"What did you do that for?" Bridget asked, and broke away from the kiss with a small smile playing at her lips.

"Because I knew you wouldn't," Draco said as he pulled her back into his arms for another kiss.

"Draco," Bridget whispered as she broke away from the kiss and grabbed him by his wrist, "Walk with me."

"Where are we going?" He asked as he got out of his seat and followed her. Bridget stopped, leaned into him and whispered in his ear.

"Anywhere but here."

"How about the lake?" He suggested, then kissed her lightly on the cheek. She smiled flirtatiously as she played with a strand of auburn hair.

"Sounds like a plan."

---

"Ginny, have you seen Bridget?" Hermione asked when her friend waltzed into the Common Room. Ginny thought for a minute then shook her head.

"Nope. Sorry 'Mione. The last time I saw her was in the library."

"That's odd," The girl frowned a bit, "She said that she'd meet me here for her Arithmancy tutoring an hour ago." Ginny shrugged in response, then offered her best guess.

"Maybe she decided that she was going to go solo on that one. I dunno."

"Maybe," though Hermione doubted her sister would miss it without giving her a valid excuse.

"Well, I hope you find her." Ginny said and yawned, "I going to bed. Good night."

"Good night." Hermione looked at her watch again, it read ten thirty. Just then, Bridget bounded through the portrait hole giggling.

"Where were you?" Hermione said, then stormed over to her sister.

Bridget blinked, "What do you mean?"

"What do I mean?" Hermione repeated with an incredulous look on her face, "You know exactly what I mean. You were supposed to be her over an hour ago for your Arithmancy tutoring!"

"Sorry sis," and the girl cringed sheepishly, "I forgot about that."

"That still doesn't answer my question. Where were you?"

"I was in the library," Bridget quickly thought of a lie.

"Nice try. The library closes at eight thirty. Where were you?"

"I was by the lake." Bridget caved in and responded truthfully this time.

"With who?"

"I was by myself," and now Bridget looked at her sister as she dodged through her continuing inquiry, "I was thinking about mom."

"Why?" and Hermione's expression changed completely.

"Did you know she went here? Walked these very halls?"

"Where did you hear this?"

"Professor Lupin." Bridget walked over to the couch and sank down into it. She wasn't sure why she chose that lie. She felt like it was her duty to pass on the tragedy of their mother's life to her sister, maybe someday to her other sister. Finally, it was her sister's voice that startled her out of the thoughts consuming her.

"How does . . ."

"He dated her."

"He what?" Hermione exclaimed. The fire in the background crackled loudly, as if to express the same shock.

"He dated her," Bridget said, and then sighed, "They were engaged, in fact. But Grandma and Grandad didn't like the fact that he was a werewolf."

Hermione sank into the couch next to her sister, the anger from the forgotten Arithmancy tutorial was replaced with a mix of shock and pity for their long dead mother, "You've got to be kidding me."

Bridget studied her sister's face in the firelight. She suddenly realized how wise her sister was. She wished that she could be her sister, if only for a minute, and experience the wisdom that she possessed. Bridget knew that her sister didn't even have to try to express that intellect, in fact, the knowledge pulsed through her entire being. Even when they were younger, Hermione had possessed this precious attribute.

"So, then she married Dad."

"And the rest is history." Bridget finished as she got up and headed up the stairs. The events that happened with Draco, having long slipped her mind when she entered the Common Room, now began to fill her with the feeling of ecstasy that filled her before and her heart became wild and free once more.

"How come we never say I love you to each other?" Bridget asked quite suddenly, paused midway up the steps. At this utterly unexpected statement, Hermione paused and turned to face her sister.

"What do you mean?"

Bridget looked down and Hermione once again saw the wild spirit that was considered long dead. It was the spirit that she secretly envied and wanted to be.

"We never say we love each other."

"Of course we . . ." Hermione paused and thought back to all the times they were together. She had not a single memory of those three little words.

"I love you." Bridget said, as though the words were foreign and strange to her.

"I love you too," she repeated back to her. It was the first time she had said those words in a long time.