Chapter 38
The Innocent Can Never Last
(Interlude II: Hermione Granger)

Author's Note: Even though this is an interlude focused on Hermione, some parts of the chapter will not be in Hermione's PoV. I've told myself not to use PoV markers, but this one will… because they switch so often. The first section of this chapter is dedicated to one of my most dedicated readers on FFN, heronlove, who voiced their concerns about a topic that I emphasized in this chapter.

Also, this chapter is the first one that might warrant the M rating. Individual chapter warning below.

Warning: Mild discussion of natural body development; possibly adult content. Reader discretion is advised.

Summer has come and passed
The innocent can never last
wake me up when September ends

"Wake Me Up When September Ends" – Green Day

(Hermione's PoV)

September 9th, 1991

Hermione Granger sat at farthest end of the Gryffindor table in the Great Hall, on the morning of the start of the second week of the term. Her History of Magic book was propped up in front of her. She was sure Professor Binns was going to lecture on Emeric the Evil today, and while she was good at note-taking, the ghostly teacher talked so fast sometimes! So she was currently writing down parts of her notes about Emeric that she was sure he might discuss, and if he talked about important things she didn't have, she could add those too.

"You're working on homework already?" Ron asked her, as he and Neville sat on either side of her. "History of Magic? There was no homework Wednesday… Binns just talked and talked."

"I'm working on notes if you must know," Hermione said. "So I can get a head-start."

"Excellent," Ron said, "Can I borrow them?"

Hermione scowled, as she usually did when he asked her to let him borrow her work.

She liked the boy – he was friendly enough, and his brothers, the twins, were right jokers. She knew they were making fun of him when they called her his girlfriend. But she hardly cared about their terms for her; they were innocent… definitely better terms than those that Harry had hinted about on the Hogwarts Express. She just didn't know exactly what those terms were yet.

She could tell he needed friends like her, and Neville and Harry. She had sensed that when Ron's sister, Ginny, had started her education a year earlier than she should have, that Ron would be jealous.

Even though Hermione was an only child, she had cousins and friends back home – those who could not, under any circumstance, know she was a witch – who was a part of a middle-child syndrome as the books talked about. She helped them with their dramas of not being the first child, the spoiled child, nor the baby of the family, who was even more spoiled. And Ron had so many siblings, spoiling a child probably was unheard of for them. She knew he might become jealous of or irritated by his sister because of circumstances she could not control. Hermione knew Ron would have trouble seeing this. She liked being his friend – even if just helping him feel not so left out.

"Where's Harry and Ginny?" Hermione asked.

"Harry waited in the Common Room for Ginny," Neville said, spreading butter on a piece of toast, "he said he expected her to come down soon."

"No, he said he knew she was going to come down soon," Ron corrected him.

"Oh yeah," Neville said, shrugging, "that did seem kind of odd."

Hermione let her book fall to the table with a soft thud. She looked at her friends, her mind reeling. Something wasn't right…

"He said he knew she was coming down?" Hermione asked.

"Yeah," Ron said.

"Just like she knew that hewas coming down on Saturday morning?" Hermione asked.

"Yeah," Ron repeated, shrugging.

"You don't find that odd?" Hermione asked, raising her eyebrows.

"Hermione," Ron said, shaking his head, "Harry and Ginny were up every day, early in the morning, for weeks this past summer to go jogging. Maybe it is like a sixth-sense to them now."

Hermione frowned. She was too smart to believe in such things as a sixth-sense. She looked at Neville.

"And you don't find this odd either?" she asked.

"Ron has a point, Hermione," Neville said, shrugging.

Neville waved a hand in the air, and Hermione looked up. Harry and Ginny were walking toward them. As they sat down, Hermione looked at both of them… and she saw something odd.

Is something wrong with their eyes? She asked herself.

"Harry?" she asked, concerned.

Harry looked at Ginny, then blinked and looked back at Hermione.

"Good morning," he said, "Sorry, distracted. Say something?"

"Are you okay?" she asked, "You look… dizzy."

Ginny's eyes widened and she pulled the jug of orange juice toward her. She seemed to focus on it.

"I'm… fine, Hermione," Harry said, "Has the post come yet?"

"Er… no," Hermione said, frowning. "No, not yet."

She picked up her book and looked back at it. But the words seemed to fade over as her mind went over what she had witnessed. Harry and Ginny's eyes had seemed clouded over. She ran her mind through the books she had read over the summer, searching for anything to follow the symptoms. She listed the symptoms to herself:

Dizziness, signs of confusion, distraction, immediate change of subject…

Hermione's eyes widened. She had read something in one of the more advanced Defense Against the Dark Arts books she had bought in her third trip to Diagon Alley in August. The sound of flapping wings overhead distracted her and she looked up as owls brought in the morning post.

"There's the post, Harry!" Ginny said.

Suddenly, a large, elongated box-like package landed in front of Harry, and he grinned. This was followed by an owl dropping a letter in front of him.

"Excellent!" Ron said, "Your broom's here. Wait till you see it, Hermione, Neville!"

Hermione nodded. Her mind went back to the book. The number three came to her mind.

"Letter's from Sirius," Harry said, as he opened the scroll, "Wonder what that's about?"

Hermione watched Harry as his eyes darted back and forth reading the letter. His expression changed from happy, to startled to worried. Hermione's mind reeled. Three… power of three? No… three… spells? Three… curses! Her eyes widened.

The Unforgivable Curses! Clouded eyes was a symptom of the… the Imperius Curse. The Imperius curse controlled a person!

She was almost sure of it. She had to check. And if she found a Professor along the way…"I… gotta go," Hermione said, as she hurriedly packed her things, "Library! See you in Defense!"

"But you haven't eaten a bite!" Ron said, "Breakfast is important!"

"I'll have a big lunch!" Hermione said, as she hurried off toward the doors of the Great Hall. She walked into the Great Hall, and was about to go up the stone staircase when she saw Professor McGonagall walking down them. Perfect!

"Professor!" Hermione said, "Can I speak to you? It is urgent!"

"We will be progressing onto new objects to Transfigure today, Miss Granger," McGonagall said, "Not to worry."

"That isn't what I'm asking about," Hermione said, "I have a – a concern. About a student. Maybe two…"

"Yes?" McGonagall asked, looking concerned.

"Harry and Ginny," Hermione said, "You remember how Ginny was jinxed. I thought it was possible it was meant for Harry."

"The Headmaster has made it his own mission to find out what happened, Miss Granger," McGonagall said, "You have nothing to be concerned about."

"But we do!" Hermione said, "I-I think Harry – and Ginny maybe – might be under the Imperius Curse!"

McGonagall raised her eyebrows, looking alarmed. "Are you sure, Miss Granger?"

"The symptoms," Hermione said, nodding, "I read about them. Harry and Ginny were looking dazed and distracted."

Hermione expected her Head of House to be even more concerned. To Hermione's amazement and shock, however, she only shook her head.

"I assure you, Miss Granger," McGonagall said, "They are not under the Imperius Curse. This is an after-effect of the potions they took on Saturday. It has lasting effects. I will talk to them however, and check them over, if it is your concern. But I do not wish you to be concerned. It is perfectly normal for them."

"I – err – are you sure?" Hermione asked.

"Positively," McGonagall said.

"O-okay, Professor," Hermione said.

"I'll see you in class, Miss Granger," McGonagall said.

Hermione nodded and walked off up the stairs. McGonagall may have asked her not to be concerned… but this was something she was going to investigate! Of course… Imperius Curse was just one guess. The Imperius Curse wouldn't let them know when the other would come down the stairs. As for that… well, Hermione didn't believe in foresight. But she would get to the bottom of it, whatever it was!

She headed off to the library, hoping she had enough time before her class started. She definitely didn't want to be late!

(Ginny's PoV)

September 19th, 1991

Ginny woke on the third Thursday of the month to the sounds of giggling. Very familiar giggling. She rolled her eyes annoyed. It was much too early for this! She opened her curtains slightly and peeked out them. Lavender Brown and Parvati Patil were putting pink streamers and assorted balloons around the dormitory.

"Exactly what are you doing?" Ginny whispered.

"Hush, Weasley!" Lavender hissed, "It is supposed to be a surprise."

"Hermione's birthday's today," Parvati whispered, "The first Hogwarts birthday for the first years. We want it to be memorable."

"What do those balloons do?" Ginny asked, eyeing the bulbous floating things suspiciously.

"Nothing!" Lavender whispered, "Just balloons. We're not that mean."

"We're not mean at all!" Parvati scowled, "Oh, Lav, she's up!"

Ginny rolled her eyes as Lavender and Parvati hurried to their beds and dove through the curtains. Ginny sighed… thankfully her bed was next to Hermione, and not next to the "gossip girls". Still… she could hear Lavender and Parvati gossip quite a bit. So much that Ginny knew Lavender was currently crushing on Oliver Wood, and Parvati was scandalized because she thought Katie was good for Oliver. Parvati was currently crushing on nobody... Lavender thought this in itself was scandalous.

The curtains around Hermione's bed opened and Ginny saw her best friend brushing her eyes sleepily as she stood up. She looked around and raised her eyebrows.

"Oh!" she said, giggling.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY!" Lavender and Parvati said, jumping out of their beds.

Ginny sighed. Eleven year old girls were a pain. Especially loud ones.

"Happy birthday, Hermione," Ginny said, and laid back down on her bed, hoping for a sign from her mind-link that Harry was awake.

His voice was much more soothing than Lavender and Parvati's. How he could stand dancing with her at the Yule Ball last timeline, she didn't know. Course eleven-year old Lavender wasn't much better than sixteen year old "Lav-Lav" either. The words "Won-Won!" still gave her nightmares.

"Thanks, girls," Hermione said, "Ooh, presents!"

"Yeah, they come straight onto your trunk," Lavender said, "Usually from your parents. No having to wait for them from the owls. More private that way. Neat, huh!"

Ginny frowned. Harry seemed to still be asleep.

"Oh," Hermione said, giggling, "Thanks, Mum and Dad."

"What did they get you?" Parvati asked.

"Basket of sugarless sweets, like every year," Hermione said, "They always worry about my teeth. And this year… aw… Mum made a birthday cake for me, and took a picture of it with her and Dad by it. Let's me think of home. Before this year I always celebrated my birthday at home."

"Muggle pictures are weird!" Lavender said, "They don't move! I mean – that sounded rude, sorry."

"It's okay," Hermione said, "I thought wizarding pictures were weird when I saw them at first too."

"You got a gift bag, Hermione," Parvati said.

Ginny heard the rustling of paper.

"Oh – oh dear," Hermione said, giving an embarrassed giggle.

Ginny raised her eyebrows. Okay, she was curious now. She peeked out and saw Hermione raising something from the bag.

"I should have known, Mum," Hermione said.

"Hermione!" Parvati said, "Is that – a training bra?"

Ginny blushed. Oh, the elusive training bra. Ginny remembered last timeline, when she had gotten hers during the summer from her Mum. She was glad she didn't need to face this at school.

Ginny? Harry's voice rang out, You there?

Yeah, Harry. Er… not a good time.

Why?

"Yeah," Hermione said, "I've been noticing – err – things lately. So I wrote my Mum last week, and I should have known she'd get me some for my birthday."

Er… Ginny. Harry asked. Some what?

Ginny blushed. She didn't want to say…

"Well, it is a nice present," Lavender said, "Shows you you're growing up, training bras do."

Oh, Harry said. He sounded very embarrassed, Oh dear, I shouldn't listen to this! I didn't want to know Hermione got a training bra!

Ginny giggled mentally.

"You're lucky," Parvati said, "I'm worried I'm going to be flat-chested . Like… nothing!"

I did not want to hear that, Harry said, I'm closing my mind-link now. I'll bring Hermione's book down soon for her. Try not to say anything to her though. I'm not talking about it being a surprise either…

Ginny frowned. She knew what he was talking about.

'Kay. Love you. See you soon.

Love you too.

Ginny peered through her curtains, then blushed. Hermione's bare back was turned, as she sat on the other side of her bed. Apparently, she was going to test out her new gift. Ginny shut the curtains and sighed.

Oh yes, she knew what Harry was talking about. It had been a week and a half since Harry had received a small note saying that he and Ginny were expected for a short meeting in McGonagall's office. When they arrived, she asked them if they were using telepathy that day, the second Monday of the month, during breakfast. Harry and Ginny nodded and said they had when they first arrived. McGonagall told them then that Hermione seemed to have noticed them. She was worried about them being dizzy and confused. Harry and Ginny then made a promise to McGonagall, and each other, they'd be more careful until they wanted Hermione to know about their secret. Hermione's gift from Harry would be the first stepping-stone to that…

She opened her curtains and crawled down to her trunk and took out her outfit for the day.

(Hermione's PoV – a few minutes later)

Hermione adjusted her robe top, pushing her new bra back under it, and groaned, as she made her way down the girls' staircase toward the Common Room. This was going to take some time to get used to. Still… her mother had given her a long letter about it. She immersed herself in this letter, which was quite informative. Unfortunately there were no "growing up" books at Hogwarts – this, she mused, was a clear problem for a school where students' bodies were changing constantly. She would have to remember to get these books during the Christmas holidays.

When she arrived, she found Ginny sitting by the fireplace with Harry, Ron and Neville.

"Happy birthday, Hermione!" Harry, Ron and Neville said in unison when they saw her.

"Thanks, boys," Hermione said.

Harry stood up, and pulled out something that was wrapped in pieces of parchment from his knapsack.

"For you," Harry said,, "From me. I hope you don't mind me getting something for your birthday."

"Oh!" Hermione said, blushing, "Er… no, I don't mind."

She smiled and unwrapped the parchment. She grinned when she saw that it was a book.

"The Art of Occlumency," she said, reading the title.

She looked up at Harry.

"Ginny and I read this over the summer," Harry said. "Occlumency protects your mind from outside forces. A defense against – you know – mind-reading. Dangerous thing in the wizarding world. I brought it to school, and I don't have any more use for it. Me and Ginny are practicing Occlumency. We thought you might like to read it and perhaps practice. And –"

He looked at Ron and Neville.

"I thought you two might like to as well," he said.

"More studying?" Ron asked, raising his eyebrows.

"See it as mind exercises," Ginny said, "When we're tired from strength exercises, this is much more soothing."

"You and Ginny studied this?" Hermione asked.

"It was just me at first," Harry said, "Then she decided to be nosy."

Ginny stuck out her tongue at him.

"She was interested," Harry said, "And I am giving it to you, since you like books. And the three of you can use it."

Hermione raised her eyebrows as she looked at the book. Mind-reading… she looked up at Harry and smiled, all while wondering why he and Ginny would want to keep people out of their mind. She put the book in her knapsack. This was definitely something she'd read up on.

"Thanks, Harry," she said, "Means a lot to me."

"Er… sorry I didn't think about getting you a gift, Hermione," Ron said, "Maybe Christmas and – and next year?"

Hermione nodded. "Thanks, Ron. I-I don't mind. Let's go get some breakfast before class."

"Ugh… spending your birthday in class," Ron said.

"Oh, come now, Ron," Ginny said, "That's probably her best present of the day, homework!"

Hermione rolled her eyes, but joined in with her friends chuckling. They turned and hurried out of the Common Room, en route to the Great Hall.

September 30th, 1991

The last day of the month fell on a Monday. Transfiguration, the last class of the day, was just finishing up. Hermione was eager for class to finish. That morning, she had what her mother liked to call a "eureka moment!".

Ever since her birthday, she had been reading the Occlumency book, as well as other books, trying to get to the bottom of the mystery that seemed to surround Harry and Ginny. The Occlumency book was wonderful, and it was very advanced. Mind exercises were a wonderful idea to add to the strength exercises.

Hermione and her friends had yet to start on either of these types of exercises, but they decided they would begin the following Saturday, the first Saturday of October. Hermione had yet to put together a decent schedule for the exercises, and she decided that Saturday would focus on strength exercises, since there was nothing to do those days except flying lessons, which was rumored to only go on for another month or so.

Her "eureka moment" that morning had to do with a book she hadn't thought of all month. But it was understandable why she hadn't thought of it. It wasn't really a book people normally might have thought you'd get good information some.

"Wednesday, there will be an exam on everything we learned this month," McGonagall said.

Most of the students groaned. Hermione smiled privately.

"So study up, everyone," McGonagall said, "Class dismissed."

Hermione packed her things into her knapsack and hurried out of class.

"Want to explore the castle with us, Hermione?" Ron asked, "Harry and Ginny think they know of a way to get into the kitchens!"

"Can't, Ron, sorry," Hermione said, "I need to go to the Library. Have fun. Try not to get caught."

Normally, Hermione would have probably asked why they were headed to the kitchens before dinner, but she was very distracted.

She waved goodbye and hurried off to the library. Her thoughts traveled as she tried to remember the author of the book she was wanting, and hoping it would be at the library. Madam Pince would know. Less than ten minutes later, she was at the library – to Hermione, it was like a second nature to find this place while distracted. She grinned inwardly at the thought and walked over to the desk where Pince was sitting.

"Yes?" Madam Pince said

Hermione privately thought her voice sounded like a mixture of Professor Binns' drawling voice, and Professor McGonagall's strict voice, and she tried not to giggle at the thought – that would be most impolite!

"Are there any fairytale books here?" she asked.

"Of course," Madam Pince said, "Who are you looking for?"

"I – err – forgot the author," Hermione said, frowning.

"Well," Pince said, with a sigh, "The most common three are Beedle The Bard, Grimm (a mix of magical and Muggle, though only Muggleborn like yourselves read it, really) and Bartemius F. Able."

"Able!" Hermione said, grinning, "That's the one!"

Pince smiled and pointed her wand in the air. A moment later, a large book landed delicately and softly in the librarian's outstretched hand. She handed it to Hermione.

"Excellent choice, Miss Granger," she said, "You know… some people believe Able's stories are true. Kind of like Beedle's. But both are so outlandish! I hope this is not research, just amusement? You are too smart to fill your head with fluff like this and truly believe it."

"Yes, ma'am," Hermione said.

"Due back on Halloween," Madam Pince said, handing a small slip of parchment to Hermione, "Don't be late, Miss Granger."

"Of course not, ma'am," Hermione said, signing the parchment.

She smiled to herself and opened the book to the table of contents, looking for the particular story. She smiled and pointed her finger to it:

Tuck and Grace – A Bonding Tale

Hermione nodded. Bonding. This was definitely what she was searching for. She smiled to herself and walked out of the library. Suddenly, she bumped something and fell backward onto the ground. She looked up and saw Draco, Crabbe and Goyle standing there, looking at her.

"Watch where you're going, Mudblood!" Draco said, nastily.

Crabbe and Goyle guffawed. Draco smirked and walked around her and down the hall, his two cronies in his footsteps.

Hermione felt her eyes mist over as she stood up and picked up her things.

Mudblood.

Hermione frowned. What a horrible thing to say. What a horrible…

Hermione's eyes widened. Her mind went back to that day on the Hogwarts Express.

"Get away from me," Pansy Parkinson growled, "I can smell your kind a mile away."

"You hang around with riffraff like the Weasleys and Longbottom and –"

Draco raised his eyebrows as he looked at Hermione.

"And someone like her," he scoffed, "and it'll rub off on you."

"They see Muggleborn as an insult to the wizarding world," Harry explained, "There is one particular word – an insult to Muggleborn. Nobody respectable wants to say it."

Hermione her eyes get wetter.

Insult. Mudblood.

"What a horrible name," Hermione sniffled.

She felt the tears fall as she ran off down the corridor toward the seventh floor. She then hurried to the portrait of the Fat Lady.

"Dear girl, what's wrong?" The Fat Lady asked.

"Blood rose," Hermione said.

Mudblood.

The portrait opened and Hermione hurried inside. She ran up the stairs toward her dormitory, and let her newly acquired book and her knapsack fall onto the bed, as she fell with it. She held her pillow against her.

She wanted to know that word ever since that day… how could it sound so… so dirty?

Mudblood.

It made her sound dirty.

She sniffled and felt a sob come from her throat as she buried her head in her pillow, and let the tears fall.

Mudblood.

This chapter was about themes. Innocence, discovery, and loss of innocence, as the title suggests "The Innocent Can Never Last". All sections in this chapter have to do with one of those.

Mudblood: At the start of the chapter, she said Fred and George's titles for her were innocent. Draco's is not. Innocence, loss of innocence.

Getting her first training bra, growing up, could be seen as loss of innocence.

Trying to figure out the mystery of Harry and Ginny, gift of Occlumency book… discovery.

I love Hermione as a character. My favorite character in the books. I hope you really liked this interlude with her. I will definitely have more interludes like this if I ever find I need a nice time-skip that is a bit too long.

This and the last interlude centered around "Wake Me Up When September Ends", owing to the fact that these two chapters were skipping through the month of September in scenes at a time.