Hermione had spent the entire night crying her eyes out, her curtains surrounding her bed drawn and a silencing charm placed so none of her dorm mates were kept awake by her loud sniffles and pitiful hiccoughs of distress.
She hadn't realized until the very moment she'd walked away from Adrian how much she'd come to care for the wizard. He was funny, thoughtful, sweet, intelligent and handsome.
Why couldn't he have been the one to make her magic sing?
When the first vestiges of light flittered through her curtains, Hermione cancelled the charms hiding her and sighed heavily. The Hogwarts Express was leaving today for London and home, but Hermione really had no desire to spend hours sitting on a train with nosy teenagers who by now, probably had figured that she and Adrian had ended things when he'd returned to Slughorn's party without her.
Nothing ever stayed a secret in this bloody school for very long.
Standing up, Hermione noticed that all her roommates were still fast asleep, meaning it was still fairly early. Waving her hand, her school truck packed itself as she grabbed a pair of jeans and a fitted jumper, with some clean knickers and a bra, before heading into the loo to get ready.
About thirty minutes later, dressed and feeling much calmer—Hermione went back into her room to shrink her trunk when she notice Lavender, Faye and Pavarti staring at her.
"Are you alright Hermione?" Faye asked softly, and Hermione couldn't help but notice that all three witches were watching her closely.
Rolling her eyes but nodding once she left the room without a word, and headed down into the Gryffindor common room where Harry was sitting with Ron, Dean and Seamus. Neville was standing over by the window talking to a fifth year and Hermione smiled awkwardly at her brother as she sat down next to him.
"Hey."
Harry's green eyes were filled with love and concern. "Hey." He took her hand and gave it an affectionate squeeze. "I didn't see you come back to the party with Adrian last night. He looked..."
Hermione nodded. "We broke up."
The room quieted as everyone was now listening in on their conversation.
"Did something happen?"
Hermione shrugged and bit her lip before she answered shakily, "No and yes. Adrian is such a good wizard Harry and I really liked him. I mean, I'd wondered if he was the one..."
"But he wasn't, was he?"
Shaking her head, Hermione wiped a single tear that had fallen from the corner of her eye.
"I'm sorry, Sister Mine."
"It's okay." She murmured before laying her head on Harry's shoulder.
"So does that mean your free, Prewett?" An arrogant voice drawled and Harry turned his head and stared at the older wizard angrily, while Hermione stiffened.
"Piss off, McLaggen." Ron's voice interrupted and was irate, as the red-head stood up and blocked both Harry and Hermione partially from Cormac's view, while the older wizard just scoffed.
"No need to be so unpleasant, Weasley." Cormac sneered. "If Pucey is out of the running, that means that Prewett will be needing to find another wizard as a potential bonded."
"And you think that'd be you?" Ron laughed. "Do you honestly think McLaggen, that you are powerful and smart enough to keep up with Mione, here? Did you get dropped on your head as a child?"
Harry grinned while Hermione turned her head into Harry's shoulder and snickered under her breath.
Cormac though, didn't seem to get the message as he moved into Ron's space and glowered angrily.
"Just because you got your position on the Quidditch team due to Potter's favoritism, don't think that you're the better wizard, Weasley."
"Sour grapes much, McClaggen?" Ron bit back and by now all the sixth and seventh years Gryffindor wizard's were aligned next to their individual mates and drawing battle lines. Neville, Seamus and Dean were flanking Ron—while Ritchie Coote, Andrew Kirke and Jimmy Peakes were standing with McLaggen.
Hermione felt Harry stiffen next to her as she lifted her head and scoffed at how ridiculous they were all being.
"This is mad," Her voice was hard as she glared at the seventh year Gryffindor wizard's. "And I don't have the time nor the patience for this."
Standing up with Harry's hand in her's, she walked over to Ron and placed her other hand on her best friend's shoulder. "Ron, he's not worth it."
Cormac bristled in embarrassment before his gaze narrowed as he sneered, "Maybe Pucey thought you weren't worth it, Prewett?"
There were a few gasps of shock, but a couple people chuckled too—and Hermione just waved her hand and silenced the offensive wizard.
"You're a prat McLaggen, and possibly part Neanderthal too. Until you can speak like a decent human being and not like the pompous oaf you are? You'll just have to stay silent."
Cormac opened his mouth but no words came out. He then lifted his wand, but Harry was faster, pulling his own holly wand out and pointing it at the older boy's chest.
Everyone went silent at the murderous expression on the Chosen One's face.
"Listen well, McLaggen," Harry growled out coldly, "if you ever speak to or about my sister disrespectfully again, you'll find out exactly how unforgiving I can be."
Cormac paled, as did the rest of his friends—who backed off quickly.
Hermione however, just shook her head and asked emotively, "Is it all over the school already?"
"About you and Pucey?"
She nodded and Harry shrugged.
"Probably."
"This is utterly ludicrous!" Hermione bit back with hurt and ire. "I'm leaving and heading home now. Do you want to come with me?"
Harry just grinned, but shook his head in the negative. "Nah, I'll hang with Ron. Tell Aunt Muriel I'll see her soon."
"Fine." Hermione kissed Harry's cheek and then gave Ron a hug before she left the common room and headed for the Astronomy Tower.
When she got there, she closed her eyes and called for Theo.
"Theo?"
After a minute she heard his answering call. "Hermione? Are you alright?"
She sighed. "Do you know too?"
"About Adrian?"
"Yes."
Theo was quiet, but eventually he said, "The entirety of Slytherin knows. Apparently, he came back to the party last night upset, and made his excuses to leave. When he was walking to the apparition point, someone from our House saw him and said he looked fairly torn up. Speculation is rife that the two of you are no longer together."
"I see."
"Who ended it?" Theo's voice in her head was hard, and Hermione knew she needed to reassure her cousin that Adrian had been nothing but wonderful.
"Adrian realized before I did, that he was likely not my bond-mate and he didn't want to force the issue. I understood it, even though it broke my heart. I deeply care for him Theo and I don't want to see him hurt either."
She heard Theo's internal sigh and then he said, "Where are you?"
"Astronomy Tower," she replied, "I'm heading home now. I can't face all the stares on the train and after what just happened just now in the Gryffindor Common Room, I don't want to."
"What happened?"
So Hermione told Theo what Cormac had said and done, and she could feel her cousin's rage on her behalf.
"What a bloody tosser."
Hermione giggled but replied silently, "Language cousin."
"Yes dear." He bit back playfully, causing Hermione to smile.
"Thank you."
"For what?"
"For making me smile," Hermione responded. "Come over to Fosgate Hall tomorrow for breakfast. Both you and your Father."
"We will. Be safe Hermione."
"You too, Theo."
Hermione broke the mental link and stared out over the Black Lake for a moment before she moved over the railing and walked out into the open air.
Setting her magic free, she felt the flames licking across her body and up to her hair...the feeling causing both a sense of calmness and agitation as she pulled her magic out and with a flash of heat and flame, she was transformed into her animagus form.
Flying over the grounds she picked up speed until her aura crackled one last time and then she was gone.
Back in Slytherin House, Draco was watching his dorm mate closely, when he saw Theo's eyes close—and he knew immediately that Theo was likely talking to Hermione telepathically.
When Theo's eyes finally opened a few moments later, they locked onto worried grey ones and Theo sighed.
"She okay?" Draco asked lowly and Theo shrugged.
"She's gone. Left the grounds to return to Fosgate Hall."
"Why?"
So Theo told his fellow Slytherins what had happened with McLaggen. Blaise, Goyle and Crabbe all listened in, and when Theo was done, Draco just scowled.
"That wizard is a plonker."
"True that, mate." Blaise replied.
"Is it true?" Goyle asked and Theo's eyebrows lifted in confusion at first, until Greg elaborated,
"That she and Adrian broke up?"
Theo's expression cleared and he nodded, seeing the shocked looks on everyone's faces.
"Why?" Blaise asked, intrigued.
"Short version is they both realized her magic wasn't going to choose Adrian and I don't think either one of them wanted to force the issue. Hermione is pretty upset. She cared a great deal for Adrian and he for her."
Blaise nodded, before he side-eyed his blonde friend...who's own expression was contemplative.
"Rough go of it."
"I'm sure she'll be fine." Theo said with more confidence than he actually felt.
He had no idea how much longer Hermione could keep taking these changes and disappointments in stride.
No one was that strong, after all.
"You going to see her soon?" Draco drawled lowly and Theo nodded.
"Tomorrow morning. She invited my Father and I over for breakfast. I should probably owl him to let him know."
Theo nodded to his friends in departure, taking his book bag so he could send off a missive to Nott Manor.
When he was gone, Blaise turned to Draco with a smirk. "So?"
The blonde just ignored the knowing look on his best mate's face. "So what?"
"Come on, mate..." Blaise cajoled, "we both know that you're not exactly upset at this news."
Draco just shrugged. "I don't know what you're talking about Blaise."
"So you wouldn't be too put out if I asked Hermione on a date?"
Draco, who had stood up at the beginning of their conversation and started to walk into the loo, whipped around with a heavy sneer as he glowered at his best friend.
But it was the growl of warning that had Blaise chuckling deeply, while Crabbe and Goyle just stared at him as they both flinched back.
"That's what I thought." Blaise bantered smugly as he stood up and grabbed his clothes for the day. "You might want to stop playing these games and do what needs to be done."
"What are you talking about, mate?"
Pinching the bridge of his nose, Blaise just shook his head in exasperation at his best friend—who despite being one of the smartest people he knew...could be a bit thick sometimes.
"Draco," he whispered lowly as he walked over to his best mate and eyed the talisman around his Draco's neck. Lucius had sent it months ago, and Draco had taken to disillusioning it most days...but had forgotten this morning and he shouldn't have been surprised that Blaise knew what it was.
Fuck...that meant that Theo probably did too?
"I know what that is and what it means. There is only one reason your Father would've sent that to you."
Draco's eyes widened as his gaze flickered to his other dorm mates, who thankfully seemed as confused and clueless as they appeared to be.
"Blaise..." his voice held a warning edge, but to Blaise's credit, he just shook his head.
"I'm not an idiot mate. Just think about how you're going to feel if another Adrian Pucey tries to make a move on your witch."
Draco stared down his friend for several minutes, until he finally nodded in defeat.
Blaise, wanker that he was—was right.
There was no way Draco was going to allow another wizard to usurp what was his.
He'd waited long enough.