Hermione walked through the hall, it was late in the evening but not quite time for students to be in bed. The air was heavy, thick with the stress that seemed to follow her everywhere she went, like her own little raincloud.
She was tired, exhausted if she was being honest. Haunted by dreams that made little to no sense to her and tormented by the feeling in the back of her mind that there was something missing- but what was it?
She just couldn't put her finger on it.
"There you are 'Mi! Hurry, Harry and Malfoy are at it again!" The redhead grasped Hermione by the hand and began to drag her along behind her. Hermione followed, her brow creased in irritation.
Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy had a very bad habit of getting into huge, blow out fights.
When they rounded the corner into an abandoned hall of the fourth floor she wasn't surprised to see the two dueling, a large gathering of noisy students chanting around them. She also wasn't surprised to find Ronald in the mix.
"We have to stop them but they shoot hexes at me every time I try!" Ginny exclaimed in exasperation, her eyes wide in annoyance. She was a tough witch with powerful magic but getting in between Harry and Malfoy just screamed disaster.
"I tried to break them up too, it didn't work." Rose joined them on the sidelines, at the moment the boys were tossing insults back and forth and just generally goading one another.
"They'll be lucky if McGonagall doesn't show up soon." Hermione exhaled, her fingertips digging into her temple.
"Or worse, Snape." Rose agreed, her eyes darting around the loud corridor.
Hermione held her wand up and three loud, screeching birds shot up into the air, effectively silencing the crowd who immediately put their hands over their ears. When the screeching stopped she lowered her wand and glared at the entire group.
As Head Girl, she had the power to stop them from acting out, as Hermione Lupin- she'd been officially adopted the year prior, much to her, and her father's joy- she had the glare to make them all scatter.
"Off to bed with the lot of you." Several blank stares fell on her and she clenched her jaw. "Now." She demanded and they scattered, she crossed her arms across her chest.
Harry and Draco were still glaring at one another, Ron was still there, egging Harry on.
"You're not gonna let me him talk to you like that, are ya mate? He can't get away with it!"
"Shut up Ronald!" Hermione screeched as she marched up to the two, she hated when her voice hit that pitch but honestly, there was little to be done for it.
"Bugger off 'Mi, this needs to be settled!" Ron sniped, Hermione cocked an eyebrow at him as he put a hand on Harry's shoulder.
"I said shut up Ronald." She hissed at him and he glowered when she turned her attention back to Harry. "He's not worth it." She caught his green eyes, flashing their annoyance as he looked at her.
He had a temper, but only where the blonde Malfoy was concerned.
"He is worth it, they need to settle this!" Ron crowed right before he stopped with a squeak, there was a large hand on his shoulder, it was still intimidating, even though his hand no longer engulfed Ron's shoulder as it once had.
"I believe you would be wise to listen to Ms. Lupin, Mr. Weasley. As for you, Mr. Potter, Mr. Malfoy, report to Filch for detention before classes in the morning, twenty points from Gryffindor for fighting, twenty points from Slytherin for fighting, and ten points for being an annoyance from Gryffindor for Mr. Weasley." Hermione watched the muscle in Professor Snape's jaw twitch as he spoke, his voice bland despite the quite annoying situation he'd come upon.
"Yes sir." Harry and Draco said in unison before each scurried off in a different direction. Ron gulped, agreed, and took off with Harry, mumbling bitterly under his breath as he went.
"To bed with you, Ms. Potter, Ms. Weasley." He insisted, locking his eyes on Rose and Ginny. Both redheads flushed before fleeing and Hermione turned to go with them.
She was stopped by a smooth voice filling the hall and her skin tingled, as it always did when he directed his attention at her.
"Ms. Lupin, a word." She turned to face him, her eyes on the row of jet buttons down the center of his chest.
"Yes sir?"
"I understand you are seeking an apprenticeship for our final term, is this correct?" He was watching her, deep, dark eyes locked on her face and she felt her stomach squirm. Between the dreams she'd been having since she was a child and the familiarity of his smooth voice she didn't know how to act around him.
He was the only person she'd ever met who could put her out of sorts.
She scratched the spot on her arm, the space where her skin always felt strange, and kept her gaze on his buttons.
"Well, I mean, I was yes, I didn't think it would distract too much from my studies and it will give me a leg up when we finish school." She nodded, her eyes looking anywhere but his face and she could see his feet shift in front of her.
She wanted to look up so badly, she just couldn't force herself to do so.
"I'd like to offer Potions as an option, I am aware Flitwick and McGonagall will be vying for your apprenticeship but you have a brilliant mind, you would be well suited to potions." Her eyes finally flicked up to meet his, wide and awed as she stared up at him.
"You really think so?" She exhaled and he felt his stomach clench. Gods she was beautiful, and so sweet, and he missed her so much.
He wanted her in his arms so badly he itched with the desire, still, she'd shown no signs of recognizing him and he would not approach her.
Didn't even begin to know how.
"I most certainly do, I wouldn't say if I did not." He smirked at the lovely smile that broke her face.
If she took his offer he could be closer to her, remind her.
Gods he wanted her to remember him so badly he ached with it.
She was of age, and Merlin he'd waited so long, so bloody long.
Seventeen years, he'd waited, patiently. He'd avoided her, he'd kept his loneliness locked away in the back of his mind. Seventeen years.
"Would it be okay for me to think about it?" She asked, chewing at her bottom lip and he was ever so tempted to slip it free with his thumb. An old habit from their time together. "I mean! It isn't that I don't appreciate it but, I do! I mean, have offers from other Professors and I just want to choose the right one!" She sounded rushed, and stressed, even to her own ears and she could feel the blush crawling down her chest.
She was making an arse out of herself and there was absolutely nothing she could do about it. She wanted to run away and hide in a deep, dark hole somewhere.
"That is acceptable, Ms. Lupin, please do try not to stress yourself." He smirked and her heart leapt into her throat.
She shook her head, and caught her fingers in thick curls, trying to control the wild beat of her heart.
"Thank you sir, I'll have an answer for you soon."
"I should hope so, this is an opportunity that I do not give often, or lightly." He watched her, black eyes blank and she wet her lips, her lip trapped between her teeth again.
"I know sir, and it means so much to me! I will inform you as soon as I come to a decision." She exhaled, her stomach flipping inside her.
"Good, off to bed with you then, classes come sooner than any of us would prefer." He turned to walk away, black cloak billowing behind him as he walked with confidence.
He barely caught the 'thank you' she uttered as she turned to leave as well.
It took until he was in the dungeons, settled in his rooms before his pulse settled.