WHAT IF

Chapter 7 - A Nervous Heart

The weeks after Sirius Black second - and slightly more successful - attempt of breaking into Hogwarts and getting to Harry were spent under constant stress for Hermione. She worried every second that something might happen again.

Obviously, Hogwarts wasn't safe! No matter how he did it, Sirius Black apparently knew his way around in the castle and he knew how to avoid the Dementors. Nothing and no one could apparently stop him and Hermione was constantly worrying about that. And she worried if she should tell the teachers about the other things she knew.

Should she tell them about the map which helped Harry to get outside the castle? Should she tell them that he had already snuck outside the castle once and was likely to do it again?

Merlin knew she didn't want to. She didn't want to be the bad guy again. Didn't want to give Harry and Ron even more reason to hate her. Plus, she didn't want to get Harry into trouble. With the Firebolt it had been different. Hermione had known then that Harry wouldn't get in trouble for receiving a gift. But with the map and the Hogsmeade weekends it was different. Harry was breaking the rules deliberately and it worried Hermione how he would get punished for that.

With a heavy heart, Hermione decided to stay silent. She wasn't sure if this was an act of bravery or cowardice. One part of her mind demanded to tell Professor McGonagall - Harry's and Ron's reaction be damned - because in the end bravery was to do the right thing without fearing the consequences. The other part of mind insisted that bravery also meant staying by her friend's side.

When Neville was in my place two years ago he decided like a true Gryffindor, Hermione sighed. Back then Neville had tried to stop them to get to the stone, despite the fear of losing three friends and despite the fear of fighting them all alone.

In order to keep her mind from worrying Hermione visited Hagrid one last time before Buckbeak's trial. They spent a whole afternoon with practising his speech. Hermione helped him to learn it by heart, told him how to pronounce certain words the right way and asked him every question the judges might ask to practice his reactions. All in all, Hermione was quite pleased with their joined effort and confident that Hagrid had a good defence.

With that problem taking care of Hermione only had Harry to worry about. And Merlin, he gave her reason to! The idiot actually thought about visiting Hogsmeade illegally even after Sirius Black had proved that the Dementors didn't keep him out of the castle - twice! Who in his right mind would bring himself in danger by leaving the castle again?

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Hermione was bent over her usual desk in the Gryffindor common room and tried to finish an essay for Ancient Runes. It was the last one she had to do tonight and then she only needed to read something for Potions, and then maybe a bit of light reading before she headed to bed. Or maybe she needed to use the Time Turner… just for half an hour so that she could get more sleep this night. Slowly but surely she was reaching the end of her strength. And with that thought in mind Hermione nodded off, halfway through her essay.

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A week later Hermione awoke with a start when she realised it was the Hogsmeade Saturday and she had actually overslept. She had planned to be up early so that she could follow Ron through the village. She was absolutely sure that Harry would sneak into Hogsmeade again, against all logical reasons, and get himself into danger. Hermione planned to follow Ron and Harry, who would be under the invisibility cloak probably, around to keep him safe. Keep them both safe.

Since Sirius Black had attacked Ron's curtains instead of Harry's Hermione had nightmares about him coming back to take revenge on Ron for ruining his plans. It was a vicious circle. The more Hermione worried, the lesser she slept, and the lesser she slept the more she worried because her brain started to come up with more and more ridiculous reason to worry about.

"So now you're trying to get Harry expelled. Haven't you done enough damage this year?" Ron's words from a week ago still rang in Hermione's head. It was the only reason why she hadn't told anyone about the marauder's map.

"Why didn't you wake me?" She yelled as she jumped out of bed and grabbed fresh clothes. Lavender and Parvati were changing into their winter cloaks and had apparently already eaten their breakfast.

"Since when are we your personal alarm?" Lavender snapped, but Parvati rolled her eyes.

"We didn't wake you on purpose." She explained a little bit friendlier than Lavender. "Hermione, you look dreadful. You come back to the dorm room way after midnight and you are up only hours later. You barely eat anymore. All you do is study. That can't be healthy." The Indian girl seemed to actually worry, but Hermione had her own problems. Hasty she dressed herself and only managed to follow Ron discreetly because she skipped breakfast.

She followed Ron, who was suspiciously alone, around half of the day. He went to Honeydukes, probably to meet Harry, and to Zonko's, where they spent an awful lot of time. Hermione tried to keep an eye on the shop's door from outside, but when a large, foreign owl landed on her shoulder, she became distracted. Carefully she took the letter and opened it. Hermione recognised Hagrid's messy handwriting immediately and even before she had read the text she knew the outcome. The tearstains on the paper were enough.

For a small eternity she looked on the paper, read the text over and over again, her mind racing with ideas of how she could help Hagrid out of this. Good Godric, she needed to do something. There would be an appeal, of course. But what could they to different? How could they convince the judges otherwise when they had already ruled against Buckbeak once? All hope left Hermione as she thought about how Malfoy's father probably had scared or bribed everyone just to get his way.

When Hermione finally remembered Harry and Ron, she looked up just in time to see Ron running to the castle. Instantly she knew something had happened and followed him, but much slower. She didn't feel well enough to run.

On her way through the castle she already heard the rumours that Harry's had been seen in Hogsmeade by Draco Malfoy. That dumb git!

Hermione finally met Ron and Harry in the corridor in front of the common room. Ron looked, as usual, these days, angry and started to attack her with his remarks a soon as possible. But Hermione wasn't in the mood for fighting or avoiding them.

"I just thought you ought to know… Hagrid lost his case. Buckbeak is going to be executed." She handed them the letter and carefully explained how she had no hope anymore for getting Buckbeak off the hook.

"…nothing will have changed." She ended and wiped her eyes.

"Yeah, it will," said Ron fiercely. "You won't have to do all the work alone this time, Hermione. I'll help." And there he was again. There was her best friend again, loyal till the end, who looked at her with no ill thought. Without hesitation Hermione flung her arms around Ron's neck and broke down completely. She sobbed into his chest like a little child.

"Ron, I'm really, really sorry about Scabbers…" She sobbed. She had wanted to say it much sooner, but the fighting between them had prevented her from doing it. She had been too proud.

"Oh - well - he was old. And he was a bit useless. You never know, Mum and Dad might get me a new owl now." He muttered. Hermione realised instantly that he didn't apologise to her for his behaviour in the last weeks but let it go for now. She was tired of fighting.

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The following Monday was the first day Hermione, Harry and Ron were able to talk with Hagrid during his class. Hermione didn't know it when she woke up that morning, but this Monday should be a very adventurous day for her.

The day started normal enough. She woke up, dressed and then went down to breakfast with Harry and Ron. For the first time in weeks, she sat down beside them and actually enjoyed her breakfast again. No book beside her during eating, just light conversation with her friends. From down the table, she saw the twins looking at her and Fred even winked at her, like he wanted to say Told you so.

Things went down a crazy route when Malfoy and his terrible little friends started to laugh about Hagrid. Somehow all off her self-control went flying out of the window when she saw the blond git laughing and sneering at the man who had been so nice to her. With one large step Hermione was in front of Malfoy and then - with a satisfying SMACK - she slapped him across the face as hard as she could.

"Don't you dare call Hagrid pathetic, you foul - you evil -" With one smooth movement she drew her wand while Harry, Ron, Crabbe and Goyle just stared at her. With a shocked expression, Malfoy turned away and ran off with his two minions.

"Harry, you better beat him at the Quidditch finale!" She almost yelled as she followed the boys to the castle, both looking at her like they didn't recognise who she was. But seconds before Hermione entered the Charms classroom she remembered that she had to go to Arithmancy first. Swiftly she hid behind a tapestry - she was getting better at finding and using the countless hiding spots in Hogwarts - and turned the Time Turner half an hour. It gave her the time to run to the Gryffindor Tower and get her books.

Arithmancy was brilliant and interesting as ever but Hermione was busy with thinking about Malfoy and how unfair it was that someone like him got an innocent creature killed. She was so busy with fuming and raging that the end of the class surprised her. Hermione realised that she hadn't listened at all and would need to read all by herself to make up for lost time. Sighing she turned the Time Turner again, three hours this time - one hour to read her Arithmancy book and two for going to Charms - and hurried back to the common room. What a stressful day.

For half an hour Hermione was almost alone in the common room, which meant she would have been able to read without interruption, but unfortunately, the exhaustion was slowly getting to her. And then Fred and George entered the room. They stared at her with suspicion.

"I won't ask no questions if you don't ask me any." She finally interrupted the silence.

"Deal!" Both twins answered with a smirk. But instead of going off their way and doing what they had planned to, they sat down beside her. Fred on the left and George to the right.

"So, little Miss Granger is actually skipping classes?" Fred asked with a smirk.

"We have to inform you, Hermione, that you're doing it wrong when you're using that precious time to study for another class." George frowned at her big Arithmancy book.

"I thought we had a deal?" Hermione scowled.

"I reckon you are trying to do too much." Fred ignored her remark. "Keep going like this and you will go nuts before the end of the year."

"And wait till O.W.L.s come around. You will be a sure case for St. Mungo's by then." George nodded.

"I will not!" Hermione looked them down sternly. "I'm more than able to handle the workload. I was just distracted today."

"Yeah…" Fred nodded slowly and then handed her a small, pink bonbon. "Here, take a candy and a deep breath. You look like you need a break."

"I don't have ti-"

"Five minutes. You can even scold us if you want. But take five minutes off and then you go back to work." Reluctantly Hermione took the bonbon and ate it. It tasted sweet, but also a bit spicy and almost melted on Hermione's tongue. Instantly her skin tickled a bit and an odd feeling of calm spread through her chest.

"Uhmmm, what did I eat?" She asked drowsily.

"Just a little invention of ours. Helps you relax." She heard Fred, but he sounded far away.

Hermione woke up when Harry and Ron came to the common room, searching for her because she had missed Charms. With a beating heart, she jumped up and ran for the Charms classroom. Merlin, she had actually missed a class! She needed to apologise to Professor Flitwick.

"Professor, I'm so sorry! I'm so, so sorry for missing class. That has never happened before and…" Hermione drew a much-needed breath but Professor Flitwick only smiled.

"It's quite okay, Miss Granger. But may I ask, how this happened when you have a Time Turner?"

"Oh…" Only now Hermione remembered that she could have used the Time-Turner to make up for her missing class. She had been so surprised and nervous about falling asleep that she actually forgot about her Time Turner.

"Well, that's what I thought." The man smiled good willing at her. "Miss Granger, may I give you some advice? It's quite noble of you to try and learn as much as you can while you have the opportunity to do so, but you should also be aware of your own capacities. Not many students are able to manage such a workload, especially if there are subjects they don't actually like or aren't good at."

"Thank you…" Hermione grabbed her bag and with racing thought she went up to the Divination classroom. Was Flitwick implying that she wasn't good at Charms? Or did he believe she didn't like his class?

When Hermione entered the classroom, she saw the crystal balls on the tables and rolled her eyes. Why was it that Divination always felt like wannabe magic to her? Like muggles who pretended that they could see the future and stripped others of their money for half-truths. She listened to Trelawney's nonsense for almost an hour and tried to see something in the foggy crystal ball. The only good thing was that now she could laugh at it with Harry and Ron again. But then the barmy Professor started on Harry again with the Grim.

"Oh, for goodness' sake. Not that ridiculous Grim again!" Instantly the Professor surveyed Hermione with clear anger and when she opened her mouth Hermione knew it wouldn't be nice.

"I am sorry to say that from the moment you have arrived in this class, my dear, it has been apparent that you do not have what the noble art of Divination requires. Indeed, I don't remember every meeting a student whose mind was so hopelessly Mundane."

Mundane. Hermione Granger had been called a lot of things - mean things - by a lot of different people, even teachers. But never in her whole life had she been called mundane. For a second there was the urge to start a discussion with the Professor, to proof with clear logic that Divination was nonsense hocus-pocus. But then she remembered Professor Flitwick's earlier words.

"Fine" Hermione decided suddenly. "Fine! I give up! I'm leaving!" And with that she grabbed her things and rushed out the door, a feeling of freedom spreading through her chest.

Later when Hermione was alone in her room she found a small note in her bag.

Hermione, the Bonbon you tested was a prototype. Don't worry, we tested on ourselves first! But apparently, the dosage is a bit strong for someone as tiny as you. Should have sent you daydreaming only for a few minutes. Please don't hex us.

Hermione chuckled as she read the note. The emotional high from dropping Divination still had her in an excellent mood and she decided to forgive Fred and George, even when it itched her to scold them for using her as an unsuspecting test subject.

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Even after dropping Divination Hermione was head over heels drowning in homework and study material. The finals were still far away but still, the teachers gave them so much to do that almost everyone seemed to work constantly.

The third years were working like crazy but no one was more stressed than Percy Weasley. The oldest Weasley in the castle was in his final year and had to do his N.E.W.T.s this summer. The stress was visibly in his eyes and he seemed even more tired than Hermione. Not for the first time this year she asked herself if Percy maybe also used a Time Turner. But if he did that would mean that he too had one since his third year and the thought alone about living like this for another four years made Hermione sick.

The thought about dropping another subject and having a normal schedule again was more and more tempting to her. The problem was, she couldn't decide which subject she should drop. She loved Ancient Runes and Arithmancy, but she couldn't drop Care for Magical Creature. She couldn't do that to Hagrid. But dropping Muggle Studies felt like a betrayal to her parents. And so, nothing changed and she tried her best to get everything done.

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When the Quidditch final Gryffindor against Slytherin was finally there Hermione took a break like anyone else. She wanted them to win. She needed them to win! She wanted that ugly smirk wiped of Malfoy's face. Godric, in the last weeks she had suppressed the urge to hex him in the halls or corridors more than once.

In general, the mood in the school was like fever. Everyone was anticipating the game and the rivalry between Gryffindor and Slytherin was worse than ever. Oliver had ordered the whole house to protect the Quidditch team at all times of the day. No one was allowed to be out alone and so the third years had made it their mission to surround Harry.

Oliver himself was always around Percy. What better protection against pranks and hexes than the head boy himself? Katie Bell, the only fourth year on the team, also was always around her peers. Some guy named Cormac McLaggan even tried to follow her to the girl's bathroom while pretending to protect her.

The Twins, Angelina Johnson and Alicia Spinnet, all on the same year, were their own little protection group. There were never seen without each other or Lee Jordan. Not that anyone would actually try to attack the twins. No one was stupid enough to get on the bad side of the two pranksters. Hermione guessed it was the main reason why Alicia and Angelina stayed around them.

On the evening before the big match, the whole house was in a nervous and at the same time excited state. Some were already celebrating, some were discussing the upcoming match. No one seemed to talk or do anything else. While Hermione and Ginny were in front of the fire with Crookshanks - Ron was ignoring the cat - Harry and Ron were trying to play a match of chess to relax Harry. Oliver Wood meanwhile was playing with a miniature model of a Quidditch pitch and Hermione thought that maybe the captain was really getting crazy. Or maybe he had already crossed this line and was downright insane?

Fred and George instead had opted to be the life of the party by being louder and more exuberant than ever. They were throwing firecrackers in every direction, made cheesy jokes and tried to entertain Angelina, Alicia and Katie, who were the most relaxed members of the team. The girls seemed to look almost forward to the game and Hermione easily saw why. They were a good team, those three. The chasers knew their teamwork was their biggest strength for scoring points.

It didn't take long till Oliver send the team to bed and slowly the common room emptied. Hermione was - as always - the last one to stay up and read. Since it had been so loud the whole day she wanted to catch up with some of her books before she went to bed. Around midnight, however, her plans were interrupted when one of the twins stumbled into the common room.

"Hermione?" Fred asked confused. "Why are you still up?"

"I could ask you the same. Don't you have an important game tomorrow?" She narrowed her eyes at him. If she didn't know any better, she would say Fred was nervous. But that was impossible. The twins were never nervous.

"Ah this, good that you remind me. I had almost forgotten." Fred grinned as he gestured to the red and gold flags everywhere. "I only wanted to get something to eat from the kitchens. I didn't eat much at dinner." His ears turned red for some reason. Maybe he actually was nervous about the game.

"Well, you can have some of these." Hermione offered him a box of cupcakes her mother had sent her this morning. There were far too much for her alone and she refused to share with Harry and Ron. Hermione was still a bit miffed about their fight and so the only person who got some till now had been Ginny.

"Really? Thanks!" Fred flopped down beside and grabbed one of the little cakes. For a while there was silence. Fred ate and Hermione read in front of the dim fire.

"Dropping Divination, huh?" Fred asked after a while. "Quite a show from what I heard. Tell me, little Miss Granger, how did it feel to talk back to a teacher? To be naughty?" The grin on his face made Hermione roll her eyes.

"Shouldn't you go to bed already?"

"Is that a proposition?" Fred countered, grinning even wider when Hermione blushed. He felt how her face grew hotter and hotter and knew that her cheeks, ears and neck probably were bright red.

"No, you git." She pressed through her lips and quickly packed her books. "Well, have fun staying up all night. But when you fall off your damn broom I will be the first to laugh at you." Hermione frowned when Fred laughed and stormed off. When she arrived at her dorm room her face was still bright red and she felt terribly embarrassed. She didn't know how to cope with innuendos.

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The game against Slytherin was easily described in one word: bloody. The Slytherin players were all big, bulky guys - except Malfoy - and did their best to knock the Gryffindors off their brooms. Hermione wasn't sure if she had ever seen a game so full of fouls like this. Madame Hooch had to blow her whistle every few minutes and gave so many penalties that Hermione slowly lost track.

But one of the most outrageous fouls happened when the Slytherin captain Flint almost knocked Angelina off her broom without her even holding the quaffle. Madame Hooch, of course, gave a penalty shot to Gryffindor, but Fred was a bit faster with his personal revenge. With an angry, red face he threw his beaters bat full force against Flint's head, earning a penalty against Gryffindor himself. But Fred didn't seem to care about that at all.

Hermione witnessed the whole scene with a tight feeling in her stomach. She wanted to scold Fred for behaving that way and getting a penalty against Gryffindor, on the other hand, she was enraged about the foul against Angelina. She liked the older girl. Angelina was tough and cool, a role model. And she was insanely beautiful. Even up there in the sky, with wild hair and dishevelled clothes, she looked cool, strong and pretty at the same time.

Hermione watched how Fred ruffled Angelina's hair and talked with, probably to ask if she was okay. They both laughed on their brooms and Angelina waved Fred away, but Hermione noticed how the twins stayed close to the chaser for the rest of the game, watching over her whenever a bludger or one of the Slytherins came close.

When the game ended with Harry catching the snitch and Gryffindor - finally - winning the House Cup, Hermione stormed off with the rest of her classmates. They all wanted to congratulate the team, especially Harry. Enthusiastically Hermione hugged Harry and then George, but when she turned to congratulate Fred she stopped herself. He had one arm leisurely around Angelina's shoulders and laughed about something she said. Alicia and Katie stood by them, but Hermione didn't want to interrupt him. And for some reason she felt stupid for thinking about hugging him. Suddenly it was embarrassing to her for even having that idea. Confused Hermione followed the rest of her house back to the common room where a loud party would be held for the rest of the night.

Hermione tried to enjoy the night like everyone else but her nervously beating heart made it difficult to let loose.

Tadaaa! New chapter. As always, read and review. And THANK YOU all for following and linking. Never has one of my stories so many followers in such a short time. Over 200 already! The best motivation for writing EVER.

As you can see I'm following canon so far in the main points. For those of you who are angry/ sad because of the fight between Harry, Ron and Hermione: I know it's not satisfying how they reconnected, but that's how it happened in canon and don't worry, I will come back to the lack of an apology.