DISCLAIMER. None of the characters used are a creation of mine. They belong solely to JK Rowling.
Her eyes grew as large as saucers when they finally fell upon a faded silver tiara with an oval sapphire encrusted in the middle.
Hermione suddenly began hyperventilating. It was here. A part of Voldemort, the man who had stolen from her everything, was here. So close.
She didn't understand where the fear she was feeling stemmed from. She had never felt so vulnerable in his presence before. Why was she reacting so strongly to it then.
You had never been this broken back then, a voice said inside her head.
She shut her eyes and her brows furrowed in concentration. She plucked out her beaded bag from inside her cloak and retrieved the leather case.
Making space on an old, dusty almirah to her right she placed the case on the top and opened it. Once again she checked the stability of the charms she had cast over it and finally sure of their durability she walked carefully towards the horcrux. She felt something pull her closer, something driving her towards the diadem. She knew whatever it was reeked of evil. She knew the horcrux was trying to draw her in but she had already spent months with one before. She could overcome it.
Wanting nothing more than to drop it, Hermione picked up the diadem and quickly shuffled on her feet almost throwing it into the case and immediately cast the lid of the case shut.
She released a breath she hadn't known she was holding.
It seemed oddly fitting that she had finally found it on the last day of the term. After March had gone by she hadn't been able to give her peoject as much time she would have liked to. The teachers had rushed the first years into submitting essays and homework. And then the exams had demanded her attention which hadn't been a difficult job for her but had required some amount of revision.
Therefore her nightly visits to the Room of Hidden Things had gradually become shorter.
Hermione ginergly shrunk the leather case and placed it very carefully into her bag. Holding her bag tightly Hermione took one last look at the Room and left for the Great Hall.
She was one of the last ones to enter before the End of Term feast began. She sat beside Severus and the awful Parkinson spawn who was loudly discussing her elder sister's wedding plans with her group of friends. Hermione had successfully managed to keep her dormmates at an arm's length and she wasn't going to give in on the last day of the year when Parkinson kept turning to her asking her if she would attend.
The Lestrange family would no doubt receive an invite. But Hermione would make sure to call in sick a day before the event.
She turned her attention towards Severus who sat smirking at her annoyance.
'One would expect pureblooded girls to retain their dignity at all times possible and not give in to such silly talks.'
Hermione laughed, 'You can't even begin to imagine. I have to put up with worse on a daily basis.'
'What are your plans for the holidays?' Severus asked her.
'Oh, I haven't really thought about it.' She distractedly as she filled her plate with some desert. 'Tell me about yourself.'
Severus proceeded to grace her with one of his rare smiles, 'I got accepted into a potions programme. I won't be allowed to use magic per se but I can attempt my hand at the potions that don't require extensive wandwork.'
Hermione was confused. 'What programme?' She hadn't come across anything similar in her time.
'Oh it's just something organised every year by a committee on the art of potion making. They accept wizards and witches of all age. I'm hoping to learn some advanced potions while there. Hogwarts is woefully behind in its curriculum.'
Hermione hummed a response. She might have joined if not for her already overly cluttered mind and the ever present worry about the war constantly banging its head inside her skull.
Many Slytherins around her were grumbling about Gryffindor taking away the Cup this year again. She smiled to herself. Some things never changed.
She looked over at the Gryffindor table as a very excited James gushed into the ear of his friend, Sirius. The two boys could be seen nodding their heads furiously at each other, no doubt planning another one of their miscreant ways. Remus was silently shaking his head at them as Peter drew out some complicated figures on a piece of parchment noting down every idea they came up with.
The ease in their demeanor and the happiness on their faces often put her in a nostalgic mood. She could remember vividly the excitement she had shared with her fellow Gryffindors every year. She even missed the parties that were hosted in the Common Room for every kind of celebration, big or small. She smiled ruefully and turned back around.
*
Hermione clutched Severus' hand and said firmly, 'You will write to me every week. Fail and you shall face my wrath.'
Severus chuckled and shaking his head left running towards Lily.
Hermione took in her surroundings once again. The steaming red engine of the Hogwarts Express as majestic as ever. The children hugging their friends close to their chests making plans to meet up.
She felt tiny hand pat her shoulders as she looked up to see a smiling Peter holding out a book wrapped in brown paper to her.
'What is this?' she inquired of him.
'Just a little something I found. My mother sent it to me a couple of months ago but you know me. Books aren't exactly my favourite things in the world. So I figured I'd pass it onto you.'
'Thank you, Peter.' She hugged him as he blushed a scarlet shade.
'I know it wasn't bought for the purpose of gifting someone but I thought you'd like it.'
She tore through the paper to find a glistening cover.
'Peter! She gasped.
Hogwarts: A History.
'This is my favourite book. I lost my copy sometime ago and.. thank you!' She had tears in her eyes. She truly had lost her copy. For some odd reason, it was no longer in her beaded bag. She hadn't thought something as simple could bring her so much peace.
Peter shrugfed awkwardly and said his goodbyes to her.
Clutching the book close to herself, she let her eyes wander over the many small groups that lined the platform looking for Rab or her Papa. When her eyes fell on them, she began her slow walk towards them and found them talking to each other in hushed tones.
'It isn't safe anymore. I can't risk it.' Papa was saying to Rab rather vehemently.
Rab replied, 'It will be okay, Papa. I will come of age this month and I will then be able to look after her better.'
Hermione chose to reveal her presence then. 'What is it now?'
'Nothing you need to worry about.' Papa hugged her tiny form lightly. 'Let us go home. I have missed you terribly. The house is always so quiet these days.'
Hermione smiled gently and followed her family away from the platform.
Before they left through the barrier, however, her eyes sought out the face of a terrified looking Sirius standing in front of the intimidating form of Orion Black.
Hermione felt her heart break for him. He was bound to spend a summer filled with torturous punishments that Walburga was bound to subject him to.
Sirius turned his face away from his father and as their eyes met the two somehow conveyed every emotion they had with only a look.
Hermione smiled timidly at him, urging him to have courage in the face of the tragedy that his life was.
Sirius merely raised his brows asking her silently how he could ever do that when his very own mother had decided to strip him of any ounce of bravery he might have had that had led him astray to the house of lions.