As soon as she sees him, she knows she's in love. She's so enamoured she only just hears the cough behind her.
"Are you sure that's the one you want?" Her dad asks. He and the shopkeeper are both wearing looks of concern. She looks down at the orange puffball purring against her before looking back at her dad with a frown.
"Of course. He's perfect."
Her dad walks her to the Leaky Cauldron, where she'll be staying until term starts. Her parents have a conference on the first, so they won't be able to take her to the platform. Luckily, Harry and the Weasleys are staying there, too.
Surprisingly, her and Ron have gotten on rather well since her first infirmary visit last term. She wasn't sure if it would carry over, but he excitedly asks about her holiday and then tells her about his. Everything is going exceedingly well until Ron's rat, Scabbers, peeks out from his shirt pocket.
The Leaky breaks out into total chaos. Hermione is trying to catch Crookshanks. Ron is yelling at her to get her beast under control. Quite rudely, too. Mrs Weasley is trying to find Scabbers. The twins are doing something to add to the hysteria, too, she's sure. And Tom looks ready to kick them all out.
Ron is scowling at her when she finally calms Crookshanks down. So much for getting along this year. Crooks pulls back her attention, purring in her lap. She smiles down at him. He's still the perfect choice even if he is a little troublemaker.
o-o-o-o-o
As soon as the welcoming feast ends, Professor McGonagall guides her to her office. Hermione can hardly contain herself. At the end of last term, she expressed her disappointment at not being able to try all the courses that Hogwarts has to offer. Professor McGonagall told her she would see what she could do for her. Halfway through break she received a letter from her head of house letting her know she should buy the course supplies for all of the classes that interested her. She had also sent along a book labelled The Laws and Limitations of Time Travel.
o-o-o-o-o
Dean does feel bad for Harry not being able to go to Hogsmeade, but he's also kind of glad he gets Hermione to himself, mostly. They're going as a group with Seamus, Neville, and Ron, but with how little he has seen of Hermione he's hoping he can steal her away for a little while.
They hit Honeydukes first. It is absolutely packed. He had gotten a taste of wizarding candy from the trolley on the train, but Honeydukes is in a whole different league. He pulls Hermione along behind them as Neville points out all his favourites. After about twenty minutes, they've all got handfuls excluding Hermione. When he asks her about it, she smirks.
"You've met my parents. I'm sure they wouldn't be too happy knowing I spent half my money on sweets." He rolls his eyes but discretely grabs the sugar quills she keeps glancing at.
Afterwards, the boys are all ready to head to Zonko's, but he catches Hermione sending longing looks toward Tomes and Scrolls. He sighs before pulling her away from the group and towards the bookshop. After an hour, he only regrets it a little bit.
o-o-o-o-o
It's not the broom. Well, it's not only the broom. The firebolt is top-of-the-line. Gryffindor would have the Quidditch Cup for sure if Harry was riding it. But he kind of agrees with Hermione telling McGonagall about it. Sirius Black is after Harry. It's best to play it safe for now. And if it's not jinxed or cursed, hopefully, Harry will get it right back.
No, that's not the reason he's upset with Hermione. Since the term has started, he's barely seen her. She's constantly blowing him off. To study she says, but they've always studied together before. But now they can't? At first, it hadn't bothered him so much. Hermione is in the library more than anyone else in the whole school, probably. So, he was happy to give her some space. But after a few weeks, he was pretty peeved off.
He was ready to say something to her after Halloween. He was ready to confront her when he found her passed out in the common room instead. Books surrounded her. Books for classes he's sure she wasn't even in. He was convinced Professor McGonagall had allowed her to do some sort of independent study. So, he let it go.
But then he started to only see her in their shared classes and at mealtimes. Soon enough she was skipping those, too.
So, when she had broken down to him about how Harry and Ron were mad at her once again, he had just about had enough. He was mad at her too. She was supposed to be his best friend, too. He had barely seen her in the past four months, and the first time they really talk, more than just about classwork, it was to whine to him about her two other friends.
When he tells her exactly that, he almost regrets it. The tears welling in her eyes make him pause. No, he tells himself. He gets to be mad about this. He walks away before he can see her cry.
o-o-o-o-o
It's just her luck that her first fight with Dean coincided with her definitely not first fight with Harry and Ron. She has never felt so alone while at Hogwarts. So, when she falls asleep that night it makes sense that her feelings would follow her.
"Are you sure about this?" The muffled voice of her mother asks. She can only hear so much through the thick wooden door.
"Aye. It was about time anyway." Her father's voice becomes clearer. That and the heavy clunk of his boots means he's headed in her direction. She almost pulls away before she hears the clinking of glasses. He's only getting a drink. She leans back against the door. "You cannot keep her locked up here forever." At dinner, her mother had sent her and her father strange looks all night. She had not asked about it, knowing neither of her parents would give her a straight answer. So, she had excused herself early. Now, she's pressed up against her father's study listening to a conversation that is most definitely about her.
"My men have already asked about her. I could only hold them off for so long. It is time, she is no longer a little girl." She hears her mother sigh but everything that comes afterwards is lost to her. Everything stops around her as she understands what her father is saying.
She is to be married. Soon. And to one of her father's men.
She stumbles away from the door. Almost tripping over her skirts in the process. She stands paralyzed watching the study. The rapid beating of her heart is the only sound in the empty corridor. She doesn't know how much time has passed since she came to the realisation, but she knows she can't get caught outside this room. She runs back to her rooms.
It suddenly feels too stuffy. She can hardly breathe. She runs to her balcony doors and pushes them open. The cool night air chills her as she rushes into the darkness. She sucks in as much air as she can.
She knew she would have to get married someday. Realistically she knew that. But she thought she had more time. She thought… she thought her father would - She thought her mother would fight harder for her.
She's met most of her father's men, and she wouldn't pick a single one to marry.
o-o-o-o-o
"Oh, Ron's mad at you? Who could have guessed that?" He's still doing his assignment, but Hermione can still see the small uptick of his mouth. Seamus snickers next to him. She has to keep herself from reaching across the table and swatting the both of them. She just rolls her eyes instead. Considering she isn't really upset at their teasing.
"He's convinced Crookshanks ate his rat." Both of them snicker at that. "It's not funny. Crooks wouldn't." She pouts causing the boys to burst out laughing. "And if he did, it's in his nature." The laughing grew louder. "… really rats aren't even one of the animals allowed at Hogwarts." She watches as they turn to each other with matching looks of amusement. "Oh, hush the both of you." They would probably listen to her if she wasn't smiling right along with them.
After she told Dean about the time turner, everything became a touch easier. She hadn't realised how heavy it was lying on her having to lie to him. Even though he was still upset about her hiding things, he had forgiven her. On the condition she dropped some of her classes. She decided she didn't need Divination or Muggle Studies, anyway
o-o-o-o-o
"He's a werewolf!" Hermione yells from behind him. He turns back to Professor Lupin with his wand pointed up. Something tells him that this is wrong. That he shouldn't be aiming his wand at his favourite teacher.
But considering said favourite teacher is standing with the convicted murderer and not them, he keeps his wand steady. Ron's still bleeding in the corner. Hermione is standing in front of all of them. Ready to go head-to-head with a murderer and a werewolf.
How did no one notice? Obviously, Hermione had. But had no one else really put it together? He certainly hadn't.
Sirius Black races towards them and he pushes Hermione behind them. Only he bypasses Harry and heads straight towards Ron. Yelling about his rat. The rat Hermione's cat has been chasing all year long. Professor Lupin pulls him back, but not for long.
Professor Lupin and Sirius Black are arguing back and forth. Dean and the others are all soaking up every bit of the information they can, none of them notice Snape step into the room. Everything after is complete chaos.
o-o-o-o-o
Everything happens so fast; he doesn't even notice that he pulls Hermione along with him. Their hands are clasped so tight he's sure they'll both be left with marks tomorrow. If they make it to tomorrow. He shouldn't have run after Sirius. He knows that. Logically, he knows that. Sirius is an Animagus. But Professor Lupin is a werewolf. At the first yelp of the dog, Harry took off. And he pulled Hermione even deeper into his mess.
By some stroke of luck, they lured Professor Lupin away from Sirius, and Buckbeak appeared out of nowhere giving them the perfect chance to run.
"We have to find Sirius." He whispers more to himself than Hermione. They try to trail back the way they came, but everything looks the same and they hadn't paid too much attention when they were running for their lives. He's getting more and more frustrated when a chill comes over him. His hand is still firmly grasped in Hermione's, and he feels the shiver that leaves her too.
"Dementors." She mummers before gasping. She looks over at him with wide eyes. "You don't think…" She doesn't finish her sentence. He doesn't need her too. They take off in the direction of the chill. As they run deeper and deeper, they catch sight of the frost covering the ground.
There's a clearing ahead of them. Rapidly filling with Dementors. And in the centre is Sirius. He runs forward. He doesn't even think.
It's only after he is tugged backwards that he thinks about what he is running into. He turns to Hermione, ready to tell her all the reasons they need to push forward, but the harsh look on her face stops him.
"No, Harry! You can't!" She pulls him back as he tries to jump down. "Think!" She yells at him. She's never yelled at him like that before. Like she's scared. It makes him pause. "You have to use the Patronus charm. You said Professor Lupin's been teaching you, right?" He nods. His gaze darting between her and Sirius. The dementors are circling him, none have reached him. Yet.
"I…I've never…" he stutters. He takes a breath and looks back to Sirius. "I've only gotten whisps before. Never the full thing." He admits. "I can't…"
"You can, Harry. You have to." They're both breathing hard. The air fogging up around them. He looks at her, so ready to argue. But instead, he finds a look of determination on her face. She believes he can do this. So, he does.
A stag bursts through the end of his wand. It stands proud in front of him before darting towards the shadows around them. Only it's not enough. He's not strong enough to save Sirius by himself.
Hermione stands still next to him. Their hands are still clasped. Only her eyes are focused on the stag in front of them pushing away as many Dementors as it can manage.
"Hermione." Everything seems so loud, but she manages to hear him. "I can't do it alone. It's not enough."
Her lip is trembling, but she still nods at him. She tries to pull free from his grip, but he can't let go of her. Her left hand grips her wand, and she looks to him. She mirrors his pose and nods. "Your happiest memory. You know the movement. You know the words." She tries but nothing happens. His stag is still going strong, but it needs help. She's getting frustrated.
"Hermione!" Her eyes snap to his. He doesn't have to say anything. His eyes say it all. She's got this. The best witch he knows. He can tell the moment she understands
The blast light from the end of her wand is so bright, he wants to cover his eyes. But his other hand is still holding tight to Hermione. Who stumbles back at the force of the power of her spell.
Soon enough neither of them can hold the spell any longer. They both collapse to the ground. Their bodies weak and magic depleted from fending off the horde of Dementors.
Harry pushes himself forward. He looks over the edge, taking in the empty clearing. He spots Sirius still laid out on the ground. Not sure whether the dementors got to him or not, Harry runs as fast as his body will allow him.
o-o-o-o-o
"Sirius said I could live with him. If I wanted to." Harry whispers to her. They are squashed together on one infirmary bed. Hermione had told Madam Pomfrey she was fine, but the matron wasn't hearing it. She was to stay for the night at least. Ron would be here a few days, and Sirius would stay until they could transfer him to St Mungo's. Harry wanted to stay. Madam Pomfrey was ready to send him back to the dorms. Shockingly, Sirius had been the one to convince her. But sleep didn't come easy.
"Like it's even a question."
"I am happy for you." Her eyes dart over to Sirius. The curtain around his bed is mostly closed, but she can still see him. He's curled up almost like a dog, really. His brows are pulled down and the occasional whimper sounds across the room. Not a good sign, considering she saw Madam Pomfrey give him a vial of dreamless sleep.
"It just might be better to take things slow with him, Harry." His brows pull down, and he wants to argue. She knows he does. "He was in Azkaban for a long time. He'll need some time to adjust." He turns away with a dejected look. But she doesn't let him get far. "But you're not going back to the Dursleys." She's not letting that happen.
If her parents hadn't dragged her away for most of last summer hols, he wouldn't have stayed there then, either. "Until Sirius is on his feet you can stay at mine for a bit. I've already asked my parents." He frowns and looks away. Not the reaction she was expecting, but he doesn't say anything.
"Anyways, he'll want to see you. I hardly think the Dursleys would let you see him."
"Thank you, Hermione." He whispers. He sounds choked up, and Hermione wished he didn't. He's one of her best friends. Of course, she would do anything to help him.
"You don't have to thank me." He tries to interrupt her, but she presses on. "Sirius is going to need you." Even if she wishes that wasn't put on Harry's shoulders, she knows it'll convince him to agree with her. "Plus, when you get tired of me telling you to do your summer readings," he rolls his eyes, but she can see the beginnings of a smile. "And my parents lecturing you about your sweets intake and the importance of routine brushing, I'm sure the Weasleys would love to have you, too." He chuckles at that before he turns and looks to Sirius.
"I'll take care of him." He turns back to her with a look of determination. She nods to him knowing he means it. He frowns when she doesn't say anything else. "I'm sorry I keep dragging you into all of my problems." That's not right. Now she wants to argue. He doesn't drag her into anything. She helps him because they are friends. She's about to tell him that too, but he shakes his head as soon as she opens her mouth. "No, I mean it, Hermione. I've been such a shit friend this year. I don't know why either. Sometimes it seems like I can't really control myself. But that's no excuse." He takes a deep breath before he looks her in the eyes. "You are always there for me, and I never seem to do the same for you."
Harry has always been one of her closest friends. But when she thought on it what he was saying rang true. At the start of their friendship, she had been upset when Harry would always take Ron's side during their arguments. Over time she has become used to it.
"Dean even mentioned something was up with you, but I just shrugged it off. I'm sorry." She didn't even know she was upset with him, but with his apology, she felt all the emotions rush through her. She had gotten over their Christmas spat relatively quick. But now that she thought about it, Dean was one of the big reasons why. She needs to apologize to him.
"You did have a murderer after you for most of the year, Harry. I think I can cut you a little bit of slack." He has been through so much this year. Even just in the last twenty-four hours. She couldn't imagine.
"He wasn't actually a murderer though." He smirks as he says it, and Hermione can't help but giggle at his light-hearted response.
"Yes, well we didn't know that." Over the course of the conversation, they have gravitated closer to each other. Their foreheads were almost touching.
"We're all going to be okay, right?" He looks scared as he asks. Looking at her before shooting a worried look at both Sirius and Ron.
"I hope so." She doesn't want to lie to him. If it wasn't one thing or another. Between a giant muggle born killing snake or a mass murder, even if they were looking in the wrong place for said murder. One can only hope next year is finally a normal one.
o-o-o-o-o
Hermione finds Dean first thing the next morning. He had been the only one to be discharged from the infirmary. He's already waiting for her in the common room.
"You've been looking after me all term, haven't you?" She doesn't wait for him to answer. She already knows the truth. "And I've just been brushing you off. Don't know how many times I can say I'm sorry before you stop accepting them."
School makes her crazy. He knows that. Over break they are thick as thieves, but as soon as she gets to Hogwarts, she puts too much on her plate. First, it was trying to solve the mystery of the philosopher's stone. Then last year with the chamber of secrets and the basilisk. The time turner this year wasn't the best idea. He's not sure why McGonagall approved it.
"Yeah, well I haven't been the greatest either. Even if I was looking out for you. I was pretty piss poor at it." Mostly he was just pouting. Seamus was getting real sick of him.
"But that can be excused. I was the worst. Really, Dean, I can't tell you how sorry I am." He knows she is being sincere. Hell, she even looks like she's about to cry. He was ready to forgive her right away. Even though there was really nothing for him to forgive.
She has had a hard year. Definitely more than he had on his plate. What with taking every class available, using a time turner, keeping it all to herself, and helping her friend evade a murderer.
"Hermione." He sighs with a smile. She would keep going if he didn't stop her. "Look, I missed you like crazy this year, so if you're so hell bent on apologising how about we just tell each other about how our years went." He pulls her down onto the common room sofa. After she finally looks as if she's done apologizing, he wraps an arm around her shoulders. "It's practically our tradition at this point."
o-o-o-o-o
Taking every class she could this year has left her with more books than she can carry. Normally she would recruit the boys to help her return them to the library, but Ron and Sirius are still in the infirmary, so Harry is keeping them company and Dean promised to help Seamus and Neville pack. Considering she saw the state of their dorm this morning, she knew they needed his help more than she did.
So, after multiple journeys between the Gryffindor common room to the library, she's exhausted and about ready to drop during her last trip. Her last armful of books sits just above her eyeline as she slowly makes her way between the stacks. She should be paying more attention considering all these books are older than her, but she completely misses the curly haired boy who steps out from between the shelves. She walks right into him and loses her footing. She stumbles back but loses her grip, and the books fall all around her.
She takes a minute to assess the mess, still missing the boy right in front of her. It's only after he kneels next to her and starts to pick up the books that she notices. She's sat stunned there for a second as he catches her eye and smirks.
"I presume a barrage of books is better than a fist to the face." Her brows pull down in confusion until she spots the green tie. Malfoy must have told his fellow Slytherins what happened. She had almost forgotten it herself. It happened only yesterday, but it feels like ages ago.
"I'll have you know it was more than deserved." She huffs out in response. It had been, and she has been trying very hard not to feel guilty about it. She grabs the rest of her books and stands. He towers over her, but she doesn't feel intimidated. He's taller than the Gryffindor boys. She's not sure how she missed him.
"I have no doubt." He says with a smile. He hands her books, nods to her, and then leaves. Her eyes follow him. Had a Slytherin just smiled at her, joked with her really, without any malice towards her? And she doesn't even know who he is.