Chapter Ten: S.P.E.W.

Hermione hurried down the hallway toward Harry, Ginny, and Ron standing outside the portrait of the Fat Lady, the three of them covered with dirt. Hermione had arrived via the Floo Network herself only hours ago.

One Hermione reached them, she greeted Harry and Ginny and asked them how their holiday had been. Ron started to answer the question she hadn't even put to him, but she cut him off. "I have something for you," she told Harry before admitting the four of them into the common room using the new password, Abstinence.

A chorus of "Won-Won" was heard the minute they entered. As Ginny left to meet Dean and Ron was pulled forcibly away by Lavender, Hermione was left alone with Harry. He didn't even wait a minute before he began telling her about what he had overheard between Draco Malfoy and Professor Snape at Slughorn's Christmas Party before the Christmas holiday.

Hermione still didn't completely buy into Harry's theory that Snape was in on it, and they bickered quietly for a minute about it before ending the discussion, knowing they weren't going to see eye to eye on the matter.

Hermione gave Harry the note Dumbledore had instructed her to give him, and then she went to bed.

The next morning held an exciting surprise: Apparition Lessons. The first class was scheduled for that Saturday, so she signed up.

In between classes Hermione searched for Callum but never caught sight of him. She hadn't been able to find him the previous day either, and it wasn't until her last class of the day that she found him— or rather that he found her.

She was sitting at a table in the library reading the Ancient Runes book Callum had given her for Christmas when she saw someone walking toward her out of the corner of her eye. When she saw who it was, she jumped out of her seat and threw her arms around him, beaming. "Callum!"

After the initial shock of Hermione's enthusiastic greeting, Callum smiled and hugged her back.

Hermione ignored the glare Madam Pince shot her way and sat down across from Callum at the table. "Thank you so much for the Ancient Runes book. I can't tell you how excited I was when it arrived. I've been looking for it for over a year now! How did you find it?"

Callum smiled. "Well, I remembered you mentioning it a few weeks ago. I thought it sounded familiar but couldn't place where I had seen it. Then I remembered that my parents owned a copy that they hardly ever used, so...voila."

"Your parents didn't mind you taking it then?" Hermione asked.

"No, they don't mind... They're dead."

Hermione felt the sting of her words, and she knew all the color had drained from her face. Instinctively, and without a second thought, she reached out and put her hand on his. "Callum, I'm sorry. I... I had no idea."

"I know you didn't. You've nothing to apologize for."

Hermione flipped to the back cover of the Ancient Runes book. "And Leona Broadmoor?"

"My mother's maiden name. I didn't know that was in there. Here, I'll remove it." He whipped his wand out.

Hermione's hand shot to his wand and lowered his wand. "No, leave it."

"You're sure? It would only take a second—"

"I'm positive."

Callum smiled softly with something akin to admiration in his eyes.

Hermione smiled back and pulled her hand back to herself. As Callum stuffed his wand back beneath his robes, something occurred to Hermione. "Where did you go for the holidays then?"

"I stayed here."

"But you told me—"

"I didn't lie," he assured her, smiling, "My aunt lives in Falmouth. I visited her for a few hours on Christmas day and swung by my parent's old house on the way back to Hogwarts. It took me forever to find that Ancient Runes book."

Hermione frowned. "You should have told me. I would have stayed here." She could tell that this statement surprised Callum but perhaps delighted him more than it did surprise him.

"That would've been silly. You needed to spend Christmas with your parents, not kicking about an old castle."

Hermione decided not to push it. "Well, I got you something too," she happily informed him, pulling a package from her bag.

"You didn't have to get me anything," he smiled.

"No, but I wanted to. Here." She pushed the package across the table to him, and he gingerly took it and shed the wrappings.

"It's a Muggle book. You haven't read it have you?"

"No, I haven't."

"I thought not. I hope you like it. I mean— I like his poems— so I thought maybe you would too—"

"It looks great. I'm sure I'll love it. Thank you."

Hermione grinned. "Do you really like it?"

He grinned back at her. "I really do."

"Oh! I have something else for you. I almost forgot." Hermione pulled a round badge from her bag and handed it to him.

Society for the Promotion
S.P.E.W.
of Elvish Welfare

Callum grinned and pinned it onto the front of his robes. "I'm glad you didn't forget."