"I don't have them"
"What do you mean you don't have them?" Hermione asked, her stomach suddenly dropping.
"I told you, they grow rapidly!" Neville explained with an apologetic look. "We collected them a couple days ago, and gave them to Professor Snape. He's the one that uses them as ingredients." Neville shrugged, shaking his head.
"Damn it!" Hermione cursed in a whisper. "Can't you tell him there's been a mistake or something? Get some back?" she begged, desperate.
Neville hesitated, visibly uncomfortable with the prospect of going up to Snape and voluntarily telling him that he had made a mistake. Hermione quickly understood what she was asking of the poor guy. Despite that isolated sign of something resembling kindness towards Neville on the celebration, she could perfectly picture Snape giving him hell over such an error.
"Nevermind." she soothed him, trying her best to smile.
"What do you need them for, anyway?" Neville asked, intrigued. "If you're brewing a potion, he will probably give some to you, right?"
"Right." Hermione lied, shaking her head. "You're right, it's fine. Thank you, Neville!" she said, leaving her friend to his work at the Greenhouse.
This complicated her plan so much! She had intended to only visit Snape again when she already had some answers to give him… but instead, coming to him with this request would only arise a hundred questions, and the likely order of dropping the whole subject.
She needed to find another way, an excuse so skillfully crafted that he couldn't suspect a thing. Hermione bit her lip… Lying to the Professor wasn't exactly her idea of a good first step towards an honest friendship. But hopefully, he would never find out, and it would give her a chance to take an even bigger step towards earning his trust.
The sight of someone waiting for her at the castle's doors interrupted her plotting. She slowed down her steps but it was too late, for he had seen her already.
"Flitwick said he saw you going out." Harry explained, coming closer.
"What are you doing here, Harry?" Hermione asked cautiously, her arms involuntarily crossing in front of her chest in a defensive manner.
"I couldn't leave things like that, could I?" Harry replied, tilting his head and throwing her a worried look.
"I'm sorry I ruined your birthday." Hermione said, though her tone was more bitter than apologetic.
"Hermione, what's going on? Are you okay?" he inquired, placing a hand on her arm. She fought the impulse to move away from his touch.
"Actually, no, I'm not. It feels like the two of you are having a great summer over there while I'm here all alone… and that you don't even notice anymore that I'm not there."
Harry frowned, baffled. "Where did you get that idea?"
"Well, you never write, for one! And you only visited once… you never invite me over, and when you do, look what happens!" Hermione justified herself, hurt.
Harry pondered her words for a few seconds, and then he lowered his gaze. "I'm sorry, Hermione. I've been so focused on making up for lost time with Ginny, and trying to forget about the outside world… But I didn't mean to shut you out." he explained.
"Well, you I understand, but what about Ron?" she protested, still not convinced.
"Ron is struggling much more than he lets on. You know him… he doesn't know how to cope with these things so he just avoids it. I suspect he knows that if he spends more time around you, you will find a way to make him face his emotions."
"And would that be such a bad thing?" Hermione inquired, raising an eyebrow.
Harry shrugged with an apologetic smile. "I think he just needs more time before that happens. But I'm sure he doesn't mean to shut you out. I don't think either of us really thought you would feel that way… You're just… Hermione. You're always there, as are we."
"Well, you shouldn't take that for granted." Hermione replied darkly, starting to walk with no direction, just to stop looking at him directly.
Harry walked by her side. "You're right. I'm really sorry. I'll be more considerate from now on."
"Thank you." she said, and she felt her heart softening a little. At least it was a start.
"And I'm really sorry that you missed our weekend. Do you want to come back with me now? We can talk with Ron and..."
"I'm not ready for that yet, Harry."
"Okay. Fair enough. Then, I can stay here for a while, if you'd like." he suggested, but she remained silent, looking absently at the Forbidden Forest trees behind Hagrid's hut. "Please, Hermione, tell me how can I make it up to you."
She was about to say that she just needed some time too, when she had another idea. It was absurd, crazy… but precisely that's why it could work.
"I'd like to ride Buckbeack. Can you do that with me?" she asked, pausing to look at him.
"What?" Harry looked at her, puzzled. "Why?"
"Because I'd like to see the views. It's a beautiful day." Hermione said casually, doing her best to sound truly convinced.
"Er… are you sure, 'Mione? You are scared of flying..." Harry reminded her cautiously, as if he was worried that she had forgotten that crucial detail.
"Well, we rode that bloody dragon from Gringotts, did we not? After that, there's not much left to be scared of anymore." Hermione replied shrugging.
"We did… and you hated every second of it." Harry recalled, frowning with bafflement.
"Do you want to help me or not?" Hermione snapped, losing her patience.
"Yes, yes, alright. You want to go now?" Harry yielded in a conciliatory tone.
"Why not?" Hermione replied, heading towards Hagrid's cabin.
She walked with long strides, trying to keep a steady face as she internally prayed to get a better idea in the minute it would take them to get to the hippogriff. But unfortunately, her mind was as empty as her stomach threatened to be if she dared climb into that creature and leave the ground.
"Hermione! Harry! What a surprise! Come in!" Hagrid greeted them when they knocked on his door.
Harry was about to enter, but she intercepted him. "Actually, Hagrid, we're in a bit of a rush."
"Are we?" Harry asked, turning around to look at her intrigued.
"Well, yes! I have work to do later." Hermione explained, fearing that if she delayed the dreadful moment any longer, she would get cold feet.
"How can I help you then?" Hagrid asked, also confused.
"We were wondering… Is Buckbeack around?" Harry said, taking a look at the pumpkin patch where sometimes the hippogriff could be found poking the ground in search for little furry creatures.
"I haven't seen him this morning." Hagrid commented, but before they could say anything else, he took his fingers to his lips and let out an incredibly loud whistle, startling both of them.
Hermione was still rubbing her ears when they spotted his dark silhouette against the bright morning sky.
"There's my boy!" Hagrid said proudly. "Are you taking him for a ride like in the old times?" he asked Harry with a wink.
"That's the plan." Harry responded with a nervous smile.
Buckbeack landed on the ground to their left, his sharp claws sinking into the dark dirt as he shook his head strongly, rearranging his feathers. Hermione couldn't help but notice he looked even bigger than before, and she swallowed hard when she saw Harry moving towards him.
"Hi, Buckbeack. Do you remember me?" the boy asked in a soothing tone, approaching the creature and bowing respectfully.
The hippogriff let out a joyful shriek, and also lowered his head, imitating Harry's bow.
Harry stood up with a wide smile and dared to pass his hand over the creature's feathered neck. "Good to see you again, my friend." he said warmly. "Are you coming?" he then asked Hermione.
"Yes." Hermione replied, almost inaudibly due to the dryness of her mouth.
She imitated Harry's procedure of approaching the hippogriff, and again, he bowed in response, allowing her to get closer.
Harry smiled approvingly and offered her his hands as support for her foot to mount. Hermione took a deep breath, already regretting her idea, but she surrounded Buckbeack's neck with her hands and managed to climb in a single, elegant move. She felt Harry climbing behind her, placing his hands around her belly, and before she could brace herself, he sank his heels on Buckbeack's sides and the hippogriff began running down the hill, his huge wings flapping at her back.
Hermione closed her eyes shut as hard as she could, glad that Harry couldn't see her face from where he was standing, or else her little facade would have been over before it even began. She heard her friend letting out an excited "wohoo!" as they gained height and speed, and wondered how he could enjoy such deadly risk. But then again, he was known for his incredible ability on the broom, which, if you asked her, was much more unstable and unreliable that the big solid creature beneath them at the moment.
"Guide him!" Harry instructed loud enough that she could hear him above the sound of the rushing wind on her ears.
So she was finally forced to open her eyes, her hands clenching Buckbeack's feathers immediately upon the sight of the whole castle grounds down below. She leaned to the animal's right, hoping that her shift of weight would indicate him where she wanted him to turn. It worked, and Buckbeack inclined his position to redirect his flight towards the Black Lake. The sun was shining brightly on the water surface, and on the farthest end, the tentacles of the Giant Squid splashed lazily. It really was a beautiful sight, if you managed to set aside the thought of falling down. Hermione took a deep breath, the cold air filling her lungs and clearing her mind of any thoughts. For the first time since the war, she felt a rush of adrenaline that was not caused by something harmful or pain, but by an exhilarating feeling of freedom. Was it possible that she was actually enjoying herself a little bit?
"Look!" Harry said, pointing down as they flew closer over the huge tentacles. Hermione leaned forward, moving her left hand to Buckbeack's shoulder to keep her balance, and then she felt her bracelet slipping off. "No!" she yelled, as the moonstone touched her fingertips on its way down into the water. "Damn it!"
"What is it?" Harry said, worried.
"My bracelet! It fell!" Hermione explained, her eyes scanning the surface of the water in a futile attempt to find it. But Buckbeack was moving way too fast and soon the tentacles were left behind.
"Accio bracelet!" Harry yelled, taking out his wand.
"That won't work!" Hermione lamented, hugging Buckbeack's neck as he gained height again.
She pointed him back towards Hagrid's hut, closing her eyes again for the landing. Once she was sure there was solid ground beneath his claws and hooves, she let out a huge sigh of relief and dismounted quickly.
"How was it?" Hagrid asked happily, hearing them returning.
"Amazing, as always! Though Hermione lost her bracelet into the lake." Harry informed him.
"Ha, then you can bid it farewell!" Hagrid laughed, patting Hermione's shoulder with such strength that he almost made her fell. "Mermaids do love shiny trinkets. They're probably fighting over who gets to keep it by now."
Hermione gave him a sad smile, though it was clear from the disappointed look in her face that to her, what she had lost was much more than a shiny trinket.
"Do you want to come in for some tea?" Hagrid offered sympathetically.
Harry raised his eyebrows, expecting her confirmation.
"You go. I have work to do." she said, shaking her head.
"I'm sorry Hermione…" Harry murmured, wondering what he could do to comfort her.
"It's fine, really. Thank you for coming, Harry. I'll see you soon." she said, giving him a swift kiss on the cheek, and turning around towards the castle.
Only when she was far enough and she couldn't hear their voices anymore, she allowed herself a proud smile of satisfaction. Everything was going according to plan.
.
"Gillyweed?" Snape repeated slowly.
"Just a handful, Sir. Enough to last for a couple hours, that's all." Hermione reassured him with her best innocent smile.
Snape's eyes widened with surprise and sudden interest. "Am I to assume you're planning on ingesting them?" he asked, since he had taken for granted that the girl was just asking for the algae as an ingredient for a likely experimental potion, encouraged by the success of her last one.
"I am." Hermione confirmed.
"May I ask why?" his eyes narrowed, piercing hers with suspicion.
"I lost my bracelet on the Great Lake this morning." Hermione explained calmly.
Snape's eyebrows arched in an interrogative manner. "You lost… why wouldn't you simply pick it up?"
"I didn't drop in on the shore, Sir." Hermione clarified, trying to keep the "isn't it obvious" tone at bay. "It fell on the deep part, while Harry and I were flying over the lake with Buckbeack."
It took Snape a moment to recognize the name, but when he did, his skepticism increased. However, Hermione kept a steady, relaxed face, looking at him without a trace of nervousness that could suggest she was lying.
"Did you consider using your witch wand and summoning it with a simple spell instead of diving head first into the Lake yourself?" Snape asked, his voice soaked in sarcasm.
"I did." the girl responded, surprisingly unaffected by his mocking. "The bracelet was enchanted so it couldn't be taken away from me. It doesn't respond to summoning spells."
"Not even Potter's Elder wand spells?" Snape inquired curious, his lip slightly twitching at the mention of Harry's name.
Hermione widened her eyes, surprised. "Oh… right! You couldn't know! The Elder wand was put back with Dumbledore. Harry just used it to repair his old one." she explained.
"What?" Snape voiced raised with disbelief. Of course the sentimental Gryffindor hero had failed to consider the possibilities such an object offered, if only for the greater good he was always trying to defend!
"I know." Hermione nodded with a meaningful look. "I understand his reasons, but I honestly think he should have kept it as a safety clause."
Her words made the whole room spin around him in an instant. "A safety clause". Those had been the words from Trelawney's prophecy! A thought began taking form in his mind, the pieces clicking together so quickly that he felt dizzy. What if it had been Potter? What if, after witnessing his memories, he had felt obliged to try and save him, on some sort of misinterpreted sense of loyalty… Was he not in possession at that time of the three Deathly Hallows? Dumbledore's portrait had told him, during one of their endless late night conversations at his office, that the wizard who possessed the three objects would become Master of Death. It was certainly reasonable to assume that said title came with the perks of bringing back people from the other side, right?
It was also possible that the boy had decided to scatter back the Hallows afterwards so he couldn't trace the rescue back to him.
"Where is the resurrection stone?" Snape asked, out of the blue.
"What?" Hermione replied, baffled. "Hm… I think Harry said it was lost at the Forbidden Forest… Why?" she asked, perplexed.
"And the cloak?" Snape insisted, confirming his suspicions, his anger increasing rapidly. If it had been another Potter the one responsible of ruining his life a second time, he wasn't sure he'd be able to restrain himself.
"I have that." Hermione revealed, to his surprise. "I asked Harry to borrow it in case we would need to go back in time again to brew more reversal potion. Thought it would be useful, instead of hiding away."
Well, that proved nothing. No one would really suspect anything if he kept the invisibility cloak that he had used for so long to break Hogwarts rules, endangering his fellow students and his friends over and over again like his arrogant father and his squad… Suddenly, Snape realized something. A crucial detail that threatened his rapidly built theory. James Potter's animagus form was a stag. And, he had seen it himself in their third year, Potter's patronus adopted that same form. Of course, the brilliant golden boy would rather admire that one of his two parents. A stag, with antlers. Not a doe. Was it possible that Hermione had mistaken the both..? Possible, yes. Likely, no. Probabilities of her admitting to such basic mistake? None.
"Sir...?" Hermione asked, still confused about his sudden off topic inquires.
"Nevermind." Snape replied harshly, looking away. "And has it occurred to you that it might be easier to just charm another trinket to fulfill the purpose of the lost one?" he suggested, raising an eyebrow.
"It has. But Fleur Delacour gave that one to me. The moonstone in it belonged to her grandmother, the Veela. It has immense value to her family and I wouldn't forgive myself if I lost it." Hermione replied, fighting hard to contain a proud smile. Not in vain had she spent the last couple hours rehearsing this conversation in her head so she would have every answer ready. She was even willing to offer him another go at Legilimens to explore the honesty in her words, given that she had purposefully made the memories to support her story.
Snape studied her face carefully, intrigued by the fact that even if all her answers were apparently truthful, she was clearly trying to conceal something from him. However, it was also clear that the clever young woman had taken his skills into consideration, so it wouldn't be easy to call her bluffing.
"Very well..." he finally conceded, figuring it would be more useful to go along with her tale. "In that case let's hope you find your cherished bracelet, however… may I suggest that a bubble enchantment would be much more comfortable and not time sensitive, if you're determined to go into the water?"
Hermione cleared her throat. They were entering thin ice now. She had obviously considered using a bubble charm as her first option, but then she had realized why it might be counterproductive. Actually, it had been her nightmare what had given her the idea. The part in which the Gryffindor boys where discussing the "horrible shrieking sounds" that Harry's golden egg produced. It had reminded her that the mer people's voices couldn't be heard outside the water, and she suspected that this applied both ways. So, surrounding her head with air might turn out to be a communicative barrier. But of course, she couldn't tell Professor Snape about that.
"I'm not sure I know how to properly do one, Sir. I only practiced it a couple times… and I'm afraid it might fail while I'm down there. I'll feel safer with gillyweed, since they don't rely on my magic." she said with a concerned look.
"You're lying." Snape called her out, calmly but without a trace of doubt. If he had needed proof, this was it. He had known Hermione Granger long enough to know that the girl's problem had never been the lack of confidence in her own magical skills, but instead, the annoying certainty she possessed in being able of perform even the more advanced spells, way beyond her current level at school.
Hermione had hoped that it wouldn't come to this, but she had no more valid excuses, and Snape didn't seem to be open to hear them anymore. She hated to resort to this, but from what she had seen last night when they met at the grounds, it was her only chance that he would yield, if only to get her out of his sight soon.
"Sir, please..." she pleaded, with a sorrowful tone and tears filling up her eyes "I feel really bad without that bracelet, having to see..." she shook her head as the tears began to flow, visibly affected. "And the moonstone reminds me of Fleur's kindness after that horrible witch..." she didn't finish the sentence. She thought it would sound more dramatic that way. "Please, I just need a handful of gillyweed, I need to get it back." she begged him, with wide, wet eyes.
Snape's stomach shrunk unpleasantly. He was perfectly aware that this was all a charade. He had seen enough pleading students begging for a higher grade to recognize crocodile tears. It didn't bother him that she was trying to hide whatever she was up to for real… truth was, though he was intrigued, he had more urgent things to worry about, like the increasing pain on his neck. But there was a dark, bitter realization emerging at the back of his mind that was causing his gut to wrench. Hermione was exploiting his weakness. She had intelligently realized his discomfort last night, when he saw her crying… and she was trying to cause it again to get her way. She was using him.
He should have seen it coming. After all, it was the story of his life. And yet, he had foolishly allowed himself to believe that she truly cared about him. For a moment, he had been absolutely convinced that Hermione had seen him for who he truly was and had developed some fondness towards him. But now his cruel inner voice was laughing darkly, celebrating its victory once more, having been right all along. She didn't care about him. Maybe she didn't pity him either, maybe she had been honest about her admiration. But it was completely instrumental. She just wanted to get closer to him so she could benefit from his skills and his position as a teacher, probably hoping to get special treatment… And the worst part was she was already succeeding! He had risked his reputation with Minerva McGonagall to help the cunning witch with her plans!
Maybe what he was about to do only made things worse, but he wasn't able to think straight right now. He just needed to get her out of his sight. He walked over to the ingredient closet, and opened the big jar of gillyweed, taking out a handful of them and placing them on a smaller jar.
"This should do." he said coldly.
"Thank you so much, Sir!" Hermione gave him a warm smile, wiping away her tears.
But he didn't respond. Instead he pointed his head to the door in a quick gesture, urging her to get out already.
"Have a nice afternoon!" she wished him cheerfully, though she couldn't help to notice his sudden change of attitude. However, she wasn't particularly surprised by his mood swings anymore. Now, all that mattered was that hopefully she would be getting some answers very soon, and once she did, he would realize that she was really trying to be a good friend. With a little luck, that would put an end to his unpredictable moods.
Snape heard her cheerful tone and it almost made him sick. She didn't even bother to conceal her satisfaction with her successful manipulation. He locked the door behind her, making sure no one would disturb him anymore. How had he been so stupid to fall for Miss Granger's games? How had he even considered…?
It didn't matter. Now he knew the truth, he wouldn't lose a minute of his time thinking about her anymore. She could drown in that lake for all he cared, he thought bitterly, finally succumbing to the call of the Firewhiskey again, to dull the pulsating pain on his throat as much as the one right in the middle of his chest.