Hermione Apparates to the designated point with her luggage. She misses the beaded bag she'd had during the war, however as it was technically illegal, Kingsley made her give it up.
Surrounding her was the sound of other pops of apparition as the others from her group of friends appeared. Harry appeared close beside her grimacing. He still hated apparition. However, as they were already late, they had left themselves no choice other than to Apparate. Harry was dragging his trunk while Hermione casts charms to make hers fly beside her. She cast the same on Harry's while he isn't looking, she giggles as he exclaims in shock at his suddenly floating trunk.
Ron had had the same idea as her but it had been poorly executed. He was always lazy with his spell work. She left him to it, knowing his pride would suffer if she did it for him. She knew how fragile her boys could be about such things.
The DA enter the Great Hall together. Professor McGonagall is up at the teachers table with Kingsley. She was giving some kind of speech when they opened the doors.
"You were meant to be here an hour ago," Professor McGonagall exclaims testily.
"Sorry Professor. We met at the Burrow first hoping we'd match there and avoid having to revisit this place so soon," Hermione explains. "George, in particular, couldn't face the idea of coming here."
Professor McGonagall's face softens.
"Of course. Of course," she mutters.
Hermione watches as the woman's eyes search their group for other missing members.
"Luna," Hermione says simply. No other explanation is needed.
Minerva waves them towards the Gryffindor table out of habit. People gravitate towards their house tables, desperately clinging to the familiar for comfort.
The atmosphere is warm in here but it's nothing compared to the burning within her own body. She had hoped that once she felt the Burning within, the contrast with the air temperature would make the air feel cool or at least not as hot. She was wrong. The air felt just as oppressive as it had done since the heatwave began.
Even Minerva had given up long robes in the face of the heat. Instead she wore a muggle summer dress, Kingsley was in shorts and t-shirt. The sight of them both stood there like that was almost enough to make her laugh. Almost.
There must have been around four hundred people in the Great Hall. The only teachers present were the Heads of House. Hermione was surprised by the numbers. Doing the calculations in her head she supposed they made sense. She glanced at the scarcely populated Slytherin table. Had they tried to pair off among themselves? The thought that they weren't compatible with each other made her smile a little. So much for pureblood supremacy.
Professor McGonagall had started her speech again.
"We'll try this again. Welcome. I realise these are difficult circumstances. To make you more comfortable, we decided to place you back in your house dormitories for the time being. Once you are matched, we ask that you remove yourselves from the grounds within twenty-four hours. We understand there will be some... control issues when you first make contact. We ask that you at least try for some privacy before... indulging. Going through records of other countries who have faced this, lining you up in two rows is to be avoided. Each time contact is made the ability to control yourself is lessened," she grimaces. Hermione can only imagine what would happen in those instances. A shudder runs through her.
"Meals will still be conducted at the usual times. Hospital wing is open. Myself and the other Professors can be found either in our offices or the staff room. The library is open. The Quidditch pitch is available but beyond this, it's for you to amuse yourselves between meals. You are all of age," McGonagall finishes with a touch of exasperation.
Everyone in the Hall is spread out, deliberately not touching. As food arrives, most people find themselves to be not particularly hungry but pick at some food anyway. Hermione has a plate of fruit unable to face anything more substantial. Even Ron was struggling to eat much as his body adjusts to the Fever. They were all struggling to adjust.
It felt like heatstroke mixed with arousal.
It was hot, sticky and uncomfortable.
Once they'd eaten as much as they could, they trundled the familiar path to Gryffindor Tower.
Someone behind them was calling her name. She groans as she stops. She has a horrible feeling she recognised that voice.
Turning around her fear was realised. Cormac McLaggen was attempting to catch them up. She turns back around and starts walking faster. Should she feel bad she was disappointed he survived the war?
Harry and Ron both grab her arms to slow her down. They are wearing identical grins. She was going to kill them both.
"Granger? Hey Hermione wait up," Cormac shouts sprinting to catch them up.
"I was surprised to see you here. I thought you would have matched already," He tells her glancing at Harry and Ron.
"Nope not yet," she says looking for an escape route. She finds none.
"Would you permit me to try?" He asks holding out his hand to her.
Hermione sighs. She doesn't have an excuse to get away from this. She slowly extends her hand placing it in his. She tries not to show her relief when nothing happens. His disappointment is evident. McLaggen says his goodbyes and walks away from her quickly.
Harry and Ron tease her all the way back to the Tower.
When they enter the common room, no one wants to linger in the room for very long. Cormac found his match after all. Neither him nor Lavender Brown had bothered to seek privacy when the sofa would do.
They part ways quickly. Ron is practically skipping when he sees the couple on the couch. No doubt he was concerned he'd end up with his ex.
Hermione is grateful for the peaceful dormitory, now containing only Parvati and herself.
"Lavender has matched," Parvati says as Hermione enters.
"I saw," Hermione replies darkly making Parvati laugh.
"He tried with me first," Parvati shrugs.
"Yes he caught me on the way up here," She smirks.
"He needs to get back to the ministry quickly apparently. Concerned too much time here will affect his chances of promotion."
The two girls get changed in silence. Despite taking cool showers, they're as hot and sticky as ever.
It takes a long time for Hermione to drift off to sleep that evening. When she does succumb to her weariness, she's haunted by images of writhing bodies.
When Hermione arrives in the common room, she's amused by the sight of the burning wreckage where the offending sofa used to be. She chuckles on her way down to breakfast.
Her humour quickly fades as she's approached numerous times in the corridors. Some like Cormac ask permission, some walk past and brush against her hand. One unfortunate man thought the best approach was to grab her. His friends took him to the hospital wing, laughing.
Hermione was in a terrible mood when she sat down to get breakfast. Anger, frustration, arousal and the Burning all contributed to her foul mood.
Harry and Ron were already there with some other members of the DA. Looking around she could see that many of the boys seemed far more comfortable this morning.
When she brings it up at the table, Harry and Ron blush as the other boys laugh.
"Isn't it obvious Hermione?" Oliver Wood asks her grinning, leaning across the table. "All you need to do is a little... self relief. You know, to take the edge off."
Hermione's cheeks flush red. It hadn't occurred to her, despite the constant ache between her thighs, to attempt to pleasure herself.
"Surely that would make it worse?" She reasons.
"No love. It helps. Not completely but it does takes the edge off," he smiles kindly.
"Oh," is her eloquent reply as she stares down at her breakfast. She rubs her thighs together as she shifts in her seat, reflecting on Oliver's suggestion.
Conversation starts up around them about people who matched over night, leading into speculation about who destroyed the sofa.
The lingering breakfast everyone had been enjoying is interrupted by a wave of heat as another pair match. When they begin tearing each others clothes off everyone files out.
Hermione hadn't caught anyone in the act of anything more passionate than snogging before entering the common room last night. Her first sight of something more had been watching Lavender bouncing naked on top of Cormac. Now, it was the Hufflepuff couple who hadn't made it further than the floor of the Great Hall.
It made her nervous.
She wasn't a virgin, nor was she a prude, however that didn't mean she was okay with the idea of being exposed like that.
She didn't want everyone to see her being intimate or losing her self control.
Hermione stuck close to Harry and Ron. She had never been more glad to have boys as friends, except when she wasn't. If someone did have the nerve to approach her, the boys were little help and would tease her mercilessly.
Harry and Ron were popular too. The girls who approached them rarely asked. Harry flinched every time it happened, in case this was the one that separated him from Ginny.
They left the castle to spend some time in the grounds. They went to visit Hagrid. It felt normal.
They returned to the castle for lunch. The whole hall had a sense of unease, a tension from those waiting for the next match. It was inevitable.
The pair that bumped into each other, literally, made it over to the side chamber meaning lunch could progress as usual.
After a third boy approached her at lunch, the boys amusement had reached a peak.
"Blimey Hermione you're popular," Ron says glaring at the back of the departing boy.
"Hermione has always been popular with other boys," Neville rolls his eyes. "You two just scared them off. Everyone always just assumed she'd be with one of you two. Now it's clear that's not going to happen they finally see a chance."
The three of them stare at Neville. Had they really been that oblivious to the male population of Hogwarts? Neville made it sound like it was common knowledge.
Harry and Ron turn to stare at Hermione. To really look at her. Ron had thought she was pretty once he'd noticed she was a girl but never really gave much thought to how others would see her.
She shuffles in her seat under their stares.
Harry squints at her.
"When did you get so... um... well when did you become beautiful?" He asks awkwardly titling his head.
She shrugs blushing.
"I'm just me, Harry," she brushes off though secretly pleased.
Lunch ends as breakfast did. This time it's a Ravenclaw couple.
Everyone is quicker to exit this time around. They're getting used to making a quick exit from the Great Hall without anyone else touching. The trick is leaving both doors wide open.
Some of the DA members decide to go to a shaded courtyard for the afternoon. Harry, Ron, Neville and Hermione tag along.
They aren't the only ones there. A group of Slytherins, who were either in the same year as them or ex Quidditch team members are gathered on the opposite side.
The two groups stare at each other from across the courtyard. Hermione locks eyes with Malfoy. She feels a tug in her gut that makes her look away quickly.
She glances back up to find him talking urgently to Nott, Zabini gets involved gesturing wildly with his hands. Nott runs his hands through his hair, in that nervous habit way. Nott then throws his hands up and walks away from their group towards her.
She's shaking a little as she feels she knows what's coming.
Her boys go on the defensive.
"Hey Granger," Nott says as he approaches.
"Hey Nott, how have you been?" She asks politely. At one point, they'd been study buddies in the library. They'd had a sort of truce.
"Hot," he grins. She groans and rolls her eyes. Ron stiffens beside her.
"Oh ha ha. Very funny," she deadpans making him laugh.
"You know why I'm here," he says seriously looking slightly awkward.
She glances over his shoulder to see the other Slytherin's not looking but being very still. She knows they're watching.
"It's okay Nott," she smiles holding out her hand. Harry and Ron glare at him as he reaches for it.
Nott takes the offered hand and seems to sag in relief as nothing happens.
He brings the hand to his lips placing a kiss on her knuckles.
"We remain acquaintances," he smiles.
"Perhaps we could be friends?" She offers.
"I'd be honoured Hermione, but for now, I'd best return to my other friends," he says with a bow before turning back to his friends.
"I don't like him," Ron glares at his back, Harry nods in agreement.
"Nott is harmless," Hermione giggles.
"Hermione, harmless is not a word to describe any Slytherin," Harry tells her seriously.
"Oh Harry perhaps you better open your mind a little. You never know you might match with one of them," she teases.
"I'll match with Ginny," he states firmly.
"Uh huh. Just remember, no one gets to make a choice in this," Hermione reminds him. He scoffs.
"I have plenty of self control. I just have to not touch anyone until she arrives."
"Just because you aren't touching anyone, that doesn't mean people won't touch you. Girls were approaching you all morning. Any one of them could have been your match," she says causing the colour drain from Harry's face.
"I'm meant to be with Ginny," Harry says less confidently than before.
"Then you have nothing to fear," she smirks as he shuffles his feet, staring at the ground.
Neville sparks up a Quidditch conversation to change the subject. It takes Harry a few moments but soon he's joining in.
Hermione takes the opportunity to discreetly observe the Slytherin's. It's just a feeling, but her gut tells her that her match is the other side of the courtyard. She feels as though a cord is lightly tugging. Attempting to subtly get her attention. As she's watching, Malfoy's eyes meet hers again. He smirks at her before raising an eyebrow, the question clear on his face. What does she want? The cord inside her tugs but she says standing where she is, ripping her gaze from his. The heat in her belly makes her come to the last conclusion she wanted to face. She takes a deep breath and turns her back.
She never more relieved than when the decision is made to go inside. She tells no one of her suspicions as she walks in the opposite direction of where her body is yearning to go.
Dinner passes much as lunch had. Twenty-four hours of feeling the Burning leaves them just as uncomfortable but adjusted enough to eat. Most still avoid the hot food on the table.
Dinner also ends with a quick evacuation.
Hermione had had enough of being approached. She had had enough of the boys endless amusement. That was until they got back to the common room.
Romilda Vane was there waiting to pounce on Harry, desperate to match with him.
However, she messed up. Instead of touching Harry, she touched Ron.
The effect was explosive. Hermione wasn't sure if Ron even knew who it was he was kissing.
Romilda jumped up wrapping her legs around Ron's waist. He pulled them back out of the common room and into a nearby classroom. The last they saw of Ron was his pale, freckly arse as he dropped his trousers before the door slammed shut behind them.
A brand new sofa had replaced the burned one but the smell lingers. Harry and Neville sink into the new sofa. Their amusement has vanished.
Just like that Ron had left them.
"But he... he didn't even know her?" Harry stuttered with a furrowed brow.
"Apparently she's a good match," Hermione shrugs a little uneasy herself, thinking back to the courtyard.
That evening was a quiet night. No one else pushed to match with people. The amusement around the matching had vanished. Gaps in friendship groups were very visible. Friends, acquaintances and crushes had been effectively ruled out by now.
Hermione now understood how the matching could take weeks. As she looked around the room, she could see the novelty had already worn off.
"Do you think he'll say bye? You know before he leaves," Harry asks the group.
"No one else has," Neville points out.
"When we were in the courtyard," Parvati starts quietly, "did anyone else feel... feel like something was pulling them? Like you were meant to... go in a certain direction."
No one replies. Parvati looks at them and finds the answer on their faces.
Several of them at least, had been drawn to the Slytherin's in the courtyard.