A/N: As always, thanks to Bonnie for beta reading this and making it much better than it would have been had I simply been left to my own devices. Thanks as well to all those who have reviewed, followed, and favorited this story. I'm glad that people have been enjoying it. If you have questions or concerns about what's going on, feel free to include them in a review or a PM — I'll try to answer.
Recommendation: Who Will Fill a Coward's Grave? by robst. The Dursleys kick Harry to the curb before they even leave London after picking him up the summer following his fourth year. The Grangers take him in, leading to all sorts of problems for those who would prefer that Harry remain isolated. Harry/Hermione, of course.
Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, JK Rowling does. I don't own Wonder Woman, DC does.
Chapter 12 - Ace of Spades
Mid-November, 1996, Late Night.
Diana looked around the owlery and marveled at all the beautiful birds. She had known that the school hosted a number of owls, but it wasn't until discussing the security of incoming mail that she learned how many there were. Even so, the Headmaster's words paled in comparison to seeing it for herself.
"My friends," she called out, quickly silencing the raucous hooting and barking that had greeted her entrance. "I apologize for not having visited you sooner. My responsibilities are many, but that does not excuse my lapse in courtesy." The rush of low hoots suggested forgiveness, which was a relief. "Unfortunately, I have not come simply to greet you, but to ask a favor." Almost instantly, every owl stilled and turned its eyes to focus on her. Many flew down so they could be closer.
"The school is in danger," Diana explained. "An evil wizard wishes to take it over, harming the students and staff. I do not know when it will happen, or even if it will definitely happen, but I fear an attack will come — either against the school as a whole or my wife specifically."
Several sharp barks brought her attention to a white snowy owl, who just that day had returned from her trip to visit Themyscira. Diana held out her hand in invitation, and the graceful bird glided down to land on her arm. "Yes, Hedwig, Rose is in the most danger. What I would like is for you all to become my eyes and ears in the sky. I can patrol the corridors in the castle, and I can even walk around the outer walls, but I cannot see enemies approaching from the forest or from Hogsmeade. I cannot know what is happening several miles away. But you can." She looked up, allowing her gaze to meet the dozens and dozens of owls which were watching her with rapt attention. "Will you help me? Will you patrol the skies, day and night?"
The clamor that arose in response to her request was far louder than what had occurred when she'd arrived, and several owls flew immediately out the windows, including Hedwig. "Thank you," Diana said. "I cannot tell you how much I appreciate your help. If you see or hear something, you can come to me at any time. And if any of you need anything, tell me so I can help you."
Owls continued to hoot and bark for quite some time, and Diana got the distinct impression that they were negotiating duties and schedules with each other. Satisfied that nothing would approach the castle without her knowing about it, she turned to leave, but almost immediately stopped at the sight of a small, quivering figure in the deepest shadows.
Diana stared hard for a moment before kneeling down. "Dobby?"
The little elf staggered forward, his green eyes wide and bloodshot. "Owlsies will be helping protect Missey Rosie?"
Diana frowned, realizing that it had been a while since she'd seen him. "Yes, they will."
"Good." Dobby's eyes darted from side to side, and he began wringing his hands. "Good, good. Missey Rosie will be safer. Dobby couldn't get other elves to help, but owlsies will help. Sharp beaks and talons! Yes, we'll protect Missey Rosie, we will."
"Dobby?" Diana asked uncertainly, slowly holding out one hand. "What's wrong?"
He shook his head violently and started quivering even more. "Nothing! No, nothing be wrong! Dobby promises, he won't fall asleep again!"
"Again?" Diana asked, horrified.
Dobby stomped his feet and yanked on his ears. "Bad Dobby! Three days ago, Dobby nodded off, and then bad Dursley packages come!" He spun and ran into the stone wall, then began beating his head against it. "Bad Dobby! Bad! Bad!"
"No!" Diana leapt forward and grabbed the elf, turning him and forcing him to meet her gaze. "No, Dobby, you did nothing wrong!"
He blinked at her. "But... but if Dobby drinks enough coffee, Dobby not be needing to sleep!" He started nodding his head jerkily. "Yes, more coffee. Javajavavjavajava..."
Diana rolled her eyes. She knew exactly where he'd gotten that idea. "And why do you need to stay awake?"
"Too much to do! Too much, even for Dobby! Evil Snapie plotting, nasty snakie students stalking Missey Rosie. So many threats to stop, so many plotters to punish..."
Punish? "Dobby? What have you been doing?"
He pulled back and looked up at her with his huge, green eyes. "Dobby protects his family! Dobby has never had a real family before, and Dobby won't let anything happen to them!"
"You've been attacking the students, haven't you?" His only response was to quiver even harder, and Diana sighed. "Dobby, you can't do that."
"But Missey Rosie—"
"Rose hates being bullied," Diana interrupted, squeezing his shoulders slightly to make sure she had his attention, "and attacking others before they do anything means that you are bullying them. Do you think Rose would approve of that?" Dobby gasped, and Diana pressed on. "This isn't you, Dobby. Rose has told me about you, about how much you risked to help her. You don't need to hurt others to do it, though."
Tears pooled in his enormous eyes. "Bad Dobby! Bad!" He pulled up the hem of his... whatever he was wearing and loudly blew his nose into it. "Dobby is unworthy of being family to the great Missey Rosie and Missie Dinny!"
"No, Dobby, that's not true," Diana said, getting the elf's attention again. "Stopping attacks is good, but you've been going too far. You need to learn restraint. Just because you have the power to do something doesn't mean you always should."
Dobby sniffed loudly and nodded. "Yes, Dobby will do better, Dobby promises! Dobby won't disappoint his family!"
"You know what else would upset Rose?" Dobby looked as though he was waiting for a blow to fall. "She'd be upset to see you neglecting your health." He tried shaking his head again, but Diana pressed on. "You can't go without sleep. You look like you can barely stand, and if you keep going like this you won't be able to help anyone."
"What... what should Dobby do?" The little elf's voice had gone quiet, and Diana knew she was finally getting through to him.
"You need help, perhaps from one of the castle's elves."
Dobby sniffed again. "Hogwarts elves have never liked Dobby, say Dobby is a strange elf."
She resisted the temptation to agree. "Are there any elves who would help you?"
His eyes darted back and forth again, and at last he said, "Maybe... maybe Winky could help?"
"Winky?"
A pop signalled the arrival of another elf, this one with a red, bulbous nose and bleary eyes. "Someone called — hic — Winky?" She swayed back and forth and seemed to have trouble focusing.
"Dobby, is she...?"
Dobby nodded. "Winky is drinking up to three butterbeers a day now. Dobby try to take care of Winky, but Dobby have so little time. Winky won't last much longer."
"I'm surprised that Hogwarts elves are allowed to—"
Diana's comment was interrupted by a wail from the inebriated elf. "Winky not want to be Hogwarts elf! But Winky is a bad elf, so no family want Winky!" She sniffed loudly, then narrowed her eyes as she tried to focus on just one of the several Dianas she was surely seeing. "What does strange Miss want with Winky?"
Diana squeezed her eyes shut and whispered fervently, "Athena grant me wisdom." Looking at the elf again, she considered her situation, trying to decide what to do. She doubted that any of the original Castle Wardens needed to deal with elves addicted to either alcohol or caffeine.
Remembering some of what she'd learned about magical healing while Rose was in the hospital wing, she asked, "Dobby, do sleeping potions work on house elves like they do on witches and wizards? Is it safe for house elves?" Hesitantly, Dobby nodded. "Good," Diana said, then turned to Winky. "I'd like you to fetch me a vial of sleeping potion." The female elf looked dubious, but after a moment she nodded and popped away.
A few seconds later she returned, a vial in her hands. "Thank you, Winky," Diana said, accepting the sleeping potion and handing it to the still-quivering Dobby. "I want you to drink enough of this to ensure that you sleep for at least twenty-four hours. Longer would be better, if it's safe for you."
"But—"
"No, Dobby, I have to insist," Diana interrupted. "You've gone with little or no sleep for weeks, and that isn't safe. You need to take care of your own health right now, and trust Rose and me to take care of ourselves." Reluctantly, Dobby nodded, and took a small sip of the potion. Almost immediately, his eyelids began drooping, and in a few seconds he was fast asleep in her arms.
"Is that all Miss be needing from Winky?" The other elf's voice was somehow both sad and resentful, and Diana forced herself to start addressing the other half of her unexpected problem.
"No, not quite," Diana responded. "You said earlier you wanted a family, yes?"
Winky nodded. "But Winky is a bad elf, and no one—"
Diana held up a hand. "That's not true. Dobby seems to like you, and I trust his judgment." She paused and looked down again at the snoring elf. "Well, mostly," she added under her breath.
Looking back up, she continued, "Do you want a family like Dobby has?"
Winky's expression turned confused. "Winky not want to be free like Dobby. Winky wants to be bonded, like a proper elf!"
"Dobby is bonded," Diana said, "but as family, not as a slave. Rose and I refuse to have slaves, but we would welcome new family members."
Winky's confusion grew visibly worse as she tried to make sense of Diana's words. "Strange Miss not be lying to Winky? Dobby is bonded?"
"As family, yes."
"And strange Miss be wanting Winky, too?"
"If you can complete certain tasks for me," Diana said, hiding a smile.
Winky shuffled closer and examined Diana carefully. She was still bleary-eyed, but she wasn't swaying so much. "Strange Miss isn't a witch, Winky can tell, but strange Miss still has magic. Winky... Winky doesn't understand. How can Dobby be bonded to strange Miss?"
"Dobby is bonded to both me and my wife, Rose Potter. And you'll learn more about me if you bond to us as family as well. We have secrets that we don't want to get out."
Winky blinked several times before finally saying, "Winky is good at keeping secrets. What does Winky be needing to do?"
"Rose and I want our family to be healthy and safe," Diana said, gesturing to Dobby. "Unfortunately, Dobby has been going too far recently."
Winky shook her head. "Dobby is a crazy elf."
"Perhaps so, but his heart is in the right place. I want him to rest and get healthy, but I'm not sure I can trust him to do it on his own. That's where you come in."
"But what can Winky do?"
"I want him to get plenty of bed rest for at least a week, preferably two. He's to have absolutely no caffeine whatsoever." At Winky's puzzled frown, she clarified, "No coffee at all. And no tea either, for that matter. After that, I want him on light duty, and he's not to do anything for us unless we specifically call and ask for it. Nothing at all. Can you handle that?"
Winky nodded vigorously. "Yes, Winky can be telling Dobby what to do."
"Good. Next, you need to take care of yourself, too. While Dobby is resting and getting the caffeine out of his system, you need to stop drinking butterbeer. I want you sober and clean. Can you handle that, too?"
Winky hesitated, then said reluctantly, "Yes, strange Miss. Will Winky be bonded then?"
"Unless otherwise called for something, the two of you can come back to Rose and me at the start of December. Not before. Come to my rooms when we're alone. If you're both clean and healthy, I'll take you into our family like we did with Dobby."
"But Winky will be bonded, yes?" she asked insistently.
Diana sighed. "Yes, it will be a bond."
Winky finally seemed satisfied at that. "Good, Winky wants to be a proper elf." She looked down at Dobby again. "And Winky will make a proper elf out of Dobby, too. Whatever it takes."
"No, wait—" Diana's protest was made to thin air, because Winky had grabbed Dobby's ears and popped away with him before she could even get the first syllable out. She pinched the bridge of her nose and slowly shook her head. Of all the responsibilities she had expected to be taking on when she began her life with Rose, running a detox program for house elves was definitely not among them. "Are all elves like this, or do we simply attract the strange ones?"
It was late, nearing the end of her patrol, when she heard someone call out, "Diana, could I have a moment of your time?"
Turning, she was surprised to see Professor McGonagall standing outside her quarters, beckoning to her. "Of course," she said, following the older woman inside. "I'm surprised to see you up this late."
"Normally I'm not," the professor replied as she poured them both some tea at a small, intimate table set up near a window. "However, I've had quite a few extra duties to attend to over the past couple of days, including trying to comfort frightened students. I expect the other heads of house are in a similar situation."
"Students will probably be having nightmares for a while."
"Probably. But even if that weren't the case, I'd still have stayed up in order to talk to you."
"Me? What about?" Diana asked a she sipped her tea.
"Rose Potter. How is she doing?"
Diana set down her cup and took a deep breath. "It's difficult to say. What happened hit her pretty hard, but I'm not sure how much of that was the actual deaths of her relatives and how much was the way in which she learned of their fate. I've seen little of her since Friday night, but when I have, she hasn't shown much emotion. I think she's bottling it all up."
McGonagall frowned. "I've noticed that Rose has been distracted quite a bit in classes this term. She seems to be frequently tired as well."
"Yes, she has been," Diana agreed. "I've assumed that it's simply been her schedule. She's been pushing herself hard, exercising and training."
"But have you asked her? Have you talked to her about it?"
"No," Diana admitted. "It's been so difficult finding time to spend together, at least outside of our training sessions. More difficult than I had thought it would be."
"What have you been doing together?"
Diana blinked at the bluntness of the question, but there was no reason not to answer. "There are the training sessions, of course, at least three times a week. I help teach her DA classes. Every so often we spend one of her free periods together, sitting instead of working. She's tried to sneak into my room a couple of nights, but I always send her back as quickly as I can."
McGonagall pursed her lips for several long moments before setting down her own teacup. "I'm shocked that I'm about to say this, and if you tell anyone I'll deny it, but... perhaps you shouldn't send her back."
"Why?" Diana asked, disbelieving. "It's after curfew when she does it. She could get into trouble, and it would look bad if I were found to be facilitating it. And on top of that it's a security problem to have students wandering the corridors late at night!"
"That's all true, but she's been doing it for years," McGonagall pointed out.
"Even so, I'm supposed to be the adult here," Diana objected. "I can't very well encourage her to—"
McGonagall held up one hand to stop her. "And there's the problem, I think. You see yourself as 'The Adult.' You're not."
"What? Of course I'm—"
"You're of age," McGonagall interrupted, "and technically so is she now, despite being sixteen years old. And as you've mentioned more than once, you aren't all that much older than her. You're married. You're equals, or at least you're supposed to be. An adult/child relationship is necessarily one of unequal power. It's why as a professor, I can't be friends with the students — not until after they graduate, at least. In principle you should be in a similar situation with all the students since you're responsible for castle security, but you can't do that with her. You can't do that with your wife."
"I... I hadn't thought about it in that way."
"On top of that, the poor girl hasn't had the greatest experience with adults in her life," McGonagall continued. "I've contributed to that a few times myself, I'm afraid. So the more she sees you as an 'adult' rather than her friend and partner, the more negative her associations with you may become."
Diana slumped in her chair, surprised and disturbed at what she'd allowed to develop. She absently stroked her ring as she thought about all the different ways she'd been treating Rose like a student or a younger sister. "I've made such a huge mistake here. I see that I know even less about how to handle marriage than I'd realized. It's just... I've been trying so hard to live up to certain standards of maturity and responsibility."
"Which you should do with others, but not necessarily with Rose."
"How am I supposed to train her, though?" Diana asked after a moment. "Not only am I training her in how to wield a sword, I'm also trying to teach her how to responsibly wield power generally. The main reason why I left my home was to teach others about our ways, about our philosophy. I suppose I naturally adopted that approach with Rose as well. Given how much she has to learn, I'm not sure how I can do anything else!"
McGonagall's brow furrowed. "Those are good questions. There's a lot which Rose needs to learn, some of which you may be best suited to teach her. And you certainly shouldn't keep quiet about things which you know and she needs to learn. However, the role of a teacher is not that of a spouse." She paused to consider the problem. "Perhaps if you made the training more of an exchange between the two of you. Ensure that she teaches you things as well, then your relationship won't be reduced to that of teacher and student."
"I've thought about having her cast spells at me to help me learn how to defend against your brand of magic. We still don't know how resistant or susceptible I am to spells, curses, and things like that."
The older woman nodded. "That's a good starting point. She's already proven that she has an aptitude for teaching, so I'm sure you'll find other things you can learn from her. You may find that challenging, however, if you tend to assume that you're the one who should be teaching others." Diana raised a questioning eyebrow, so McGonagall elaborated. "No matter how old you are, you will always still have more to learn, and the youngest students can bring a fresh perspective to things you thought you knew well. Forgetting this can lead to arrogance, but keeping it firmly in mind will make you a better teacher in the long run and will help you correct your mistakes with Rose."
"Thank you," Diana said quietly. "I hope I'll still be able to fix things."
"You're still young, too," McGonagall pointed out. "Fortunately, it's early in your marriage. I'm sure no permanent damage has been done, so long as you start correcting the problems soon. It will be a challenge for you to fulfill all of your roles while living and working in the castle, but you did volunteer for the job."
"True," Diana agreed. "I did it to protect her and be close to her. It never occurred to me that the two would conflict as they have."
"I'll help where I can. I haven't always done as well by her as I should have, and I'd like to make it up to her."
"You don't object to our relationship? Our marriage?"
McGonagall sighed. "I've seen many things in my life that I find objectionable. Entire families wiped out in order to teach a lesson to others. Fathers forced to torture and kill their own children. Children forced to take sides in a war that they couldn't even begin to understand. I will not group your marriage with incidents like those. While I cannot say that I understand relationships such as yours, I'm not sure that it's my place to object. Ultimately it's Rose's life, and she needs to decide how she'll live it."
"Approach, Severus. Bellatrix here was getting worried that you might not come when I called." Sitting at Voldemort's right hand at the long Malfoy dining table, Bellatrix Lestrange sneered at the man she regularly claimed was spying for the other side.
"My apologies, my Lord, but I found it more difficult than usual to get away from the castle," Snape said as he bowed before taking a seat farther down the table. "The Headmaster has been working frantically all weekend to calm the students and improve school security."
Voldemort chuckled. "I take it, then, that my little Halloween gift had the desired effect. And how did Rose Potter react?"
"Frozen speechless with horror, my Lord," Snape reported with a slight smirk, not mentioning that he nearly was as well. As much as he'd once hated Petunia Evans, the sight of her bloody head on the Gryffindor table had brought back too many unwelcome memories of Lily. "She was reportedly ensconced in the Headmaster's office with that... woman for quite some time before she returned to her dorm. She missed all of her Friday classes as well."
This time Voldemort laughed, and the Death Eaters in attendance promptly followed suit. "Excellent, excellent. It's always nice to hear when one's gift is well received, especially after I went to so much work to ensure that it was properly prepared. Oh, and you, too, my dear Bella. You worked equally hard at preparing our gift for the Girl Who Lived."
"It was an honor and a pleasure, my Lord," Bellatrix replied.
"Yes, of course it was. You seemed to want to do little else for the past month. Now, Severus, since you raised the subject, what news do you have to tell us about that woman, Diana. It's been almost two months since your last report, so I expect you to have something for us."
"My Lord, I am more convinced than ever that she is not a witch. She might not even be a squib, though if that's the case I cannot explain how she was able to obtain a valid magical marriage certificate. The marriage was performed in America, however, and we have no idea how far standards have fallen there. I also don't know how she would have been able to enter Hogwarts, though I wouldn't put it past Potter to have done something."
"A muggle?" Voldemort asked. "Are you saying you think this woman might be a muggle? And she's in charge of security at Hogwarts?"
"Yes, my Lord, I think it possible. She frequently acts as though she doesn't even know the rudimentary basics of magic — things that any squib child would have learned before being turned out so she didn't pollute her magical family."
"Interesting, very interesting," Voldemort mused. "As much as people are outraged over her, I think the flames could be fanned even higher if they thought she was a muggle. We could use that, regardless of whether it's true; and it means that we'll have less to fear once we do move against Hogwarts. What else?"
"She has been assuming more and more responsibilities for castle security, my Lord, even over and above the minimum amount Dumbledore was originally willing to grant her. For example, she has begun regular patrols at night, catching numerous couples in broom cupboards."
"Why should we care about that?" Bellatrix demanded, but she subsided at a raised hand from Voldemort.
"Severus?'
"Because it is further alienating her from the rest of the student population. Few were willing to give her or her relationship with Potter a chance before, but a growing number now have a personal grudge against her, even though she's not doing anything that the staff don't normally do already. I predict that her standing with the students will continue to worsen."
"Excellent," Voldemort said with a chuckle. "It always makes things easier when one's enemies slit their own throats. Potter is nothing without the help of her friends, and now she's driving them all away better than even I could accomplish!" He paused for a few moments, then added softly, "Yes, her friends may be the key. If we cannot strike directly at her, we can at least strike at them..."
"My Lord?"
"You have something else to say, Severus?"
"I regret to report also that her patrols are making it harder for Draco to complete the task assigned to him. She's already caught him out of bounds once, and I fear that she will be watching for him in the future."
Voldemort sneered, as did Bellatrix. "Has he shared with you the nature of his task? Has he asked for your assistance, perhaps?"
"No, my Lord, he has not." Out of the corner of his eye, Snape saw Narcissa and Lucius both flinch. He suspected that Bellatrix had caught it as well, judging by her soft, malicious laughter.
"At least he's doing something right, then," Voldemort said, his eyes boring into Snape. "This task is his to complete and his alone. The interference of this... woman is merely one more obstacle he will have to overcome if he wishes to gain favor and status within our ranks. If she is in fact a squib or a muggle, then no matter how skilled she may be, as a wizard he shouldn't have any problems."
"Yes, my Lord."
"Nevertheless, there's no reason why I cannot use Draco for other ends — ends which might ultimately assist him," Voldemort continued thoughtfully as he caressed a broad, flat package that sat on the table in front of him. "I had him explain several possible approaches he might take to complete one of the two primary tasks I set for him, just to ensure that he knew what he was doing. It occurs to me that one of his proposed plans might prove useful to me in other ways." He paused, slowly tapping the package with one white finger before pushing it over to Snape. "I imagine that owl post will be more tightly controlled now, so you will have to deliver this to young Draco personally. Tell him to be sure he uses it by the last Saturday in November."
"My Lord?"
"Just an idea that you gave me. That's all you need to know."
"Yes, my Lord."
"In fact, if Draco is clever enough in how he uses this, it will even help him fulfill one of the tasks I set for him!" Voldemort declared. "If there's nothing else, Severus, you are dismissed. I know you have duties back at Hogwarts."
"Thank you, my Lord," Snape said, rising from his chair and bowing deeply before exiting the room, thinking furiously about what he was going to do.
Late November, 1996, Morning. Staff Quarters, Hogwarts.
A flat, one-foot-square package that had been leaning against the outside of her door fell into her room, startling Diana as she opened her door to leave. She looked up and down the corridor, but she neither saw anyone nor felt any presence nearby.
"What's this?" she asked aloud as she picked it up and hefted it, surprised at its weight.
She pulled away the cloth wrapping and found a leather folio. She hesitated, suspicious because of the lack of any note, then slowly opened the front flap, revealing an expensive-looking necklace that was dominated by a large, black jewel.
Diana frowned. Why would someone give me this? It isn't even pretty. Even so, it seemed to call to her in a strange way. Almost without intending to, she reached out to the black jewel to examine it more closely.
The instant her skin touched it, her entire body was suddenly wracked with blinding, unimaginable pain. She felt herself screaming for what seemed like an eternity before she finally blacked out.
Hermione winced at the loud creaking of the door as she entered the hospital wing. Not even the Headmaster had been able to improve on Professor McGonagall's initial repairs to the door, and they weren't sure whether a new one would be any better. She tried to close it again more carefully, but that seemed to make the noise even worse.
Fortunately, or perhaps unfortunately, neither of the two occupants of the hospital wing had noticed. She stopped for a moment to look at them. Diana, pale and gaunt, lay unconscious and unmoving on the same bed she'd occupied for the past three days. Rose, also pale and gaunt now, sat next to her, just as she had been doing ever since Diana had been admitted — ever since she'd almost collapsed in the common room, which had happened shortly before Diana was found. Rose had refused to leave for classes or meals, only coming back to Gryffindor tower when Madam Pomfrey expelled her each night.
Not that that had mattered, because she always returned under her cloak. When Hermione objected, Rose simply pointed out that she'd done the same thing in second year when Hermione herself had been here, petrified, and that had shut her up quickly.
"Any change?" she asked as she approached Diana's bed.
Rose shook her head. "Not only isn't she getting any better, but Madam Pomfrey thinks she might be a little worse. At least they know what's happening to her, since they have the necklace that cursed her; but because she isn't a witch like us it's harder to treat her. Madam Pomfrey even consulted with both Snape and Slughorn, but neither of them had any suggestions to offer. If there's no improvement by Monday, she's going to transfer Diana to St. Mungo's."
"I'm surprised that Diana touched the necklace at all."
Rose shrugged and absently rubbed her left wrist. Had she been injured there or something? "She doesn't completely understand our world yet. Even I might have touched it, and I at least know that objects like that can be cursed. She knows that she has a lot to learn, which is one reason why she's tried to be careful about revealing the full extent of her abilities. Even so, she's going to make mistakes."
"You're tutoring her in the basics about our magic now, right?"
"We do a little with every training session," Rose confirmed.
"Maybe I should help with that." Rose looked questioningly at her. "Well," she said almost apologetically, "I know more theory than you do. You can cast certain spells better than I do, especially in a crisis, but I've learned far more of them than you and I can explain them better."
Rose slowly nodded. "Yeah, that might help. I often find myself stumbling when trying to explain what sorts of spells she needs to watch for and how they work. The magic of her home is too different from ours."
"Speaking of which, thanks again for having Diana send for help for my parents. Their last letter said they're all actually getting along pretty well."
Rose nodded absently, but didn't say anything.
Hermione pulled up a second chair and sat quietly next to Rose for several minutes. She didn't bother asking how Rose felt. Every other time she'd asked, she gotten the same answer: not sadness or grief, but a vast emptiness. That more than anything made her worried about her best friend's state of mind. Looking at her now, seeing how terribly gray she looked, she realized that it was time to act. She'd promised Diana she'd look out for her, after all.
"They're getting the carriages ready for Hogsmeade," Hermione observed, putting a note of cheerfulness in her voice. When there was no reply, she added, "Want to come?"
"I'll stay here, thanks."
"You look like you could use something from Honeydukes."
Rose shrugged.
Hermione tried a different tack. "You could get some flowers for her bedside..." she said, almost wheedling.
Silence.
Clearly, this called for drastic action. Hermione studied her friend for a moment, then as casually as she could manage, she asked, "So, have you figured out what to get Diana as a Christmas gift?" She knew she was taking a risk here: either Rose would angrily point out that it hardly seemed likely her wife would live until Christmas, or...
Right on cue, Rose's eyes grew wide and a bit panicky. "Christmas gift?"
Relieved at finally getting a reaction, Hermione charged into the breach. "Well, of course — it's your first Christmas together. You have to get her something extra special!" When the poor girl continued to look like a deer caught in headlights, she laid a hand encouragingly on her arm. "It's alright — I'll help. We'll go together and take a look around Hogsmeade — see if anything sparks an idea."
Rose blinked as she registered what Hermione was saying, then she looked uncertainly back at her wife. Hermione rushed on. "Look, it's already the last Saturday in November — there's only one more trip to Hogsmeade before the hols. You should go while you can." Seeing the expression on her friend's face, she added softly, "I'm sure Diana wouldn't mind if you took a break."
For a moment, Hermione thought she'd refuse after all, but finally Rose gave way to the gentle tugging on her arm and allowed herself to be led out of the hospital wing.
"C'mon," Hermione said with a brightness she didn't quite feel. "It'll be fun."
