Chapter Eleven: Galbadia Garden; SeeD's New Objective

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or Final Fantasy VIII no matter how much I wish they were my works. Any additional characters added are mine.

oOoOo

Squall appeared from the tent, moving over to the logs and fire. He glanced at Hermione who looked away from him; she looked embarrassed, but he couldn't understand why. Maybe she feels bad for what she said? She shouldn't, she was right… Squall trailed off in his musings and put it to the back of his mind. 'We should probably leave, the day's getting on,' Squall said, crossing his arms and looking towards the exit from the forest that would take them on to Monterosa Plateau and Galbadia Garden beyond.

'Yeah, let's get everything packed up, and we'll head off,' Quistis said, standing up.

'I'll handle that,' Hermione said, pulling out her wand. She started to cast a spell to pack the camp up but stopped when she noticed her companions flinch. 'Or… we could do it the old-fashioned way,' she muttered, putting her wand away and moving over to the tents.

No one said anything as they watched Hermione pulling the pins out of the tent she shared with Quistis and Selphie, but they all looked at each other almost guiltily. Squall sighed and made the first move to help her by starting to pull the other tent down, and soon the others followed.

Once everything was packed up and stored safely in their respective bags, Hermione watched as they headed towards the dirt path. She lowered her head, and her shoulders slumped. Squall turned back when he realised she wasn't following and looked at her. 'Hermione?' he called to her, making the others stop and turn towards her.

'I…' Hermione stopped, shaking her head. She didn't realise telling them the truth would be so hard. 'I have a confession,' Hermione whispered, looking down at the ground. Hermione closed her eyes as she heard the shuffling of footsteps coming back over to her.

Hermione felt a gloved hand under her chin, and she looked up to find stony blue eyes looking back at her. 'What is it?' Squall asked, his expression betraying no emotions.

For a moment, Hermione forgot what she wanted to say as she stared into Squall's eyes. She shook herself mentally, no I need to tell them, she thought, taking a deep breath and looking away from Squall. 'I'm not from here,' Hermione whispered, and then kicked herself for being so vague.

'Well that much is obvious,' Zell piped up, shaking his head.

'No, what I mean is…' Hermione trailed off and looked at a spot over Squall's shoulder. 'I'm… n-not from your w-world,' she stuttered, closing her eyes and awaited the questions they would bombard her with.

Nothing.

Hermione looked up slowly and looked at them all in turn. Quistis was breathing quickly, and her face had gone pale; Selphie was frowning, her head tilted to the side like she was still trying to process the information, and Zell had a similar expression though he just looked confused. Hermione moved her eyes to Squall and tears came to her eyes at his blank, stoic expression. She shook her head, letting the tears fall.

'So, what does that mean?' Selphie finally asked after several minutes of stony silence.

Hermione looked over at her, reaching up to wipe her tears away. 'I… my friends and I found a room in the school I go to. I was taken and brought here,' Hermione answered, feeling very small. She looked around at their blank faces, they don't believe me, she thought, her shoulders sagging.

They will give them some time to process everything. It's quite the revelation, Griever said with a sigh.

Hermione nodded internally and looked back at them. 'I'm sorry, I understand if you want me to leave. It's a lot to take in and I know it sounds completely unbelievable, but it's the truth. I never asked for this, or to put anyone else through it. I told Cid everything, but I didn't expect him to send me away on this journey. I-' Hermione was cut off in her ramblings.

'Cid knows?' Squall asked, crossing his arms and frowning at her.

'Yes, and he was the one who suggested I come with you so I can complete my mission and go home. I was hoping to find out more about my mission and how to get home on the way,' Hermione answered, shaking her head.

'Then come with us,' Quistis said, making everyone look at her. 'Cid gave you all a mission to protect Hermione. He must have had a good reason,' she reasoned, and they all nodded, except Squall who stared at Hermione suspiciously.

'Yeah, the Headmaster wouldn't have told us to do it if he didn't believe her! Maybe we ought to just accept it for now. We can always ask him about it once we return to Garden,' Selphie said, smiling at Hermione and winking.

Hermione smiled back at her, glad to know at least two of them were willing to stand with her. 'Thank you,' she whispered, more tears filling her eyes.

Squall and Zell still didn't seem convinced, and Hermione sighed knowing she couldn't expect them just to believe her. Hell, she was surprised Quistis said anything at all, and Selphie was Selphie and accepted pretty much anything.

'I'll discuss this with the Headmaster when we get back to Garden,' Squall finally said, before turning on his heel and walking away down the dirt path.

The others watched him go for a moment before following, though they all glanced at Hermione blankly first. Hermione took a deep breath and tried to control her shaking hands. She guessed she would still have to follow them and accept they would be awkward around her for the moment.

Though Hermione was expecting a barrage of questions, none of them asked anything. If she had learned this about someone, she would be curious and want to ask questions, but none of them seemed interested at all. Maybe it was the shock. Hermione would explain anything they wanted if they asked, but decided for now that they were still processing it.

Hermione looked up from her thoughts, watching Quistis disappear around a bend in the dirt path ahead and headed after them. She caught up to them on the edge of the forest and looked at the vast desert valley: Monterosa Plateau. There was nothing here either, just a long stretch of empty plains. In the distance, she could just make out a structure and assumed this was Galbadia Garden.

'We're almost there!' Zell exclaimed, pointing in the distance and confirming Hermione's assumption.

'Be on your guard,' Squall said, reaching up and grasping the handle of his Gunblade. 'Monsters lurk in these plains,' he explained, his eyes darting across the expanse to pre-empt any attacks as they crossed.

They all nodded and followed him across the plateau. For a while, they came across nothing, no monsters or any people at all. As they drew closer, Squall suddenly held his arm out effectively stopping them. Hermione frowned and looked around him, only to see a bizarre creature floating in front of them. 'What is it?' Hermione asked him, pulling her wand out.

'A Blood Soul, nasty little bastards. Get ready, it's more formidable than it looks,' Quistis answered, taking out her whip.

Selphie and Squall got their weapons ready, while Zell cracked his knuckles and stretched his arms. Without warning, the Blood Soul moved, and it was in front of them. Hermione dodged it as it sped towards her, and Zell grabbed it, punching it a few times before it got away. It then felt the sting of Quistis's whip, and Squall swung at it with his Gunblade.

It was still alive, and it looked angry. It let out a high-pitched screech making them cover their ears. It was enough time for it to move in again and headed straight towards her. 'Protego!' Hermione shouted, and a protective bubble appeared around Selphie. The Blood Soul bounced off it, dragging its razor-sharp teeth down the side. Hermione pointed her wand at it. 'Incendio!' she shouted and fire burst from her wand, setting the ugly monster on fire. It screeched in agony before falling to the ground, dead.

Hermione turned to the others. 'Everyone okay?' she asked, and then gulped at the looks they were giving her.

'Yeah, we're fine,' Squall answered, sheathing his Gunblade and crossing his arms.

Hermione sighed and pointed her wand at Selphie. 'Finite Incantatem,' she whispered, tears coming to her eyes as the protective bubble lifted. Without another word, Hermione turned and continued heading towards the large structure in the distance, knowing they would catch up to her.

Selphie watched her go, feeling sad for the girl. The young girl had already realised Hermione wasn't out to hurt them, she just wanted to help. 'I think we need to trust her more. So, she's a Sorceress, who cares. I genuinely think she's not a danger to us,' Selphie piped up, making everyone look at her.

'Maybe,' Squall muttered, turning to look at Hermione who was quite a bit ahead of them now.

'Come on, let's catch up to her and do our job,' Zell said, and the others nodded. They all fell into a jog and quickly caught up to Hermione.

Hermione didn't look at any of them, but she did notice some of the tension seemed to have eased which made her feel slightly better. Hermione just hoped there was a library at Galbadia Garden, so she could disappear and lose herself in her beloved books. She needed a break from all the judgement she was getting.

Hermione missed home. At least people weren't afraid of her there, and she was accepted by others like her, even by some Muggles. This place was just so different, and she wasn't even sure if anyone uses magic except Sorceresses and there didn't seem to be any men who could wield magic. It was just so different, and Hermione was getting a little fed up with being judged as some heretic when she had no intention of hurting anyone if she could help it.

oOoOo

It wasn't long before they reached Galbadia Garden, and Hermione immediately saw how different this one was compared to Balamb Garden. As they entered the long path leading to the reception area, the companions looked around at all the cadets flying around the Garden in single flying machines.

As they reached the reception, a girl stopped them. 'Which academy are you from? You sure don't look like students from Galbadia Garden,' she said, eyeing them curiously.

'We're from Balamb Garden. We need to see the Headmaster here,' Quistis explained, taking charge of the conversation.

'Oh, well I think he's in a meeting, but I'm sure reception will let you know if he's free,' she said, flicking her hair behind her shoulder and walking away.

The group moved towards the barriers leading into the Garden proper. 'Wow... Completely different...' Selphie stated in awe as she looked around the vast hall.

'Sure is quiet,' Zell muttered, crossing his arms.

'I like it,' Squall stated, making Hermione look at him with a small smile. He looked away from her and crossed his arms causing the smile drop from her face, and she sighed.

'It's totally different from Trabia Garden as well,' Selphie said, tilting her head.

Quistis headed over to the reception desk and after a few moments of hushed conversation and signing paperwork, she came back over to them. 'Could you leave this one up to me?' Quistis asked, turning to look at Squall. 'I've been here several times, and I know the Headmaster pretty well,' she explained with a shrug.

Squall nodded. 'Okay, we'll leave it to you,' he said and watched as Quistis went through the barriers.

Quistis turned back to them. 'I'll go and explain our situation,' she said in parting before heading off into the Garden to meet with the Headmaster.

'I wonder if there's a library here,' Hermione said, looking around for any signs which may point to one.

Squall turned to her. 'Maybe, but we may not have a chance to explore. We're here for a reason, not to look around,' he said, walking away through the barriers.

'What's his problem?' Hermione muttered, feeling put out.

'It's Squall, I wouldn't take him too seriously, Hermione,' Selphie said, placing a comforting hand on Hermione's shoulder.

The three companions looked around as a voice projected from the speaker on the wall. 'Attention, SeeD party from Balamb Garden: Please wait in the second-floor Reception Room.'

'Come on, we better do as requested,' Zell said, leading them through the barriers.

Hermione followed the others at a more sedated pace. She was still upset at how Squall was treating her now after her revelation to them. Hermione didn't understand why it even fazed him. Squall didn't seem the type to care about anything. Hermione looked up at him from where he had taken the lead. Squall had his hands stuffed in his pockets, and his head was down. He looked deep in thought, and Hermione suddenly yearned to know what he was thinking. Did he hate her now? Did he ever even like her?

Don't worry about Squall, he'll come around. This is just the way he is, Griever said in her mind, his tone reassuring.

How do you know him so well? Hermione asked him, wondering how Griever could know Squall and his companions at all.

I know a lot of things, was the answer, and Hermione sighed. She should have expected Griever wouldn't indulge information.

The companions headed up some stairs to the second floor and looked around. Squall pointed to the sign which said "Second Floor Reception Waiting Room" and they headed over to the guard standing outside. 'Hello, we're the students who have arrived from Balamb Garden,' Squall said in greeting, nodding his head to the guard.

'This is the reception room. Please wait here until you hear from the master,' the guard said, opening the door for them and standing aside to let them enter.

They entered the room and made themselves comfortable. Zell took a seat on one of the couches and Selphie sat next to him. Squall stood against the wall near the door, and crossed his arms, looking at the floor like it was the most exciting thing in the world. Hermione sighed and went to the window, looking out at the vast training grounds for the students of this Garden.

Hermione realised they didn't quite believe her story, at least she knew Squall didn't. If Harry and Ron had been here, at least she would have had them to back her, but then she probably wouldn't have needed Squall and the others. Hermione realised she probably would never have even met them. This thought saddened her, but she wondered if it would have been for the best. Hermione felt like an outsider, an unwanted guest in their party. She reached up and flicked away the tear threatening to fall from her eye.

Over at the other side of the room, Squall watched the array of emotions that flitted across Hermione's face as she stared out the window. He watched her flick away the tears and realised he may have been a bit harsh on her. It didn't matter where Hermione was from, what mattered was his mission to protect her. Squall closed his eyes, and his traitorous mind accepted the wish that he was the one wiping her tears away…

The silence was thick, and Selphie let out a sigh as she stood and moved towards one of the windows next to Hermione. 'I wonder if they have a Garden Festival here, too?' she said out loud, looking down at the grounds.

'Doubtful,' Zell said, shaking his head as Selphie and Hermione turned to look at him. 'It just doesn't seem like their thing. They would more likely have a Military Parade than a Garden Festival,' he elucidated, and the girls nodded.

'Yeah, you're probably right. They all seem so serious,' Selphie said, turning back to the window.

'So, did Quistis attend this Garden?' Hermione asked the others, but all she received were shrugs.

'She may have come here for some classes, but that would have been it,' Squall answered, glancing over at her before looking back at the wall.

'Huh…' Hermione muttered, turning back to the window.

Zell stood and paced the floor in front of the couch. 'How long are they gonna make us wait?' he muttered, punching his palm and cracking his knuckles.

oOoOo

It was some time before Quistis came back, and she looked quite upset. Everyone stood up and went over to her. 'How'd it go?' Squall asked her, taking in her frazzled state.

Quistis sighed. 'They understood our situation,' she confirmed making them all breathe a sigh of relief. Quistis turned to Zell. 'And Balamb Garden is safe,' she told him, and he nodded, sitting down with his head in his hands. Hermione smiled at him knowing this information would ease his mind.

'So, what happened? What did they say about it?' Hermione asked her, sitting down and rubbing Zell's back as he seemed like he was holding back tears of relief.

Quistis turned to her. 'The attack on the president in Timber was classified as an independent action. There was an official notice from the Galbadian government saying that Balamb Garden is not being held responsible,' she explained to them, shaking her head and crossing her arms, her eyes downcast.

Zell looked up at her. 'So, Seifer's taking all the blame?' he asked her with a frown.

Quistis closed her eyes. 'The trial's over, and the sentence has been carried out...' she cut herself off, breathing deeply as tears entered her eyes.

'He was executed?' Hermione asked, sitting back on the couch with a frown. 'Isn't that a little over the top? I mean, I know he attacked the President, but he was just a teenager…' Hermione trailed off, shaking her head. Seifer was the same age as they were… and now he was dead? Just like that, a young life was gone. What if it had been Ron or Harry? Hell, even Malfoy? Hermione felt tears come to her eyes at the thought… she didn't have any love for Seifer, but she would never wish death on him. 'Do you think he was executed for helping Rinoa?' Hermione asked them, wiping tears away from her eyes, and noticed Squall looking at her in confusion, but she ignored him.

'It seems that way. Rinoa's Resistance Group is what got Seifer involved in this. I'm sure Seifer was prepared for the consequences of helping them. I don't think he did it for them entirely though,' Quistis said, shaking her head and sitting down. 'I met Rinoa a few times, and she seemed nice. Always telling Seifer not to get involved because she didn't want him to get hurt. She'll be devastated when she finds out,' Quistis added, sighing sadly.

'You knew her before all this?' Hermione asked, leaning forward in her seat.

'I met her a couple of times when she came to visit Seifer. They had been dating since last summer. She always seemed very nice,' Quistis replied, looking at her with a frown.

'Fair enough,' Hermione answered, leaning back again with a frown.

'You really hated Seifer, didn't you, Zell!?' Selphie said, tilting her head at Zell.

Zell nodded but sighed. 'Yeah, but... He was from Garden...He was one of us,' he answered, shaking his head. 'If I can, I wanna get revenge,' he muttered, punching his palm.

'Kinda sad...' Selphie said, leaning her head against the window.

'I didn't like the guy, but executed?' Zell muttered, crossing his arms. 'That... bastard…' he whispered, shaking his head.

Quistis nodded. 'I don't have any good memories of him. I've seen some troubled children, but he was beyond troubled. Well, he wasn't really a bad guy,' she said, sighing as more tears came to her eyes. 'Seifer... Never to be a SeeD,' Quistis whispered, rubbing the tears from her eyes.

Squall looked at them all in confusion as he listened to them talk about Seifer. He shook his head and moved to the window, staring down at the grounds. He wasn't really a bad guy… he was one of us? Seifer… you've become just a memory, he thought, shaking his head. So, this is what death is all about? They hate the guy to his face and behind his back while he's alive, but as soon as he dies he's "one of us"? Squall clenched his fists, not understanding what was making him feel so angry. He turned around, looking around at everyone and their sombre expressions. Squall's eyes stopped on Hermione, and the anger he felt seemed to intensify by two-fold. Why does she even care? She's not "one of us", and she didn't know him. Squall clenched his teeth, trying to calm down.

'If only Seifer had never met Rinoa, maybe he'd still be here,' Hermione muttered, crossing her arms.

'Why? Is there something important I'm missing?' Quistis asked, looking between Hermione and Squall.

Hermione looked up at Squall who didn't seem to be bothered by the current conversation. If anything, he looked like he was having some sort of internal struggle.

Hermione frowned and turned back to Quistis. 'No, I don't think so, but Zone and Watts, her companions in the Resistance, said Rinoa changed a few weeks ago. Like she became a completely different person overnight. Rinoa even tried to murder me…' Hermione trailed off, looking away and she thought about it. The wounds had still not healed properly. Thankfully she'd managed to hide them with a spell.

'What!? When was this? Why was I not told?' Quistis asked, standing up in shock.

'It's not important,' Squall said, making everyone turn towards him.

Hermione felt tears sting her eyes again as she looked at Squall in shock at what he just said. So her life was not important to him or his mission to protect her. If she died, he wouldn't care. Hermione felt the tears fall and stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind her.

'How could you!?' Quistis shouted at him, walking over and jabbing him in the chest. 'You are truly heartless, Squall Leonhart!' she added, frowning up at him angrily. Quistis turned on her heel and left the room, intending on finding Hermione.

'Seriously,' Selphie said, shaking her head and following.

'What the hell just happened?' Zell asked, but Squall ignored him and left the room. Zell shook his head, trying to understand what that was all about before following.

oOoOo

Squall turned into the restroom next to the reception room they had waited in. He went to the sink and ran the tap, letting the water flow into his hands and splashed it on his face. Squall looked up at the mirror and hated himself. 'What the fuck is wrong with me?' he asked his reflection, not expecting an answer.

Squall grasped the sides of the sink until his knuckles turned white, before reaching back and punching the mirror, making it smash into pieces. He looked at his hand which was shredded from the broken glass, and picked out a few of the more visible bits of glass, wincing from the pain.

Squall shook his head and grabbed some loo roll, wrapping his hand in it before leaving the restroom. He looked around, intending on finding Hermione and maybe fixing some of the damage he had caused. Squall knew Hermione would be pissed at him, and may not even want to see him.

Squall walked down the corridor, following the signs for the library, expecting he would find her there as she wanted to check it out before they left. He kicked himself internally, knowing he really had stepped over the line with her. Squall knew Hermione would probably never forgive him for seeming so uncaring where her life was concerned, but in truth, he cared more than he would even admit to himself. Squall was unaccustomed to the feeling, and it was terrifying him. So, he lashed out and hurt those around him. It was what he had always done. Squall never wanted to get close to anyone, yet found himself drawn to Hermione in a way he hadn't experienced before.

Squall shook his head, deciding he would just find her, apologise, and move on. It was all he could do.

Squall sped up his pace, ending up in the large hall. He was just about to turn down towards the left hallway, following the sign for the library, when a voice called him. 'Yo! Squall!'

Squall turned to find Raijin and Fujin running towards him. 'What are you doing here?' he asked them, frowning as they came to a stop in front of him.

Raijin caught his breath. 'What am I doin'? I'm a messenger, ya know? Brought you a new order from Headmaster Cid, ya know?' he said, placing his hands on his hips and nodding.

'What kind of order?' Squall asked them, crossing his arms. What the hell? We only came here to get help with returning to Balamb Garden.

Raijin shrugged. 'I dunno,' he answered, shaking his head. 'Gave it to the head honcho here. Just did what Headmaster Cid wanted, ya know?' he explained, pointing to where they came from.

'EXPLAIN,' Fujin said in her robotic voice which gave Squall the creeps.

'We were suppose'ta go to Timber. But the trains have stopped, so we had no other choice but to come here. Kinda relieved to see you guys here,' Raijin explained, scratching his head.

Fujin looked around for a moment, before turning back to Squall. 'SEIFER?' she asked, tilting her head.

'Oh yeah! Wasn't Seifer with you?' Raijin asked, elaborating on Fujin's meaning.

Squall sighed, shaking his head. 'I believe Seifer may be dead…' he trailed off, crossing his arms. Fujin and Raijin shook their heads as Squall continued, 'I heard he was tried in Galbadia and then executed...' he told them, looking away to the ground.

'LIES!' Fujin barked, shaking her head.

Raijin burst out laughing then. 'That's gotta be a lie, ya know!? There's no way he'd put up with a trial, ya know!? Or an execution for that matter! It's just so not Seifer, ya know!?' Raijin replied, grinning and shaking his head.

'FIND!' Fujin said as an order to Raijin.

Raijin turned to her in surprise. 'O'What! We're gonna meet up with Seifer?' he asked her, before turning back to Squall. 'Well, see ya, Squall. We're gonna head off to Galbadia to look for Seifer,' he confirmed, and the two of them ran off towards the exit.

Squall shook his head before heading towards the hallway again to look for Hermione, but an announcement from the speaker stopped him. 'Attention, SeeD party from Balamb Garden: Please assemble in front of the gate,' it said.

Squall sighed. Of course, he thought in irritation before turning and heading for the barriers.

Quistis was standing there with her arms crossed. When he approached her, she narrowed her eyes at him. 'Okay, it's time to meet. Let's go,' she muttered, turning away from him.

'Quistis?' Squall called to her, making her stop and look at him. 'Where's Hermione?' he asked her, looking away for a moment.

Quistis sighed and turned back to him. 'She'll be at the front gate for the meeting. What you said really hurt her though. I know she's not one of us, but what you said was awful,' Quistis said, shaking her head.

Squall nodded. 'I know…' he trailed off, stuffing his hands in his pockets. 'I just want to apologise to her,' he muttered, looking down at his boots.

Quistis nodded. 'You should,' she agreed, turning and walking away from him.

Squall looked up, watching her go before sighing and following. By the time he caught up to them, they all seemed pretty restless. Zell was throwing feign punches; Selphie was crouching down playing with a stone; Quistis was pacing; and Hermione was leaning against the wall, looking at the ground.

Squall took a deep breath and moved over to Hermione. She watched him warily but made no comment. 'I'm…' Squall trailed off, shaking his head. 'I'm really sorry for what I said. I don't even know why I said it…' he trailed off again, closing his eyes.

Hermione nodded, looking away from him. She was still hurt and angry at the comment he made. 'I know this has been hard on all of you,' she whispered, making him look at her. 'I never asked for this or to be hunted,' Hermione said, turning to look back at him, tears burning her eyes again. 'I just want this to be over, and I want to go home,' she told him, reaching up and wiping the tears away before crossing her arms.

Squall nodded. 'I know,' he muttered, leaning against the wall next to her. Squall looked at her and fought off the urge to rub her back comfortingly. He was probably the last person she needed that from.

Hermione looked at Squall and noticed the tissue wrapped around his hand. Without thinking she grabbed his hand before he could stop her and unwrapped the tissue. Hermione looked at the cuts, seeing some glass. 'What happened?' she asked him, pulling out her wand.

'I… punched a mirror?' Squall answered, looking away from her.

Hermione raised her eyebrows at him, shaking her head and lowering her wand. She lowered the tip of her wand to his hand. 'Evenesco,' she whispered, making the glass disappear from his hand. 'Episkey,' she said, and the cuts healed.

Squall looked at his hand. 'Thank you,' he whispered, his eyes roaming over her face like he was searching for something.

Hermione blushed and turned away from him. 'You're welcome,' she muttered, looking at the ground.

'How much longer?' Selphie complained, standing up and sighing heavily. This snapped Squall back to attention, and he turned away from Hermione, realising he had been staring at her the whole time.

Quistis shrugged. 'The master should be coming with the orders soon,' she told her, placing a hand on her hip.

'Do you think that's him?' Hermione asked, pointing to the car speeding towards them.

'Probably,' Squall said, crossing his arms.

'Should I stand with you guys?' Hermione asked, standing next to Squall as they lined up ready to greet the Headmaster.

Squall shrugged. 'He probably knows you're a client we're working for, but if it makes you feel more comfortable then feel free to,' he answered, focusing on the car as it came to a stop in front of them. Hermione frowned for a moment, before moving just behind Squall to show she wasn't a SeeD.

The Headmaster exited the car, and the four saluted him as he stepped towards them. The Headmaster looked at Hermione for a moment with raised eyebrows but didn't comment as he looked at the rest of them. 'Good day, my name is Martine, and I am the Headmaster of Galbadia Garden,' he greeted, nodding his head to the four SeeD's. 'I have official orders from Headmaster Cid addressed to you,' he explained, gesturing for his assistant to come over to him. 'Following regulations, I have gone over these orders. After careful consideration of our options, we have decided to fully assist and cooperate with Headmaster Cid. Actually, we too, have been planning for this quite some time now,' Martine said vaguely, taking the paperwork from his assistant. 'In order to stress the importance of this mission, I must first brief you on the current situation,' he said, looking at them, and then his eyes moved to Hermione who was still standing behind Squall.

Squall felt Hermione shift behind him nervously, and he looked at Martine with a questioning glance. Squall made a movement with his hand to Hermione to indicate he was aware of the looks she was getting, and Hermione took a deep breath.

'At ease,' Martine said, and the four SeeD's relaxed their stance. 'Before I continue, may I ask why a young lady is standing behind you?' he asked Squall, crossing his arms.

Squall nodded and saluted him. 'Yes, sir,' he said, bowing his head respectfully. 'She is not a member of SeeD and so did not think she should be required to greet you in the same manner. She is a client of ours who we are working for under instruction from Headmaster Cid,' Squall explained, bowing his head once more before going back to easing his stance.

'I see,' Martine said, nodding his head. 'Very well, I do not believe she should be privy to this information,' he said, looking at Hermione pointedly.

Squall turned and nodded to her, and Hermione frowned but walked away somewhat so she wouldn't hear the conversation. Hermione could understand; she was not a member of SeeD, but she still felt left out.

'My apologies, but what I am about to provide you with is confidential information exclusive only to you,' Martine said, and they all bowed their heads in acknowledgement. 'You all know about the Sorceress being appointed as the peace ambassador for the Galbadian government. However, this ambassador thing is just a cover-up. There will be no peace talks, only threats. The Sorceress creates fear among people. Therefore, peace talks are impossible. Galbadia is planning to use this fear to negotiate favourable conditions for itself. It is clear that Galbadia's ultimate goal is world domination,' he told them, pacing in front of them. 'Garden is no exception, either. It is a fact that the Sorceress is planning to use this Garden as her base,' he informed them, and they looked back in surprise at this information. 'We have very few options available to us. We entrust world peace, and the future to you,' Martine finished, and they all saluted him. Martine moved forward and handed the orders to Squall. 'Details of the mission are enclosed in these official orders,' he explained, moving away from them. Martine watched Squall scan the papers for a moment. 'Any questions?' he asked them once Squall had closed the paperwork back up.

'The orders say by means of a "sniper". We have no one with that skill,' Squall told him, glancing back down at the paperwork.

Martine nodded. 'Don't worry about it,' he said, making Squall frown. 'Let me introduce an elite sharpshooter from Galbadia Garden,' he added before turning towards the grassy area next to where they were standing. 'Kinneas! Irvine Kinneas!' Martine shouted, shaking his head at the young man.

They all turned to see a young man lying in the grass with a butterfly sitting on his outstretched finger. They hadn't even noticed him lying there the whole time they had been getting briefed and realised he would have heard the entire thing. Irvine was wearing a long, tan, brown coat, dark brown trousers, and a matching Fedora hat. He moved his hand quickly as if he were firing a pistol, making the butterfly flutter rapidly away. Irvine stood up, adjusting his hat, and turned around to face them with a grin on his face. He held a rifle to his shoulder and stuffed his hand into his pocket as he moved over to them and paced in front of them.

Martine rolled his eyes. 'This is Irvine Kinneas. He will be your sharpshooter,' he said, crossing his arms. 'Leave whenever you're ready. Failure is not an option,' he added, moving towards his car and disappearing into it.

Irvine pointed towards the car, pretending his hand was a gun, aimed, and fired at Martine. 'BANG!' he shouted, before turning towards the group as Hermione made her way back over to them. 'Looks like I'm with you rubes from Balamb,' Irvine laughed, shaking his head. 'Greetings,' he added, stuffing his hands in his pockets again.

Zell clenched his jaw, and punched his palm, cracking his knuckles. A sure sign he was angry. Squall shook his head at the martial artist. Zell... why do you always have to overreact to everything?

Irvine raised his eyebrows at Zell before turning to Squall. 'You cool with me helping you?' he asked, shrugging as if it didn't actually bother him either way.

Squall crossed his arms. 'That depends on your attitude,' he answered, glancing at Zell who still looked like he was going to pummel Irvine.

Irvine chuckled. 'I say things that get a rise out of some people. Just don't let it bother you and we'll get along fine,' he explained, grinning at Zell who growled under his breath.

Squall reached up and pinched the bridge of his nose. I shouldn't put him together with Zell... he thought to himself, shaking his head. Squall looked back at Irvine. 'I'll remember that,' he said, nodding to him.

'So, what's our next mission?' Selphie asked, turning to Squall.

Hermione had walked back over to them, and looked at them awkwardly. 'Should I hear this?' she asked, crossing her arms.

Squall shrugged. 'You're bound to find out anyway, and this may help you,' he answered, making Hermione look at him questioningly. Squall looked down at the paperwork again and sighed before looking at each of them in turn. 'Our next mission…' he trailed off for a moment as he considered the mission. Squall wasn't even sure if it was a real order from Headmaster Cid, but he couldn't get back to Balamb Garden to ask him at this point. 'This is no ordinary mission. It's a direct order from both Balamb and Galbadia Garden. We're to…' he paused for a moment, and closed his eyes before continuing, '...assassinate the sorceress,' he finished, shaking his head as the others looked at him in shock.

'What?' Hermione asked, moving to stand next to him so she could look at the order. Without saying anything, Squall handed her the order, and she scanned through it, her face turning pale with every word she read.

'We're to shoot her from afar. Kinneas will be our sharpshooter. We're to support Kinneas to our fullest. Should the sniper fail, we are to attack head-on,' Squall said, crossing his arms.

Irvine scoffed. 'Thanks for the support, but I never miss my target,' he said with confidence, making Squall raise his eyebrows at him.

Squall turned to the rest of them, his eyes focusing on Hermione a little longer as he took in her expression. He couldn't tell how she was feeling, her expression was stoic and gave nothing away. 'Eliminate the sorceress. That's our order,' Squall confirmed, looking away from Hermione to the rest of the group. 'We're going to head to the capital of Galbadia, Deling City. There, we'll meet up with General Caraway to go over the details for the plan,' he finished, receiving nods from everyone.

Squall watched as everyone headed for the exit, and noticed Irvine seemed to be giving Selphie and Hermione most of his attention. He watched Hermione giggle at something Irvine said and felt something stir in his stomach… like a ball waiting to explode. Squall tried to shake off the uncomfortable feeling of watching the obvious flirting between them, and followed at a more sedate pace. Although, his mind wandered as he imagined knocking the sharpshooter out…