Disclaimer: I do not own or have any rights to Harry Potter or the chapter titles 11 onwards.
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Chapter 20: Say it isn't so
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Two nights later Hermione was found walking backwards and forwards in front of Banabas the Barmy. She knew what she wanted, what she needed, and pictured it in her head as she walked. On the fourth passing of the tapestry a door appeared and she smiled at the others, waiting to see their reactions when she opened the door. They gasped as they took in the walls of books, the piles of cushions scattered throughout the room, and the various dark detectors located on the table at the far end.
Hermione wandered around her old DA class, glad it was in use again. She turned to the others who were looking at her expectantly, even Peter, who had been convinced to come under the insistence of his fellow Marauders.
"Ok," Hermione started. "You're all very good at your defence; you know how to cast the spells and how to block them. Unfortunately," she continued. "You don't get enough practical time in class, you need to learn how to read your attacker, and how to react quickly."
The others nodded, taking the information in. Hermione smiled looking at their serious expressions.
"Right, we'll start with the basics." She surveyed the group in front of her trying to work out the best pairings.
In the end she decided on James and Remus (James and Sirius would muck around too much), Sirius and Lily and herself with Peter, placing the strongest of the group with the weakest.
"Simple first," Hermione instructed. "To warm up start with Expelliarmus"
Almost instantly the room was filled with shouts of the disarming charm. Unlike their first DA meeting in Hermione's fifth year, this group, with the exception of Peter, knew exactly what they were doing and took turns to effectively disarming each other while Hermione worked with Peter on his skill.
Thirty minutes later Hermione called for everyone to stop. Instantly the room fell silent. Hermione beamed at the others.
"Good work," she complimented. "Ok, we'll work on some shield charms next, take it in turns at first, send small spells such as jelly legs or the body binding hex, we'll do some stunning spells another time." She turned to Peter, signaling the others to start.
"Ok Peter, send a hex my way," she commanded.
He nodded nervously and shouted. "Petrificus Totalus."
Hermione who had had her wand at the ready shouted, "Protego" effectively blocking the body bind.
Peter looked a little disappointed but Hermione just smiled at him. "Ok Peter, I'm going to send the same thing back, try and block it ok?"
Peter nodded and raised his wand. Hermione sent a beam of light towards the small boy who hesitated slightly before yelling "Protego", unfortunately his hesitation caused Hermione beam of light to hit him squarely in the chest.
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Over the next few weeks the group gathered in the Room of Requirement to work on their various forms of defence. Hermione could feel the difference in her muscles after what the boys had been training, and she started to slowly build her confidence up. In her own lessons the others were doing extremely well, having begun to master how to avoid spells, rather than just using shield charms. Peter was a little behind but with Hermione's help and the others encouragement he was slowly making progress also.
One quiet Saturday Hermione was reading her Advanced Charms book on a chair in the common room, the late winters light bathing her in a soft glow. Suddenly a pair of strong arms wrapped around her shoulders from behind and crossed in front of her chest.
"Hey gorgeous."
"Hey," she replied still reading.
Sirius smiled and gently plucked the book from Hermione hands.
"I was reading that," she said as she tried to turn but Sirius held her against the chair.
"Come on Hermione, look at the day, do you know what kind of weather that is?" he asked in her ear.
"Its reading in the sun weather," she replied.
"No, its flying weather."
Hermione froze and turned her head to see Sirius and the others, even Lily, holding broomsticks.
"You know, I think I'll stay here," she said nervously, trying to settle herself back comfortably into the cushy chair.
Sirius released her and moved in front of her, crouching down to her height and resting a hand on her knee. "Come on Hermione, you need some fresh air."
Hermione shook her head, the last time she was on a broom was in her first year and she wasn't keen on repeating the experience.
Sirius stood and moved to the others and returned a few minutes later as the flyers exited the common room. He moved to Hermione's chair grabbed her hand and pulled her up, taking her place on the seat and pulling the shocked witch onto his lap.
"Now," Sirius started. "Why don't you want to come and fly?" he asked.
Hermione didn't answer and watched her fingers pick a loose thread from the sleeve of Sirius' shirt.
"Hun," Sirius said. "You don't have to fly if you don't want to but I thought you might have liked a little fun."
Hermione looked down from her position into his grey pools and smiled slightly knowing she couldn't lie to those eyes.
"I haven't flown a broom since first year," she confessed.
Sirius jaw almost reached his lap as he stared at her in shock. "You haven't flown in seven years?"
"Haven't flown a broom," Hermione corrected remembering the frightening Threstral ride to the Ministry of Magic.
"Any particular reason why?" the black haired boy enquired.
Hermione shrugged. "I guess I was the bookworm of the group, my friends were the flyers"
"And they never asked you to come and fly?" Sirius asked.
Hermione shook her head, Harry and Ron knew flying wasn't Hermione's thing. Sirius on the other hand had a different idea as he put her on her feet, stood up and picked up his broom before turning on Hermione and flinging her over his shoulder while heading for the portrait hole.
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"Sirius put me down!" Hermione pleaded repeatedly as Sirius made his way to the Entrance Hall.
"You won't run back?" he asked.
Hermione sighed "No, now can you put me down, I'll read my book outside."
Sirius stopped and complied with Hermione's wishes, gently placing back on her own two feet. Hand in hand they walked the rest of the way outside. Just before reaching their destination they passed Natasha Tyler (void now of any green). Hermione tensed watching for the usual glare of death; however Natasha merely looked at the couple indifferently and continued to walk past them. Hermione and Sirius looked at each other and shrugged, both glad to know the Ravenclaw had obviously gotten over her jealousy.
What the pair didn't notice however were the pair of steely eyes watching them coldly from the side of the corridor, as they made their way outside.
