she turned to face Hagrid for the rest of the class. 

When lunch hour came, she sat with her friends at the Gryffindor table and they helped themselves to lamb chops and potatoes. Hermione began to eat so fast that Harry and Ron stared at her. Ron went as far as asking if her new approach to elves rights were to force feed herself until puking. She denied with as much dignity as she could muster with her mouth bulging with sprouts and informed them she was just hurrying to go to the library. When Ron looked offended that she’d do something like that on her first day, Hermione shrugged and continued to shovel down her food. He knew her for three years and still got surprised by her behavior? She departed and said she’d meet them for dinner. 

When finally got to the library, she threw her satchel at her favorite table, hidden in the back of the library. And went to search through the shelves. She came back minutes later with more than a dozen books about magical creatures, wizarding employment laws and whatever she could find that matched her need to transform the house elves situation. She pulled her satchel to rest on a chair so she’d have space to work and ended up letting all of its contents fall to the floor with a careless move. She knelt to grab everything and was startled at the sight of a piece of parchment carefully rolled and sealed underneath the table. 

It wasn’t hers. But as she looked around and confirmed the library was empty, she felt a prickling urge to open it. She knew she should hand it to Madam Pince, but she also knew just the right spell to seal it back shut after reading it. Curiosity got the best of her and she pretended to herself she just wanted to make sure that the letter’s contents weren’t  offensive, debauched or dangerous. So she wouldn’t incriminate herself when handing it to Pince. 

She opened the parchment and found it… empty. She turned both sides, muttered “revelio” and nothing. That was odd. 

She got her quill and tried writing on it to test a theory. 

September 2nd, Hogwarts Library

This is H…

But before she could finish writing her theory was proved right: the letters disappeared. Hermione’s lips fell open and she waited. Then a careful and elegant inclined handwriting appeared in red ink across the parchment.

Hello Ms. H

Thank you for uselessly informing me about the date and place. Now, would you mind explaining what you are doing with my parchment?

She had barely finished reading before the words vanished. She squirmed at the text and hesitated for half a second, because the last memory she had about a girl talking to someone through a mysterious magic paper was Ginny Weasley and young Voldemort almost two years before. Yet, something about the sarcasm and polite rudeness of the response made her hand itch to write back. 

Firstly, how do you know I’m a girl? And, secondly, if you cared so much about your parchment, you would’ve taken more care of it. But rest assured that I’ll gladly give it back to you as soon as possible, if you’ll be kind enough to inform me who you are

She bit her bottom lip while shaking the quill on her hand and glancing around only to confirm that she was indeed alone in the library. And her heart leapt upon seeing the beautiful handwriting again.

Dear, Ms H. 

Don’t tell me you’re a feminist that believes men and women are the same in everything… If  it wasn’t obvious that you were a girl from your cute handwriting, then it definitely is now that I’m witnessing through paper what must be your very girlish offended shriek at the library. And, before you ask, I know you’re in the library because you told me so, darling. 

Now, be a dear and leave my parchment just there. I’ll come to retrieve it soon. No need to make ourselves more acquainted than we already are.

Thank you very much. 

Yours truly.

Hermione had to use all of her strength not to give him a very offended shriek at that moment. She didn’t even wait for his words to disappear before scribbling her answer. 

Men and women might be different, of course. But only in the sense that no woman would be so careless and stupid to leave something valuable on the library floor. And I’ll not be receiving orders from you. If you want your parchment, tell me who you are and I’ll personally hand it to you. 

She tossed the parchment in her bag and huffed indignantly before storming out of the library, ignoring Madam Pince complaints about not returning the books to the shelves. Hermione was very careful looking around through the corridors on her way out of the library, but her path was empty until the Arithmancy class. 

Hermione ignored the parchment for most of Prof. Vector’s explanation, until she finished her calculations and - as the professor hadn’t given them any homework for her to start working on - her attention was finally drawn back to it. She wondered if there would be anything on it at all. The parchment seemed to vanish the written words quickly so even if the person had answered anything… It would probably be empty. Except it wasn’t. 

Now, don’t be so fussy, Ms. H. It doesn’t suit your beautiful calligraphy. Maybe women and men are the same after all, since I come to agree with you on the “not receiving orders” part. Why don’t you keep the parchment to yourself as a gift? Yours, truly.

Hermione blushed. She didn’t wait for the words to disappear, which she realised happened only once they were read, before replying. 

I don’t want the gift. And if you don’t tell me who you are, I’ll just guess it myself. 

It took less than a minute for the answer to arrive.

I’ll love to see you try, Ms. H.

Chapter Text

September 2nd.

The trio hadn’t even made it to the Great Hall for dinner when Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle blocked their passage looking smug while holding the Daily Prophet.  Malfoy made a scene reading a very rude article talking about Ron’s dad and mocked the fact the paper had gotten Arthur’s name wrong, how the Burrow shouldn’t be considered a house and how Molly was “porky”. Hermione got so flustered with him. How was it possible that all that pureblood finishing education brought up such a nasty foul cockroach? Maybe she should punch him again… 

“And does your mother always look like she has shit under her nose? Or was it just because you were with her?” Harry asks while holding Ron by his robes. 

Malfoy’s eyes darkened and he took a step forward, drawing his wand. “Don’t you dare insult my mother, Potter”. 

“Keep your mouth shut, then” Harry said before turning away. 

Hermione screamed when she saw a white lightning escaping Malfoy’s wand in Harry’s direction, missing her best friend by almost nothing. She, Ron and Harry drew their wands as did Crabbe and Goyle. But no one got time to cast anything when Prof Moody roared from the Entrance Hall. 

“OH NO YOU DON’T”

In seconds Malfoy had been transfigured into a pure white ferret, shivering on the stone floor. No one spoke or dared to move. Moody asked Harry if Malfoy’s curse had hit him and then saw, from the back of his head with his magical rolling fake eye, that Ferret Malfoy and his minions were turning to run towards the dungeons. 

The professor pointed his wand and began bouncing Ferret Malfoy on the floor higher and higher while lecturing about how stinking, cowardly and scummy it was to attack the opponent’s back.

Harry and Ron rolled with laughter, but Hermione was shocked to say the least. It was such a violent and humiliating punishment, even for Malfoy. She’d never seen a professor do such a thing in Hogwarts before. Barbaric. 

Luckily, Prof. McGonagall came down the marble staircase with her arms full of books and asked what Moody was doing. When he said he was teaching, her mouth made a silent “o” and she asked if that - the ferret - was a student, while dropping all the books. It only took a quick wand movement for Draco Malfoy to appear with a livid grimace, his pale eyes still watering with pain and humiliation.  When McGongagall explained that teachers were supposed to give detentions or speak to the Heads of Houses, Moody seized Malfoy’s upper arm and marched him off towards the dungeons.

When they sat at the Gryffindor table a few minutes later, Ron and Harry were talking about  Draco Malfoy, the amazing bouncing ferret, but Hermione only managed a faint smile. 

“He could have really hurt Malfoy, though,” she said while eating at top speed again. She had become so involved with the mysterious parchment during lunch that she didn’t get any work done on her House Elves Project. “It was good, really, that Professor McGonagall stopped it –”

Ron said something about her ruining the best day of his life and Harry asked why she’d go back to the library if Prof Vector hadn’t given any homework. 

“It’s not schoolwork,”  she said. Within five minutes, she had cleared her plate and departed. 

Once she was at the library she repeated her earlier steps collecting several books and began working on research and planning for an organisation to promote rights for house elves. She did a conscious effort to avoid even looking at the parchment because… priorities.

After a couple of hours, she went to grab her wand at her satchel to use it to hold her mane of curls in a messy bun when something burnt her hand. She yanked her arm quickly without even thinking then went for a closer look at the source of heat. It was the parchment. She used a handkerchief to grab it without burning her hand and then opened it with her wand. 

?: Dear Ms. H. Sorry for the burnt. Now can I have your attention?

Hermione could be offended by his demand, but she was more curious. 

H: How did you do that? Is it an incantation?

?: I’ll be delighted to explain it to you, Ms H. But first, I need to explain a bit about how our predicament will work. You’ll have one question per time and will get a direct answer. But I shall have the same right. You’ll only be able to get a second answer once you’ve given me an answer and vice versa. Either one of us can choose not to answer a question, giving the other a chance to make a different question. Please tell me if it works for you. And if you’d like to have the incantation as your first question, I’ll be honoured to teach it to you. 

Hermione thought about it. She loved puzzles. She thought she could easily find out who the mysterious boy was (it was a boy, right?). But a part of her felt itchy. Was this a good idea? The memory of how Tom Riddle manipulated Ginny into opening the chamber of secrets through correspondence in a magical diary was still very fresh. She could only hope she was more clever than Gin. 

H: Alright, teach me the incantation. 

?: Perfect, Ms H. To charm an object to deliver messages is a very complicated matter involving far too advanced transfiguration, arithmancy and charms knowledge. But the incantation to make it get warm and therefore “notify” the other end of something is quite simple. Simply place your wand on it and cast attendere. Give it a try. 

Hermione was slightly offended by the cockyness of her correspondent, as if she couldn’t understand transfiguration, arithmancy and charms. She tried to calm herself into thinking that she had already a tip on who it could be. Afterall not everyone took arithmancy as a class. And she was also curious to test the new spell, her latim was not the best but she figured that the word for “pay attention” was safe enough to try. So she got her wand, tapped on the parchment and muttered: 

“attendere”

?: Very good, Ms. H. It worked. Now, it’s my turn to get an answer. What were you doing in the library during lunch hour on the very first day of school? I’m starting to think that you’re probably awfully ugly or friendless. Or perhaps even suffering from an eating disorder? Anyway, help me figure out this puzzle. 

Hermione’s wide grin with her first attempt success quickly vanished once she finished reading. Her face grew red and she was almost writing a response in Ron vocabulary when she thought better of it. He (?) was probably trying to teach his own rules and get more information from her with less questions. If she fell for it, defending herself and talking about her appearance, her friends or whatever he’d figure out who she was before she could do the same with him. 

H: Projecting much? Must I remind you that YOU left the parchment on the library floor before I had even come inside for the first time? So… which one of the three options are you? Let me be the first to tell you that eating disorders are a real deal and you’re not alone. 

?: Terribly funny, Ms H. Really witty. But you haven’t answered my question yet. What were you doing in the library during lunch hour on the very first day of school?

H: If you must know, I’m researching house elves' work rights. 

Hermione bit the point of the quill. She thought it better to be honest about it, without giving too much details. She doubted that he’d want to help her with her pursuit, but his response could give her a hint of who he was. Yet… a minute or two passed and she still had no answer. 

“attendere” she muttered

?: Easy, Ms H. You just left me speechless. But I am here. 

H: why speechless?

?: Is this your next question?

Hermione bit her lip. Then she shook her head. No, she must find out who he was first. She couldn’t waste her questions. But she convinced herself that his answer about house elves rights could tell her if he was a pureblood slytherin. 

H: Yes. 

?: Well… I could never in a million years believe that someone would be spending their first day at Hogwarts doing such research. So at first I thought you were lying. But then I thought that the possibility was too absurd for someone to even use it as an excuse, it’s simply unbelievable. So it had to be true. And that made me speechless. Now, Ms H., for my next question, why are you researching house elves' work rights?

H: Because apparently they have none. And I don’t find it fair. Now, for MY next question: which house are you from?

?: Ah, alas we go back to business. And here I thought we would engage in a deep political conversation about house elves rights. Dear, Ms H, I shall be the first one of us to refuse a question. It would be too easy if I told you my house… That is, if I have one. 

Hermione blinked several times even after the red ink had vanished from the parchment. If? If he has a house? What? Was he a professor? No, a professor would use their authority to get the parchment back. Maybe a student from Durmstrang or Beauxbaton? That would make it very easier indeed.  Only the seventh year students came for the TriWizard Tournament, so there weren’t many of them. She needed a different question, he’d probably not say if he was a student from another school either. And… Well, she wasn’t even sure if it was a him . 

H: Okay, different question: Are you a boy?

?: Well… I certainly don’t think anyone but my mom calls me that. I prefer the term young man, at my age. And you, my dear Ms. H, how old are you? Should I call you a girl or a young woman?

Hermione realised this young man was very clever to be evasive. And she couldn’t say for sure if it was pettiness or just fear of opening up too much that made her refuse to answer. 

H: I won’t be answering my age. 

?: C’mon Ms H. I just want to be a proper gentleman and not say anything inappropriate to a first year. 

H: Maybe you should try to not say anything inappropriate at all. 

?: Maybe… but where’s the fun in that? So do tell me are you at least fifteen?

Hermione would be in seventeen days. So she gave her first white lie. 

H: Yes. 

?: Great. Now.. What's your next question?

H: What's your favourite class?

?: I won’t answer that.

H: Why not?

?: I don’t think I have an answer. If you asked me on another day I’d have a quick answer but not today. But.. I could tell you the class I do best, if you’d like. 

Why had his answer changed?

H: Please… tell me. 

?: Potions. And yours?

H: Transfiguration. 

The parchment was silent for some time. And Madam Pince called Hermione to put her books back before leaving, since the library was closing soon. 

September 15th

Hermione had spent the last two weeks using all her free time in the library to research and design her organisation to promote house elves rights. At least, that’s what she told herself. But, most often then not she found herself grabbing a piece of parchment from her satchel and talking to her mysterious correspondent. 

Of course she was curious to find out who he was. She loved puzzles, challenges and logical thinking. She was consumed in solving this as much as she was with solving an arithmancy calculus, an ancient rune enigma or every other problem in the world. The “young man” as he said himself was very clever and never let much slip in his answers. She found herself more curious by the minute. She knew lots about him now: he spoke seven languages (including french, bulgarian and norwegian which didn’t answer if he was from Hogwarts, Durmstrang or Beauxbaton), he had a sweet tooth, he loved quidditch and knew every literary reference she named. Yet she was not close to knowing who it was.s

Hermione loved her friends Harry and Ron. And she felt very sorry to even admit to such a thought, but she was never truly engaged in conversation with them ninety percent of the time. They had never read the same books she did, they never understood half the things she said and never got interested in her passions. They were like brothers. She loved them because… Well, because she did. Because they’d do anything for her and so would she for them. They were family. But you don’t exactly choose your family. And she’d never consciously choose them, it simply wasn’t a match. 

Hermione wasn’t the type of girl to say “I’m not like other girls”, because that’s simply antifeminist. However, she must admit she was indeed very different from the girls in the gryffindor common room. Lavender and Parvati only cared about divination and boys. Sally Smith and Alice Runcorn only cared about looks and boys.  She guessed Ginny was nice enough, but and she was a huge quidditch fan she also talked a lot about boys. Well, Hermione wasn’t oblivious to boys, of course. But she couldn’ t see herself falling for someone’s bum, hair, height or arms as the other girls would giggle about.

So that’s probably why she was so offended when that tuesday, after a Defense Against the Dark Arts class with Prof. Moody - who was now officially not her favourite teacher for his methods of using Unforgivable Curses in the students during classes - Ron was talking badly about Cedric Diggory, the HufflePuff prefect that was signing himself as the Hogwarts Champion for the Triwizard Tournament. 

“He’s not an idiot, Ron. You’re only saying that because he beat Gryffindor on Quidditch last year. He’s a very capable student AND he’s a prefect” Hermione said indignantly

“You only like him because he’s handsome” Ron barked

“Excuse me! I do NOT like people based on what they look like” she replied with great offense. 

Ron coughed “Lockhart”

Hermione refused to talk to him for the rest of the day. How dare him? She might’ve had a silly crush on their DADA professor during second year, but it was based purely on his alleged achievements. She would never fall for his golden locks or blue eyes. 

The boys spent their time wondering about the upcoming tournament. Several questions which, by the way, could be answered with a quick read on “Hogwarts: A history” but no one had read her favourite book. Well, her ex favourite book, since nowhere did it mention the slave work promoted by the school. 

Her Society for the Promotion of Elfish Welfare (S.P.E.W.) was thriving. Or something like that. Some people needed more arguing to get in, others were interested but afraid of taking to much action and the rest… made fun of her. So she ran to the library, which was annoyingly always full now, and turned to the one who had become her… friend?

H: Do you think anyone would like to be enslaved?

?: Good afternoon to you too, Ms. H. No, I don’t believe so. Why?

H: Well, then I don’t understand why people think house elves would like their condition. 

?: Ah, finally.. I was waiting for you to bring this topic. Well, there a few axioms to before driving to any conclusion on this matter. 1. House elves are not human. Therefore human sentiments do not apply for them.

H: They might not be human, but they still have feelings. They’re not sub-human

?: Wait, Ms H. Allow me to finish, please. I didn’t say they’re sub human. They are different. Think with me: one could argue that anyone would like to live in a proper, dry and well built home. Right?

H: Yes

?: But merepeople and centaurs would disagree. The former would rather live on a lake. The latter, on a forest. They’re different. They have different needs than humans. Don’t you agree?

H: Of course, but none of them are cooking and cleaning for wizards. 

?: Well, no. Of course not. But you’d have to ask them what they want to do, don’t you agree?

H: Yes, and no wizard asks elves what they want to do, they just make them punish themselves, forbid them to leave, to even HAVE clothes. 

?: Merepeople and centaurs don’t wear clothes either. You’re using human parameters for magical creatures. It creates a false balance. House elves have different standards, values, desires and codes of conduct. They don’t think and feel like us, Ms H. Tell me, in your research, have you read anything that was actually said by a house elf? Have you talked to one? Do you know if THEY don’t like to cook, clean and serve wizards?

H: Well, no… But if they do that’s because they’re uneducated and brainwashed!

?: Now, that’s very presumptuous of you to say and assume. One could argue that muggles and muggleborns only live or think like they do because they’re uneducated and brainwashed. But something tells me you’d not like that. Right? People, and creatures, are entitled to their thoughts even if we don’t agree with them, wouldn’t you think?

Hermione could hear her heart pounding on her ears. Had he found out who she was? She shouldn’t have brought the house elves up again. Now that she was the face of the S.P.E.W. it was almost the same as coming out as herself. She takes a few breaths to calm herself before answering in the most evasive way she can think of. 

H: Why would you think I care about muggle rights?

?: Can’t imagine a blood supremacist caring about house elves’ rights. 

She closed the parchment for the day because she simply had no answer for that. And despite the fact that she wouldn’t give up on S.P.E.W. she had to admit that he got her thinking more than Ron, the twins or anyone else had. Was she presumptions? Like a white lady trying to speak for the black movement? Or a man talking about women’s rights without really knowing what a women felt or thought? 

September 21st 

H: Do you think the seventh rule of equivalence in arithmancy applies for double crossed calculations?

?: Of course not, in that case you should use the Douger Theorem. Let me show you.

September 25th

?: What are you doing now?

H: Trying to sleep… You?

?: Stars chart. 

H: See if the stars help you find out who I am. 

?: Don’t mock me, Ms H. I’m studying for Astronomy. Divination is rubbish. 

H: Couldn’t agree more

September 30th

?: It’s aconite fluid. 

H: But the book specifically tells us to use aconite powder. 

?: If you keep following instructions blindly like the mass, you’ll keep having mediocre results. Try my way and see if your potion won’t be much more translucent. 

October 4rd

?: So?

H: You were right. 

?: As usual. 

October 10th

?: What’s your favourite fiction book?

H: Pride and Prejudice. It’s a muggle romance… 

?: One would argue a squib romance but have it your way. 

H: Do you know it? Did you read it? Did you like it?

?: I think intimacy has you trying to break all the rules, Ms H. One question per time. But I’ll indulge you. I know it, I read it and, whilst it’s well written, it got on my nerves. 

H: Why?

?: Stupid characters. Made me want to push my fist in my mouth. 

H: haha, Mr Darcy or Elizabeth? 

?: Both, though I must admit Darcy is the worst. He needs to man up. He goes around doing all those things for her, but can’t even tell her how he feels?

H: Says the boy hiding behind a parchment without telling me his name. 

?: Why, Ms H. You make me blush. Are we in a romance?

October 13th

?: C’mon… just give me something, anything. 

H: no, I won’t. 

?: Hair color, eye color, skin color… Anything. 

H: Anything? Alright, but you have to give me something first. 

?: Name your price, Ms H. 

H: See, you can call me Ms H. But I don’t know how to call you, give me something to call you. 

Hermione had been feeling more and more butterflies flutter in her stomach everytime she spoke with him. Now they were dancing, doing somersaults, jumping and fighting inside her. She felt dizzy and nauseous waiting for his response. 

?: Call me Mr. D. 

D? For what?  His first name? He couldn’t be Dean Thomas, he wasn’t in Ancient Runes or Arithmancy like her. His last name? She thought about Cedric Diggory. His school? Maybe he was talking about himself like Mr Durmstrang. 

H: D as in your name? Last name? School?

D: Uh-huh. A question at a time. But let me tell you I ‘m offended that you didn’t even think about my literary counterpart Mr Darcy. 

H: Or Mr. DickHead.

D: Ouch. 

H: Brown… I have brown eyes. 

October 18th

H: Do you think we’ve seen each other today?

D: I’d remember a face like yours… 

H: You don’t even know my face. 

D: Details… 

October 23rd

H: The library is always full now… 

D: Oh, you’re there? Let me go up and meet you. 

H: Silly. You might even be here now and saying this just to mock me. 

Hermione looked around. But something inside her tried to use the tip he gave her. If he had to go UP to get to the library, he wasn’t a gryffindor. Maybe a slytherin? No, no snake would be such a gentleman. But the Durmstrangs are staying in the dungeons with the Slytherin house. It would match the D and the location. And the hufflepuff common room was near the kitchen, downstairs too. But Diggory was in a relationship with Cho Chang right? Harry was complaining about it or something the other day?

October 26th

H: Do you have a girlfriend?

D: I won’t answer that. 

H: Why not?

D: I don’t want to.

H: I don’t think she’d like knowing you’re always talking to another girl. 

D: I didn’t say there was a she. And we’re just talking, right? What’s there for the hypothetical she not to like?

She couldn't tell why, but she cried herself to sleep that night. 

October 30th

D: Are you signing for the triwizard tournament?

H: No… I’d never. Would you?

D: Of course, I would. 

Hermione cursed herself for how she placed the question. Now she wasn’t sure if he was going to, if he had… And he probably wouldn’t be more specific now, because if he got sorted she’d figure out who she was. 

November 2nd

The triwizard champions were sorted: Viktor Krum, Fleur Delacour, Cedric Diggory and… Her best friend, Harry Potter. He was only 14. Hermione feared for his life. Lots of wizards had died in that competition before. Draco Malfoy himself was betting with the other slytherins on how long Harry was going to last on the first task. The hufflepuffs hated Harry for stealing their chance to shine amidst the school houses with their own champion. Other students were jealous of him. 

And unfortunately, that included their friend Ron. He was always overshadowed by his brothers. His best friend was the most famous kid in school. And it seems it got a little too much when Harry was now a champion too. And Harry, too proud or stubborn to make peace, was angry back at him. Hermione got torn between the two of them. 

November 3rd

H: so… should I congratulate you for being a champion?

D: Nice try, I wouldn’t tell you if you should, right? But do congratulate Potter. He managed to get into even being only 14. 

Hermione knew he wouldn’t admit if he was sorted. She knew it wasn’t Harry or Fleur. The chance of him being Krum were very slight. Cedric would be giving himself up if he admitted to be a champion. However, the comment about her friend made her flinch. She knew most of the school would agree with such statement, but if felt too close to home. 

H: I don’t think he’s happy about it. 

And she didn’t say anything else for a few days. 

Chapter Text

November 15th 

Hermione was being delusional. She tried to convince herself of that. But she was pretty sure, as each day passed, that Mr D was Cedric Diggory. They talked every day, several times a day about nearly everything and nothing at all. It was crazy how much she could talk about without talking about the obvious stuff of her life. Like Harry and Ron (who were still not talking), S.P.E.W (who was not, she had to admit, thriving) or her classes (they’d discuss academic questions but she’d be careful to avoid to many details so he couldn’t guess exactly which year she was in).

Mr. D was also perfectly careful and evasive in his answers. She knew her correspondent was very smart, came from an ancient wizarding family and lived downstairs. And he had said the previous night that he played as a seeker at quidditch. It didn’t help on her delusion that Cedric was so handsome with his brown hair, his charming smile and his blue eyes. But he was never alone.  Now that he was officially a Hogwarts Champion, there were lots of fangirling over him and Viktor Krum around the school. She’d like to think herself different from those simpering teenagers, but was she? Wasn’t she hopeful that Cedric would be Mr. D? 

With the two hearthrob and the veela french champions, Harry was getting all the hate he could take. And the worst part was that he didn’t have Ron at his side anymore. Hermione found herself torn between their fight and she could see they were miserable without each other. They were very playful, always laughing and talking about quidditch. She just wasn’t like that. They’d take times accompanying her to the library and look so miserable and bored that they didn’t even notice she was talking to Mr. D. on a magic parchment. The library was always crowded now, because Krum seemed to be spending lots of time there. 

“He’s not even good-looking!” Hermione muttered angrily one day that the girls were particularly noisy and distracting. “They only like him because he’s famous!”

Harry gave her an absent answer. She knew her friend was not okay. He was particularly bad at the summoning charm during Flitwick class and Hermione tried to help him understand the theory and focus more. 

“The accio charm is pretty easy when you concentrate” She’d say and he’d glare at her because it was obviously hard to focus when you’re expected to attend a dangerous competition while being hated by the whole school. 

She was thinking about it when they were walking downstairs towards the dungeons to double potions class. A hour and a half with Snape and the Slytherins was not something to look forward to, but Hermione was excited to test the way Mr D. had suggested to extract more juice from the Flabberghasted leech. 

However, that afternoon the slytherins were wearing badgers that read 

SUPPORT CEDRIC DIGGORY - THE REAL HOGWARTS CHAMPION. 

“Like them, Potter?” said Malfoy loudly “And this isn’t all they do – look!”

 He pressed his badge into his chest, and the message upon it vanished, to be replaced by another one, which glowed green: POTTER STINKS 

The Slytherins howled with laughter. Each of them pressed their badges, too, until the message POTTER STINKS was shining brightly all around Harry. 

“Oh, very funny and witty” Hermione said rolling her eyes to Pansy Parkinson and her gang of Slytherin girls.She was particularly hurt at the fact that neither Ron or the other gryffindors stood up for Harry. 

“Want one, Granger?” said Malfoy, holding out a badge to Hermione. “I’ve got loads. But don’t touch my hand, now. I’ve just washed it, you see, don’t want a Mudblood sliming it up.”

Hermione face flushed red. She knew that was how Malfoy thought about her, yet that word always made her feel… Sick and disgusted, like trash. Like she had no worth at all. But she didn’t want Harry to get into trouble over it, so when he raised his wand she tried to warn him not to try anything stupid. 

“Go on, then, Potter,” Malfoy said quietly, drawing out his own wand. “Moody’s not here to look after you now – do it, if you’ve got the guts –”

For a split second, they looked into each other’s eyes, then, at exactly the same time, both acted. Jets of light shot from both wands, hit each other in mid-air, and ricocheted off at angles – Harry’s hit Goyle in the face, and Malfoy’s hit Hermione. She felt her tooth growing bigger and bigger, so she covered it with her hand.

Hermione couldn’t hear much over Goyle’s screams and her own whimpering, but she felt Ron’s hand pushing her own from her face. Her teeth were now below her chin. She let out a terrified cry while seeing the slytherin girls laughing at her. Harry was somewhere between shocked and guilty. Malfoy didn’t even look at her, his face and wands still focused on Harry. 

“And what is all this noise about?” said Snape in a soft, deadly voice. Snape had arrived. The Slytherins clamoured to give their explanations. Snape pointed a long yellow finger at Malfoy and told him to explain. The coward said Harry had attacked him and hit Goyle. Harry tried to explain himself and Ron shouted that Malfoy had hit Hermione. She tried to hide but her teeth were growing and reaching her chest. 

“I see no difference.” Snape drawled with a cruel smirk. 

Hermione forgot all about obeying rules and respecting professors as she ran towards the hospital wing crying loudly. She’d never felt so humiliated before. She had always been conscious about her front teeth. Her parents had told her she’d grow around them and they wouldn’t look so pronounced soon. But it wasn’t happening. Now everyone saw her as she saw herself: the beaver girl. 

“It’ll be a quick and easy fix, Ms Granger” Madam Pomfrey said once the girl was there “The same does not apply to you Mr Goyle, you’ll be staying overnight. That furunculum charm is very tricky and painful to fix”

Once the healer started working on trimming her teeth to get back to their regular size, Hermione decided to do something crazy. She let Madam Pomfrey trim a little more than the natural shape, getting a more harmonic smile. She was very happy with the end result, not enough to send a gift basket to thank Malfoy for it but enough to ignore the nasty comment Pansy made about her the following morning when the Rita Skeeter’s Daily Prophet piece about her and Harry came out. 

“Stunningly beautiful? Who did they compare her with? A chipmunk?” The snake girl said while sitting at Malfoy’s lap on the Slytherin table and Hermione just smiled back. Malfoy looked at her with fire on his grey eyes. 

November 18th 

D: What's the worst professor in school in your opinion?

H: Snape or Trelawney. I mean, Snape is a good teacher but a bad person. And Trelawney is a good person but a bad teacher. What about you?

D: Using your parameters, I’d say Hagrid and Moody. 

Hermione did try to press him more but he didn't explain further. She felt slightly offended for Hagrid, but indeed he was not the best teacher around. Maybe he was the good person and bad teacher. He seemed to ignore how dangerous some creatures could be. And Moody was… weird. He was now casting Unforgivables in classes and making students attack themselves. Was he the bad person and good teacher? She had to admit that it was useful to know how to resist an Imperius curse. 

November 21st

H: What do you think will be the first task for the tournament?

D: Dragons

H: Why do you think that?

D: I can’t reveal my sources, but trust me. 

Hermione did her best to try and help her friends. They were severely under prepared. Most of the books talked about transfiguration charms they’d learn only at N.E.W.T. level. She was really scared for her friend’s life. But still found a place to be annoyed when she saw Viktor Krum sitting next to them. 

“Why can’t he read on the ship or the slytherin common room? Now his fan club will arrive soon. Let’s go Harry” She said returning the sour look Krum gave them.

November 23rd

Following Moody advice Hermione and Harry were practicing the summoning charm for his first task. He’d get a broom and use it to fly past the dragon.

….

D: Who will you be cheering tomorrow?

H: Hogwarts, of course. 

November 24th

“You two are so stupid” Hermione laughed amidst her tears while Harry and Ron made up after the first task. Her trio was full again, Harry was alive and she’d never been happier. Harry got tied up with Krum for first place after a very unfair grade from Karkaroff. There was a party in Gryffindor Common Room and when Harry opened the golden egg it let out a giant piercing shriek. Okay, new challenge ahead. 

…

D: Told you it were dragons. 

H: Don’t be so smug about it.

D: What would you do if it were you? Potter’s broom idea was very clever. I'd probably mix it with Diggory’s transfiguration plan AND Delacour’s trance hex. And, if all went wrong, I’d do it like Krum and go for the eye. 

H: I’d never put myself in that position. 

D: Really witty 

December 1st

H: We should have a secret word or something… So we could know if we met in real life. 

D: And you’ll just keep repeating that word to everyone you see until it hits me? There are lots of students at Hogwarts and I know you're better than that at statistics. 

H: Well, I wouldn’t be saying it to everyone. I have my guesses. 

D: Tell me about them and I’ll tell you if you’re right. 

H: I will not. 

D: I really think you don’t want to find out who I am. Maybe you’re awfully ugly and scared I’ll see your face and run away. 

H: Maybe you’re really short and scared I’ll pass right by you without ever seeing your face. 

D: Ouch

December 4th

After lunch, Hermione walked past Malfoy and the Slytherins who were reciting the newest Daily Prophet article to mock Harry. As her first attempt to enter the school kitchen and convince the house elves to protest for working rights had been a huge fail, Hermione decided to give another go. However, this time she was properly sent away by them and not even Dobby was able to help her, since Winky was drinking again. 

Hermione was distracted planning what to do to free the elves while making her way back to the library when she hit something and fell straight to the floor. 

“Uh-Sorry” She muttered with a hand to the back of her head. “Didn’t see you there”

“Oh, it’s alright” A smooth voice said while helping Hermione up. “I’ve never heard that before”

“W-what?” Hermione stuttered when she saw it was Cedric Diggory standing in front of her. 

“Well.. I’m tall so people usually don’t say they didn’t see me” He laughs running a hand through his hair. 

Hermione blinked five times. Was Mr D. announcing himself? I mean, he was obviously making a reference to her height joke. The sweet smile on his face started to fall the longer it took for her to say something back. He seemed… Embarrassed?

“I mean, I’m not arrogant or anything… You were obviously distracted. Of course, I’m not the center of the universe, so it’s perfectly normal that you didn’t see me…” He trailed uncomfortably. 

“House elves rights!” Hermione said only. 

“What?”

“What’s your opinion on house elves rights?”

“Uh… I - I never really had one…” He said confusingly. “Are you alright? It’s… Granger right? Do you need me to take you to the hospital wing?”

“N-no, I’m alright. How do you know who I am?” Hermione was sure she should be talking slower, maybe in a more alluring way. Yet she was blind and deaf with her excitement. She was talking to Mr. D. 

“Well… You were petrified two years ago, right? I was a prefect then and…”

“Mr D.”

“Yes?”

“You’re Mr. D!”

“I… guess? No one really calls me Mr, I prefer…”

“CED!” Cho Chang was skipping happily towards them. “I told my mum, she said we can get a platinum dress and… Oh, hi… Hermione right?”

Hermione closed the mouth that had fallen open once she saw the Ravenclaw fifth year greet Cedric with a kiss on the cheek. Of course, the girlfriend. Hermione shook her head to try and focus. 

“Oh, is it not Hermione?” Cho asked innocently confused “I thought you were Harry Potter’s friend, Hermione Granger”

“Oh! Y-yes, I am. Sorry… I was just lost for a second”

“I bumped into her and she fell to the ground. I’m worried she might have a concussion” Cedric explained to Cho “Maybe I should take her to the hospital wing”

“I can take her!” Cho offered sympathetically. 

“It’s alright!” Hermione nearly shouted “I’m fine. Sorry. I’ll be going now”.

Hermione ran towards the library as fast as she could without another word to the cute couple behind her. She didn’t know if the ache on her ribcage was from running, from running into Diggory, from remembering he had a girlfriend or from the fact that maybe he was Mr D and all they would ever be was pen pals. Had she fallen for letters on a paper?

“Good affi-ternoo” A heavy voice came from behind her after fifteen minutes working on her Ancient Runes assignment. Hermione turned to face Viktor Krum standing upright at her side, like a soldier or something. 

“Hello..” She replied weakly and even a bit annoyed. “Can I help you?”

“My name ish Viktor Krum. I am frrrrom Durmstrang” His accent was heavy.

As if she didn’t know. But it was nice to see he didn’t just assumed she did. 

“My name is Hermione Granger. I’m from Hogwarts”

“Herr-mionini.” He gave her a curt nod and a small smile “It vuld be an honourr to have you as my jest to the Yule Ball”

Hermione’s mind went blank probably for the first time in fourteen years. She couldn’t think anything. Slowly words came to her. Yule. Ball. Yes, she remembered the ball mentioned by McGonagall, she’d been so caught up with S.P.E.W. and preparing for the following year O.W.L.s and worrying about Harry’s second task she hadn’t even thought about it. Was that what Cho Chang’s platinum dress was for? Was Cedric taking her? Wait… She couldn’t think about it now. Krum was in front of her. He needed something. What was it?

“Sorry… what?”

“The ball, the Yule Ball. Vuld you accompany me, Ms Herrmownnini?” Krum asked again, blushing slightly while extending a hand to her. 

She hadn’t thought about it. Maybe she would go with Ron on Harry? Well, neither of them had asked her. And Mr D certainly wouldn’t. Unless.. D… Durmstrang. Wait, could he be it?

“Oh.. Y’yes. Yes, of course” Hermione said smiling politely and handing her shaking palm to rest on Krum’s big and callous one. 

“Perrfect.” He gave her a wide smile “Do you mind if I sit here to read with you?”

“N-no, please sit.” She said already worried of the awkwardness between them. 

Yet it wasn’t awkward at all. He kept silent at her side, reading while she studied. She didn’t dare to grab her parchment at any time and got quite a lot done. It was almost dinner time when she got up to leave. Krum offered to escort her to the Great Hall but she refused politely. She didn’t want his public attention around her. She didn’t know how Ron would react, maybe fangirling even worse than the six year girls. 

Hermione didn’t dare to overthink about being asked to the ball. She couldn’t even believe it had happened. There was a small and insecure voice in the back of her mind telling her it was probably a joke of sorts. Krum sat at the slytherin table with the other Durmstrangs. He was speaking to Malfoy. Maybe the ferret had put him up to this to make fun of her. Yet Krum seemed different. And she wasn’t ugly… She thought. 

H: Hi

I saw you today. She thought about sending it to Mr D. Well, had she? Something inside her told she did. 

D: Good evening, Ms H. I missed you today. 

H: Do you have a date to the ball already?

D: As of today, yes. I do. And you?

H: I do too.

December 7th

“Hermione, would you like to go to the Yule Ball with me?” Neville asked politely at breakfast while she and Ginny ate. Harry and Ron were nowhere to be found. 

“Who? Me?” Hermione asked, confused.

“Well… Yes” He said nervously rubbing the back of his neck “You’re so nice to me, helping with the classes… It would be an honour”. 

“Oh Neville, I’d be glad too. Really, I would. But I already have a date.” 

“Oh… Alright. We’ll see each other there.” Neville said blushing “Ginny, would you like to go with me?”

Ginny, who had a toast on her mouth, swallowed it dryly and her voice came raspy when she agreed. Neville smiled broadly and got up to do… something. Hermione hadn’t caught what. 

“So… who are you going with?” Ginny asked curiously 

“Don’t tell anyone… Krum” Hermione whispered

“WHAT?” 

“Ginny” she hissed “really don’t tell anyone. I won’t stand your brother asking me for autographs and I’m not sure if Harry won’t be mad I’m going with his adversary“

“Screw them! I mean, I won’t tell anyone. But this is SO cool. He’s an international quidditch player, a seeker and..” Hermione wasn’t listening to what the red haired friend said anymore. 

….

Hermione spent most of her days now in the library with Viktor at her side. Surprisingly he seemed very quiet in person and she was still unsure if he was her correspondent or not. He had a heavy accent on his English  but she supposed he could speak better when writing, she did write better in French than she spoke. And she too was more shy in person than in parchment.

He would always carry books for her, pull her chair so she could sit and every night he’d offer to escort her to her dorm. But she never agreed. For the same reason she chose the most hidden table to study. It wasn’t like she was embarrassed of him or  anything, but he did attract lots of attention and she had just stopped receiving so many hateful howlers after the Rita Skeeter article.

Her nights she’d spend on her bed, talking to Mr D. They’d never run out of things to say. They only stopped talking when she dozed off or felt too bubbly to reply. He was getting more and more flirtatious by the minute. Always with a gallant tone and double meanings. Yet respectful and sooo clever. 

….

December 10th 

“We don’t want to end up with a pair of trolls.” Ron said 

Hermione almost flinched with indignation 

“A pair of … what, excuse me?”

“Well – you know,” said Ron, shrugging, “I’d rather go alone than with – with Eloise Midgen, say.”

Hermione tried saying that poor Eloise’s acne had gotten better and that she was really nice. But Ron’s only response was that her nose was off-center. 

“Oh, I see,” Hermione said. “So basically, you’re going to take the best-looking girl who’ll have you, even if she’s completely horrible?”

“Er – yeah, that sounds about right,” said Ron. 

“I’m going to bed,”  Hermione snapped, and she swept off towards the girls’ staircase without another word. Ron was so shallow. 

H: You’ve never seen my face 

D: Well spotted. 

But you like me? Hermione wanted to ask. But she couldn’t. 

H: Would you mind if I was very ugly?

D: Why, Ms H. You seem sad. What happened?  

H: nothing… I’m just wondering if every boy would rather have a very good looking horrible girl or a not so good looking nice girl…

D: it depends. 

H: on what?

D: the goal

H: oh… so a smart and nice girl is good for talking but you’d rather take a pretty stupid vain girl to the Yule Ball?

D: Is your knee injured?

H: what? No, why?

D: well… you just gave a huge logic leap to jump into conclusions 

H: prat. 

December 14th 

“Why weren’t you two at dinner?” Hermione asked once she stepped into the portrait hole inside the Gryffindor Common Room.

“Because – oh, shut up laughing, you two – because they’ve both just been turned down by girls they asked to the ball!” said Ginny. 

That shut Harry and Ron up. 

“Thanks a bunch, Ginny,”  said Ron sourly. 

“All the good-looking ones taken, Ron? Eloise Midgen is starting to look quite pretty now, is she? Well, I’m sure you’ll find someone somewhere who’ll have you.”

She tried to look smug but got disconcerted by Ron’s maniac look

“Hermione, you are a girl …”

The audacity. 

“Well spotted” She spat

“Well – you can come with one of us!”

“No, I can’t”

“C’mon… we need partners.. wee’re going to look stupid if we don’t”

“ I can’t” she said breathing heavily to avoid hexing the red hair “Because I’m already going with someone.”

“You just said that to get rid of Neville!”

“Just because it’s taken you three years to notice, Ron, doesn’t mean NO ONE ELSE HAS SPOTTED THAT I AM A GIRL”

December 17th

D: you’ve been weirdly quieter. .Is everything alright?

H: I was told I was a girl this week

D: And as a feminist how could that offend you?

H: I’m just offended they didn’t notice it before. 

D: Let me remind you I knew you were a girl since day one. 

December 20th 

“Hermione, who are you going to the Yule ball with?”

Ron kept asking as if the answer would slip out of her mouth if caught by surprise. 

“I’m not telling you, you’ll just make fun of me.”

“You’re joking, Weasley?’ said Malfoy, behind them. “You’re not telling me someone’s asked that to the ball? Not the toothy Mudblood?”

Harry and Ron both whipped around, but Hermione waved to somebody over Malfoy’s shoulder. 

“Hello, Professor Moody!” 

Malfoy went pale and jumped backwards, looking wildly around for Moody, but he was still up at the staff table, finishing his stew. 

“Twitchy little ferret, aren’t you, Malfoy?” she laughed away. 

…

The boys finally realised she had shrunken her teeth. Ron kept asking her about her prom date. Harry was avoiding the time he’d have to deal with the egg and the second task. Krum would spend every day with her at the library. He told her he’d come every day to ask her but he was too shy before. He was not what she imagined. He was smart and not arrogant at all, despite all the special treatment he got. He loved Hogwarts, the warmer weather and Dumbledore. 

December 23rd

D: Tell me what you’ll wear tomorrow night so I can find you. 

H: No, it’s not fair. 

D: Of course it is, I’ll be wearing white and black. See? It’s easy

H: Every boy will be wearing black and white!

D: I’ll make sure to stand out

H: Alright then… I’ll be wearing blue. 

December 24th 

The Yule Ball day had arrived. And Hermione locked herself inside her four poster bed at 2pm to get ready. The hardest part was her hair. She washed, combed and used several charms and balms to make it shiny and sleek. It was already dark outside when she was finally got it to how she wanted. Then she put it up on an elegant bun with some carefully rounded locks falling around it. When she was satisfied she started on her make up. Lavender Brown was the only one still on the room and Hermione had to ask her for help. 

The blonde witch gave little jumps with joy at the prospect of fixing Hermione up as her own doll. They decided (Hermione demanded and Lavender agreed) on light makeup, as she was not used to much. Then Hermione put on her periwinkle blue dress and her silver high heels. A lot of body moisturizer enchanted to make her glitter and loads of perfume later… She was ready. 

Viktor was waiting for her at the end of the stairs before the great hall. He was the perfect gentleman, dressed in red robes with fur coat. He kissed her hand and smiled broadly, looking very proud to be next to her. She almost couldn’t take her eyes from him, though she tried to be polite to Harry and Cedric with their partners. And she absolutely loved seeing Pansy Parkinson’s gaping at her sight and even the cocky ferret not being able to insult her. 

However, it seemed that even when her enemies could give her one night off to have fun with her date, Ron couldn’t extend the same courtesy. 

“Did you try to force him to join the S.P.E.W. and this is how he managed to escape?”

“How dare you? He said he’d been to the library to try and ask me for weeks!”

“He’s lying, trying to get you to spy on Harry”

“He’s never even mentioned Harry to me!”

“Then he must’ve discovered you’re the brightest witch of your age and now he’s trying to get you to help him with the second task”

“I would never! Everyone knows I want Harry to win” Hermione said feeling the tears fill her eyes. 

Harry tried to say he didn’t mind but Ron was relentless. 

“Hard to tell Hermione! FRATERNISING WITH THE ENEMY!” Ron spat lividly as he stormed towards the stair with Hermione at his heels. 

“But the whole point of the tournament is international magical cooperation - to make friends”

“I bet Vicky wants to be more than friends”

“And what’s wrong with that?”

“He’s too old for you!”

“Only two years!”

“Only?”

“You know what the solution is, then? Next time there’s a ball, gather up some courage and ask me before anyone does and not as a last resort!” Hermione shouted, tears now falling down her cheek. 

The night had been perfect. She felt like a fairytale princess, dancing, drinking and giggling with Viktor. He even gave her a chaste peck on the lips before excusing himself to the loo. That’s when Ron cornered her. And now she was flustered. Her make up magically held in place, but her cry got her face puffy and red. 

Ron went away with Harry and Hermione ran for the bathroom to try and fix herself up. On her way there she bumped into Malfoy wearing black robes, white shirt and white waistcoat. His eyelids were heavy over his grey eyes and he seemed to be less… him. He didn’t have that despicable sneer on his face. His aristocratic features did not look that pale while resting lazily against the wall with his ankles crossed. On his hand there was a silver flask with something that was definitely not pumpkin juice inside. 

“For the brightest witch of your age… You keep doing stupid stuff, Granger.” He drawled boredly while taking a sip. 

“Shut up, Malfoy! What stupid thing have I done now?” She said defiantly

“You manage to get an international quidditch star to bring you to the ball, then you manage to be the prettiest witch in the great hall and still you let that pathetic weasel make you cry” He said before getting from the wall and walking away. 

Somehow that made her even sadder. Somehow it made her feel worse than when he called her a mudblood. Hermione knew now that going to the bathroom was not going to be enough. The girl went straight to her room, telling Lavender and Parvati she didn’t feel like talking when they cornered her to talk about Krum. She laid in her bed still fully dressed, with her heels on. Her pillow felt hot under her cheeks, hotter by the minute and she took the parchment from underneath it. 

D: I won

H: How?

D: I know who you are, Hermione Granger.

Chapter Text

January 26th

Hermione tried to convince herself it was only the hurried month of January that made her messages with D reduce significantly.  

There was just so much going on. 

Rita Skeeter had published an awful piece on Hagrid’s mom being a giant. Draco Malfoy was proud to be the cause of the Care of Magical Creatures absence once again. 

Harry was far from solving the egg tip, despite his attempts of lying to Hermione and saying he’d solved it already she knew he had not. If he had he’d be asking for her help, which he hadn’t yet. 

Viktor Krum was now Hermione’s… something. He’d meet her every day in library and hold her hand, giving her sweet kisses when he could. 

Ron seemed to have gotten over it. Or, at least not to want to talk about it. 

And the work load from different classes was staggering. The professors really didn’t seem to find the triwizard tournament a proper excuse to reduce the amount of assignments, reading and everything else for the students. Hermione knew her O.W.L.s were close and, with her dream of becoming the youngest Minister for Magic in history, she couldn’t risk anything. 

Yet, deep down, something told her that her messages with D had reduced because he found out who she was and was probably not that interested anymore. 

She tried everything. Tried denying to be Hermione Granger. 

D: Don’t insult my intelligence, Granger. I must admit I was a bit dense to take this long to realise it though. Who else would be in the library on the first day back? Who else would care about house elves rights? Who else would know so much about so many things?

She then tried to use the fact that he knew who she was to get him to come out with his name. 

D: Not a chance. I found out on my own merit, it wouldn’t be fair to make it easier for you. 

H: You found out because I was the only one wearing blue on the Yule Ball

D: I can’t verify that information, as it was impossible to take my eyes away from you that night. I can’t even say the color my date was wearing. 

She knew now that D was definitely not Krum. Yet who could it be? Diggory? Another person? That night was still such a mess on her head. The dancing, the lights, the glares. Her first kiss with Viktor. Her fight with Ron. Whatever it was with Malfoy. 

Malfoy was nothing but pathetic to her until that evening. He was a spoiled brat, immature and envious. He took every opportunity to make her and her friends feel bad about themselves. He got Lupin and now possibly Hagrid too sacked. He literally thought her blood was dirty and that she was not worthy of having a wand. 

But he also said she was the prettiest witch at the Yule Ball. He had his girlfriend, beautiful Pansy, at his arms; he could see Fleur, part veela, at the dance floor and so many other beautiful girls. But he was looking… to her? He said she shouldn’t be crying over Ron. And… he didn’t call her mudblood. Not then, nor since. She’d been paying attention. In fact, he now seemed to pretend she didn’t exist. Probably too embarrassed about what the firewhiskey had made him say the previous month. 

H: Studying a lot?

D: Yes…. Why?

H: We haven’t been talking that much

D: I’m sure you’re getting all the attention you need from Viktor Krum and the Boy Who Lived. 

Yes. It was definitely not Krum. 

I want your attention. She wanted to say. But she knew it was mad. She didn’t even know him. 

H: Well… I can have other friends. Am I only allowed 3?

It took him 3 days to answer. 

D: I guess not. Tell me, do you want help with the ancient runes assignment? I’ve seen you working on it at the library earlier and it seemed like your head was about to explode. 

February 4th

D: What were you reading today during breakfast? I couldn’t see it. 

H: Tolstói. War and Peace. 

D: Oh, I read it last summer.

February 11th

Hermione got into a heated argument with Rita Skeeter at the Three Broomsticks Pub. Ron warned her to be careful but she couldn’t care less. Her parents had no access to wizarding publications, so she wasn’t afraid of the reporter. 

She, Ron and Harry went to Hagrid’s hut to demand that he came back to classes. And he did. 

February 12th

H: So did you get your girlfriend something nice for today?

D: I don’t have a girlfriend. 

H: I don’t believe you

D: Did Krum get you anything nice?

H: He’s not my boyfriend. 

D: He’s interested in your parents line of work then? Because he was surely exploring your mouth yesterday. 

H: Don’t be crass. What did you get for her?

D: Jewelry. The usual. 

February 15th

D: Did you get hurt by a blasted ended screwt today?

H: No, why?

D: Your hair is a mess. 

H: Very brave to offend someone when you know they can’t hex you back. 

D: I’m not a gryffindor. I don’t need to be brave. Now be a dear and help me with these calculations for arithmancy. 

February 18th

Harry finally confessed that he had not yet solved the egg. He knew now that they were supposed to dive in the school lake for an hour. So he needed to find a way of breathing underwater for that long.

Ron, always thick, suggested he summoned diving gear from a muggle shop. 

“Not only he could get in trouble getting past the school wards, as you’d know if you’d read Hogwarts: A history but he could also be prosecuted for violating the statue of secrecy, since muggles would probably notice flying diving gear.” Hermione sighed tiredly “We need to find a way of transfiguring him into something that breathes underwater. However human transfiguration is a six year class. There must be a charm”

February 22nd

H: Do you know any charm that could get someone to breath underwater?

D: I’m not helping Potter with his task. 

H: No, you’d be helping me. 

February 23rd

D: The bubble head charm. You owe me. 

Hermione beamed to the parchment before carefully folding it and rising from her chair at the Library to talk to Harry. 

“Prof McGonagall wants a word with you, Hermione” Fred Weasley told her “She seemed grim”

Hermione followed the twin towards the Head of House room, where she was informed that both Ron and her were treasures for the champions. They’d be put in a sort of dormant state and then taken to the lake so the champions could rescue them. 

“Harry has two treasures then?” Hermione asked confused. 

“No, Ms Granger. You are Viktor Krum’s treasure” Prof McGonagall said “But I guarantee you both that you’ll be safe the entire time. If Potter or Krum fail to rescue, Hogwarts staff will be bringing you back to surface”

The professor didn’t seem to be a big fan of the plans, but she said it all very matter of factly. Hermoine tried to focus on the teacher’s rug to ignore the red tinting Ron’s ear since he learned she was Krum’s treasure. She just wished she’d gotten time to warn Harry about the bubblehead charm. 

February 24th. 

She woke as soon as her face found air. Viktor was pulling her deftly towards the shore. As soon As they landed he wrapped her with three towels and kept asking if she was okay. 

“Her-mown-nini” He said huskily “Seeing you therrre, so grey and cold…” He ran his fingers through his hair “I’ve never felt this way before. I vant you to visit me this summer. Will you?”

Hermione would have blushed if she wasn’t so cold. She thanked Merlin that Harry had appeared with Ron and Fleur’s little sister, so she could distract herself from the intensity of Viktor’s feelings. He was a perfect gentleman, so sweet and romantic. Yet, they didn’t have much in common and there was also the language barrier that made every conversation so… stiff. 

“There’s a little bug in you hair” Viktor said while she was talking to Harry. 

February 25th

D: How are you? That’s madness. This place has gone to the dogs. How could they send you down there? It’s so dangerous. 

H: I’m alright. I was safe, nothing was going to happen to me. 

D: Krum was very skilled, though his transfiguration was sloppy. 

H: Do you think you could properly transfigure yourself to an animal?

D: I think I’d use the bubble head charm. As I’ve told you before. 

March 2nd

“There they are, there they are!” Pansy giggled jumping up and down with her edition of Witch Weekly in her hands. 

Hermione noticed that there were only slytherin girls that day.  Malfoy, Crabbe and GOyle seemed to have entered the Potions class already. 

“You might find something to interest you in there, Granger!” Pansy said loudly, and she threw the magazine at Hermione, who caught it, looking startled.

HARRY POTTER’S SECRET HEARTACHE

“...  fourteen-year-old Harry Potter thought he had found solace in his steady girlfriend at Hogwarts, Muggle-born Hermione Granger…” 

“... Miss Granger, a plain but ambitious girl, seems to have a taste for famous wizards that Harry alone cannot satisfy…”

“... Miss Granger has been toying with both boys’ affections. Krum, who is openly smitten with the devious Miss Granger, has already invited her to visit him in Bulgaria over the summer holidays, and insists that he has ‘never felt this way about any other girl’...”

“... ‘She’s really ugly,’ says Pansy Parkinson, a pretty and vivacious fourth-year student, ‘but she’d be well up to making a Love Potion, she’s quite brainy. I think that’s how she’s doing it.’ Love Potions are of course banned at Hogwarts, and no doubt Albus Dumbledore will want to investigate these claims…”

“I told you she would take revenge on you” Ron looked like he’d been punched. 

Hermione could only laugh.

“Is this the best that Skeeter can do? Pathetic. What a pile of old rubbish.” She said giggling while throwing the magazine back at Pansy. “By the way Pansy, thank you for calling me smart”

“I did not!” Pansy snapped. 

Hermione, Harry and Ron entered the room and  started unpacking the ingredients they would need for their Wit-Sharpening Potion. 

“There’s something funny, though,” said Hermione ten minutes later, holding her pestle suspended over a bowl of scarab beetles. “How could Rita Skeeter have known …?”

“Don’t tell me the Love Potions part is true”

Hermione only rolled her eyes at Ron. “How could she know Viktor asked me to visit him over the summer?’ Hermione blushed scarlet as she said this, and determinedly avoided Ron’s eyes. 

“What?” said Ron, dropping his pestle with a loud clunk.

“After he’d got rid of his shark’s head. Madam Pomfrey gave us both blankets and then he sort of pulled me away from the judges so they wouldn’t hear, and he said, if I wasn’t doing anything over the summer, would I like to –”

“And what did you say?” said Ron, who had picked up his pestle and was grinding it on the desk, a good six inches from his bowl, because he was looking at Hermione. 

“And he did say he’d never felt the same way about anyone else,” Hermione went on, going so red  and hot she rolled her sleeves up. “Does she have an invisibility cloak? I thought she’d been banned from school grounds” 

“And what did you say?” Ron repeated, pounding his pestle down so hard that it dented the desk. 

“Fascinating though your social life undoubtedly is, Miss Granger,” said an icy drawl right behind them, “ I must ask you not to discuss it in my class. Ten points from Gryffindor. Well, I think I had better separate the three of you, so you can keep your minds on your potions rather than your tangled love lives. Weasley, you stay here. Miss Granger, over there, beside Mr Malfoy. Potter, you’ll sit with Miss Parkinson”

Hermione gathered her gear and went to sit with Malfoy right behind Crabbe and Goyle’s table. The boy stiffened at her side and didn’t bother to look her way or acknowledge her presence. Hermione raised the tip of her nose indignant and got to work. 

“You’ll be getting us all burnt here if you don’t properly chop the sopophorous beans, Granger” He said without looking away from his carefully and milimetrically symmetric work. 

“My cutting is fine, Malfoy. Why would we get burnt?” She asked offended

“Your pieces are to big and they’re all different sized” He said as if he was talking to a three year old asking why the sky was blue “Their shell won’t properly melt on the cauldron that way and they’ll react when you add shrivelfig-”

“-combusting” She finished for him. Damn it, he was right. “Why do you care if my potion goes wrong? Yours will look better that way”

He took so long to answer that Hermione thought he might not say anything at all. She was carefully chopping her beans again in symmetrical and tiny bits. 

“I do not need others’ failure to look better. ” He hissed “And I do not care. I simply don’t want to mess my robes”

They continued working in silence for almost 45 minutes.

“Merlin, Granger. Are you trying to tear your finger off? Place your leech sideways, or else it’ll jump and the knife will go straight into your skin” Malfoy said exasperated, pulling her hand off of the sharp knife she was holding and rearranging the flabbergasted leeches on her table. 

“Leave me alone, Malfoy” Hermione spat, yanking her hand away from his “Worried my dirty blood will stain your robes?”

He looked at her for the first time since the beginning of the class, lividly. His irises looked like a pool of mercury. 

“Shut up, Granger.” He said in a low voice and it was much scarier than screaming somehow. “Stop being stupid. I was only trying to-”

“Don’t you dare try anything else. Leave me alone.” She spat turning her chair so she’d work diagonally looking away from me. 

He didn’t say anything else. That stupid cockroach, trying to teach her how to cut the leeches and…

Suddenly Hermione knew. She jumped from her chair. The beetle. Rita Skeeter was a beetle. It was obvious! The beetle on her hair, the beetle on the window, the day Malfoy and Pansy were whispering to a tree. She turned to the pale blond boy at her side and pointed her finger at him 

“It was you! She’s a beetle, right?” She nearly screamed. 

She knew she might sound crazy, but the edge of Malfoy’s mouth came slightly upward in a discreet smirk for less than a second and he turned back to his potion seeming bored. 

“Miss Granger, what nonsense is this? 15 points from Gryffindor!” Snape said acidly.

“Sorry professor, I’m not feeling well” Hermione said beaming while gathering her stuff and throwing on her satchel “I think I should see Madam Pomfrey” she skipped out of the room without waiting for an answer.

March 3rd

D: Now I’m really afraid you’ll find out who I am

H: Why?

D: Are you going to use a love potion on me as you did with Potter and Krum?

H: You can’t possibly belie-

D: I don’t. 

April 27th

Hermione tried with all her might, but she never encountered the Rita Skeeter beetle again. And between knitting house-elves hats and scarfs (which made them stop cleaning her bed to avoid finding the clothes), studying for her classes, snogging Viktor, talking to D and being in the middle of the usual mess around Harry’s life… Hermione was busy. 

May 27th

Hermione was banned from the school’s kitchen because the house elves didn’t like her liberation talks. She was receiving hate mail every day, after she opened a letter with burning pus that made her hands blistered and scarred for two weeks she stopped opening them. Yet she was still getting hateful howlers calling her a whore for hurting and using Potter and Krum like that. 

Viktor tried to talk to Harry about their relationship with Hermione and they encountered Barty Crouch. Harry ran to find Dumbledore and came back to find out that Viktor was stunned and Barty Crouch was dead in the Forbidden Forest. 

The third task would be a maze grown in the quidditch pitch. The Triwizard Cup would be placed in the middle and there would be lots of threats to overcome in the middle of the maze. 

Hermione was helping Harry to train with defensive spells and studying about magical creatures. 

June 6th

D: I bet you 50 galleons that there will be blast ended skrewts on the maze, Hagrid can’t have raised them for nothing. 

H: I don’t have that money to pay you

D: yes, and you already owe me for the bubble head tip. 

H: Harry didn’t use it!

D: not my problem. 

H: What do you want?

D: I’ll decide soon. 

June 15th

H: Let’s compare notes on the finals

D: Don’t be smug, Granger. We all know you’re the top of your class. 

H: Are you top of your class?

D: I won’t answer that. But here are my results. 

…

H: They’re very good. But you didn’t say the classes you take. 

D: And I won’t. 

H: Coward.

June 25th

Voldemort was back. Cedric was dead. Harry was in the hospital bed. Hermione was glad her friend was back, despite knowing everything would change from that day on. Now, she and other muggle borns would be targeted. She had no option but to fight, because she had nowhere to run.

Hermione cried the whole night about Cedric. She didn’t know if he was her pen pal yet it didn’t really matter. He was a good man and now he was dead. The screaming cry of his father was engraved on her mind forever. 

The only good news that day came when Hermione found a beetle on the window next to Harry’s bed at the Hospital Wing. She got a mason jar and used it to trap Rita Skeeter on her irregular animagus form. She quickly casted an unbreakable charm on the glass. And she excused herself out of the infirmary. 

…

“... And you’ll refrain from writing bad pieces about other people for at least a year or I’ll report you to the ministry. Fly up and down for yes and sideways for no. Do you understand me?” She kept saying to the beetle in the secret alcove. “I’ll let you go once we arrive in London.” 

The beetle flew up and down. Hermione casted a silencing charm on the jar and was ready to leave the alcove she was hidden inside when long pale fingers pushed her back inside. 

“Very clever indeed Granger” Malfoy said coldly while closing the door behind him. “I’m guessing she’s silenced?” He said pointing to the beetle with his chin. 

Hermione only nodded, her eyes wide and her voice suddenly gone. 

“Hm..” He said taking the jar from her and placing it on a shelf behind Hermione’s head. 

He was too close. His chest was right on Hermione’s face. She could feel his heart beating almost against her cheeks. She gulped 

“What do you want, Malfoy?” She asked with a broken voice not nearly as defiantly as she wanted to sound. 

He let his gaze fall back to hers. Clouds to earth. Smoke to chocolate. She felt like her soul was being pulled towards him, in almost a dementor-like manner. He placed the cold points of his fingers on her jaw. She felt frozen. There was a siren ringing in her head. Danger. Danger. Danger. 

“Granger…” He whispered just before his lips touched hers. And then he was kissing her. She’d kissed Viktor dozens of times that year. But it never felt like this. Malfoy was hungry and careful at the same time. He’d suck her bottom lip, kiss her mouth, nib the bottom and then gently lick where it stinged. He used his tongue to explore her mouth. He tasted like mint and his kiss made her mind spin madly.  Though they were impossibly close he kept his distance, merely touching her jaw with his fingers. She gasped and pulled him by his shirt. But it seemed like the wrong thing to do because he pulled back looking startled. “I… I needed to know” he mumbled before turning on his heels and leaving her alone. 

She didn’t even know how to feel about what happened. In fact, she didn’t even know what had happened. 

June 28th

D: You should leave hogwarts

H: Why?

D: You know damn well why, Granger. 

H: I don’t, enlighten me. 

D: You know he’s back. You know you’re not safe. 

H: I can’t run. 

D: Then I guess you should start calling yourself the stupidest witch of your age. 

It was the first time D had ever been that rude to her. She didn’t know what to say. So she said nothing. Well, at least now she knew he wasn’t Cedric. 

June 29th

Hermione hated herself. She hated herself because the only thing she could think while saying goodbye to the first boy that noticed her, that found her pretty with her bushy hair and her bookish attitude… was how his kiss was not like Draco Malfoy’s. 

She hated herself because when he promised to write her she knew it wouldn’t be the same as writing D. 

What kind of masochist idiot would prefer the bully’s kiss and the correspondence with a boy who wouldn’t even agree to see her face to face and just called her the stupidest witch of her age?

June 30th

Her heart leapt when she saw him enter their cabin at the train back to London. She knew he was up to no good. Not with his minions around him. 

“Very clever, Granger,” said Draco Malfoy, the very same words he’d said before. Had she imagined it?

All three of them looked more pleased with themselves, more arrogant and more menacing, than ever.

“So you caught some pathetic reporter, and Potter’s Dumbledore’s favourite boy again. Big deal.” His smirk widened. Crabbe and Goyle leered. ‘Trying not to think about it, are we? Trying to pretend it hasn’t happened?”

“Get out,” said Harry

“You’ve picked the losing side, Potter! I warned you! I told you you ought to choose your company more carefully, remember?” Draco drawled “And I told you-” he said turning to Hermione with venom on his voice and steel on his eyes “I told you you should not be at Hogwarts. And you should’ve listened to me. Because you muggle lovers and muggl- mudbloods will be the first to die. Or should I say second? Since Diggory was f-”

It was as though someone had exploded a box of fireworks within the compartment. Blinded by the blaze of the spells that had blasted from every direction, deafened by a series of bangs. Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle were all lying unconscious in the doorway. Harry, Ron and Hermione were on their feet, all three of them having used a different hex. But Fred and George had done the same. 

They kicked the slytherins to the side and closed the door to their cabin. The rest of the trip went as smoothly as possible with the prospect of the upcoming war. 

Once they arrived at King’s Cross, Hermione pulled her trunk around their unconscious bodies and tried her best not to look back. At Malfoy’s face, his lips…She promised herself she’d never ever think about him again. He didn’t deserve even that.

Chapter Text

July 12nd

D: Dear Ms Granger, I’ve decided what I want from you to pay what you owe me.

It was the first message from him in weeks. Hermione had already read the whole syllabus for fifth year as well as two books on the procedure of O.W.L.s examinations. 

Her parents were oblivious to the return of Voldemort. Dumbledore forbade her and Ron from writing Harry and her red-haired friend was not exactly a good correspondent. She had no one to talk to from her world. 

H: Hello stranger. Tell me your price. 

D: Take your muggle parents and leave the UK. 

She felt a heavy weight drop to her stomach. 

H: Not going to happen. Was that all?

D: Yes. 

July 15th 

It wasn’t all though. Apparently he too missed talking to her. So they would talk every day. 

H: What are you doing right now?

D: Flying a bit, I got a new broom. 

July 17th 

D: we should start a book club, just the two of us 

H: why? I have loads of things to read already

D: then one more won’t make that much of a difference

H: fine… what book? 

July 20th  

H: Probably a healer or something like that. 

…

H: Are you there?

“attendere”

…

July 22nd

H: Good morning

“attendere”

July 23rd

D: Hello

H: Hey, how are you? Did something happen?

D: No, why?

H: Well… I haven’t heard from you for days.. 

D: I was busy

H: Of course

D: I had visitors

H: That’s nice… Friends or family?

D: Girlfriend. 

July 30th

“C’mon now, love. It’ll be fun” Mr Granger said to a sulking Hermione sitting on the passenger seat. 

Her father had all but dragged her from the house to visit the city park. In his words “she was spending way too much time indoors for it to be healthy”. They rode bikes together, ate ice cream and visited the butterfly house. 

He was right. It was fun. 

Hermione felt her vision blur with quickly-sucked-back-in tears on their way back home. How could people not see humanity in them? How could people like Voldemort think they were less than the others? Muggles were capable of art, of poetry, of medicine, of love, of everything that was good and beautiful; as well as what was ugly and evil too. They were the same as wizards, only without magic. 

She did her best not to think about her encounter with a certain pureblood wizard inside a hidden alcove in the castle at the end of the term. She didn’t think about the possibility that it had affected him at all into thinking she was more than mud. 

July 31st

Hermione went to stay with the Weasley’s at Grimmauld Place. She sent Harry a birthday card and some honeydukes boxes of sweets, with a scribbled note saying she expected to see him soon. But she didn’t answer any of the questions he had made in his letters to her. Her heart ached, but the school principal was very clear about the fact that they were not supposed to write to him. 

August 5th

“Bloody hell, ‘Mione” Ron said with his mouth full of pumpkin cookies “ I dunno how your brain doesn’t burn with all this reading”

She didn’t answer, giving him a weak smile from her book. 

The Divine Comedy. Ulysses. The Brothers Karamazov. Moby-Dick. In search of lost time. One hundred years of solitude. The list of books they read on their two person book club kept growing. D always finished first. But she always had more to say about the reading than him. In fact, he was less and less wordy by the minute. 

D: You choose now. 

H: But I chose last time!

D: I didn’t know you had a problem with being bossy. Aren’t you supposed to be a prefect now?

H: What do you mean? How would you know that? The school letters haven’t arrived yet

D: I’m not stupid you know. Who else are they going to appoint?

H: Are you a prefect as well?

D: Nice try, Granger. I graduated from Hogwarts last year and I’m working at the Ministry now. 

H: That’s not true…

D: How do you know?

How could she know? Who was he? She spent so much time sure it was Cedric that she stopped looking for clues and now she was no close to knowing who was the person she spoke most of all. Who was Mr Darcy? 

August 4th

Harry was attacked by dementors in Little Whinging, he used the Patronus charm to defend himself. The Ministry of Magic tried to expel him from Hogwarts. It was all part of their attempt to deny Voldemort’s return by discrediting Harry. The Daily Prophet’s articles had been relentless all summer. 

Dumbledore managed to change the decision and grant Harry an official hearing. The aurors were supposed to be rescuing him on Sunday. Hermione didn’t really know any of those always in and out of Grimmauld Place, the Order of the Phoenix Headquarters. She liked Nymphadora Tonks though, who was very funny. 

August 7th

Harry arrived. He was incredibly angry, as expected, but very rude too. Hermione tried not to be offended with his cruelty because she knew he had a lot on his plate. They were cleaning the Sirius family house every day to make it more livable. 

H: We’ve only been reading muggle novels… Don’t you have any wizarding recommendations?

D: Let’s read “The Fallen Wand” then… It’s my favorite book. 

H: Great, I’ll get it next time I go to Diagon Alley.

D: I’ll owl you a copy,  just give me your address. 

H: I can’t

D: that’s good.. It seems you gryffindors aren’t that reckless after all. Tell me when you have it.

She couldn’t tell him where she was. Grimmauld Place was under the Fidelius Charm to protect the order. She would tell him if she could. But she knew she shouldn’t, she didn’t even know who this person was after all. 

August 9th

Hermione hand was burning with painful blisters while Molly applied healing balm. 

“I’m sorry, dear… I should’ve known…” The poor lady murmured full of guilt.

“It’s alright Molly… I didn’t expect it either”

She could hear Ron and Sirius screaming at Kreacher upstairs. The house elf knew the Black Library was enchanted to hurt any muggle born that tried to touch their ancient books. Yet he was the one that specifically instructed Hermione where to get the copy of the 1854 novel “The Fallen Wand” available there. 

August 10th

Hermione’s tired eyes turned towards the window sky where the sun was rising. She hadn’t been able to stop reading the previous night. Bill Weasley had brought her some books from Flourish and Blotts in an attempt to cheer the mood after her incident with the burning book. The older Weasley brother had applied to a desk job at Gringotts to be near his family and he went to Diagon Alley daily. Once he offered, she asked D for recommendations and gave Bill the list. 

“The fallen wand” the curse breaker asked conversationally scanning her list “that’s a very great book, not really known though. Is it for hogwarts?”

“Kind of… book club” she muttered back. 

Now she’d read it and it shifted her brain chemistry. How to live from there? She’d been so eager to finish and now that it was gone she felt some sort of grief about it. 

H: I hate you

D: Why? 

H: For introducing me to this book. It broke my heart. 

It was a romance during Goblins War in the 17th centur in which a witch timetravels back to 1076.. The book went on about politics, family expectations, social norms, romance, magic and so much more. It was so raw and emotional, but at the same time so carefully written and beautiful. 

D: Don’t be so sensitive… It is realistic. 

H: They die! 

D: So? What did you expect? Happily Ever After? 

H: Something like that, yes…

D: You’re delusional if you think there could possibly be another ending for them. 

H: But I don’t read books to know what is possible or realistic to happen. I read to have hope and to have a good time. 

D: I’m disappointed. I believed you were more logical than that, Granger. 

H: I’ll have my revenge on you. Next book is “Dom Casmurro”. 

August 11th

D: Why Machado de Assis?

H: I was interested in CasteloBruxo and the Brazilian magical community during my third year. He’s a wizard, very famous for his novels there. 

D: I know. I’ve never read anything from him though. 

August 13th

Harry is allowed back at Hogwarts after his Wizengamot Official Hearing. The mood in Grimmauld Place is lighter. 

D: So, did she do it?

H: What?

D: Did Capitu cheat on Bentinho or not?

H: She says she didn’t.

D: I gathered that much. 

H: Well… that’s all there is to it. There is no real answer. 

D: What do you mean? Isn’t there a sequel or something?

H: No… No one knows if she did it or not. It’s not about it though. It’s about how being obsessed about something can drive you crazy and destroy your life. 

D: Bullocks. You recommended an unfinished novel just to get on my nerves. 

August 17th

H: I said no already, I will never run away and if you keep asking me to do it I’ll burn this parchment. 

D: How can you be this stubborn? Aren’t you seeing what’s been happening? Don’t you know what he’ll do to you and your family?

H: He’ll do it to all muggleborns and muggles. We have to fight him, not run. 

D: Fucking Gryffindors. 

August 20th

“Why are you always laughing at that paper, Mione?” Ron asked. 

“What? N-nothing” Hermione quickly pocked it down promising herself to write D back soon. 

“Is it Viktor you’re writing?” Ginny said in a mocking smooth tone making Ron’s ears turn red. 

“No! It’s not him, it’s someone else” Hermione answered quickly, blushing too. 

“A friend?” Ron asked skeptically “Lavender or Parvati?”

“Er… no” Hermione scanned her mind for a way to change the subject. 

“It’s definitely a boy, Ron… Hermione wouldn’t giggle like that talking to those two empty heads” Ginny provoked. 

“Do you talk to boys a lot to know how it looks like, Ginny?” Hermione asked sourly

“Only Michael Corner” Ginny said without blinking, not shy at all. 

August 24th

“MINISTER PASSES EDUCATIONAL DECREE #22”

Hermione reads the Daily Prophet cover article for everyone at the breakfast table. 

“What does this mean?” Ron asks

“It means the Ministry will interfere in Hogwarts. The minister is to appoint professors if Dumbledore can’t find anyone” Hermione explains, biting her lower lip. 

August 27th

“So, no letters from Hogwarts yet?” Arthur Weasley asks after arriving from the Ministry. 

“Not yet” Harry answers. 

Hermione takes a sip of her tea. The letters have never taken so long to arrive before. 

August 30th

Hermione's eyes are filled with tears. She couldn’t believe the shiny badge in front of her, the words on McGonagall’s letter kept dancing in her vision. She had to pinch herself and take 7 deep breaths before she was able to read. She was Gryffindor’s prefect! What an honor. She was expected at the prefect’s cabin in Hogwarts Express to learn more about their duties, but for now that was it. 

She ran towards Harry and Ron’s room, her cheeks flushed and her hair flying.

“Did you – did you get –?” She spotted the badge in Harry’s hand and let out a shriek. “I knew it!” she said excitedly, brandishing her letter. “Me too, Harry, me too!”

“No, no. It’s Ron. Not me”

“What?”

“Ron is the prefect. Not me”

“Ron? Are you sure?”

“It’s my name on the letter” Ron said defiantly

“Oh.. I.. well! Wow! Well done, Ron” She tried to smile encouragingly “That’s really..”

“Unexpected” George said

“No, no!” Hermione winced “It’s not, Ron has done loads of… He’s really…”

Hermione was saved when the door behind her opened a little wider and Mrs Weasley backed into the room carrying a pile of freshly laundered robes. 

“Ginny said the booklists finally arrived” she said while sorting the robes. “ Please give them to me, so I can go to Diagon Alley tomorrow while you pack… Ron, I’ll get you some robes.. You’re growing too fast”

“Get them new, mum” George said

“To match his badge!” Fred added. 

“Match his what?” Molly asked looking up from the pile. 

“His lovely shiny new prefect’s badge.” Fred’s words took a moment to penetrate Mrs Weasley’s mind. 

“His … but … Ron, you’re not …?” Ron held up his badge. Mrs Weasley let out a shriek just like Hermione’s. “I don’t believe it! I don’t believe it! Oh, Ron, how wonderful! A prefect! That’s everyone in the family!”

 “What are Fred and I, next-door neighbours?” said George indignantly, as his mother pushed him aside and flung her arms around her youngest son. 

“Wait until your father hears! Ron, I’m so proud of you, what wonderful news, you could end up Head Boy just like Bill and Percy, it’s the first step! Oh, what a thing to happen in the middle of all this worry, I’m just thrilled, oh, Ronnie –”

Ron’s mum was pampering him with proud kisses and Hermione felt her heart warm. Her friend deserved it after being overshadowed. His mum asked what reward he wanted, as she gave all his brothers that were prefects. He asked for a new broom, not an expensive one, but a new one for change. Molly smile faltered for just a second because brooms were very expensive, but she agreed quickly. Ron was beyond himself. 

“You don’t mind if we don’t kiss you, do you, Ron?” said Fred

“We could curtsey, if you like,” said George. 

“Oh, shut up,” said Ron, scowling at them. 

“Or what?”

“Are we getting detention?”

“I’d love to see him try”

“He could if you don’t watch out!” said Hermione angrily. Fred and George burst out laughing.

“Wow, with these two as prefects it looks like our law-breaking days are finally over,” said George, shaking his head. And with another loud crack, the twins Disapparated. 

“Those two!” said Hermione furiously “Don’t pay any attention to them, Ron, they’re only jealous!”

“I don’t think so, they think being prefect it for prats… But they never got new brooms” Ron’s face lit up “I think I’ll go tell mum to get the new Cleansweep” He dashed from the room, leaving Harry and Hermione alone. 

“Erm – Harry – could I borrow Hedwig so I can tell Mum and Dad? They’ll be really pleased – I mean prefect is something they can understand.” Hermione asked. 

 “Yeah, no problem,” said Harry. 

…

Hermione received a long letter from her parents telling her how proud they were. 

D: I think you should get some hair stuff… People won’t be able to see the badge if you keep you mane untied

H: ha ha

D: Congratulations. They’d be stupid if they chose someone else. 

August 31st

Mrs Weasley returned from Diagon Alley around six o’clock, with books and carrying Ron’s broom. Down in the basement, she had hung a scarlet banner over the heavily laden dinner table, which read: 

CONGRATULATIONS RON AND HERMIONE NEW PREFECTS 

She looked in a better mood than ever.

“I thought we’d have a little party, not a sit-down dinner,” she told Harry, Ron, Hermione, Fred, George and Ginny as they entered the room. “Your father and Bill are on their way, Ron. I’ve sent them both owls and they’re thrilled,” she added, beaming.

Sirius, Mad Eye, Lupin, Tonks and Kingsley Shacklebolt were already there. Hermione engaged in a deep conversation with Lupin about House Elfs rights and prejudice against Lycantropy. She didn’t even mind when Kreacher accidentally dropped butterbeer all over her clothes.

“Scurgify” Tonks muttered using the moment to join their conversation. 

Hermione soon realised she was third wheeling and went back to her room. 

…

H: See you tomorrow then?

D: Are you coming to the ministry?

H: I know you didn’t graduate. 

D: Five points to gryffindor

September 1st 

“Blimey Mione, I told you it was too early!” Ron complained once they arrived at the prefects cabin in Hogwarts Express “I wanted some chocolate frogs”

“Everyone will be here soon, Ron” Hermione sighed “This is serious, we have responsibilities as prefects. You can’t keep thinking with your stomach and-”

“I’ll go quickly and be back before anyone else arrives” Ron said already turning on his heels. 

Hermione looked around. There was no one there at the cabin yet for the meeting. She figured she should go to the loo quickly so she wouldn’t have to leave in the middle of the Head Boy and Girl’s explanation once their appointment began. 

The girls bathroom for the prefects’ car was locked. Hermione wouldn’t try her luck on the boy’s bathroom, so she casted a quick “alohomora” and entered without a second thought. 

Though she quickly realised a second thought would’ve been a great idea. Across the bathroom, leaning with his back on the wall was Draco Malfoy. His previously shut eyes darted open once he heard Hermione entering. In front of him, covering the lower half of his body, was a waterfall of blonde silky hair. 

A knelt Daphne Greengrass looked back at Hermione. Her lips were glistening. 

“Damn it, Granger!” She snapped “Can’t you knock or something?”

Hermione looked up and down, from Draco to Daphne and back to Draco. He ran his hand on Daphne’s hair while looking at Hermione.

“Don’t stop, love.The mudblood’s leaving. Aren’t you, Granger?” He drawled with a smirk. 

“I.. I..” Hermione stuttered. 

“Don’t you dare tell anyone, Granger!” Daphne’s voice shouted from behind her as Hermione stormed away from the bathroom. 

Hermione’s heart was pounding loudly on her chest when she sat back at the prefects’ cabin. She felt.. embarrassed, dirty, scared. What had she just seen? She surely knew what it looked like. Daphne Greengrass was giving Draco Malfoy a… She didn’t even know what to call it. She was shivering… She didn’t even have the mind to acknowledge the fact that people her age were doing.. those types of things. She’d never gotten even near doing something like that with Viktor and he was already 17 at the time!

Besides, wasn’t Malfoy with Pansy?

Not that it’d stopped him from kissing her last term. Had he really done that? She was half sure she’d imagined the whole thing now, the days after Cedric’s death. Malfoy was the epitome of disgusting. His reaction was all wrong. A proper gentleman would perhaps try to disguise, protect Daphne’s intimacy. He just told her to “keep going”. Nasty cockroach. How did Daphne submit herself to that? How did Pansy?. Hermione did not include herself on the list of girls that allowed Malfoy to do things to her, because that alleged kiss was nothing. It probably didn’t even happen. Maybe he bumped into her while placing the jar on the shelf behind her and she imagined the rest. 

Not that she had a reason to do so. He was not pretty. He looked like a skull with that sharp jaw line and those chiseled cheekbones. And his nose was so.. Pointy. And, yes, he was tall. But so was… 

“Ron! Thank God you’re back”

“Did I take too long? No one else’s here” Ron looked around awkwardly

“What? No…” Hermione began but she was interrupted by the sound of the door to the cabin opening for Padma Patil and Anthony Goldstein. Padma gave Ron a ugly glare before sitting down. 

“Hello” Anthony said pompously stuffing his chest as if Hermione and Ron didn’t also have a Prefect’s badge. “Anthony Goldstein” he said, giving his hand to shake theirs. 

Hermoine greeted them excitedly.

“Oh Padma, I’m so happy for you” She said as Earnie Macmillan entered with Hannah Abbot. 

There was another round of greetings with pride and shyness before everyone sat down. 

“So.. Potter didn’t want to be prefect?” Padma asked sourly to Ron, making his ears burn red. 

“Well, it looked like he did when Ron received his letter,” Hermione said, grabbing Ron’s hand and holding it between hers on her lap.

She felt a bit sorry for throwing Harry under the bus like that, but she didn’t like the insinuation in Padma’s tone. Of course everyone would expect Harry to be a prefect. He was indeed the boy who lived. But he couldn’t be the main character EVERY TIME. 

“It’d appear it is a stipendiary position for how eager the Weasleys are to be nominated prefects” Malfoy sneered as he entered the door, his hand firmly placed behind Pansy’s back “Did you at least get a scholarship, Weasel? Is that why your pathetic father was grinning so much at King Cross?”

Pansy was the only one to laugh at his joke as she sat at his side - practically at his lap - in front of Ron and Hermione. Hermione felt her friend's hand turn into a fist inside her palms. 

“Don’t do it.. It’s not worth it” She whispered in his ear. Ron took a few breaths to calm down and said nothing. She gave him a peck on the cheek to show her support. It made Ron shiver slightly. 

When she glanced back at Malfoy, he looked disgusted.

Soon after, Amanda Klinefelt, the Head Girl, and Josh Beauregard, Head Boy, came to explain prefects duties. They were supposed to guide the first years as long as supervise their housemates when the weather was bad outside. They had power to give detentions and deduct house points for bad behaviour. They had to patrol the hallways some nights to ensure students were not breaking curfew and represent their houses in meetings with the professors and Head Boy and Girl.

“And you’re supposed to patrol the Hogwarts Express now, so every student is on their best behaviour. We’ll set a schedule so you all have time to rest and eat as well.. You should get changed too, people need to be able to identify prefects” Amanda said matter of factly. “Abbot, Weasley… Why don’t you two take the first round?”

“Bloody Hell” Ron complained. “I’m starving”

“Tsk tsk.. I’ll have to deduct 10 points from Gryffindor for you being so lazy, Weasel. I know you didn’t have food at home, but frankly.. Duty comes first” Malfoy drawled. 

“Prefects can’t deduct points OR give fellow prefects detentions, Malfoy” Josh said firmly.

“Pity… Because Granger’s hair is definitely breaking school wear decorum” Pansy sneered. 

“Oh, you cow!” Hermione snapped. 

“Alright, alright!” Amanda got up “Five points from Slytherin AND Gryffindor. You are prefects for Merlin’s sake. Act like it. You’re role models for other students” Hermione’s face burned in shame “Malfoy, Granger. You two are in the first hour round for patrol. Go now. Weasley, go have your desired snack and come back because you and Abbot are next. Then Goldst… Malfoy, Granger: go NOW!”

Hermione hadn’t moved until then because she was simply petrified. She was supposed to stay ONE HOUR patrolling the train with Malfoy? The prefect dream turned into a nightmare soon enough. She got up with her nose as high as she could, squared her shoulders and walked out not bothering to wait for him. 

“I won’t have you talking about my girlfriend like that, Mudblood” Malfoy whispered grabbing her by the arm and forcing her to face him when they were far enough from the prefects’ cabin. 

“Your girlfriend? Do you mean Pansy? Or Daphne?” She spat venomously yanking her arm free and resuming her walk. 

“ That is none of your business. In fact, you'll do well to leave both of them alone. As every other pureblood witch in school” He whispered angrily “They are, after all, your superiors ”

Hermione snorted “My superiors? Give me a break. The only thing Pansy is superior to me is height. And Daphne.. well, she certainly stoop lower than I’d think possible”

Draco didn’t answer her, instead he opened a cabin full of third years playing with dungbombs and said:

“Those are not allowed. Hand me now” 

After a few more reproaches for several students from both of them, Hermione opened a cabin that was enchanted to look dark inside. Once she casted the countercharm, she found a 6th year ravenclaw straddled on a 6th year gryffindor, Cormac McLaggen. At least they were fully dressed.

“Y-you shouldn’t be.. That’s not allowed” She said with a high pitched voice, clearly uncomfortable. 

McLaggen rolled his eyes as the girl came down from his lap and nodded. 

“Alright, Granger” He said, placing his index and middle fingers on his forehead and sliding it away in a sort of military salute. 

Hermione turned away and closed the door behind her. 

“Is that the reaction you always have?” Malfoy chuckled low behind her.

“What?”

“When you see people snogging.. do you always get your knickers twisted?”

“WHAT?”

“Calm down, Granger. I mean, get fidgety and jittery” Malfoy said, running his long fingers on his carefully arranged pale blond hair. “Blimey, haven’t you and Krum done all that stuff already? Why the shock?”

Hermione faltered. What the actual hell was he talking about?

“I-I don’t need to tell you anything about my personal life, Malfoy” She said weakly, but I  seemed like she’d just told him everything he needed to know with her tone, that made him grin. 

“Fuck, Granger… No wonder you’re so uptight. I thought Krum would show you the way to stuff” 

“He… I.. Malfoy, this is really none of your business” Hermione hissed walking away from him. 

She felt his hand grabbing her wrist and flinched when he pulled her to an empty cabin.

”Let me go” she pleaded angrily.

“I want to know, Granger. Tell me.” He said simply, as if that was all the explanation needed. He wanted to know so she would have to tell him. Prat. 

“You want to know, Malfoy?” She said defiantly pulling her arm free and taking one step towards him “You want to know? Or you need to know?” She was intentionally repeating his words from before. His cocky expression faltered for a split of a second before the arrogant mask came back on. 

“Whatever, Granger” He said disgustedly, taking a step back towards the door.

“No” She said, pulling the doorknob from behind him and closing it again. He was pressed between her and the door. “Tell me what you needed to know three months ago”

He pushed her away. Not too strongly, but enough to make her go back a few steps. 

“I needed to know if it was true what they say about mudbloods and they’re muggle habits” He said with a wicked grin “You know, how depraved they say you are. With tight and short clothing. With songs about shaking their ‘asses’ and all those explicit sex scenes in movies and books”

Hermione felt like her tongue was made of sand because her mouth was so dry.

“I bet that’s what Krum wanted to see with you too.” He said coolly “I certainly confirmed the tales. You were so desperate for me then”

She saw red and didn’t really think about anything until her palm had connected with his cheek. 

“Such a savage, Granger… Always down for physical conflict, huh?” He smirked, caressing where she’d slapped him. “I’m certain the Dark Lord will have lots of works for muggles like you once he establishes his empire”

“You’re disgusting, you’re a cockroach, you’re evil…” She mumbled, hating the tears gathering at her eyes. 

He hummed absent minded, turning on his back towards the door. Their round was over. And whatever else that could ever possibly be in a different universe or timeline… was over too. 

…

D: So, how was your first day?

H: Do you know Draco Malfoy?

D: He’s an arse. 

H: I hate him. 

D: Me too.

Chapter Text

September 1st

Hermione vomited the few things she ate for dinner. Her insides were curling and burning at the same time. Malfoy always had the ability to make her feel like trash, ever since the very first year. But she grew accustomed to it. She started to despise him too. She started to find him pathetic. She always told herself she’d never look for only looks in a man. And that was all there was to Malfoy. He was a very handsome boy. That was undeniable. Apparently every other girl in their year (other years too) would agree. He looked like… Like a renaissance painting of an angel. And yes, Hermione was aware that this description was pathetic. But he looked that ancient, that symmetric, that chiveled, that aristocratic, that celestial. Yet he was no angel. He was a monster. As perfect as he was outside… he was rotten inside. 

Yet nothing, no bullying, no slur, nothing... Nothing compared to the way he'd made her feel that day. Like an used tissue. 

The scenes of that Sunday were flashing behind her eyelids. 

Daphne kneeled in front of him. Her mouth on his… Hermione shook her head. 

Pansy almost on his lap. His hand possessive on her hip. 

Him entering the cabin she shared with Harry, Ron, Neville and… Loony Lovegood. The girl was the daughter of the Quibbler’s editor and played the part perfectly being utterly weird. When Malfoy entered, Harry lashed out on him:

“What?”

“Manners, Potter, or I’ll have to give you a detention. You see, I, unlike you, have been made a prefect, which means that I, unlike you, have the power to hand out punishments.”

“Yeah,but you, unlike me, are a git, so get out and leave us alone.” Harry said and Hermione laughed just because she really wanted Malfoy to leave them alone. 

“Tell me, how does it feel being second-best to Weasley, Potter?” he asked. 

“Shut up, Malfoy,” said Hermione sharply. 

“I seem to have touched a nerve,” Malfoy smirked. “Well, just watch yourself, Potter, because I’ll be dogging your footsteps in case you step out of line.”

Hermione had had enough and his word choice made her too worried about Sirius, who had insisted on seeing Harry off at Kings Cross in his Animagus form despite Hermione insisting he shouldn’t. She got up and placed both palms on Malfoys chest pushing him away. Malfoy looked at her hands before sneering off. 

Then, once they dropped at Hogsmead’s Station, they saw Malfoy with his girlfriend and his minions bullying some second years to get a coach just for themselves. 

“I swear I’m going to report him, he’s only had his badge for three minutes and he’s using it to bully people worse than ever” She’d complained. 

Harry was acting so strangely on their way back… Talking about weird horses pulling the carriages, but there were no horses. Hermione worried he was seeing things, like he heard things during second year. 

Then during dinner, Hermione barely registered Dumbledore’s speech or Umbridge’s interruption to it. Because every time she glanced to the slytherin table, those grey eyes met hers for a split second and he’d smirk viciously. As if she was naked before him. Hermione almost felt sorry for Pansy as she giggled happily to Daphne sitting at her other side. Did she know? Definitely not, Pansy did look the understanding and sharing type.

Hermione’s head was so dizzy by the end of the welcome feast she simply guided the first years sorted into Gryffindor to their common room and went straight to her dorm. 

H: Do you know Draco Malfoy?

D: He’s an arse. 

H: I hate him. 

D: Me too.  

September 2nd

Their Monday morning began with a double class of potions with the Slytherins. The assignment was to brew the Draught of Peace. Snape once again seized his opportunity to humiliate Harry making Malfoy and his gang laugh loudly. 

Hermione sat with Neville and they both not only delivered a very carefully and correctly brewed potion, but also had a really good time. The boy managed to make Hermione giggle a few times telling stories about his grandma during summer. When he told her about how the old Mrs. Longbottom had spent the whole day searching for her wand only to find nestled amidst the feathers of her hat, Hermione laughed so hard she had to grab his arm to avoid falling from the chair. 

…

“I really thought Snape might be a bit better this year, you know, now that he’s in the Order and everything” Hermione whispered disappointed to Ron and Harry as they reached the Great Hall for lunch

“I think he’d need to be reborn or something to change” Ron snorted “Anyway, I’ve always thought Dumbledore was cracked to trust Snape. Where’s the evidence he ever really stopped working for You-Know-Who?”

“I’m sure Dumbledore has enough evidence… even if he made the mistake of not telling you, Ron” Hermione snapped

“Oh shut up” Harry spat

Hermione and Ron both froze, looking angry and offended. ‘

“You’re always fighting like an  old couple, get over already. You’re driving me mad” He said before storming out. 

“Ron, you really need to talk to Harry. I know he’s going through a lot, but he can’t be using us as punching bags to release his anger.  

“I’ll try, ‘Mione…” Ron sighed “But maybe we should just give him some time t- NEVILLE, what happened?”

Hermione looked back to find Neville jumping in their direction through the Great Hall. His legs were tied, his face was all swollen like a watermelon. 

“Malfoy” Neville rolled his eyes “Cornered me on the hallway and hexed me. When I tried hexing him back, he deducted me 15 house points!”

“That’s absurd” Hermione’s hands shot to her mouth but she quickly brought them back down to grab her wand and murmur the counter charms. “You need to defend yourself, Neville. Don’t you know the shielding spell?”

Neville shook his head. 

…

D: Hey you, just realised today we’re celebrating one year of our correspondence. 

H: I’ll get us a cake, just tell me where we’ll meet. 

D: Where are you now?

H: Ancient Runes… You?

D: Nice try. It’s been a year, Granger, how could the brightest witch of our age not solve this simple mystery?

H: Well you don’t give me any good tips. 

D: Excuses…

… 

Her second class that afternoon was Defense Against the Dark Arts with Umbridge, the puffed up pink toad the ministry had sent to spy on Hogwarts. Hermione snorted, reading the three objectives the teacher had elected for their year. 

1.Understanding the principles underlying defensive magic. 

2. Learning to recognise situations in which defensive magic can legally be used. 
3. Placing the use of defensive magic in a context for practical use.

When Umbridge told them to read silently the first chapter, Hermione ignored a professor for the first time in her school career (both magical and muggle) and raised her hand. She was thoroughly ignored for almost ten minutes until people around stopped reading to pay attention to hermione. 

“Do you have a question about the chapter, dear?” Umbridge asked uptightly. 

“Not about the chapter, I do have a query about your course aims”’ Hermione replied calmly. 

Professor Umbridge raised her eyebrows. 

“And your name is?”

“Hermione Granger”

“Well, Miss Granger, I’m positive the aims are perfectly clear if carefully read”

“Well, I disagree. There’s nothing written up there about using defensive spells.”

There was a short silence in which many members of the class turned their heads to frown at the three course aims still written on the blackboard. 

Professor Umbridge gave a little laugh. “Why, I can’t imagine any situation arising in my classroom that would require you to use a defensive spell, Miss Granger. You surely aren’t expecting to be attacked during class?”

“We’re not going to use magic?!” Ron was perplexed. As were several other students. 

“Students raise their hands when they wish to speak in my class, Mr –?”

“Weasley” said Ron, thrusting his hand into the air. Professor Umbridge, smiling still more widely, turned her back on him. 

Harry and Hermione immediately raised their hands too. Professor Umbridge’s pouchy eyes lingered on Harry for a moment before she addressed Hermione. 

“Yes, Miss Granger? You wanted to ask something else?”

“Surely the whole point of Defense Against the Dark Arts is to practise defensive spells?”

“Are you a Ministry-trained educational expert, Miss Granger?” Umbridge voice had a false sugary tone. 

“No, but –”

“‘Well then, I’m afraid you are not qualified to decide what the “whole point” of any class is. Wizards much older and cleverer than you have devised our new programme of study. You will be learning about defensive spells in a secure, risk-free way –”

“What use is that? If we’re going to be attacked, it won’t be in a –”

“Hand, Mr Potter!” sang Professor Umbridge. Harry thrust his fist in the air but he was ignored. 

“And your name is?” Professor Umbridge said to Dean.

“Dean Thomas.”

“Well, Mr Thomas?”

“It’s like Harry said, isn’t it?’ If we’re going to be attacked, it won’t be risk free.”

“Who could possibly attack fifteen year olds inside this school?”

“Well, n-”

“You’ve been exposed to  to some very irresponsible wizards in this class, very irresponsible indeed – not to mention, extremely dangerous half-breeds.”

“If you mean Professor Lupin,” snapped Dean angrily, “he was the best we ever –”

“As I was saying – you have been introduced to spells that have been complex, inappropriate to your age group and potentially lethal. You have been frightened into believing that you are likely to meet Dark attacks every other day… It is my understanding that my predecessor not only performed illegal curses in front of you, he actually performed them on you.”

“Well, he turned out to be a maniac, didn’t he?” said Dean hotly.

“Your hand is not up, Mr Thomas!” Umbridge was getting angrier by the second. She turned to allow Parvati, who had her hand raised, to speak. 

“Please, professor, isn’t there a practical bit in our Defence Against the Dark Arts O.W.L.? Aren’t we supposed to show that we can actually do the counter-curses and things?”

“As long as you have studied the theory hard enough, there is no reason why you should not be able to perform the spells under carefully controlled examination conditions”

“Without ever practising them beforehand?’Are you telling us that the first time we’ll get to do the spells will be during our exam?” 

“I repeat, as long as you have studied the theory hard enough –”

“And what good’s theory going to be in the real world?” said Harry loudly, his fist in the air again. 

“Who do you imagine wants to attack children like yourselves?”

Harry raised his pointer to his chin and hummed. “Hmmm… I don’t know, maybe Lord Voldemort?”

Ron gasped. Lavender shrieked. Neville broke a pencil with his hand. Umbridge only smiled broadly. 

“Ten points from Gryffindor, Mr Potter.Now, let me make a few things quite plain.You have been told that a certain Dark wizard has returned from the dead and  is at large once again. This is a lie.”

“It is NOT a lie!” said Harry. “I saw him, I fought him!”

“Detention, Mr Potter!” said Professor Umbridge triumphantly. “And for the rest of you, if someone keeps lying to you and scaring you into believing something Ministry of Magic guarantees that is not happening, by all means come and see me outside class hours. I would like to hear about it. I am here to help. I am your friend. And now, you will kindly continue your reading.”Professor Umbridge sat down behind her desk. 

Harry, however, stood up. 

“Harry, don’t do it” Hermione warned in a whisper, tugging his sleeve but Harry jerked himself free. . 

“So, you’re saying that Cedric Diggory just stumbled and fell dead?”

“Cedric Diggory’s death was a tragic accident”

“Murder. Voldemort killed him. I saw it happen and you know it”

Umbridge didn’t say anything for a few minutes. She merely scribbled on a roll of pink parchment and then called Harry by curling her finger. Once he’d approached, she asked him to take her note to Prof McGonagall. 

…

H: What do you think about Prof Umbridge?

D: It’s obvious, isn’t it? A Minister’s toad puppeteer sent by Cornelius himself to try to control Dumbledore. 

Hermione sighed happily at her parchment and looked around the common room smiling. Harry had  just arrived from Prof. McGonagall’s office and told them that, despite the Head of House’s positive reaction, he was expected at detention every day for the rest of the week. 

Hermione was about to tell him how stupid she thought he was for going off like that at class. But she saw the twins giving first years their magical candies to test the results. They made the little kids show signs of diseases like fever, vomiting, boils and all sorts of stuff. 

“You shouldn’t be doing that!” Hermione said reproachfully while getting up. 

September 3rd

Hermione was perfectly aware that her nerves and the way she behaved under stress were not among her best qualities. However, the school teachers didn’t seem to agree with that. Clearly they believed that making her anxious was the best approach to guarantee good results on her O.W.L.s. They spent nearly half of their classes talking about the importance of said exams along with how difficult they could be. 

She got so nervous she ignored the burning parchment on her satchell and spent all lunch carefully designing the perfect study and revision schedule ever. She wanted to guarantee all the months forward were perfectly planned to ensure the best score she could on her exams. 

She was still thinking about it when she walked towards the edge of the forbidden forest for her Care of Magical Creatures class. She would probably not be able to hear the noises being made at the back of the greenhouses if she hadn’t stumbled on a rock, dropping her papers on the ground. 

“Bullocks” She murmured, kneeling to grab everything. 

“Fuck” A deep growl came from her right. 

Hermione turned around and saw something she was definitely not supposed to be seeing. Pansy Parkinson had her arms around Draco Malfoy’s neck and they kissed fiercely. His hand was kneading her bum making half of her skirt rise up exposing her white creamy skin. 

“Hmmm” Draco murmured against Pansy’s lips. 

Hermione felt her whole body freeze, not only unable to move but also very very cold. Like someone threw an icy water bucket on top of her. 

“We should go now… See what that oaf has for us today” Pansy moaned, pushing her boyfriend’s hand down so her skirt would go back to a decent position. 

“I told you he won’t be here today” Malfoy said adjusting his shirt and running his hand through his pale blond hair “Father told me he’s on a mission for Dumbledore”

Hermione’s heart leapt. She carefully shelved the information to share with Harry and Ron later. Pansy, on the other side, completely ignored his information as she busily adjusted her black fringe watching herself in the window as a mirror. 

They’d soon be coming on her way, so Hermione shook herself up and went as fast as she could towards the class gathered at the edge of the forbidden forest. Hagrid was indeed not there, Prof Grubbly-Plank was waiting for the whole class to arrive while talking to Lavender and Parvati.

“Where is Hagrid?” Harry asked once Hermione arrived at his side. 

“Maybe” Malfoy’s drawl came right at Hermione’s neck and she turned to find him inches away from her, his tall frame invading her personal space with a smug face as he was talking to Harry “The stupid great oaf’s got himself badly injured.Maybe he’s been messing with stuff that’s too big for him, if you get my drift.”

Malfoy walked away, smirking over his shoulder at Harry, who felt suddenly sick. 

“Malfoy knows something” Hermione whispered to Harry “His father told him Hagrid was on a mission for Dumbledore”

“How do you know that?” Ron asked

“I heard him talking to Pansy. But we’ve got to ignore him, Harry. Here, hold the Bowtruckle for a moment, just so I can draw its face …”

“Father was talking to the Minister just a couple of days ago, you know, and it sounds as though the Ministry’s really determined to crack down on sub-standard teaching in this place. So even if that overgrown moron does show up again, he’ll probably be sent packing straightaway.” Malfoy was telling his friends. 

Harry nearly broke the Bowtruckle in two glaring at the slytherin. 

“Harry, don’t go picking a row with Malfoy, don’t forget, he’s a prefect now, he could make life difficult for you …”

“Wow, I wonder what it’d be like to have a difficult life?” said Harry sarcastically. Ron laughed, but Hermione frowned. 

September 6th

H: I need your help with something

D: What happened? Are you alright?

H: I need to learn defensive magic. Can you help me? Maybe recommend books or something. 

D: I’m going to tell you something serious and you have to promise not to cry.

H: Ok

D: Learning from a book is not enough in this case. 

…

Hermione arrived at the Quidditch Pitch that Friday afternoon thinking about how they were severely unprepared in DADA and how she needed to find a solution for their problem. Because Umbridge would do nothing but waste their time and they needed to get ready not only for their OWLs but also for the war that was sure to come. 

“Hey Hermione!”

“Hey Lee” The girl greeted the seventh year gryffindor who was also the Weasley twins’ best friend as she climbed the stands to sit at his side. 

“Are you here to watch the tryouts too?”

“Yes… I’m really hoping Ron gets in, "she said, twisting her hands against each other. 

“What position is he applying to?” Lee asked raising an eyebrow

“uhh… I really dunno” Hermione said blushing

Lee laughed loudly “I’m just messing with you, ‘Mione” he said giving her a gentle squeeze on her shoulders “The team is full except for Oliver’s old spot as keeper… So that’s the only position available”

“Oh” She said smiling faintly “Okay”

Hermione did try her best to pay attention to whatever was going on on the pitch, but she found quidditch very boring. At that distance it really looked like she was watching a bunch of fruit flies zooming from one side to the other. After about 10 minutes she opened her transfiguration book and began to read the vanishing spell chapter for the second time, as a form of revision of what they’d learned that week. She went as far as practicing vanishing her quill to bring it back a few times. 

“What is Weasel riding?” Came a mocking drawl from five rows behind her. She spotted Malfoy and his slytherin gang “Did he do a bad attempt at transfiguring a hairy mongrel into a broom?”

Hermione felt very angry at him just then, because she knew how the new broom was important to her friend. 

September 7th

“What happened to your hair, mate?” Fred - who was sitting at Hermione’s side during breakfast at the gryffindor table - asked his friend Lee Jordan. 

Hermione turned to look and found the long dreadlocks replaced by a buzzcut. 

“That paled ass slytherin prefect hexed my locks to stink like dung. I couldn’t get it out nor could Madam Pomfrey. So I just shaved it” Lee sighed annoyingly

“Malfoy?” Hermione asked the boy while looking at her back to find Malfoy chuckling with his friends at the Slytherin table. He was not looking at them. 

“Dunno… Don ‘t really care either. I’ll cast an expanding charm later and get my locks back in no time”

“Well, that’s great… I think you look very good like that too” Hermione said encouragingly. 

September 9th

DOLORES UMBRIDGE APPOINTED BY THE MINISTER AS HOGWARTS HIGH INQUISITOR

said the Daily Prophet’s headline that morning. 

“What does it mean?” Ron asked to lazy to read the article for himself. 

“It says here she’ll have the power to make new rules, to inspect teachers and even sack them” Hermione said worriedly 

…

D: It’s very simple. 

O is for outstanding

E is for exceed expectations

A is for acceptable

P is for poor

D is for dreadful

T is for troll

H: oh.. that’s really intense.. Does anyone ever get a T?

D: I’m sure someone can. Maybe Crabbe and Goyle

H: Yes, definitely them.

…

Hermione had learned from D about the grades given in OWLs, so she was somewhat pleased to receive an E on her essay about the moonstone from Prof Snape’s hand. She did get pretty annoyed by the fact that he wrote on the back of the parchment the reason for her not to get an O. Your essay is 5 inches longer than requested. 

Harry didn’t show her his grade. But she saw his eyes burn with rage when Snape said those who got under a P needed to redo the essay for the following week.

“Someone got a P?” Malfoy sneered from his place, smiling at his O graded essay. 

September 10th

H: What are you reading now?

D: Too boring

H: tell me.. 

D: Machiavel

…

Just when Hermione really thought she couldn’t hate Malfoy more, she saw his awful display during their care of magical creatures class. Umbridge had come to inspect the class, fishing Grubbly-Plank for information on Hagrid's whereabouts, trying to milk the teacher for complaints against Dumbledore and finally saying that she definitely looked like she was doing a better job at the position than the official teacher. The same one who let a vicious creature attack a poor student.

“It was me!” Malfoy raised his hand “My arm was sliced by the hippogriff”

Harry proceeded to tell Malfoy that that was only because the slytherin was too stupid to follow Hagrid’s rules, which cost 10 points from their house. 

She was really trying to be the bigger person, but she was growing more and more tired by the second. So when the class ended, she hid behind a tree and pointed her wand at Malfoy’s satchel. 

“Diffindo” She whispered.

His bag opened and all his stuff fell. 

“Go ahead” He waved Crabbe, Goyle and Pansy. “I’ll meet you inside” He casted a quick reparo .

Once the trio was far enough, Hermione made her presence known by cleaning her throat. Draco’s face shot up. 

“What do  you want, mudblood?” He spat crumpling a parchment into a bowl and threw it inside his bag. 

“You know… It’s really pathetic this scene you make about buckbeak” She drawled “Not very manly to cry about a scratched arm after two years”

“Fuck off” He said throwing his books inside, not caring about arranging them at all. “What would you know about manly stuff surrounding yourself with those losers?”

“Oh I know enough” She said defiantly “I know a real man doesn’t torment little kids from first year. I know a real man doesn’t use his father’s name around as his biggest asset. I know a real lman doesn’t need bodyguards instead of friends. And I kn-”

She was cut off quickly as Draco stood up in no time and gave three steps closing the distance between them. He pulled her by her wrist hard enough to leave bruises, making her chest hit his stomach with a bump. 

“Want me to show you what kind of man I am, Granger?” He said with a menacing steel glare, holding her body against him and twisting her arm at her back. 

Her wand hand was free, though. So she placed it on his neck. 

“A real man definitely doesn’t treat women like you do” She hissed. “Let me go or I’ll hex you so badly your daddy will have to come pick your pieces up”

“ Do not. Speak. About. My. Father” He growled pushing her away hard enough she’d fall on her bum in front of him. “None of the girls I have complain about me. Why should you? And why do you think I’d care for a mudblood’s opinion anyway?”

“You see..” She said with a wild grin “I don’t care when you call me mudblood. That’s why you don’t get any reaction from me when you do.” She got up and cleaned her skirt “But you did care enough about everything I say, that’s why you look so livid right now.”

Malfoy grabbed his satchel strap and yanked it on his arm. He shook his head and went on his way without answering her. But she knew she’d won that battle. 

September 24th

H: Do you think it’s possible to tell if someone is opening my letters?

D: Why do you ask?

H: Umbridge looks like she might do something like that.

D: Well, it’s pretty easy to intercept an owl, open the letter and then seal it back to have the owl deliver it. But it would be too much work for them to open every letter at Hogwarts. 

H: Yes… I’m probably overreacting. 

Hermione knew she wasn’t, though. Not since Harry told her Filch tried to make him hand the letter he had written to Sirius the previous week. She knew for certain that was Umbridge’s doing. 

…

“You should teach us Defense Against the Dark Arts, Harry” Hermione said biting her quill one evening at the Gryffindor Common room. 

“What? Are you mad?”

“No, I am very serious”

“What would I teach?”

“What you know… You fought Voldemort last year and came back alive. You’ve fought dementors the previous year. And a basilisk the year before that. And Voldemort again the first year” Hermione said calmly. 

“I was stupidly lucky”

“Don’t be so humble, Harry, we’ve gone past that.” Hermione rolled her eyes “We need your help. There’s a war coming. We need to be ready”

September 30th

“Harry please” Hermione pleaded. 

“Hermione… I love you, but the answer is no. I’m not a good enough dueler, let alone a good enough teacher” Harry argued “Furthermore, who would want to learn from me anyway?”

“I would, Harry. I’m a muggleborn. I am not safe in a world where You Know Who lives, Harry”

October 3rd

H: Do you know how I can make a magical contract?

D: Granger… Are you proposing to me?

H: Don’t be silly. I need some way to charm a paper that people would sign and then… If someone broke a rule I created, then this person would suffer a consequence. 

D: Is the consequence death?

H: Of course not..

D: Alas, I shall help you anyway. 

October 5th

D: The Fridgecotte Guide to Magical Contracts page 3876 shall be very useful for you. 

H: Thank you

October 7th

Hermione was able to let the word out, basically through the Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff prefects about their meeting at the Hogs Head during the first Hogsmead visit of the year. THey met at the Hog’s Head and decided to form a group to study defense against the dark arts. Besides Harry, Ron and Hermione there were more than twenty people present. 

Neville, Ginny, Luna, Angelina Johnson, Cho Chang, Fred and George, Colin and Dennis Creevey, Alice Tolipan, Cormac McLaggen, Dean Thomas, Ernie MacMillan, Anthony Goldstein, Alicia Spinnet, Katie Bell, Michael Corner, Hannah Abbot, Padma and Parvati Patil, Justin Finch-Fletchley, Lavender Brown, Terry Boot, Lee Jordan, Zacharias Smith, Luca Caruso, Maisy Reynolds, Marietta Edgecombe and Romilda Vane. 

"I-I think everybody should write their name down, just so we know who was here. But I also think, that we all ought to agree not to shout about what we're doing. So if you sign, you're agreeing not to tell Umbridge — or anybody else — what we're up to."

Hermione had casted a contracting on the parchment to make sure whoever snitched on them to be easily traceable with a harmless (or not so much) hex. 

They had no idea, however, that they were being watched. They did find that out, once they saw Monday morning that Umbridge had forbidden any student organizations. Besides that, when they met Sirius through a floo call in gryffindor common room, Harry’s godfather also mentioned that Mundungus Fletcher had told the Order about their plans. The horrifying thing though was the way their call hand ended, with the short fingered chubby hand trying to grab Sirius by his hair. Umbridge was definitely spying on Harry. It was only confirmed when Hedwig was attacked and brought to them by Dobby. 

October 8th

D: You should be happy. 

H: Why?

D: Well, you once told me that the worst professors at Hogwarts were Snape and Trelawney. I heard Snape’s class was inspected today by the High Inquisitor and also that the divination’s teacher is on probation. 

H: Regardless of how I feel about them, I’d never be happy with that old bat’s actions within school! You should know that by now. 

D: I was joking. Are you angry?

H: A bit… But I do need to thank you for the help with the magical contract.

D: I’m your humble servant, Miss Granger. 

H: I need a place to gather meetings..  Could you help me? 

D: Umbridge banned students organisations.

H: I gathered that much. 

D: I’d suggest you do something you’ll hate. 

H: What?

D: Ask the house elves, they know the castle better than anyone. 

October 9th

D’s suggestion was perfect. When Harry tells Dobby what they need for the DA’s meetings, the elf promptly instructs them to use the Room of Requirement. 

…

Harry, Ron and Hermione were making their way on the stone steps to the dungeons for Potions, but as they reached the bottom of the steps they were greeted by the voice of Draco Malfoy, who was standing just outside Snape’s classroom door, waving around an official-looking piece of parchment and talking much louder than was necessary so that they could hear every word. 

“Yeah, Umbridge gave the Slytherin Quidditch team permission to continue playing straight away, I went to ask her first thing this morning. Well, it was pretty much automatic, it’ll be interesting to see whether Gryffindor is allowed to keep playing, won’t it?”

“Don’t rise,’It’s what he wants.” Hermione pleaded them in low whisper

“Poor things… If it’s a matter of ministry influence they don’t stand a chance. Weasley is the laughing stock of the building. And Potter… Well, I’d bet 1000 galleons he’ll soon be sent to St. Mungus. I heard they have a special ward for those who get retarded because of magic” Malfoy sneered in a very ugly imitation of mentally disabled people.

Crabbe and Goyle gave their usual grunts of laughter; Pansy Parkinson shrieked with glee. Neville threw himself in Malfoy’s reaction

“Neville, don’t” Hermione shrieked jumping in front of him while Harry and Ron held Neville back by his arms,  dragging him backwards, away from the Slytherins. Crabbe and Goyle were flexing their arms as they stepped in front of Malfoy, ready for the fight. 

“This is not funny” Neville spat “I’ll show him”

Hermione spun on her heels and gave Malfoy the most disgusted glare she’d ever given anyone. 

The dungeon door opened. Snape appeared there. His black eyes swept up the Gryffindor line to the point where Harry and Ron were wrestling with Neville. 

“Fighting, Potter, Weasley, Longbottom? Ten points from Gryffindor. Release Longbottom, Potter, or it will be detention. Inside, all of you.”

Hermione stayed back and pulled Malfoy by his wrist before he could enter the classroom. 

“Don’t touch me, Mudblood. You’ll stain my robes” He hissed, yanking his arm free but following her to a column on the corridor. “What? Come to plead that I’ll leave Neville alone?”

“What do you think about your aunt Bellatrix?” Hermione spat, crossing her arms on her chest. 

She didn’t know what Malfoy expected but it certainly wasn’t this. His face was confused and a million emotions danced behind his grey eyes. 

“How do…” He began.

“I’ve seen the Black Family line in a book for History of Magic” Hermione lied. She’d seen it on Grimmauld Place, but she didn’t trust Malfoy for that information “She’s your mother sister, right? In Azkaban”

Shame and indignation now covered his long and angular face. He clenched his jaw. “Yes. Your point, Granger?”

“You know what she’s there for?” Hermione asked. 

“It’s none of y-”

“None of my business” She agreed “But it’s Neville business”

Draco looked utterly confused. He looked at Hermione like she was mad. 

“It’s not my place to tell.” Hermione admitted, because it wasn’t. “Listen, I don’t know you, Malfoy. I know for certain you don’t believe MY feelings matter. But maybe you believe family matters. I know you care about your mother and your father”

“Are you threate-”

“I’m not finished” Hermione raised her palm but did not raise her voice “I think you can understand the importance of family. Maybe not muggle families, but the Weasleys and Longbottoms are purebloods like you.”

“They’re blood traitors”

“You might disagree with them. But you should draw a decency line to respect each other’s families” Hermione said exasperatedly “I don’t really expect you to stop mocking Arthur and Molly, but they can defend themselves. Neville’s parents can’t. And if you have any thread of character inside you… You’d be more conscious about the limit of what you can joke with. Especially with your aunt being who she is.”

“That’s ridiculous. What the fuck do you mean, Granger?” Malfoy growled, throwing his arms at his sides. 

“How would you feel if your mother was tortured by the cruciatus curse?” Hermione said and saw Malfoy’s eyes darken “Exactly. I don’t think you would want people joking about it, right? And I am damn sure Neville would never mock you for it”

With that, Hermione turned on her heels and went back to Potions class. Draco however, did not. 

Chapter Text

October 10th

H: Why are you so mad?

D: Well, first of all because you’re still in the UK instead of enjoying safety and freedom in another continent far from the war that is surely to come. 

H: I’m not answering that… 

D: What if I promised to reveal who I am? And to help you escape? Would you consider saving yourself then?

H: I can’t leave like that. I’m sorry. 

D: Whatever. 

October 15th

Hermione caught Malfoy with yet another girl one Tuesday before lunch. She didn’t see anything explicit this time, but they were leaving the prefect's bathroom together. The ravenclaw girl was very pretty, with long red hair that fell in waves until her lower back. She stood on her toes to give him a peck on his neck before skipping away from him. Malfoy passed through Hermione, but probably didn’t see her as he said nothing mean to her, taking a small vial from his pocket and turning it in one big gulp.

…

H: I need you to teach me how you charmed the parchments. Please

D: Alright. 

October 27th

It took Hermione almost two weeks to master the Protean charm. D was right. It did take her lots of arithmetic calculations, advanced transfiguration practice and N.E.W.T level charms. But she finally mastered to recreate, with some changes, the same magic he’d used on the parchment to create something for the Dumbledore’s Army.

It was a very clever method of communicating the time and date of the next meeting to all the members in case they needed to change it at short notice, because it would look suspicious if people from different Houses were seen crossing the Great Hall to talk to each other too often. Every member would have a fake galleon. 

“The numerals around the edge of the coins” She was telling everyone during the fourth meeting “On real Galleons that’s just a serial number referring to the goblin who cast the coin. On these fake coins, though, the numbers will change to reflect the time and date of the next meeting. The coins will grow hot when the date changes, so if you’re carrying them in a pocket you’ll be able to feel them. We take one each, and when Harry sets the date of the next meeting he’ll change the numbers on his coin, and because I’ve put a Protean Charm on them, they’ll all change to mimic his.”

A blank silence greeted Hermione’s words. She looked around at all the faces upturned to her, rather disconcerted.

“Well – I thought it was a good idea. I mean, even if Umbridge asked us to turn out our pockets, there’s nothing fishy about carrying a Galleon, is there? But … well, if you don’t want to use them –”

“You can do a Protean Charm?” asked Terry Boot. 

“Yes”

“But that’s N.E.W.T. standard…”

“Oh… I suppose it is.”

“Why are you not in Ravenclaw? You’re very smart”

“Ah… Yes, the sorting hat got very indecisive with me, but I guess I’m not that creative to be a ravenclaw, "she said, winking at Luna Lovegood. 

They decided on using the coins for communication. Harry said the magic reminded him of the Dark Mark Voldemort used to call his Death Eaters. 

“Don’t be silly, I’m not engraving their skin, I’m using coins”

Harry said they’d only have to be careful not to accidentally spend the fake galleons. 

Ron snorted “I haven’t got any real Galleons to confuse it with.”

November 1st

“Hey… Hermione!”

The girl lifted her head from the book she was reading during lunch. 

“Oh… Hi, Terry” She said with a weak and worried voice “Is everything alright?”

She couldn’t openly ask if it was DA related as they were being watched in the Great Hall. But they’d all agreed to avoid talking to each other in public… So something should be wrong. The brown haired wizard scratched the back of his neck anxiously. 

“Uh.. I was wondering if you’d like to, er” He mumbled “Well, I don’t really like quidditch that much, I don’t know if you do…”

“No, not really”

“Well, we could maybe do something tomorrow… Like a picnic of sorts, at the lake, you know?” He said nervously “You and I, I mean… We could study or something…”

“Oh” Hermione blushed 

“I mean, you’re very smart, I already knew that, of course…”

“Thank you, Terry” Hermione smiled “It’s very sweet, but I think I’ll go watch the game… You know? Support Ron, Harry and the Gryffindor team…”

“O-of course,  yeah sure” He quickly answered 

“Well, maybe another day, huh?”

“Yes. I can watch the game with you, if that’s alright” 

“Yes, I’d love that,” Hermione said, smiling. 

November 2nd

Hermione was happy that the day of the quidditch game between slytherin and gryffindor had finally arrived. Angelina had made Harry and Ron go to daily practices, which forced the DA meetings to be put on hold for some time. As there hadn’t been a quidditch cup the previous year, everyone was visibly excited about it. Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs were interested because they too would soon be playing against the red and green teams. The Heads of Houses were also interested, McGonagall even freed them of homework for a week. Hermoine did not like that part very much, the OWLs were more important than quidditch and she didn’t want to stay behind. 

“I’ve become accustomed to seeing the Quidditch Cup in my study, boys, and I really don’t want to have to hand it over to Professor Snape, so use the extra time to practise, won’t you?”  She’d said. 

Snape was also very competitive, turning a deaf ear to the many reports of Slytherin attempts to hex Gryffindor players in the corridors. When Alicia Spinnet turned up in the hospital wing with her eyebrows growing so thick and fast they obscured her vision and obstructed her mouth, Snape insisted that she must have attempted a Hair-thickening Charm on herself and refused to listen to the fourteen eye-witnesses who insisted they had seen the Slytherin Keeper, Miles Bletchley, hit her from behind with a jinx while she worked in the library. Malfoy focused his attacks on Harry and Ron, who’d taken the the habit of walking with wands in hands now. 

Ron was growing greener by the day. His worst trait was his lack of confidence and he was allowing the tactics of the Slytherin team to upset him before they even got on to the pitch. Different than Harry and Hermione, Ron had never endured a relentless campaign of insults, jeers and intimidation. 

When Slytherins, some of them seventh-years and considerably larger than he was, muttered as they passed in the corridors “There’s a nice bed booked for you in the hospital wing, Weasley” the boy dropped all of his books. 

When Draco Malfoy imitated Ron dropping the Quaffle (which he did whenever they came within sight of each other), Ron’s ears glowed red and his hands shook so badly that he was likely to drop whatever he was holding at the time, too. 

When Harry and Ron arrived that morning to the Great Hall the tables were already crowded. The slytherin’s were wearing badges saying “WEASLEY IS OUR KING” and mocking violently at her redhead friend. 

They received a rousing welcome at the Gryffindor table, where everyone was wearing red and gold, but far from raising Ron’s spirits the cheers seemed to sap the last of his morale; he collapsed on to the nearest bench looking as though he were facing his final meal. He started to babble on how lousy he was, how mental he must’ve been to sign up to be the keeper and how this was the last game of his life. 

Hermione and Ginny sat down opposite them wearing red and gold scarves, gloves and rosettes.

“Oh, Ron… Being nervous is a good sign, I never feel you perform as well in exams if you’re not a bit nervous,” said Hermione heartily.

“Hello” Luna Lovegood came with Terry Boot at her side, the boy gave Hermione a shy smile and nod “I’m supporting Gryffindor” 

Luna didn’t have to tell them that much, it was obvious by the giant lion head hat she was wearing, enchanted to blink, sniff and even roar loudly. 

“I wanted to have it chewing up a serpent to represent Slytherin, you know, but there wasn’t time. Anyway … good luck, Ronald!”

“Bye Hermione, I’ll save you a seat” Terry said quietly before accompanying Luna out. 

Angelina came to collect Harry and Ron, having to speak loudly over the chanting at the Slytherin table. Everyone was laughing and mocking, but Malfoy. He looked murderously at Hermione. Hermione shook her head, he was looking murderously at Ron and Harry. Why would he be looking at her?

“Good luck, Ron,” said Hermione, standing on tiptoe and kissing him on the cheek. “And you, Harry –”

Ron seemed to come to himself slightly as they walked back across the Great Hall. He touched the spot on his face where Hermione had kissed him, looking puzzled, as though he was not quite sure what had just happened. 

Hermione walked out of the Great Hall with Ginny at her side, but she had barely reached the door when a massive form bumped her shoulder and made her fall to her knees. 

“Watch where you’re going, Granger” She saw the back of Malfoy’s neck as he walked with his arm around Pansy’s shoulder in his quidditch uniform. 

“Stupid ferret!” Ginny shouted while helping Hermione up. 

The girls arrived at the pitch and easily spotted Luna’s hat. They climbed the stairs and sat with Neville and Terry there. 

“Hi” Terry said with a smile “Brought us some pumpkin juice”

He nodded towards the floating ice bucket (literally ice in form of a bucket) holding several bottles of juice. 

“Wow, that’s incredible. You transfigured the bucket into ice?”

“Well… It’s not a protean, but I find it more… elegant than simply using cooling charms”

“Indeed” Hermione giggled. 

Ginny served herself and Luna some juice but Hermione only bit her nails. She was nervous for her friends. The look on Malfoy’s face… The fact that Crabbe and Goyle were now beaters… She had a bad feeling about today. 

The teams rose, shouldered their brooms and marched in single lines out of the changing room and into the dazzling sky. A roar of sound greeted them in which Harry could still hear singing, though it was muffled by the cheers and whistles. 

The new Captain, Montague, was built along the same lines as a gorilla, with massive forearms like hairy hams. Behind him lurked Crabbe and Goyle, almost as large, blinking stupidly, swinging their new Beaters’ bats. Malfoy stood to one side, the sunlight gleaming on his white-blond head. 

“Captains, shake hands,”  ordered the referee Madam Hooch, as Angelina and Montague reached each other. “Mount your brooms …” Madam Hooch placed her whistle in her mouth and blew. The balls were released and the fourteen players shot upwards. 

Harry and Malfoy zoomed higher and gazed around for the glint of gold. 

“And it’s Johnson – Johnson with the Quaffle, what a player that girl is, I’ve been saying it for years but she still won’t go out with me –”

“JORDAN!” yelled Professor McGonagall. 

“– just a fun fact, Professor, adds a bit of interest – and she’s ducked Warrington, she’s passed Montague, she’s – ouch – been hit from behind by a Bludger from Crabbe … Montague catches the Quaffle, Montague heading back up the pitch and – nice Bludger there from George Weasley, that’s a Bludger to the head for Montague, he drops the Quaffle, caught by Katie Bell, Katie Bell of Gryffindor reverse-passes to Alicia Spinnet and Spinnet’s away –”

Hermione stopped listening once she felt a warm touch against her cheek. She jumped in surprise to find Terry’s face inches from her. He looked scared too. 

“Oh, s-sorry Hermione” He said quickly taking some space back “There was a bit of jam-”

“10 POINTS FOR SLYTHERIN” Hermione heard Lee shout. 

The green and silver crowd began singing 

Weasley cannot save a thing, 

He cannot block a single ring, 

That’s why Slytherins all sing: 

Weasley is our King. 

Weasley was born in a bin 

He always lets the Quaffle in 

Weasley will make sure we win 

Weasley is our King.

“– and Alicia passes back to Angelina!’ Lee shouted, ‘Come on now, Angelina – looks like she’s got just the Keeper to beat! – SHE SHOOTS – SHE – aaaah …” Lee said as Bletchley, the Slytherin Keeper, had saved the goal; he threw the Quaffle to Warrington who sped off with it, zigzagging in between Alicia and Katie; the singing from below grew louder and louder as he drew nearer and nearer Ron. 

“ANOTHER 10 POINTS FOR SLYTHERIN” 

Weasley is our King, 

Weasley is our King, 

He always lets the Quaffle in 

Weasley is our King

Weasley cannot save a thing, 

He cannot block a single ring

Hermione felt her mouth dry and took her first sip of pumpkin juice. 20-30-40… Soon Slytherin was winning by over 70 points and she couldn’t look anymore. 

WEASLEY WAS BORN IN A BIN 

HE ALWAYS LETS THE QUAFFLE IN

WEASLEY WILL MAKE SURE WE WIN 

WEASLEY IS OUR KING 

With lead on her stomach, Hermione realised Harry had been stationary in midair for over a minute, watching the progress of the match without sparing a thought for the whereabouts of the Snitch. 

Malfoy was still circling the stadium… Until he wasn ‘t. 

He leaned forward on his broom for aerodynamics and zoomed towards the side of the pitch. Their side of the pitch. Where Hermione, Luna, Neville, Ginna and Terry were. He was coming like a wrecking ball. Hermione gasped and her juice fell. Ginny and Neville dodged down to avoid impact. Luna kept her dreamy face unmoved. Terry wrapped his arm around Hermione’s shoulder and pulled her to fall on top of him to the side. 

She gritted her teeth and braced for the impact.

But it never came. No more than a foot from them, Malfoy stopped his eyes glimmering with pride. He had his left hand closed on a fist and he raised his arm. He took one disgusted look at Hermione before turning back to parade in front of the slytherin crowd. 

He’d caught the snitch. 

It was the first time Harry had lost since the third year game against Hufflepuff, and that time it was the dementor’s fault. It was Ron’s first game. It was the first time in years gryffindor lost to slytherin. Their side was silent. 

WHAM. 

Crabbe had sent a bludger to hit Harry squarely in the small of the back and he flew forwards off his broom. Madam Hooch was zooming towards Crabbe to scold him for foul play. 

Hermione stormed towards the pitch to see if her friend was alright. When she arrived, Malfoy and Potter were standing chest to chest. Well, almost, since Harry was half a foot shorter than Malfoy. As it always happened when she was nervous, Hermione’s mind was reeling with facts as she ran in their direction. 

220-10, the biggest score difference since 1937. 

31 minutes of game. 

She didn’t know much about quidditch, but she was sure that Malfoy’s brake before hitting them was impressive. 

Yet, Malfoy looked livid . He was red faced and almost panting in anger. His still fisted hands hadn’t dropped the snitch and he didn’t as much as looked towards his celebrating team or the shouting crowd. 

“I’ve never seen a worse Keeper … but then he was born in a bin” Malfoy spat “… did you like my lyrics, Potter? We wanted to write another couple of verses! But we couldn’t find rhymes for fat and ugly – we wanted to sing about his mother, see –”

“Shut up, Malfoy” Hermione shouted, trying to pull Harry by his arm. He didn’t move. Malfoy only seemed angrier with what Hermione said, but he didn’t even look at her. 

“– we couldn’t fit in useless loser either – for his father, you know –”

Fred and George had realised what Malfoy was talking about. Halfway through landing, they stiffened, looking round at Malfoy. 

“Leave it!” said Angelina at once, taking Fred by the arm.

“– but you like the Weasleys, don’t you, Potter?” said Malfoy, sneering. “Spend holidays there and everything, don’t you? Can’t see how you stand the stink, but I suppose when you’ve been dragged up by Muggles, even the Weasleys’ hovel smells OK –”

Harry grabbed hold of George who was now at their side. Meanwhile, it was taking the combined efforts of Angelina, Alicia and Katie to stop Fred leaping on Malfoy, who was laughing madly like a psychopath. Hermione looked around for Madam Hooch, but she was still berating Crabbe for his illegal Bludger attack. 

“Or perhaps”  said Malfoy, leering without moving an inch “‘you can remember what your mother’s house stank like, Potter! So you surround yourself with the mudblood cunt and the Weasley’s pig sounder to remind yourse—”

Hermione was pushed to the ground by a blood-furied Harry who jumped along with George towards Malfoy. They seemed to have completely forgotten that all the teachers were watching: all they wanted to do was cause Malfoy as much pain as possible; with no time to draw out their wand, Harry and George merely focused on landing as many punches as possible at Malfoy. 

”Harry! HARRY! GEORGE! NO!” Hermione and the other girls were screaming while George swore at Harry’’s side and Malfoy kept laughing. 

“IMPEDIMENTA” Madam Hooch casted “What do you think you’re doing?’ screamed Madam Hooch. 

Malfoy was sprawled up on the ground with a bloodied grin of someone who got exactly what he wanted.

“I’ve never seen behaviour like it – back up to the castle, both of you, and straight to your Head of House’s office! Go! Now!”

Harry and George marched off the pitch, both panting, neither saying a word. 

Hermione felt the world dancing around her and was barely aware of Ginny taking her back to the Gryffindor dorm. She sat there and felt her vision and hearing blurred while Angelina complained about Harry and the twins’ permanent ban from quidditch, granted by Umbridge, Ron tried to quit the team but he was forbidden by the captain, Ginny offered to be the seeker and Dean Thomas offered to be the beater. 

Hermione was vaguely aware of the time everyone but her went to bed. 

Or the time she got her wand and went out the portrait hole. 

Or the time she arrived at the hospital wing. 

The game had been quite safe, so there was only one bed occupied. 

There were lots of letters, sweets and flowers at his bedside. 

Malfoy was not asleep. He had both arms crossed behind his neck and looked at the roof with a bored face. He was wearing silk green pajamas and his face practically shined underneath the moonlight as he was so pale. 

“How dared you?” Hermione hissed once she was close enough. 

He looked at her and raised one eyebrow, not bothering to answer. 

“What is wrong with you?” She insisted “What is so broken and rotten inside you? You had WON!”

Surprisingly enough he gave her a low chuckle. 

“What is wrong with you, Granger?” He asked, sounding amused and perfectly comfortable “Why are you here? Does the gryffindor moral fiber include beating the sick and sore too?”

“I won’t beat you. I won’t touch you. You’ll soil me” She said coldly. 

There was a flicker of hurt in him but it was gone before she could be sure it was even there. 

“Why would you do it? Why would you say those things?” Hermione asked “ You had won ”

He hummed absent mindedly. 

“I can’t understand you.” She said exasperated “I used to think it was jealousy, of Harry’s fame and all of that… B-but you are popular. You’re snogging like a dozen different girls. You’re the slytherin prince, with so many fans. You’re not bad at classes, either. I know you’re just behind me.” He snorted “Why would you do the things you do?”

“What did I do? Have you asked Saint Potter that today?” He said bitterly without looking at her “He was the one being violent”

“Don’t you dare ” Hermione hissed “You provoked him. You were smiling. You got what you wanted. Harry and the twins are BANNED from quidditch forever”

“You think I got what I wanted?” He spat venomously, as if she’d gotten a reaction from him for the first time. “Why exactly the FUCK do you think you would know ANYTHING about what I want, Granger? You don’t fucking know me just because of a stupid kiss ages ago and all the times you’re voyeuring me. Wake up, Granger, you’re not the first girl to have a crush on m-”

Hermione gasped

“I do not have a c-”

“You don’t fucking know me” He spat raising his torso “Don’t go trying to turn me into your next project after the whole house elf thing went wrong. You can’t understand me or change me telling me sad stories about Potter, Weasley or Longbottom. I don’t fucking CARE”

“I’m not turning you into anything” She said offendedly “I’m just not like the death eaters you seem to admire so much” He glared at her “I don’t put labels on people - ‘mudblood’ or ‘blood traitor’ - and assume they’re inferior. I don’t think someone is automatically evil just because he’s a slytherin. So excuse me for trying to understand why someone would stoop so low into offending someone’s fam-”

“DO YOU THINK THAT’S LOW?” He growled jumping from the bed “Do you think calling someone’s mom stinky is low?” He gave her a maniac laugh “Granger, you don’t know fucking ANYTHING. This” he said gesturing to himself “is nothing. NOTHING compared to-” he ran his hand through his hair exasperated. “Nothing compared to what’s coming. This is child’s play. And if you and your friends can’t even take this then you might as well just surrender to the Dark Lord.”

Hermione was frightened. She took a single step back. 

“That’s it. Fucking FINALLY.” He said grinning menacingly. Hermione shook her head slowly. The monster in front of her finally revealed. “Be afraid. Be aware. STAY AWAY FROM ME” he shouted as she ran away. 

November 4th

D: I just want to feel something real

H: I am real. I am your friend. 

November 16th

Between her DA meetings, talking to D, studying for her OWLs and meeting Terry Boot almost daily, Hermione was really busy. But nothing stopped her from running to Hagrid’s hut with once she learned he was back.

November 17th

They were confronted by a giant slug in the room of requirement. Once Hermione had casted the “finite incantatem” and turned him back to human form, Terry told them how the slytherins had cornered and hexed him. 

“Bloody hell, Terry. That’s like what? Third time this week? They’re picking on your more than on Neville” Ron said and Neville nodded 

“They’re growing more confident of the impunity under Umbridge than Snape” Ginny complained. 

“Yes… We’ll be learning protecting charms today” Harry said worriedly “We can’t attack them back, because the rope is sure to break at our side if we do. But be aware at all times and don’t let them get you. Think of it as training for the real bad guys”

“Slytherins are bad guys” Dennis Creevey muttered

“They’re not” Hermione said with her lips pressed in a thin line “they’re child’s play compared to their parents”

Everyone stood silent at her ominous words. Well, Malfoy’s words actually 

November 19th

Hermione had to press her fingernails so toughly against her palms that she felt the warm blood underneath them. Umbridge was “inspecting” their care of magical creatures class. Hagrid was clearly uncomfortable and frankly who wouldn’t be? The disgusting pink toad was talking to him as if he was some sort of wild stupid beast, writing all sort of nonsense and distorting every word he said in his prejudice. Of course the slytherins were loving it, Pansy went as far as saying she couldn’t understand Hagrid’s growls most of time. Umbridge said Hagrid was aggressive and that the students were afraid of him. 

“That’s not true! Hagrid is harmless” Hermione hissed 

“He’s half giant, Ms Granger. Anyone who says he’s harmless is definitely not very smart” Umbridge retorted. 

H: Can you see thestrals?

D: I can… you?

H: No. Who did you see die?

D: More than one person.

December 18th

The Christmas Break was only a few days away when they had the last DA meeting. Hermione wanted to stay behind with Ron and Harry to help clean up and prepare some planning for the following semester. Yet, when she saw Cho Chang lingering longer than necessary she knew she ought to leave as soon as possible. 

“Let’s go, Ron” she said pulling her friend 

“Hey… Hermione” Terry said once they were out in the seventh floor corridor “hey, Ron… mind if I borrow her for a few seconds?”

Ron’s ears blushed red but he nodded “I’ll see you back at the tower, Mione” he strolled quickly downstairs. 

Hermione held her books close to her chest as she started walking side by side with Terry. 

“I’ve been having a lot of fun this year. I always found you three kind of crazy for all the things you got tangled in” Terry chuckled “but now I see that breaking rules and living adventures is quite nice”

“Sometimes” Hermione giggled “other times it’s very scary”

“Well… good thing to be training then, right?” 

“Yes… definitely good to be t-“

Hermione didn’t finish her last word because Terry had turned to face her in the middle of the staircase. He held her hand sweetly and looked at her with warmth on his green eyes. 

“I like you very much, Hermione” he said shyly “you’re so smart and beautiful and loyal…” he trailed off brushing one of her curls away from her eyes. 

“Terry, I-“ she started to say but he shut her with a chaste kiss. 

His lips were soft and warm, he wasn’t hushed or hungry. He kissed her gently and carefully, placing his free hand on her back. High enough to be respectful. Hermione kissed him back. She gently parted her mouth to suck his lower lip and this made him smile into the kiss. 

“Oh, I may vomit,” Pansy Parkinson sneered.

Hermione and Terry both startled, putting some distance between them. A few steps below them were Pansy and Malfoy, his hand tight around her waist. She had a menacing grin and he looked bored. 

“Students are not supposed to be snogging in school past curfew” he drawled “I’ll have to deduct 30 points and give you a week of detention”

Pansy gave a shriek of excitement. 

“You can’t deduct points from a fellow prefect, Malfoy” Hermione hissed “nor give detentions”

“Unfortunately I am aware” Draco hummed “But for all I know Boot is not a prefect”

“That’s not f-“ Hermione started 

“Please, get back to your common rooms now” Pansy said with a high pitched voice 

“And do refrain from your muggle slutty instincts, Granger” Malfoy said disgustedly. 

Hermione, who had begun walking away, turned on her heels. 

“What?!”

“Don’t talk to her like that!” Terry had his wand raised at Malfoy now.

“That’s more 20 points from ravenclaw, Boot” Pansy said venomously. Draco had his wand raised too. 

Hermione placed her palm on Terry’s raised arm, shaking her head “no, please…”. Then she turned to face Pansy. 

“Do you agree with him, Pansy?” She asked

“What?”

“Do you also think I have slutty instincts?”

“Well… you were throwing yourself at every champion you could last year, everyone kn-“ Pansy started to say 

“Would you find it slutty to give someone’s boyfriend a blowjob on the train?” Hermione smirked. 

“Shut up“ Malfoy hissed

“Or maybe a quickie in the prefects’ bathroom? A make out section in a secret alcove? Some snogging in an empty classroom?”

“What the fuck are you talking about, Granger?” Pansy asked annoyedly. 

Hermione took a moment to enjoy her surroundings. Malfoy had his eyes burning in warning, Terry looked completely confused and Pansy seemed ready to burst into flames. 

“Well… I have done neither of those things”

“Grang…” Malfoy began 

“But lots of other girls have.” Hermione said calmly “with your boyfriend, Pansy”

“Fucking mudblood cunt” Draco gasped in shock

“What the fuck is she talking about, Draco?” Pansy snapped back to him. 

Hermione took Terry’s hand and pulled him with her to pass through the couple. Pansy was shorter than Draco but she looked feral, screaming at him and tugging his chest with her manicured fingers. 

“I have to hear it from GRANGER!?”

“You’re such a bastard”

“It’s fucking over!”

“Don’t you dare touch me”

Hermione could still hear her screams even from two or three levels below. She didn’t hear Malfoy’s answers. Terry was chuckling at her side. 

“Care to tell me what was that?”

“I saw him with several other girls. I was never going to say anything because it’s none of my business and also because Pansy’s a cow. But… If he thinks he can talk about m-my - er - relationship, then I’ll talk about his too”

“I keep saying it. You’re badass, Hermione”

“I’m so sorry you got detention and lost 50 points though”

“It was definitely worth it”

December 19th 

Hermione woke up finding that the twins, Ginny, Ron  and Harry were gone. McGonagall came to explain that Arthur Weasley had been attacked at the ministry and that she was to take the floo to meet them at Grimmauld Place the following day. 

“How did they know that he was attacked?” Hermione asked

McGonagall pressed her lips on a thin line. 

“It’s not really my place to say it, Ms Granger. But it seems Mr. Potter has a connection with He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named… I must ask you and Mr. Weasley to keep an eye on him”

December 25th 

Around six o’clock in the evening Hermione arrived and Mrs Black started screaming again. 

“MUDBLOOD IN MY FAMILY’S HOUSE”

“Harry is in Buckbeak’s room” Ron said sadly “Won’t come out”

Ginny nodded. 

Hermione went upstairs and knocked

“I know you’re in there,” said Hermione’s voice. “Will you please come out? I want to talk to you.”

“What are you doing here? ‘I thought you were skiing with your mum and dad?” 

“Well, to tell the truth, skiing’s not really my thing… So, I’ve come here for Christmas. But don’t tell Ron. I told him skiing’s really good because he kept laughing so much. Mum and Dad are a bit disappointed, but I’ve told them that everyone who is serious about the exams is staying at Hogwarts to study. They want me to do well, they’ll understand. Anyway, Let’s go to your bedroom, Ron’s mum has lit a fire in there and she’s sent up sandwiches.”  

Harry followed her back to the second floor, where Ginny and Ron waited. 

“So how’re you feeling?” asked Hermione.

“Fine”

“Oh, don’t lie, Harry,” she said impatiently. “Ron and Ginny say you’ve been hiding from everyone since you got back from St Mungo’s.”

“They do, do they?” said Harry, glaring at Ron and Ginny. Ron looked down at his feet but Ginny seemed quite unabashed. 

“Well, you have! And you won’t look at any of us”

“You guys are the one’s who don’t look at me” Harry said angrily

“Maybe you’re taking turns and missing each other” Hermione giggled. 

“Very funny”

“Oh, stop feeling all misunderstood, Harry”

“I know you’re all thinking I’m either crazy or possessed, talking about me and..”

“We want to talk to you” Ginny pleaded

“Why would I want that?” Harry snapped. 

“Maybe because I have experienced being possessed by You-Know-Who, and I can tell you how it feels.” Ginny spat. 

Harry blushed and looked away. 

“Have you been having big blank periods where you don’t know what you’ve done?” The redhead asked and once Harry shook his head she added “Then he’s not possessing you. Maybe you’re just able to read his mind or something”

“Harry, you’ve had these dreams before,” Hermione said. “You had flashes of what Voldemort was up to last year.”

“This is different, Hermione! I was the snake, maybe Voldemort transported me to London and..”

Hermione gasped ultraged “For God’s sake! YOU CAN’T APPARATE IN HOGWARTS”

“You didn’t leave your bed, mate,” said Ron. “I saw you thrashing around in your sleep for at least a minute before we could wake you up.” 

 ...

Christmas was always very happy at Hermione’s family’s house. But her parents were not loud and she was an only child, so it was rather… quiet. Christmas’ eve at the order’s headquarters however, despite the recent events that got everyone a bit weary, was loud, crowded and overall very fun.  

No one seemed happier than Sirius, who was singing Christmas carols while putting up Christmas decorations, definitely delighted with the company for Christmas. 

He was no longer their sullen host of the summer; now he seemed determined that everyone should enjoy themselves as much, if not more than they would have done at Hogwarts, and he worked tirelessly in the run-up to Christmas Day, cleaning and decorating with their help, so that by the time they all went to bed on Christmas Eve the house was barely recognisable. 

The tarnished chandeliers were no longer hung with cobwebs but with garlands of holly and gold and silver streamers; magical snow glittered in heaps over the threadbare carpets; a great Christmas tree, obtained by Mundungus and decorated with live fairies, blocked Sirius’s family tree from view, and even the stuffed elf-heads on the hall wall wore Father Christmas hats and beards. 

The morning of the 25th Hermione was greeted by lots of presents from her parents and friends. Hermione started reading the note from her prof McGonagall

You received these at Hogwarts. I took the liberty of sending them to you so you wouldn’t have to wait until after the break. 

There was a book “New Theory of Numerology” from Harry. A perfum from Ron. A wand holster from Tonks. A book on defensive magic from Lupin and Sirius. A leather bag from Hagrid. Terry had given her a quick-quotes quill to help her take more thorough notes during classes. A jumper with the letter H from Molly. An extendable ear from the twins. Hair ties and self care products from Lavender and Parvati. A beautiful quill from Ginny. Leather boots from her parents and…

There was a black box with no notes. 

Inside, she found a delicate necklace with a lioness in an attacking position as the pendant. It was pure gold, but the lioness eyes were tiny rubies. 

Hermione wanted to put it on right away but she knew it wasn’t smart to do so without checking it first. Afterall, she’d received enough hate letters the previous year to know not to trust any correspondence. 

She went downstairs to ask Bill to take a look and test it for curses when she found Mrs. Wesley bawling because Percy sent her gift back without asking about his father. Hermione used to admire Percy for his brains, for his respectable attitude, and for being a prefect and head boy… But he had really abandoned his family to guarantee his position at the ministry and that was just… very slytherin of him. 

“Bill, do you think you could take a look on this?” She asked the older Weasley

“Sure, Mione.. What is it?” He asked politely taking his hand from his mother’s shoulder and turning to get the necklace box from Hermione’s hand 

“Er, uh… It’s a gift.” She said fidgetly “I don’t know who sent it though”

“Oh” Bill seemed preoccupied “Well, I’ll take a look. But I can tell you this much already: this is new”

“Really?”

“Yes, see this marks right here? It shows the gold was molded recently. They’ll fade eventually”

“What’s that?” Ron asked coming down from the stairs with Harry at her side. 

Hermione quickly closed the box and pushed it to Bill as a silent warning for him not to say anything. He seemed to take the hint and stored it in his pocket. 

Hermione took a package from under her arm and disguised. 

“I’ve made a gift for Kreacher” she said brightly. She got reproachful looks from everyone even after she reassured them that it was not clothes as she knew the house elf knew too much to be set free. Yet she made him a quilt to put in his room, or rather, his den or nest. They took it there, where they found a huge picture of Bellattrix Lestrange. Sirius looked disgusted at the picture and commented out loud that he hadn’t seen Kreacher for some time. 

Once they had eaten their Christmas lunch, the Weasleys, Harry and Hermione were planning to pay Mr Weasley another visit, escorted by Mad-Eye and Lupin. The reception area looked pleasantly festive: the crystal orbs that illuminated St Mungo’s had been coloured red and gold to become gigantic, glowing Christmas baubles; holly hung around every doorway; and shining white Christmas trees covered in magical snow and icicles glittered in every corner, each one topped with a gleaming gold star. It was less crowded than the last time they had been there. 

They found Mr Weasley propped up in bed with the remains of his turkey dinner on a tray on his lap and a rather sheepish expression on his face. 

“Everything all right, Arthur?” asked Mrs Weasley

“Fine, fine,” said Mr Weasley

Soon Mrs. and Mr. Weasley started arguing because Arthur had allowed a beginner healer to test muggle stitches on his wounds, which made them bleed more. 

“‘I fancy a cup of tea, too,” said Harry, jumping to his feet. Hermione, Ron and Ginny almost sprinted to the door with him. 

“Typical Dad,” said Ginny, shaking her head as they set off up the corridor.

“Well, you know, they do work well on non-magical wounds. I suppose something in that snake’s venom dissolves them or something. I wonder where the tearoom is?”

They walked along the corridor, through a set of double doors and found a rickety staircase lined with more portraits of brutal-looking Healers. As they climbed it, the various Healers called out to them, diagnosing odd complaints and suggesting horrible remedies. 

“What floor’s this?”

“I think it’s the fifth,” said Hermione. 

“Nah, it’s the fourth,”  said Harry, 

But as they stepped on to the landing he came to an abrupt halt, staring at the small window set into the double doors that marked the start of a corridor signposted SPELL DAMAGE. A man was peering out at them all with his nose pressed against the glass. He had wavy blond hair, bright blue eyes and a broad vacant smile that revealed dazzlingly white teeth. 

“Blimey!” said Ron

Hermione gasped “Oh, my goodness! Professor Lockhart!” 

“Hello there” He said smiling broadly “Would you children like an autograph?”

“Hasn’t changed a bit” chuckled Harry

“How are you, professor?” Ron asked guilty, it was his wand that damaged the teacher’s mind. ’ 

“I’m very well indeed, thank you!” said Lockhart exuberantly, pulling a rather battered peacock-feather quill from his pocket. “Now, how many autographs would you like? I can do joined-up writing now, you know!”

“Gilderoy, you naughty boy, where have you wandered off to?” A motherly-looking Healer came bustling up the corridor, smiling warmly at Harry and the others. “Oh, Gilderoy, you’ve got visitors! How lovely, and on Christmas Day, too! Do you know, he never gets visitors, poor lamb, and I can’t think why, he’s such a sweetie, aren’t you?”

“We’re doing autographs!”  Gilderoy told the Healer with another glittering smile. “They want loads of them, won’t take no for an answer! I just hope we’ve got enough photographs!”

The healer was very proud of Lockhart, she was convinced that his wish to give autographs was a sign that his memory was coming back. She praised the teenagers so much about their visit to the old professor that they felt too guilty not to follow her to their ward, promising each other not to stay too long. 

“This is our long-term residents’ ward,” she informed Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ginny in a low voice. “For permanent spell damage, you know. Of course, with intensive remedial potions and charms and a bit of luck, we can produce some improvement. Gilderoy does seem to be getting back some sense of himself; and we’ve seen a real improvement in Mr Bode, he seems to be regaining the power of speech very well, though he isn’t speaking any language we recognise yet. Well, I must finish giving out the Christmas presents, I’ll leave you all to chat.”

Hermione looked around and she gasped when she saw the dark brown hair and broad shoulders of her gryffindor friend. Neville had confided in her that his parents were permanent residents at St. Mungos for the damage caused by the cruciatus curse performed by Bellatrix Lestrange and Barty Crouch Jr. Yet, somehow she was shocked to see him there. It felt like intruding. 

There was, at his side, a formidable-looking old witch wearing a long green dress, a moth-eaten fox fur and a pointed hat decorated with what was unmistakeably a stuffed vulture. Hermione tried to turn and get her friends out of there, to give Neville his privacy, but Ron was quicker. 

“It’s us, Neville!” said Ron brightly, getting to his feet. “Have you seen –? Lockhart’s here! Who’ve you been visiting?”

“Friends of yours, Neville, dear?” said Neville’s grandmother graciously, bearing down upon them all. Neville looked as though he would rather be anywhere in the world but here. A dull purple flush was creeping up his plump face and he was not making eye contact with any of them. “You must be Harry Potter, Neville speaks very highly of you” the old witch said shaking Harry’s hand “And you two are clearly Weasleys… I know your parents – not well, of course – but fine people, fine people … and you must be Hermione Granger?” Hermione looked rather startled that Mrs Longbottom knew her name, but shook hands all the same. 

“Yes, Neville’s told me all about you. Helped him out of a few sticky spots, haven’t you? He’s a good boy, but did not inherit his parents' talents, I’m afraid” she said, casting a sternly appraising and pitiful look down her rather bony nose at Neville, then pointing her hand to the man and woman lying behind her with an unfocused gaze. 

“Oh, Neville is very talented. We have a defense club you see, and he disarmed me…” Hermione began babbling quickly but Ron was too stupid to keep his mouth shut. 

“Neville, your parents? They work here?”

“What’s this? You haven’t told your friends about them, Neville?” Mrs Longbottom asked sharply. 

“Yes!” Hermione said quickly “He told me he was proud of them!”

“To me as well” Harry added. 

“You should be proud, Neville, proud! They didn’t give their health and their sanity so their only son would be ashamed of them, you know! Your whole class should know about them!”

“I- I’m not ashamed,’ said Neville, very faintly, looking at the floor. 

“Well, you’ve got a funny way of showing it!’ said Mrs Longbottom. ‘My son and his wife were tortured into insanity by You-Know-Who’s followers. They were Aurors, you know, and very well respected within the wizarding community. Highly gifted, the pair of them. I – yes, Alice dear, what is it?” 

Neville’s mother had come edging down the ward in her nightdress. She did not seem to want to speak, or perhaps she was not able to, but she made timid motions towards Neville, holding something in her outstretched hand. 

Neville had already stretched out his hand, into which his mother dropped an empty Drooble’s Best Blowing Gum wrapper. 

Neville said quietly, “Thanks, Mum.”

His mother tottered away, back up the ward, humming to herself. Neville looked around at the others, his expression defiant, as though daring them to laugh. 

“Oh, oh Merlin forgive me” Mrs. Longbottom gasped, turning to Hermione “Oh Ms Granger, I totally forgot! How silly of me!” She said grabbing both Hermione’s wrists “I had hoped to be able to thank you personally at the end of the school year, at King’s Cross. Well, of course I wanted to write a letter but it doesn’t seem good enough to do so, you know?” 

Then she did the last thing Hermione expected her to do. She hugged Hermione. Tightly

“Thank you so much, dear”

“Uh -er… Yes, sure… For what?” Hermione stuttered, looking to Neville for answers. He didn’t say a thing. 

“Well… I didn’t tell Neville yet, I guess I should do it now. It’ll be a good Christmas Gift, eh?” Mrs. Longbottom laughed, turning to Neville, her bony arm still around Hermione “Dear Ms Granger here made a huge donation to your parents, Neville. Well… Not that we’re short on money, of course, but with their condition being so permanent… Frankly, I always wished they’d be somewhere better than here, but I’m an old woman and I had you to care for and..”

Neville, Ron, Ginny and Harry stared at Hermione. But she had no answers to give them. Donation?

“But with her donation, we were able to make several renovations to house them better and also hire two full time healers, to care for them every day and night. I’ll be taking them home as soon as you return to Hogwarts, the healers said they’d need some time to adjust to the new routine and it would be best if you were at school. But, yes, from now on they’ll be home with us. Being quite honest for a long time, they could live until they were 150 without being uncared for” The old woman kept patting Hermione’s back thankfully. 

“Really?” Neville looked stunned “Did y-you, Hermione…?” 

“I… I…” Hermione blushed. She had not. 

“Of course she did, here let me grab it” Mrs Longbottom started looking through her purse “Here!” She screamed pulling a red piece of parchment from inside “I keep it with me, I’m becoming a rather emotional old witch” 

Neville’s grandmother handed Neville the parchment and Hermione, with her friends behind, all read. 

“Dear, Mrs. Longbottom

Please receive this small gesture as my humble appreciation of your son and daughter-in-law’s effort to stop you-know-who. 

As a muggleborn, I would not have the chance to be where I am without people like them. 

Please spend every knuckle into giving them the dignity and honour they deserve for the rest of their lives. 

Yours, 

Hermione Granger”

“Mione, it’s your handwriting!” Harry said. It wasn’t.  A very good copy, but Hermione could clearly see the o’s and h’s where slightly different than hers. 

“Bloody hell, why didn’t you tell us?” Ron asked

“I… I…” Hermione was now shaking, fully aware of how purple red she might look. “I didn’t…”

“So humble, she probably didn’t want her action publicised” Mrs Longbottom said. “I’m sorry dear, but with so much evil out there we must cast light on the good too… Now, let’s go, Neville. We still have to attend lunch at-”

Hermione didn’t hear the last of the witch’s sentence as she was crushed by Neville’s tight embrace. He seemed out of words. But she could feel what he meant. Gratitude. Hermione felt guilty for receiving it and very very much curious about the real doner. She hugged Neville back and smiled faintly at the shocked expressions of her friends on the boy’s back.

December 27th

D: I must admit I am offended. 

H: Why?

D: I didn’t get a thank you for the christmas gift I sent you. 

H: Oh… You sent me something?

D: Yes, to your dorm. Didn’t you get it?

Before answering anything Hermione went downstairs to talk to Bill, who was eating his dinner. 

“Hey, Bill” She greeted him

“Hi, Hermione!” He smiled, cleaning his mouth with a napkin “I was going to come to your room to talk to you after dinner…”

“Oh, sorry.. Of course! Eat in peace” Hermione said quickly

“No, it’s alright” He chuckled “Very nice piece, that necklace of yours, huh?”

“It’s beautiful”

“Indeed, I confirmed at Gringotts that it was goblin made - not that they said anything else, you know how they are. Never give information for free. And I figured you wouldn’t be interested in its history. Apparently it is a goblin made old piece of jewelry that was melt and molded again by a goblin”

“Oh”

“Yes, very nice!”

“Is it free of curses then?”

“Well, you see, that’s the thing” Bill said excitedly “I’ve casted several diagnosticall spells and there are no curses readable on it” Hermione sighed with relief “However, it is deeply enchanted with both old and new magic. I don’t know all of them”

“What kind of magic?”

“Mostly protective spells. I had some fun testing it with the twins last night. Wearing the necklace made me almost invencible”

“Like a shield?”

“More like a healing and improving charm… You see I felt faster and more attentive. I also seemed to recover quickly. They stunned me and I didn’t need to be enervated. I simply woke up 5 seconds later. I tested it with knives and punches also, the same principle applies. The wounds heal faster. I don’t think it’d stop an avada, but it’s pretty powerful”

“Oh… so someone gave me a protective necklace?”

“Yes… Someone from a very old family or with a lot of money to buy a family heirloom, I’d say” Bill added suspiciously eyeing Hermione “Who did you say that gave it to you?”

“I didn't,” Hermione said quickly. “Can I wear it now?”

“Yeah, about that,” Bill said, passing his hand on the back of his neck “After the incident with the books in the Black Library, I must warn you, Hermione…”

“What? You think it might burn me because I’m muggleborn?”

“It’s not impossible” Bill sighed embarrassedly “I had no one to test it on.. I’m sorry for not being able to help. The best thing would be to test it somewhere safe where we can help you quickly if anything goes wrong”

“Oh, but you said there were no curses?”

“Yes, no trace of dark magic. But old magic has a different signature you know, something  protecting the family heirloom from thieves would have not been seen as that dark in the past…”

“I’ll try it” Hermione said extending her arm confidently “If anything happens you floo me to St. Mungus”

Bill seemed reluctant but gave in after a few minutes. Hermione touched the necklace and nothing happened. She opened and placed it on her neck, pulling her hair so Bill could close it. 

“So?” He asked

“I feel okay” She said truthfully

“Want to test its protectiveness?” Bill said excitedly. 

“Not right now” She giggled “I’ll thank the sender”

H: The necklace had no note, I didn’t know who to thank for it . 

D: That would be me. 

H: Thank you. 

D: Can’t wait to see you wear it. 

H: I already am. And I am also mad that I can’t give you something too. 

D: You can. 

H: What?

D: Take your family and leave the UK. 

Hermione rolled her eyes and didn’t bother to answer. But that night, as she dozed off to sleep she kept rubbing the pendant between her thumb and her index finger. It brought her some comfort.

Chapter Text

December 28th

Hermione couldn’t wrap her mind around the donation for the Longbottoms. She didn’t have that kind of money and she’d remember doing such a big action if she’d known. Something about what Ginny said, though. About when she was being possessed by Tom Riddle’s diary. How she’d do things and not remember them. Had it been happening with Hermione? She didn’t have blank spaces in her memories, in fact every single second of her days were scheduled with either preparations for the OWLs, meetings with the DA and conversations with her friends, Terry or D. But someone had sent very real galleons to Mrs. Longbottom (thank God they did, Hermione was not complaining) but who? Why? And why use Hermione’s name? That was a small part of her brain repeating that the only people who knew she was aware of Neville’s parents’ situation were Neville and Malfoy. But she didn’t even allow that part of her brain to come to the forefront, because Malfoy was evil. He’d never do something like that. And even if he did, he’d throw it on her face, on Neville’s face, on everyone’s face. His family would probably announce it on the Daily Prophet to collect the publicity for it. It had to have been someone else. But who? 

H: Can I ask you something?

D: Of course, Miss Granger. 

H: Do you know who Neville Longbottom is?

D: Isn’t he the toothy gryffindor always being hexed?

H: Yes… I mean, don’t be mean, he’s more than that. But, sure. 

D: What about him? Is he your new boyfriend?

H: No… I just wanted to know if you knew him. 

…

H: Was the necklace the only gift you gave me?

D: Why? Did you want anything else?

H: No… Forget I asked…

January 6th

H: I am really, really sorry you went through something like that. 

D: It’s been a long time now, Granger… Don’t make me regret telling you that by flooding me with your gryffindor pity. 

H: D, it’s okay to mourn things. 

D: No one died, my mom is alive. 

H: Yes… Thank God for that. You two seem to be very close. 

D: We are, indeed. 

January 10th

H: So have you finished the “Two Towers”? 

D: Not yet, why?

H: I finished it two days ago and I’m bored. I want to start “The Return of the King” but I want to wait until you start too. 

D: Remind me to refrain from engaging in academic clubs with the brightest witch of her age. I’ll finish it today, ok?

H: Thanks. 

January 11th

D: So are you excited to come back to Hogwarts tomorrow?

H: Sort of… Umbridge is kind of ruining it for me, but yes… 

D: Agree… At least I’ll get to see you. 

H: Show off… I swear it, after the OWLs are gone I am going to find out who you are or else I’m not Hermione Granger. 

January 14th

MASS BREAKOUT FROM AZKABAN MINISTRY FEARS BLACK IS ‘RALLYING POINT’ FOR OLD DEATH EATERS

On their third day back to Hogwarts, Hermione started her morning with terrible news from the Daily Prophet. Just as Dumbledore had warned Fudge, the ministry, the public and everyone else… The dementors in Azkaban had turned to serve Voldemort and ten convicted death eaters had escaped. Including Bellatrix Lestrange. Of course, the minister would never admit his errors so they were blaming Sirius Black, the only prisoner known to have escaped Azkaban. No one really knew about Barty Crouch Jr. 

“Oh God” Hermione gulped “It’s terrible”

Harry had mentioned the previous night that Voldemort was happy about something. This must’ve been it. Besides, there were more ministry employees’ mysterious deaths happening. 

“It’s just like the last time” She kept hearing. From Sirius, from Hagrid, from Lupin… War was coming.

They needed to do something. The Daily Prophet was doing nothing. The Ministry was doing nothing. People needed to know. They needed to prepare, to protect themselves. How could she make everyone know about what was going on? Then she had the most perfect idea. She jumped from the breakfast table and ran towards the owlery, not bothering to explain her idea to Ron and Harry, not minding the sad look on Hagrid’s face as she stormed by him. 

Rita Skeeter. The bastard, arrogant, noisy, insensitive and soul sucking evil reporter. It was about time she made herself useful. Only proposing to her was dangerous, Umbridge was in fact inspecting letters. But maybe she’d only bother to do so with Harry. Hermione had been keeping a low profile in her class. 

“Dear beetle, 

I’d like to propose a collaboration project that’d be of your interest. 

Please meet me at the Three Broomsticks, February 14th at 2pm.

You can always refuse though I believe the next jar would be very much worse than the last one. 

Love, 

Hermione Granger”

“Send this to Rita Skeeter” Hermione murmured to one of the school owls. Hedwig was still recovering from her attack. 

Hermione was going to her double charms class when she ran into Terry Boot in the middle of the third floor. 

“Hermione!” He exclaimed in a pleasant surprise. 

“Oh, Hi Ter-” She began but he cut her off with a peck on the lips. 

Her eyes went wide and her mouth formed an “O”. 

“Sorry!” He said quickly “I didn’t mean to scare you or anything… I just, I’ve been thinking about it all Christmas Break…” He blushed in a shy smile.

“Oh… I’m not scared, just surprised”  She placed her palm on her chest. “I’ve missed you too, Terry”

“Would you like to meet up in the Library to study some time today?”

“Sure… What about 5pm?”

“Perfect”

…

Hermione was at the library waiting for Terry while she wrote her Venus essay for Astronomy. Unfortunately her mind kept reeling about the fact that Hagrid was on probation, so she ended up writing “ugly pink toad” seven times by accident. She finally burned the whole thing with a quick spell and restarted it. 

“Hey, Granger”

Hermione looked back to find blonde hair. But it was a darker shade. Michael Corner. Ginny Weasley’s boyfriend from Ravenclaw and a member of the DA. 

“Hi, Michael” She greeted. “Are you alright?”

“Yes, I’m fine.” He said holding his satchel with both hands “I just came because Terry asked me to tell you he won’t be able to make it. Apparently his detention was rescheduled for right now”

“Oh…”

“I still can’t figure out why he has detention, if you know what I mean… Terry never gets detention” Michael looked worried “Do you think they know about… the DA?” He whispered

“N-no.” Hermione reassured quickly “It’s just.. Well, Malfoy and Parkinson found us coming back from it before Christmas and they gave him a detention, unfortunately they can’t give me too because I’m a prefect and all…”

“Oh, was it past curfew?”

Hermione blushed “No…”

“Then why would they have grounds for…” Realisation came from Michael and his face turned fully pink “Oh, I see.. Sorry… Well… I’ll be going now”

Hermione huffed. Great.

Then she thought about it… Why would Malfoy change Terry’s detention time? And exactly for the time they’d meet?

January 18th

H: Tell me something funny… 

D: Why? Everything alright?

H: I just want to laugh it off…

D: Well, in third year one of my housemates wanted to find out how a certain girl looked without clothes so we brewed Polyjuice potion for months and he went to collect a bit of her hair. He decided to take the potion already naked, but I convinced him to at least keep his underwear on. As soon as the effects began we realised the girl must’ve been near Prof. Snape because he was the one in front of us barely dressed. 

Hermione snorted so loudly when she read that during dinner that pumpkin juice went up through her nose and it got Pansy Parkinson laughing mockingly. After cleaning herself, Hermione noticed that the brunette wasn’t sitting next to Malfoy anymore. Instead, the ferret had Daphne Greengrass smugly feeding him strawberries and running her fingers on his hair. He didn’t see Hermione looking.

January 25th

D: Please leave the UK. 

H: Stop saying that… Tell me if you left the UK where would you go?

D: France, I have a family house there. 

H: Oh, I have family there too. 

February 2nd

“Hermione?” 

Hermione had been absorbed in her potions revision and looked puzzled to Harry. She and her two best friends were sitting by the study hall.

“What?”

“I said that Cho wants me to go out with her on the next Hogsmead visit…” Harry said impatiently

“Oh, of course… It is Valentine’s Day after all, right?”

“Yes… Do you think she means anything by it?”

“What?”

“Like, am I her boyfriend or something?”

Hermione rolled her eyes. 

“I think you’ll not be her anything until you ask for it. But you two snogged before Christmas and…”

“And a lot of times since” Ron added gleefully

“Anyway…” Hermione said with impatience “She obviously likes you and she wants to spend time with you. If you want to be her boyfriend though, you have to ask”

“Well, but… Er.. What is it to be someone’s boyfriend?” Harry asked, nervously rubbing his scar. 

“Oh Harry” Hermione sighed “Is a commitment, a message, a statement. It shows that you like her more than just for kissing, that you want exclusivity and…”

“You mean if I don’t she’ll be snogging other blokes?”

“Stop acting daft, Harry!” Hermione snapped.

“Sorry, it’s just that’s been so much going on… I like her, I do. But I’m new to this sort of thing and I don’t know if I have the time and energy to figure it out… How was it with you and Krum? Or you and Terry?”

“WHAT?” Ron dropped his quill “Terry boot?”

Hermione shot Harry a dirty look. He merely shrugged.

“Well…” She said coolly “I think that if you don’t have time and energy for making space for Cho in your life, Harry, she should know. Because she’s been through a lot since Cedric and she deserves someone who likes her enough to make an effort…”

“I like her!” Harry protested.

“Don’t dodge my question, Hermione!” Ron snapped “What about Terry Boot?”

“... Furthermore…” Hermione continued ignoring both “If you really want to know, Harry… Viktor was always making me confident about his feelings for me. He went to the library just to spend time with me, he invited me to the Yule, I was his treasure on the second task after all, he asked me to write to him, to visit him…” She glared at Ron who was buffing“You see… I was the one pressing the breaks on our relationship.”

“Why did you?” Harry asked.

“Well…” Hermione mumbled “I didn’t really see a future on it, you know? I wouldn’t want to move to Bulgaria…”

“What about Boot, Mione?!” Ron asked.

“What about him, Ronald?” Hermione retorted. 

“Is he your boyfriend ?” Harry asked.

“No, Harry… He’s not.” Hermione bit back the yet in her mind “But he did invite me for Valentine’s Day, I didn’t have to hint him to do it” Harry grimaced “And he’s always making time to spend with me, going to the library, to the lake…”

“I thought you two were studying, not snogging ” Ron said disgustedly 

“Ronald!” Hermione snapped, “It’s none of your business what we’re doing, but a couple’s time together isn’t usually just physical , you know?”

Ron’s face turned green at the sound of “physical”. Hermione rolled her eyes. Harry seemed thoughtful.

February 4th

D: If you were an animagus, what animal would you like to be?

H: Hmm… I think probably a cat or an owl… Something that is discreet you know? It’s not like a stag could be walking through London’s streets. 

D: Who would choose a stag?

H: Well… I don’t know, what about you?

D: Probably a dog, but a nice one… Like a hound or something. 

H: Posh. .

February 5th

Malfoy was more insufferable than ever since they returned to school. He was always deducting points from Neville, Terry and Harry. He didn’t do it to Ron because he was a prefect, but he seized every opportunity to mock him for his quidditch, his family and everything else. He was always bragging about his father and terrorising everyone he could. He mostly ignored Hermione, since she was a prefect as well. 

But she was, unfortunately, seeing him more than she wanted to. It seemed that he hadn’t reformed his ways, as she was constantly noticing him leaving empty classrooms and alcoves with different witches. Most of them were Ravenclaws or Slytherins from 5th to 7th year, and she even once saw Pansy there too. 

From girlfriend to lover… That was something else. Or maybe she was just getting her “revenge” from Daphne, the new official girlfriend. Daphne Greengrass seemed to be more than pleased with the turn of events and Hermione had the impression she probably was more forgiving of his escapades.

“Lucius and Narcissa even invited my parents to Christmas Eve at the Manor” Hermione heard the blond girl bragging to Millicent Beaustrode one day after potions “Of course, it’s too early to talk about marriage or anything, we need to finish Hogwarts first… But Cissa even showed me her mother’s engagement ring”

Hermione rolled her eyes so hard she almost saw the back of her mind. 

February 8th

As soon as Hermione got Skeeter’s confirmation she ran to talk to her friend. 

“Harry, you have to meet me in the three broomsticks at 2pm this saturday, okay?”

“I don’t know, Mione… I think Cho expects me to spend the whole day with her” Harry said, scratching the side of his nose. 

“Bring her with you, if you must”  Hermione said irritably “But come! Ron, you too”

“Can’t” Ron said annoyed “Quidditch practice”

…

D: I hate Prof. Vector

H: Why?

D: She thinks we only have her class with the amount of homework she sends…

H: That is true

February 10th

D: Tell me you’re not dating that oily ravenclaw…

H: Terry is not oily!

D: Really Granger, how the mighty have fallen… From an international quidditch player to that…

H: Why don’t you tell me about your girlfriend so I can make fun of her too?

February 14th

Hermione woke up on Valentine’s day with Lavender’s shriek of excitement. She and Parvati had both gotten cards and candies from Seamus Finnigan and Earnie MacMillan, who they were currently dating. However, Hermione’s bed side was full of flowers and chocolate boxes. 

“Hermione! Did Terry send you all of that?” Parvati said eagerly. 

Hermione scratched her head and went to search for a card. She indeed found one in a small box of heart shaped chocolats. The card was enchanted to fly around her like a butterfly once she opened, so she could only read it after a few minutes. 

“To the brightest witch of her age. I’m excited to see you today. -T”

“So romantic,” Lavender sighed.

“Here, there’s another card on the flowers,” Parvati said, handing it to Hermione. It was black and inside there was only the letter D written with golden ink. 

Hermione ran for her parchment.

D: I bet you I outdid your oily valentine. 

…

Hermione and Terry waited in the queue to be signed out by Filch, a few heads behind Harry and Cho. They were so cute, looking at each other and grinning but too shy to speak. She was about to turn to tell Terry this when she saw him fall to his knees.

“Terry!?” Hermione gasped.

“Legtied” He mumbled in pain.

Hermione casted the counterspell as quickly as she could, but she heard an impatient huff behind her.

“Can you move, Granger?” Daphne said annoyedly tapping her heels on the marble floor. 

The tall blonde witch was wearing a long leather black skirt, with a tight dark green wool sweater. She had a red dragon leather purse to match her lips and in her ears shone gigantic ruby earrings. No, really gigantic… They looked like quail eggs. She must've casted a featherlight spell so they wouldn’t rip her ear flesh. 

The girl smirked when she saw Hermione’s line of sight. 

“Did you like them? I got from my valentine’s” She purred rubbing the jewel “Now, move. Some of us have reservations, you see”

At the mention of her boyfriend, Hermione finally followed the owner of the long pale fingers resting on Daphne’s narrow waist. Draco Malfoy was looking as bored as ever and also as posh as ever, in his all black suit probably tailored to fit him perfectly. 

“I told you, Daph… They’re not going to just send us away if we arrive late” He sighed tiredly “Any reservation under the Malfoy name is the biggest reservation the restaurant will have that year”

“Malfoy” Hermione said, helping Terry  up “Did you just hex Terry?”

“Why the fuck would I do that?” He asked with a smirk.

“Let’s go, Hermione,” Terry said, grabbing her shoulders gently to turn her around as it was their time to talk to Filch. 

Hermione heard a bunch of slytherin girls pass them to mock Harry and Cho, including a very bitter Pansy Parkinson. 

“Potter and Chang!” screeched Pansy, to a chorus of snide giggles. “Urgh, Chang, I don’t think much of your taste … At least Diggory was good-looking!”

They entered Hogsmeade. The High Street was full of students ambling up and down, peering into the shop windows and messing about together on the pavements. 

Terry took Hermione to Tomes and Scrolls where he bought her three new books, a bunch of quills and ink too. She kept saying he didn’t have to and he’d just laugh it off saying that if he couldn’t buy his date some gifts then life was too dull. ‘

He then went with her to buy some sandwiches and butterbeers at three broomsticks. 

“To go” He informed Madam Rosmerta

“Oh” Hermione looked at him curiously. 

They went to eat the picnic near the Shrieking Shack, which Hermione wasn’t afraid of since she learned about Lupin’s story. It was easy to be with Terry, he was funny, good looking and very smart. Their kisses were still kind of awkward and shy, but they were nice enough. 

When it was almost 2pm, Hermione asked Terry if he’d mind having her go meet Luna and Harry at the Three Broomsticks. She made it clear to him that it was important secret stuff, not related to valentine’s day at all and that he and the rest of the DA would soon learn about. Terry wasn’t jealous, he agreed quickly saying that he wanted to check Zonko and asked her what time he could pick her up there. 

Hermione was taking a narrow and tortuous alley as a shortcut towards the Three Broomsticks when she heard someone crying. At least, it sounded like crying. Or, perhaps, a cat in heat meowing. She was startled. No. That wasn’t it. That was a girl, a woman… Moaning. Loudly. 

“Oh yes, Draco! Just like that! Oh fuck”

Hermione felt her body freeze. She looked around, but there was no one. The sound must’ve been coming from one of the buildings. She casted a quick muffliato and kept walking. Soon the alley ended and she was near the Three Broomsticks door. 

Hagrid was sitting alone in a corner, looking morose. 

“Hi, Hagrid” She said grimacing when she noticed the ad two fresh cuts on his face and several new bruises.

“Hyah, Mione!” Hagrid greeted her. 

“Are you alright?” 

“Oh yeah, I’m grand, Mione, grand.” He said drinking from a mug so big it looked like a bucket. 

“What about those injuries?” Hermione asked skeptically

“Oh … tha’s jus’ normal bumps an’ bruises, Mione ’ said Hagrid dismissively, ‘I got a rough job. I’ll be seein’ yeh, Mione… take care now.”

 And he lumbered out of the pub looking wretched. Hermione watched him go, feeling miserable. Hagrid was unhappy and he was hiding something, but he seemed determined not to accept help. What was going on? But before Hermione could think about it any further, he heard a voice calling his name. 

“Hermione! Here, over here!” Luna was waving at her from the other side of the room. 

Hermione made her wavy over there and it wasn’t long before Rita Skeeter appeared to sit with them looking really displeased. Soon after, Harry arrived. 

“Oh You’re early!’ said Hermione, moving along to give him room to sit down. ‘I thought you were with Cho!”

“Cho?” said Rita at once, twisting round in her seat to stare avidly at Harry. “A girl?” She snatched up her crocodile-skin handbag and groped within it. 

“It’s none of your business if Harry’s been with a hundred girls,” Hermione told Rita coolly. “So you can put that away right now.”

Rita had been on the point of withdrawing an acid-green quill from her bag. Looking as though she had been forced to swallow mud, she snapped her bag shut again. 

“What are you up to?” Harry asked, sitting down and staring from Rita to Luna to Hermione. 

“Little Miss Perfect was just about to tell me when you arrived. I suppose I’m allowed to talk to him, am I?’ Rita shot at Hermione.

“Yes, do talk to him” Hermione said, lavishing how poorly Rita Skeeter looked now she wasn’t allowed to profit from publicizing gossip. 

“So… were you with a pretty girl for Valentine’s Day, Harry?”

“If you say as much as one more word about Harry’s love life the deal will be off and this is a promise” Hermione said with irritation. 

“Deal?” Rita’s eyebrows shot to her hairline. “You didn’t say anything about the deal yet… Oh you just wait…”

“... Until you start writing shite about me and Harry again, yes I know” Hermione said, taking a sip from her butterbeer with nonchalance. 

“They’ve run plenty of horrible stories about Harry this year without my help… How has that made you feel, Harry? Betrayed? Distraught? Misunderstood?”

“Angry, of course. Because we all know that You-Know-Who is back and instead of getting ready to fight him and protect our world, the Ministry is too busy dragging Harry’s name on the mud” Hermione replied for her friend. 

“You stand by all this garbage Dumbledore’s been telling everybody about You-Know-Who returning and you being the sole witness?” Rita asked. 

“I wasn’t the sole witness,” snarled Harry. “There were a dozen-odd Death Eaters there as well. Want their names?”

“Oh, I’d love them… But I’m afraid you’re friend here has pulled me for a time out”

“In fact” Hermione said smugly “I do want you to write everything Harry tells you to”

Rita stared at her. So did Harry. Luna, on the other hand, sang ‘Weasley is our King’ dreamily under her breath and stirred her drink with a cocktail onion on a stick.

“You what?”

“You heard me just fine, Rita”

“But, the Prophet wouldn’t print it. In case you haven’t noticed, nobody believes his cock-and-bull story. Everyone thinks he’s delusional. Now, if you let me write the story from that angle –” 

“We don’t need another story about how Harry lost his marbles!” said Hermione angrily. “We’ve had plenty of those already, thank you! I want him to be given the opportunity to tell the truth!”

“There’s no market for it”

“Luna says her father’s quite happy to take Harry’s interview. That’s who’ll be publishing it.’”

“And what low end journal does Luna’s father have?” Rita asked skeptically.

“The Quibbler” Luna said proudly

Rita snorted loudly “I can use that rubbish to manure my garden… Do you think people would take him seriously after being published there?”

“Well, with the Azkaban outbreak and all the deaths in the Ministry people are starting to realise that there’s a lot of things the Prophet isn’t sharing. I believe people would be interested in hearing HArry wherever he’s published” Hermione said calmly.

“Let’s pretend I’d do it… What kind of fee am I getting?”

“I don’t think Daddy exactly pays people to write for the magazine,” said Luna dreamily. “They do it because it’s an honour and, of course, to see their names in print.”

“I am supposed to do it for free? ” Rita shrieked. 

Other people around them started to stare. Rita cleared her throat. Hermione saw Pansy Parkinson coming from the stairs to the second floor looking rather blushed. She waited until the slytherin was back to the street before answering. 

“Yes, Rita. Otherwise, as you very well know, I will inform the authorities that you are an unregistered Animagus. Of course, the Prophet might give you a lot for an insider’s account of life in Azkaban.”

“So I suppose I don’t have a choice” Rita sighed defeated. She opened her crocodile bag once more, withdrew a piece of parchment, and raised her Quick-Quotes Quill. 

“Daddy will be pleased,” said Luna brightly. 

“OK, Harry?’ said Hermione, turning to him. “Ready to tell the public the truth?”

“Yes…I suppose,” Harry said. 

“Well, then let’s take a room upstairs,” Hermione said cheerfully. “So we have more privacy... I’ve already booked one”

The four of them climbed the stairs and opened the second door in the corridor. Hermione was the last one to enter and she was just closing when she saw the door across them open. Draco Malfoy came from it, with a smug expression. He looked at Hermione and had the audacity of smirking before she closed the door. 

February 16th

Hermione took a sip of her pumpkin juice during dinner that Monday and saw Cho scowling at Harry from the Ravenclaw table. 

“Oh Harry, I forgot to ask you.. How was the date with Cho?” Harry asked brightly

“Er, huh” He cleared his throat “It was…  A complete mess, now you mentioned it”

Harry goes on telling her how Cho’s date went poorly at Madam’s Padfoot. 

“Oh Harry” She sighed sadly “You were a bit tactless”

“Me?! One minute we were getting on fine, the next minute she was telling me that Roger Davies asked her out and how she used to go and snog Cedric in that stupid teashop – how was I supposed to feel about that?”

“Well… Of course, but you see” Hermione said with the same patient tone she’d use to explain to a three year old why people peed in a bathroom instead of the floor “She mentioned Davies and Diggory because she got jealous. You shouldn’t have told her you wanted to meet me on Valentine's Day…”

“But you told me to meet you!”

“Yes, but you should’ve said you didn’t want to. That you wanted to be with her and that I was annoying… Perhaps calling me ugly too.” 

“But I don’t think you’re ugly,” said Harry, bemused. 

“I do” Malfoy sneered as he walked past them. Hermione merely rolled her eyes and then laughed. 

“Oh Harry, you’re worse than Ron…”

At that moment, Ron dropped onto the bench opposite them and pulled every dish within reach towards him. 

“Well, wouldn’t it have been easier if she’d just asked me whether I liked her better than you?” Harry asked.

“She’d never do it… Girls don’t often ask questions like that!”

“Well, you should! You should come straight to us and ask all about our feelings and thoughts.. So we’d have a chance to tell them.” Harry sputtered. 

As Ginny went to sit next to them, Hermione pushed Harry’s words to the back of her head and focused on her fiery haired friend. 

“How was practice?” 

“It was appalling. Angelina was nearly in tears by the end of it.” Ginny mumbled.

Ron and Ginny went off for baths after dinner; Harry and Hermione returned to the busy Gryffindor common room and their usual pile of homework. 

“Ron and Ginny not here?” asked Fred, looking around as he pulled up a chair, and when Harry shook his head, he said, “Good. We were watching their practice. They’re going to be slaughtered. They’re complete rubbish without us.”

“Come on, Ginny’s not bad,” said George fairly, sitting down next to Fred. “Actually, I dunno how she got so good, seeing how we never let her play with us.”

“She’s been breaking into your broom shed in the garden since the age of six and taking each of your brooms out in turn when you weren’t looking,” said Hermione from behind her tottering pile of Ancient Rune books. “Has Ron saved a goal yet?” 

“Only when he thinks there’s no one watching” Fred said “Let’s just ask the crowd to turn their backs whenever the quaffle is close to the hoops”

“Man, if we lose to hufflepuff I might as well kill myself” George sighed. 

“That’s the trouble with Quidditch,” said Hermione absent-mindedly, once again bent over her Runes translation, “it creates all this bad feeling and tension between the houses.”

She looked up to find her copy of Spellman’s Syllabary, and caught Fred, George and Harry all staring at her with expressions of mingled disgust and incredulity on their faces. 

“Well, it does!” she said impatiently. “It’s only a game, isn’t it?”

“Hermione,” said Harry, shaking his head, “you’re good on feelings and stuff, but you just don’t understand about Quidditch.”

Hermione ignored him and turned to her books, lost in thought to herself. Was she really that good at feelings? She was dating Terry, yes. But she didn’t bother trying to look too deep into herself. She was so caught up with Umbridge, DA, Harry, Voldemort and everything else… She didn’t pay too much attention to her feelings. She was drawing near the sensation that she felt the same for Terry as she did for Viktor. 

He was a nice boy, a gentleman, so sweet and caring. It was easy to spend time with him. But she didn’t feel the things Lavender and Parvati would talk about when she was with him. She didn’t get butterflies on her stomach, let alone the heating sensation on her lower abdomen. Maybe she just wasn’t wired like that. She was too logical to be caught up in feelings. She knew logically she’d never be able to have anything further with Viktor. But she could have something going on with Terry, logically thinking. He wanted to be a healer, he said. She thought about it too or possibly at the Ministry, that is of course under a different management. Was she supposed to be Mrs. Boot someday? 

Well, that’s the point in relationships, right? Eventually marrying and building a family. Logically there was no point in being with someone if you didn’t at least consider the possibility of being with that person. There was also Ron. Hermione could see herself entering the Weasley family. And they’d been friends for ages, so she knew they got along very well. Harry was like a brother to her. But Ron was a best friend that could be something else. He was so tall, so strong and so protective. She loved his blue eyes, his caring smile, his soft touch. But that was something for a long time later. Maybe after the upcoming war. She knew she’d have to do almost all the work for him because he was very slow in getting hints and even slower in taking action. He was just too insecure to even put himself there. That is… if he liked her like that. 

But… Did she get the butterflies and heat with him? She tried to search her memories for evidence of it. Of goosebumps, sighs and longing. She gasped once she found it. Because it was not with Ron. Or Terry. Or Viktor. It was with D. And someone else . 

Every time she’d write D she’d get all giggly and excited, blushing madly. He was smart, he was sweet, he was seductive and very attentive. She’d dare say they were soulmates of sort. She scolded herself for that thought. Soulmates weren’t real, only someone like Trelawney would think they were. Only that… D felt like her soulmate. But he was obviously not interested. Or else he would've revealed himself by now. He would’ve taken her on a real date instead of showering her with lots of gifts. He would’ve made her his girlfriend instead of just mocking the boys she was with. In fact, Hermione knew he had a girlfriend. Maybe they were soulmates indeed, but not designed to be lovers in this lifetime. They’d be penpals, best friends, confidents…  But he obviously didn’t find her pretty enough to go public, he had someone else doing that job. Did she know the girl? Did they also talk about books, arithmancy and potions? Did he make her laugh? Did he make her feel special?

It wouldn’t do any good to think about it any longer. 

But it was indeed better than the second person who Hermione remembered that got her feeling something. They said love and hate were sides of the same coin. She doubted it. Desire and hate, however… Yes, that could be. 

How else to explain the goosebumps, the butterflies, the heat pooling under her navel, the tingling, the raw desire that Malfoy made her feel? Despite being the most despicable, pathetic, evil and cruel human being she’d met until now… He drove her crazy. In a primal way she was not proud of, at all. Every time she saw the silly smile and blushed cheeks of a girl leaving somewhere with him… She got that feeling, something she couldn’t - shouldn’t put into words. Because they’d certainly be “I wish it was me”. She knew he must be good. She heard Pansy’s moaning that Saturday in Hogsmeade. Why the hell would Pansy submit herself into being the mistress, the other woman… To her cheating ex… If it didn’t feel good? Hermione felt her toes curling just to think about it. She would never admit to herself that she allowed the memories of that brief kiss at the end of fourth year to come back to her mind more ways than it was sensible. 

She shook her head. She’d rather never feel goosebumps, butterflies and heat with a boy ever again. She’d rather have a sensible, logical and safe relationship with a good man. She just wished to God that she didn’t have to. That somehow her masochist and twisted heart would learn better than to desire letters on a paper or the school bully son of death eaters. It was certainly ironic. The brightest witch of her age: big and powerful brain, but a stupid and powerless heart. 

February 21th

Hermione couldn’t stay a second there anymore. It was torture. Ron had let more than twenty goals pass. Gryffindor was being crushed by Hufflepuff. And Ron was sure to be mortified by it. Harry and the twins at her side were positively furious. They kept shouting and swearing. She just had to leave. She quickly took the stairs and went behind the stands to gasp for air. 

“Are you meeting your next lover here, Granger?” She heard a drawl behind her and didn’t even need to turn around to know who it belonged to. The cedar and mint scent informed her. 

“Fuck off, Malfoy”

“Is it Boot?” He asked, picking a non-existent dust from his black jacket’s shoulder “The stupid twat was surely smiling like a goof today… Or maybe you’re waiting to give a pity shag to Weasel? Fuck, he’s needing it…”

“I said fuck off ” she snapped.

“Why Granger, don’t pretend to be the blushing bride now… I saw you getting in that room in Three Broomsticks, was it Potter at your back? Going for the famous dick? Fuck, it must be hard to keep that muggle cunt of yours calm inside your knickers, huh?” He smirked.

“The only slut I am aware of is you” she spat. 

“ What ?” He snarled with steel eyes.

“I’ve seen you with more girls than I can count” Hermione said with a tone she wished didn’t sound as hurt as she heard “Is that the pureblood way? A beautiful girl with big jewelry as your official and lots of others on the side?”

He grinned. 

“What if it is? Do you want to participate?” He asked,taking one step towards her “is that why you’re always watching?”

“I don’t see it because I want to!” Hermione was offended, taking a step back “I see it because you’re so reckless and disrespectful”

He hummed, taking another step forward. 

“I don’t see how Pansy and Daphne accept this sort of thing” Hermione tried to offend him but something told her she didn’t get it right. 

“Well… There must be something , huh? Something that makes them accept it, want it even” Malfoy smirked wider. “I think you know what that is, Granger…”

He closed the distance between them and placed his hand on the wooden structure of the stand behind Hermione. His neck was close to her nose and she could feel his scent inebriating her. 

“I-I…” she stuttered.

“You, indeed, Granger” he whispered, leaning so his cool mint breath reached her ear. “What if I kissed you right now? Would you say no?”

She blinked twice and it was too long before she answered. 

“Yes” her voice came in a breathy moan and she quickly shook away. “I would say no. No” she said, placing both her palms on his - rather muscular-  chest and pushing him away. 

Her strength was the same as nothing. He didn’t move an inch. The hand that was not above her head came to rest on top of one of hers, over his heart. 

“Then tell me to stop” he said leaning forward and pulling her lower lip between his. Hermione sighed when he kissed her, flooding her system with the cold of mint and the warmth of his touch. 

She wanted to bite him. To lick him. To suck him. To wrap her arms around his neck and climb him. To moan his name and have him moan hers. To have him do things to her no one did before.

But she didn’t do anything of sorts. Obviously.

Her prayer a few days before had been heard apparently. Because she found some hidden strength and common sense from the depths of the volcano burning inside her. 

“Stop” she gasped, pushing him away “let me go“ she said weakly, but he was off of her before she could think twice.

He gave her a bitter smile with his eyes still closed. And when he opened them, they were pure steel. Cold, hard and impenetrable.

“Of course, mudblood” he said coolly, yanking her hands from his chest and giving a step back “I would never dirty myself with you” 

And he made the scene of wiping his mouth clean after spitting on the ground. 

“No,” she said quickly. She remembered Harry’s words from earlier that week. How girls should say their feelings or something. “Don’t you dare use that shield now”

“Shield? Are you mad?” He asked with a contorted face.

“Yes. The blood purist shield” she spat “you’re using it to protect yourself from… from this” she gestured between the two of them. 

“From what, Granger?”

“From me! From us! From whatever this is” she raised her arms and let them fall in exasperation. 

“This. Is. Nothing” he hissed. 

“Don’t you dare lie,” she said. He was a Slytherin through and through. So she needed to be a Gryffindor too and be brave. “I know how you must feel”

“You have n-“

“It’s hard for me too. I don’t want to feel it. I don’t want to feel this” she interrupted him. She needed to say it now. Or else she would never be able to do so. “I hate myself for wanting it . But… I do. I didn’t tell you to stop because I don’t want to kiss you. I told you to stop because you have a girlfriend. And that’s not fair to her. Or to me. We both deserve more.”

He looked at her, his expression frozen for several seconds and she thought to look around and see if he had been petrified by someone. But, before she could, his face turned into an ugly grin and he began chuckling.  

“Are you stupid ?” He said laughing loudly “Are you actually that dumb?” Hermione flinched. Danger. Danger. “Granger, are you seriously saying you only stopped me because of Daphne ?” He placed his hands on his thighs to support his torso as he laughed harder “I treat you like shit. I treat your friends like shit. I loathe you and everything you stand for. I am literally on the side that wants your kind dead or enslaved. And yet the only thing you care about is infidelity ? Are you that desperate?”

Hermione was definitely going to hex Harry for implying that opening her feelings up was a good idea. That is, after she vomited. She felt sick. 

“About that,” she said indignantly hating herself for being so pathetic “I did notice that every boy I talk to seems to be getting detentions, losing house points or getting hexed”

His smile fainted. Slightly. He quickly adjusted his posture.

“That only talks about how poor your choices for men are” he answered in a distant tone. “but then again, you were willing to give yourself to me, so I guess you really do think with your cunt”

“Fuck you!” She snapped. “You don’t have to be like that!”

“I am like this” he spat back, the stoic posture giving place to a furious expression “I’ve always been like this and I’ll always be. If you want to shag me, might as well do it knowingly. I won’t pretend to be nice. I never do. Ask every girl, I never promise to leave my girlfriend for them. I never say I’ll be gentle. Yet they keep coming. Just like yo-“

Hermione shut him with a slap. He grinned. 

“I know there’s some decency inside you” she mumbled “There are moments when you… You look normal. And you sound different when you’re… close to… kissing me. You think about the things I say. You care.”

“That might’ve been the stupidest thing you said today” he said, pinching the bridge of his nose. 

“Then why did you donate that money for Neville’s parents?” Hermione hadn’t even connected the dots herself before blurting it out to him. Now it was suddenly obvious “I know it was you”

Malfoy was pale, but he turned almost transparent. She could see his blue veins as the blood left his face.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about” he lied, looking to the side as if calculating his exit route.

“You felt guilty about that day in potions. And you did it. You did a good thing. And didn’t even want to take credit for it.”

“Stop saying stupid things”

“It was a lot of money. No one else knew.”

“Money is nothing to me.”

“But it’ll be everything for them” she didn’t even know now if she was trying to make him feel good or bad with her words. She just wanted him to feel something. 

He ran a hand through his hair and began walking away. It seemed he didn’t even care to have the last word this time and that showed how affected he was. Hermione gave him a weak shout from behind.

“Thank you”

He didn’t look back. 

Hermione went straight to her common room and spent a few hours crying in front of the fireplace. The good thing was that, once people started entering the empty room, they all looked miserable so she didn’t stand out. Gryffindor had lost again, despite Ginny catching the snitch. Ron was nowhere to be found, probably drowning in self loathing. So was Hermione. 

Hot and cold. Draco Malfoy was incredibly hot and desirable, yet he was bizarrely mean and cruel. She had hit the bottom now. Exposed herself to him. Would he mock her for it? He hadn’t mocked her for returning his kiss in fourth year, but would he now? He looked worse and worse every day. But at the same time, she did have something on him. He had donated a small fortune to Neville Longbottom, to repare the wrong doings of death eaters, of his aunt. He wouldn’t want that known. So maybe that would keep his mouth shut. 

Something inside Hermione wanted to reach out, to try and save the small decent part she knew was hiding inside him somewhere. He was a bastard, but war was coming. He didn’t need to become a death eater after Hogwarts, maybe he could be saved somehow. 

But at the same time, the bigger and more logical part of her brain said that it was stupid. That she was indeed trying to make him a SPEW project of sorts, trying to save the creature everyone knew to be a monster… Was she like Hagrid in that sense? She knew watching Malfoy was the same thing as driving past a car accident and looking at it. Nothing good could come of it, in fact, you’re more likely to leave traumatised by the ugliness of it. 

Which part of her should she listen to?

H: Can I ask you something?

D: Anything, Miss Granger. 

H: Do you believe in destiny?

D: No. I told you I hate divination…

H: What about legacy?

D: What are you getting at?

H: Do you think someone could turn evil just because of where and how he’s raised?

D: What’s this about?

H: D, we never talked about this… But I’ll ask a question and I need you to be honest. Okay?

D: I’ll try… 

H: If there was a war, or better, when there is a war… Which side is your family taking?

D: I think you know the answer for that.

H: The bad side… 

D: Indeed.

H: And what side will you be taking?

D: I could never leave in a world where your brilliance is not praised, Granger. 

Hermione’s heart leapt. There it was. You could be from a blood purist family and still not agree with their prejudice. D came from one and he liked a muggleborn, as a friend that is. He would join the Order when things got bad. Or at least, he'd try to do something. So, there was still hope for Draco Malfoy, too. And other slytherins. She needed to know if he was worth fighting for. If they all were. And to hell with her ego. There are things worth killing it for.

Chapter Text

February 26th

Hermione’s resolution to redeem Malfoy and his friends turned into smoke as soon as the Quibbler came out with Harry’s interview. Well, it was good that the truth was finally out. Umbridge got so angry she banned Harry from Hogsmead visits and banned the magazine in school. Which obviously made sure everyone read it. Girls would now corner Hermione in the bathrooms to bombarda her with questions about Harry. Cho apologised and made out with Harry. Seamus Finnigan changed his mind and asked to join the DA. 

She tried to brush it off for her friends, commenting happily that no one could contradict Harry because Umbridge had banned The Quibbler in Hogwarts so no one could admit to reading it. 

But Slytherins were never playing by the rules. 

And they were livid. There were several reports of fighting, hexing and bullying against the trio. Malfoy himself seemed to have made his whole life revolve around making Gryffindors' lives a living hell. In fact, Hermione was now his favourite target.

“Slut”

“Mudblood cunt”

“Unsufferable swot”

“Disgusting”

She was always hearing those words now. From Crabbe, Goyle, Theodore Nott and other sons of people Harry named as Death Eaters in his interview. They’d make her trip and fall, they’d make her drop her books, they’d tongue tie hex her when she raised her hands in class. But Malfoy was the worst. 

Hermione soon noticed that there had indeed been a silent truce between them since the beginning of the year. He was not nice. But he mostly ignored her. Until the article, that is. Now he was back to his most vicious and punitive self.

One day she was coming back from the library alone, Harry was with Cho and Ron was at the Quidditch Practice. She entered an empty corridor and lost all the air on her lungs once she was yanked by her hair against a wall. 

“I should kill you right now” Malfoy snarled, placing his hand on her neck with such violence there was bound to be bruises. 

“Let.. me… go…” She tried to speak but her voice was weak and shaky as her throat was constricted. 

“No. You listen to me now” He barked. “I know all these years living exciting adventures with Potter must have gone up your head, Granger, but you are not invincible. You are not immortal”

“Can’t… breath” She pleaded, tears rolling from her eyes. 

“Yes, you see. You’re fragile, you’re breakable…” He said with a wicked grin, but gave her a few inches so she could breathe “I could kill you right now. And, trust me it would be more merciful than what you’re bound to receive if you keep this madness up.”

“Is this about the article?” She moaned once she had enough air on her lungs. Her throat burned. 

“Of course it is!” He spat “Do you think we don’t know it was you? That piece of garbage never published anything other than rubbish. Potter would never come up with a smart idea like that. Rita Skeeter would never write for that stupid magazine, unless she was being blackmailed by the same witch that held her captive for weeks during summer… YOU are a target now, Granger. They see you and they want you”

“And why is that? Isn’t it because you rattled me?” She cried in anger, trying to scratch his hands off of her neck. 

“Stop being STUPID” He thundered pushing her so her head slammed on the wall behind her “Crabbe and Goyle knew about it too! It doesn’t matter who said it, it’s about WHO heard it! Once he puts his hands on you… The Dark Lord will make you wish I had killed you now”

“He was always going to kill me!” She barked back, her eyes seeing several stars from the impact against the wall “I am a muggle born, a mudblood. There is no other hope for me than FIGHTING!”

“YOU COULD GET AWAY!” He shouted so loudly it made her swallow her next words. 

He looked at her. His eyes, usually a stone wall, now looked like pools of liquid silver. He had something there, behind the anger… Was it pain? It was the car crash, she was watching it and it was indeed ugly and traumatising. 

“Why would you care?” She murmured after what seemed like hours passed in silence. 

“I don’t.” He answered too quickly. 

Malfoy let go off her neck and she dropped on the floor, wincing at the sore skin around her throat. 

“You’re dead, Granger.” He said before living.

Hermione saw him take something from his pocket and drink it before her vision blurred with tears.

March 8th

D: Talk to me… 

H: I’ve been busy

D: Please…

H: Maybe later.

Hermione’s days continued to pass in a blur. She buried herself in works, books, revisions. She started to avoid Terry Boot. She hid from her friends. She didn’t even feel like talking that much to D anymore, though he was relentless… Demanding her attention daily. She was depressed. 

A quick spell was all it took to clean the bruises on her neck. The ones that matched his hand exactly. But the scars on her vision… They’d never leave. Draco Malfoy just admitted that all of them were already on it. They could not have Dark Marks yet, but they were insiders. They were in line to become Death Eaters. They knew their plans, their goals, their targets. It was too late. 

She started to scratch herself, trying to tear away from her body any good feeling, whether empathy or desire, she’d ever felt for Draco Malfoy. He was disgusting. He was violent. He hit her. He threatened her. He wanted to kill her. He said it himself. She was disgusting too, for believing otherwise. 

And somehow, he was right. She never felt like everything they went through was child’s play before. Going after the philosopher’s stone, being petrified by a basilisk, fighting a werewolf and dementors in an attempt to free an Azkaban prisoner and condemn a traitor, helping Harry through the TriWizard Tournament. It was all real, they almost died. But it was nothing , nothing compared to what was to come. Voldemort had returned. And she had only two options: win or die, both of them involved fighting. 

Hermione tried to focus on school, on her grades, on her future plans… But what plans could she really make? To become the youngest Minister for Magic or to become a slave for a death eater war hero in some twisted dystopian future where Voldemort won?

Harry was having more dreams, she kept telling him to dedicate more to his occlumency classes with Snape. There was a weapon Voldemort wanted to take from the department of mysteries. He had Lucius Malfoy imperio several Ministry workers to try and get it, but none could. So that’s why so many of them were being murdered. 

March 10th

Hermione never liked Trelawney, but it didn’t stop her from crying when the teacher was sacked. Only two things were able to give her a laugh that week. 

The first was the fact that Dumbledore had hired a centaur as her substitute, what was incredible because everyone knew Umbridge hated half-breeds, as she called them. 

The second was D. He seemed to be relentless, the only one who didn’t allow her to push him away. 

H: I can’t believe it, really!

D: Why would I lie about that?

H: Well… It just doesn't suit the persona I imagined for you

D: Granger, don’t mock me… I’ll burn my parchment

H: No, you won’t. I’m sorry, though. No more comments on your patronus being a chicken. 

D: It’s not a chicken, it’s a peacock!

March 15th

“Hermione” Terry ran after her, as she was living the great hall to her class. 

“Oh, hi,Terry” She gave him a weak smile. 

“Did I do anything wrong?” He asked shyly “You seem to be avoiding me…”

“Oh, Terry… I’m sorry, but with the O.W.L.s coming and all the detentions… I don’t really have the time or energy to be with anyone… I’m so sorry” She said. 

“Alright… I understand.” He looked sad but not surprised. “Well… We can still be friends, right?”

“Definitely!” She said before being pushed to the floor by Malfoy walking by with Nott and Zabini. Both of the boys laughed. 

March 18th

D: Haven’t been seeing you with that oily boyfriend of yours.

H: He’s not oily and he’s not my boyfriend. 

D: Oh, I might use one of those Weasley Twins’ fireworks to celebrate then…

H: You have a girlfriend, stop being such a flirt. 

April 1st

Hermione was excited for the first time in a while. Harry told her that they'd be working on patronuses that night. She was skipping towards the seventh floor when Draco Malfoy jumped from behind an armour. She flinched and tried to run, but he grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her to an empty class. 

“What do you want, Malfoy?” She tried to sound defiant, but she was scared. She didn’t trust him anymore. As he casted a locking charm on the door she raised her wand “St-”

“Expelliarmus” He shouted before she could finish her spell and her wand went straight to his free hand. 

“What are you doing?” She shrieked. 

“Shut up” He whispered before casting a muffliato at the door.

Then he turned to face her, menacing, murderous. 

“Are you finally here to finish what you began?” She spat “Are you going to kill me out of so called mercy?”

“Don’t be stupid!” He hissed. 

She waited but he did nothing. He kept himself in front of her, at a distance, she noticed his hands were shaking. Malfoy seemed to be calculating something, looking at her. 

“So, what is it?”

“You’re out past curfew”

“Then let me go back to my common room”

“You’re not going there” 

“What do you mean?”

He sighed and ran his hand through his hair exasperated. Then he ran it again through his face and took a huge breath. 

“I know what you’re doing. We all do,” he said finally. 

“What?” 

“The meetings, the room of requirement… We know” 

Hermione trembled. Oh no. Oh no no no no. 

“I don’t know wh-” She started

“Don’t waste our time, Granger!” He spat with anger. 

They were several steps apart, she looked around and calculated if it would be a good idea to grab a chair and throw it in his face to try and get her wand back. 

“Umbridge has received information about your little club” He said resting against a table and extending his legs in front of him, crossed at his ankles. He carefully placed both wands on his pocket and crossed his arms in a leisurely manner “By the way, that ‘SNEAK’ jinx was very clever… and very slytherin, I must say” He gave her a sad smirk.

Hermione had charmed the parchment in which DA members signed their names, so if someone snitched them they would have purple pustules across her cheeks and nose denouncing the traitor. She didn’t allow herself to blush or smile at his compliment. The mere fact that he was complimenting made her almost regret her choice of jinx. 

“Why are you telling me this?” 

“Because… I know Umbridge’s methods of punishments” Draco said with nonchalance. Hermione didn’t know if he was talking about the torture she’d made Harry endure by carving the saying ‘i mustn’t tell lies’ on the back of his hand. “And I’d rather not have you going through that” He admitted through gritted teeth, avoiding her eyes. 

“What?” It was Hermione’s time to give him a maniac laugh “Are you kidding me? Are you suddenly opposed to violence against mudbloods? You almost killed me a month ago!”

She definitely saw hurt in his eyes now. 

“I wasn’t thinking straight that day. I am sorry” He whispered looking down “I shouldn’t… I made a vow to never touch a woman like that”

Hermione had never heard the word ‘sorry’ from Draco Malfoy’s mouth before. She opened hers to answer but then she closed it again waiting for him to continue. Suddenly the hurt was gone and the mask of boredom came back. 

“And… I said I don’t want you going through that, Granger” He began “I don’t really care about your friends”

“Bu-”

“Fuck, witch… Will you ever let me fucking finish a sentence?” He sighed rubbing his eyes in frustration “I don’t care about them, but I know you do… So I came to warn you, with one rule”

“What do you mean?”

“I’ll let you go now to warn your friends, if you promise me that once you’re done alerting them you’ll run straight back to your common room through the exact corridor I tell you to. The one with the mermaid painting.  Listen to me: Don’t be a fucking hero. Don’t stay behind to help anyone. Don’t bring anyone with you.”

“And what if I refuse?”

He smiled amused as if he was waiting for her answer. 

“Then I’ll leave you locked here and all your friends will get caught with no warning…”

“And what about this corridor you're saying, how will I know Umbridge won’t be waiting there?” 

“Because I am supposed to be on guard in that corridor. And I’ll let you pass unharmed” He stated calmly, rolling the sleeves of his white shirt and exposing his beautiful strong forearms… Hermione blinked again to refocus. 

“Wait, and why can’t we all take that corridor, then?”

“Because, as I said…” He sighed tiredly, “I am not willing to help everyone, just you.”

“Do you expect me to have them get caught and save myself?” She gave him an unbelieving smile. 

“I hope you do. But I don’t expect it, no.” He cracked his fingers “I do know, however, that you’re very smart. If every other corridor is empty, then everyone is going to go search somewhere else and you all will end up getting caught”

“Malfoy, I can’t-”

“What you can’t do, is to keep wasting your precious time to warn your friends” He said calmly “So, do we have a deal?”

“And what exactly makes you believe I won’t lie to you?”

“Your gryffindor moral fiber” He smirked.

She sighed and took a few steps towards him. 

“Why are you doing this?”

“I told you, I d-”

“Why do you care about me ?” She said, placing herself right in front of him.

“I don’t, Granger” He took both their wands from his pocket and raised to stand taller than her “I’m just not willing to have anyone else torture you, since it’s MY favourite passtime” He extended his wand to her “Do we have a deal?”

“Yes.” She whispered looking straight into his grey eyes. They seemed softer now, like clouds on a rainy day. He was beautiful. She took her wand from his hand, their skin brushing lightly and giving her goosebumps “If this works… I want to ask you for something”

“What? I do something for you and you get something in return?” He chuckled with his rosy lips exposing his porcelain white teeth. 

“If it works, meet me here in three days at 9pm? I want to talk to you”

He faltered. 

“No. I have nothing else to talk to you” He said, turning on his heels.

…

Once Hermione arrived at the Room of Requirement to alert the DA, Harry ordered everyone to run. She used the corridor Malfoy instructed her to. But she took Dennis Creevey with her through it, he was too young. And she did also tell Ron and Harry to use it. Malfoy was there indeed and he allowed her and Dennis to pass with an annoyed expression, casting stupefy against the walls to pretend he tried to get them. But as Hermione was at the end of the corridor, turning towards the staircase she saw he hit Harry straight in the chest with a trip jinx. She began coming back to help her friend, but Dennis was crying and Malfoy had already alerted Umbridge. He looked at her and shook his head slightly with an angry glare. She ran away, hating herself for leaving Harry but hating Malfoy even more for catching her friend. 

April 2nd

Harry was back at the common room right after midnight. Marietta Edgecombe was the traitor. Dumbledore took all the blame for the club and fled before Fudge could have him arrested to Azkaban. 

But Umbridge saw the names’ list. She knew about them all. And it got everyone a week of detention. 

“We’re lucky Dumbledore convinced them that it was a one meeting thing, otherwise we could’ve been expelled.” Hermione tried to say the following morning as they walked towards the herbology class. 

“So lucky” Ron and Harry mocked her in unisson. 

Dumbledore was gone and Umbridge was the new headmistress. 

“Dumbledore will be back before long,” said Ernie Macmillan confidently as they approached him near the greenhouses. “They couldn’t keep him away in our second year and they won’t be able to this time. The Fat Friar told me –”  he dropped his voice conspiratorially, so that Harry, Ron and Hermione had to lean closer to him to hear “– that Umbridge tried to get back into his office last night after they’d searched the castle and grounds for him. Couldn’t get past the gargoyle. The Head’s office has sealed itself against her.” Ernie smirked. “Apparently, she had a right little tantrum.”

“Oh, I expect she really fancied herself sitting up there in the Head’s office,” said Hermione viciously, as they stopped so Ron would tie his shoelaces “Lording it over all the other teachers, the stupid puffed-up, power-crazy old –”

“I wouldn’t finish that sentence if I were you, Granger” Malfoy’s pointed face was alight with malice. He was coming from the quidditch pitch in Slytherin uniform with Theodore Nott, Adrian Pucey and Blase Zabini. “Otherwise, I’ll have to dock a few points from Gryffindor and Hufflepuff,” he drawled. 

“You can’t take points from fellow prefects, Malfoy,”  said Ernie at once. 

“I know prefects can’t dock points from each other,” sneered Malfoy. His friends sniggered. “But members of the Inquisitorial Squad —”

“The what?” Hermione asked sharply, glaring at him. 

“The Inquisitorial Squad, Granger” Malfoy said slowly as if talking to a slow toddler and pointed to the tiny silver badge with the letter I beneath his prefect’s badge “A select group of students who are supportive of the Ministry of Magic, hand-picked by Professor Umbridge. Anyway, members of the Inquisitorial Squad do have the power to dock points … so, Granger, I’ll have five from you for being rude about our new Headmistress. Macmillan, five for contradicting me. Five because I don’t like you, Potter. Weasley, your shirt’s untucked, so I’ll have another five for that. Oh yeah, I forgot, you’re a Mudblood, Granger, so ten off for that.”

Zabini and Nott laughed loudly, while Pucey patted Malfoy’s shoulder. 

“Nice one, Draco!”

Ron pulled out his wand, but Hermione pushed it away, whispering, “Don’t!”

“Wise move, Granger,” Malfoy said, tugging one of her curls with disgust on his face “New Head, new times … be good now, Potty … Weasel King …” He and his teammates strode away laughing heartedly. 

April 4th

Hermione refused to go to the classroom to meet Malfoy. Well, who was she kidding by acting as if it would hurt him? He said he wouldn’t go. Yet, she crossed her arms and laid on her bed making the conscious pout to not grant him the satisfaction of staying her up. She was standing him up. He had been even worse now with more power. Hogwarts felt less and less like her home each day and more like a prison. 

D: Mandrake Leaves, Bubotuber pus, Howlet's Wing, Deadlyius, Ludwigia inclinata and Powdered kelp… Brew it all in a mid heat concoction and let it simmer until it turns pearly grey. After it cools you can apply. 

H: What 's that for?

D: Your hands, Granger. I can’t stand having to look at those bloody scars a day longer. 

April 15th

“Why aren’t you having occlumency lessons any more? Hermione asked Harry, frowning. 

“I told you Snape thinks we’ve had enough”

“Well, I don’t think Snape should stop until you’re absolutely sure you can control the weird dreams,” said Hermione indignantly. “Harry, I think you should go back to him and ask –”

“Just drop it, Hermione!” 

It was the first day of the Easter holidays and Hermione, as was her custom, had spent a large part of the day drawing up revision timetables for the three of them. Harry and Ron had let her do it; it was easier than arguing with her and, in any case, they might come in useful. Ron had been startled to discover there were only six weeks left until their exams.

“Well, there you are,” she said, handing him his timetable, “if you follow that you should do fine.”

Ron looked down at it gloomily, but then brightened. 

“You’ve given me an evening off every week!”

“That’s for Quidditch practice,” said Hermione. The smile faded from Ron’s face. 

April 20th

As though to underline the importance of their upcoming examinations, a batch of pamphlets, leaflets and notices concerning various wizarding careers appeared on the tables in Gryffindor Tower shortly before the end of the holidays, along with yet another notice on the board, which read: 

CAREERS ADVICE

All fifth-years are required to attend a short meeting with their Head of House during the first week of the summer term to discuss their future careers. Times of individual appointments are listed below.

Harry, Ron and Hermione spent a whole Saturday going over the pamphlets and contemplating career options. Hermione wished to help as many people as possible, she was not sure yet if it would be as a healer, a researcher for new spells and potions or the next Minister for Magic. 

April 22th

The day of her meeting with McGonagall started badly. Harry had just corked his vial of Invigoration Draught to hand it to Snape for marking, when the teacher dropped it on the floor. 

Malfoy gave a gleeful yell of laughter. Harry whipped around. His potion sample lay in pieces on the floor and Snape was watching him with a look of gloating pleasure.

“‘Whoops. Another zero, then, Potter.” Snape said softly

“I’m sorry!” said Hermione, with her hands over her mouth. “I’m really sorry, Harry. I thought you’d finished, so I cleared up!”

A few hours later, Hermione found herself in her Head of House’s office, sitting primly to discuss career options. 

“Well, Miss Granger, this meeting is to talk over any career ideas you might have, and to help you decide which subjects you should continue into the sixth and seventh years,” said Professor McGonagall. “Have you had any thoughts about what you would like to do after you leave Hogwarts?”

“Yes, Professor” Hermione said promptly “I’m actually torn between becoming a healer or pursuing a political career”

Hermione hadn’t noticed Prof. Umbridge sitting behind them in a chair at the side of the door. But once she finished speaking, the old toad coughed to request attention. She decided to ignore it and continue. 

“I want to help as many people as possible with my work, but I haven’t decided between a more broad or one to one approach”

“You’d need top grades for either one, which won’t be a problem”, said Professor McGonagall, extracting a small, dark leaflet from under the mass on her desk and opening it. “It would be necessary a minimum of five N.E.W.T.s, and nothing under. A political career usually begins without a mastery, with an internship at the Ministry and working your way up in there. I’d suggest focusing on the Healer option first, as it requests further education after Hogwarts. The healing mastery program is quite intensive.Then, if you find that’s not the plan for you it is possible to start your ministry career”

“Yes, professor,” Hermione nodded eagerly. 

“You’d need to have at least Exceeds Expectations N.E.W.T.S. results in Potions, Herbology, Transfiguration, Charms and Defence Against the Dark Arts.”

Professor Umbridge gave another cough, a little more audible this time. Professor McGonagall closed her eyes for a moment, opened them again, and continued as though nothing had happened. 

‘I would also advise Arithmancy and Old Runes, because it might come in hand should you decide to work in the Ministry. And I ought to tell you now, Ms Granger, that  Prof. Vector and Prof. Snape do not accept students on their N.E.W.T. classes unless they have achieved “Outstanding” or higher at Ordinary Wizarding Level. Well, it would be advised to have some extracurricular leading positions as well to include in your recommendation letters to the Ministry so –”

Professor Umbridge gave her most pronounced cough yet. 

“May I offer you a cough drop, Dolores?” Professor McGonagall asked curtly, without looking at Professor Umbridge. 

“Oh, no, thank you very much,” said Umbridge, with that simpering laugh Hermione hated so much. “I just wondered whether I could make the teensiest interruption, Minerva? I was just wondering whether Ms Granger has quite the temperament for a Ministry Officer” said Professor Umbridge sweetly. 

“Were you?” said Professor McGonagall haughtily. “Well, Granger” she continued, as though there had been no interruption, “if you are serious in this ambition, I would advise you to concentrate hard on the extracurricular part, as your grades have been marked as Outstanding by almost every professor in school – are you quite sure you wouldn’t like a cough drop, Dolores?”

“Oh, no need, thank you, Minerva,” simpered Professor Umbridge, who had just coughed her loudest yet. “I was just concerned that you might not have Granger’s most recent Defence Against the Dark Arts marks in front of you. Neither her remarks on extracurricular activities from her headmaster”

“Yes, I have!”

“I’m afraid I don’t quite understand how you can give Miss Granger false hope that  there is a possible career for her at the Min–”

“False hope?” Prof McGonagall snapped “Miss Granger is the brightest witch of her age, every office in the Ministry will be fighting over her”

“I’m terribly sorry to have to contradict you, Minerva, but I think you’ll also find,” said Umbridge, her voice very cold now, “that the Ministry looks into the records of those applying to be officials. Miss Granger was involved in several gossip scandals last year, she’s broken several school rules and has been running an underground fight club…”

“– There’s also the Wizarding Law extracurricular correspondence course I’d advise you to take and, unless you’re prepared to spend some time abroad after Hogwarts, you should really look at  studying different langua–” Prof McGonagall ignored Umbridge and continued talking.

“‘Which means that this girl has as much chance of becoming an Auror as Dumbledore has of ever returning to this school.”

“A very good chance, then,” said Professor McGonagall. “I might add, Hermione, that I could bet my hat you’ll be Minister some day…”

“Granger is a muggle born, Minerva” Umbridge said loudly, making Hermione gasp “Of course OUR community would need a minister with better understanding of—”

“I am certain that what our community needs is a good witch or wizard as a minister, someone who cares about the community OVER its own reputation. Of course we’ve had pureblood ministers that were complete rubbish…”

Professor Umbridge stood up. She was so short that this did not make a great deal of difference, but her fussy, simpering demeanour had given place to a hard fury that made her broad, flabby face look oddly sinister. 

“Granger has no chance whatsoever of pursuing a Political Career!

Professor McGonagall got to her feet, too, and in her case this was a much more impressive move; she towered over Professor Umbridge. 

“HERMIONE”, she said in ringing tones, “I will assist you to become a Minister if it is the last thing I do! If I have to coach you nightly, I will make sure you achieve the required results!”

April 25th

H: I will become Minister for Magic one day. 

D: I know. Anyone who doubts that is stupid. 

April 29th

“So, how was it with McGonagall?” Ron asked when she got to the gryffindor table during dinner. His meeting was the following day and he was nervous.

“It was… Intense. Umbridge was there” Hermione sighed, pouring herself some pumpkin juice. 

“I need to talk to Sirius and Lupin” Harry said abruptly 

“What?!” The other two said at the same time.

“I saw something… During the Occlumency classes. In Snape’s memories” Harry began “I saw my dad… I need to know”

“Harry, you can’t! Umbridge’s been monitoring the floo…” Hermione began exasperated.

“Not in her office. And Sirius gave me a knife that’ll open any door.. I just need a distraction”

Hermione began to say that it was a bad idea, when the Weasley twins appeared offering to give Harry the perfect distraction for Umbridge. Hermione tried warning them that it could get them expelled and they simply said they were happy to leave Hogwarts as soon as possible now that Dumbledore was gone. 

“What about those idiots from the inquisitorial squad?” Ron asked. 

“Crabbe and Goyle are on the hospital wing injured from the last quidditch match against ravenclaw” Ginny said “And I can lock Pansy and Milicent in the prefects’ bathroom, they’re always doing spa nights there on Monday’s night”

“What about Malfoy?” Harry asked.

“I… I think I know what to do” Hermione said pensively.

“Mione! Let me…” Ron began.

“It’s alright, I know where he’ll be. It can’t be you Ron, it’ll end up badly. I’ll just stun him from behind” Hermione said. 

“I’ll go with you”

“Actually… It’d be nice to have you as a lookout in Umbridge’s corridor” Harry told Ron. 

“Alright, mate,” Ron said with resignation. 

“Let’s do this then” George said, rubbing his palms mischievously. 

“9:30 pm. Tonight” Fred added. 

…

It had been a leap of faith, Hermione knew it. She had no idea why, but something told her she’d be able to find him somehow. She went to the same empty classroom he had cornered him before the DA was discovered. And, to her surprise, he was there. It had been more than three weeks, but he was there. 9pm. He was sitting on the floor, resting his back on the wall with a book over his folded knees. He didn’t notice her until she spoke.

“Malfoy”

If he had been surprised, he quickly masked it with a sad smirk.

“Granger… Granger… Out past curfew? One would think you want to lose points for Gryffindor” He drawled.

“I didn’t think you’d be here.” She said quickly. “Not after all this time…”

“Not after you stood me up, you mean, right?” He chuckled, closing his book and facing her. 

“You took Harry…”

“I never said I wouldn’t”

“You’ve been mean to us all”

“I never said I wouldn’t”

“Why are you here?”

“I could ask you the same question…”

“I came to find you.” The words were out of her mouth before she could think better of it. 

“Why would you do that?” He said getting up and straightening his robes.

“I - I… Why are you here? Have you kept coming here to meet me every day since I told you to?” She hated herself for being so open and pathetic, he was sure to make her regret it. 

He chuckled with his index finger on his pointed chin, the candlelight reflecting on his signet ring. 

“Why would that be more plausible than the option that I just like this empty room and have done so since much before I brought you here?” He sneered. 

“I- I don’t b-believe you” She stuttered and took a step closer to him. “Why here and not the comfort of your common room?”

“It’s none of your business” He said with disgust “Filthy…”

“Don’t say it.” She snapped, “There’s no one here to watch your performance.”

“I see you’re still stupid and desperate.” He said taking a step closer. 

Hermione took another step, closing the distance between them. She had to look up to meet his eyes. They were stormy today. She could smell his cologne of cedar and mint. She could feel his heart pounding right before her face. 

BAMM!

There came a loud explosion sound from a few levels below. Malfoy’s head snapped towards the door.

“What the f-” He began. 

Hermione’s mind reeled. She was supposed to distract him. She couldn’t have him going there. She needed to keep him there with her. Could she perform a quick stunning spell? Petrify him maybe? No, he was a very good duelist, she remembered. 

“What?” She said in a weak breathy voice. “I didn’t h-hear anything”

“Don’t play coy, Granger. It doesn’t suit you” He growled looking back down at her face. 

BAM!

The sound came again, but, before Malfoy could look once again up to the door, Hermione grabbed his shirt, stood on her toes and pulled him towards her. She pressed her lips against him with all the strength she had in a bruising kiss. It took all of two seconds before his large hands were on the small of her back pressing her against him. She opened her lips and he quickly invaded her mouth with his tongue. 

Hermione had never kissed like that before. It was always sweet, respectful and chaste with Viktor. It was always sloppy, awkward and shy with Terry. But Malfoy was not nice, chaste or shy. He demanded her, his hunger showing in every bit of teeth, tongue and lips. His hands bruised her waist and she didn’t actually remember how they had ended up beneath her shirt against her bare skin. Her mind was suddenly blank, which was great because she had no idea of what to do. Malfoy guided her, pulling her impossibly close and pushing himself against her.

One of her hands slid from his shirt to the back of his head, tangling her fingers on his soft hair. The other one she kept over his chest, sensing his heartbeat in sync with her own fast paced one. She breathed deeply and felt his scent through every cell on her body. She was all him now, there wasn’t a single inch of her he was not in charge of.

As they parted for breath, he gave her only two inches of space. She was slow to open her eyes and found his grey ones pouring into her, looking for something. She tried to open her mouth to say something, as she always did any time she could. But he didn’t let her. He was once again claiming her mouth. He pulled her lower lip in his mouth, letting it go with a wet pop. Then he took one of his hands from her waist to grab her hair and pulled her head back, exposing her neck to him. His mouth went down through her jaw landing open mouth kisses and light nibs. 

“Fucking hell” He groaned against her neck “Why do you taste like that?” He said before pulling the skin on her collarbone, surely leaving a bruise there, and already going back up.

“Like what?” She moaned into his kiss, but he shut her up snaking the hand he had on her waist towards her bum, over the skirt. He gave her a big squeeze, pulling her so close she could feel his volume against her stomach. Hermione gasped and he smirked against her lips. 

“Like my fucking damnation” He said fisting her hair until she whimpered. “Don’t make that sound, Granger. Fucking don’t. Or I’ll fuck you right here and right now”

She should protest, she should be offended, she should be scared. But she was… Hot. She could feel the dampness forming between her thighs. She felt her nipples hardening underneath her shirt. 

“Malfoy…” She heard herself moaning his name against his lips. It was a beg. A plead. A cry for mercy. 

“What do you want, Granger?” He asked in a whisper that gave her goosebumps everywhere, his hand detangling from her hair and sliding towards the front of her neck. Only this time he wasn’t bruising her. He was caressing it gently “So soft, so perfect… I’m sorry” He murmured low enough that she almost didn’t hear it. 

Then he kept kissing her. And she kept kissing him. They both didn’t even hear the several bangs in the castle below them. He devoured her, lavished her, made her feel like she was a convicted’s final meal. 

Hot and cold. 

Push and pull. 

Bite and lick. 

Guide and force. 

That was Draco Malfoy’s kiss. Fuck, that was him. That was his way. 

Hermione was startled. She was kissing Draco Malfoy. The boy that bullied and attacked her. The boy that warned and saved her. The boy that made her feel hate and desire. Disgust and pine. 

“Malfoy” She mumbled, pushing him away. She was almost scared to look up. “Malfoy?”

“What do you want, Granger?” He repeated in a soft whisper against her forehead. 

She took her hand from the back of his head and pulled his hand from her bum back to her waist. 

“I’m sorry… I can’t.” She finally looked up to meet his eyes. 

Only the storm was gone, the steel wall had come back. 

“Then why the fuck are you here?” He said with disgust, taking his hands from her and making her feel empty and naked. 

“I… I want to” She whined avoiding his gaze and looking to her own hands placed on his chest “But you have a girlfriend and I…”

He chuckled. “Do you want me to break up with Daphne?”

She teetered. 

“What?”

“You don’t seem to mind me being a death eater son, a slytherin, a bully, a bad person and a blood purist… So what I am asking is: do you want me to break up with Daphne?”

“Malfoy…”

“Would that make you feel better about spreading your legs for me?” He asked callously. “You’re not like other girls , right? You don’t like to be the side chick, huh? You want me to break up with Daphne?” 

“Don’t be like that.” She whimpered, closing her hands in fists and wrinkling his white shirt. She looked up at him again. 

“I’ll do it.” He said suddenly. His eyes were still silver, but they seemed to be melting in moving silver pools “Ask me and I will”

“Malfoy, I…”

“STUDENTS, BOMBING THE ENTRANCE HALL” Came a loud shriek from Peeves just outside where they were. 

Malfoy’s eyes shot up, then he looked back at Hermione and realisation suddenly kicked in. His face contorted in rage and pain. 

“What is going on, Granger?” He asked, grabbing her wrists and yanking them from his shirt. “Did Potter and Weasley ask you to distract me? Is that it?”

She flinched. “Malfoy, I-” 

“You’re such a whore, mudblood” He chuckled menacingly before using her wrists to throw her out of his way as he strode towards the door. 

She had tears in her eyes as she drew her wand.

“Stupify” She cried, the red lighting hitting him squarely on his back. 

Hermione arrived at the Gryffindor Tower just in time to see all the students cheering by the window as Fred and George flew their brooms away. 

June 1st

The month of may went by as peacefully as possible. That is, if by peaceful one means being drowned in revisions for O.W.L.s, living in a Umbridge’s dictatorship and dodging Draco Malfoy at all cost. She quickly realised she’d made the biggest mistake of her life the morning following their encounter, when he greeted her at the entrance hall with a jinx that made her nose bleed profusely and deducted fifty points from Gryffindor because she said “fuck”. Then he proceeded to say the worst things he could whenever she spoke up in any class, took every chance he had to make her fall and went as far as making a very nasty explicit drawing of her, Harry and Ron in a dirty scenario topped with glowing letters spelling “Maddy Potty, Weasel King and Mudblood Whore”. The drawing was charmed to duplicate whenever someone touched it. Soon it was flooding every corridor, classroom and common room in school. Umbridge turned a blind eye, obviously. 

She was seething ever since Fred and George made their dramatic flight to freedom, leaving a swamp in the fifth floor. People were talking only about this. But Malfoy seemed to only think about making Hermione’s life miserable. It got so bad that Harry gave her his Marauder’s Map so she could avoid Malfoy. He didn’t know exactly what had happened, she just told him she had stunned Malfoy and that he saw her do it. So now he was seeking revenge. 

And that meant Hermione stayed in her common room every second of every free time she had. She had a lot to review for her O.W.L.s and Umbridge had vanished every inch of joy from the rest of Hogwarts. It was still very lonely, though. Hermione was thankful for D. He made her life more than bearable. He kept talking to her everyday. He was avoiding personal subjects more than ever, so she just asked him to test her on her knowledge for the OWLs, which he did without complaints. 

Hermione refused to follow Harry to the Quidditch Final against Ravenclaw. But she didn’t want to stay inside either. She checked the map and saw that Malfoy was inside his common room, so she decided to pay Hagrid a visit. She found Harry there, apparently Hagrid had intercepted him before he made it to the pitch. 

Hagrid made them both follow him towards the Forbidden Forest

“I jus’ hope she doesn’ notice us goin” Hagrid murmured. 

“Umbridge? She won’t. I think she expects trouble at the match” Harry stated.

“Yeah, well, a bit o’ trouble wouldn’ hurt,” said Hagrid, pausing to peer around the edge of the stands to make sure the stretch of lawn between there and his cabin was deserted. “Give us more time.”

“‘What is it, Hagrid?” said Hermione, looking up at him with a concerned expression on her face as they hurried across the grass towards the edge of the Forest. 

“Yeh – yeh’ll see in a mo” said Hagrid “‘C’mon now, quick, before we’re spotted!”

Harry and Hermione looked at each other, then ducked into the cover of the trees behind Hagrid, who was already striding away from them into the green gloom, his crossbow over his arm. Harry and Hermione ran to catch up with him. When Harry asked why Hagrid was armed, as he never did it before, he answered that it was just a precaution as they were going to go a bit further inside the forest than usual. 

“An’ anyway, tha’ was before Firenze left the Forest, wasn’ it?” Hagrid said. 

“Why does Firenze leaving make a difference?” asked Hermione curiously. 

Hagrid explained that the centaurs resented Firenze going to teach at Hogwarts, they saw it as servitude towards men, which was an abomination for centaurs. And they blamed Hagrid for being the messenger. 

“They used ter be – well, yeh couldn’ call ’em friendly – but we got on all righ’. Kept ’emselves to ’emselves, bu’ always turned up if I wanted a word. Not any more.” He sighed deeply. “If I hadn’ stepped in, I reckon they’d’ve kicked Firenze ter death –”

“‘They attacked him?” said Hermione, shocked. 

“Yep”  said Hagrid gruffly, forcing his way through several low-hanging branches. 

“‘Is that why we’re here, Hagrid?” asked Hermione. Hagrid, shook his head dismissively, 

The path was becoming increasingly overgrown and the trees grew so closely together as they walked further and further into the Forest that it was as dark as dusk. They were soon a long way past the clearing where Hagrid had shown them the Thestrals

It was a great struggle to keep up with Hagrid, what with branches and thickets of thorn through which Hagrid marched as easily as if they were cobwebs, but snagged Harry and Hermione’s robes, frequently entangling them so severely that they had to stop for minutes at a time to free themselves. 

Hermione’s arms and legs were soon covered in small cuts and scratches. They were so deep in the Forest now that sometimes all she could see of Hagrid in the gloom was a massive dark shape ahead of her. Any sound seemed threatening in the muffled silence. The breaking of a twig echoed loudly and the tiniest rustle of movement, even though it might have been made by an innocent sparrow, caused them to peer through the gloom for a culprit.

“Maybe we bes’ jus’ stop fer a momen’, so I can … fill yeh in,” said Hagrid.”‘Before we ge’ there, like.” 

“Good” Hermione whispered. 

“Well, there’s a good chance I’m goin’ ter be gettin’ the sack any day now,” he said. Harry and Hermione looked at each other, then back at him “Yeh know she’s bin lookin’ fer a chance ter get rid of me ever since I got back. I don’ wan’ ter go, o’ course, but if it wasn’ fer … well … the special circumstances I’m abou’ ter explain to yeh, I’d leave righ’ now, before she’s go’ the chance ter do it in front o’ the whole school, like she did with Trelawney. It’s not the end o’ the world, I’ll be able ter help Dumbledore once I’m outta here, I can be useful ter the Order. An’ you lot’ll have Grubbly-Plank, yeh’ll – yeh’ll get through yer exams fine …” His voice trembled and broke. 

“Don’ worry abou’ me,” he said hastily, as Hermione made to pat his arm. He pulled his enormous spotted handkerchief from the pocket of his waistcoat and mopped his eyes with it. “Look, I wouldn’ be tellin’ yer this at all if I didn’ have ter. See, if I go … well, I can’ leave withou’ … withou’ tellin’ someone … because I’ll – I’ll need you two ter help me. An’ Ron, if he’s willin’. C’mon y’ll see” He said taking them to a mound nearby.

Trees had been ripped up at the roots all around the mound, so that it stood on a bare patch of ground surrounded by heaps of trunks and boughs that formed a kind of fence or barricade, behind which Harry, Hermione and Hagrid now stood. 

“Sleepin’” breathed Hagrid. 

Hermione was gazing at the mound with her mouth slightly open. It was moving up and down, as in breathing. Was that a... She was utterly terrified. It was a giant. 

“Hagrid,” she said in a whisper barely audible over the sound of the sleeping creature, “who is he?”

“Hagrid, you told us –’ said Hermione, her wand now shaking in her hand, “When you came back and told us about the mission Dumbledore gave you with the giants, you told us none of them wanted to come!”

“Well – no – he didn’ want ter come,” said Hagrid, sounding desperate. “But I had ter bring him, Hermione, I had ter!”

“But why?” asked Hermione, wanting to cry. “Why – what – oh, Hagrid!”

“I knew if I jus’ got him back  an’ taught him a few manners – I’d be able ter take him outside an’ show ev’ryone he’s harmless!”

“Harmless!?” Hermione shrieked. “He’s been hurting you all this time, hasn’t he? That’s why you’ve had all these injuries!”

“He don’ know his own strength!” said Hagrid earnestly. “An’ he’s gettin’ better, he’s not fightin’ so much any more –”

“Oh, Hagrid, why did you bring him back if he didn’t want to come? Wouldn’t he have been happier with his own people?”

“They were all bullyin’ him, Hermione, ’cause he’s so small!” Hagrid argued

“Small?” She couldn’t believe it. 

“See – he’s my brother!” 

Hermione simply stared at him, her mouth open.

“Well – half-brother,”

Hagrid proceeded to explain how his mother had abandoned Grawp, his half brother, too. And that, as he was small for a giant with only 16 feet, the other giants would kick him and so he had to bring him back. Hagrid asked them to help him, once he was gone. He wouldn’t need food or water, as he knew to fetch that himself. He just wanted them to keep the giant company, help him learn English and come visit whenever they could. Hermione was hysterical, she couldn’t fathom visiting a violent giant in a dangerous forest. But Hagrid said he wasn’t violent. 

“What are those ropes for, then?” Harry asked. 

“You have to keep him tied up?” said Hermione faintly. 

“Well … yeah …See – it’s like I say – he doesn’ really know ’is own strength.”

So that’s why the forest was empty in that region. Hermione was torn between screaming or running and suddenly there was a loud roar echoing through the forest which made her blood freeze inside. 

“Grawp, eh” Hagrid said as the gigantic figure raised making the ground tremble underneath their feet “I brought yer sum friends yuh see”

“Hagrid, please… Don’t” Hermione winced.

“This is Harry” Hagrid said loudly and slowly “And this is Hermione. The’ll be cumin her’ to talk to yeuh”

Grawp’s ankles were larger than Oaktree's trunks. He had a greenish skin tone and Hermione couldn't really see his head. But soon enough there was a hand the size of a beach umbrella coming towards her. Hagrid put himself in front of her and the hand slapped him, making him hit a tree trunk. The giant grabbed her torso and yanked her up. His head was the size of a small car. He had giant eyes looking at her curiously. Hermione heard Harry and Hagrid screaming underneath her. 

“GRAWP” She snapped “PUT. ME. DOWN. NOW!” 

Surprisingly enough, the giant obeyed. [ 

“Righ’,” said Hagrid thickly, getting up with one hand pinching his bleeding nose and the other grasping his crossbow, ”‘well … there yeh are … yeh’ve met him an’ – an’ now he’ll know yeh when yeh come back. Yeah … well …” He looked up at Grawp, who was now pulling back the pine with an expression of detached pleasure on his boulderish face; the roots were creaking as he ripped them away from the ground. “Well, I reckon tha’s enough fer one day,We’ll – er – we’ll go back now, shall we?”

Harry and Hermione nodded. Hagrid shouldered his crossbow again and, still pinching his nose, led the way back into the trees. Nobody spoke for a while, not even when they heard the distant crash that meant Grawp had pulled over the pine tree at last. Hermione’s face was pale and set.

What on earth was going to happen when somebody found out that Hagrid had hidden Grawp in the Forbidden Forest? And he had promised that she, Ron and Harry would continue Hagrid’s totally pointless attempts to civilise the giant. How could Hagrid, even with his immense capacity to delude himself that fanged monsters were loveably harmless, fool himself that Grawp would ever be fit to mix with humans?

They faced another challenge on their way back, as a centaur crossed their path and threatened Hagrid, saying he was no longer welcome there. He said the only reason Hagrid would not die that day was the presence of children.

“I won’ be kept outta the Fores’ by a bunch o’ old mules like yeh!” said Hagrid loudly. 

“Hagrid,” said Hermione in a high-pitched and terrified voice, as both the two centaurs pawed at the ground, “let’s go, please let’s go! I’m very sorry” she added to the centaurs

 Hagrid moved forwards, but his crossbow was still raised and his eyes were still fixed threateningly upon the centaur. 

“We know what you are keeping in the Forest, Hagrid!” Magorian called after them, as the centaurs slipped out of sight. “And our tolerance is waning!”

Hagrid turned and gave every appearance of wanting to walk straight back to Magorian. 

“Yeh’ll tolerate ’im as long as he’s here, it’s as much his Forest as yours!” he yelled, as Harry and Hermione both pushed with all their might against Hagrid’s moleskin waistcoat in an effort to keep him moving forwards. Still scowling, he looked down; his expression changed to mild surprise at the sight of them both pushing him; he seemed not to have felt it. 

“Calm down, you two,” he said, turning to walk on while they panted along behind him. “Ruddy old mules, though, eh?”

They rejoined the path and, after another ten minutes, the trees began to thin; they were able to see patches of clear blue sky again and, in the distance, hear the definite sounds of cheering and shouting. Hermione and Harry went back to the castle.

“Calm down!” Hermione complained feverishly. “A giant! A giant in the Forest! And we’re supposed to give him English lessons! Always assuming, of course, we can get past the herd of murderous centaurs on the way in and out! I – don’t – believe – him!” 

But any answer Harry was to give him was muffled by the celebration coming towards the Gryffindor tower. They had won. Ron caught all the goals. It didn’t give them the quidditch cup, as Slytherin had won every game until then. But Ginny allowed the game to go long enough for the goal difference to place Gryffindor in second place. So they were taking that as a win. Hermione and Harry decided to wait until the following day to tell Ron about Grawp. 

H: Do you know anything about giants?

D: Just the average. They’re big, relentless, violent and territorial. Why?

H: Do you think they could be taught how to live socially?

D: Is this you trying to make me like Hagrid or something?

H: He’s not a giant!

D: He IS part giant.

Chapter Text

June 9th

The minister appointed examiners for the O.W.L.s arrived that sunday during dinner and, even though teachers had spent the previous week reviewing for the tests, it still made everything seem even more real. 

June 10th

D: How was your day?

H: Charms written during morning and practical in afternoon. 

D: Do you want me to revise your answers with you?

H: Yes, please. 

Hermione gasped, none of her friends accepted doing that with her. D was indeed the best thing she could’ve dreamed about. 

June 11th

D: Was it transfiguration today?

H: Yes! And I am positive my teacup still had whiskers on the practical. 

D: It didn’t. I saw it. 

So he was a fifth year student?

June 12th

H: How did you do in herbology?

D: I’ll just send you my answers.

H: Yes, please.

H: They’re perfect, it’s definitely an “O”. 

June 13th

D: Seriously, your patronus is an otter and you were making fun of me?

H: Don’t want to talk about that! I couldn’t stun the examiner today. 

D: Maybe you were nervous, I am certain you’re great in stunning spells. 

June 14th

D: No, that rune means “family” not “home”

H: My syllabus says both answers are correct because of the 456 B.C. scission. 

D: But Prof. Babbling said they’d be considering the 17th century agreement. 

H: Oh shite! That’s two mistakes now. 

D: What?

H: I mis-translated ehwaz. It means partnership, not defence; I mixed it up with eihwaz.

June 17th

D: What the fuck was wrong with Weasley’s pepper up potion today? It smelled like dirty diapers. 

H: Don’t be mean!

D: Is it mean to say the truth, now?

June 18th

D: Remind me to thank Hagrid. We indeed had a question about hippogriffs and blast ended screwts today.

H: Do thank him. 

June 19th

D: You looked beautiful tonight… 

H: Don’t tell me you were ogling me instead of paying attention to your astronomy practical. 

D: It was your fault. 

Hermione smiled to herself as she saw Harry arriving angry at the common room. 

“Did you see it?” He asked livid.

“What?” 

“Hagrid got sacked! I took longer to find Mars so I ended up seeing the whole thing. Umbridge claimed she was scared to do it by herself, as Hagrid was a dangerous halfbreed—”

“That cow!” Ron said.

“She’s a bitch” Hermione corrected.

“Listen, Ron! Hermione!” Harry said exasperated “There were several aurors there, to confront Hagrid. But he fought them off and… Blimey, Hermione! They all went to stun him and McGonagall entered to stop them, to intervene on his behalf. She got five stunning spells on her chest. She was sent to St. Mungo’s”

“Oh God!” Hermione gasped, covering her mouth with both hands “What about Hagrid?”

“He ran out the front gate, took Fang with him” Harry said, throwing himself on a couch. “We are alone here now”

Hermione, Ron and Harry stood awake until 4 am. She cried on his shoulder and Ron tried patting on her back. 

June 20th

Hermione was getting out of her History of Magic’s O.W.L. exam class when Harry grabbed her shoulders, panting. 

“Mione! It’s him! It’s Sirius”

“What? Harry, calm down” She said exasperated.

Ron joined them quickly after. 

“Harry slow down, mate!” He said placing his hand on his chest as if it was in pain. 

“Voldemort has him! He caught Sirius and wants to use him to grab the weapon” Harry said impatiently. 

“How do you know this?” Hermione asked wearily. 

“I SAW IT! HE’S TORTURING HIM”

“Harry! You were supposed to be occludding” Hermione gasped.

“Oh thank God I wasn’t, he’s got Sirius and…”

“Harry, Grimauld Place is under the Fidelius Charm, Sirius is saf—”

“What if he got out? What if he was bored and decided to take a walk? We know Lucius Malfoy knows his animagus’ form” Harry was very nervous. 

“But why would he want that?” Hermione looked at Ron for backup but he didn’t say a thing. His father was saved by Harry’s visions. He would always trust his friend. Hermione however was more cautious “Harry, what if Voldemort is using you? He knows you like saving people, like with the Delacour girl… Or Ginny during second year... What if he’s doing this to get you to go—”

“I CAN’T RISK IT!” Harry bawled, tears coming out of his eyes “He’s the only family I have”

“We need to talk to someone” Hermione pleaded.

“McGonagall is gone. Dumbledore’s gone.” Ron said. 

“What about Prof. Snape?” Hermione asked. 

“He hates him” Harry mocked “He’d never help”

“Harry, he’s in the order..”

But Harry was not giving up. Hermione convinced him to try to reach Sirius to verify if he was not in Grimmauld Place. Like the previous time, they’d use some sort of illusion to keep Umbridge’s office empty so he could floo call. Ginny and Luna offered to keep an eye on the corridor. Ron offered to make Peeves destroy the Transfiguration department and then call for Umbridge so she’d be busy. The problem was that, once Harry called Grimmauld Place, Kreacher told him Sirius had gone to the Department of Mysteries and that he wouldn’t be coming back. 

Hermione had no time to warn him when Umbridge arrived, so suddenly that the young girl was out of words. The pink dressed old witch made a silent gesture to Malfoy - who was at her side - and went forward to pull Harry out of the fireplace by his hair. 

Malfoy sneered as he walked towards Hermione, yanking her by her hair and pulling her close to him. He then used his hand to pin her in place by her neck and let out her hair to snake his hand across the side of her body, until he reached her wand, hidden between her skirt waistband and her knickers.

“Lacy, huh? Should’ve guessed” He whispered so only she could hear, with a cold minty breath at her ear. She tried to kick his shin but he pulled her closer so her back was pressed against his chest. She fought the best she could to free herself but ended up just grinding against him “Shh, fuck Granger, don’t move like that… It’ll be difficult to explain that a mudblood got me hard, you see…”

“Let me go!” She whined.

“I can’t” He murmured “If you weren’t so stupid… Now with everyone seeing, I can’t. So shut the fuck up and let me think”

“Get his wand, Mr Malfoy” Umbridge said, giving Malfoy Harry’s wand. Still holding Hermione by her neck, he made a show of throwing Harry’s wand up and down in a mocking way. 

“I want to know” Umbridge began, hysterically pointing her wand to Harry’s forehead “Why were you at my office”

“I wanted to get my FIrebolt” Harry lied in a croaked voice.

Hermione felt Malfoy’s thumb caressing her neck. It made her sick. 

“Liar” Umbridge shook her head “Your broom is in the dungeons, as you know. You were using my floo connection, tell me who you were talking to?”

“No on—” Harry began.

“Liar!” Umbridge shouted, slapping Harry’s face. 

“No!” Hermione cried, trying to free herself from Malfoy’s grip. 

There was a commotion outside and several people entered. Goyle brought Ron, Milicent brought Ginny, Pansy brought Luna and - to everyone's surprise - Crabbe was bringing Neville. Filch came in too. 

“This one tried to help the Weaslette, Professor,” Crabbe said. “So I brought him too”

“Good, good… It seems Hogwarts is soon to be a Weasley-free zone”

Malfoy laughed loudly and Hermione seized the opportunity to bite his hand so hard she felt blood on her teeth. 

“Filthy mudblood” Umbridge hissed, pointing her wand at Hermione and casting a stinging jinx. 

Hermione’s skin only tickled. She felt the magic coming in and dissolving. Malfoy snapped his hand quickly from her neck as if it burned him. Her necklace. The one D gave her. It absorbed the magic, it burned Malfoy. He was quick to grab her elbow, enveloping her torso with his arm and holding her even closer. His bloodied thumb was now staining her shirt. 

“So… Potter… You had look outs, you had this buffoon” she nodded at Ron and Hermione felt Malfoy’s chest move with his low chuckle “ try to trick me… So clearly you had to talk to someone important. Was it Dumbledore? The half breed Hagrid? I heard McGonagall can’t talk right now”

The other slytherins all laughed at that statement but Malfoy only squeezed Hermione’s arm. 

“It’s none of your business who I talk to” Harry snarled. 

“Very well then… Mr Filch, go get Snape…” Umbridge asked the caretaker who promptly obeyed.

Hermione sighed in relief. Snape was in the Order. He would definitely help. 

There was silence in the office except for the fidgeting and scufflings resulting from the Inquisitorial Squad’s efforts to keep Ron and the others under control. Neville’s face was turning purple as Crabbe nearly choked him, Luna’s lip was dripping blood, Ginny was trying to stomp Millicent’s foot and Ron shouted at Malfoy. 

“Let her go!” He was all red, his face matching his hair as he tried his best to free himself from Goyle’s grip on his arms “Malfoy, you disgusting ferret, I’ll kill you! Stop grinding my—”

He was shut by a loud thump as Goyle punched his face. He fell unconscious to the ground. 

“NO, RON!” Hermione bawled trying her best to free herself from Malfoy. 

“Shut up, Mudblood” Umbridge said in a disgustingly sweet tone as she poured herself some tea, sitting comfortably at her table. Like that was a pleasant meeting. Harry was magically glued to the chair in front of her.  “Or I’ll have you be the next”

Hermione felt Malfoy’s grip on her tighten. Harry began to scream something but Umbridge pointed his wand at him and he was silenced. Hermione began to cry. 

“Shut up” She heard his low whisper in her ear. “Please, shut the fuck up” He was begging. 

“You wanted to see me, Headmistress?” Snape drawled looking around at the pairs of struggling students with indifference. 

“Yes, Prof. Snape” Umbridge said standing up again “I would like another bottle of Veritasserum, as quickly as possible, please”

“You took my last bottle to interrogate Potter… Surely you did not use it all? I remember saying three drops would be enough.”

Umbridge blushed. “You can make more, can’t you?”

“Certainly, it shall be ready in around a month”

“A month? I need it now!” Umbridge squawked “Just caught Potter using my fireplace!”

“Really?” Snape drawled with a hint of interest “Well, can’t say I’m surprised, Potter never cared much for school rules”

“I will interrogate him. I need you to bring me a potion that compels him to say the truth!”

“Well, unless you plan to poison him - and I assure I would not be opposed to it - I can’t be of much help”

“You are on probation” Shrieked Umbridge and Snape raised his eyebrows slightly “You are purposefully not being helpful. I expected better, Lucius Malfoy speaks so highly of you. Now leave.”

Snape turned to go and Harry said “He’s got Padfoot! he’s got him in the place that it’s hidden”

“Padfoot?!” Umbridge cried “What does he mean, Snape?”

“I have no idea” Snape said coldly “Mr Crabbe, do release Longbottom’s neck a bit. If he dies the paperwork would be horrendous” And with that, he left closing the door. 

Hermione could faint. He had been her last hope. 

“Well… I have no alternative… It is the ministry's business.” Umbridge paced the room talking to herself “The Cruciatus Curse is going to free your tongue, Mr Potter”

“What?!” Hermione shrieked “No, Professor. It is illegal!”

Hermione felt Malfoy’s grip tighten. She was almost sure that the breath he let go was oddly similar to the words “shut up”

“The Ministry needs to—” Umbridge said, tapping her hand with her wand.

“Professor, they wouldn’t want you to use an illegal—” Hermione pleaded. 

“What Cornelius doesn’t know won’t hurt him” Umbridge said dismissively “He never knew about the dementors last summer…”

“ YOU sent them?” Harry gasped. 

“Well, someone had to act” Umbridge said with a wicked grin “Just as someone needs to act now…”

She raised her wand towards Harry. 

“Professor!” Hermione screamed “It won’t work!”

“What do you mean, mudblood?” Umbridge hissed with impatience. 

“Harry survived Voldemort’s avada” Hermione pleaded, disgusted at the wince she saw the slytherins give once she said their Lord’s name. Cowards. Malfoy only gripped her tighter, her arm was bruising. “He resisted Prof Moody’s imperius last year. The cruciatus won’t work on him”

“Shut up, Mudblood” Malfoy barked loudly and kicking her leg. “Let the Headmistress—“

“What? That can’t be true” Umbridge shook her head. Then she turned to look between Harry and Hermione several times “Well… I’m sure it’ll work just fine to have him saying the true if I use it on you, mudblood”

Everything happened very slowly. Harry’s mouth was open in a silent scream. Ginny and Luna cried. Neville tried so hard to free himself that he ended up fainting from air loss. Malfoy turned Hermione around and threw her violently to the ground. She fell on her bum and looked up to see his wand at her temple. 

“I’ll shut her up so she won’t make a sound anymore, Professor” Malfoy pleaded “I’m sure the cruciatus will work just fine on Potter”

“No need, Draco… Gryffindors are very brave to rescue their friends, you’ll see” Umbridge released Harry from his curse and suddenly his screams were filling the room. 

“NO! CURSE ME! NOT HERMIONE!” Harry was shouting and turning pink in his efforts to free himself from the magic holding him sitting on the chair. 

“Harry, we have to tell her,” Hermione cried. 

“Hermione don’t!” Harry begged

“Shut up!” Umbridge casted the silencing charm on Harry again, as well as in all the other DA members that were also telling Hermione not to give in. 

“S-sorry everyone” Hermione said trying to think of a plan “I have to tell her, she’s the headmistress”

“Yes!” Umbridge said with hunger “C’mon Draco, pull Miss Know-It-All to her feet”

Malfoy grabbed Hermione’s arm and pulled her so she’d stand straight. 

“W-we were calling P-Professor D-Dumbledore” Hermione began amidst her tears “B-but we c-couldn’t find him… W-we tried t-the leaky cauld-dron and t-the Hog’s Head…”

“Stupid mudblood” Umbridge chuckled “With all the Ministry searching for him… Did you really think—”

“We n-needed h-him to k-know that it was r-ready” Hermoine stuttered. Her plan was forming. Grawp. The forbidden forest. She’d take Umbridge there. 

“What is ready?” Umbridge asked impatiently. 

“T-the weapon” Hermione said, trying to sound convincing. 

“Herr-mee-own-eeh” Ron mumbled while waking up. 

“Grab him, Draco… Let me handle the mudblood” Umbridge said, pulling Hermione closer to her with a piercing grip on her wrist. 

Malfoy merely glanced at Goyle and the boy had pulled Ron in an instant. Malfoy on the other side kept himself close to Hermione, he looked at her as if trying to solve a puzzle.

“What weapon?” Umbridge asked.

“T-the one Dumbledore asked us to — take a l-look on” Hermione said “ It is ready now and it’ll help us t-take the Minister d-down”

Umbridge’s face lit up in triumph. “I KNEW IT” she hissed. “Where is it?”

“I c-can s-show you the wa-way” Hermione said. 

“Alright, let’s all go there.” Umbridge released her wrist and turned around, straightening her pink robes. “Mr. Crabbe, take this one to the infirmary, he won’t do us any good. Tell Pomfrey he fell from a broom or something” she pointed to Neville’s limp body on the floor. 

“I won’t be showing them” Hermione said quickly, meaning the slytherins. Malfoy raised one brow and there was an almost imperceptible curve on one side of his lips. A smirk. As if he’d solved something. 

“Why?” He drawled. 

Because I don’t want a giant to kill you, Malfoy, you prat. 

“Yes, silly girl. You’re in no position to make requests” Umbridge stated. 

“Well. Okay, best if you bring them” Hermione appealed to reverse psychology “I want as many students to know where it is and how to use it!” 

“Very well… I’ll go alone. You and Potter are coming, of course.” Umbridge said finally. 

“Professor, I really think I should be there too. Just in case the mudblood is up to somet—”

“I am a Ministry official, Mr. Malfoy” Umbridge said proudly “I’m in no need of protection from a sixteen year old, thank you”

Draco’s face turned red. 

“Of course, Professor” He said through gritted teeth “Maybe Potter should take you alone and the mudblood can st—”

“I said no , Mr Malfoy” Umbridge said distractedly while releasing Harry from the spell that glued him to the chair.

Malfoy yanked Hermione by her hair, so he could place his mouth right next to her ear. 

“What the fuck are you playing at? The mad toad will avada you” He hissed so low she could barely hear. 

“Fuck off” She bit back. 

She felt something pointy and cold sliding through the side of her thigh, inside her tights. Her wand. Umbridge pulled her by her wrist and she quickly looked back to Malfoy. His face was unreadable. The last thing she saw before exiting the door was the slap he gave Ron and the kiss he placed on Pansy Parkinson’s cheek. 

…

“You too go ahead of me” Umbridge said, pointing her wand at them as they entered the forbidden forest. 

Hermione led the way towards Grawp speaking as loudly as she could. Harry asked her to tone down, but she wanted to be heard. 

“Who are you?” Came a loud voice from the shadows. A huge black haired centaur appeared, bow in hand. 

“I am Dolores Umbridge, member of the Ministry for Magic—”

“You’re with the Ministry?” Another voice came from the side “They’ve been meddling a lot with our people, trying to reduce our lands”

“You stay away from me!” Umbridge shrieked “The Department of Care of Magical Creatures clearly states that half breeds as yourselves…”

“What did you just call us?” A third voice, coming from a red haired centaur joined the group. 

“Creatures with less than human intelligence can be killed in order to protect wizards and…”

“Less intelligence?” A voice came from within a herd of very angry looking centaurs around them.

“Stay away from me!” Umbridge whimpered. 

“Professor, stop talking to them like that” Hermione pleaded “They’re more intelligent than we are, they’re just different and…”

Umbridge slapped Hermione “Shut up, filthy mudblood” She then turned her wand to the centaurs. “I’LL COUNT TO THREE…”

“You think you can treat us like pets?” One centaur roared. 

“INCARCEROUS” Umbridge casted towards him, making giant ropes appear and halter the centaur who began roaring in anger and pain. 

“Let him go!” Hermione screamed. 

It all happened too fast. Two centaurs helped the one with the ropes and soon all three of them grabbed Umbridge, stomping over her wand and bringing their teacher inside the herd. Hermione and Harry could only hear her screams. 

“What do we do with them?” One centaur asked, pointing to Harry and Hermione. 

“They’re young, we don’t attack foals” Another answered. 

“They’re not that young… This male one almost looks like he’s reached manhood” A third centaur added. 

“What did she call you?” A blond haired centaur approached Hermione “Did she say you have mud in your blood?”

“Y-yes!” Hermione cried “Some wizards think I am not worthy of being among them, because m-my parents… Well, they’re not wizards, they’re muggles. They say my blood is dirty because it’s not pure”

“She’s seen their injustice too” The blond haired turned to talk to the others “She’s to be freed, she’s not like the others”

“She’ll grow to be like them” Another centaur argued angrily. 

“N-never!” Harry gasped “Hermione is not like that, she fights for everyone’s rights. For house elves and hippogriffs and…”

“Are you comparing us to animals ?” One centaur said offendedly. “You see, this male one is just like the rest of them. Take him, free the girl” He said to the rest of the group that roared in agreement.

“NO! Please, Harry’s not like that…” Hermione began but she was cut off by a loud sound.

Then they heard it. THUMP. THUMP. THUMP. Loud noises like trees falling. 

“HAGGER” Came a loud growl. 

“Grawp!” Hermione screamed once the giant was at their line of sight. 

“HERMY” He roared “HERMY, WHERE HAGGER?”

“Harry, he’s speaking English” Hermione whispered in disbelief “GRAWPY I’M SORRY I DON’T KNOW”

“Go away, giant!” One centaur screamed “You’re not welcome here”

Grawp didn’t acknowledge him. He seemed sad with Hermione saying she didn’t know where Hagrid was and he began crying “GRAWP WANT HAGGER” and stomping his feet like a toddler. 

The centaur herd ran away and Harry pulled Hermione so they’d leave the forest. She was crying, pitying Grawp but followed him anyway. If Sirius was in danger they had no time to spare. 

…

As soon as they reached the castle they ran into Neville, Luna, Ginny and Ron. 

“What happened?” Harry asked. 

“Someone used a Peruvian Instant Darkness Powder, from the twins’ store!” Ginny said grinning. 

“Then all hell broke loose and we got the chance to cast some spells” Ron continued, proudly. 

“Mostly stunners, but Neville did use a nice Petrificus Totallus in Malfoy” Luna added in her dreamy voice. 

“Well, he’s been using it against me since first year,” Neville shrugged. 

“Who used the Peruvian Instant Darkness Powder?” Hermione asked, looking around them. 

“I actually dunno… Ginny?” Ron inquired his sister, who shook her head. “Luna?”

“No, I didn’t buy them because it attracts nargles, you see…” Luna said. 

“I didn’t use it either,” Neville said. 

Something inside Hermione was sure that it had been Malfoy. That maybe he tried to help her friends get to her. That maybe he cared. But she was pulled away from her thoughts by an impatient Harry. 

“Very good, everyone! But I’ll need to grab a broom so I can fly to the Ministry to save Sirius and….” Harry began saying quickly “Fuck, my wand!!”

Hermione took her wand and casted an accio that made Harry’s wand come flying from Umbridge’s office. Then a discussion began because everyone wanted to go, but Harry didn’t want anyone to go. And Ron certainly didn’t want Ginny or Hermione to go. But the girls were definitely not agreeing to stay behind. So Neville used the “We joined the DA to fight the Dark Arts, were those empty words?” card on Harry and everyone ended up going. 

Then another discussion began on how to get there. Harry and Ron suggested flooing from Umbridge’s office, but Neville reminded that the slytherins could’ve woken up. Ginny suggested using brooms, but Hermione said she couldn’t fly and there was no way she’d try to do it from Scotland to London. 

“We should use thestrals” Luna said. “Hermione’s bloodied shirt will be great to have them coming to us”

Everyone shook that idea off, until it was their only reasonable option and they followed her to find the flying black horses. 

Hermione hated flying. She hated brooms. But flying over something she couldn’t see and that swung up and down as it flapped its wings was much worse. 

…

When they arrived at the Ministry, the night was already dark. Harry tried to dissuade the rest of the groups a few times from the way through the public telephone, the black marbled reception and the lift they took to the seventh floor. 

Department of Mysteries

The words were written in gold against the black door. Once again Harry tried to convince them to wait there but no one agreed. They followed him to a rounded room full of identical doors and as soon as Neville closed the door they came from, the room walls began to circle and they had no idea which door was which. 

They tried one and found a room full of water tanks with floating brains inside them. They exited it and Hermione marked the door with an X using her wand before it was closed. Then after the room stopped spinning, they went to a room empty except for an arch made of rocks with a twirling veil inside. It made Hermione’s hair prickle but Harry and Luna kept saying they could hear voices from the veil so the rest of the group had to literally pull them to keep the pair from entering the veil. Another X marked and they tried to open another door. Locked. Hermione tried an “alohomora” with no results and Harry tried to use the knife Siriius gave him. But the door made the knife melt, so Hermione decided to cast an X on it. In Harry’s dream he could always enter the right door. 

The fourth door was finally the right one. They were there, they had found the place: high as a church and full of nothing but towering shelves covered in small, dusty, glass orbs. They glimmered dully in the light issuing from more candle-brackets set at intervals along the shelves. Their flames were burning blue. The room was very cold.

“You said it was in row 97” Hermione whispered to Harry and they began to walk the aisles. 

Once they arrived at the right row, they looked everywhere,  but there was no sign of Sirius.  

“I don’t think he’s here” Hermione mumbled to her friend. 

“Harry! Hey! Check this out” Ron said. “This one has you name on it”

He pointed to a orb with a plate underneath it:

S.P.T. to A.P.W.B.D. 

Dark Lord and (?)Harry Potter

Harry took the orb to look at it. 

“Very well done, Potter” a deep voice drawled from behind them “now turn around slowly and hand me the prophecy”

Hermione gasped because for a second she thought it was Draco’s pale pointy face and his steel eyes looking at them through the shadows. Then she realised that he looked older and bulkier. It was Lucius Malfoy. 

And as quickly and swiftly as duelists could only dream to be, soon there were a dozen of black robes and masked figures around them with wands pointed at their hearts. 

“Where is Sirius?” Harry asked. 

All the masked people laughed. 

“The Dark Lord always knows” one of them said.

“Always” Lucius drawled. 

“I know you have him here, where is Sirius?” Harry snapped.

The laughs continued only this time a feminine one was louder than all. 

“Oh… Poor little baby Potter!” The curly haired woman passed her wand through her mask, dissolving it and revealing the boney face of Bellatrix Lestrange “Did you have a bad dweam and came running after Sirius, was it?”

“Tell me where he is or I’ll break this thing” Harry raised the orb. All of them winced. 

“Now, Potter… Let’s not get ahead of ourselves, give us the prophecy and no one will be harmed” Lucius said calmly. 

“Am I supposed to believe that? And why does Voldemort want it anyway?” Harry spoke with defiance. 

“You dare say his name? YOU FILTHY HALF BLOOD” Bellatrix snapped

“He’s a halfblood too, don’t you know?” Harry gave a maniac laugh “His dad was a muggle, or did he convince you he’s pureblooded?”

“I’ll shut this stupid boy, STUPEF-” Bellatrix began.

“NO!” Lucius screamed “It’ll break the prophecy. The Dark Lord’s instructions were clear”

“Then let me torture the little Weasley girl” Bellatrix asked with a wicked grin. “That’ll have the hero Potter collaborating in no time”

Hermione took a protective step closer to Ginny and the rest of them did too. 

“If you try anything I’ll smash it on the ground” Harry promised. 

“Let’s all calm down” Lucius drawled “C’mon now Harry… Have you ever wondered why you have that scar? Why did the Dark Lord try to kill you when you were just a baby?” 

The older Malfoy went on with his sweet words trying to convince Harry to hand him the prophecy, but Hermione and the other members of the DA heard Harry tell them to wait for his signal. So, when he shouted “NOW”, all the 6 of them screamed “REDUCTO” and ran in the direction they had come from. 

Lucius Malfoy forbade the others from casting spells as one could hit Harry and break the prophecy. So the Death Eaters were only running towards them. There were not a lot of things in which sixteen year olds could beat Death Eaters, but apparently running was one of them. Soon they were back to the circular room with several doors. Hermione casted an X on the door they had just come from and then shouted “COLOPORTUS” to lock it. They had eight doors left to try and find the exit, but they could hear voices coming from the locked door. 

“Come now, Nott! Leave him, the Dark Lord won’t care for his injuries if we lose the prophecy” It was Lucius’ voice. “Stay in pairs and get them, do not harm Potter or risk the prophecy. The rest you can kill-”

Hermione winced. 

“ALOHOMORA” Bellatrix high pitched scream was heard instants before all the teenagers  entered one of the doors. 

They were now inside a room full of bell jars of different sizes on top of different wood benches. They could still hear the Death Eaters from behind the door. 

“Rockwood, Dolohov you take this one” Lucius was shouting commands “Crabbe, Nott go to that one. Yes, Bellatrix and Rodolphus, please this one…”

Before Hermione had time to cast the locking spell on the door to the room they were in, two men kicked it open and got inside. 

“THEY’RE HERE, POTT—“

Harry started to duel one of them, but Neville fell over a table and his “Expelliarmus” ended up disarming both the Death Eater and Harry. 

“Stupefy!” Hermione pointed to the masked man and then “Accio wand” to get Harry’s wand and give it to him. 

Neville was fighting the other, when two more men came from the open door. Ron casted an “impedimenta” that threw one of them to fall with his head inside one of the bell jars. His face began to shrink, all his hair fell down and his skin was suddenly glistening. It was a baby’s head over the broad shoulders of a death eater. 

“The room of time” Hermione whispered to herself. 

Harry was going to hex the baby head.

“No, you can’t hurt a baby” Hermione pleaded and Harry turned to fight the fourth Death Eater. 

He effectively casted a muting spell that would prevent the man from hexing them, but when Hermione was going to congratulate him she felt a burning knife cut through her chest. 

“Nice one, Ha—”

It was a curse the man casted non verbally. She only managed to say a weak “Oh” before sinking into darkness. 

June 21st

Hermione woke up in Hogwarts Hospital Wing. Madam Pomfrey didn’t say much, nor allowed her to open her curtains and see her friends. She gave Hermione lots of potions and the girl went back to dreamless sleep. 

June 22nd

When she opened her eyes, it was dark around her. She looked at her bedside to find a table full of sweets, flowers and letters. She smiled weakly and turned to the other side. She felt her heart coming all the way up through her throat and ending up near her mouth. She swallowed. 

Standing in front of her, sitting on a chair with his arms folded was Draco Malfoy. His steel eyes pierced through her like daggers. He was livid. 

“As soon as you leave this bed” He hissed “I am going to kill you”

“Malfoy, what—”

“You’re so fucking stupid, you know that?” He spat “You could’ve died there, you could’ve been tortured, captured…”

“You helped us” She gave him a weak smile clearly under the influence of several potions. She felt dizzy. She wanted to ask him to kiss her, hug her and cuddle her. 

Malfoy took a huge gulp of air as if he was drowning. 

“I have no idea what you’re talk—”

“The peruvian powder”

His eyes darkened. He looked ready to kill. 

“I would never have done it if I knew what you stupid morons were up to” His voice was ice cold. 

“Good thing you didn’t then” She chuckled and it made her ribs hurt. 

“Good?” He snapped. Then he ran his fingers through his hair and casted a muffliato as if expecting to do a lot of shouting from then on. “Good thing? You dumb stupid girl! ”

“Malf—”

“Shut up!” He growled. “You went to face a dozen Death Eaters alone, in the middle of the night, in the most dangerous department of the Ministry… With only five other underage idiots? What the fuck were you thinking?”

“Harry —”

“Yes! Saint Potter” He rolled his eyes in anger, making an extra effort to pop the P “I thought he was supposed to be your friend ”

“He is!” Hermione protested. 

“Friends don’t take their friends to death traps” He said slowly as if teaching to a three year old to look both sides before crossing the streets “Fuck, I’m your enemy and I wouldn’t do that to you”

“He didn’t want me to come” Hermione whined weakly “I wanted to help him sav—”

“Oh of course, my cousin right? Sirius Black?” Malfoy gave the coldest fake laugh ever. “He’s dead now, did you know? My aunt killed him. And he only went there to save your asses. So, good job”

It was a cruel punch. Hermione felt her face fall. Sirius was… dead? Harry’s only family. The man had lived almost half his life unfairly imprisoned, then three years in hiding… And he’d never get to experience freedom? And it was all their fault. She felt his cold and long fingers brushing the tears from her cheek.

“I shouldn’t have said it like that, " He murmured, still angry, but trying to soften a bit. 

“Is it true? I didn’t even see him there” Hermione whispered. 

“Of course you didn’t… You were fucking unconscious, in the middle of the fucking battle!” He took his fingers from her cheek and clenched his hand in a fist. He took it to rest on his lap. He kept flexing and extending them. “Fuck, Granger. You could’ve died. And it would be my… My fault.”

“What? You didn’t do…” 

“I let you leave! I thought you were just trying to escape Umbridge! Maybe leave Hogwarts like the Weasel twins or something, I never th—” He gasped and silenced himself taking deep breaths until he calmed down. 

“Malfoy” Hermione began tentatively “It wasn’t your fault, Vold-Voldermort tricked Harry into—”

“You were supposed to be the brightest witch of your age” He said with a sad smirk. “Didn’t you see it was a trick?”

“I contemplated it, but Harry couldn’t risk it… Sirius was his only famil—”

“So it was worth risking you? Fuck, it was worth sacrificing you?” He spat with disgust, his face contorted in rage, refusing to face Hermione. 

“I’m fine” Hermione said.

“You’re not fine.” He stated with no room for argument, staring at her with all the anger he could muster. “You only survived because Dolohov was muted and casted his signature course wordlessly. This curse makes your blood boil, makes your organs shut and rot one by one. There is no cure, no antidote, no counterspell. Did you know that?”

Hermione was silent. She absent miserly reached for the lionness pendant of her neck. D saved her again. She made the mental note to thank him.  

“Of course you didn’t. I guess Potter didn’t teach it to you in his pathetic club, huh? Too dark of magic, right? Let’s keep to stunning and disarming, huh?” Malfoy gave a manic laugh. “I fucking told you. This is what you’re fighting against. This is how it is done on the dark side. Bellatrix didn’t stutter before killing her own blood . What do you think they’d do to a mudblood like you?”

“Is that why you’re so eager to show the world you’re as bad as them, Draco?” It was Hermione’s first time calling him by his first name and it didn’t go unnoticed by him. His eyebrows shot so high they almost hid behind his pale blond fringe. “Are you afraid they’ll not spare you?”

She was not sure of the reaction she aimed for with her words, but it was certainly not the chuckle he gave her. 

“ Afraid? Granger, I am sure they’d never spare a blood traitor. Haven’t you seen the burn marks in the Black’s family tree tapestry? We are disposable in the minute we betray our house’s principles”

“How do you know I’ve seen the Black Family Tapestry?” Hermione asked.

“Well, I had my first hunch the day you mentioned Bella to me.” He smirked “But then the Black’s House Elf—”

“Kreacher?”

“Yes, he came to my home during Christmas… Apparently, Sirius gave him an order open enough to have him searching for other Black heirs.”

“Your mother? Bellatrix?” 

“ Me , Granger. I am the heir of both Malfoy and Black families” He said with disgust. “Anyway, he went there and he has been passing information to my mother and following her instructions ever since.”

“That’s why he told Harry that Sirius wasn’t there yesterday?”

“Ten points for Gryffindor” Malfoy said acidly. 

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Did you ask?”

Hermione sat back for a few minutes. She tried to think of something to say several times before actually speaking. 

“Who else came to save us?”

“I don’t know all of them” Malfoy said with a bored tone. “But Dumbledore was there. He’s back to school, actually.”

“Really? That’s wonderful… What about Umb—”

“She hasn’t been found yet.” 

Several more minutes went by in a piercing silence. 

“Malfoy… Your fath—”

He raised her hand to silence her. 

“I know. He and all the other Death Eaters, with exception of my aunt that fled with the Dark Lord himself, are now in Azkaban” He said coldly as if it didn’t matter at all “By the way, Cornelius now admits the Dark Lord is back, so I guess congratulations is due, huh? That’s what you wanted, right?”

Hermione thought to herself that maybe. Maybe she was kind of happy they got Dumbledore back and the word out. But at what cost?

“Is anyone else… Any of my friends… Harmed?”

“No” He spat venomously. “Weaslette twisted her ankle. Longbottom got a nosebleed. Weasel has a few scratches. Potter may have broken his glasses. But, no… No one is as fucked as you... Merlin, Granger, don’t you dare be happy now” He hissed the last part when she sighed in relief. 

“I am happy though” She said weakly in a breathy voice. “My friends are safe. I am alive. Dumbledore is back. People will know the truth and… You came ”

He pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration. 

“Let me correct you. Your friends nearly escaped death, your internal organs are damaged enough to have you taking ten different types of potions every day, Sirius Black is dead and” He sighed “I only came to inform you I’ll kill you once your out of bedrest”

“I am thankful you’re here” She whispered, ignoring his words. “And I’m sorry about your dad.”

She really was. Of course, Lucius deserved it. But he was Malfoy’s father, after all. It probably made Malfoy sad, so she was sorry in empathy.

“Well, don’t be. I’m not” He said, raising from his chair and adjusting his robes. 

“You’re n... Why?”

“You once asked me to imagine my mother being tortured, remember?” He asked, his back already turned to her. 

“Yes,” She murmured. 

“I did see it”

And then he was gone. 

June 30th

There was a bittersweet sensation hanging in the air as they took the Hogwarts Express back to London. She was on a strict potions regimen due to the curse and Madam Pomfrey mentioned she might have lifelong symptoms such as migraines, autoimmune inflammatory disorders and infertility. But overall, they were all sort of happy with the fact that the six of them were safe; that Dumbledore, McGonagall and Hagrid were back; that the truth was out. Hermione apologised to Hagrid for not believing him and told him excitedly how Grawp was improving in English. Dumbledore went to talk to the centaurs and was able to retrieve a very traumatised Dolores Umbridge. So at least Hermione wasn't an accomplice to murder. McGonagall gave Hermione a very long list of references, correspondence courses and tasks to achieve her goal of becoming the Minister for Magic one day. 

Yet there was no way they could be really happy. Sirius was dead. Harry now knew that he was the one chosen to defeat Voldemort. War was getting closer and closer. 

And… Well, there was also Malfoy. Hermione hadn’t seen him since the night at the hospital wing. Harry told her he was keeping a low profile, except one time when he came to corner Harry after lunch with Crabbe, Goyle and Nott for having their fathers arrested. It must’ve been about ego or something. Because he literally told Hermione he wasn’t sad. Had he lied? Everything else he told her that night turned out to be true. But she still felt so far from understanding him. 

Hermione had been away from her room (and her parchment) for almost a week so she thought D would be worried sick about her. Yet when she messaged him to say the necklace saved her  he only said

D: I wish it hadn’t been necessary. But I have a feeling it’ll be more and more as the days go by. That is unless you decide you care for my feelings and take your family away from the UK. 

She decided to try again during summer and focused her thoughts on trying to help Harry navigate his guilt and grief. He was not inclined to talking about it and she lost count of how many times Ron shushed her. 

They were in the Hogwarts Express and Hermione excused herself to go to the prefects’ bathroom. The same one she saw Malfoy with Daphne during the beginning of the year. Yet she didn’t think for a second she’d find him there. she just wanted to be able to pee without being showered with questions about Voldemort, Harry and the upcoming war. 

But there Malfoy was. He was leaning against the sink, washing his face with cold water and she did her best to keep from staring into his bum through the fitted trousers of his all black suit. 

“This is the ladies bathroom” she said dumbly before casting a locking charm on the door. 

He turned to face her. His expression was unreadable. 

“Granger. I was just planning on visiting you cart with Crabbe and Goyle, we thought a retribution is due…”

She said nothing as she walked towards him. She placed both of her hands on his cheeks. He seemed in pain. 

“What?” He said with disgust “Did they ask you to distract me again?”

“No. I want to do this” she said, raising on her toes and placing a gentle peck on his lips. 

He took her wrists with a gentle yet strong hold and lowered them away from his face. 

“Well… I don’t” he spat venomously. 

“I don’t believe you” 

“I don’t care what you believe”

“I want you to leave her. Leave Daphne.” She said and the words surprised her as much as they surprised him. He raised one eyebrow.  

“I’m starting to think you’re some sort of adrenaline junkie” he drawled passing her towards the door “it’s barely been a week since you escaped death and you’re already knocking on its door again?”

“You won’t hurt me” She tried. And she didn’t know why but she believed it. Maybe she was indeed as stupid as he had said. Maybe the potions she still had to take were making her crazy. But there was a growing part of her that trusted and liked Malfoy. Oh God, she was crazy. He would hurt her. He had done so multiple times. Was she that desperate? She made the silent decision to find a muggle boy to shag over summer and clear her mind. Her hormones were driving her mad, she thought to herself as she stared into his bum. 

He had his back at her and looked over his shoulder with a smirk playing on his lips. 

“Oh, Granger… You just wait and see”

…

Hermione hugged her parents with all her strength when they got to King’s Cross. Over her mum’s shoulder, from a distance she saw two white blond haired heads in a tight embrace. Narcissa Malfoy was thinner then she had been at the Quidditch World Cup and looked so pale she could’ve been mistaken for a veela. Despite her expensive clothing and giant jewelry she was visibly shaken. There were purple circles around her eyes and her smile was weak. But the way she held her son… Hermione couldn’t see his face yet she knew he was home. 

Once her parents let her go and went helping with her baggage she turned to say goodbye to Ron, Harry and the rest of the Order. They were giving Harry’s uncle and aunt a hard talk not to mistreat Harry. Hermione promised Harry she'd always write to him. And that they’d soon be seeing each other again. 

“Oh I can’t believe it” came a high pitched wailing from her side. 

“What is it, Daphne?” An older woman asked. 

“It’s Draco, mummy” Hermione saw a younger girl with brown long straight hair say “he broke up with her, just now on the train”

“Oh! I can’t believe it” the older woman was now hugging the blonde waterfall Hermione knew belonged to Daphne Greengrass. “He was such a good match, maybe we can still fix this. I’ll invite Narcissa for a tea”

“Does Daph really want him to date her because his mother said so?” 

“Shut up, Astoria!” Daphne hissed, her face stained with mascara tinted tears.

“Let’s go, honey?” Hermione’s dad asked, placing his hand on her back. 

“Yes… let’s go” Hermione smiled. 

Was it delusional to have hope?

Chapter Text

July 6th

D:Tell me something, anything… Please… I need a distraction…

Hermione felt her pocket burning inside her purse. She ignored it while giving the boy sitting in front of her a polite smile. Simon Baker had lived across the street from her parents home since Hermione was three and he was five. They’d never really spoken much before, except for the day she accidentally turned his hair pink with her uncontrolled magic at the age of 10. She had always had a crush on him. 

And, surprisingly enough, he invited her for dinner and a movie that Friday night. 

She’d think about D once she was back home, she’d think about Harry and Ron when she got to the Burrow the following week… And, she’d definitely think about Malfoy when she went back to Hogwarts in three months. But now she only had eyes for Simon’s sweet dimples as he smiled back at her. 

July 7th

H: Are you sure you’re feeling better?

D: Yes, my dear Miss Granger. I’m sorry for being utterly pathetic, you do not need to check on me hourly. 

H: You never told me what had happened…

D: I didn’t want to. 

H: So…Have you been reading anything?