Chapter II - The unexpected trip
"No." It was her short, resolute answer.
When she arrived home, the last thing she expected was her friend to be waiting for her with lunch ready. At first, Hermione was happy with the gesture, thinking that Ginny was just caring for her. They tallked about Ginny's latest article for the the sport's column at the Daily Prophet, then about some shennanigans that Hermione's students got up to. They spent good hours just catching up about all sorts of things... Until Hermione figured out that Ginny had her own agenda.
"Oh, come on Hermione." Ginny's equally determinated voice was almost enough to cut through Hermione's defenses. Almost.
"No, Ginny! I don't even know who this Chet fellow is! I don't care that he is a famous quidditch chaser! If I ever go out with someone again, I want it to be on my terms. I don't like being set up! Don't you remember the last disaster of a date?" Although... He do have a fine figure. The colorful picture of him floating on a broom, posing for the shot, displayed perfectly the best of his features. His hair, brown and soft looking, was short at the sides, but long at the top and it moved with the wind. His knowing grey-eyes and side smile seemed to be well rehearsed to make women all around swoon. Yeah, definitely good looking.
"Hermione, that was entirely Fleur's fault! I never led you to that kind of disaster. Do you know what Chet said when I mentioned knowing you?"
"That he is impressed you're not only married to the golden boy, hero of the wizarding world, but also friends with his best friend?"
"Ouch, I thought I was your best friend"
"...You're pulling my leg, right?"
Her smile was teasing. Hermione was simply too easy to mess with. But now wasn't the time to tease, it was time to get her to agree. So she went back to her determined tone. "Hermione, seriously, he said that you're his inspiration! He had this dreamy expression on his face, as if the mere idea of being with you would make him the happiest guy in the world... I swear, Hermione. The guy got it bad for you!"
"He doesn't even know me!"
"But he could! If you never give people a chance, how will anyone ever get to know you?"
That was a point Hermione was willing to concede, but still "I have given people plenty of chances. How do you know he isn't just after me because of my fame?"
"He is already famous. He's our national champion, Hermione! If anything, he understands how annoying that can be."
Another point. She sighed. "Alright. You can arrange that date."
Ginny winced. "About that..."
Hermione knew that expression. Her friend went behind her back. "How soon?"
"Today..." Hermione groaned and got up to pace. "I told him that it was usually the time you left hogwarts, and he couldn't wait to meet you in person."
"You should have mentioned before!"
"And have you back out, like you did all the time I set you up with someone?"
"I just got home, Ginny! I want to soak on a hot tub, lose myself in my books!"
"See, you always find an excuse! You'll have all the time in the world for your books! Chet, on the other hand, might think that you're not interested, and you might not have another chance!"
"Ginny, I'm a scholar! What will I talk about with a quidditch player? I am currently learning music theory, because transfigured intruments don't make a sound based on intent. Did you know that?" Before Ginny could answer, she went on a tangent "Usualy we can make instruments play with the melody inside our minds... But that's when we conjure up one, and play with instruments that already exists. When we make the instruments, through transfiguration, without the knowledge of music theory they just don't make a sound. It's like making a toy instrument. We copy the appearence, but not the utility. Minerva didn't tell me that when she was teaching me." By now she was talking more to herself than to Ginny "Her pianos always made music because she had an idea of the sounds they should make... Did she even know that? Why didn't she mention it? I'm learning how the natural scales on the piano sound, because of that. Hopefully by the end of the summer I'll already know enough to make a functional piano. Maybe after that I'll go on to the guitar-"
"Hermione!" She cut her friend off, before she spent the rest of the afternoon talking about her studies "Just go, don't overthink. Talk to Chet about these things that interest you. See how much of a match he can be. Maybe you can even bring him to Ron's wedding."
Oh. So this was it. The brunette narrowed her eyes "So I won't appear pathetic and alone on the happiest day of your brother's life?" She crossed her arms defensively.
"No!" Ginny sighed "Hermione, no one thinks you're pathetic! You are the most accomplished witch of our time. Heck, if Harry hadn't finished Voldemort himself, I swear you would be considered the most proeminent person of our generation. So what if you're single?"
Hermione rolled her eyes and scoffed at that. Right. "Then why do you keep pushing me to go on dates? What is so wrong with me going alone to Ron's wedding?"
"It's because you always sound like you want someone to share your life with, Hermione! And right now, it looks like you don't even want to go to Ron's wedding!" Ginny exclaimed "Everyone is wondering if you're even going to attend."
"Of course I'm going! Like I'd ever miss his happy day..." Hermione said, altough it was clear from her tone of voice that she, herself, felt off about the whole thing.
"You've been avoiding Ron like he is your boggart. He is hurt Hermione. Although he doesn't say it." Ginny shook her head "If I didn't know any better, I'd say that you're still not over him."
And that hit home. Ginny's eyes widdened in shock when she saw Hermione's eyes fill with tears. "I... I'm sorry Ginny. I just... I really don't know what to say. It's not that I'm not happy for him. I am."
Ginny went over to hug her. "Oh, 'Mione. I'm the one who's sorry. I had no idea... Why didn't you say anything?! I never..." She backed out and stared at Hermione with an expression that left no room for Hermione to deny her "This is precisely another reason for you to go out with Chet."
Hermione sighed, and nodded. "You're right. Of course, it's just..." She sniffed, and quickly dried the lone tears that scaped without her permission "I've been let down so many times, Ginny. I don't have the energy to go meet another fanboy - or fangirl - only for them to realize I'm not the person they put on a pedestal, and then break up with me for not being the person they wanted me to be."
"I assure you, Hermione. Even if Chet turns out to be a fanboy, he won't treat you like you're the perfect idealized woman he imagined. He knows well enough how awful that is."
"Alright."
Ginny seemed genuinely excited with her acceptance "You'll go?"
Hermione laughed... Honestly. All Weasleys had this charming, excited puppy quality to them. "I'll go."
"Yes! Come on, I'll help you get ready we have exactly... Oh no, three hours? We have to move fast!" Ginny frantically started to gather her things.
Remembering that particular vial on her robe pockets... Hermione surreptitiously accio-ed, and downed it. Feeling the familiar tingling of magical luck run through her whole body, a sudden thought hit her. "I have an idea." Hermione said.
Ginny loved to have the extra time to make Hermione look perfect for her dates, which usually took half a day, because they went out, looked for new clothes, then went to the saloon, have their hair and nails done... In short, they turned the whole day into a girl's day out.
There was a way to make that happen.
Ginny looked at her with a curious expression on her face, while she went to her bedroom. Hermione made a gesture for her to wait there, and just acted on her sudden idea. She ran to her bedroom, and opened a hiden, charmed compartment on her bedside table. She paused for a moment, holding the smooth, wooden box that hid her treasure. She wouldn't dare erase what happened moments ago... but she really could use a few days to get used to the idea of going on a date. She hoped Ginny wouldn't notice the difference.
This time-turner was a gift from Minerva. Thanks to that precious artifact, she had time to dwelve in her researches and not lose too much of her social life. Not to mention that it made possible for her to live a double life as a transfiguration apprentice, and university student. Third year flashbacks, right there.
She put the golden necklace around herself and smiled at the object. It felt careless to use this treasure for such a simplistc reason. Almost disrespectful in a way, considering that she always had good reason to use it. But something told her that this was exactly what she needed to do. Feeling the Felix Felicis' high, Hermione threw cation to the wind, and activated the mechanism that would sent her back in time. Four turns.
Before she let go, she grabbed the picture on her bedside table to look at it. She, Ron, and Harry. On the quarter-finals of the quidditch cup, England versus United States. She was in the middle of those two, laughing as they cheered, Ginny took a picture of the moment they looked at her kissed her cheek simultaneously. The shot was spontaneous, yet no one believed that it wasn't planed at all. She kept this picture close, and had a small copy of it in one in her robe's pockets. It's another treasure, a great memento of an unforgetable day. Even if Ron wasn't her boyfriend, he was still one of her closest friends. The love she shared with those two... It was trully enough to make an unbreakable bond.
She accidentaly did another half turn on the time turner, but it was no matter. She released it without a care, and didn't pay attention to reality shifting around her. She got lost in her memories. The stadium charged with magical energy, it brought foward the feeling. She never cared much about quidditch, but everything about the cup was intoxicating. The happiness surrounding the athmosphere, friendships forged with strangers for a day, shared celebrations, emotions running high. She didn't realize that the time turner was suposed to have stoped until she looked at her digital clock and saw that it was still blurrying with the passage of time.
Four days doesn't take this long to pass... Panic gripped at her heart once her calendar started to change pages. It was whipping fast, a contrast to the slow, crawling way that the time turner moved in her hands. What the FUCK is going on?
Four turns and a half. But that half was inconsequential! She had done that before! It's supposed to represent half a day! It most definitely wasn't the reason why the time-turner seemed to be almost frozen. Grain by grain, falling in an agonizing slow pace. What is going on?! Hermione felt tempted to just take it off... but she knew that the consequences for that were just possibly damaging her own body, or simply losing the time turner. None of the alternatives were better than going to an unknow time in the past. Anything but that horcrux chasing. Please... She thought, deciding to brave the unknown, holding her picture against her chest, just hoping she wouldn't end up in her student years again.
She sat on the ground, feeling dread creep up and overshadow the confidence given by the potion once her mobilia started disapearing. The house lost it's modern appearance little by little. She looked down at the time-turner in her hands. One turn. Just one turn and it looked like the house wasn't lived in anymore.
She watched, in attonishment, the unconstruction of the house. She was distracted by backwards building. Enough to forget to watch the time turner. She got up to avoid people who couldn't very well see her there. It felt wrong to stand in their way, so she just walked outside. All the while, the world around her shifted.
Two turns...The movement around her made her dizzy, so she closed her eyes for a moment, sat down again on the empty patch of grass that once was her house, and took deep breaths trying to push down the panic building up. She lived close to a highway. Deciding to focus on that, she opened her eyes. Even if the cars that passed by drove backwards, it was better than losing hersellf to her thoughts.
Modern cars were not showing up anymore. Instead she saw those classic models that, in her time, belonged in auto-museums. After what felt like an eternity, the time turner started spining the fast way she expected it to do. It started working as it should. The two remaining turns happened in quick successions, and suddenly the world stopped spinning.
Now, even if she was relieved that it finally stoped, Hermione couldn't very well relax because... she didn't know how many years had passed. And she was sure of one thing: Whenever she was, there was no way to go back home. She was trully alone, stranded in time.
Great.
Sarcasm wasn't enough to stop the tears from falling.