"Are soulmates real?" Hermione questioned her friend's judgement.
Ginny shrugged. "I've heard about it, but I'm not positive. It would be nice though, don't you think? To find your soul's companion?"
Hermione pursed her lips, but in the corner of her heart she longed to believe it.
"Sirius?" Hermione sat down on the couch beside him.
"Yes, kitten?"
"Do you believe in soulmates?"
His eyes flicked to the space over her shoulder. "Yes."
"Really?"
He smiled. "I sure do. Whether a friend or," he cleared his throat, "lover. I think there's someone out there who our souls, our hearts sing for."
His words made her smile. But, something kept nudging her in the back of her mind. "How do we find them?"
He let out a tired sigh. "That's the hard part, kitten. It's something you feel deep inside. When you know, you know." A warm smile came to his face when he took Remus's offer of hot cocoa.
Hogwarts castle was in shambles. The sight of broken walls and broken bodies almost made her want to cry.
"That was pretty brave of you, Oliver." Hermione wiped his bloody temple clean.
He shrugged but immediately winced. "Go on, Granger. I'm fine."
She looked at him skeptically but moved onto the next person slumped against the wall.
His eyes were closed, but his brows were scrunched up in pain as he clutched his chest. She knelt down, touching his thigh gently. He gasped, his eyes searching hers.
Her words stuck in her throat, mesmerized by dark brown eyes ringed with black. She watched him gulp. "How can I -"
"I'm Adrian," he blurted.
She smiled. "Hi, Adrian. I'm Hermione."