Hello my darlings!
So. I was going to not post any more chapters for a while, but some part of me decided to post this one tonight. There are two reasons why I wasn't going to post anything. One because I wanted to get ahead so that when I absolutely don't have time to write (I'm back at school now), then I'll have content to give you all. Second, was because of the quite negative response some people had to 'finding' out that Hermione and Draco were going to be dating other people for a while. Which makes me sad. It does.
Sidenote, I noticed that I changed the wrong doc after I had edited something a while back, so there was a duplicate chapter. I fixed it, and 'Mutual Feelings?' aka chapter 33 is now once more the right chapter. So some of you may have missed it, and it's quite an important chapter, so if you wish you can go back and read it now.
I will outright say this now, so there is no confusion. Hermione and Remus are going to be together for at least one year in this fic, as are Draco and Marlene. The Dramione is still going to happen, it's simply more of a slow burn. I'm sorry to the people who were disappointed and whatnot, but I just want to represent honest and organic relationships.
I would like to mention as well that I got some simply lovely reviews that made me cry from happiness and I can't thank you brilliant people enough, I just can't.
My tumblr: indiebluecrown. tumblr. com
Disclaimer: Harry Potter belongs to J.K. Rowling, and only the story line and any OC's belong to me.
For Henny (my constant supporter and lovely friend) xxx and sherbertlemons98!
Thursday, 5th June, 1975
Great Hall
Final Day of Term
Sigh. It was the fifth time Peggy had sighed since she had entered the Great Hall that morning. Hermione was keeping a running tally. Sigh. Six.
Hermione knew exactly why Peggy was so blue and downtrodden. She had been trying and failing to get Draco's attention for months-despite the fact that he had a girlfriend-and Hermione could only hope that she hadn't been naive enough not to prepare thoroughly for her OWLs. I hope she wasn't too busy daydreaming about Draco, Hermione snorted softly.
The boy in question was off somewhere with Marlene, and not for the first time did Hermione find herself wishing it didn't have to be like this. Draco couldn't sit with his girlfriend because the Slytherins and the Gryffindors didn't like their relationship. The Carrows were particularly nasty, and Hermione had accidentally set the edge of Alecto's sleeve on fire in Potions the other day. It had been put out immediately-which was quite frankly a shame-she was playing with fire, she should have a constant reminder of that. Perhaps then she would hold her foul tongue.
Hermione found that whilst her heart still hurt whenever she saw Draco and Marlene together she was heavily distracted by something else. Someone else. Remus. It felt like the tattered, ruined hunk of flesh that beat in her chest was slowly being repaired by his love and care.
Speaking of the werewolf, he was currently lathering his toast with fresh blackberry jam (blackberry season had just begun and she couldn't be happier, she absolutely loved blackberries). Wordlessly he held it in her direction and she leaned forward and took a small bite, hearing the crunch of the toast and the blackberry jam spreading across her palette instantly in the best way. Remus was currently reading the Daily Prophet and he moved his toast back to his own mouth, almost missing his target as his attention was elsewhere. She blushed slightly when he bit into it in the same place she had.
"Can't believe the school year is over already," Lily sighed directly across from Hermione, she was laying her head on Alice's shoulder-whose hand was intertwined with Frank's under the table, Hermione knew this from prior experience-Frank and Alice were sitting closely together, and the other Gryffindor girls were on the other side of Lily. Nancy and Kira were too caught up in a heated discussion about whether the piano or the violin was a more noble instrument.
"I know. Next year we'll have OWLs to deal with," Hermione sighed in response to Lily.
"The workload is going to be insane, isn't it?" Alice groaned, but smiled quickly when Frank leaned over and pressed a chaste kiss to her cheek.
"Definitely," Hermione said without hesitation; flashes of her first time sitting OWLs moving at lightning speed through her mind. I did go a bit overboard with stressing out, Hermione admitted to herself begrudgingly. In all honesty she had run herself ragged.
Hermione tried to think of something else so she turned to her left, and saw that James, Sirius and Peter's heads were together as they whispered and discussed something of a quite sensitive nature. Hermione honed her heightened hearing and heard, "I almost shifted the other day...all I got was those antlers that wouldn't go away…" "That's why you skived off of lessons the other day! McGonagall was not happy about that…" "Thank you Sirius for reminding me of how pleasant that afternoon was…" "I just try to calm myself down when my tail won't go away…" "Thank you Pete, that's actually helpful advice…" "Focus...we need to figure this out soon, this summer...so practice when we can and go from there?" "Agreed.." Hermione ground her teeth together, making a note to hit them all across the back of their heads later for being so reckless and speaking so freely about the illegal animagus training they were partaking in-especially with Remus so close by, and if he hadn't been so preoccupied he may of heard them. Everyone could have heard them if the Hall wasn't filled with rambunctious laughter and boisterous chatter.
Hermione swore she saw McGonagall staring intently at them, but shook her head and went back to her breakfast. It was probably all in her imagination.
"Promise you'll write?" Lily asked, hugging Hermione tightly, and part of her never wanted to let go. Let go of this beautiful soul, the gifted, exquisite and unique person who had become her friend. The much bigger part told her that she had to, which is the only thing that prompted her to step back out of Lily's arms.
"I always do, of course I will," Hermione promised, reaching out to grasp Lily's warm hand, squeezing it reassuringly.
"Keep your brothers in line," Lily smirked, and then she hurried away before James could spot her, hurrying off to her parents who welcomed her warmly, their smiles threatening to break their faces.
I see Petunia is once again absent, Hermione thought, and then she frowned as she remembered that Lily had said brothers. Whenever she thought about Draco, the word brother never came to mind. Never. She wasn't sure she ever wanted to. She had no idea why Lily saying so had nagged at her brain all of a sudden after the last few years, but she shook her head and dismissed it.
She caught a whiff of fresh cut grass, chocolate and parchment right behind her and she smiled broadly. Her nose was being assaulted by all kinds of affronted scents-everyone's smells blended together and became one thick wall of offensive smells; yet somehow she managed to catch his.
"Hey," a voice murmured in her ear a few moments later and she leaned back against his chest. His arms wrapped around her shoulders and Hermione sighed happily.
"Hello my sweet Moon," Hermione whispered, knowing that only he would be able to hear her.
"I-"
"What's this?" Hermione heard a familiar voice say on her right and she felt like her face would break from the smile that spread across her face.
"MUM!" Hermione exclaimed, barely seeing that Draco was kissing Marlene's cheek goodbye and telling her that he would write her, or James and Sirius animatedly talking to Charlus, Peter shyly standing a bit behind them. All she saw was the elegant woman with raven hair that was pulled up into an elaborate bun with fine braids and twists. She saw her Mother in a plum dress, with a square neckline that kisses her curves and cut off right above her knees, black stiletto heels that could probably kill someone, and a set of open, thin, black lace robes that had loose open sleeves that came to her wrists.
Dorea caught her easily and Hermione hugged her as hard as she could. Dorea's breathy laughter made her chest move and Hermione felt like it was moving through her, breathing happiness straight into her magical core. She was warmth and she smelled like lemon, daffodils and spring.
Mum. Hermione finally let go and saw shining, happy light grey eyes looking back at her.
"You've gotten so much taller, my little girl, my beautiful, brilliant, intelligent and remarkable little girl," Dorea smiled, still holding Hermione's shoulders.
"Hey! I didn't get called remarkable," James teased, ducking under Dorea's arm until he was standing in between the two witches facing his Mother.
"You my darling boy light up my world, you are my sunshine, and slightly arrogant-which I know you'll grow out of, and I wake up every morning thankful that I have you," Dorea said instantly, and James's lips pursed at the 'slightly arrogant' comment but he merely shook his head and quickly a smile was on his face.
"Do you four want me to do you next?" Dorea grinned at Charlus, Draco, Remus and Sirius, but they merely shook their heads in amusement.
Peter looked a little uncomfortable for a moment, and Hermione felt badly about how out of place he must have felt.
"Mum, James told you that Peter is coming to stay with us this summer right?" Hermione asked, looking around James at her Mother.
"Oh, right! Peter!" Dorea exclaimed, letting go of her two children and turning towards Peter with a wide smile, "it's going to be so nice having you stay with us again."
"Th-Thank you for having me," Peter stammered out nervously.
"It's nothing dear," Dorea waved it off with an easy smile.
Hermione grinned then and caught her Father's eye, and she ran towards him, jumping into his arms. He hugged her underneath her armpits-picking her up-holding her tightly to him and swinging her in a circle.
"Missed you sweetheart," Charlus whispered into her ear and Hermione's heart squeezed. She'd missed her parents so much. She was glad that this summer was a week longer than normal and she couldn't wait to spend as much time with them as she could.
"I missed you too, Daddy," Hermione replied, still smiling when he put her down, gently patting her curls.
Hermione whirled around, looking at Remus one final time. He was going to Wales with his parents for most of the summer, and even though she was going to miss him terribly, they had sworn to each other that they were going to write.
He met her halfway and then she was hugging him and taking in the last bits of his scent that she could. Trying to memorise how it felt to hug him, how it felt to be held by him.
"I'm going to miss you," Remus said lowly, and Hermione nodded her head into his chest, her voice muffled as she responded, "I'm going to miss you too."
Hermione pulled back enough to look at him, and stared up at him meaningfully.
"Here...your parents-"
"Just shut up and kiss me goodbye Remus Lupin," Hermione demanded.
Hermione tiptoed and Remus bent down, it was soft, chaste, but still soft.
"I'll write as soon as I can, Remus," Hermione murmured when they pulled away.
"See you later," Remus said as he stepped out of her embrace, and Hermione smiled and located her trolley, it was to the left of where her and Remus were standing. Midnight was proudly sitting on top, hissing at anyone who came too close. Remus's was right beside hers.
Hermione moved over to her trolley and began to push it towards the exit of the platform.
Another school year had ended, another year and so much had happened. Yet somehow it felt like everything was only just beginning.
Sorry for all the rambling at the beginning of the chapter, I just wanted to make sure everything was laid out clearly. I am really so thankful for all of you that read and review and enjoy this fic. You are divine creatures and you make me a very happy girly!
Indieblue xxx
P.S. I want to get well into their fifth year before I post any more chapters for this fic, so this may or may not be my last FTT update for a little while, so rest assured, I'm not abandoning it, never, but I will be taking a little break from it.