Chapter 3 – Give me a reason
The night passed more quickly then she thought; it was 9 am when she woke up, but the fact that it was Sunday made her forget about the Transfiguration homework she had to prepare for Monday – "3 easy methods on how to transform a mouse into a cat".
Hermione got up two hours later, and while she was putting on her Ascenda robes, she thought about her rather embarrassing act; why did she bust into tears like that just because of what seemed now small problems? She stopped thinking about it while she was unpacking her clothes. She looked around the girls dormitory, and saw that all of her colleagues were still seeping; the bed she slept in the past night was incomparably better than the Great Hall's floor. She reached inside her suitcase and pulled out a photo of her and Oliver: it was taken just after the Griffindoor team won last year's quidditch cup; she was smiling and pulling Oliver's sleeve, so as to make him look at her. He, on the other hand, was holding the cup and was barely noticing her presence, as he was more preoccupied with hugging Angelina.
Hermione put the picture on her bedside table, but changed her mind quickly afterwards and replaced it in her suitcase. She didn't want to remember that moment, at least just for now. She quickly brushed her hair and walked out of the dormitory, into the empty Ascenda Common Room. She was still feeling a bit disoriented due to the fact that the new common room was significantly different from the one she was used to back at Hogwards.
"Up so early, Granger? Don't you need your beauty sleep like the other girls?" Oliver said. He was sitting on a couch near the empty fireplace, and was reading "Quidditch through the ages".
"Good morning to you too!" she responded sarcastically. "Reading that book again, are you? Honestly, don't you get bored?" She continued. And now what? She could go outside or back into the dormitory; she didn't want to have a conversation with Oliver right now.
"Hey, calm down... I didn't meant it that way..."
Hermione rolled her eyes and started walking towards the exit.
"Honestly! Oh, come on..." he said.
"I have better things to do than stay and chat with YOU..." She replied, while stepping out of the common room.
"It's Sunday!" Oliver said, raising his hands.
"Oh, for goodness sake, just shut up!" a voice from the boy's dormitory screamed. "Some of us are tying to get some sleep!"
"So, how did you sleep last night?" Harry asked Hermione, while they and Ron were walking through the castle's gardens.
"Do you have to ask?!?" Hermione responded immediately.
"So, Harry says you ... Hmmm." Ron stopped, felling Harry's elbow on his ribs. "I was at Charlie's the other night. Oh, by the way, I was sorted ..." He continued.
"You're an Luminati, I can see the L on your robes, Ron..." Hermione said sighing. She then asked him "So, what about Charlie?"
"Oh, ya! I was just getting to that! So, guess what?!" he asked. Both Hermione and Harry looked back at him, with curiosity. "Give up? Okay! In a week we're gonna go and see Norbert!"
"Really? Hagrid's going too, isn't he?" Hermione asked.
Norbert was the dragon Hagrid thought he'd keep as a pet during they're first year.
"Well, of course he is!" Ron answered. "After all, he was there when Norbert was "born"."
"You mean hatched." Hermione corrected him.
"He's like his father or something like that!" Ron continued.
"Hermione?" Harry asked "Did you by any chance open that box thing De La Croix gave us the other night?" he continued. "Better not tell anyone about what it's about if you manage to figure out what it means... Madam Pomfrey is still trying to make Cho regain her voice; I saw her heading to the hospital wing earlier today. Cedric told me what happened."
"Oh, that's awful! We should go visit her later!" Hermione said thoughtfully. "Looked at the clue last night – it's quite easy if you ask me!"
"Oh, come on. It's a..." Ron said, but then lowered his voice. "Doesn't make any sense at all!"
"Of course it doesn't, if the only thing you read is "The adventures of Martin Miggs, the mad muggle" Hermione said to Ron, who looked back at her without saying another word. "Anyway, I think that this competition has another purpose, besides making us feel welcomed here. Endora needs all the publicity it can right now!" she said to Harry and Ron.
"You fell asleep with your head on a dictionary again, didn't you?" Ron said, laughing.
Hermione looked back at him, with an expression that made him say "I was just joking, you know that!" and after several seconds of silence she continued. "Yes, now that we're here, Endora practically ones the front pages. Think about it! Parents will want they're kids to come here too!"
"But Endora can't receive more students than it already has now! They had to divide the houses into three groups!" Harry said, confused.
"Think about it like this: what was Endora before? A small wizarding school, with few students and teachers! They might have all ex-Hogwards students now, but you don't honestly think that they'll keep us next year as well?" Hermione continued.
"What do you mean?" Ron asked, puzzled.
"An article in the "daily prophet" I've read a few days ago stated that the ministry of magic will randomly sort all ex-Hogwards students and professors into different European wizarding schools!"
"But they can't be serious!" Harry said. "Randomly sort us into different schools?" he asked himself.
"I think that they will!" Hermione said to Harry, sighing.
"But why doesn't Dumbledore say anything about it? Surely he doesn't agree with something like this!" Harry inquired.
"Yes, but Who IS Dumbledore now? He's not our headmaster anymore, is he? He has no authority to oppose the ministry's decisions. With us gone, Endora will need other students and teachers! That's why I think they want so much attention!" Hermione said.
"But do you think De La Croix would do such a thing? Hermione, she is good to everyone, she's kind and I don't think she's able to ... use us like that, only for publicity!" Harry said to Hermione, who responded immediately.
"I agree with you on this, Harry. I don't think it's De La Croix, but trust me, there are a lot of people with lots of reasons... Just have to figure out who!"
Hermione was walking up the staircase leading to the hospital wing. Although she and Cho weren't very close friends, she somehow felt the need to go visit her. Was she doing this for Cho, or was she just hoping she will accidentally meet Cedric again? After all, wasn't he the one who went after her the other night? He showed her he cared...
She knocked on the mahogany door and entered. Cho was sitting on one of the hospital beds, with her hands over her eyes. Hermione could tell she was crying. Cedric was sitting on a chair, beside her.
"Cho? Heard about ... I'm really sorry!" Hermione told her. However, Cho didn't move.
"Madam Pomfry said there's nothing she can do right now. Cho has to wait another three days for the charm to wear off." Cedric told Hermione, who responded with an "Oh..."
Cho still didn't move. "She doesn't want to see anyone right now. Understand her..." Cedric said to Hermione. He then kissed Cho on the cheek and said "We'll be going now, ok?" Cho nodded, while still keeping her hands over her eyes. "Let's go then." Cedric said to Hermione, putting his hand on his shoulder.
"Bye, Cho! I'm really sorry!" Hermione repeated.
As they walked out of the room, Hermione looked into Cedric's gray eyes. She opened her mouth, but didn't say anything.
"So..." Diggory said to her, smiling. "How are you?" he asked Hermione.
"Um, what can I say..." she smiled back. "I'm... better!" she went slightly pink What a stupid thing to say! "I should apologize for last night..."
"There's nothing to apologize for... Like I said, it's a big change..." he then looked into Hermione's eyes and said "Hermione, there is something I have to tell you..."
A.N.: I know, I'm evil... :) I want to know what you think should happen next; who do you think is best for Hermione?
P.S.: Thank you for all your reviews! I really appreciate them!