So, another chapter :) Even though this one as well is somewhat 'short' I still hope that in combination with Chapter 13 you will have had your fill of BPW for today/tonight.

Thank you for reading and enjoy!


"I have called this meeting, because I think there would be something that you'd need to know." Hermione began, as she paced up and down in the Room of Requirement. The three other girls followed her every move. "I don't know if you have noticed, but Professor Lupin has some… extraordinary sharp senses."

Pansy gasped. "Oh yes, the other day I whispered something to Zabini about Snape having his menstruation, I rounded the corner and Lupin was down the hall and he docked points!"

Hermione nodded. "As I feared." She started pacing again. "It appears that his sense of smell is… more advanced than normally as well. I…" she stopped shortly, allowing herself to blush, "I am… well, I'm having my menstruation and I tell you that man smells me."

She blushed even more now, but continued to ramble as the rest of the girls listened to her, gobsmacked. "I mean… it would be logical, you see, for any animal to smell a bleeding female, but for a man... Well, never mind. Thing is, he's been staring at me the whole day with his nostrils flaring and his ears twitching and keeping me under an extra-close eye. So…"

Finally she took a breath again, stopping pacing and facing the girls in front of her. "So I went to the library and found a smell neutralizing spell. I find it… highly important that we learn that spell and cast it as soon as we are… in our time of month. If Lupin can smell it, then maybe there is somebody else who can, and we can't risk blowing our covers."

It was the first spell that they taught each other.


Harry and Ron were together quite frequently recently – and unfortunately nothing could quite stop them, which made Hermione a seeker of new rooms. With her new map, she was even quite efficient in it. But it wasn't until she met the house-elves, that she really found a room where she wished to stay longer than a night.

"How can I helps, Mister?" the house-elf asked her and Hermione, who had just wanted to discover the secret of the kitchen, was fascinated as she stared at the little creature, what with its green skin, tennis-ball-big eyes and Yoda-ears.

"A tea would be nice, please."

She was ushered into the room just outside of the kitchen, which appeared to be a small eating room, and waited for her tea to arrive, while she wrapped her mind about what happened here. Loyal book-worm that she was, she could say that she had already read about house-elves, but she had never thought that they would actually serve at Hogwarts.

The elf that had brought her inside came back with a giant mug of Indian Chai, which was Hermione's favourite. As she received it, thanking the elf, she figured that somehow, she had really never wondered how something that you wished for during meal would suddenly, miraculously appear – she had never given it any thought just how or why things appeared – she had just simply written it off as magic.

She blinked as she blew over the tea and noticed, as she took a sip, that it was just in the right temperature to drink for her.

Unknowingly Hermione had learnt an important lesson: To always question the why and how, and not just simply accept that things happened – there was a reason for everything.

Finishing her tea in contemplative silence, she thanked the elf once again, for having allowed her in and bringing her tea, before she wanted to continue her search for a passable room. The elf surprised her again.

"Mister is searching for a room, he is." The elf stated with big eyes and Hermione guessed that her own eyes could probably rival his… or hers… or its.

"Yes." She finally breathed and with a smile, the elf's ears lifted and he started ushering her out of the kitchen.

"I has perfect room for Mister, not frequented, no never, but very nice, yes, yes." As she was lead by the house-elf, who had snatched her hand and now dragged her, she wondered if anybody would cross their ways and ask themselves what Hermes Granger was doing, letting himself be dragged about by a house-elf.

"Here we is." The elf finally said and nodded at a picture. "Yes, yes, this is right picture."

Now that the elf had stopped walking, she allowed herself to take a look around. It had led her into a fine corridor, of wood-clad walls and soft black carpet on the ground. She had never seen a part like this in the castle, and was amazed at its beauty. Turning she inspected the painting the elf had indicated for her.

At first she would have said that the painting was one of Botticelli's, what with the waving hair and wistful looks, but on a second look, she realized that Botticelli had never quite covered Joan of Orleans (and how should he have done so indeed?). For surely, a woman in the armour of a man, holding a sword would be Joan of Orleans.

"Big witch she was." The elf sighed and devotedly brushed a lint off the frame of the painting. "Saved men…"

Hermione squirmed under the gaze of the elf, perhaps it was only incident that it had led her here. But the creature smiled. "Missy shouldn't worry, Peetey cans keep secrets." And when he winked, Hermione knew that this elf was aware of what she was, but anyways it had not yet said anything.

"How do I get in?" she asked, and for the first time since she had arrived, Joan of Orleans moved her head as she had seen many other paintings do as well. The knight shook the stiffness off herself and smiled, before she checked the hallway.

"You, dearest, and only those let in on your secret shall get in, but the password will be yours to ponder on."

Hermione pouted and chewed on her lip, while Joan waited for an identifying word. It took the young witch some time, before she finally could decide on something that not everyone would be able to guess. "Cosa Nostra."

Joan, Hermione wondered briefly if the painting was aware what kind of word she had just chosen, smiled before she swung open and revealed to Hermione the room. Peetey followed the witch, smiling as he took in her overjoyed face.

"Is Mistress satisfied?" it asked in a high pitched voice and Hermione could only nod overwhelmed. It was everything she would have asked for.

There was room to work, room for potions, her own wardrobe, a bed, and most astounding of all, a small bathroom as well – in short, it was her sanctuary. When she returned from her little tour, the elf was still standing in the room.

"Shall Petey move Mistress' things to this room?"

For a short moment, Hermione pondered. Of course Harry and Ron would start questioning her, but in the end, this was the room that she had always searched for – a place where she could let her pretences fall and where she would be safe. Harry and Ron would, sooner rather than later, get over her moving-out, especially if they took their relationship yet a step further and would need… peace during the night.

"Yes, please, Peetey that would be very nice."

A snip of its fingers, and Hermione's clothes were in her wardrobe, the books were on the table, ingredients that she had collected and bought were on the working station, and her pyjamas on her bed. The elf nodded and then looked at Hermione.

It only registered then that Peetey had somehow made it his or her target to become Hermione's elf instead of just serving the school.

"Thank you, Peetey, I won't need you tonight. As soon as I will, I will call on."

"Yes, Mistress." And as quickly as she had appeared in front of Hermione in the kitchen, she disappeared again. Hermione turned around in her room and then fell on her bed, oh sweet sanctuary, to finally sleep.


It was a good thing too she hadn't slept in any other room that night – though she would know that only the morrow after classes.

As usually, Hermes, Harry and Ron had been on their way back to their common room, but found that they were quite unable to even pass the stairs to the Fat Lady. And that's where the problem lay.

"Did you see that?"

"Who'd do something like that?"

Hermione herself was shocked when she realized just what had happened with the portrait of Gryffindor House. The canvas had been ripped apart, none too gently leaving nothing but scraps actually and the Fat Lady was gone.

"Excuse me, let me through please." The soft tone of the headmaster's voice hushed the excited babble of the students and they parted, letting Dumbledore walk through them as Moses had through the sea. "Oh, dearest… where is she?"

Finch, however she disliked the man, was the first to spot the Fat Lady. She was hidden in a picture just opposite of the entrance, trying to hide in a safari picture… though that was probably a good idea, the rhino was, after all, big enough to hide her almost completely.

"Darling, what happened?" the headmaster asked the shivering woman, who was pressing against the calm rhino.

"It was him." She whimpered. "I saw him. Sirius Black!"

Undoubtedly those words created havoc.


TADAAA!

There he is, Sirius Black. And Peetey, the house-elf (who'll stay from hence... unless my muse has other intentions for her... but I hope not, I like Peetey).

I hope you liked it.

PLEASE REVIEW!