Part Eleven

The next morning Harry and Ron were even more secretive talking about a cloak of some kind and about a mirror. They grew quiet when Erin came in. They were so quiet that Erin really didn't know what to do. She turned from them and walked right back out of the Great Hall, hurt and confused. She went to the library again and completely shoved Nicolas Flamel from her mind. What should she care about what Fluffy was guarding? Why should she care if Snape wanted it? They had no proof of anything and they didn't know what was going on. They should have just left it alone. She threw herself into the books and when she looked up at the clock again it was almost 7. Most everyone would have eaten dinner already.

Erin went down to the Great Hall and found herself face to face with Fred and George. "What, guys?"

"Erin, we know something is going on between you, Harry and Ron. What is it?" Fred asked.

The girl sighed. "I don't know. Harry and Ron have suddenly felt it necessary to keep something from me. I don't care if they keep secrets. They certainly are entitled to. Now if you'll excuse me I have to get some dinner."

She pushed past them and sat at the table piling her plate with spaghetti and meatballs. She buttered some bread and proceeded to eat heartily, but her heart really wasn't in it. She went back to the Gryffindor Common Room with her books and sat by the fire. Harry and Ron were nowhere to be seen, they might have already gone up to bed. She could only hope.

Erin was sitting and reading so intently that she didn't notice anything going on in the common room. That is until a voice spoke to her. "Erin, we have loads to tell you."

Erin, who was quite put out by this time, slammed her book shut and glared at the two boys. "Oh, now you want to talk. For two days you haven't so much as said 'hello', but now it's 'we have loads to tell you'? You know what? I don't care!"

Erin picked up her books and after throwing another glare at them sauntered off to her dormitory. The door flew open ahead of her and slammed shut behind her.

Ron shuddered. "I think she's mad at us."

Harry swallowed casting a long look at the door to the girls' dorm. "I think we're in trouble."

Hermione came back the day before term started and Erin still wasn't speaking to either Ron or Harry. When she found out about what had happened she had a long talk with the boys. They told her everything that had happened.

When Hermione went to Erin to explain things to her, the girl said she wasn't interested and went back to her book. "Erin, they're boys, they can be very callous and rude at times without meaning to be. They are very sorry and promise to try and not leave you out of the loop again."

"Not meaning to be?" Erin asked her. "Every time I came near them their mouths shut tighter than a cat skin! Can you call that not meaning to keep me out of things? Hermione, they really hurt me! They wouldn't talk to me for two days! Then Fred and George got into it asking what had happened! I didn't know what I did to make them not trust me! I thought they trusted me, Hermione! What am I? Am I just someone good to have around in a tricky situation? Am I someone to copy homework off of? Do I just keep them amused by fighting with Malfoy?" The dark haired girl was in tears by this time.

"Erin, you know you aren't any of that! You're my best friend! I love you!" She put her arms around the girl. "Erin, stop crying…there's no reason too."

"Yes, there is." She mumbled. Her hand was searching for a tissue, hitting the music box on her bed, instead. Erin started to cry even harder.

"Erin…isn't that…?" She looked from the to the music box and back again. "Oh, Erin, I can't believe I didn't see it before!" Erin had shown Hermione the gifts when she came back.

Erin looked at her. "It didn't mean it to happen! It just did."

She laughed smiling. "You and Harry."

The girl smiled and dried her tears. "Yeah, pretty funny."

"No, Erin it's not funny, it's just that I never saw it. How long has it been going on?"

"Since the beginning really." She confessed. "But I guess I first noticed it about the time of the first Potions lesson."

"So that's why you were so upset. Do you plan on telling Harry?"

"No!" Erin said alarmed. "I don't want anything to happen to our friendship. Don't say anything, ok?"

"I won't." She said. "I can keep a secret. We've been studying to be Animagi for the last 4 months and no has caught on."

Erin laughed but then stopped herself smiling with excitement. "Hermione, I think I can do it."

"What?" She asked. "You think you can what?" Then her expression changed. "Oh, Erin when did you realize it?"

"The day after Christmas. I realized that I have read everything in the study room and every book in the library that could help."

"I can't believe you've done it!" She said in awe. "So you think you can actually transform?"

"I want you there with me, just in case something goes wrong. But I've done enough reading; it's time to put it into practice. I don't want to tell Ron and Harry about it just yet."

"I know, the less people who know the better. If it's just the two us they can't get in trouble, too."

Erin nodded. "And if I learn to do it then I can help you."

She smiled. "It may take me longer, there are just some things you can't learn from books, not that I haven't tried." She laughed. "I never want to be on a broomstick again."

"When should we try it?" The brunette asked her.

"Let's wait until Easter break, then we can go somewhere by ourselves. Now, Erin, are you going to speak to Harry and Ron again?"

Erin sighed. "I don't really know as I have a choice in the matter."

Erin made up with Harry and Ron and they promised they would never leave her alone like that again. And she told them it was all right to keep secrets, but it wasn't all right to keep her out of things that they should be telling her. They had agreed that they should have told the girl right away. Harry had gotten a cloak for Christmas that used to be his fathers'. He had used this cloak to go and try to look in the Restricted Section of the library. Erin rolled her eyes at that. "I could have told you that you can't look there without permission." And he said that he had found a mirror that showed him his hearts' desire. He had seen his parents. He took Ron back the next night and Ron saw himself standing alone as Head Boy and Quidditch Captain and holding the House Cup and the Quidditch Cup. The next night he had gone back and Dumbledore had been there; he had explained that it was the Mirror of Erised. The Mirror showed nothing more and nothing less that looker's most desperate desire of their hearts.

The most desperate desire of her heart…Erin thought. Harry…