Chapter 12 - Year 3, part 2

September 3rd, 1993

It was yet another day of using the time turner.

"Where are you going, Hermione? Don't you want lunch?" Neville asked with a small frown as he hiked his bag further up his shoulders, while Daniel and Harry wanted for them a bit further down the hallway.

"Oh yeah, I just need to use the ladies' room really quick, I'll see you guys down there?" She hurriedly said, already walking in the direction of a place where she could jump back in time to make it to the Arithmancy class.

"If you insist." He shrugged and smiled back at her. "See you there, then."

She waved at him and disappeared around the corner in search of a place to jump back.

15 minutes later, she was standing in front of the Arithmancy class, still slightly dizzy from her time-jump. She slowly opened the door to the class and came face to face with two people talking low voices, right by the door.

In a fit of annoyance, she did the only thing that she could think of at that moment.

She ignored them.

She walked directly past them and to the front of the class where she put down her bag, pulled out her book, quill, ink and a roll of parchment - before sitting quietly and patiently, waiting for their professor.

Of course, there was probably no one but her who could feel the thick tension in the room that suddenly arose, but to her it was very evident. She could see it as clearly as the blackboard in front of her, and the table that was currently occupied by stacks of papers, quills and an inkwell.

Before long, Professor Vector arrived and introduced herself and her subject to the class. Hermione found her attention glued to the new opportunity of learning and before the class had even really started, it had also ended.

"Please leave your work for today on my table, and we will continue working with it again on Monday. Also, for your information there will be a test at the end of each month regarding what we have been working on up until that point. It will give yourself an idea about how much you've understood in class, and it will give me an idea about where you are. Thank you for today!" She finished happily.

Hermione was the first one up with her daily work seeing as she was the one sitting closest to their teacher. When she returned to her seat, there was a note.

I wonder who that is from. She said to herself sarcastically.

With a hard sigh, she packed up all of her stuff and made for the door. The note was crumbled up hard in her hand, as she passed Draco and Theo at their table in the back, where they were currently packing up themselves. She avoided both of their gazes as she dumped the note on the table and left the room.

She had had such a good class, and now she suddenly didn't even feel like eating lunch with her friends.

But you promised Neville! Her subconscious whispered to her, and at that very moment, she hated having one.

…

"Fucking hell…" She whispered to herself as she entered Ancient Runes after lunch, only to find Draco Malfoy sitting alone at the side of the classroom. This time, she wouldn't make it easy for him. Instead of sitting at the front of the class like she always did, she chose to sit directly opposite of Draco - so far away from him and the front of the class that he would have to make a direct detour from anything, to communicate with her.

It worked perfectly until their professor chose to make pairs for an assignment. Hermione had asked everyone around her to pair up with her, but all of them had partners, and therefore politely declined.

"Malfoy, I see Granger's lacking a partner - go join her." Professor Babbling suggested, and though the witch had a small voice, Hermione would have heard the command a thousand kilometers away.

"Once you're done, you may leave your work at my desk and leave for today."

Dread filled her and she felt her heart speeding up as quickly as she felt her hands getting sweaty.

Shit, shit, shit, shit. They would have to talk, damnit.

Draco slowly made his way across the room and sat down on the bench beside her. "Hermione." He greeted much too nicely for her current taste.

She didn't answer him, but instead opened her book to answer the questions their professor had written on the blackboard for them to discuss and answer together. She didn't need his inputs to answer them anyway.

The room started buzzing with talk as she lifted her quill to answer the first question.

"You didn't meet me last night." He started as he picked up his own quill to start writing.

"I'm working." She quipped, wanting nothing more than to shut down his attempts at conversation. And she did work her way through the first three questions without much trouble.

Apparently, reading the books beforehand still gave her an advantage.

"I can see that - but why didn't you meet me?" He tried turning a bit towards her. Damnit, she held his entire focus.

She refused to answer him, but answered two more questions.

"Hermione." He tried, his hand reaching out to touch her arm as he tried to get her attention.

"I'm still working." She said as she removed her arm before he could touch it, though the slight grazing gave her both chills and goosebumps all at the same time. Anger was slowly seeping into her voice now.

Another question was answered while he seemed to figure out what to do or say.

He reached out again to touch her and she moved her entire body further down the bench and away from him while muttering: "Don't touch me."

"What?" He asked and he sounded like he suddenly understood what she had been saying. She didn't understand the issue. It's not like he had ever touched her in any way other than holding her hand when helping her up or down steps, or simply to greet. What was the issue?

Still, he didn't seem to listen to what she said when he reached out again and grabbed for her hand. This time she faced him completely as she yanked it from his reach before it reached her. "I told you not to fucking touch me." She sneered, perhaps a bit too loudly as a couple of eyes turned to them.

She didn't care.

She stood from her seat with anger scorching through her veins like hot fire, and softly made her way to the front of the class where she put her assignment on the table. "Thank you so much for today." She said softly to her professor, and turned away to walk back to her seat - and Draco.

"You ruined that for yourself, Draco," She whispered venomously as she packed up her belongings, "And so did Lockhart."

She picked up her bag and left the room without looking back at Draco and his agonizing expression.

…

September 4th, 1993

Pillows were flying in every possible direction and she jumped high only to crouch low so as to avoid one hitting her square in the face.

She threw herself to the side and flung a pillow right back to where it had come, hitting its mark perfectly.

"UMPF!" sounded throw her gasping breaths, as William hit the ground and started laughing hysterically.

Hermione succumbed to a deep belly-aching laugh in response, but was silenced by a large pillow hitting her own face.

"Ha! I got you!" Max called triumphantly before he as well succumbed to laughter.

Hermione had found William and Max walking the halls about twenty minutes ago, whispering to each other like they were making grand plans for the coming day.

She was walking up behind them, and when she passed them in silence, she grabbed his arm and dragged him into what would hopefully be an empty classroom. Luckily Max had followed right in his best friend's footsteps, and they had barely stepped inside the room before she had conjured two large pillows, flung them into their faces before dashing to the other side of the room.

And the fight had begun.

"Time-out! Time-out!" William now called using his outstretched hands from the floor, to form a 'T'. "Though I loved the idea, Hermione, we actually had plans." He said as he laid outstretched, not exactly looking like someone who was in a hurry to do anything but breath.

"Think she'll be mad?" Max asked as he bent forward, hands resting on his knees as he caught his breath.

Ellinor?

"She'll scream bloody murder - but she'll understand." Max reasoned as he lifted himself up to lean on his forearms, where he smiled brightly at Hermione.

Oh well, it was fun while it lasted.

They all vanished the conjured pillows and grabbed their robes which had been thrown haphazardly in the heat of battle, before leaving the room - still chuckling at the impulsive pillow-fight, cheeks flushed with heat and eyes sparkling.

Considering that Max was William's best friend, she just realized how little time she had actually spent with him, but she found that she really enjoyed it.

Exciting the room, she received a quick hug from Wills and a wave from Max, the two of them now walking down the hallway while donning their robes and rightening their otherwise fairly skewed clothes. She smiled at the un-Hogwarts-like vision, threw on her own robes loosely, and turned the other way - where she came to direct eye-contact with Ronald Weasley who stood further down the hall, watching her.

They stared at each other in complete, awkward, silence before he finally decided to open his mouth. "What are you doing with them? Two of them?" He sneered at her, and she frowned at his inquisitorial tone. What did he think she was doing with them?

"Having fun, Ronald. You should try it." She said, already bored by the conversation.

He looked like she had smacked him - which she had in a more verbal sense.

"But they're older - and Hufflepuffs."

"Your point being…?" She asked as she just about passed him, not giving him the satisfaction of knowing just how annoyed she was.

"You're such a slag. Fucking around with not just one guy, but two. And they're fucking Hufflepuffs. It's disgusti-" He spat furiously but didn't manage to finish his sentence as he found a wand stuck directly into the hollow of his throat.

Well, now she at least knew what it was he had thought they were doing, though she almost gagged at the thought of her being with anyone who looked just vaguely like her own damn brother.

"You have your entire life to be a jerk - why not take the week off from time to time? Or maybe just a day - a day would be bloody perfect." She said so softly that she might as well have been explaining addition or subtraction to a child, but inside of her, her heart was hammering so hard in her chest she feared she would collapse from it. "But since you've already decided to be a sick fuck today, I'll say this as plainly as I can. Keep my brother (his eyes widened comically) and his friend out of your filthy fucking mouth, or I will curse you so hard you will never get to see your newt-score - are, we, clear?"

He looked like he was going to fight her on it for a hot second, before his throat bopped at a swallow - then he slowly nodded. There was no mistaking that if he had the chance he would topple her without a second's hesitation, but right now obviously wasn't the time.

"Perfect." She said in a too sugar-sweet voice and removed her wand from his throat, before she sneered at him. "Now get the hell out of my way before I change my mind and end your miserable existence immediately instead."

He sneered at her as he whirled around and almost ran away from her. He was around the corner before she dared let go of the breath she had somehow managed to hold.

"Miss Granger?" Hermione whirled around in surprise and found Professor McGonagall walking steadily towards her from the direction that her brother had disappeared in. Their professor must have been in her cat form so as to not alarm neither her nor Ron to her presence.

"Professor?" She quipped in a high-pitched voice.

"That'll be 5 points taken for threatening another student." She said plainly, and Hermione felt herself sag at the verbal slap on the wrist, and just nodded her acceptance. But she wasn't prepared for the 'Well done' that was whispered to her as her Head of House walked past her without a single glance.

She dared not turn around to look at her professor, as the lady walked around the corner. She then heard, almost instantly, "And that will be 5 points from you as well, Mr. Weasley, for foul language and insinuations towards a fellow student. Now run along."

Hermione snickered to herself at the justice against eavesdroppers, as she cheerfully walked in the direction that her brother had disappeared - even though she had nothing to do in that part of the castle today.

…

September 8th, 1993

On the following Wednesday, Hermione and her entire year, had a class that none of them knew what was. And no one would tell them.

It was labelled as 'Life', and there was nothing making sense about that class having ever existed.

But the most peculiar thing was, that it was all of them attending at the same time; Gryffindor, Slytherin, Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw. If you were in third year, you would be attending.

And it was mandatory.

All of them met up in the Great Hall for the last lesson of the day - not counting in Astronomy which all of them would have together that evening as well - and sat down on benches facing the head's table.

In front of them sat all of their heads of houses, waiting for the class to start. When it did, McGonagall stood to greet them.

"Welcome dear students, to what we call 'Life-class'. Today, this class will be short as it is only an introduction - but henceforth, it will not." She looked around the students, trying to decide whether someone needed to find a better focus or a different seating-arrangements. "Right now, you are all at the time in your life where a lot of things happen to you, to your body, to your mental health or to relationships all around you. the world is changing as well, so there are of course things that you will hopefully never get to use, and there will be things that you use in your everyday life."

Mumbling started bubbling up as people started talking to those around them, hoping that they would have the answers for their questions.

"This class," McGonagall's voice rose once again, "will be embarrassing to some, enlightening to most and pieces of this will be new to you all. We will cover everything from Alcohol and intake of illegal substances, sex, the male and female anatomy - including the menstrual cycle - contraception potions and spells, to healing, budgeting and general household economy, mental health and cleaning spells. we will cover it all." Everywhere people were whispering and moaning in embarrassment at the prospect, but around where Hermione was sitting, the attention was rapt. "Should you at any time have any questions, then you are welcome to contact any of us at any time of the day. You can also leave a note or letter with what you need to talk about should you find it too embarrassing, or if it is something you want for us to discuss together - all of us." Her arms fanned out to indicate the whole of this class - which consists of four classes and teachers. "We are here for you, and only for you."

The whispering intensified again, but died down when her head of house lifted a single hand to call the room to quiet, "Do anyone have any question for us, now?"

The room went from whispers to silence so fast it was staggering. That must be the obvious embarrassment that she had mentioned.

She remembered it all too well back when she had her first period and had to go ask that very same woman for help.

She had been a wreck.

When no one raised their hand, McGonagall started talking again. "And that is fine. Remember to let us know, if there's anything you'd like to talk about. Class dismissed."

The room erupted in talk as everyone excitedly started making their way out of the room while discussing the new exciting class - because let's be honest, it was bloody interesting.

"I can't wait for next time. This'll be great!" Hermione gushed to Harry as they walked out. On the other side of Harry, Neville nodded in agreement while Daniel looked at his feet and ignored her presence again.

…

September 19th, 1993

Hermione sat with a small handheld mirror and looked at what she had dubbed as her birthday present to herself.

Earlier that day, she had been hit in the face with a stray spell sent by Zabini and towards Harry. By sheer luck - which is what she would call it - someone had pushed her forward, which resulted in the spell hitting her straight in the face.

Her front teeth had started growing almost down to her knees and she had immediately been sent to the hospital wing. This was where she was now, admiring the very short length that they had ended up at after Madam Pomfrey had told her to say 'stop'.

Hermione had simply… Forgotten, to say stop at the right time.

"Happy birthday, Hermione." She whispered to herself, and grinned.

…

The first month went on after that first class alone with Draco. Draco tried every once in a while, to give her notes, and each time she either left them at her seat, ignored his hand when he reached it out to her or simply crumbled it up and gave it back if and when she walked past him next.

Her emotions had gone from being annoyed, to sad and indifferent. There had even been instances where notes had made it into her bag, and she hadn't realized that it was from him before she had opened it up and seen his writing - those ended up in the fireplace.

But it hurt.

They used to be so close, but now they weren't anything at all. There were even times where she was questioning whose fault it really was. Maybe if she had just let him talk to her in that first Ancient Runes-class, then maybe they would have figured it out. Or what if she had simply given him his space last year, maybe he would have come around on his own? She had beat herself down over it so many times, and cried so much…

But it always came back to the fact that she had done so much and tried so hard - and he had ignored her, for so damn long.

It just hurt.

That was the feeling she was sitting with as she on a Sunday afternoon was in the library, trying to follow up on some homework.

And then Draco walked up to her.

He made it all the way up in front of her and to the table before she noticed him, and she flinched so hard at the surprise that she banged her elbow on the edge of the table. "Auch… bloody, fucking, hell!" She swore in a whisper so as to not attract the attention of Madam Pince.

Behind him, she could see Theo watching with a guarded look on his face.

She saw Draco move in her direction and pointed her finger at him while pushing her hurt elbow into her body like she was somehow cradling it. "Don't you -"

"- touch you. I know. I'm sorry." He said, backing away and digging his hands into the pockets of his jeans.

"You'd better be. Now leave me alone." She whispered and turned back to her book, trying to ignore that he hadn't moved. Also trying to ignore how broken her voice had sounded. The only one that moved was Theo who was now just behind Draco, but not saying or doing anything. She had a plate-smashing-day and she could already feel the point coming closer, where she didn't have the patience to handle their - but in particular Draco's - crap.

"And I will, but I need to-" He started, and took a step closer to her out of reach of Theo.

"No." She sneered at him and to her horror, felt her eyes starting to sting. "I thought I had used all the obvious ways of telling you to leave me alone, but it would seem that I need to be creative. Go fuck yourself." She threw all of stuff carelessly into her backpack and pushed herself around him until she came face-to-face with Theo, "You can go fuck yourself as well - just stay out of my way while you do it."

And then she rushed from the only place she really enjoyed staying, with tears in her eyes.

Why couldn't they just leave her alone? She had finally gotten used to not having anything to do with them, and then… this?

…

November 21st, 1993

Hermione was laying on the couch in the Gryffindor common room reading a book, with Crookshanks lounging on her stomach.

In contradiction to the foul weather outside, the swarms of Dementors that circled the grounds and Zabini being the arsehole that he was - this was nice, comfortable and warm.

It had been raining heavily for the past couple of weeks, making it next to impossible to go outside. Still, someone thought they had seen The Notorious Mass-murderer Sirius Black in Hogsmeade which meant that the school was now on Lockdown. To Hermione, Neville, Harry and Daniel it was all sort of a joke between the four of them, because they knew who Sirius Black was, and they also knew that he and Aunt Em were nowhere near Hogwarts at the moment. Instead, they were staying in Sirius's old family home in London. She didn't know the specific location, but she knew that it was a townhouse in London under something called a Fidelius-charm.

It was fascinating magic. The entire concept about a single person being the safe-keeper of a location, so that no one else could see or enter that location, was really something she had never thought about before. Sure, it had its issues with the thing where only one person knew the location… But all great ideas had issues, right?

At this very moment she was reading a book about it and she was just eating the book up. She might have to go to the library to find some more books, because this was definitely something she wanted to know more about.

Suddenly shouting from upstairs started and Hermione looked over the back of the couch in the direction of the stairs. What on earth was going on. Looking around the room, she saw that multiple other people in the room all had their attention on the noise as well. She caught the eyes of both of the Weasley twins and they each shrugged as a way of saying that neither one of them knew what was going on.

How peculiar.

when people were shouting about something, it more often than not, had something to do with the twins pulling pranks.

The shouting intensified but she still couldn't make out what was being said.

Then a door was thrown open somewhere above her and someone came thundering down the stairs and directly towards her while yelling at someone she couldn't see: "No, he ate him!" Ronals Weasley came face to face with her, and pushed an inquisitive finger directly into the face of Crookshanks.

The large orange cat was already up on all four legs hissing loudly at Ronald, preparing to attack should he need to.

"Unless you want to lose that finger, I'd advise you to remove it. but by all means, be my guest." She answered indifferently, while petting Crookshanks softly trying to calm him down a bit.

Ron didn't like he wanted to, but he took a step back - his sneer and blazing eyes never left his face, though.

"Your bloody cat killed my rat!" He sneered venomously.

"What on earth are you talking about?" She asked exasperated. She had already had enough of his bullshit, but now he was coming for a cat?

"Scabbers is gone! And there's red fur and blood all around under my bed! Your cat killed my rat!" He thundered at her and had the audacity to stick his finger out at Crookshanks once again. He quickly regretted it though, as the cat quickly swiped its claws at him and gave him some nasty scratches on his hand.

Ron backed away with a violent yell and looked at his hand that was now bleeding from small cuts. Really, from what they had been taught in Life-class, he could have easily healed it in mere seconds without having any scarring. "See! It's a monster!"

Daniel came around the couch and stood by her and Crookshanks' side, with his arms crossed. "No, that's my cat and you just entered its territory after having been warned not to do it. That's on you - not him!"

"Your cat killed Scabbers!" Ron yelled again in anger. At this point she didn't know if he was yelling at her, Crooks, Daniel or anyone who wanted to listen.

It was pathetic.

She sighed hard, and sat up properly on the couch, moving the cat around a bit so that it could lie comfortably in her lab instead, should it want to. "For reference, Ronald, it's not even my cat. So, would you mind shutting up now? Your rat was old and gray, I wouldn't be surprised if it just decided that now was the time to find some peace. I'm sorry, but it's an animal - and Crookshanks isn't necessarily to blame just because you hate me. You need to get over yourself, and sooner rather than later would be preferable." She eyed him with a raised eyebrow, inviting him to go up against her once again.

"No, I won't! Your cat killed my Scabbers, and I won't stand for it! I'm sure you told him to do it because you hate me!" He roared at her, and if she had been standing, she would probably have been forced to take a step back because of the spit spraying from his mouth. But also, because he thought that she was some kind of mastermind behind animal instinct.

The room was in absolute silence as she stood from the couch, carefully letting Crookshanks jump up. Daniel lended her a hand for support which she took. "Just ignore him, he's been ranting for the past fifteen minutes to me and Harry about it." She smiled softly at him, and shook her head.

Things needed to be said. And they needed to be said now.

He nodded solemnly and let go of her hand as she walked around him. But at that moment, she had the sudden realization that she and Daniel would be okay.

She circled the couch to where Ron was fuming while watching them for the couple of seconds that she had interacted with Daniel. Merlin, was she glad that she didn't have to be in their shared dorm tonight.

"I will say this once, and only once. I don't give a shit about your rat, and I don't give a shit about you. I literally shouldn't care any less, but I do. From the very first time we met each other, you have treated me like I was no better than the dirt under your shoes - and I have tried so hard to be the better person, to be kind, to think that it must have been something I said. But I don't know what it is. I don't know why you hate me so much. I don't know what I have done for you to gather so much hate towards everything that I do or say. What have I done for you to talk behind my back about how your… friends (her eyes dashed to Lavender and Parvati in the corner of the room) should want to cut my hair in my sleep." She could see the realization in his face when he recognized that she had heard things he didn't think that she would hear. "Oh yeah, I heard that. Don't talk about people behind their backs, when they're walking behind you. It's stupid, and Karma's a fucking bitch."

You could possibly have heard a pin drop in the room, because it was so quiet when she aired all of her frustrations towards the ginger in front of her.

"Why is it so Important to always treat me like I don't deserve to be who I am? To always push me down? Why am I not good enough? Please tell me what I have done, because I don't know. Please. Please." During her rant she had gone through all emotions in her entire personal library. She had yelled in frustration, sneered, sighed and then finally, whispered. Because why couldn't she be good enough?

Why wasn't she good enough to be here?

Why wasn't she good enough to fly?

Why wasn't she good enough to be in his vicinity?

Why wasn't she good enough to be friends with her Dorm mates?

Why wasn't she good enough to be Harry's friend, since obviously Ron was better than her.

Everything that was wrong succumbed in that very rant, because why should she go on trying her absolute fucking best - when she would never be good enough as she was?

She didn't wait for his answers; she just turned around and walked out of the common room through the portrait hole.

And then she walked. She didn't know in what direction she was walking or if she even had a goal for where she wanted to end up, but she walked.

She passed all of the classrooms that she normally vacated. Then the library…

She felt so lost.

So, she walked.

It wasn't until the harsh winter cold hit har square in the face that she realized she had found her way outside. She breathed in a hard rasping breath as the wind brought her back to reality.

As it brought her back into her own body.

She walked forward till she could go no further, and grasped the chilled railing surrounding the astronomy-tower.

She didn't even know how long ago she left the warm comfort of the Gryffindor tower, but the contrast of the warmth and the chilling cold that she was experiencing now, was refreshing and awakening.

She had just voiced the frustrations of the past two years, towards Ron, Lavender and Parvati. She knew she had to go back there at some point, but right now she couldn't find it in her to care.

"I knew we'd find you here." Someone called behind her and she turned around, recognizing the voice at once. "Come here."

She walked forward and into the open arms of her best friends. Harry's arms were the first to close in around her as he clasped her winter cloak around her shoulders, followed by Daniel who gave her a one-armed hug. "We're else would I be?" She asked.

She was basking in their presence, and the fact that she could hug her friends without breaking out in chills and wanting to step away.

"The library." Daniel and Harry answered in unison and the three of them chuckled a bit at the truth in their statement.

"Right… The library." That she didn't go to, unless she absolutely had to for obvious reasons.

"I don't think you'll have much trouble with Ron in the near future. His siblings went right after him the second you left. I don't think I've ever seen Fred and George that livid." Daniel said after a while, having stepped away to give her some space. They were okay, but that didn't mean that they were completely out of the woods.

"I don't think I've ever actually seen those guys in any sort of anger." She said with a frown. Those two redheads were the entire definition of fun and pranks, and one never saw those two either separated or sad - or angry.

"Yeah, me neither." Harry said. "I don't know what you've done for those guys, but they got your back."

Hermione thought about that for a while, while she hugged her winter cloak around her small frame. "I don't know actually." But then she smiled as something hit her; "hopefully, it's for the same reason that Ron hates me." she said and laughed out loud, because the thought alone was hilarious.

…

December 20th, 1993

Hermione entered the Divination classroom just behind Harry, hurrying from her Muggle studies. She had gotten used to the dizziness from using the time turner, but she was just so exhausted all of the time. She was always tired, always falling asleep over her homework, and she was finding it difficult keeping up in class.

From time to time, she chose to jump back an extra time to hide somewhere and take a nap, but it didn't really feel like it worked as it should have, so she stopped.

She also got these really bad headaches on days where she jumped.

The Tuesdays were the worst, she had figured out quite quickly. The first two periods were split between Herbology and then ancient Runes, which was bad enough in itself because she had to deal with Draco in the mix. Then after lunch she had charms, and halfway through that double lesson, she was supposed to have Arithmancy with both Theo and Draco. Again, it sucked but she had gotten used to it.

At least they left her alone now.

But her Tuesday wasn't done yet. Her Arithmancy-lesson was split over two periods - wherein the last one was also reserved for Transfiguration.

How she hadn't missed a single lesson throughout the school-year, she didn't know, because she was so damn confused all the time.

Luckily, her sorrows would wait for tomorrow, seeing as today was Monday.

She sat down hard at the table that she now shared on a regular basis with Harry, and dug out her book.

"Welcome, welcome! Today we will work with constellations, the zodiac signs and predictions." Trelawney's ever-dreamy voice sounded from the front of the class where she stood in all of her shawls.

"I'm surprised she hasn't fallen asleep yet…" Hermione muttered as she turned to the right page. "I hate this class."

"What was that?" Harry asked her with a smirk as found his book as well.

"I mean - she's talking like it's her life's mission to put each and every one of us to sleep. Look at Dean for Merlin's sake - he's already sleeping!" She whispered to Harry while nodding in the direction of their schoolmate who was in fact sleeping over the table that he shared with Seamus, who in return did his best to hide his friend while battling his own sleep. "It's that bloody incense. It'll be the death of me."

The class continued on while they started looking at charts and books. "This is rubbish! I keep getting the same result, and it doesn't make any sense." Hermione groaned loudly and face planted in her book.

"Yeah, me neither. What do you have? Maybe it'll make more sense than mine."

Just then Trelawney decided to join them in one of her bloody rounds. Hermione groaned loudly as she sat up, took a deep sigh and told what she had found.

"Apparently, I'm missing Cancer, but I will lose… Sagittarius. It doesn't make any sense. I'm not close with anyone who's a Sagittarius."

"Not looking for Cancer, huh?" Harry joked and she fought to hide a smile.

"It does note the importance of finding your Cancer. Why are they missing in the first place?" Trelawney asked as she pointed in the book and swayed off without giving any kind of answer.

"Who the fuck is Cancer?" Hermione groaned and leaned back in her chair so much that she might as well have been lying down. "What have you got Harry?"

"Something with souls split in Leo and Capricorn. Leo makes sense, but Capricorn? As far as I'm concerned, I only have one soul and it's pretty set on Leo."

…

Hermione sat happily by herself in the library the following evening. She was working on some Transfiguration, while still mulling over the Cancer-thing in the back of her mind. It made so little sense, that she was having difficulties fully letting it go.

She was also absolutely knackered and wanted to go to sleep as fast as possible, but she needed to hand in this assignment tomorrow.

It didn't leave her a lot of room to sleep, and she knew it.

A headache started forming pretty intensively, and she did the nearly blasphemously thing of taking a chocolate-bar from her bag, and started nibbling on it while she read. She fucking hated chocolate, but cravings, okay?

Someone knocked softly on a bookshelf to her right, and she turned her head to see who it was and what they wanted. No one but her friends knocked or stumped or something like that, because they knew that she would be easily startled otherwise

She didn't expect it to be Theo.

"Struggling?" He asked as a greeting, and went to sit across from her.

"What's it to you?" She asked back, eyeing him suspiciously.

"It's not - but you don't usually struggle with homework." He said and leaned back in a chair with his arms crossed. His head rolled a bit to the side as he studied her.

She didn't like being studied.

"How would you know?" She snorted and mirrored his stance. He had found her on the perfect day, and she was ready for a fight if he brought out the weapons.

He didn't answer her immediately, but instead pulled out a small package and an involute from his school bag.

"Fuck this." She said and stood to collect her stuff, after realizing just what he was doing.

"You better sit the fuck down or I will push this letter so far down your throat, you'll be seeing ink every time you go to the bathroom for the next week." When she didn't move but instead chose to stare at him with all the hatred she could muster, he instead narrowed his eyes at her. "Sit. Down."

She didn't sit down, but crossed her arms over her chest and stared him down. "What do you want from me?"

"I want you to read this letter. I'm not forcing you to answer, but read the damn letter. I'm sick and tired of watching you and Draco walk in circles around each other, and I'm not spending another year and a half being in the bloody middle of it." He stood and walked the couple of steps it took for him to stand directly in front of her. "Read it, and for the love of Merlin, stop hating me. I haven't done anything."

Without saying anything, she removed her hands from where she had been crossing them, and held one out for the package and letter.

"Thank you for this lovely conversation, Ms. Granger. Enlightening as always." He said as he turned around to pick up his bag.

Something hit her then. "Theo?"

"Mmh?" He answered as he turned back to look at her, before turning the corner.

"What's your zodiac sign?"

"Taurus. Yours?"

So, he wasn't the one she was missing…

"Virgio."

A slow smirk appeared on his face and his eyes glinted mischievously. "Interesting." And then he turned the corner and disappeared from view without explaining what it was that was so interesting.

After standing in the quiet for a while, she looked down on the letter and package in her hand. "Might as well get it over with." She muttered to herself.

She quickly collected her stuff and returned to Gryffindor tower where she passed Lavender and Parvati deed in conversation. Hopefully they would stay like that for a while.

She did her night routine, showered and crawled into bed where she drew the curtains around her bed, and drew out the letter and package that she had hid from the other girls, under her pillow.

With shaking hands, she opened the letter.

Hermione,

First of all, Theo says 'hi', and wants me to tell you that the package is from him (I don't know what it is so I can't spoil it for you, but I know he had help).

She put down the letter and picked up the parcel instead, noticing the 'Hi' written on it. She smiled to herself and wondered at that moment, how she had ever even been mad at him. She ripped it open and found two mars-bars. "Oh, Theo." She whispered and put them back into the packaging before turning back to her letter.

I'm sorry it has taken me so long to write to you - though I have been trying to talk to you for some time, as you know. I can assure you that Theo and I have had enough arguments about the following issue enough times to last the rest of our schooling - he has been your true friend through all of this, and I have not.

I am also so sorry about what happened with Lockhart. I saw how much you were hurting but I couldn't do anything about it. I was so stupid.

I wanted to do so much more than I did, but I was told not to. 'The adults will handle this.', was what I was told. I haven't been told much even though I have asked on countless occasions, but I know that mum, dad and your grandma have been meeting up ever since - trying to have Lockhart fired at first, and then find him once he disappeared. They have obviously not succeeded.

But one day, I swear you will never have to look at him, or fear another's touch again.

I'm sorry I have been so obviously and blatantly ignoring you. I'm sorry for not taking your notes, I can assure you that I have seen you trying to give me every one of them, but I thought that it would be better for you if I did not take them. I'm sorry - that was wrong of me.

Hermione suddenly felt chilled all the way into her bones. She hadn't taken his once he tried to talk to her again… She felt so horrible.

As for the ones that you managed to sneak into my schoolbag - thank you, I cherished every one of them, even the ones where you yelled at me in handwriting about being an arsehole. You're right, of course, I am.

As I wrote to you before school started, I knew that something was going to happen. Dad had been told in one of his 'meetings' that some kind of thing would happen at Hogwarts and that no muggleborn would be safe anymore.

Of course, I thought of you instantly.

I know you're not exactly a muggleborn, but I also know that that is how everyone else sees you.

I thought that if anyone should happen to see you with me and Theo then that would put a target on your back, which is the reason why I chose that you shouldn't have anything to do with Theo and I. I know now that you should have been a part of that decision, and I'm sorry for not doing so.

I'm also so sorry about you getting petrified - please believe that I never meant for that to happen when I told you what book to read. I hope you realize that it was me leaving you that clue. I'm so sorry that you had to go through all of that.

But it hurts to think about what could have happened if you hadn't been warned about the snake. Over the holidays last year I overheard some things said at one of the damn meetings and I went to do my own research which I'd only just concluded when I told you.

I thought that if someone would be able to solve all of this, it would be you and your friends. And you did!

I don't know if it means anything to you anymore, but I am so relieved that you were back to normal so quickly. Yet, I can't stop being thankful (and I know this is harsh, I'm sorry) that you couldn't go to the chamber with Lockhart and your mates.

As she turned to the third and final page, she found herself wondering how long he had spent writing her this letter. It was massive!

This past summer, I wanted to write to you so badly. Unfortunately, we had some company for the entire summer that didn't leave me any room to write someone that didn't necessarily hold our guest's mutual intentions to heart.

I was also a coward, and wasn't sure how to voice my thoughts or tell you how sorry I was.

But know that I thought of you, and that you still have your room back at the Manor, clean and ready, should you wish to visit. I'd love your company at any time.

I'm going to completely ignore the fact that you probably haven't read any of my notes from this year. I completely understand that you were mad and hurt, and didn't want to speak to me.

Please don't feel bad about it.

I know that right now you're really angry with me, and I understand if you never want to have anything to do with me again. I really do, but I will miss your company endlessly.

But should you happen to miss my (our) company, then tell us in any way that you see fit.

Also, we (yes, Theo as well) hope that you have a very Happy Christmas, and a happy New Year.

Hopefully still your friend,
Draco

Hermione put the letter down.

Then she took it back up, and read it again.

And again.

She was having so many mixed emotions - most of which was on the positive side of the spectrum - and she leaned back on her pillow with a hard sigh, clutching the letter to her chest.

She had to talk to him. She had been so stupid, and she had to talk to him.

…

The next day she sat herself down at the lunch table, in such a way that she was looking directly at the Slytherin table. From past experience, she knew where Draco and Theo sat most days, and so she waited. Her own friends arrived, they chatted and went over what each of them was doing in the Holidays and discussed the classes that they would be having for the day, or already had - all while she had half of her focus on another table.

Hermione was so excited! For the first time in many years, she and her family were going skiing in France. Grandma and her parents had found this magical resort in the French Alps that they thought sounded really great, and from what she and William could read from their letter, her parents were ecstatic to spend the Christmas holidays there, with them. Hermione couldn't agree more.

Just as she was about to lose herself to daydreams of slaloming down the mountains and hot cocoa in front of a lit fire, a flash of white hair came into her vision.

She did her best to remain inconspicuous as she blinked a couple of times to defog her brain, bringing Draco Malfoy into full focus from across the room.

Looking around, she found all of her friends deep in conversations. Why wouldn't they be? Most of them wouldn't see each other for the next week and a half.

Looking back towards the Slytherin table, she was instantly met by the intense, grey stare of Draco Malfoy. While taking a drink from his glass he stared at her.

No, not stare… It was so much more than that.

Their eyes were completely locked. Someone could have been talking to her for the past five minutes, and she wouldn't have been able to tell a single word of what had been said. The world could have been falling apart all around them, and she wouldn't have known.

It was so intense, but she found that she didn't care.

But thinking back to the last time that she didn't care what anyone thought or saw, back on the train on the 1st of September, today was so much more different.

Draco and Hermione had never been very physical in their friendship. They had hugged a couple of times, but that was it.

But right at that moment, she had an urge to hug him. To run to him - screw what other people thought - and just hug him.

But she couldn't… So, she did the next best thing; she lifted her own glass and cheered him from afar, and when he removed his glass from his lips, he grinned.