"Promise me you'll always remember: You're braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think."
May 1, 9pm
Hermione sat on the couch, staring at the closed Head Boy's portrait.She shook her head slowly, recalling what had just happened.
Theodore received a letter from his dad. An angry one. One that showed how cold his father was.
He wouldn't let her read it. But he was obviously distressed…
She had accio'ed it. She read it.
She remembered parts of it.
Don't disappoint us.
Don't make me regret telling my colleagues about you.
Mr. Nott.
But reading those parts was enough.
He grew angry.
She yelled backed.
He left the room.
She saw his tears.
She probably should have apologized, or at least have tried to make it better.
Definitely not of yelled.
But his yelling brought back all the memories from the war. All of the screaming, all of the pain.
She dropped her head between her hands and stayed there for a few seconds, until she realized the tears falling from her eyes.
Slowly she got up and made her way out of the head dorm, looking back at Theo's portrait before leaving and dragging her feet through the hallway. She traced her hand across the stone walls, seeing the visions of all the different colors that had once erupted from the ends of wands. She took a deep breath as she reached McGonagall's door. Before she even knocked a stern voice invited her in; she never would understand how Headmasters could do that. Taking a deep breath she pushed the door open.
"McGonagall?" She asked softly, entering a large circular room. The aging woman looked up from the pile of papers on her desk, still as impressive as she had been years before. Hermione kept her eyes anywhere but on the headmaster as she continued her way into the room, stopping when she reached the desk. Tapping her fingers gently along the surface of the wooden table, she worried her lip, still avoiding the woman's gaze. She waited for her mentor to talk, to ask, to do something, and when nothing came, the tears began to escape again, falling faster and faster. She heard a small scuffle, and then felt two warm hands guide her down onto a seat. She barely noticed a snap and a few mutters, the dismissal then arrival of an elf before she felt a warm cup of tea being placed in her hands. Hermione let out a sad laugh, wiping away the tears as she snuggled down into the cushioned chair. Look how far the brightest witch of her age had fallen.
"I was wondering when you'd come." McGonagall finally spoke, her voice still stern, her eyes soft. "The others already have you know." Hermione looked away from her teacher and back down at the tea, blowing softly to cool it down.
"We don't really talk about it." She stated, squinting at her cup.
"It's not healthy to pretend it didn't happen."
"Believe me, we know it did." Hermione replied, finally looking into her teacher's eyes.
"And what do you remember?" The brunette paused passing her thumb over her bottom lip.
"I remember the smell of death." Hermione said bluntly.
May 4, 1 am
Theo opened the door from his dorm and peered into the living room. Three days of not talking to her. He had avoided her during the day, and when they were supposed to share the head dorms? He had no idea where she went. He'd return to the rooms and she'd be gone. He remembered seeing her once in the library, nothing abnormal for her, finals were coming…. And recalled a prefect telling him that Hermione had been rounding a corner around 9 not too long ago, far past curfew. He only knew by the sound of the entrance door that she returned every night before midnight.
Seeing no one, he walked into the common room and made his way to the fireplace, dark without the fire, but the windows around it filling the room with a silver glow.
"Stop." Theo froze completely. So he would see her now. He slowly turned around and opened his mouth to speak.
"Stopp." Shrieked the mess of blankets on the couch. Theo's eyes widened. She was asleep. "LEAVE HER ALONE!" She screamed, thrashing under the blankets. Theo quickly ran over to the sofa, thoughts of anger, sadness, and exhaustion somewhere far behind. He removed the blankets from her face and saw her cheeks shining with tears.
"Mione…" He whispered. His hand touched her cheek, wiping away the salty tracks. He watched as her eyes flew open and flew through several different emotions.
First alarm.
Then confusion.
Realization.
Tears.
Her hands struggled through the blankets until they managed up towards her head. She let out a sob before clutching his hand to her cheek. He somehow understood what she was saying. He somehow understood her.
Held to an impossible standard.
Meant to be unbreakable.
Strong.
Brilliant.
Breaking.
And not wanting to be alone, but all of her not allowing her to ask him to stay. So maybe that's why he pulled his hand away and picked her and her hoard of blankets up, careful not to trip on the long sheets as he made his way to his room. She was starting to remind him of himself.
He laid her down on his bed and watched, slightly amused as she fought with her shell, of course winning, then throwing the blankets onto the floor and quickly snuggling under his thin covers. He climbed in after her, his chest to her back. It felt right. Except…
"It's okay Mione." He whispered in her ear. She was still trembling. "You're here." She rolled over and smushed her face into his neck.
"I hate being weak…" She said softly. Theo clenched his eyes closed. She was anything but.
"Hermione Jean Granger." His voice was surprisingly steady. "You are so much stronger than you believe." He finished, tightening his arm around her waist.
"I'm sorry" She whispered again, "for the note. What they said is impossible you know… you're anything but a disappointment."
"Where've you been lately?" He changed the subject. He felt Hermione shake her head. She knew what he was trying to do.
"McGonagall." She answered, letting him change the subject. He barely managed to nod his head, half asleep already. He hadn't felt this comfortable in a while. He felt Hermione throw an arm around his waist, giving a small yawn.
La de de la de da la de de la de da. All done with this chapter ^-^ Its taken forever, I know_