Awakening
Chapter Four: The Subconscious Plague
By: Star*dust
A/N: June 21st! Yes, that's the magic phrase for every Harry Potter fan, now isn't it? I personally can't wait, but I just need to take this opportunity to say that no matter what the fifth book brings I will not be changing this fanfic. And I seriously doubt that I will be done with this by the time it comes out, so I'm sure that will be an issue. I'm not saying that I won't get new ideas and write other fanfics, but I will NOT change this story AT ALL. OK, I've said my part about that, onto this chapter:
I just noticed that this chapter has a LOT of conversation during breakfast. I think there are three or four instances where things are introduced at breakfast, and come to think of it, things are like that in this whole story. I don't know why, but I bet you can guess what my favorite meal is. Lol.
Well, anyway, I hope you like this chapter. Some pretty interesting and somewhat significant things happen here. So, I think I've talked enough for now. Thanks!
~*~
*Earlier that night.*
Angie walked into her room smiling. She suddenly was very glad that she had come back to Hogwarts. Just then, she knew she would be OK. The feeling didn't last long.
She climbed into bed about an hour later thinking about how exactly she was going to handle her first ever class. Maybe this is why she didn't instantly fall asleep. Whatever the reason the longer she laid alone in the dark the more her thoughts turned to the past. Eventually Angie drifted off into a disturbed sleep full of turbulent dreams.
Maybe it was because she was back in the castle. Maybe it was because she had been so close to Harry that day, or maybe Remus brought it all back. But whatever the reason, Angie had an attack worse than ever before. She hadn't experienced anything like it at least since she divorced Josh.
Her dreams were filled with the most painful experiences and she would wake up feeling drowned and alone. The ever present darkness was the only thing to comfort her.
She blindly felt for something in her beside table. She drank deeply from the bottle and stumbled around the room in search of something to end this madness. Her head seemed to explode with sound and memories rapidly playing out in her mind.
She felt smothered, like she couldn't breathe. She wanted to scream, she would do anything to get out of this whirlwind.
And then, it all suddenly came to a stop as she ran headlong into a large object and tumbled to the floor with a frightened scream. She broke down and sobbed uncontrollably as she found herself in the hallway on the ground. Apparently she had knocked Professor Dumbledore off his feet in her pursuit to escape from her own mind.
Back in the classroom the four of them listened intently to the voices outside in the hallway.
"Angela!" A surprised but calm voice of Albus Dumbledore floated to her ears. "Angela? Calm down," He said firmly taking a hold of her shoulders. She still shook violently but she stopped screaming.
"Angela Star. What has happened?" Dumbledore asked pulling her to her feet as he, himself, rose from the cold stone surface.
Angela stuttered and sniffed for a few seconds. "Nothing happened.I'm fine," She finally managed to piece together as she hastily wiped her eyes. Dumbledore looked sternly at her as she looked away embarrassed.
"Come to my office and we'll talk," She said mildly and they slowly made their way up the stairs.
In the classroom Sirius breathed and slowly sank down the wall to the ground. "That was really close," Ron said, stating the blatantly obvious. Harry and Ron just stared white faced at Sirius who was still trying to recover. Hermione however was not concerned about their close encounter; she was puzzling over the conversation that had just taken place.
"What do you suppose is going on with Professor Star?" She asked thoughtfully. "You don't think she's hurt do you.you don't think she saw us?" She suddenly said her eyes growing to the size of saucers. Sirius's head snapped up and the four of them looked at each other with pale faces.
"No," Sirius finally decided. "She would have reason to point me out to Dumbledore. Besides that, I've heard that she had some.suicidal problems after.after.after Lily and James were killed." Sirius finally decided.
Hermione was still confused and would have probed deeper into the matter, but Sirius rose. "And furthermore, she's talking to Dumbledore right now, he'll set things straight. Look, I shouldn't be here anymore,"
"Wait! Take this," Harry said thrusting the invisibility cloak toward Sirius.
He looked down at it and a ghost of a smile played on his lips. "No, I have a feeling you all will have plenty of need for that," He said with a wink. Quickly, Sirius opened the door and melted into the shadows.
"But we haven't told you about Kirsten Star yet!" Hermione whispered after him, but he was far away now.
~*~
By the time Dumbledore lit a fire and got the tea Angie seemed to have considerable calmed down. For several moments Dumbledore sat sipping his tea and studying her. He noticed how she did not meet his eyes and nervously wrung her hands and fiddled with her left ring finger. Though you couldn't really tell she was not a very old woman, just entering her late thirties. But her face was thin and haggard and her eyes were dark and fathomless.
"Is there something you would like to discuss?" He finally asked. He was surprised when he got a response without having to probe at all.
"All around me I see the past. It's killing me. If I don't have someone with me to distract me I feel like everything is pressing in around me and smothering me. It was bad enough before where I was far away from everything but now.I can't stop thinking about everything, about..Him," She said quietly.
"Say His name Angela,"
"What?" She cried snapping her head up to look at him.
"The only way you're going to get through this is to accept the past. There is no use denying anything that happened. Not anymore, I will not allow you to tell yourself you never married Him-" Angie did not want to hear what he was saying. She hadn't married Him. How could she have married Him; He was the murderer, the traitor, she had never loved Him.
"I have accepted it," She cut in. "It was sixteen years ago!"
"Then say His name," Dumbledore persisted.
"I don't see the point. I cannot stand hearing it, it makes me sick!" She said, truthfully.
"Then tell me what you remember. Tell me what made you scream. Talk to me, Angela." She was looking away, reluctant to speak again. "I know everything that happened already. You cannot be embarrassed or afraid of it anymore. It is dampening your spirit."
"Sometimes when I'm alone, I think about slitting my wrists." She said. "I remember what it felt like and all the blood.but I wanted to do it. I wanted to kill myself."
"What about now?"
"No.sometimes I think it would be-no I know it would be easier, but I realize that I have to be here for Kirsten. But every time I think of everyone dead. All murdered!" She screamed. "I spent so long trying to run from it. Trying to forget everything. And now, I've come back and all over again. I don't know how long I can do it. I want to forget Sirius Black," She whispered. She blinked and a tear fell from her eye.
Dumbledore studied the pathetic creature. She still nervously played with her left ring finger.
"We cannot forget those things," Dumbledore told her quietly. "If we forget, then history is likely to repeat itself. We have to remember the evil of the dark lord. That way we will know that we must stop it."
"But it is already happening again!" Angie cried. "And it's because of Him!" Dumbledore gave her a look and she conceded and spoke His name. "Sirius Black escaped from jail to bring He-who-must-not-be-named back to power,"
"As I have told many others before, not saying Voldemort's name only increases the absurd superstition that he will suddenly appear out of nowhere."
At this point Angie would go no further. "I dared to utter Sirius Black's name, but I will not allow the name of that vile creature to pass over my lips," Dumbledore decided not to press the matter. You could only push a body so far in one night.
"Angela, sleep freely here. You know you are safe. A memory cannot hurt you. Just remember that you have already lived through it, there is no need for you to suffer through a reliving of it. You are far from any of those things that haunt you," *Except perhaps Sirius.* Dumbledore thought to himself wondering how soon he would show up at the castle this year.
"By I have not rested since I decided to come back. Doesn't it just make you sick every time you think of it? How many times I was so close to him. How could I have missed it? Every time I think of Sirius with Lily and James-"
"Love is blind, Angela," Dumbledore said.
"It shouldn't be! I should have known!" She cried in frustration.
"You must calm down. You will get through this yet," Dumbledore reassured her. "Believe me, I would do anything to change what happened, but there is a reason for everything turning out the way it does and we are not fit to question that." Angie nodded in agreement. "Rest now, tomorrow is a new day."
* * *
The next morning Hermione cursed under her breath as the sounds of the girls in her dorm preparing themselves for the day woke her. She was dead tired as she had slept barely four hours the previous night.
"Hermione," Kirsten said seeing that she was stirring in her bed. "Do you think I should wear my hair down, like this, or up in a ponytail?"
"I don't care!" Hermione shouted at her. But Lavender Brown immediately joined the conversation.
"Don't pay attention to her, she's probably tired." She said hastily. "I think you're hair looks really pretty when it's down like that, but if you factor in the heat and the fact that you'll be moving all day I think you should put it up. Just a simple ponytail would look so cute! Here," She said grabbing a brush.
Kirsten and Lavender chatted as they applied their make-up and Hermione rolled her eyes. She was glad that she wouldn't have to play Kirsten's tour guide.
Hermione went down in the common and noted the absence of Ron and Harry and was willing to bet anything that they were still asleep (she certainly would have been if it were at all possible to sleep in the midst of teenage girls getting ready for the day) when she suddenly heard a shout that was the unmistakable sound of Ron's voice.
"I'll murder them," He was kept muttering on his way down to breakfast. Fred and George had sent him a box of their newest invention. Instead of a cockroach cluster it was a spider sucker. ("Moves its legs in your mouth!" The label proudly declared.)
Hermione smiled to herself. If he hadn't been so grumpy about the lack of sleep he probably wouldn't have been so upset.
~*~
Angie hadn't slept much that night. After going back to her room she pretty much decided that sleep was pointless and had spent the rest of the time writing songs and poems to try and relieve her stress and display her emotions.
Angie didn't feel like going down to breakfast and facing everyone so she went straight to her classroom and nervously awaited her first class.
Kirsten went down to breakfast and noted her mother's absence. She was pretty sure Angie would be in her classroom, so she grabbed an apple and made her way to the languages classroom.
Angie yawned as Kirsten entered the classroom. "Morning," She said.
"Good morning," Kirsten replied.
"Are you tired?" Angie asked.
"Nope," Kirsten said taking a bite out of her apple.
"I didn't sleep much last night."
"Do you ever?" Angie looked down and desperately tried to remember the last time she had a good rest. It had to have been before she decided to come here again. looking up at her daughter munching on that apple suddenly made her hungry.
"Hey! No eating in my classroom." She exclaimed snatching the apple from Kirsten and then taking a bite out of it herself.
"You hypocrite!" Kirsten said grabbing her apple back.
* * *
"Well," Ron said trying to convince himself that getting up for classes was a good thing. "At least we know exactly where the languages classroom is,"
"That is true," Harry said.
"I just hope Kirsten doesn't get some kind of special treatment," Hermione said. Ron and Harry gave her a look.
"You really don't like her do you?" Ron asked.
"Give me one good reason to like her," Hermione responded.
"Give me one good reason not to,"
"I have plenty of reasons for not liking her. And the only reason you two are taking to her is because of her blonde hair and long eye lashes!" Harry and Ron exchanged looks. "She the most annoying girl I have ever met. I've never seen anyone so obsessed with the way they look in my entire life. And if she says 'like' one more time I'm going to blow the hat right off my head!"
"Hermione, you're not wearing a hat," Harry pointed out.
"Oh curse it!" She exclaimed. "That is an extraneous fact that only you would take notice of!"
~*~
The bell rang and Angie closed the door with her wand and smiled at her class. About half of them looked asleep and the other half looked fairly uninterested or distracted. (she noted with dissatisfaction that her daughter was among the distracted. She was intent upon Harry Potter.)
It was quite a mass. The classroom, which was extremely large anyway, was nearly full. Most every seventh year was in the class. They were massed together since they would only be taking one year.
"Seventh years for my first ever class. Great idea Dumbledore," She said. A few of them laughed. "OK, I'm not going to bother taking role. If you're here you're here. If you don't come you obviously don't want to be here and it's not my problem if you fail this class. However, I would like to learn your names. We'll get to that in a second.
"First I need to go through what we will be doing in this class. I'm sorry to say that the first quarter of the year you will need probably no magic at all in this class. Not until we get through the basics of human languages will you need your wands. Come to class prepared to take notes and to speak.
"The first quarter we will be learning how to speak the basics of conversational language for about twelve major human tongues including Latin, Greek, Japanese, Spanish, French, Italian, German, etc., etc.
"Then we will move on to languages like Gobbledegook, hippogriffian, several bird languages, mermish, the language of the veelas, etc. That will require magic because you will more than likely have to 'tune' your voice to the right pitches and so on. We can have a lot of fun in this class, if you choose. If you don't we will simply copy notes and repeat, repeat, repeat. So, don't give me any trouble and we'll have some fun.
I'm sure you have loads of questions for me, but please see me after class or hold your peace. Today we're going to start with Spanish." And so she dove right into classes. By the end of the period Angie had learned to tell Kirsten not to bother answering because she was already fluent in the languages they would be studying for the next 6-10 weeks.
Lupin's class was a trip. He let them have a free discussion day where anyone could ask any question they wanted and the class ended up discussing different ways of getting around the rules.
Kirsten seemed to enjoy almost everything she did. That night she sat down and wrote for almost two hours a letter to her friends back in the states and sent it off. Much to the annoyance of Hermione she kept looking up at Harry and giggling as she wrote her letter.
Suddenly a letter arrived and interrupted Hermione's thoughts. She immediately recognized what it was and smiled as she read the familiar letter. She had received basically the same notice the past two years in a row. Dumbledore had trusted her with this little task and together she and Sirius had gotten pretty good at what they did.
"Dear Ms. Granger,
Congratulations on receiving the position of Head Girl, I know you will lead the school well. As I'm sure you know, I am in need of a special service this year that I alone cannot handle. I trust you fully to use sound judgment and be cautious at all times. Please feed and take care of the stray dog that visits Hogwarts grounds every once in a while. He needs your help.
Thank you, as always,
Headmaster Dumbledore"
Hermione smiled and tossed the letter onto the fire. Ron raised an eyebrow and she stated simply: "I'm in charge of feeding the stray dog this year." Ron and Harry grinned and went back to their chess game.
Hermione, tired of watching this spectacle year after year, decided to write a letter to that stray dog, since she couldn't get much of a conversation in with Harry and Ron. Hoping the owl wouldn't cause trouble she borrowed Hedwig and waited for a reply.
Quite unfortunately Sirius chose not to reply until somewhere around midnight. Mumbling about lost sleep two nights in a row Hermione gave the letter a cursory glance and then tossed it on the fire. As she watched the fire burn she was reminded of the death of her parents.
That first night after they had been murdered she had sat and stared in front of the fire for hours on end. It seemed like the only logical thing to do. Stare mindlessly into the mesmerizing flames.
The fuss and bustle of Diagon Alley filled her ears. It was a crowded day, but nice and sunny, warm, but mild. Perfect day to spend shopping with her family. Who knew it would be her last?
Hermione could recall the exact details from that day. She knew exactly what everyone was wearing; she could quote every conversation word for word. She could remember every last thing, except for who had attacked them with the crystal.
There had been an accident so to speak. A young boy was running through the alley and had knocked a woman and all her parcels to the ground creating a bit of a hold up in the center of the narrow alley. As more and more people began to gather a sudden darkening of the sky told of the tragic thing that would happen next.
Suddenly, there was a huge explosion, a crack of energy, and a flash that sent shockwaves that the muggles could feel on the other side of the barrier. Three shops were completely demolished and windows all down the street had busted.
Everywhere there were people strewn across the ground. Some were moving, but most lay there, eternally unable to move. Hermione remembered feeling dizzy and not really being able to move. She could hear the screams and then she looked into the sky and saw the dark mark.
The attack on Diagon Alley was the largest mass killing by the dark lord for almost 18 years. At least a hundred and fifty people died and many more were injured. The damage done to the shops was catastrophic and the economy all but stopped. No one wanted to go out anymore. Everyone was afraid and Hermione was orphaned.
Preparing to go into her fifth year at school she had lost the two most important people to her in a brutal murder. An act of hate. She was taken to the ministry of magic where she was questioned but to this day she couldn't remember anything about the person who had wielded the carbonated crystal and neither could any of the other survivors.
To the shock of the wizarding world the carbonated crystal had not been destroyed as was the rumor, it was still in the power of the dark lord himself. As one can imagine Hermione went through considerable depression and other mental problems.
But then she met Sierra. One day Sierra came to her at the ministry. She explained that she was a consultant and she specialized in psychiatric needs. Hermione found she could talk to Sierra and it made her feel a little better.
Hermione had been staying with the Weasley's, and Sierra started making regular visits to see her. Without Sierra, Hermione could not have made it through her ordeal and in return Sierra got just what she needed.
But even after the years of talking about it, Hermione still remembered that day in Diagon Alley, and she still cried.
* * *
The next day at breakfast Hermione got into an argument with Kirsten. She was already depressed from the night before and grumpy from lack of sleep and Kirsten's perky ignorance pushed her over the edge.
Hermione was the last to come down to breakfast and she probably didn't look her best. Kirsten looked up from her copy of Teen Witch Weekly and gave Hermione a look.
"What's the matter?" Hermione asked as she saw Kirsten.
"Nothing." Kirsten said.
"What?" Hermione snapped as she poured some milk into her cereal.
"It's just that those shoes are last season and they aren't the same shade of black as your robes," Hermione stared at her for a moment wondering if she could be any ruder.
"And this offends you because you're a fashion expert?" She said sarcastically.
"No," Kirsten replied seriously. "It bothers me that you're sitting across from me,"
"Well, excuse me. I'll just move my spot where sat for the past six years. No big deal,"
"I'm sorry. You asked and I told you what I thought."
"Why don't you just go back to America where you came from!?" Hermione shouted at her. Ron and Harry were desperately trying to think of something to stop this madness.
"Why don't you just go back to your gloomy castle in the country?"
"Because, I have to stay here and help all the people like you, who don't know what they're doing."
"Don't worry about me. I've got friends here." Kirsten said obviously speaking of Ron and Harry. This enraged Hermione beyond words.
"Do you think you can just come in here and take my place? These are my friends! This is my table! This is my school! This is my COUNTRY!" She screamed and quickly left.
"God, can't she find a way to tame that hair?" Kirsten said as they watched her go. Ron and Harry decided that it was time to go to class.
~*~
"Now you've taken the notes it is time to try transforming your piece of driftwood into a rose," Professor McGonagall said that afternoon. They all set to work and before long McGonagall was exclaiming.
"Oh beautiful Ms. Star!" She said lifting the perfect red rose to her nose and smelling its sweet fragrance. Kirsten smiled as McGonagall awarded her points.
Hermione looked down at her rose which was the same color and texture of the driftwood. "No, you forgot to do-" To Hermione's mortification she saw that she was being taught by Kirsten.
~*~
On their walk back to the common room that evening Ron and Harry were fawning over Kirsten. "Did you see the look on Snape's face?" Ron was saying. "That was classic. It was like a dream come true!" In potions class Kirsten had corrected their Professor on his spelling.
"I've got to hand it to," Harry admitted. "That was pretty awesome. Even Hermione didn't notice," Hermione's eyes flashed dangerously as Kirsten smiled.
"It was nothing; I just remembered reading it,"
* * *
Angie was startled by a knock on her door after her last class of the day. She looked up to see Remus walk into the classroom. "So, how were classes today?" He asked casually sitting on the edge of her desk.
"I think things are getting off to a pretty good start," She said.
"How's Kirsten adjusting?"
"You can tell as good as I can. I haven't really talked with her much," Angie replied.
"And how are YOU doing?" He asked much more seriously noting the dark circles under her eyes. She nervously looked away under his gaze.
"I'm.all right,"
"Just all right?"
"It's better than being all wrong, isn't it?" He laughed. "Well, how about that brandy you were telling me about?" She asked.
"Of course, just come to my office," He said delighted she had suggested it.
* * *
Hermione was seething by the time they all sat down to do their homework that night. (Especially since Harry asked Kirsten to sit on the couch with him) Hermione was determined not give up and let Kirsten win so easily. So, she concentrated on her homework and focused on not letting it get to her.
"Done! Finally," Hermione said dotting her last 'i' on her essay. "What do you think?" She asked Harry.
"Looks great," He said giving the piece of parchment a glance that cannot even be classified as cursory and then tossing it on the table. Kirsten then decided to ask Harry a question which he discussed in great detail.
Hermione's eyes were still shooting daggers when Harry gathered up the quidditch crew in the center of the common room for his weekly meeting. Kirsten of course went with him but Hermione was surprised to see Ron stay behind. He was looking at her.
"What?" She asked him.
"Is something wrong, Hermione?"
"Yes."
"Care to elaborate?"
"No."
"Maybe I can help."
"I doubt it."
"This conversation is not going anywhere, is it?"
"Nope." Ron gave an exasperated sigh.
"This will never work if you don't talk to me," He said.
"I am talking to you. See, this is me talking to you." Ron rolled his eyes and was just about to get up when she spoke again. "It's just how he blows me off, you know? He doesn't pay any attention, at all!"
"Harry?"
"No Ron, Peeves the poltergeist,"
"What's the big deal? You've never been jealous of some girl of Harry's before."
"I'm not jealous of her! And this is something totally different."
"Again, you've got to give me more information if you want this conversation to have any substance at all,"
"This isn't like any other girlfriend he's had. She's American, she's pretty, and she's smart. She holds his attention better than I do!"
"Hermione, calm down. This is not as big of a deal as you're making it. I think if you would just realize that Kirsten is totally new here you would realize that you're being totally unfair. You should be helping her out." This only further increased Hermione's frustration.
"Never mind! I'm going to feed the dog!" She shouted and stomped off.
~*~
Hermione was so caught up in her own thoughts that she didn't notice Sirius and until she was almost walking right into him. Once they had found a place to chat Hermione immediately unloaded.
"I hate her Sirius!" These were the first words she uttered.
"Hi, how are you doing? I'm doing great, considering I haven't eaten for almost twenty-four hours and I surely need a shower but I'm glad to see you all the same," He said sarcastically.
"Yeah, yeah, hi," She said hastily, which earned her a wry grin.
"OK, so who do you hate?" Sirius asked with a sigh.
"That little-" She gave a frustrated sigh and she desperately wanted to swear. "Kirsten Star," She finally managed to pull out through gritted teeth. Sirius sort of coughed at the sound of the name but allowed her to continue. "I know that she is a totally new person in this country and I shouldn't be judging her already. Because I'm not like that. I always try to help people out, you know? But I just cannot find any reason to like her at all! She just comes in and totally takes over my whole life!"
"In the span of, what like, two days this girl comes in and takes over every aspect of your life? Come on Hermione,"
"No, it's true!" She protested. "She corrected Professor Snape today in class, she knew how to do her Transfiguration better than I did, she's in my house, she's in my dorm, and she sits right across from me. She tells me nasty little things about how my hair is bushy and my clothes are last season and worst of all Harry barely even acknowledges my presence. When people come up they say hi to Harry and then to Kirsten. They already know who she is! It's horrible Sirius! I hate her!"
"Ok, first of all, her so called intellect won't last. Trust me; it's like some sort of beginners luck or a wand malfunction. And as for her comments about you, that's just her way of saying she's insecure and needs to put down someone else to feel better."
"That sounds really nice but it's not helping," Hermione said looking extremely close to tears.
"Well as for Harry, as I've threatened before, I could always beat him over the head with a club until he notices. Hermione, like I told you last year, you've got to talk to him."
"It's too late now. Kirsten is always right there. She knows I can't stand it either. She always shoots me a nasty look whenever Harry does something for her."
"There are still ways you can get a guy's attention." Sirius said.
"Like what?" Hermione asked sarcastically. Sirius grinned devilishly.
"What you have to do is sport a nice little black dress. That would certainly get him looking the other direction."
"I bet Kirsten would have a better one," Hermione pouted.
"You're missing the point," Sirius said exasperatedly.
"What was the point?"
"To make you laugh, or at least smile," But she continued to look dejected. "Look, Hermione, I understand that she's going to frustrate you. But she can never replace you. I hope that you realize that. Ron and Harry ARE your best friends. Kirsten may be here now, but it won't always be that way.
"When it's all said and done with you'll still be there. And an old friend is the best kind. You can't concentrate on how much better Kirsten is than you. You have to concentrate on how much better you are and anything you can do to stop her from taking over Harry," This time Hermione did smile.
"Any suggestions?"
"I already told you to wear a little black dress, but no, you didn't like that idea."
So, Hermione made her way back to Gryffindor tower feeling much better that night.
* * *
"Could some one pass me the butter please?" Harry asked innocently at breakfast the next morning.
"I'll get it!" Hermione and Kirsten both exclaimed at the same time and reached for the aforementioned condiment. Both glared at each other, each daring the other to make a more toward the butter.
Suddenly they both moved with the quickness of light and tried to grab the butter at the same time. Before anyone knew what was happening they were screaming at each other to let go. "Give it to me!"
"NO! I had it first!"
"I'm passing it to Harry!"
"No, I'M passing it to Harry!"
"Guys!" Harry suddenly cut in loudly. Both heads turned and smiled sweetly at him. He slowly took the butter from their hands and placed it in front of him. "I got it," He said.
"I helped him more!" Kirsten shouted quickly.
"No way!"
"Girls, girls," Ron said, making himself known. "You can pass ME the butter."
"Shut up Ron!" They both snapped at the same time. Throughout the day similar events occurred over things like textbooks and quills. It got to be so bad that Harry had completely given up on oral communication by the end of the day.
The competition had begun.
* * *
Hermione talked to Sirius several times the rest of that week and it helped to calm her down. One night she was supposed to sneak him into the castle to talk to Remus about 'important matters'. They had been in close contact on some sort of 'business' for about two years now.
"Hey, I wondered if you were coming," Sirius whispered as he met Hermione on the edge of the forest that night.
"I'm sorry but I was in the middle of looking through a catalog of little black dresses when you're owl hailed me," Hermione joked. Sirius laughed.
"It's all right; I understand that you were otherwise occupied,"
"Here, I brought the invisibility cloak. I don't have the map, but we'll be OK," She said concealing them underneath it.
They made their way as quickly as they could up the front steps and into the front hall. Outside of Lupin's classroom Sirius hastily pulled off the cloak. "Thanks, I really owe you-" He cut off suddenly as his throat went dry. Hermione looked up just in time to see the limp form of Professor Star collapse to the ground.
"Did she see you?" Hermione asked sharply inhaling.
"Obviously," He snapped opening Lupin's door and shouting at him to come out.
"What happened?" He asked as he slid out and caught sight of Angie a little ways down the hall.
"I have no idea. She must have been wondering about and saw me, confound it! Doesn't she ever go to sleep?" He continued ranting in a loud whisper as they advanced to where she lay.
"She's out cold," Hermione said.
"I think, if you just take her back to her room, she'll wake up and think it was all a dream," Sirius said. "Remus, you said she's always paranoid about stuff from the past, or some such nonsense. Just put her in her bed and leave. She'll have to believe that she was dreaming."
"That'll never work," Hermione said dryly. "How thick do you think she is?"
"No, I have to agree with Sirius," Remus said. "She really does have emotional-er-well problems with this sort of thing." Remus said very uncomfortably. He was sure that it wasn't really wise to tell Hermione the whole thing. Not now. Hermione frowned.
"Just do it, Hermione. I have to go. This place is creeping me out," Sirius said and quickly left before either of them could say anything. Angie made a sound and Remus looked down.
"Quickly," He said whipping out his wand and directing Angie and a stretcher up to her room. "Hermione, just go back to the common room. I think I have things under control and if she does happen to wake up, it won't be so suspicious if you're not here."
"Are you sure you'll be OK?" She asked uncertainly as they were quickly walking down the hall. "What if you were to run into-?"
"Again, it would be less suspicious if you were here. I'll talk to you tomorrow in class. Don't worry, I'm sure Sirius got out OK,"
"OK," She said still uncertain and turned the other direction. Needless to say, it took her quite a while to calm down enough to go to sleep. She kept debating whether or not to wake somebody up but she soon drifted off to sleep in the sofa in the common room.
~*~
Angie woke up some time later with a pounding headache, nevertheless she sat bolt upright and looked around breathing heavily. "It was dream." She kept repeating. She blindly felt for the light next to her and switched it on.
Her sharp eyes scanned the room. *Damn it,* she cursed herself. *Why do I put myself through this? Why can't I get rid of this?* She opened the drawer in her nightstand and pulled out a glass; setting it upright on the table she pulled out a bottle and poured a little liquid into it.
She picked up the glass and downed it in one gulp. Then she closed her eyes and laid back and felt the comforting warmth spread through her body. Another drink and she could almost sleep again.
~*~
"Hermione," Ron was saying. "Hermione, wake up!"
"Where's Harry?" She suddenly asked springing up and nearly knocking Ron down.
"He just went down to breakfast with Kirsten, why?" Ron asked, slightly paler than usual.
"He hasn't gotten any mail has he?"
"Well not yet."
She sighed. "I'll be down in a minute," She said and made her way up to the dormitory to change.
~*~
"Quidditch practice officially starts in three weeks," Harry announced proudly Saturday morning. "First match, Slytherin."
"We've got to win Harry!" Ginny said. She had decided to sit at her own table this morning. Ron was glaring at her from behind his bowl of cereal.
"Of course we'll win," Harry said enthusiastically.
"Well you better," Ron said. "We can't afford to lose again.not after last year," He said looking pointedly at Ginny.
"It was NOT my fault," She said angrily.
"Maybe not but you didn't need to go the Slytherin common room and celebrate!" Ron shouted back infuriated.
"Whatever, just so long as you win! Harry, I know that this year Gryffindor has the best team. We'll run their brooms into the ground, we'll-" It was just then she realized that everyone was staring at her.
"Since when have you been so interested in quidditch?" Ron wanted to know.
"Just because I have a bet going with Sirius does not mean that I wasn't interested before," She said sticking her nose airily into her book.
"Well, I know you'll do great Harry. You're the best player out there," Kirsten said scooting closer to him. Hermione's face darkened with fury as she glared just over the top of her book.
~*~
The four of them (Ron, Harry, Kirsten, and Hermione) were walking up a flight of stairs. Hermione was panting as she readjusted her back. "Curse these heavy books," She said. "We're wizards and witches, hasn't somebody invented a weightlessness spell yet?" She said.
"I know, I hate carrying all these books. They're annoyingly heavy,"
"Here, I'll carry them for you," Harry said taking the armful Kirsten had.
"Aw, how sweet," She said smiling. "Thank you."
"Aw... somebody shoot me," Hermione said, she thought to herself but Ron heard her.
~*~
Divination was still as boring as ever, though Harry had to admit, Kirsten's input made the class a lot more interesting. Ron and Harry especially like doing their homework with her. She had the same imaginative sense of humor they did.
"Let's see. according to my mother's time of birth, I think she'll be kidnapped towards the end of the school year," She said one evening in a mock serious manner. "And I'll discover some life shattering news in December! The drama of it all!" She cried dramatically, with the hand to forehead and everything.
"My worst fear will come true by the end of this year," Ron said with a sarcastic grin. "And one of my family members will get possessed."
"That's a good one, I don't think we've ever thought of that," Harry said. "How about. I witness something shocking. I go through a painful break-up and I have three life-threatening experiences by June."
"I'll get the flu, take part in a war, and my mother will get re-married," Kirsten looked down at her homework. "That last one was just for good measure," She remarked.
"I'll go through strained friendships and a period of depression," Ron added. Kirsten laughed.
"I never knew Divination could be so much fun," She said.
"It's only fun because you're here," Harry said looking at her and grinning. Ron rolled his eyes as he watched the two across from him. "And what do you predict for the near future?" He asked gazing at her.
"A famous quidditch player is going to make his move," She whispered. Ron cringed.*Here it comes! Brace yourself!* He thought trying to look away before: they kissed.
Of course, this did not go unnoticed by Hermione who had been sitting in the arm chair a distance away. Ron heard her snap her book shut with a force and stomp out of the common room. This was not good.
* * *
"Hermione?" Sirius asked uncertainly. He had happened to find her-in Moaning Myrtle's bathroom.and no he was not ashamed to admit that he and Myrtle went way back. But Hermione looked a mess. She was sobbing violently and her spirit was crushed. She looked distraught and out of her senses, not confident and bright, like usual.
She let out a little frightened sort of sob as he gently laid a hand on her shoulder. She turned away embarrassed but still cried loudly.
"Hermione, what's wrong? Tell me, and we'll talk," He instructed in a comforting and sympathetic voice. He had never seen her like this before.
"It's not right! It's not fair! I HATE her!" She cried turning towards him.
"Who is 'her'?" Sirius asked, helping her to sit down.
"Kirsten,"
"I figured as much. What happened now?"
"I saw.I saw.oh Sirius it was so horrible! They were kissing!" Sirius frowned. This troubled him somewhat for more reasons than Hermione's hurt feelings.
"OK.well, this is not the end of the world. You can still do something about this,"
"Like what? He's already taken,"
"So, steal him! You were there first anyway!" He inhaled and Hermione bit her lip trying to force herself to stop. "I'll talk to Harry," He said.
"What are you going to say?" She asked taking a tissue.
"I don't know, I'll improvise, but I won't say anything about you. YOU should do that. I keep telling you, he is a GUY. You have to spell things out for him. Do something crazy; wear a little black dress,"
"Not working," She said, slightly annoyed.
"I'm just telling you,"
"I'm not going to tell Harry. It would just be awkward and I don't want to ruin our friendship Sirius!" Hermione cried, tears coming on again. She fought them and wiped her eyes. "I'm sorry, I'm just being silly. Things with Harry and I are perfect, right now. Why should I try and change that?"
"Because it's your right, since you are unhappy," He told her.
"Look, Kirsten won fair and square. And I don't have the right to get in between." Hermione took a deep breath and squared her shoulders. "I'm OK now, that was just a fluke or something," she said making a weak attempt at a smile.
"That's better," Sirius said. "I'm proud of you. You have a strong will. Are you sure you're OK?"
"Yes, I'm sorry to have wasted your time."
"Stop," Sirius cut in. "You know better than that. Anything you need to talk about, you can talk to me. And what the hell else am I going to be doing?"
"Thank you," She said with a smile but it quickly faded to tears. "I'm sorry," She said trying her hardest not to cry again. "I just really miss my dad right now,"
Sirius pulled her into a tight hug. "You know," He said. "I never knew my father, or my mother. My dad died before I was born, and my mother barely survived having me. The parents I knew were the Potters.
"James parents took me in all the time I was at Hogwarts. They died when James and I were eighteen. At least James had Lily at the time, he got through it. But it took me a long time to really figure out what life was about after that. You're really lucky to have found Sierra,"
"I know," She said. "I owe Sierra everything and if she hadn't had been at the ministry that day they took me in, I don't think I would be here. My parents died in the carbonated crystal attack in Diagon Alley. They were muggles, but I took them there, and they died, but I didn't. I stayed here." She started to cry again.
"Sierra tells me, not to blame myself. But it's hard because deep down I know that it's my fault." Sirius wasn't really sure what to say to this.
"That crystal has killed a lot of people. Serious damage has been caused and it's nobody's fault except those who don't try to destroy it. Harry's Mom was almost killed by that crystal. And this time it was the same evil that attacked then.
"If there is one thing I learned from years of nothing to do but blame myself in prison, it's the fact that no one can blame themselves for the evil of that man. Just don't."
* * *
"So Hermione, has Sierra said anything about when dueling club is starting?" Ron asked over breakfast of the Saturday after their third week of classes. Ever since the news spread about Kirsten and Harry, Ron had been especially careful to talk to Hermione and avoid sensitive subjects.
He knew she wasn't taking it well, but she wouldn't talk to him. In fact, she had been off to talk to Sirius more than she had to anyone else.
"You know, she hasn't," Hermione said thoughtfully.
"Dueling club? What's that Harry?" Kirsten asked. Hermione noted that she directed the question at Harry. "It sounds like fun. Can I be a part of it?" Hermione looked murderous at the thought of Kirsten becoming involved with another part of her life but ignored the two as Harry happily explained about dueling club.
"I'll ask Sierra about it today. I'm running home to Hogsmeade. We have to make sure that Sierra's Dad is doing OK. He was a little better when we left for school, but you know he just had a pretty bad time two weeks ago. He's been getting sicker and sicker all summer." She said.
"I hope he's better," Ron said sympathetically.
"That's why we're going back. We have to make sure that his witch of a wife hasn't done something to him. I wouldn't put anything past her." Hermione said bitterly.
"Aren't we all witches?" Kirsten contributed to their conversation rudely.
"I meant that she has the same bitchy personality as you," Hermione said getting up and meeting Sierra at the staff table.
"You need to talk to her," Ron said quietly to Harry as she retreated.
"Let's go quickly," Sierra said when Hermione reached the table. They discussed the possibility of Sierra's step mom trying to poison or kill her father while they were away. It was a rather grim scenario but not one they were willing to doubt.
The woman was abominable. She was only interested in money. It was rather obvious by her complete disregard for the family and everything else. And ever since they had married six months ago Mr. Havairhafpvermin's already slightly unstable health condition worsened steadily.
They burst into the house and Sierra very briefly talked to the servant before making her way upstairs. "Wait in your room, Hermione, I'll come and get you if I think he's OK," She said before she made it to the top flight of stairs.
Naturally Hermione obeyed. While she waited she rummaged around and grabbed some extra quills, ink and parchment. She was putting the things into her bag when she accidentally spilled the bottle of ink all over and had a job of cleaning it up.
Just as she was trying to recall if she needed anything else a house elf brought her a piece of folded up parchment.
"Just arrived on owl post m'lady," He said bowing himself out. Immediately she knew it was from Sirius. "I can't bring you into the castle now you idiot. You have to pick the day I'm in Hogsmeade." She said to herself as she tore it open.
However, the letter wasn't exactly a request to sneak into the castle like it normally was. It was a social call, which Hermione greatly appreciated.
Dear Hermione:
Hey! How are you holding up? I haven't seen in you in two days so I hope that what I said helped.
How is school? Well, I'm sure you're doing fine (look who I'm talking to) what I should say is how is the tutoring of Ron going?
You're right; last week was WAY too close. We were almost caught. I don't want to get you in trouble either. This week, we'll meet in the forest to talk. You know where. I'll be there at 11:00 Wednesday night. I can't wait to see you!
~Sirius
PS Wear my favorite little black dress! (
Hermione smiled and set the letter on her desk. Sirius had been the first one to know about Harry and Kirsten. Hermione had cried to Sirius four almost three hours and several days after that. Ever since then he had been joking with her about the little black dress.
She set down to write a reply when she realized that she'd have to go get some more ink. She got up and quickly walked from the room leaving the letter lie on her desk.
It was about this time that Sierra was done making sure her father wasn't in immediate danger and using a few strong words on her stepmother. She noticed Hermione's door was slightly ajar and just pushed it open wide enough to stick her head in. "Hermione?" She asked peering inside.
She frowned and stepped inside when she didn't see her thinking that maybe she was in her adjoining bathroom but it became clear that that was not the case. She turned to leave when she caught sight of the letter.
She would never have stopped to look at it if she hadn't sworn she saw the name Sirius. As she read the letter her eyes slowly grew into the size of dinner plates. Naturally, she didn't really believe what she was reading, and yet, there it was.
Hermione was walking back to her room with a bottle of ink in hand when she caught sight of Sierra staring open-mouthed over her letter. Immediately her throat constricted. She knew what exactly was in that letter.
Trying desperately not to panic she slid down the banister and grabbed a piece of parchment on her way. She scribbled: Sierra found letter-COME NOW! And sent it out with the first owl she could find.
The owl reached Sirius in about ten minutes as he was in the same neighborhood. Naturally when he arrived he was already cursing his misfortune and then was greeted by iron gates.
Hermione was watching nervously praying that Sierra wasn't immediately going to the ministry. She opened the gates and Sirius rushed to the house. He burst in the door swearing, still.
"She's upstairs!" Hermione said desperately taking a hold of his arm. She meant to pull him up the stairs but as they turned they came face to face with Sierra who was still holding the letter.
"Oh my god!" Sierra screamed in terror.
"Oh my god!" Another voice shouted.
"OH my GOD!" Sirius shouted as his eyes locked with the other person who had now entered the entrance hallway.
A/N: Well, that was a fun chapter. I postponed some things just for a little while longer because this chapter was getting out of hand already. Anyway, next chapter some definite romance and it should take us up to Halloween. Before that time I have to say that there will already be serious fights and break-ups and romance and everything else going on. Next chapter, much to my disappointment will have to have teenage drama. Anyway, thanks for reading and reviewing, I appreciate it.
~Star*dust
Britz: Bonjour mon amie! Comment ça va? J'ai aimé votre revue ! Vous parlez français très bien. Merci beaucoup.
Sophie: I know that it doesn't make sense that Angie is/was married to Josh, but it will soon.
Lily Lupin: Sure, I read your stories, you deserved it. Thank you for your continued reviews!
Hazelmist: I'm glad you don't like cliffhangers. That is exactly the point. I did it to you again, sorry, but I couldn't resist. It was the perfect opportunity. *Grins evilly*
Ax: I'm sorry, Hermione and Ron did date in the past, but you didn't get to see that. Don't worry, after the next chapter I try not to focus on the relationships of the teens but more of Angie/Sirius/Remus/Sierra and even Bill Weasley. Don't ask.
Buckbeakbabie: Loved your reviews! Why am I making that plural? You can only write one per chapter. oh well. (Notice how I have to waste the time and the space to comment on the fact instead of just deleting it?) Thank you so much for that e-mail! I was having a LOT of fun. Talk to you later!
S@bre Bl@ck: Hey, you changed your name. I love the little '@' things. That is really cool. It's like all unique and stuff. Wow, that was a really descriptive sentence *she says sarcastically* Well, I'm sorry that I ended this with a cliffhanger too, I just couldn't help it.
Ltnikki: Thanks for the review, the e-mails. Everything. Sorry, about the cliffhangers though, lol, not really, I planned it all along.
HPdreamer15: I really loved the Christmas carol part of last chapter too. That started out as a joke. One of my friends started writing that randomly, and I didn't realize it and then I expanded and had a lot of fun, as you can tell.
THANKS EVERYONE!!
A/N: June 21st! Yes, that's the magic phrase for every Harry Potter fan, now isn't it? I personally can't wait, but I just need to take this opportunity to say that no matter what the fifth book brings I will not be changing this fanfic. And I seriously doubt that I will be done with this by the time it comes out, so I'm sure that will be an issue. I'm not saying that I won't get new ideas and write other fanfics, but I will NOT change this story AT ALL. OK, I've said my part about that, onto this chapter:
I just noticed that this chapter has a LOT of conversation during breakfast. I think there are three or four instances where things are introduced at breakfast, and come to think of it, things are like that in this whole story. I don't know why, but I bet you can guess what my favorite meal is. Lol.
Well, anyway, I hope you like this chapter. Some pretty interesting and somewhat significant things happen here. So, I think I've talked enough for now. Thanks!
~*~
*Earlier that night.*
Angie walked into her room smiling. She suddenly was very glad that she had come back to Hogwarts. Just then, she knew she would be OK. The feeling didn't last long.
She climbed into bed about an hour later thinking about how exactly she was going to handle her first ever class. Maybe this is why she didn't instantly fall asleep. Whatever the reason the longer she laid alone in the dark the more her thoughts turned to the past. Eventually Angie drifted off into a disturbed sleep full of turbulent dreams.
Maybe it was because she was back in the castle. Maybe it was because she had been so close to Harry that day, or maybe Remus brought it all back. But whatever the reason, Angie had an attack worse than ever before. She hadn't experienced anything like it at least since she divorced Josh.
Her dreams were filled with the most painful experiences and she would wake up feeling drowned and alone. The ever present darkness was the only thing to comfort her.
She blindly felt for something in her beside table. She drank deeply from the bottle and stumbled around the room in search of something to end this madness. Her head seemed to explode with sound and memories rapidly playing out in her mind.
She felt smothered, like she couldn't breathe. She wanted to scream, she would do anything to get out of this whirlwind.
And then, it all suddenly came to a stop as she ran headlong into a large object and tumbled to the floor with a frightened scream. She broke down and sobbed uncontrollably as she found herself in the hallway on the ground. Apparently she had knocked Professor Dumbledore off his feet in her pursuit to escape from her own mind.
Back in the classroom the four of them listened intently to the voices outside in the hallway.
"Angela!" A surprised but calm voice of Albus Dumbledore floated to her ears. "Angela? Calm down," He said firmly taking a hold of her shoulders. She still shook violently but she stopped screaming.
"Angela Star. What has happened?" Dumbledore asked pulling her to her feet as he, himself, rose from the cold stone surface.
Angela stuttered and sniffed for a few seconds. "Nothing happened.I'm fine," She finally managed to piece together as she hastily wiped her eyes. Dumbledore looked sternly at her as she looked away embarrassed.
"Come to my office and we'll talk," She said mildly and they slowly made their way up the stairs.
In the classroom Sirius breathed and slowly sank down the wall to the ground. "That was really close," Ron said, stating the blatantly obvious. Harry and Ron just stared white faced at Sirius who was still trying to recover. Hermione however was not concerned about their close encounter; she was puzzling over the conversation that had just taken place.
"What do you suppose is going on with Professor Star?" She asked thoughtfully. "You don't think she's hurt do you.you don't think she saw us?" She suddenly said her eyes growing to the size of saucers. Sirius's head snapped up and the four of them looked at each other with pale faces.
"No," Sirius finally decided. "She would have reason to point me out to Dumbledore. Besides that, I've heard that she had some.suicidal problems after.after.after Lily and James were killed." Sirius finally decided.
Hermione was still confused and would have probed deeper into the matter, but Sirius rose. "And furthermore, she's talking to Dumbledore right now, he'll set things straight. Look, I shouldn't be here anymore,"
"Wait! Take this," Harry said thrusting the invisibility cloak toward Sirius.
He looked down at it and a ghost of a smile played on his lips. "No, I have a feeling you all will have plenty of need for that," He said with a wink. Quickly, Sirius opened the door and melted into the shadows.
"But we haven't told you about Kirsten Star yet!" Hermione whispered after him, but he was far away now.
~*~
By the time Dumbledore lit a fire and got the tea Angie seemed to have considerable calmed down. For several moments Dumbledore sat sipping his tea and studying her. He noticed how she did not meet his eyes and nervously wrung her hands and fiddled with her left ring finger. Though you couldn't really tell she was not a very old woman, just entering her late thirties. But her face was thin and haggard and her eyes were dark and fathomless.
"Is there something you would like to discuss?" He finally asked. He was surprised when he got a response without having to probe at all.
"All around me I see the past. It's killing me. If I don't have someone with me to distract me I feel like everything is pressing in around me and smothering me. It was bad enough before where I was far away from everything but now.I can't stop thinking about everything, about..Him," She said quietly.
"Say His name Angela,"
"What?" She cried snapping her head up to look at him.
"The only way you're going to get through this is to accept the past. There is no use denying anything that happened. Not anymore, I will not allow you to tell yourself you never married Him-" Angie did not want to hear what he was saying. She hadn't married Him. How could she have married Him; He was the murderer, the traitor, she had never loved Him.
"I have accepted it," She cut in. "It was sixteen years ago!"
"Then say His name," Dumbledore persisted.
"I don't see the point. I cannot stand hearing it, it makes me sick!" She said, truthfully.
"Then tell me what you remember. Tell me what made you scream. Talk to me, Angela." She was looking away, reluctant to speak again. "I know everything that happened already. You cannot be embarrassed or afraid of it anymore. It is dampening your spirit."
"Sometimes when I'm alone, I think about slitting my wrists." She said. "I remember what it felt like and all the blood.but I wanted to do it. I wanted to kill myself."
"What about now?"
"No.sometimes I think it would be-no I know it would be easier, but I realize that I have to be here for Kirsten. But every time I think of everyone dead. All murdered!" She screamed. "I spent so long trying to run from it. Trying to forget everything. And now, I've come back and all over again. I don't know how long I can do it. I want to forget Sirius Black," She whispered. She blinked and a tear fell from her eye.
Dumbledore studied the pathetic creature. She still nervously played with her left ring finger.
"We cannot forget those things," Dumbledore told her quietly. "If we forget, then history is likely to repeat itself. We have to remember the evil of the dark lord. That way we will know that we must stop it."
"But it is already happening again!" Angie cried. "And it's because of Him!" Dumbledore gave her a look and she conceded and spoke His name. "Sirius Black escaped from jail to bring He-who-must-not-be-named back to power,"
"As I have told many others before, not saying Voldemort's name only increases the absurd superstition that he will suddenly appear out of nowhere."
At this point Angie would go no further. "I dared to utter Sirius Black's name, but I will not allow the name of that vile creature to pass over my lips," Dumbledore decided not to press the matter. You could only push a body so far in one night.
"Angela, sleep freely here. You know you are safe. A memory cannot hurt you. Just remember that you have already lived through it, there is no need for you to suffer through a reliving of it. You are far from any of those things that haunt you," *Except perhaps Sirius.* Dumbledore thought to himself wondering how soon he would show up at the castle this year.
"By I have not rested since I decided to come back. Doesn't it just make you sick every time you think of it? How many times I was so close to him. How could I have missed it? Every time I think of Sirius with Lily and James-"
"Love is blind, Angela," Dumbledore said.
"It shouldn't be! I should have known!" She cried in frustration.
"You must calm down. You will get through this yet," Dumbledore reassured her. "Believe me, I would do anything to change what happened, but there is a reason for everything turning out the way it does and we are not fit to question that." Angie nodded in agreement. "Rest now, tomorrow is a new day."
* * *
The next morning Hermione cursed under her breath as the sounds of the girls in her dorm preparing themselves for the day woke her. She was dead tired as she had slept barely four hours the previous night.
"Hermione," Kirsten said seeing that she was stirring in her bed. "Do you think I should wear my hair down, like this, or up in a ponytail?"
"I don't care!" Hermione shouted at her. But Lavender Brown immediately joined the conversation.
"Don't pay attention to her, she's probably tired." She said hastily. "I think you're hair looks really pretty when it's down like that, but if you factor in the heat and the fact that you'll be moving all day I think you should put it up. Just a simple ponytail would look so cute! Here," She said grabbing a brush.
Kirsten and Lavender chatted as they applied their make-up and Hermione rolled her eyes. She was glad that she wouldn't have to play Kirsten's tour guide.
Hermione went down in the common and noted the absence of Ron and Harry and was willing to bet anything that they were still asleep (she certainly would have been if it were at all possible to sleep in the midst of teenage girls getting ready for the day) when she suddenly heard a shout that was the unmistakable sound of Ron's voice.
"I'll murder them," He was kept muttering on his way down to breakfast. Fred and George had sent him a box of their newest invention. Instead of a cockroach cluster it was a spider sucker. ("Moves its legs in your mouth!" The label proudly declared.)
Hermione smiled to herself. If he hadn't been so grumpy about the lack of sleep he probably wouldn't have been so upset.
~*~
Angie hadn't slept much that night. After going back to her room she pretty much decided that sleep was pointless and had spent the rest of the time writing songs and poems to try and relieve her stress and display her emotions.
Angie didn't feel like going down to breakfast and facing everyone so she went straight to her classroom and nervously awaited her first class.
Kirsten went down to breakfast and noted her mother's absence. She was pretty sure Angie would be in her classroom, so she grabbed an apple and made her way to the languages classroom.
Angie yawned as Kirsten entered the classroom. "Morning," She said.
"Good morning," Kirsten replied.
"Are you tired?" Angie asked.
"Nope," Kirsten said taking a bite out of her apple.
"I didn't sleep much last night."
"Do you ever?" Angie looked down and desperately tried to remember the last time she had a good rest. It had to have been before she decided to come here again. looking up at her daughter munching on that apple suddenly made her hungry.
"Hey! No eating in my classroom." She exclaimed snatching the apple from Kirsten and then taking a bite out of it herself.
"You hypocrite!" Kirsten said grabbing her apple back.
* * *
"Well," Ron said trying to convince himself that getting up for classes was a good thing. "At least we know exactly where the languages classroom is,"
"That is true," Harry said.
"I just hope Kirsten doesn't get some kind of special treatment," Hermione said. Ron and Harry gave her a look.
"You really don't like her do you?" Ron asked.
"Give me one good reason to like her," Hermione responded.
"Give me one good reason not to,"
"I have plenty of reasons for not liking her. And the only reason you two are taking to her is because of her blonde hair and long eye lashes!" Harry and Ron exchanged looks. "She the most annoying girl I have ever met. I've never seen anyone so obsessed with the way they look in my entire life. And if she says 'like' one more time I'm going to blow the hat right off my head!"
"Hermione, you're not wearing a hat," Harry pointed out.
"Oh curse it!" She exclaimed. "That is an extraneous fact that only you would take notice of!"
~*~
The bell rang and Angie closed the door with her wand and smiled at her class. About half of them looked asleep and the other half looked fairly uninterested or distracted. (she noted with dissatisfaction that her daughter was among the distracted. She was intent upon Harry Potter.)
It was quite a mass. The classroom, which was extremely large anyway, was nearly full. Most every seventh year was in the class. They were massed together since they would only be taking one year.
"Seventh years for my first ever class. Great idea Dumbledore," She said. A few of them laughed. "OK, I'm not going to bother taking role. If you're here you're here. If you don't come you obviously don't want to be here and it's not my problem if you fail this class. However, I would like to learn your names. We'll get to that in a second.
"First I need to go through what we will be doing in this class. I'm sorry to say that the first quarter of the year you will need probably no magic at all in this class. Not until we get through the basics of human languages will you need your wands. Come to class prepared to take notes and to speak.
"The first quarter we will be learning how to speak the basics of conversational language for about twelve major human tongues including Latin, Greek, Japanese, Spanish, French, Italian, German, etc., etc.
"Then we will move on to languages like Gobbledegook, hippogriffian, several bird languages, mermish, the language of the veelas, etc. That will require magic because you will more than likely have to 'tune' your voice to the right pitches and so on. We can have a lot of fun in this class, if you choose. If you don't we will simply copy notes and repeat, repeat, repeat. So, don't give me any trouble and we'll have some fun.
I'm sure you have loads of questions for me, but please see me after class or hold your peace. Today we're going to start with Spanish." And so she dove right into classes. By the end of the period Angie had learned to tell Kirsten not to bother answering because she was already fluent in the languages they would be studying for the next 6-10 weeks.
Lupin's class was a trip. He let them have a free discussion day where anyone could ask any question they wanted and the class ended up discussing different ways of getting around the rules.
Kirsten seemed to enjoy almost everything she did. That night she sat down and wrote for almost two hours a letter to her friends back in the states and sent it off. Much to the annoyance of Hermione she kept looking up at Harry and giggling as she wrote her letter.
Suddenly a letter arrived and interrupted Hermione's thoughts. She immediately recognized what it was and smiled as she read the familiar letter. She had received basically the same notice the past two years in a row. Dumbledore had trusted her with this little task and together she and Sirius had gotten pretty good at what they did.
"Dear Ms. Granger,
Congratulations on receiving the position of Head Girl, I know you will lead the school well. As I'm sure you know, I am in need of a special service this year that I alone cannot handle. I trust you fully to use sound judgment and be cautious at all times. Please feed and take care of the stray dog that visits Hogwarts grounds every once in a while. He needs your help.
Thank you, as always,
Headmaster Dumbledore"
Hermione smiled and tossed the letter onto the fire. Ron raised an eyebrow and she stated simply: "I'm in charge of feeding the stray dog this year." Ron and Harry grinned and went back to their chess game.
Hermione, tired of watching this spectacle year after year, decided to write a letter to that stray dog, since she couldn't get much of a conversation in with Harry and Ron. Hoping the owl wouldn't cause trouble she borrowed Hedwig and waited for a reply.
Quite unfortunately Sirius chose not to reply until somewhere around midnight. Mumbling about lost sleep two nights in a row Hermione gave the letter a cursory glance and then tossed it on the fire. As she watched the fire burn she was reminded of the death of her parents.
That first night after they had been murdered she had sat and stared in front of the fire for hours on end. It seemed like the only logical thing to do. Stare mindlessly into the mesmerizing flames.
The fuss and bustle of Diagon Alley filled her ears. It was a crowded day, but nice and sunny, warm, but mild. Perfect day to spend shopping with her family. Who knew it would be her last?
Hermione could recall the exact details from that day. She knew exactly what everyone was wearing; she could quote every conversation word for word. She could remember every last thing, except for who had attacked them with the crystal.
There had been an accident so to speak. A young boy was running through the alley and had knocked a woman and all her parcels to the ground creating a bit of a hold up in the center of the narrow alley. As more and more people began to gather a sudden darkening of the sky told of the tragic thing that would happen next.
Suddenly, there was a huge explosion, a crack of energy, and a flash that sent shockwaves that the muggles could feel on the other side of the barrier. Three shops were completely demolished and windows all down the street had busted.
Everywhere there were people strewn across the ground. Some were moving, but most lay there, eternally unable to move. Hermione remembered feeling dizzy and not really being able to move. She could hear the screams and then she looked into the sky and saw the dark mark.
The attack on Diagon Alley was the largest mass killing by the dark lord for almost 18 years. At least a hundred and fifty people died and many more were injured. The damage done to the shops was catastrophic and the economy all but stopped. No one wanted to go out anymore. Everyone was afraid and Hermione was orphaned.
Preparing to go into her fifth year at school she had lost the two most important people to her in a brutal murder. An act of hate. She was taken to the ministry of magic where she was questioned but to this day she couldn't remember anything about the person who had wielded the carbonated crystal and neither could any of the other survivors.
To the shock of the wizarding world the carbonated crystal had not been destroyed as was the rumor, it was still in the power of the dark lord himself. As one can imagine Hermione went through considerable depression and other mental problems.
But then she met Sierra. One day Sierra came to her at the ministry. She explained that she was a consultant and she specialized in psychiatric needs. Hermione found she could talk to Sierra and it made her feel a little better.
Hermione had been staying with the Weasley's, and Sierra started making regular visits to see her. Without Sierra, Hermione could not have made it through her ordeal and in return Sierra got just what she needed.
But even after the years of talking about it, Hermione still remembered that day in Diagon Alley, and she still cried.
* * *
The next day at breakfast Hermione got into an argument with Kirsten. She was already depressed from the night before and grumpy from lack of sleep and Kirsten's perky ignorance pushed her over the edge.
Hermione was the last to come down to breakfast and she probably didn't look her best. Kirsten looked up from her copy of Teen Witch Weekly and gave Hermione a look.
"What's the matter?" Hermione asked as she saw Kirsten.
"Nothing." Kirsten said.
"What?" Hermione snapped as she poured some milk into her cereal.
"It's just that those shoes are last season and they aren't the same shade of black as your robes," Hermione stared at her for a moment wondering if she could be any ruder.
"And this offends you because you're a fashion expert?" She said sarcastically.
"No," Kirsten replied seriously. "It bothers me that you're sitting across from me,"
"Well, excuse me. I'll just move my spot where sat for the past six years. No big deal,"
"I'm sorry. You asked and I told you what I thought."
"Why don't you just go back to America where you came from!?" Hermione shouted at her. Ron and Harry were desperately trying to think of something to stop this madness.
"Why don't you just go back to your gloomy castle in the country?"
"Because, I have to stay here and help all the people like you, who don't know what they're doing."
"Don't worry about me. I've got friends here." Kirsten said obviously speaking of Ron and Harry. This enraged Hermione beyond words.
"Do you think you can just come in here and take my place? These are my friends! This is my table! This is my school! This is my COUNTRY!" She screamed and quickly left.
"God, can't she find a way to tame that hair?" Kirsten said as they watched her go. Ron and Harry decided that it was time to go to class.
~*~
"Now you've taken the notes it is time to try transforming your piece of driftwood into a rose," Professor McGonagall said that afternoon. They all set to work and before long McGonagall was exclaiming.
"Oh beautiful Ms. Star!" She said lifting the perfect red rose to her nose and smelling its sweet fragrance. Kirsten smiled as McGonagall awarded her points.
Hermione looked down at her rose which was the same color and texture of the driftwood. "No, you forgot to do-" To Hermione's mortification she saw that she was being taught by Kirsten.
~*~
On their walk back to the common room that evening Ron and Harry were fawning over Kirsten. "Did you see the look on Snape's face?" Ron was saying. "That was classic. It was like a dream come true!" In potions class Kirsten had corrected their Professor on his spelling.
"I've got to hand it to," Harry admitted. "That was pretty awesome. Even Hermione didn't notice," Hermione's eyes flashed dangerously as Kirsten smiled.
"It was nothing; I just remembered reading it,"
* * *
Angie was startled by a knock on her door after her last class of the day. She looked up to see Remus walk into the classroom. "So, how were classes today?" He asked casually sitting on the edge of her desk.
"I think things are getting off to a pretty good start," She said.
"How's Kirsten adjusting?"
"You can tell as good as I can. I haven't really talked with her much," Angie replied.
"And how are YOU doing?" He asked much more seriously noting the dark circles under her eyes. She nervously looked away under his gaze.
"I'm.all right,"
"Just all right?"
"It's better than being all wrong, isn't it?" He laughed. "Well, how about that brandy you were telling me about?" She asked.
"Of course, just come to my office," He said delighted she had suggested it.
* * *
Hermione was seething by the time they all sat down to do their homework that night. (Especially since Harry asked Kirsten to sit on the couch with him) Hermione was determined not give up and let Kirsten win so easily. So, she concentrated on her homework and focused on not letting it get to her.
"Done! Finally," Hermione said dotting her last 'i' on her essay. "What do you think?" She asked Harry.
"Looks great," He said giving the piece of parchment a glance that cannot even be classified as cursory and then tossing it on the table. Kirsten then decided to ask Harry a question which he discussed in great detail.
Hermione's eyes were still shooting daggers when Harry gathered up the quidditch crew in the center of the common room for his weekly meeting. Kirsten of course went with him but Hermione was surprised to see Ron stay behind. He was looking at her.
"What?" She asked him.
"Is something wrong, Hermione?"
"Yes."
"Care to elaborate?"
"No."
"Maybe I can help."
"I doubt it."
"This conversation is not going anywhere, is it?"
"Nope." Ron gave an exasperated sigh.
"This will never work if you don't talk to me," He said.
"I am talking to you. See, this is me talking to you." Ron rolled his eyes and was just about to get up when she spoke again. "It's just how he blows me off, you know? He doesn't pay any attention, at all!"
"Harry?"
"No Ron, Peeves the poltergeist,"
"What's the big deal? You've never been jealous of some girl of Harry's before."
"I'm not jealous of her! And this is something totally different."
"Again, you've got to give me more information if you want this conversation to have any substance at all,"
"This isn't like any other girlfriend he's had. She's American, she's pretty, and she's smart. She holds his attention better than I do!"
"Hermione, calm down. This is not as big of a deal as you're making it. I think if you would just realize that Kirsten is totally new here you would realize that you're being totally unfair. You should be helping her out." This only further increased Hermione's frustration.
"Never mind! I'm going to feed the dog!" She shouted and stomped off.
~*~
Hermione was so caught up in her own thoughts that she didn't notice Sirius and until she was almost walking right into him. Once they had found a place to chat Hermione immediately unloaded.
"I hate her Sirius!" These were the first words she uttered.
"Hi, how are you doing? I'm doing great, considering I haven't eaten for almost twenty-four hours and I surely need a shower but I'm glad to see you all the same," He said sarcastically.
"Yeah, yeah, hi," She said hastily, which earned her a wry grin.
"OK, so who do you hate?" Sirius asked with a sigh.
"That little-" She gave a frustrated sigh and she desperately wanted to swear. "Kirsten Star," She finally managed to pull out through gritted teeth. Sirius sort of coughed at the sound of the name but allowed her to continue. "I know that she is a totally new person in this country and I shouldn't be judging her already. Because I'm not like that. I always try to help people out, you know? But I just cannot find any reason to like her at all! She just comes in and totally takes over my whole life!"
"In the span of, what like, two days this girl comes in and takes over every aspect of your life? Come on Hermione,"
"No, it's true!" She protested. "She corrected Professor Snape today in class, she knew how to do her Transfiguration better than I did, she's in my house, she's in my dorm, and she sits right across from me. She tells me nasty little things about how my hair is bushy and my clothes are last season and worst of all Harry barely even acknowledges my presence. When people come up they say hi to Harry and then to Kirsten. They already know who she is! It's horrible Sirius! I hate her!"
"Ok, first of all, her so called intellect won't last. Trust me; it's like some sort of beginners luck or a wand malfunction. And as for her comments about you, that's just her way of saying she's insecure and needs to put down someone else to feel better."
"That sounds really nice but it's not helping," Hermione said looking extremely close to tears.
"Well as for Harry, as I've threatened before, I could always beat him over the head with a club until he notices. Hermione, like I told you last year, you've got to talk to him."
"It's too late now. Kirsten is always right there. She knows I can't stand it either. She always shoots me a nasty look whenever Harry does something for her."
"There are still ways you can get a guy's attention." Sirius said.
"Like what?" Hermione asked sarcastically. Sirius grinned devilishly.
"What you have to do is sport a nice little black dress. That would certainly get him looking the other direction."
"I bet Kirsten would have a better one," Hermione pouted.
"You're missing the point," Sirius said exasperatedly.
"What was the point?"
"To make you laugh, or at least smile," But she continued to look dejected. "Look, Hermione, I understand that she's going to frustrate you. But she can never replace you. I hope that you realize that. Ron and Harry ARE your best friends. Kirsten may be here now, but it won't always be that way.
"When it's all said and done with you'll still be there. And an old friend is the best kind. You can't concentrate on how much better Kirsten is than you. You have to concentrate on how much better you are and anything you can do to stop her from taking over Harry," This time Hermione did smile.
"Any suggestions?"
"I already told you to wear a little black dress, but no, you didn't like that idea."
So, Hermione made her way back to Gryffindor tower feeling much better that night.
* * *
"Could some one pass me the butter please?" Harry asked innocently at breakfast the next morning.
"I'll get it!" Hermione and Kirsten both exclaimed at the same time and reached for the aforementioned condiment. Both glared at each other, each daring the other to make a more toward the butter.
Suddenly they both moved with the quickness of light and tried to grab the butter at the same time. Before anyone knew what was happening they were screaming at each other to let go. "Give it to me!"
"NO! I had it first!"
"I'm passing it to Harry!"
"No, I'M passing it to Harry!"
"Guys!" Harry suddenly cut in loudly. Both heads turned and smiled sweetly at him. He slowly took the butter from their hands and placed it in front of him. "I got it," He said.
"I helped him more!" Kirsten shouted quickly.
"No way!"
"Girls, girls," Ron said, making himself known. "You can pass ME the butter."
"Shut up Ron!" They both snapped at the same time. Throughout the day similar events occurred over things like textbooks and quills. It got to be so bad that Harry had completely given up on oral communication by the end of the day.
The competition had begun.
* * *
Hermione talked to Sirius several times the rest of that week and it helped to calm her down. One night she was supposed to sneak him into the castle to talk to Remus about 'important matters'. They had been in close contact on some sort of 'business' for about two years now.
"Hey, I wondered if you were coming," Sirius whispered as he met Hermione on the edge of the forest that night.
"I'm sorry but I was in the middle of looking through a catalog of little black dresses when you're owl hailed me," Hermione joked. Sirius laughed.
"It's all right; I understand that you were otherwise occupied,"
"Here, I brought the invisibility cloak. I don't have the map, but we'll be OK," She said concealing them underneath it.
They made their way as quickly as they could up the front steps and into the front hall. Outside of Lupin's classroom Sirius hastily pulled off the cloak. "Thanks, I really owe you-" He cut off suddenly as his throat went dry. Hermione looked up just in time to see the limp form of Professor Star collapse to the ground.
"Did she see you?" Hermione asked sharply inhaling.
"Obviously," He snapped opening Lupin's door and shouting at him to come out.
"What happened?" He asked as he slid out and caught sight of Angie a little ways down the hall.
"I have no idea. She must have been wondering about and saw me, confound it! Doesn't she ever go to sleep?" He continued ranting in a loud whisper as they advanced to where she lay.
"She's out cold," Hermione said.
"I think, if you just take her back to her room, she'll wake up and think it was all a dream," Sirius said. "Remus, you said she's always paranoid about stuff from the past, or some such nonsense. Just put her in her bed and leave. She'll have to believe that she was dreaming."
"That'll never work," Hermione said dryly. "How thick do you think she is?"
"No, I have to agree with Sirius," Remus said. "She really does have emotional-er-well problems with this sort of thing." Remus said very uncomfortably. He was sure that it wasn't really wise to tell Hermione the whole thing. Not now. Hermione frowned.
"Just do it, Hermione. I have to go. This place is creeping me out," Sirius said and quickly left before either of them could say anything. Angie made a sound and Remus looked down.
"Quickly," He said whipping out his wand and directing Angie and a stretcher up to her room. "Hermione, just go back to the common room. I think I have things under control and if she does happen to wake up, it won't be so suspicious if you're not here."
"Are you sure you'll be OK?" She asked uncertainly as they were quickly walking down the hall. "What if you were to run into-?"
"Again, it would be less suspicious if you were here. I'll talk to you tomorrow in class. Don't worry, I'm sure Sirius got out OK,"
"OK," She said still uncertain and turned the other direction. Needless to say, it took her quite a while to calm down enough to go to sleep. She kept debating whether or not to wake somebody up but she soon drifted off to sleep in the sofa in the common room.
~*~
Angie woke up some time later with a pounding headache, nevertheless she sat bolt upright and looked around breathing heavily. "It was dream." She kept repeating. She blindly felt for the light next to her and switched it on.
Her sharp eyes scanned the room. *Damn it,* she cursed herself. *Why do I put myself through this? Why can't I get rid of this?* She opened the drawer in her nightstand and pulled out a glass; setting it upright on the table she pulled out a bottle and poured a little liquid into it.
She picked up the glass and downed it in one gulp. Then she closed her eyes and laid back and felt the comforting warmth spread through her body. Another drink and she could almost sleep again.
~*~
"Hermione," Ron was saying. "Hermione, wake up!"
"Where's Harry?" She suddenly asked springing up and nearly knocking Ron down.
"He just went down to breakfast with Kirsten, why?" Ron asked, slightly paler than usual.
"He hasn't gotten any mail has he?"
"Well not yet."
She sighed. "I'll be down in a minute," She said and made her way up to the dormitory to change.
~*~
"Quidditch practice officially starts in three weeks," Harry announced proudly Saturday morning. "First match, Slytherin."
"We've got to win Harry!" Ginny said. She had decided to sit at her own table this morning. Ron was glaring at her from behind his bowl of cereal.
"Of course we'll win," Harry said enthusiastically.
"Well you better," Ron said. "We can't afford to lose again.not after last year," He said looking pointedly at Ginny.
"It was NOT my fault," She said angrily.
"Maybe not but you didn't need to go the Slytherin common room and celebrate!" Ron shouted back infuriated.
"Whatever, just so long as you win! Harry, I know that this year Gryffindor has the best team. We'll run their brooms into the ground, we'll-" It was just then she realized that everyone was staring at her.
"Since when have you been so interested in quidditch?" Ron wanted to know.
"Just because I have a bet going with Sirius does not mean that I wasn't interested before," She said sticking her nose airily into her book.
"Well, I know you'll do great Harry. You're the best player out there," Kirsten said scooting closer to him. Hermione's face darkened with fury as she glared just over the top of her book.
~*~
The four of them (Ron, Harry, Kirsten, and Hermione) were walking up a flight of stairs. Hermione was panting as she readjusted her back. "Curse these heavy books," She said. "We're wizards and witches, hasn't somebody invented a weightlessness spell yet?" She said.
"I know, I hate carrying all these books. They're annoyingly heavy,"
"Here, I'll carry them for you," Harry said taking the armful Kirsten had.
"Aw, how sweet," She said smiling. "Thank you."
"Aw... somebody shoot me," Hermione said, she thought to herself but Ron heard her.
~*~
Divination was still as boring as ever, though Harry had to admit, Kirsten's input made the class a lot more interesting. Ron and Harry especially like doing their homework with her. She had the same imaginative sense of humor they did.
"Let's see. according to my mother's time of birth, I think she'll be kidnapped towards the end of the school year," She said one evening in a mock serious manner. "And I'll discover some life shattering news in December! The drama of it all!" She cried dramatically, with the hand to forehead and everything.
"My worst fear will come true by the end of this year," Ron said with a sarcastic grin. "And one of my family members will get possessed."
"That's a good one, I don't think we've ever thought of that," Harry said. "How about. I witness something shocking. I go through a painful break-up and I have three life-threatening experiences by June."
"I'll get the flu, take part in a war, and my mother will get re-married," Kirsten looked down at her homework. "That last one was just for good measure," She remarked.
"I'll go through strained friendships and a period of depression," Ron added. Kirsten laughed.
"I never knew Divination could be so much fun," She said.
"It's only fun because you're here," Harry said looking at her and grinning. Ron rolled his eyes as he watched the two across from him. "And what do you predict for the near future?" He asked gazing at her.
"A famous quidditch player is going to make his move," She whispered. Ron cringed.*Here it comes! Brace yourself!* He thought trying to look away before: they kissed.
Of course, this did not go unnoticed by Hermione who had been sitting in the arm chair a distance away. Ron heard her snap her book shut with a force and stomp out of the common room. This was not good.
* * *
"Hermione?" Sirius asked uncertainly. He had happened to find her-in Moaning Myrtle's bathroom.and no he was not ashamed to admit that he and Myrtle went way back. But Hermione looked a mess. She was sobbing violently and her spirit was crushed. She looked distraught and out of her senses, not confident and bright, like usual.
She let out a little frightened sort of sob as he gently laid a hand on her shoulder. She turned away embarrassed but still cried loudly.
"Hermione, what's wrong? Tell me, and we'll talk," He instructed in a comforting and sympathetic voice. He had never seen her like this before.
"It's not right! It's not fair! I HATE her!" She cried turning towards him.
"Who is 'her'?" Sirius asked, helping her to sit down.
"Kirsten,"
"I figured as much. What happened now?"
"I saw.I saw.oh Sirius it was so horrible! They were kissing!" Sirius frowned. This troubled him somewhat for more reasons than Hermione's hurt feelings.
"OK.well, this is not the end of the world. You can still do something about this,"
"Like what? He's already taken,"
"So, steal him! You were there first anyway!" He inhaled and Hermione bit her lip trying to force herself to stop. "I'll talk to Harry," He said.
"What are you going to say?" She asked taking a tissue.
"I don't know, I'll improvise, but I won't say anything about you. YOU should do that. I keep telling you, he is a GUY. You have to spell things out for him. Do something crazy; wear a little black dress,"
"Not working," She said, slightly annoyed.
"I'm just telling you,"
"I'm not going to tell Harry. It would just be awkward and I don't want to ruin our friendship Sirius!" Hermione cried, tears coming on again. She fought them and wiped her eyes. "I'm sorry, I'm just being silly. Things with Harry and I are perfect, right now. Why should I try and change that?"
"Because it's your right, since you are unhappy," He told her.
"Look, Kirsten won fair and square. And I don't have the right to get in between." Hermione took a deep breath and squared her shoulders. "I'm OK now, that was just a fluke or something," she said making a weak attempt at a smile.
"That's better," Sirius said. "I'm proud of you. You have a strong will. Are you sure you're OK?"
"Yes, I'm sorry to have wasted your time."
"Stop," Sirius cut in. "You know better than that. Anything you need to talk about, you can talk to me. And what the hell else am I going to be doing?"
"Thank you," She said with a smile but it quickly faded to tears. "I'm sorry," She said trying her hardest not to cry again. "I just really miss my dad right now,"
Sirius pulled her into a tight hug. "You know," He said. "I never knew my father, or my mother. My dad died before I was born, and my mother barely survived having me. The parents I knew were the Potters.
"James parents took me in all the time I was at Hogwarts. They died when James and I were eighteen. At least James had Lily at the time, he got through it. But it took me a long time to really figure out what life was about after that. You're really lucky to have found Sierra,"
"I know," She said. "I owe Sierra everything and if she hadn't had been at the ministry that day they took me in, I don't think I would be here. My parents died in the carbonated crystal attack in Diagon Alley. They were muggles, but I took them there, and they died, but I didn't. I stayed here." She started to cry again.
"Sierra tells me, not to blame myself. But it's hard because deep down I know that it's my fault." Sirius wasn't really sure what to say to this.
"That crystal has killed a lot of people. Serious damage has been caused and it's nobody's fault except those who don't try to destroy it. Harry's Mom was almost killed by that crystal. And this time it was the same evil that attacked then.
"If there is one thing I learned from years of nothing to do but blame myself in prison, it's the fact that no one can blame themselves for the evil of that man. Just don't."
* * *
"So Hermione, has Sierra said anything about when dueling club is starting?" Ron asked over breakfast of the Saturday after their third week of classes. Ever since the news spread about Kirsten and Harry, Ron had been especially careful to talk to Hermione and avoid sensitive subjects.
He knew she wasn't taking it well, but she wouldn't talk to him. In fact, she had been off to talk to Sirius more than she had to anyone else.
"You know, she hasn't," Hermione said thoughtfully.
"Dueling club? What's that Harry?" Kirsten asked. Hermione noted that she directed the question at Harry. "It sounds like fun. Can I be a part of it?" Hermione looked murderous at the thought of Kirsten becoming involved with another part of her life but ignored the two as Harry happily explained about dueling club.
"I'll ask Sierra about it today. I'm running home to Hogsmeade. We have to make sure that Sierra's Dad is doing OK. He was a little better when we left for school, but you know he just had a pretty bad time two weeks ago. He's been getting sicker and sicker all summer." She said.
"I hope he's better," Ron said sympathetically.
"That's why we're going back. We have to make sure that his witch of a wife hasn't done something to him. I wouldn't put anything past her." Hermione said bitterly.
"Aren't we all witches?" Kirsten contributed to their conversation rudely.
"I meant that she has the same bitchy personality as you," Hermione said getting up and meeting Sierra at the staff table.
"You need to talk to her," Ron said quietly to Harry as she retreated.
"Let's go quickly," Sierra said when Hermione reached the table. They discussed the possibility of Sierra's step mom trying to poison or kill her father while they were away. It was a rather grim scenario but not one they were willing to doubt.
The woman was abominable. She was only interested in money. It was rather obvious by her complete disregard for the family and everything else. And ever since they had married six months ago Mr. Havairhafpvermin's already slightly unstable health condition worsened steadily.
They burst into the house and Sierra very briefly talked to the servant before making her way upstairs. "Wait in your room, Hermione, I'll come and get you if I think he's OK," She said before she made it to the top flight of stairs.
Naturally Hermione obeyed. While she waited she rummaged around and grabbed some extra quills, ink and parchment. She was putting the things into her bag when she accidentally spilled the bottle of ink all over and had a job of cleaning it up.
Just as she was trying to recall if she needed anything else a house elf brought her a piece of folded up parchment.
"Just arrived on owl post m'lady," He said bowing himself out. Immediately she knew it was from Sirius. "I can't bring you into the castle now you idiot. You have to pick the day I'm in Hogsmeade." She said to herself as she tore it open.
However, the letter wasn't exactly a request to sneak into the castle like it normally was. It was a social call, which Hermione greatly appreciated.
Dear Hermione:
Hey! How are you holding up? I haven't seen in you in two days so I hope that what I said helped.
How is school? Well, I'm sure you're doing fine (look who I'm talking to) what I should say is how is the tutoring of Ron going?
You're right; last week was WAY too close. We were almost caught. I don't want to get you in trouble either. This week, we'll meet in the forest to talk. You know where. I'll be there at 11:00 Wednesday night. I can't wait to see you!
~Sirius
PS Wear my favorite little black dress! (
Hermione smiled and set the letter on her desk. Sirius had been the first one to know about Harry and Kirsten. Hermione had cried to Sirius four almost three hours and several days after that. Ever since then he had been joking with her about the little black dress.
She set down to write a reply when she realized that she'd have to go get some more ink. She got up and quickly walked from the room leaving the letter lie on her desk.
It was about this time that Sierra was done making sure her father wasn't in immediate danger and using a few strong words on her stepmother. She noticed Hermione's door was slightly ajar and just pushed it open wide enough to stick her head in. "Hermione?" She asked peering inside.
She frowned and stepped inside when she didn't see her thinking that maybe she was in her adjoining bathroom but it became clear that that was not the case. She turned to leave when she caught sight of the letter.
She would never have stopped to look at it if she hadn't sworn she saw the name Sirius. As she read the letter her eyes slowly grew into the size of dinner plates. Naturally, she didn't really believe what she was reading, and yet, there it was.
Hermione was walking back to her room with a bottle of ink in hand when she caught sight of Sierra staring open-mouthed over her letter. Immediately her throat constricted. She knew what exactly was in that letter.
Trying desperately not to panic she slid down the banister and grabbed a piece of parchment on her way. She scribbled: Sierra found letter-COME NOW! And sent it out with the first owl she could find.
The owl reached Sirius in about ten minutes as he was in the same neighborhood. Naturally when he arrived he was already cursing his misfortune and then was greeted by iron gates.
Hermione was watching nervously praying that Sierra wasn't immediately going to the ministry. She opened the gates and Sirius rushed to the house. He burst in the door swearing, still.
"She's upstairs!" Hermione said desperately taking a hold of his arm. She meant to pull him up the stairs but as they turned they came face to face with Sierra who was still holding the letter.
"Oh my god!" Sierra screamed in terror.
"Oh my god!" Another voice shouted.
"OH my GOD!" Sirius shouted as his eyes locked with the other person who had now entered the entrance hallway.
A/N: Well, that was a fun chapter. I postponed some things just for a little while longer because this chapter was getting out of hand already. Anyway, next chapter some definite romance and it should take us up to Halloween. Before that time I have to say that there will already be serious fights and break-ups and romance and everything else going on. Next chapter, much to my disappointment will have to have teenage drama. Anyway, thanks for reading and reviewing, I appreciate it.
~Star*dust
Britz: Bonjour mon amie! Comment ça va? J'ai aimé votre revue ! Vous parlez français très bien. Merci beaucoup.
Sophie: I know that it doesn't make sense that Angie is/was married to Josh, but it will soon.
Lily Lupin: Sure, I read your stories, you deserved it. Thank you for your continued reviews!
Hazelmist: I'm glad you don't like cliffhangers. That is exactly the point. I did it to you again, sorry, but I couldn't resist. It was the perfect opportunity. *Grins evilly*
Ax: I'm sorry, Hermione and Ron did date in the past, but you didn't get to see that. Don't worry, after the next chapter I try not to focus on the relationships of the teens but more of Angie/Sirius/Remus/Sierra and even Bill Weasley. Don't ask.
Buckbeakbabie: Loved your reviews! Why am I making that plural? You can only write one per chapter. oh well. (Notice how I have to waste the time and the space to comment on the fact instead of just deleting it?) Thank you so much for that e-mail! I was having a LOT of fun. Talk to you later!
S@bre Bl@ck: Hey, you changed your name. I love the little '@' things. That is really cool. It's like all unique and stuff. Wow, that was a really descriptive sentence *she says sarcastically* Well, I'm sorry that I ended this with a cliffhanger too, I just couldn't help it.
Ltnikki: Thanks for the review, the e-mails. Everything. Sorry, about the cliffhangers though, lol, not really, I planned it all along.
HPdreamer15: I really loved the Christmas carol part of last chapter too. That started out as a joke. One of my friends started writing that randomly, and I didn't realize it and then I expanded and had a lot of fun, as you can tell.
THANKS EVERYONE!!