A/N: This is co-writting with spobyaddict. We don't own Harry Potter or Pretty Little Liars.
Honestly, ever since the beginning of the year, Hermione Granger hadn't thought about a single thing other than school. Professor Fitz was nice enough, though she had some doubts about him teaching Muggle Studies. And, honestly? That girl, Aria, just seemed too...absorbed in him for Hermione's liking.
But that wasn't her concern at the moment. No, it wasn't. It was the fact that Ron and Jason were chasing each other around the castle like hooligans. Just because Jason DiLaurentis was graduating this year didn't mean he could gallivant around like a unicorn in a palace- though that would be a hilarious thing to watch.
Hermione gripped her wand, heading towards the destruction. Honestly, were the two of them idiots?
"I DID NOT KILL HER!" yelled Jason, who was hiding behind a suit of armor.
"YEA?"
"WHY WOULD I KILL MY SISTER?" shouted Jason, ducking as Ron sent a spell towards the helmet of the armor.
Hermione had to hold herself back from clapping it was such...sucky aim...yea that's what she was saying.
"I dunno," muttered Ron. "It was Harry's idea to blame you..."
Hermione knew that was a lie. Ron hadn't talked to Harry in the last twenty-four hours and...twenty seven seconds, not that she had been counting. Harry was probably moping around in the attic somewhere, insisting that Draco Malfoy was a Death Eater. And Alison DiLaurentis had been killed twelve hours ago on the grounds.
There was no way this was Harry's idea.
It had to be someone else's. But whose?
X
The five girls, now four sat silently at the table the next morning, Hermione noted, even though they never had before. Alison had always lead the conversation apparently, as the four were now silent. Or maybe they didn't have any glue to hold them together anymore.
That could be possible.
Hermione forked her eggs into her mouth before shoving her Arithmancy book into her bag and pushing away from the table, not even bothering to say goodbye to Luna or Ginny or whoever else they had pulled beside them to tutor them.
Not that Luna or Ginny needed the practice of tutoring younger children. They probably actually liked them.
Hermione grabbed a piece of toast, relieved to get away from the most awkward situation in all of Hogwarts. Or at least she thought it was the most awkward situation of that morning.
"Wait, Hermione," a kid said, pulling on her bag and forcing her to sit next to him.
The first thing that Hermione registered that Harry and Ron were sitting at the table, even though she hadn't seen them come down. Fred was the one who had pulled her down to sit in-between him and his twin, George.
"What?" she demanded, not really wanting to put up with anything frivolous or stupid this fine...ahem...horrible morning.
"Dumbledore's going to make an announcement," Fred muttered. "You know, since that DiLaurentis girl died. I'm really sorry for her brother."Ron stiffened at this. "I heard he got beat up by some kid yesterday in the seventh floor hallway, because the kid thought he did it."
"Really, I wonder who," Hermione muttered, glaring at Ron, who seemed much more interested in his bacon than anything else. But then again, Hermione couldn't really blame him for being interested in bacon at that moment.
"ATTENTION!" shouted Dumbledore as loudly as he could. The student's murmurings fell silent. "As you might have heard from various sources, a student has left our midst. Alison DiLaurentis."
There was collective gasp of those (Hufflepuffs, honestly, do they even know how to communicate?) who hadn't heard the news yet.
"She was found last morning buried under the Whomping Willow-" The four boys Lily was sitting next to glanced at each other. "-We will hold a ceremony tomorrow morning. Classes are dismissed tomorrow. I wish to send our condolences to everyone in the DiLaurentis family. Thank you."
It was clear that Dumbledore was done speaking, as he had sat down and continued eating his...was that what Hermione that it was...bacon?
She shook her head, trying to clear her mind of all frivolous thoughts.
Wait...why was George eating a cupcake at breakfast?
This was going to take a long time.
X
"You will be brewing a Draught of Peace today, and you will be able to redo it tomorrow if can't figure it out today. Anything else Professor?" asked Assistant Hastings later that morning.
Hermione glared at the board. This was boring. She had brewed this last year in her free time.
"No, I think you did perfectly Miss Hastings," Slughorn smiled jollily, bouncing over to Hermoine's desk. "Miss Granger!" he cried. "Why aren't you working?" Melissa Hastings came over to where Hermione was sitting, always following Slughorn.
"I brewed this last year for fun," Hermione muttered, almost bored, but trying not to appear that way.
"Ah yes..I remember now." But his face didn't seem like he did. "Brew something out of the back of the book, surprise me," he smiled.
Hermione nodded, not really feeling like doing anything extravagant.
This was going to be quite the boring day, and everyone knew it.
(Except maybe Slughorn.)
Spencer honestly couldn't believe that Alison, one of her best friends, was dead. Sure, Alison was the biggest drama queen that Hogwarts had ever seen, and made half of the population's lives living hell, but she could make you feel special. Loved. Important. Magical.
A little over a month ago, Alison had left to visit her grandmother somewhere in Georgia in the United States. Though the majority of the Hogwarts student body found it odd that she hadn't made any sort of contact since she left, most people didn't seem to mind. Only Spencer and her other friends, Hanna, Emily, and Aria, had found it odd.
"Don't you remember her saying goodbye?" Aria asked between bites of her lunch. "It was like she was never going to see us again!"
"What are you saying?" Emily inquired, one of the few words she'd spoken since the news of Ali's body got around to her.
"You think that she KNEW she was going to die?" Spencer butted in, keeping true to her Veronica Mars reputation.
"Let's face the facts," Aria stated bluntly. "Alison was ALWAYS one step ahead of everyone. She knew everyone's secrets. Hell, she knew more about people than they knew about themselves!"
"As I always say, there's a downside to being too smart," Hanna chimed in, picking at her perfectly manicured nails, jumping when an owl dropped in front of Spencer.
"Way to go, Spence! Now my finger's bleeding!"
"Sorry for not being physic," Spencer retorted. "Sorry guys, but I have to run. Toby's been extremely worried about my mental health..."
"We get it," Emily giggled, "Go to your trusty knight in shining armor! In fact, I should probably go too... Oliver and Toby are on the same page with this one..."
"Well, Caleb can join their secret society. I've barely been able to do anything with him all I-will-protect-you! He is all over me!" Hanna piped up, never having come equipped with a filter.
"I don't need to know that!" Spencer exclaimed with a grimace before packing her bag and running off to meet Toby.
"You guys, I am dead serious about Ali knowing something was up! She knew that she was leaving for good." Aria whispered, knowing that people were paying even more attention to them now than before they were part of the queen bee's posse.
"Aria, can we not do this right now? I can't..." Emily sniffled, on the verge of tears.
"Yeah, I'm sorry, Em. Go be with Oliver! Same for you Han. I'll be fine. I need to study for Muggle Studies, anyway!"
"Don't worry, Aria. You'll find the right guy when the time comes!" Hanna said cheerily before skipping off to her long-haired love.
"Always the optimist..." Emily smiled, patting Aria on the shoulder before walking away.
X
"Seriously, Toby, I'm fine. The initial pain was the worst, and it's over now. I hadn't talked to her for a month before they found her body. That made saying goodbye a lot easier than it would've been if I had partied with her the night she went missing, whenever that was."
"As much as I want to believe you, I don't think I can. I know you, Ms. Hastings, and you showing emotion happens as rarely as an eclipse," the blue-eyed boy smiled. "I love you, and I hate seeing you hurt. But I hate you not sharing your true feelings with me even more."
"I love you too, which is why you should believe me. Yes, it does hurt, but it will probably always hurt. The sooner I accept that, the better."
"I am all for you moving on and being happy, but never be afraid to confide in me," Toby said, plating an affectionate kiss to Spencer's temple.
"Never. As long as you'll have me for that long."
"Forever and always, Spence." Toby replied, leaning down to kiss her properly.
X
"Em, are you SURE you're okay? You've barely spoken in the past 24 hours."
"Oliver, I'm grieving! I'm sorry that doing whatever you call fun isn't at the top of my priority list right now!"
"Alright, you're right. I'm sorry."
"Thank you."
"So, how are you coping?" Oliver asked, obviously having other intentions, but Emily jerked away from his attempt of putting his arm around her.
"I'm... Okay... I think..." She replied, holding in her tears. She had never felt comfortable breaking down in front of most guys, aside from Toby.
"Well then, let's do something! We haven't done anything remotely... You know... Since the whole Alison ordeal!"
"Are you always this insensitive?"
"Emily, listen-"
"You know what? Save it. I need a break. From life, from drama, and DEFINITELY from you!"
"Emily, wait!"
"Are you finished? Because I am." And with that, Emily stormed away in tears, leaving a sexually frustrated Oliver and many things left unsaid.
If only everyone could know how I really felt... Emily thought to herself. But that's all it was- an if only.
X
"Caleb, you don't understand! I need retail therapy!"
"You expect me to let you go shopping in Hogsmeade after something like this? I mean, I always knew you were crazy, but really?"
"Shut up!" Hanna giggled into his chest, playfully smacking him.
"Han, I'm dead serious. I love you, and if you... If you get hurt..."
"Caleb. Don't go there. We'll cross that bridge when we come to it, okay?"
"I'm not crossing any bridge when you're DEAD, Han! I'll be jumping off it!" Only then, when Hanna's piercing blue eyes met his own, did she see that he was crying.
"Hey... Hey... Come here... There's nothing to worry about, Caleb! I have so many people that have my back, nothing will happen, okay? Trust me."
"Alison had people protecting her, too." Caleb gently reminded her.
"Please, were you that fond of her? I know for a fact that you and Toby could've easily formed an "I Hate Alison" club! She had more people out to get her than out to protect her."
"Toby and I weren't fond of the hours we spent consoling you and Spencer over something she did to you. Oliver never minded her though... In fact, he seemed to like her, and like her a lot. Anyway, I may not have had the most pleasant feelings about her, but you loved her. I would've defended her."
"And that's why I love you."