A siren's song

Chapter 12

Thursday October 15th

Hermione woke with a start; she was up and dressed in no time at all, only to realize that it was only 7am. She went down to the common room to check her homework assignments. After what seemed like a half hour she looked at the clock to see it had only been 10 minutes. It's going to be a long morning, she thought to herself.

Finally around 8am students started filing down the stairs two and three at a time. When Neville and Ginny joined Hermione in the common room they headed to the great hall. "Are we not waiting for harrying?" Ginny asked.

When neither Neville nor Hermione offered, Ginny decided to keep silent. They had only been sitting in the great hall for a few minutes, Fred, George and the other 5th year students walked in. The twins took a seat on either side of Hermione, "good morning Hermione dear," George said, "did you sleep well?"

"Not really," Hermione said smiling at George and his smiling counterpart, "but thank you for asking."

"Oh Hermione," Fred said, "We'll always want to know how you are."

She beamed a smile at the two of them, "how goes the task of trying to enter the tournament?"

"Hermione, Hermione, Hermione," Fred said exasperated.

"You ask everyday love," George said, "and every day it's the same."

"We can't tell you yet," they said together.

"Oh I know that," Hermione said smiling cheekily, "but I had to ask. You understand right?"

"Oh of course," George said.

"We understand you're curious," Fred said finishing George's sentence.

Ginny and Hermione laughed as they finished eating their breakfast. "Seeing as you all set, I have to stop by the library to return a few books." Hermione said. When Neville and Ginny looked at her in an alarmed fashion she continued, "don't worry I copied out the information we needed."

Hermione laughed on her way out of the great hall when she heard them sigh in relief. What she didn't see was that someone was following her out of the great hall and then to the library. She was too busy paying attention to Harry and Ron as they walked towards her. "Good morning," she said as they passed.

Harry replied with, "good morning," but Ron remained silent. Hermione wondered if Harry had something to do with it. At least he's not saying rude comments any more, she thought.

She continued to the library with a heavy heart, we're she and Ron really having another fight? Not only was it a yes, it seemed that they might not make it past this one. Maybe before it was all said and done he would realize that he was making a big mistake. Probably not; but she wasn't ready to give up hope yet.

She entered the library, and returned the books to Madam Pince. She checked them in and then asked Hermione if she would mind putting them away for her. Of course Hermione agreed how she could not.

As Hermione stepped into the hidden alcove to return the books she borrowed. She was startled when someone tapped on her shoulder to get her attention. She jumped slightly and turned to see who it was that had snuck up on her to find Cedric Diggery standing behind her.

"Hello," he said shyly.

"Hi," she said in return, "what brings you to the library?"

"I had to return a book that I borrowed the other day," Cedric said, "what about you?"

"Oh you know the same," Hermione said, "returning books."

"Do you usually put your own books away after they're returned?"

"Of course," Hermione said, "I don't mind really, it's a good distraction."

"A distraction from what?" he asked stepping towards her. She self-consciously took a step back away from him. If he noticed he didn't let on about it.

"You know," she said suddenly feeling nervous, "the usual, assignments, Ron being angry with me, Harry, a bunch of other things." She hadn't said the last part out loud, she really wanted to though.

"Are you angry with me?" he asked taking another step towards her.

"No," she said lightly as she stepped back away from him and closer to the wall.

"Why do you keep backing away then?" he asked.

"It's just that Professor Snape threatened me with a month of detentions if he ever caught me in a position like he caught us the other night." She said, "I'm trying to keep my distance, I'm not sure if I could resist you if you come to close."

"I wouldn't want you to get into trouble," he said reaching up and moving a stray curl from her face. "Could I at least walk you to your first class?"

"Won't that make you late for your lessons?" she asked.

"No," Cedric said, "I've a free study period first period on Thursdays."

"Oh," Hermione said a bit relieved that if he walked her to class he wouldn't be late getting anywhere. "Sure, that would be nice."

After Hermione finished putting her books away, the pair of them left the library. After walking part way in silence, Cedric finally asked a question he had been meaning to ask two nights ago. "I wanted to ask without sounding rude," Cedric said. When Hermione nodded her head, he took it as a go ahead to ask away. "The other night was that your first time kissing a guy?"

After thinking on it for a few moments, she finally answered, "Yes that was the first time I ever kissed anyone. The way we kissed I mean."

"You seemed to doing pretty well," Cedric said, "would you care to do it again sometime?"

Hermione stopped dead in her tracks, "you mean Professor Snape didn't scare you so bad that you never want to kiss me again?"

"Why would I let him run me off," he asked, "I rather enjoyed kissing you."

When she didn't answer right way, he swooped in kissing her gently on the lips. When he pulled back she stood wide-eyed, when she was about to say something he kissed her again. He wrapped his arms around her backing her up so she was against the bookshelf. After a few seconds she was returning his kiss.

He stepped back momentarily so that he could breathe. He glanced at the clock on the wall, "come I'll walk you to class."

"Wha..." she started to ask, but he hushed her with a kiss on the cheek. He grabbed her hand and pulled her out of the library towards her charms class.

"I realize that perhaps I should stop kissing you in the library," Cedric said, "so do you have a date for Hogsmeade yet?"

"I asked the twins to go with me last week," she admitted.

"How about the Hogsmeade weekend in November?" Cedric asked, "Do you have someone to go with?"

"No," she said, "I've no one to go with."

"Good," Cedric said, "you'll go with me?"

"Yes," she said smiling at him. She was so very glad that he asked her, she found herself liking him a lot; but then she also like Fred, George, and Viktor a lot too. It's a good thing I don't have to make a decision until I'm 18, she thought.

"Good," he said as they arrived at the Charms classroom. Kissing her again on the cheek, he said goodbye until he ran into her again. With any luck it would be somewhere other than the library.

Hermione entered Charms with a bounce in her step. Looking around she saw an empty seat by Neville and decided to scoop it up before someone else could. "Good morning," she said cheerfully.

"Your awful chipper this morning," Neville said raising his eyebrows, "care to share?"

"A cute boy walked me to class," she whispered to him.

"Oh?" he said in questioning voice.

"Mmhmm," she hummed in a confirming tone.

"And do I know this handsome boy?" he asked.

"Well he's a Hufflepuff," she said.

"Ah," Neville said, "I see why that would put you in such a fine mood."

Hermione giggled at him, before she started readying herself for class. She pulls out her parchment, quill and ink. After she pulled everything, Harry and Ron came into the class, sitting on the far side of the back desks, on the Gryffindor side of the room. Hermione couldn't help but watch them longingly, oh how she missed her friends. If Ron would just quit being Ron, they wouldn't be having problems. Then again, if Hermione could change things about herself, perhaps this argument wouldn't even be taking place.

Neville put him hand on hers to help reassure her that things would be alright. She turned her head towards him and smiled a sweet smile that bordered on sad.

Neville had written to his grandmother how he felt about Hermione. About how she was starting to become the sister that he never had. She had replied to him that friendships like that were the most precious. That if he truly felt that way about her then he should do his best to keep her happy. He should be there when she needed him; because if she was all the things that his grandmother had heard her to be, then she would be nothing short of loyal.

Whatever it was that was giving Ron doubts about Hermione, couldn't be trusted. Sometimes you can't rely on feelings alone; sometimes you can only rely on facts. At least that's was what Neville thought of the situation.

The time it took to get out of Professor Flitwick's class seemed to be less than usual; but then his class was usually pretty cool. As usual Hermione had all the answers; but she had taken to only raising her hand when no one else knew the answer. It seemed she was trying to give people less to complain about. Still some people couldn't be pleased. As class let out, they could hear Ron complaining about what a goody two shoes she was. As if always knowing the answer wasn't enough, she had to start letting other people have a chance at answering the question.

"Ignore him," Neville said, "let's get to Transfiguration."

"Alright," Hermione said trying to keep her happiness level.

As the two of them headed to their next class they were stopped by the Weasley twins who were headed the opposite direction.

"Hello," Hermione and Neville said to them.

"Hello yourself," George said.

"Something the matter?" Hermione asked.

"Nothing at all pet," Fred said, "how was class?"

"It was good," Hermione said, "how was your free study?"

"It was good," George said, "well we best be off."

"Tootles," Fred said as they skipped away.

"Bye," Hermione said loudly. Turning to Neville she said low so only he could hear her, "you know sometimes I don't get them."

"Sometimes I don't either," Neville said as they continued walking towards class.

As the pair of them entered Transfiguration, to find that the majority of the seats had been taken. Seamus who usually sat with dean and Neville were sitting in the vacant seat up with Harry and Ron. Hermione looked a bit forlorn at the desk the three of them occupied.

Neville patted Hermione on the back. He then guided her towards an almost empty desk in the back of the room, which was occupied by Dean. "Hello," he said.

"Hello," she said sitting down in-between him and Neville, who was already taking his supplies out of his bag. "We meet again it seems."

"Is this going to become a pattern?" he asked in mock annoyance, "because if it is," he continued, "I have to say I don't mind one bit."

"Thanks Dean," Hermione said, "for a moment there I thought you were going to tell me to get lost."

"Me?" Dean asked, "Why would I do that?" he asked, "if he can't see that you wouldn't do anything to hurt Harry then he's an idiot."

"Thank you Dean," she said, "that you have such faith is…" she wasn't able to finish the sentence because Professor McGonagall was standing next to her desk.

"Professor is something the matter?" Hermione asked.

"I would like to have a word with you after class," Professor McGonagall said, "before you head to lunch if you don't mind. Don't worry you aren't in any trouble."

"Of course Professor," Hermione said.

"Thank you dear," Professor McGonagall said

"What do you suppose she wants?" Neville asked her.

"I've no idea," Hermione said, "now I'm not going to be able to think properly."

Neville and Dean smirked at her while she attempted to concentrate on the lesson.

The class moved on slowly, it seemed that every time she looked at her watch that the large hand only moved five notches. Putting her troubles from her mind she focused on the object in front of her. Once she did that the time went fast and before she knew it, class was being dismissed.

She watched the rest of the class leave the room, after which she trudged up to the front of the class to talk to Professor McGonagall. "You wanted to speak to me about something?"

"Have you made any progress with the research you were doing about Siren's." the Professor asked.

"Yes, actually, Neville, Ginny and I made pretty good progress," Hermione said, "I've trusted them with everything."

"It's good to have someone you can trust," the Professor said, "have a good support group could be beneficial."

"I'm glad you think so Professor," Hermione said, "is that what you wanted to talk to me about?"

"No," the Professor said, "The Headmaster wanted me to tell you, that your presence was needed in his office following directly after lunch."

"Did he say what I was needed for?" she asked shyly. To tell you the truth she was a bit scared of everything that was going on.

"No," the Professor said, "but you aren't in trouble."

"That doesn't make me feel any better," she said, "thank you Professor."

"You're welcome child," Professor McGonagall said.

Hermione headed towards the common room to exchange her things for her afternoon classes before going to the Great Hall for lunch. She ran across Harry and Ron in passing. Harry stopped to say hello, and see you later. Ron didn't utter so much as a word.

Hermione trudged up to the dorms and exchanged her things, before she headed for the Great Hall. Upon entering the Great Hall she saw that Fred and George were already there waiting for her. "Hello," she said as she sat down.

"Hello," they said together in unison.

"What took you so long to get back?" Fred asked.

"Oh I had to stop by the common room," Hermione said, "where is everyone?"

"Well Ginny and Neville were making a run for the library I believe," George said.

"Harry and Ron I think they might have had a meeting with a teacher," Fred said, "they were here and gone already before you came in."

"Oh," Hermione said, "we'll I'm glad that I have someone to eat with."

"So how was class?" George asked, "Anything interesting happen in Transfiguration?"

"No not really," Hermione said, "but I do have a meeting with Professor Dumbledore after lunch."

"That's definitely something interesting isn't it?" Fred asked.

"I suppose," Hermione said, "I won't what he wants to talk about."

"I'm sure it's nothing," George reassured her.

Hermione smiled at the pair of them and finished eating, she stood gathering her things. "Well I'm off," she said.

"We'll see you at dinner," George said, "I'm sure your meeting will go well."

"Thanks," she said kissing the two of them on the cheek.

She all but skipped towards the entrance to the Great Hall. She tried to walk slowly towards the Headmasters office; but in the end she just ended up trying to hurry. When she arrived at the Gargoyle statue, she was surprised to see Professor Snape waiting there for her.

"Hello, Professor," she said to him. He returned her greeting with a nod of his head, before muttering the password. Hermione watched as the Gargoyle statue swiveled and rotated. She started walking up the stairs behind Professor Snape.

She watched as Professor Snape rapped on the door, to the Headmasters office. Hermione head "enter," called from within. It sounded too deep to be the Headmasters voice. She let it go thought because she didn't think that there was anyone else in the Headmasters office with him.

Hermione followed Professor Snape through the door, the Headmaster was there sitting behind his desk. There were two men sitting in chairs that looked towards Dumbledore's desk, so she couldn't see their faces. "Headmaster you wanted to see me," Hermione said.

"Yes there was someone who wanted to talk to you," Dumbledore said, "don't be shy come sit down." Dumbledore stood and stepped away from his desk, offering her his chair. She tentatively walked around the side of his desk to sit in the seat Dumbledore was offering her. When she turned to look at who was sitting in the chairs facing the desk.

She stood and looked dumbfounded, "what? Why?" she said surprised.

"I couldn't wait till Halloween to see you," Remus said, "I was surprised when Severus delivered your letters last night. But after Sirius talked some sense into me, I realized that your mother wasn't one to make up stories. I've spent the last 16 years of my life missing her, a year when I was away on a mission. And 15 after I came home and discovered her she were no longer alive."

Hermione stuttered and balked she hardly knew how to react. With everything that had happened over the past few days, Hermione was feeling overwhelmed.

"I don't suppose you minded that I came along do you pet?" Sirius asked, "Your Mum was like my sister. So if you would call me uncle instead of Cousin I would be appreciative."

She never reached the seat behind Dumbledore's desk. After she heard Sirius speak, she couldn't hold back. She ran to them first hugging Remus, who immediately wrapped his arms around the sobbing girl in his arms. After a moment Sirius wrapped his arms around the two of them from the other side.

While they were busy comforting Hermione, Dumbledore announced, "I'll inform your professors that you'll be absent this afternoon. Severus you should stay and help clarify the situation. I'll see to your afternoon classes."

"With all due respect sir," Severus started to say, "but you're terrible at potions. Please try not to destroy my classroom."

"Don't worry my boy," Dumbledore said, "I thought I would move them to the library to do research on a potion of their choice."

"Make sure they describe all of the ingredients and the importance of each," Severus said in a menacing voice.

Dumbledore chuckled as he walked out of his office shutting the door behind him. Outside he ran into Professor McGonagall, "come my dear," he said, "lets away."

"Let's away?" she asked, "and where do you suppose we should away to?"

"Well my dear I believe you've a class to teach," He said sneakily, "come I'll walk you."

"And where are you going sir?" she asked in a petulant voice.

"I am off to teach Professor Snape's class," Dumbledore said in a haughty voice.

"Oh really?" she asked, "Professor Snape gave you permission to blow up his class room?"

"Have you so little faith in me?" he sulked, "I'll have you know that I can still brew very well."

"Care to have a little wager?" she said daring him, a twinkle in her eyes.

"What do I get if I win?" he asked.

"I think the question you should ask," she said saucily walking away from him, before turning to him to finish, "is what you have to pay if you lose."

He watched her walk away, "Minerva," he called after her. Hearing her name she stopped, and waited for him to catch up.

"Yes Albus?" she asked, in a cheery voice.

"You really are quite a woman," he said honestly.

"Thank you," Minerva said, "you're quite a character yourself."

Dumbledore walked Minerva to her classroom before he headed towards the dungeons. He entered the classroom, and listened as the classroom breathed a sigh of relief, "Good afternoon," Dumbledore said, "I will be teaching this class in the place of Professor Snape today, as he's in a meeting. On that note pack your things away, we shall not be brewing today. I'm not the best with potion, never was in fact, and your Professor would prefer that I not destroy his classroom."

Some of the students laughed. Neville raised his hand to ask a question, "Neville," Dumbledore said.

"I was wondering if you knew where Hermione was?" Neville asked.

"Oh, yes," Dumbledore said, "she's had a bit of a shock and will be absent for the rest of the day."

"Is she alright?" Neville asked surprising Dumbledore a bit. Why weren't Harry and Ron asking about Miss Granger?

"She's in good health," Dumbledore said, "I'm sure she'll be a quite bit less surprised by dinner."

Huh? Neville thought, as did Harry and a few of the other students. Sometime Dumbledore didn't make much sense.

"Well lets away," Dumbledore said.

"Wait Professor," Harry said, "You haven't said what we'll be doing in the library."

"Oh quite right," Dumbledore said, "You will be doing a research paper on a portion of your choice. You are to list out the ingredients and their uses as well as their importance to the potion."

"Is it due at the end of class?" Ron asked.

"Yes at the end of class," Dumbledore said, "I must press upon you the importance of this essay. My future as your trusted Headmaster relies upon your ability to work silently and not annoy our dear librarian."

The whole class laughed, "don't tell your head of house, I was making joke," Dumbledore said seriously to them, "they already think me senile enough." This caused the class to erupt in giggles again; none of them had realized how funny their Headmaster could be.

As they marched to the library to start their research, Harry silently wondered where Hermione was. He wondered if her being detained had anything to do with Professor Snape…

Meanwhile Hermione was still tucked into the arms of her father and Uncle. He sobs had stopped, and she had stopped shaking. Remus could feel a warm wet spot on his shirt where her tears fell. "Dear heart," Sirius said, "I think it time we had a seat and discussed things," Sirius said, "We could have a soothing cup of tea."

At the word tea Hermione lifted her face to Sirius; a smile graced her face for the first time that afternoon. Sirius couldn't help but notice how much she looked like Katherine. She had her mother's high cheekbones, and her tiny nose, her curls; but she had her father's honey colored hair, and his eyes.

"First we brought you something," Sirius said handing Hermione the photo album that Sirius pulled from the secret trunk in Sirius's attic.

"What is it?" she asked taking the book from Sirius.

"it's a photo album," Remus said, "there are pictures of your mother and myself, the day we were married leading up till I departed on the mission. We were only married a few short weeks before I left."

"Can I keep it?" Hermione asked, "I promise not to show it to anyone who doesn't already know about you, Mum and uncle Sirius."

Sirius smiled when Hermione called him uncle Sirius. Remus on the other hand was concerned when she said, 'those who already know about it'. "What do you mean by they who already know?" Remus asked.

"I mean Harry, Neville, Ginny, Fred and George," Hermione said, "they were the ones in the common room when I came back from Dumbledore's office. All but Harry seems to be able to see me for well me."

"What about Ron?" Remus asked, "Does he know?"

"Ron and I," she sighed, "were not on speaking terms right now."

"Why not?" Remus asked kindly, in that teacherly way, as if saying it in a fatherly way would scare her into keeping silent.

"He's just," she said tiredly, pausing before finishing the thought as if she were searching for an appropriate word. "At first he acted like he was trying to be protective. He would say things that weren't very nice. He told me the only reason Fred and George wanted anything to do with me was because they wanted a test subject or needed help from a walking talking brain."

Sirius snickered at the terminology that she used, Remus glared at him, before motioning for Hermione to continue. "And then when the students from the other schools arrived, and Viktor Krum recognized me as the one who helped him after the Quidditch World Cup. Ron started saying thinks that made he see jealous. He kept saying he didn't see what was so special about me, and a whole bunch of other things. The worst of it was when Ron accused me of being a traitor."

"He did what?" Remus and Sirius asked angrily. Professor already knew the details of the incident, so he remained silent.

"Well they had just come from divination and Ron called me a traitor," Hermione explained, "Lavendar explained to me, that Professor Trelawney said that someone close to Harry would betray him, and that he would die a most horrible death. She says the horrible death prediction almost every week so that's nothing new. Any way long story short…"

"Too late," Professor Snape interrupted, with a garish grin.

"Ha-ha," Hermione said with sarcasm in her voice, "as I was saying, he accused me of being a traitor."

"That makes sense," Remus said, "he's probably just jealous; what about Harry?"

"He's with Ron," Hermione said, before clarifying more when Remus and Sirius looked at her in an odd way. "I don't mean dating, I mean Harry's said he'd sort Ron out; but that means that he'll be spending most of his time with Ron. "

Remus rubbed his chin as if he were thinking, "He'll come to his senses eventually, and in the meantime just steer clear of him. If he gives you any problems you've my permission to hex him any which way you like."

"If he's not straightened out by Christmas you might want to consider writing to Molly," Sirius said, "I'm sure she could set him straight."

"So daughter" Remus said testing it out. He found that he liked the sound of daughter on his lips.

"Yes father?" she asked.

Remus beamed at her calling him father, "would you like to come live with me?"

"Yes," Hermione said, "I would."

"Ok that's all settled," Remus said, standing up from his chair and stretching. Hermione was a bit disappointed that their discussion time was over already. Hermione's sadness was thwarted when Remus sat back down and called a house elf for some refreshments.

"Tell me about what's going on with Mr. Malfoy." Remus said.

Hermione spent the rest of the afternoon talking about her concerns and such. Time seemed to just melt away, and too soon it seemed it was time to go to dinner.

"We'll see you again soon, don't you worry about that," Remus said hugging her to him and kissing her forehead.

"Don't worry about things too much; they have a habit of working things out on their own," Sirius said, "give my love to Harry."

"I will," Hermione said giving him a hug.

Hermione reluctantly headed for the Great Hall for dinner. She didn't much feel like eating; but she was hungry, so she decided to go anyway.

A/N: I want to apologize for not updating sooner. i'm in the middle of making correction to a book i'm planning to have published. (no relation to Harry potter, in fact there isn't even a Harry in the book.)

but i have to look over the whole book and make changes and corrections and it's quite literally a long process. just when you think you've gotten it all you find something else.

and then my computer crashed. my friends husband was nice enough to look at it for me and loaned me her computer while they have mine. it was very nice of her to offer, i hadn't expected it. but her notebook is even tinier than mine... so it's a bit weird trying to type on here. forgive me for type o's.

anyways, with my work schedule next week i may not get another chapter to you until Monday. i know i'm late by a week and i have about 500 of the next chapter waiting for me in an e mail. I uh used my phone to write it, so hopefully it won't need fixed up to bad.

anyways thanks for being patient with me and my bad updating habits.