The Houses Competition Round 7: Feel it Now

House: Hufflepuff

Position: DADA

Type: Drabble

Prompt: [Emotion] Loneliness

Word Count:925 Words

Hermione said her "see you soons" to the Weasleys and turned to scan the platform for her own parents. She found them near the back, her father wearing a comfortable sweater and tan slacks and her mother a flowery dress. They smiled over the crowd of wizards trying to blend in with their strange attire, and their faces erupted in pride when they caught sight of their daughter.

"Hermione!" her father called as she reached them. They enveloped her in a warm hug.

"How has your year been, sweetheart?" asked her mother.

Hermione paused. Her parent's had been ecstatic when her letter arrived. They had let her return to school even after receiving a diplomatically worded missive from Dumbledore explaining the events of her first, and then second, year. Even the conversation explaining how the felon they saw on the news was not really a criminal at all, but actually the godfather of Hermione's best friend had been met with cautious acceptance. Hermione wanted so badly to tell them what had happened and to have her father hold her close and promise safety.

But she couldn't. Her earlier adventures had all seemed like isolated events at the time. The danger had peaked and then had passed as she sat down with Harry and Ron over pumpkin juice and mince pie at the end of term feast. This time was different. Voldemort would still be there when she went back to school in the fall. He would be building up his forces to target - to target people like her all summer. She couldn't tell her parents there was a war in a world they barely understood. She couldn't explain how close to the center of it she felt.

"It was eventful, Mum," she settled on, "The Weasleys said maybe I could spend some time with them later this summer?" It wasn't a lie, even if it left out what she desperately wanted to share.

"Of course, dear," her mother said, "but I hope we can spend some time with you first. We could visit Bath and see the ruins together. How were your exams?"

"Yea, I'd like to visit Bath," she said, deciding she wasn't ready to talk about the end of term yet.

As Hermione sat in the back of the Granger's family car and made small talk with her family in the front seat, she stared at the city and then the countryside passing by through the windows. Somehow, despite the happy chatter of her parents in the front seat, she was deeply lonely.

It had only been four years ago that she had been a little girl, dreaming of going to Oxford after finishing her A-levels. She had been sure she would study maths, although she had cycled through so many subjects as her other choices. They had all seemed so interesting. Maybe that's why her parents were not surprised when McGonagall needed their permission for her to take so many classes last year.

In that world she would have sat in the car on the last day of school and chatted with her parents about her baby cousin's first steps and the new dental hygienist her father hired who brought cupcakes for the breakroom. They could have looked forward to a world her parents understood and were prepared to help her navigate. Instead, Hermione had accepted an invitation to another world, and she thought she had thrived there. In four years she had grown from a socially awkward first-year, desperately worried about not knowing the right thing, to a fourth-year who was able to stand with her friends as they faced greater danger every year. And her parents had followed her journey into this world that they could not understand with pride and enthusiasm that many muggleborns could only dream of.

But, they could only follow her into that world, never guide her, and she couldn't lead them into the danger she knew was coming. So she guided the conversation to safe topics.

"How were your exams?" her father repeated, since she neglected to answer before.

"They went well I think, I didn't know a question on the History of Magic one."

"I hope this Viktor Krum wasn't distracting you from your studies," her mother teased.

Hermione blushed, pulled partly from her thoughts, "He mostly liked to watch me study, actually."

"Did anything else interesting happen?" her father asked, "No werewolves for teachers this year?"

"No werewolves," she said, trying not to think about a disguised death eater torturing a spider in the classroom.

"Well, we're excited to have you home," said Mrs. Granger, "I hope you aren't too eager to go back already?"

Hermione recognized her mother's teasing. It was the same tone of voice she had used when she asked her if she wanted the car to turn around and take her back to primary school as soon as she came home. But she pondered the question seriously. The thought of returning to Hogwarts knowing Voldemort sat waiting and growing in strength outside its walls was terrifying, but she'd be with Harry and Ron and the rest of her friends who knew and would face the danger together and, hopefully, her family would be safe. The summer seemed to mean facing this consuming dread alone, with nobody to share the burden with.

"Let's enjoy the summer best we can, first," she responded and her mother smiled and reached behind to touch her knee,

"We're so glad to have you home Hermione. We couldn't have asked for a better daughter."