Hermione was seated next to Harry in the great hall, eating her breakfast simultaneous trying not to lose her appetite by Ron's terrible table manners. It was the first day of the second week this term, and a few days had passed since the conversation with Dumbledore. She was slowly getting back into her old habits. She was trying to not think too much about her situation, since she knew that she had to concentrate on the big picture and not get affected by the small things she so dearly wanted to change.

"Merlin, I hate Mondays" Harry muttered under his breath as he poked the eggs on his plate. She could sympathise, the first week had been rough on everybody.

"Please Harry, try not to blow up on her this time, you've spent way too much time in detention with that foul woman!" she begged.

"It's not as if I try to!" he shot back indignantly. She had to hold back not to roll her eyes, his temper was all over the place. She gave him a stern glance and he seemed to get her point as he returned to his breakfast mumbling something which sounded like "I'll behave".

Hermione returned to the letter she was reading with an annoyed huff. She knew he would not behave.

Hey Hermione, we hope everything is well! Dad and I are so excited and proud over that you have been made prefect, you are such a smart girl and it is good to see that the school recognises it! Things are going great at the clinic, we had some troubles with the refurbishment, but everything has settled down now. We can't wait for you to see how nice it has become.

How is the new schoolyear treating you? You used to complain about one subject which always changes teacher, is the new one any good? It concerns me that they never find a capable teacher for a class, it cannot reflect well on the subject.

When are you coming home for Christmas this year? We were thinking about having a little family trip this Christmas, and it'll help us plan if we knew when you are coming home.

Miss you

Love Mum and Dad.

The sickening feeling of guilt turned her stomach into a knot. She knew that she most likely would not return home for Christmas this year either, but she didn't know how to tell her mother. She was constantly downgrading them, and it bothered her greatly that she didn't know how to change it. After this summer where she barley had spent three weeks with them, she didn't know how to let them down. She knew she was hurting them, but she also knew that if she told them about the dangers in the wizarding world, they'd try to keep her away. She had not told them the dangers in her new world and life since first year. But she didn't blame them, if her daughter had been petrified for three months, she'd cause havoc. And that was the reason they never knew about it.

Hermione slowly reached for her glass of pumpkin juice with a frown, maybe she should try to tell them? That might save them in the long run. Her train of thoughts were abrupt aborted by a tall frame with a mop of red hair shoving itself in between her and Harry on the bench, the doppelganger of said making room on Harrys other side. Hermione nearly dropped her glass out of bewilderment, but quickly got her grip back on.

"Harry mate, we heard a rumour that you hate Mondays" George said as he put one arm over Harry shoulder and helped himself to fill his plate with the other.

"Well, yeah, you've seen my Monday schedule. It's my personal hell, created just for me". Harry answered grumpy.

"well, yeah, we've heard rumours about it… Can we tempt you with a Puking pastille? If you need it, you might puke on your own with Umbridge followed by Snape" Fred answered. Hermione noticed that Harry glanced at her before asking "are they safe?"

"Of course!" they answered, "we would never poison the boy who won't die!" "Yeah" Fred chimed in, "would be quite pointless, as you know, you won't die"

Hermione dipped her head into her letter to pretended that she didn't notice that George slipped a candy surrounded with bright green paper into Harry pocket. When she seemed the transformation done, she lifted her head to pay attention to them once again.

"Fred, George, you two have to stop testing your products on the first years". Hermione could see how their perplexion of her was sinking in their eyes. George had narrowed his eyes and Fred's back had gone completely straight. He was looking at her like she was a completely new person, and not in a good way.

"and why Hermione, would we do that?" George complied, "are you gonna stop us?" he said with a smirk, and a condescending laugh. Fred was silent, but he was looking at her with an expression she'd once seen Malfoy give her.

"why, you ask? I'm not going to dwell too long on the ethical problem of the fact that you as seventh-years, an authoritarian position compared to the first years, give them money for testing potential dangerous digestive magical substances, without informing them of what they have been given. The other reason, which think you should consider properly, is that you are breaking at least three rules of the law that I can site on the top of my head, not school rules, but the actual wizarding law. There are probably more laws, but I need to refresh my knowledge before I can give you a sentence. But with what I have, you'll get a month each in Azkaban if you're caught. So please stop."

Hemione was pleased that the condescending expressions were shifted to slightly worried frowns.

"If you don't believe me, you can look it up in "The wizarding law – the making of new magical artefacts, potions and spells" it's in the library.

She ignored the tense mood that had settled around the table and opened her issue of the Daily Prophet with a decision to disappear into it until classes began.

Classes that day was horrid.

Harry managed to catch himself another detention with Umbridge and Snape had been giving her snide remarks during class about certain redheads to Ron's confusement and annoyance. To top it off she had received another note from Dumbledore, with a message for a meeting the next day.

When dinnertime finally came around she was so fed up with everything that the only thing she was wishing for was to go to sleep.

Harry was once again picking at his food, clearly upset about something, and she herself was silently fuming over the fact that she had ten minutes to eat before her detention with Snape.

"Harry, I have something to talk to you about after detention tonight, would you meet me in the commonroom?"

"Of course Hermione" It was clear by his tone that he sensed the importance, as his face was concentrated in a solemnly frown.

New chapter, a bit late... Sorry about that. I had originally planned to write the detention and the conversation with Harry in this chapter, but it took me longer than expected to write, so I decided on a shorter one. Hopefully I'll have it finished soon.

Hope you enjoyed it, and please R&R! :D