Trigger Warning: anxiety related to school and planning for the future (let me know if there is more to add).
Hermione tied off the ends of Ginny's braids and pulled her friend into her so that Ginny's back nestled against Hermione's front.
Ginny hummed and wiggled herself closer to Hermione, who smiled. She knew that after getting her hair brushed and braided, the thing that Ginny loved most was being held.
Hermione leaned her head on Ginny's shoulder and breathed deeply, relaxing.
"Hermione?"
"Yeah?"
"I don't know if I want to go back to Hogwarts."
Hermione scoffed, "Of course you do. Where else would you go?"
"I'm serious," said Ginny. "Everyone in the Order has been so out of sorts, especially mum. And the things that they've been saying in The Daily Prophet about Dumbledore and Harry are really awful. If anyone believes it I think we're going to have a dreadful year at school."
Hermione nodded. "The Ministry is making such a muck of things, I wouldn't wonder if it carried over to Hogwarts. We have to go back though."
"Why?"
"Well," Hermione paused, trying to breathe deeply despite her lungs having shrunk to a quarter of their size. If she didn't go back to school, then she would never learn magic. They would never let her be a witch, and she'd have to go back to the Muggle world, but she'd missed so much of Muggle school she'd be so far behind and everyone would think she was stupid. She'd never find a job and her parents would be forced to take care of her for her whole life.
Hermione forced her lungs to open up again, though it hurt. "Because school is important."
"School is very important," Ginny opened her eyes wide and nodded with false solemnity, then stuck her tongue out at Hermione.
"Hey! It is!" Hermione shouted, indignantly, and then tackled her friend, holding her down on the bed and tickling her.