Chapter Four
As I pulled up at 12 Grimmauld Place, I shook my head – it didn't feel real. I turned off the ignition. My parents had been thrilled that I had returned from the Navy, admitting to me that they hated the idea of me getting killed in battle. Little did they know I was shipping myself off to somewhere even more dangerous with far less devoted protectors than I had had in the army. It didn't take long to greet them and admit that I was going to see Harry and Ron – they didn't need to know the finer details until later – and they hurriedly let me go, letting me use the car they'd bought for me before I had left for the army. I have to admit, it comes in handy…
After crossing the length of London to Grimmauld Place, here I was, about to knock on the door. Once I had, a wand was thrust in my face and I lowered my sunglasses, looking incredulously at the face of Remus Lupin.
"What is your middle name?" He asked seriously. I raised an eyebrow but he never relented, pushing his wand further into my personal space.
"Oh, Lord…" I muttered, rolling my eyes. "I get summoned by Harry Potter himself and get harassed at the door and questioned like I came here out of my own free will." I snapped. "Jean." I finally answered.
Remus looked slightly shocked before recovering and keeping his wand on me. I felt like rolling my eyes again. I had answered his question, hadn't I?
"When was the last time Harry and Ron saw Hermione Granger?" He asked, narrowing his eyes.
I smirked, "Two and a half years, give or take a few days considering I was disbanded from the Order for being a Death Eater Sympathiser and then begged to come back four months ago while I was rather happy in the British Navy." I answered in one breath, flicking my glasses back up and going back to chewing my gum. "Anything else?" I asked in a way I could have imagined Sian to. God, they really had rubbed off on me.
"N-No, come in." Remus said, stepping aside. I gripped my army bag up into my hand so it wouldn't hit him as I walked in. I noticed him look at my car incredulously and I rolled my eyes under the glasses, grinning as I chewed my gum. "If you erm…wait in there…I'll get Harry." Remus said, sounding rather nervous and confused. I didn't blame him; I was doing quite well at hiding my shock and fear of coming here. Though the face I had on was some of what I was feeling.
As I walked into the front room of 12 Grimmauld Place, throwing down my bag and putting my hands on my hips as I looked out of the window, I considered what I would say to Harry when he got down here. It would take some time considering I had just been questioned at the door; apparently I wasn't to be trusted. I rolled my eyes again and turned to look around the room – it hadn't changed a bit since I had last been here, and it made me wonder about the people. Sure, I hadn't expected a surprise party, but people coming and saying 'hi' wouldn't have gone amiss.
I thought no more of it as I heard footsteps behind me, fixing my vest and making sure my tag was in show proudly as Harry entered the room. I watched him take in my combat trousers tucked into my big boots, the fitted vest shirt and dog tag on show, my cap backwards and my hair flowing to the side past my elbow, not to mention my tanned skin, glasses and admitted look of slightly bad-ass-ery. As he did, I took in his changes. He was taller and broader than he had been when I left, growing into his facial features and dropping the last of the puppy fat on his body. It was evident that he had been forced to grow up emotionally as well and I wasn't sure how I felt. Was it justice or was it sad?
"Hermione…" Harry greeted after a long pause, "you look…different." He laughed without humour. He seemed slightly scared.
"Yeah, that was the point." I offered without stuttering once. The Hermione he had once known might have, but not this one. I kept firm, as he stood closer.
"Never took you for an aviators kind of girl…" He said lamely, putting his hands in his pockets awkwardly.
"Standard issue. Pretty much all there is in Canada." I explained, shrugging. Why was he being so coy?
He wasn't exactly shy about asking me to come out of a profession I loved to go back to school.
"Look, not to be pushy…but my parents kinda' haven't seen me in a few years, if you get my drift?" I pushed.
Harry blushed and looked down at the floorboards around him. Something told me he had not prepared for this, nor had he been like this around someone in a while. It made me smirk to watch him squirm like this, especially under cowardly little Granger.
"Yes, of course." He said quickly. "Erm…well…what do you want to know?" He asked. "I wasn't really expecting you…" He admitted.
"It's a week before term and you weren't expecting me?" I asked with a raised eyebrow. Even for Harry that seemed like bad judgement and planning.
"I kind of just assumed that you…" He trailed off. I knew what he was going to say.
"Look, I took this job as a favour because of our old friendship. I told you I'd come and I have, so you'd better tell me just about anything I need to know because I've left everything to come and help people who don't deserve it." I snarled at him, losing my composure.
"Then why did you come?" He blurted out.
I had to consider what he was saying. I had told him I did it for our friendship, but then also admitted in the same sentence that I didn't believe any of them deserved it. Was I doing this for the right reasons? Sure, I wanted nothing more than revenge against them, but for what? They hadn't done this intentionally, at least not Harry, Ron and Ginny…but they had seemingly forgotten about me and left me to my own devices all this time. Not a single call, letter, anything. Which made me wonder why Harry had called upon me…was it desperation or a second chance? If it were the latter, did I want it?
"Because the Wizarding World is much bigger than just you and the Order." I settled with, letting my glare lessen until it was hidden behind my glasses safely. Screw being indoors.
Harry looked sheepish, thank God, and nodded.
"Of course." He admitted, looking back up at me. "Hogwarts, like I said, is divided mostly into three groups – the Death Eaters, the Order members and those caught in between. It's becoming the mission of both sides to consider who is friend and who is foe. Of course, the Slytherins aren't being considered as anything but foes and the Gryffindor's the opposite. It's pretty much free reign over the other Houses." Harry began.
I thought about the way House rivalry had run my life for several years. Was it really something I wanted to get back to? Sure, I wanted to show a few Slytherins a piece of my mind, starting with Draco Malfoy, but did that constitute as a worthy reason to return to Hogwarts? My parents believed I was returning for my studies, and I guessed that was a second contributing factor.
"We can't watch two Houses as closely as we'd like, we need someone who can be ambiguous." He added, pulling me out my reverie.
Oh no.
"Oh no," I voiced my thoughts, "if you think you're turning me into the next Snape, you're out of your mind." I said, waving his protests off as he tried to speak. "There's a reason he betrayed you – it got too difficult and would have ended in death otherwise. Do you think I want to risk joining a group of murderers to help you out?" I asked incredulously. "This is just a favour, remember." I warned him.
"Exactly. You don't have to be on either side publicly!" He protested quickly. "All you have to do is not pick a side. Let each side try and draw you in, see what other people are doing. Stay away from the Gryffindors and the Slytherins as much as possible. Get in with the Ravenclaws and the Hufflepuffs, the teachers, anyone." He suggested, his voice calming slightly as he saw me relax. "You're old enough now to be considered a mature student considering you've been out of education for two years…" he began, "you don't have to wear uniform, as such, if you don't want to, and there are no compulsory lessons, though we encourage you to join those which will give you an advantage…time with the other Houses." He coaxed.
"Wearing a uniform doesn't bother me, but I won't wear one round campus if I don't have to. I understand your reasons, to distance myself from Gryffindor by not wearing that label." I explained, gripping the bridge of my nose. "But if anyone's there from previous years, they're going to know where I'm from, they'll see me heading to my dorms…" I trailed off. Though his plan was well thought-out, it wasn't perfect and there were many flaws to it.
"Mature students aren't allowed to sleep in the same quarters as the younger students." Harry grinned. "The only time you're ever required to sit at a table is at lunch, and you never have to go in there outside of your own choice, you can go to Hogsmead to eat, you can make yourself food or ask the House Elves." He explained, getting excited.
"Oh, so you're telling me now that House competitions and compulsory sports are also off the table?" I asked sarcastically.
"Well…no…" He admitted, scratching the back of his head. "You kind of have to be on the Quidditch Team…" He admitted.
"What?" I asked, not sure what I had heard. I was sure he just said I'm supposed to be on the Quidditch Team.
"It's only for a year and you can be a sub, I doubt you'll ever actually play–" I cut him off.
"Playing doesn't concern me, actually, I'd quite like it, but doesn't all this 'eating alone, not wearing a uniform, sneaking out, making people allies' all fall apart when I'm part of the most-watched thing at Hogwarts? The Quidditch is kinda' important to everyone, Harry. I'll be noticed as a Gryffindor immediately." I explained, raising my eyebrow in questioning of him.
"Here's the thing…since you're without a House, you're allowed me be…rented." He said quietly.
"I better have not heard that word, Harry Potter." I snarled.
"Unfortunately…you did…" He squeaked.
I wasn't unfamiliar with rented Quidditch players. They were players that were loaned to another team in times of short numbers and no possible replacements. Oliver Wood had been one before he became Captain of the Gryffindor team – borrowed my Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw several times to make up numbers. The only thing that bothered me was the possibility of getting rather badly bloodied up. Yes, though the rented player was attempting to help the other House, they weren't trusted and often not protected by the Beaters. It never ended well.
"It's a trivial thing, Hermione." Harry added when he saw my face turn to fury.
"Trivial? You want me to risk getting put in St. Mungo's for a favour because I'm a mature student?" I asked, my voice going high with disbelief. "This is starting to become a big ask, Potter." I told him. He flinched at my use of his last name and I shrugged, "Sorry, Army thing."
"I'm sorry, Hermione. I wouldn't ask you if I had any other choice. Anyone we've got our age has finished Hogwarts or is well-known…that and everyone's already got their final grades and it's impossible to get them onto the Hogwarts system without Dumbledore's help." He admitted, putting a hand on my shoulder comfortingly. "No one is going to remember you, I was about to look in another room to find you and I was your best friend from age eleven." He said with a small smile, he seemed sad but I didn't think to comfort him – it was his turn to have no one.
"I'll do it and I'll try my best, but I can't promise anything." I told him sternly, moving his hand off of my shoulder and picking up my bag. "I'll be back in a few days to pick up my new identity, for I assume that's what you want to do?" I asked over my shoulder.
"Yes…but the sorting hat cannot change your House." He said.
Well, that cleared a lot up for me. Plus, it wasn't like adult sorting had ever been something I had witnessed, though mature students were. They often sat at the back of a class in a variation of the school uniform with no markings as to what their House was, for many had none, and that was all you saw of them besides their travels through the Library.
I nodded and set to walk out of the front door, looking up the stairs, hoping against my own thoughts that I could catch a glimpse of some of the people I once knew. Seeing Harry was horrible, but something I – deep down – had enjoyed and felt comforted by. When I saw none, I felt my heart drop and I gripped the front door.
"They all missed you, too." Harry said quietly.
"Missing and remembering are two different things." I answered sternly before yanking the door open and closing it behind me.