This time they were three and caused what amounted to a silence on the platform. Heads turned and she knew that this would be talked about everywhere tomorrow. Sinclair looked up at her and she smiled grimly down at him. He did smile at that. Thinking himself unimportant and that she was over stating her warnings the last day or so.
"There's Claudia." Sabrina said and they turned to her friend and Hermione put a hand on the boy's shoulder at the look on Mrs Peters face.
"Miss Rosier. Here we are dear. Now who is this?" The witch asked, too loudly for privacy or discretion.
"This is Sinclair Lestrange. My cousin. Sinclair, this is Claudia's mother. Mrs Peters." Sabrina moved closer to the boy and they all waited.
"How interesting." Was the eventual response and Hermione kept her polite mask on and made comments about getting them on the train.
"I'll get him settled. He doesn't want to sit with us but I'll make sure we are close. I'll write and I think he will too. I know you will. Miss you." This was all said quickly into her ear and she squeezed her acceptance and then looked down at Sinclair.
"I wish we had longer. There is Christmas though and I'll send books if you want me too. Please write and let me know if you think of anything you want to do this Christmas break or even the summer." She said and he nodded at her. Tentatively, she reached out and ran a hand gently over his curls. It was all she allowed herself and he coloured at her actions so she just smiled and waved at them. Then magicked their trunks onto the train and stepped back. Watching the windows and seeing Sabrina's head and then Sinclair's. A wave and she waved back.
"I'll keep an eye out Hermione. I know we write but I want to actually see you over Christmas break." Ginny whispered as she was hugged from behind and she turned around to hug the redhead back.
"Thank you Ginny. Have fun too." She admonished and the grin was heartening. It looked genuine and didn't seem to be hiding things.
Seven weeks until Christmas break and a month until her three days of NEWTs. Time to get busy and write down some of that mental list.
"It's Mr Potter Miss." Zavi spoke from outside the shower door and she didn't jump. She would have months ago but had become used to their appearances. More used to it anyways.
"Tell him I'll be a minute and he can wait wherever." She answered and the elf didn't leave.
"Dinner Miss." Was his eventual reply to her continued eye contact and she huffed.
"Alright. Dinner wherever Harry wants." She said and then wrapped herself in the warm towel and headed out of the bathroom and into her closet. She didn't like having a dressing room so called it a closet and tried not to think about its size or the mostly empty shelving.
Comfortable jeans and a sweater were enough for Harry and she pulled her socks on before spraying potion into her hair and watching the curls separate. They wouldn't dry but it did help and she spelled her sweater not to get wet. Best she could or wanted to do right now.
"I had hoped you hadn't eaten yet." Were his first words and she smiled at his knackered appearance. His hair was more all over the place than usual and looked tired. She smiled at his lazy grin and hugged him tightly before sitting down at the small table in the corner of the kitchen. The two of them liked eating down here and she had convinced the elves it was alright. They wouldn't touch anything.
"Shepherd's pie too. Like they knew I was coming." He said happily and she laughed before blowing on hers and then enjoying the warm and comforting food. Minutes passed and then she poured from the open wine bottle and asked her first question.
"Who were you partnered with today?" She asked him and he gave her a look for not talking about her NEWTs.
"Boot. He isn't sure if he wants to stay in." She thought about that and wondered why.
"Says he likes the exercise but does maths when he goes home or something." He looked bemused and she smiled while thinking that over. Terry Boot would make a good Auror but had always been academic.
"So?" He asked her and she huffed.
"It was fine. It was all fine. Boring really. Most of it. The arithmancy was good, like runes had been and the rest was interesting. Sort of. I over studied and am past it." She admitted the last and his grin was smug.
"Don't be so smug." She reprimanded and he laughed at her put out expression.
"Now what? And have you made any decisions about Christmas?" He asked her.
"I don't know. I've got a list of things to think about or that I've thought about. Both of them said they wanted to stay here. I offered France and Sinclair said maybe next year or in the summer. We could do that for a while. Do you get holidays?" He didn't know and looked upset at the idea that he might not get to go on a hypothetical vacation with them.
"Did Molly send a Christmas invitation?" He asked her and she watched him polish off what had been a heaping pile of food on his plate.
"No. I wasn't expecting one though." She admitted and he waited.
"I ran into her in the Alley a week ago. We talked for a few minutes and her comments were less than flattering. I assured her that we wouldn't venture where we hadn't been invited and that cut off the comments about making sure I got time away from my obligations." Her tone was even and he looked her over and then slumped a bit.
"I tried to talk to her." He began and she waved him off.
"Don't bother Harry. Ron has written and other than his Blimey Mione it basically said that I was smart and so probably understood even if he didn't. I've seen George and Fred, no overt hostility there. Ginny has assured me that she can't wait to see my home and family. Which was nice. Even Neville wrote back and seems sincere in not judging me and wanting to meet him so that's enough for now." Her listing of people she did have and their acceptance was enough to calm him down. He worried about her and she tried to be honest with him. It was all over the papers anyways and her movements were basically tracked in the magical world.
"Will you go Christmas shopping with me?" He asked her and she nodded. Thinking of her list and ideas.
"Have you thought about what you want to get people?" She asked him and they chatted about it for a while.
"I want to do his room." She said into a pause and Harry looked thoughtful and then frowned.
"I've never been in it. Show me?" He asked and they left the kitchen with wine glasses in hand. It was blue and browns, not uncomfortable but not as if someone lived in here either.
"Bookshelves certainly. He looked at every one he came across. I've ordered some french books and I think a broom and care kit." She said thoughtfully. Trying to imagine a different colour or something.
"What do you think an eleven year old boy would want?" She asked him and watched him look around.
"Quidditch for sure. He asked me enough questions about it. That's what I'm getting him. Some quidditch stuff. So flying and books." He decided and then looked to her for confirmation.
"That doesn't help with his room though. He said he likes the common room so maybe Blaise or Daphne could help with it." As they walked out the light dimmed behind them and then extinguished completely when they reached the stairs.
She looked around the restaurant and ignored the few people who were looking at them. Then tried to avoid Blaise's observant glance. This place was nice. Very nice and the food had been good. They were waiting for dessert and she wasn't sure what to say. Watching him top up her glass up led to her meeting his dark eyes and she knew she would have to speak.
Blaise watched her hand movements muffling their words and sat back with his glass in hand. This was his NEWT completion dinner and he had been contemplative all evening.
"I've got a list." She said and he reached a hand out expectantly. She huffed and pulled it from her bag. Catching the eye of a woman she didn't know who was watching her like she was an actor in a play. Handing it over, she waited for him to scan it and then watched him read it more thoroughly.
"Not the plan I expected." Was his comment and she rolled her eyes at that.
"I told you I wasn't sure." She said and knew it was defensively. His raised brow was followed by a frown and then a chuckle.
"This covers all the hoops Hermione." He said and then looked up at her. Amusement in his eyes and she smiled sheepishly at him. That got a laugh and then he was scanning the list again and she gave him a significant glance before speaking again.
"There is another list and it's shorter. I'll show you the charm I used. We can use it for the less mundane additions to our inevitable paper trail." He settled then and folded the list. Then looked around with calculation and speculation for a minute before looking back to her.
"Tell me what their latest letters said while we finish this wine. It's good, if French, and then we can move this somewhere less public." He suggested and his eyes asked the question. A nod and he smiled genuinely.
"How are they?" He asked and she could tell that he really wanted to know.
"Better. Both of them. Sinclair has better accepted his shadows and approaching Michaels worked as well as we thought. Both of them were getting hell outside the common room and ignored inside it. Now they have each other and Sabrina says they are studying together and she saw them laughing in the great hall last week." She reported. Watching him think that over.
"I thought about how easy it would have been to have these two fly under the radar. Michaels especially. Who would have even guessed that Avery had a bastard with her. The silent shadow never spoke to anyone as far as I ever heard. I'll ask Theo and Drac but she literally never spoke to anyone. Was known for it. Until snakeface came back at least." She frowned at his word choice in regards the young boy and he nodded his apology.
"Please don't speak like that around them. Selwyn wrote me. Adelaide." She clarified at Blaise's questioning look. "Apparently she got a letter informing her that half of his holiday had been requested by his new ally and would she give him leave." Blaise looked incredulous and she chuckled.
"If he speaks like Sinclair then the two must sound far older than their age. He speaks french too. Not perfectly but Sinclair says it can be attained. Unlike my accent which will probably never be removed." He laughed at her out upon face and she smiled at him.
"Sabrina is well. Hortense has been sniffing around her. Ginny says she has made her disinterest plain and she wrote about having a few shields ready so we will discuss that at Christmas. Claudia adds post scripts to most of her letters and she said he was making a nuisance of himself but that they were handling it. I don't know what that means. Her midterms went well and she is so good at transfiguration. McGonagall requested I stop sending extra materials so I started donating them to the Library via Pince." She chattered on and he seemed to find it all extremely interesting.
"Aren't I boring you?" She asked him and knew he understood when his easy smile fell and he met her eyes.
"No you aren't. It has been so interesting and unexpected. You and now these two. What you will do or want to do. What will happen and how that will change your road. I'm looking forward to seeing you come out on top and being there too." He said and she thought he meant it all.
"I'm top of what?" She asked him. Thinking that over. It sounded ambitious but not like a goal really. It wasn't clear what he meant.
"Hermione Granger would have achieved much. Most of it equality. Magical species rights were listed but not more important than the ancient rituals I think two of those Latin terms meant." He said and she opined her prior life of Gryffindor dominated conversations. They just said it and Blaise seemed to say what he meant but not remotely straight on.
"Do you mean as a Rosier I'm different?" She asked and he looked his incredulity.
"Hermione. Yes. You. Are. You are the same but you've been transplanted. Your elves are a perfect example. It is barely conceivable to me that you would have ever taken one on. Now though it doesn't phase you having ten or more to keep busy. It didn't take you long to find a balance there either. Allow them their space and then they have done the same with you. It's an evolving example but an easy one to point out." He said it all with direct eye contact and she thought that over.
"Ready to go?" She asked him and he nodded. Fifteen minutes later they were in his townhouse and his own elf was popping out after delivering a coffee tray and the ever present liquor tray.
"I'll have a coffee with Baileys and then tea or something if I'm here for longer." She answered and he rolled his eyes at her lack of wanting to get intoxicated.
"Alright. Show me the magic." He said as they settled into two armchairs in front of a low fire. The light that hung above them was a gorgeous mosaic and she had decided to be on the lookout for a few. It took him three tries but then he had it and his grin was infectious. Then he read the much shorter list and looked up at her. Again he folded the paper closed and then he put it on the table between them.
"What do you want?" He asked her and she shifted in her comfortable chair.
"Some of that is personal and I don't know if it is of interest to you. A lot of that isn't professional but perhaps charitable and I have a few ideas for that. Some of it is detective work I think. No one has answered my questions about where Sinclair was before. So much is sealed in files and that's good but who is watching out for these people? The rest, of you want to do any of that or have other suggestions." Se trailed off and slipped her heels off and tucked her feet up onto the chair with her. He followed suit but sprawled with a sock foot on the table between them.
"I'm surprised you put any of that on paper at all. Let alone bringing it up with me." He was watching her and she knew that she could answer several ways. Had added these onto the list for him because she didn't want to do it alone.
"Harry would help and so would others. I will approach Andromeda but it was her sister, and there are feelings involved. If it's gross or to personal then that is more than fine. I can't ask Harry though. His guilt is legendary and it's all his fault." She rolled her eyes at this and Blaise huffed.
"Hardly his fault. Not at all. You know this though and I've heard you mention his saving people thing. It being you." He trailed off this time and she nodded.
"He heard too but couldn't see and after. He was so upset. Anyways I have to find out what happened. If it will affect me somehow." She met his eyes and watched his nostrils flare and he tensed.
"You haven't seen anyone?" He asked her and she shook her head.
"No. Well Bill and Fleur did what they could and Remus provided more knowledge about the curse and lessening the duration of the side effects. It was all right there though Blaise." He looked his question and she rested her hand against Her abdomen for a second. His eyes stayed there and then he looked up at her again.
"Alright. So we will do that. Figuring out what happened to you may not be possible." He sounded firm and then warning.
"That is less important. More so being able to guard against it or the long shot that we have enemies somewhere. Family ones. Josh didn't say anything about it and I don't want to ask him. It was his life. Is his life and he should decide when he wants to speak about any of that." Blaise didn't agree but accepted her assertion.
"A restaurant?" He asked her and she laughed a bit.
"Maybe not a restaurant. Somewhere people can go without the press. It was just an idea." He looked thoughtful at that and she waited.
"I'd considered some businesses. Then I wondered why we would want to deal with that." He said and she smiled at his arrogance. They had no need for money and if they didn't want to run it then it wouldn't really be a project. They would just hand it off to a manager.
"What about investing?" She asked and he nodded.
"In what though? That's a broad idea." She nodded at his true words.
"I was in Flourish and Blotts again. Not much new and he didn't say they had big shipments coming in." She offered and watched his face. Curiosity and then in a moment it was calculation and he was looking at her but not seeing her.
"The leagues are having a hard time. A lot of destruction. You also mentioned the lack of journals being published." He said and she waited while his mind moved. He was always collecting information and he stored it until he had a need for it. She liked it and had tried to take it up as a habit.
"It's a place to start anyways." She said and he smiled at that and poured some more liquor into her dainty coffee cup.