AN I know Lana wasn't around but Time is finicky and fuck all yall picky people.
But FUCK Ronald Weasley more and fuck JK Rowling.
I don't own anything Harry Potter
Gin and I get back to our dorms with an hour to spare; despite Gin's disappointment at the lack of Viktor and, as she called them, age appropriate hunks. Luckily, my roommates are apparently still on the search for the aforementioned Seeker.
I wish Snape would have been more descriptive with his instructions, I don't know what we are practicing, which mean I don't know what to pack.
Blowing a piece of hair off my face, I open my door to let Ginny in when I hear a knock.
"Just talked to the boys, its hand to hand and protection charms today." She opens my chest and starts rummaging through it. "Here, your gloves. How is your shoulder feeling? Are you okay to practice today?"
I shrink my fighting gloves and pull on my black sport leggings with netted sides and grey sports bra. Stuffing the gloves in my cloak pocket.
"Hey, Mia what is this?" Gin asks, holding up a small black disc.
"Oh, I made an enchanted gramophone, I shrunk it down along with a few of my records so I could bring it with me." I shrug, since it was magic powered, it wasn't against the rules for me to have it.
"You just… made an enchanted gramophone and you still don't think you're the brightest with of our age?" She huffs "I would actually kill someone for even a quarter of your smarts."
"Stop that, you are smart. Who was it that figured out the Anapneo spell could be used to clear blood clots and arteries with the correct wand movements? You did." Ginny never gave herself enough credit when it was due. "You saved my life during the attack Gin."
"Well it wasn't just me." She starts with a grin "Viktor was the one who scooped you up like a princess and saved you from the evil wizard." The dreamy look in her eye gave away the fact the she was most definitely thinking of Viktor and I's future wedding, poufy ball gown and everything.
"Earth to Gin, are you ready? I want to get there before the boys; get a warm-up in before the testosterone." She nods and closes my trunk, standing up with a nervous anticipation. It was hard to believe she was just fifteen. She had taken up the use of a time turner last year when she joined training. Go back and forth enough to age two years as I had. Molly had been nervous about the long-lasting effects of it at first but, as she saw Ginny advancing as quickly as she was, she was proud.
Wrapping our cloak around us, we start our trek to the dungeons. With every flight of steps down, Ginny becomes more anxious. The first practice session of the year was always one of the more intense ones. Almost like an entrance exam every first class or a review.
Taking her arm in mine, I start humming one of our favorite songs.
"Remember how we used to party up all night? Sneaking out looking for a taste of real life? Drinking in the small-town firelight?" Singing always calmed her down. I had taken her to see Lana Del Rey over the summer holiday; she had been performing in Birmingham and we'd begged Molly to let us go. Ron and Harry were off doing god knows what at the time, so she took pity on us and let us stay in Birmingham for an entire week.
I won't lie, we snuck into bars, using small glamour charms- if the ministry had cared, we hadn't heard about it yet- and got absolutely trashed; regretting it the next morning and drowning our hangovers in ice cream and chocolate.
It was one of the best weeks of my life despite… no, don't go there Mia.
"There she was, my new best friend, high heels in her hands swaying in the wind. Oh, she starts to cry, mascara running down her little bambi eyes, Ginny how I hate those guys."
"Do you remember? That drunk guy that grabbed your ass at that one bar?" Gin laughs "You flattened him out before he blinked. I'll never see a right hook that perfect every again."
"Sing the next part with me?" She's shaking her head before I even finish asking her the question. "Please Gin? It'll take the edge off. You get so nervous before practice."
"Well of course piano is such a difficult thing to learn." She huffs, knowing I'm right.
"This is what makes us girls, we all look for heaven and we put love first. Something that we'd die for, it's a curse. Don't cry about it, don't cry about it. This is what makes us girls, we don't stick together because we put love first. Don't cry about him. Don't cry about him. It's all gonna happen."
A hand on my shoulder makes me gasp and turn around. Viktor was behind me, jumper in hand and an odd look on his face that made my cheeks turn red.
"Hello Viktor" Ginny says, breaking the awkward silence. He blinks, clears his throat, and nods at Gin.
"Hermo-ninny, I vanted to give back jumper. Vank you for letting me borrow but, your roommate is like bloodhound. She kept vinding me everywhere." He explains with a small laugh.
Of course she did, Lavender is ditzy but she isn't dumb.
Ginny and I look at each other and start laughing before looking at Viktor.
"Did she bump into you at all? Any physical contact?" Gin asks between giggles.
"Da, she snuck up bevind me and hug me." He winces. The laughter that was bubbling in my throat dies the instant I hear his words and I could feel a scowl on my face instantly. A sour feeling settling in my stomach.
This is normal for Lav, why am I so upset about it?
I check to make sure the corridor is empty before I pull my wand; out which causes my robe to open and I curse under my breath.
I probably should have worn a shirt instead of running around in a bra. What is the saying?
Ah yes, hindsight is always 20/20.
I feel my face burn hotter as I pull my robe closed again and begin muttering a revealing charm over Viktor's head. Focusing on the spell instead of the red on his face.
After a few moments, a small spot on the back of his neck begins glowing.
"Hah she got you good Viktor. I'd be proud if it wasn't a huge invasion of privacy." Gin sighs, aiming her wand at the back of his neck "This may hurt a bit." She warns.
"Vha- Ah!" he cringes and grabs his neck, "Vhat was vhat for?"
"Lavender Brown may not be the best at potions or herbology but, she is exceedingly good at tracking charms. She managed to put one on you when she grabbed you. The stinging hex is the fastest and easiest way to break it. I'm going to have a talk with her later, what she did is highly inappropriate for a Hogwarts student. I'm sorry." I rub my temples to stave off my impending headache. "She's insatiable."
"I'm sure if you, Harry, and Ron hadn't driven Lockhart mad, she surely would have." Gin jokes, trying to lighten the mood. I'm sure she could see the steam coming from my ears. "Anyways we must go, it's almost time for you singing practice. It was nice seeing you again Viktor, make sure to steer clear of Lavender until Hermione deals with her."
Gin takes her turn grabbing my arm and dragging me away from the Bulgarian as I had done earlier today.
"Vait, your jumper!" He calls behind us.
"Keep it! Consider it your protection." I wave over my shoulder with a smile.
"Keep it! Consider it your protection." Ginny sighs in a high voice once we're down in the dungeons. "Too cute" she smirks.
"Stop it, I was just being nice. Besides, I have two more of that exact jumper. I don't need that one back." I grumble.
That's not true, that was your favorite jumper and you just gave it away.
"Hermione, you are an awful liar. Did you see his face? More importantly, you should have seen yours! I thought you were going to march back up to Gryffindor Tower and strangle Lavender yourself!"
We walk past the potions classroom and open meeting room door by touching my wand to the third brick in the fifth row. Stepping through when the wall opens completely.
"I still have half a mind to tell McGonagall. What she did was embarrassment to Gryffindor. What does the board say?" I ask, pulling my time turner out of my robe.
"Eleven AM. C'mon Mia, you like Viktor, admit it. It's a good thing."
"I don't even know him well enough to like him. It's only been a day. Ready?"
She nods, spinning her turner in time with mine.
"Nothing says new year like time travel huh?" She grins, finally putting the Viktor subject to rest.
We land in the same classroom moments later.
"Five minutes early as usual." A low drawl comes from an open cupboard in the corner of the room.
"Always, Professor." I grin as our potions professor walks out with his familiar scowl before going to the board and writing ELEVEN AM.
Gin and I get to work, enlarging and placing our equipment and mats.
"Professor" I say, biting my cheek; a bad habit I picked up my first year after the Troll Incident.
"Yes, Miss Granger?"
"I was at the World Cup during the fight, at one point I was cornered by a Death Eater a-and he called me a mudblood. He said my name. They know I'm alive." I said in a, hopefully, nonchalant way. It was always a possibility in my mind after what happened in the Summer but, until the World Cup, it was just that, only a possibility.
"That is concerning." He says slowly. I could tell he was trying to choose his words wisely. "We will have to inform Headmaster Dumbledore as soon as possible. With what happened, it's best not to take any chances."
Snape knew about Birmingham, about how the week Ginny I had been there, I got involved with a man quickly and deeply before seeing the Dark Mark on his arm.
I was so stupid. So very stupid.
"I'm sorry Professor, This wouldn't be a problem if I hadn't-" He cuts me off with a wave of his hand.
"We all make mistakes Miss Granger; you couldn't have known what he was at the time." Despite his cold tone, I knew he was trying to cheer me up. Snape was much more caring than he let on; being a double agent for the Order of the Phoenix meant he was good at hiding who he was.
"I'm just saying, those Beauxbaton girls can't be human. They have to be from some kind of angelic descent." A familiar voice warps into the room, bringing in the scent of bourbon. I bite back the urge to roll my eyes and face the two boys.
"They are just girls Blaise Zabini and you are just desperate." Ginny huffs.
"Nice to see you too Ginerva." He sneers before grinning and wrapping us both in a hug.
Italians. Always so touchy. He reeks, it must've been a bad week.
"Let go of us you oaf, how did you manage to get even taller than before?" I caught the blush on Ginny's face before she turns away from us.
And she keeps teasing me about Viktor; Payback is going to be sweet.
I roll my eyes at the other boy clearing his throat, trying to get our attention.
I meet his eyes with a sigh. "Malfoy"
"Granger"
We stand there for a moment, staring at each other before he walks over with a smile and extends his arms for a hug. I give in with a grumble of fake protest.
"You got me good today. I'll admit it but, I have a pretty good fight planned for tomorrow." He pats me on the head.
"In your dreams." I laugh and elbow him in the ribs.
"Oh, sorry, we seem to be the last ones here. The Nargles wanted to show me their nests in the fifth-floor broom cupboard." I try to hold back a laugh at the bright red on Draco's face in front of me.
"Luna, do me a favor and never change. How was your summer Neville?"
Snape clears his throat behind us, and we all turn to face him.
"Hermione and Blaise, you're sparring; warm up until Madame Hooch can get here. Draco and Ginny, Madame Pomfrey will be here shortly to review your skills. Luna, you will be working on your Legillimency against Neville while he counters with Occlumency. Please start."
While the other go to their stations, Blaise and I meet on the sparring mat.
"You ready little girl?" he smirks.
"Don't come crying to me when you break a nail, pretty boy."
Blaise was the best fighter of the group, right next to me. So, after two and a half hours of sparring, we both lay on the mat trying to catch our breaths.
"Not bad Hermione, you're almost as good as me." He pants. Looking at him, I could see why Ginny was infatuated with him, high cheekbones, dark caramel colored skin, and clear green eyes, put that along with a smile that makes most girls swoon in a shaker and mix. Poof Blaise Zabini.
"I'm surprised you can still talk shit with that fat lip of yours. Go get that healed and come back so I can kick your ass again." He hoists himself up and struts over towards Ginny and Draco.
"Miss Granger, those we're good fights but, you are both holding back. Your enemies won't." Madam Hooch's crisp voice cuts through the sound of my heavy breaths. She was brought on as our hand to hand coach last year. Draco was beaten pretty severely because he didn't have a wand to defend himself with.
By his own monster of a father.
I shudder at the mere thought of it.
"You need to be ferocious and unpredictable. You need to always get back up." She says, taking off her cloak and getting into her stance in front of me.
This is not what I wanted to be doing tonight.
Standing up and getting into my starting position. Hooch was a hard ass, sometimes even more so than Snape. She always took things too far.
I'm thrown back onto the mat before I finish preparing. The air in my lungs leaves in a violent whoosh.
"Your enemies won't wait for you to be ready. Get up."
I stand up, blocking her fist but missing her knee before it digs into my stomach.
"Get up Hermione." She yells. There' never a buildup with her. It was always zero to one hundred in a split second. "Come on! Fight me!"
I grab her ankle out from underneath her and pin her to the mat under me. I barely catch my breath before she flips us.
"Is that all you got?! How can you protect your friends when you're as weak as you are?"
I push her off with a yell and roll into a standing position, swinging a kick towards her head. She ducks underneath it with ease. The adrenalized feeling that had rushed through me the night of the World Cup, raced through my veins.
"Now this is getting exciting Mione!" I block her punch and catch her knee before it can catch me in the stomach again. I manage to land a hit to her ribs and push her away from me. I could feel my anger building as I watched her watching me.
"Show me what a muggle born can really do besides getting a Death Eater in your bed!" She yells and I fly to her in a flurry of fists and kicks, blocking what I could and ignoring what I couldn't. I felt it, that rush I had felt back at the World Cup, and it felt good. I barely felt her fist across my cheek or her foot taking my knee. I wrap my arm around her neck and flip her onto the mat with me, holding her in a headlock, tighter and tighter, until Blaise rips me off her.
"That's enough Mia! It's over!" He breathes in my ear as I struggle against him. I hadn't realized I was crying until he was wiping tears off my face. I push him off of me grabbing my cloak and time turner in one smooth motion and going back to present time. Then I run, not exactly sure where I'll end up.
Viktor was walking towards where the Library should be when Hermione runs past him a blur of robes, hair, and bruises. Going to follow her, a hand on his shoulder stops him. Behind him was a boy he had recognized from the Slytherin table last night, breathing heavily, platinum hair disheveled.
"Did you see a girl run past here? Big hair? Short? Crying per chance?" he asks while his eyes flicker around the hall wildly.
The Bulgarian had only been here a day and already knew how Slytherins treated witches like Hermione. If what Damyan had told him this morning was at all accurate, Slytherins plus Hermione equals trouble.
Gripping the boy's shirt and lifting him, Viktor growls. "Vhat did you do to her? Vhat did you do?"
"Victor put him down! He's only trying to help."
At the sound of Ginny's plea, he releases the smaller boy's shirt.
"She vent vhat way." He points down the empty corridor.
"Draco, go find her." With a nod, the boy takes off running.
"Vinny, what is going on? Vhat is wrong with Hermione?" Concern, very obviously, laced in his words and face.
"Y-You said her name right!" The redhead gasps.
"Vinny, tell me vhat happened. Five minutes ago she vas fine." He asks, grabbing the girl by the shoulders to get her to focus.
"Nothing serious, it's just, uh girl stuff. Yeah just that time of the month. She just gets really emotional and embarrassed. So just don't tell anyone what you saw." She huff before jogging after the blond boy.
She is a very bad liar. He thinks to himself.
He debated following them but decides against it. He would get his answers, just not tonight. He was a patient man.