Ginny chased Harry down the corridor as he strode furiously to his dormitory, Neville, Luna, and Aang behind them.
"DOXY VENOM!" Harry shouted, startling the wolf. The door quickly opened and Harry huffed into his suite.
"Harry! Please! Talk to me!" Ginny plead.
Harry ignored her, turning to run up the stairs when Ginny grabbed him. Harry yelped out in pain as she had grabbed the arm sporting his fresh jinx wound. "WHAT!" Harry yelled.
Ginny stepped back a bit upon seeing the blazing look in his green eyes.
"Harry…just…what's going on? You can tell me Harry." Ginny replied in a small voice.
"ARE YOU BLIND?" Harry yelled. "YOUR BROTHER IS A COMPLETE AND UTTER LUNATIC!"
"Harry, please stop yelling…" Ginny replied.
"STOP YELLING? THE NERVE OF HIM! HE ATTACKED ME GINNY! ATTACKED ME!" Harry exploded.
"Harry…I know…I" Ginny was interrupted.
"Honestly Ginny! All of THIS because of Hermione? Harry exclaimed, turning away from Ginny.
Ginny stood for a moment, "Well…Harry she has been pretty absent. Ron just misses her."
"SO WHAT!" Harry yelled. "She's just doing what McGonagall asked her to! She's just trying to help! She didn't do anything wrong! Ron's just acting like an ARSE!"
"Harry! Hermione is his girlfriend! How would you feel if I just disappeared for a week? How would you feel if I didn't show up to something that was important to you?" Ginny exclaimed, she certainly knew how it felt. She knew how it felt to not have the one person you want most in the world by your side. Not knowing where they were…what they were doing…if they were alive. She knew how bitterly unfair it was to wait. Waiting, Ginny knew, was the cruelest torture of all.
"Well Ginny, I guess I would be UNDERSTANDING! Especially if it was YOUR responsibility to resolve a seemingly IMPOSSIBLE problem! I wouldn't STOMP around, screaming and attacking people! Hermione is bloody BRILLIANT! Or maybe Ron hasn't noticed? If anyone could solve this it's HER! He should get that! He should understand that! If he misses her so much MAYBE he should take his BLOODY ARSE up there and HELP her!" Harry finished.
Ginny was, again, silent for a moment, "Well…we're all doing the BEST we can Harry! But we all still make time for each other! Can't you see Ron's point of view at all?"
"The best we can?" Harry scoffed, "The best WE can is about a THIRD of what Hermione's capable of! If she had been on the pitch this afternoon, she would have damn well KNOWN what the hell was going on with that bludger!"
"Fine! I get it Harry! Hermione is brilliant! But Ron doesn't deserve to be IGNORED!" Ginny was getting defensive now.
"Yea, and WE don't deserve his pissy little BULLSHIT either!" Harry said. "I don't deserve this! Hermione doesn't deserve it either! I just KNOW he's going to take some of this out on her!"
"ENOUGH ABOUT HERMIONE HARRY! WE GET IT, SHE'S BLOODY MERLIN IN A BRA!" Ginny yelled.
Harry glared at her, "Hermione is my best friend Ginny. She has been there for me every step of the way, she was there for me when even RON wasn't!"
Ginny's eyes became slits, "Well, I didn't know how much you IDIOLIZED Hermione!"
Harry arched an eyebrow. "God…you and your brother are just alike."
With that Harry turned and walked up the stairs, slamming his door. Ginny followed banging and yelling, demanding he let her in. Finally, she turned and lumbered down the stairs, embarrassed to see Neville, Luna, and Aang just staring at her. She sighed and flopped down on the couch, the rest of the gang sat quietly with her.
…
Madam Pince eyed the girls suspiciously as she tapped her fingers on her desk. It was rare to see children in the library at all on a Saturday, let alone to see children staying in the library until closing hours. She was hoping to retire a little early this evening to prepare for a rendezvous she had been quite looking forward to, but those blasted girls were still sitting there- as they had been for a week now- going through books. What could they possibly be looking for? What more was there to learn? She blew out a small, impatient sigh as the clock ticked on.
Hermione sat in the dying light of an empty library. Katara sat next to her, eyes slowly fluttering closed then quickly shooting open again. It was 10:15, the library would be closing in 45 minutes. Hermione had torn through scroll after scroll, book after book, yet she couldn't find anything alluding to the nature of Team Avatar's abrupt arrival into her world. She couldn't find anything about Earth Kingdoms, Fire Nations, Air Nomads, or Water tribes. She found nothing alluding to bending, nothing alluding to the Avatar. That blinding light… Hermione supposed she probably knew all the mechanics of apparition by now, inside and out, trying to figure out just what it was that brought Aang and his friends here. She could have sworn she had read something about this somewhere…
She missed Ron. She wanted so badly to just throw down those books and curl up with him, perhaps in front of one of her bluebell fires. The fires that he always said he loved. She never thought she would ever find something she would rather be doing than reading books. She smiled at the thought, she was starting to sound like Ron. Her Ron.
But then her smile quickly dissolved into a frown. She couldn't curl up in front of a fire, she couldn't spend more time with him. It would be selfish. McGonagall had given her a job to do. A very important job. It was her responsibility to figure out how to get Aang and his friends home. It was her responsibility to return them to their families, their friends…the ones they loved. Hermione couldn't indulge in selfish exploits of the hormonal teenage fancy with such a serious task set upon her. She sighed dramatically and she noticed a tired Katara shoot up stiffly in her chair at the sound.
Katara was exhausted. Honestly, she had no idea how Hermione did it. They had been practically living at the library for the last week and yet Hermione seemed to have the same break-neck curiosity and interest as the first day they came here. Katara was certainly excited and willing to help Hermione…in the beginning. She had considered herself an avid reader until she met Hermione. Now the thought of looking at another book made her want to jump in the black lake. She hadn't seen Aang for ages…She needed a break. She was desperate to figure out how to get back home, but she needed to do SOMETHING other than this for a day at least.
Hermione watched as Katara stared down at the book in front of her, but she knew she wasn't reading it. Katara's eyes were sitting, unmoving, on the page. Hermione felt bad. She had told Katara several times that she could skive off but Katara had this 'helper' quality that, while noble, was a bit of a handicap for her. Hermione rose from her seat, willing to make one more sweep of the library shelves before calling it a night. She wandered down the corridors, towards the restricted section, scanning titles:
Life and Times of Pontificus
Gershoff: Herbologist…Man
The Rise and Fall of Gilderoy Lockheart
Hermione sighed, why was she in this section? She was getting a bit…wonky. She started to turn back when she noticed something sticking out from the shelves of the Restricted section. She had checked this section numerous times through the week and found nothing…she figured one more time couldn't hurt. Slowly, she opened the gates and walked the shelves, some books shook as she passed by. She inched slowly towards the book sticking out on the shelf. She reached up and carefully pulled it down, careful not to let it open, one never knew what lurked inside a restricted book. She held the book up to the dim candlelight of the library.
The Journal of Trans-Dimensional Magic.
Hermione's eyes shot open, wide with realization. McGonagall. The Journal of Trans…something. The very same? Hermione quickly shoved the journal in the pocket of her cloak –as it was forbidden to take out Restricted books- and quickly made her way back to Katara.
Katara stood, looking tired and stretched, "Hey, when was that Quidditch thing?" She asked absentmindedly.
Hermione opened her mouth, ready to ignore Katara's question and relay what she found when it hit her, Qudditch? QUIDDITCH! RON'S TRY-OUTS! "OH GOODNESS! HOW COULD I HAVE FORGOTTEN!" Hermione exclaimed, somewhat desperately.
"OUT! NO YELLING IN THE LIBRARY! OUT YOU GO!" A pleased looking Madam Pinch exclaimed.
Hermione didn't bother apologizing, quickly gathering up her things, she brushed past Madam Pince with Katara in tow.
"What's wrong?" Katara exclaimed, shocked at the sudden bolting of Hermione.
"His Quidditch try-outs! I've missed them!" Hermione yelled as she raced towards the head's suite, maybe he was there, he was usually always there, it made more logical sense to check there first. He was probably sitting around with Harry right now! Waiting for her! She would apologize to him profusely, and do whatever she could to make things right. Quidditch try-outs had always been a bit nerve-racking for Ron, she knew that. How could she have forgotten?
"Who? Ron? I'm sure he'll forgive you Hermione!" Katara huffed as she tried to keep up with Hermione. It was just a game after all right? So she missed try-outs, big deal.
Hermione rounded the corner and practically screeched "DOXY VENOM!" at the door to the head's suite. She ran into a somber scene. Ginny, Luna, Aang, and Neville sat around a dying fire. A look of confusion and…something on their face.
Hermione stopped abruptly upon noticing the mood. "What's wrong?" Hermione inquired nervously, "Why the long face, Longbottom?" She said in a very, VERY poor attempt to lighten the mood. Hermione never really had the gift of humor.
Neville looked up at her apologetically.
"Dinner was lovely." Ginny interrupted, sarcasm dripping from her tone.
"I'm…I'm sorry?" Hermione said, Katara coming up behind her. Katara curiously looked over to Aang who seemed to be scowling. Aang never scowled.
"Dinner. Was. Lovely." Ginny said again, standing up and striding over to the library nook.
Hermione chuckled uncomfortably, confusedly, "So, I suppose I should deduce from your tone that dinner was most certainly not lovely?" Hermione replied. "What happened, Ginny? Did Sokka and Ron finally eat each other?" Hermione joked, attempting to lighten the mood again, but her chest immediately seized upon hearing herself say Ron's name.
Ginny turned dramatically towards Hermione, her eyes in slits. Hermione was taken aback at Ginny's glare.
"Harry's in his room, you know." Ginny said quietly, eerily. "He's been in there for about an hour or so." She continued.
"Oh?" Hermione said, a little confused at Ginny's announcement. "So did you two just finish saying good night then? It's a half hour until after-hours." Hermione said, ever the Head Girl.
"No." Ginny finished shortly, "In fact, he won't come out of his room…he won't talk to me." Ginny finished bitterly. "Perhaps, he will talk to you, your such GRAND friends afterall."
"…Ginny…What are you…"
"Where were you at try-outs Hermione?" Ginny interrupted.
"Oh, I know, I'm just awful. I got so caught up in researching, I completely lost track of time." Hermione replied apologetically.
"Oh. Lost track of time did you?" Ginny sneered. "And is that what you've been doing all week then? Losing track of time?"
"I…Ginny, what is this all about?" Hermione implored cautiously.
"There was a fight in the Great Hall tonight." Ginny continued in her calm eery voice. Her face stony, her tone lacking any affect. "Harry and Ron got into quite a row."
"What! But..but…Oh! Harry must be devastated!" She started to walk towards Harry's room when Ginny blocked her path.
"Harry? Harry! What about Ron! Or maybe you've forgotten about him? Like you've forgotten about him all week?"
Hermione stepped back at Ginny's insinuation of favoritism. She was just worried about her best friend. She cared desperately about Ron as well but seeing as how Harry was closest in proximity to her, she thought she would talk to him first, hear about what happened for herself.
"Ginny…that's…that's not fair! You know I love Ron and Harry!" Hermione said, her voice a little strained now. She was still perplexed as to where all this sudden animosity came from. Her and Ginny had always gotten on famously.
"You want to know what they were fighting about?" Ginny demanded, not asked. Hermione said nothing just looking around the room in confusion. She needed to deduce whether she was still, in fact, in her world. Everyone looked down at the floor, apparently either too scared or too uncomfortable to say anything. Hermione turned towards Katara, hoping for some back-up as to why she hadn't been around all week, when she noticed that Katara was gone.
"Well? Do you want to know!" Ginny exclaimed, trembling ever so slightly. Hermione just stared at her.
"YOU! They were fighting because of you! Because Ron was distraught about how you hadn't been around all week!"
"I…" Hermione started but was again cut off by Ginny.
"But I'm SURE you're more worried about how HARRY is doing? Because you and HARRY have this beautiful FRIENDSHIP." Ginny exclaimed, her voice raising with each word.
"Ginny! You're being ridiculous! Irrational! You're not making any sense!" Hermione retorted, Ginny's line of reasoning was absurd. Why would she be more concerned about Harry? What did any of this have to do with their friendship?
"Oh yes, Hermione Granger, queen of logic! Do you know how it feels, Hermione, to watch your boyfriend fight because of another girl? Do you know how it feels to watch your brother walk around like a ghost for a week?"
"Ginny! You're…you're confusing me! Just calm down and tell me what happened!" Hermione replied in frustration.
"Don't you tell me to calm down!" Ginny yelled, shaking.
"Ginny!" Neville interrupted, "Please, what happened in the Great Hall was…horrible, but you can't blame Hermione for that!"
"CAN SOMEONE PLEASE TELL ME WHAT'S GOING ON!" Hermione yelled in exasperation.
Neville turned to her, giving her a small smile. "Harry and Ron got into it at dinner. Ron's been a bit…edgy over the course of the week and Harry sort of…lost it. They…well…it started as a food fight, then they kind of…dueled."
"WHAT!" Hermione yelled, horrified. A duel? In the Great Hall?
"Yes, it was quite dreadful." Luna continued. "The entire student body started fighting. I haven't seen such chaos since the Gnomish invasion of England, two summers ago." She finished absently.
Neville turned an arched eyebrow at Luna's serene face. Neville just accepted it. You just gotta accept it.
"Wait…so, the entire student body was fighting?" Hermione cut in. What had she missed? How much had occurred at Hogwarts while she was safely locked in a cocoon of books?
"Basically." Aang finished shortly, although his scowl had softened since Ginny had started yelling at Hermione. Aang felt a little guilty; after seeing Ron's somber face at the end of quidditch try-outs he had developed a little bit of resentment towards Hermione. He knew how it felt when the girl you were in love with was pre-occupied with other matters. He knew what it felt like to want someone by your side and not be able to have them. Still, he supposed that Hermione's absence was because of him. She was pushing herself in that library to help find a way to get them home. Aang briefly scolded himself for letting superficial feelings cloud his view of the bigger picture.
Aang continued, "I've never seen anything like it, the students…they were in so much pain…"
"Yes." Neville continued, "Ron and Harry's row sort of set off the entire student body. Some third year threw a chicken at me." Neville said, looking thoughtful.
"I…I had…I had no idea." Hermione stuttered, looking towards Harry's room in introspection.
"Of course you had no idea!" Ginny exclaimed as she watched Hermione's eyes go up to Harry's bedroom door.
Ginny continued, "Nevermind that the REST of us have seen this coming for days! Merlin Hermione, you think you would pay more attention to your own boyfriend! Although, I suppose living here with Harry has been giving you plenty of time to pay attention to mine!"
"Ginny!" Hermione gasped. "Is that what this is about? Do you think something is going on with Harry and I?" Hermione was flabbergasted. She had definitely not seen this coming. There were no indicators, unlike Ron who wore his heart on his sleeve, Ginny was fairly cautious about her feelings.
Ginny straightened as if she had just realized what she said. "You and Harry?" Ginny scoffed defensively, "I don't think I have to worry about competition from you." She finished scathingly.
Hermione arched an eyebrow. "Excuse me?" She said, her tone becoming more defiant.
"I'm just worried about my brother." Ginny exclaimed hastily. "I thought you would be more attentive! You've been off gallivanting in the library while my brother is wasting away."
Hermione laughed harshly, "Wasting away! I swear Ginny, sometimes you can be just as dramatic as Ron! And don't try to change the subject. Why is it, Ginny, that you think I am no competition? Why do you think something is going on between Harry and I?"
Ginny glared at Hermione and stood to her full height. "I mean't exactly what I said. You should get off this absurd notion that I harbor any jealousy towards you. You, Ron and…Harry, you might be in this Golden Trio thing. But you will never be competition for me. So perhaps, YOU should stop trying to change the subject and address the fact that you are a SHITE girlfriend."
"Ginny!" Neville exclaimed, jumping up from his chair. "I think we all just need to calm down!"
"No!" Hermione exclaimed. "How DARE you. I have loved Ron since the day I noticed the DIRT on his nose. Since the day he was a knight for me! My favorite color is blue, because of HIS eyes! I love sunsets, because they remind me of HIS hair. I've been brushing up on bloody QUIDDITCH so that I can be able to talk to him about it! I HATE QUIDDITCH! Since the BEGINNING of this conversation, your words have BLED jealousy. You say you're ANGRY because Harry is fighting because of ME. YOU blocked my path to HIS bedroom only moments ago! YOU said that living with Harry has given me plenty of time to pay attention to him. Your mediocre attempts at distraction will NOT work on me Ginny! Either address the issue or LEAVE."
"Address the issue?" Ginny said calmly, "Oh, I'll address the issue Hermione. The ISSUE is that you are a smarmy, self-centered, know-it-all. So OBSESSED with whether McGonagall LIKES you that you're willing to ignore the one person you CLAIM to love the most. Have you seen his face lately? Have you SEEN him at all? Or do you just look through him? Trying to find the next clue to solve the next big problem. Ron is my BROTHER. My BLOOD. I will not sit idly by while you neglect him! I have tried to be understanding and neutral when you two had one row or another. I have sat and comforted you when you picked stupid little fights with him. I have patted your knee when you've had YET ANOTHER tear infested breakdown, Gods Hermione you are so WEAK!" She spat.
Weak! Hermione shook, a feeling of rage and guilt taking her. She sucked in a breath. Ginny was wrong. Ginny was mad. Hermione would not let Ginny paint her as some kind of narcissistic mess. Hermione wasn't…COULDN'T be what Ginny was claiming! Ginny Weasley was trying to intimidate her. She was trying to get her to admit to something that she didn't do to cover up her own feelings of insecurity. Hermione was tired of people seeing her as this weak little brainiac, who cried incessantly. The little girl that hangs out with big bad Harry Potter. After the war, she had changed. The deranged look of Bellatrix Lestrange as she tortured her, over and over again, had fundamentally changed how Hermione saw the world, the people in it…how she saw herself. People…were capable of ANYTHING, one must always be prepared, be strong. Usually, when Hermione cried, it was because she felt sad, or embarrassed. But lately…when she cried it was because she felt rage. She felt so angry all the time, though she tried to hide it. She felt this NEED to fight, to NEVER let anyone try to force their will on her. She couldn't let them corner her, shatter her…have her begging for mercy…She would be strong. She would be in control. This time, she would be ready. She was going to put Ginny in her place. Hermione Granger was never one to back down from a challenge. Hermione Granger was NOT weak.
"Ginny, I'm forced to believe that you have lost your bloody mind." Hermione started. "Do you know why I have been sitting in that library? Day in and day out? TO GET THEM HOME." Hermione exclaimed, gesturing toward Aang. "Has it not occurred to you, Ginny, that these people may have FAMILIES, may have LOVED ONES? ZUKO HAS A COUNTRY TO RUN! How dare you insinuate that I'm being selfish! While YOU are flying around on a quidditch broom and snogging Harry in broom closets, I'M sitting in that damn library, figuring out how to get Aang and his friends back to their world! While you ran around Hogwarts, being a minor nuisance to the Carrows last year, I was getting TORTURED in Malfoy Manor and eating fungi! You think I don't want to be with Ron when I'm sitting in the library? You think I didn't worry about what would happen to him with every curse I cast last year? With every decision I made? You, Ginny, are behaving like a Silly. Little. Girl." Hermione finished.
Now Ginny was shaking with rage, she hated being called a little girl. Forever the little girl, forever just outside the circle. The sister of the six Weasley brothers, the girlfriend just outside the Golden Trio. She had never been fully part of anything that mattered. People always thought of her in association with other things. It was like she wasn't even a person. They thought she needed to be coddled, protected. She could take care of herself! She was as brave as Harry! As loyal as Ron! As smart as…Hermione! Damn that Hermione, so clever! Just because she knew Harry first didn't mean she owned him, owned that side of him that really only one woman could! She would be that woman dammit…by any means necessary.
Hermione, noticing Ginny teetering on the edge, sealed her fate," Oh and Ginny, I would be remiss if I didn't tell you that, when it comes to competition…you were never even a player."
Ginny flew over the edge.
"REDUCTO!" She screamed, never even noticing that her wand was in her hand.
Hermione had anticipated her spell, and blocked it. However, the sheer power of the spell caused Hermione to be knocked back a bit. She stood tall, facing Ginny with a look determination. Unyielding.
"Holy Shit." Aang muttered. Aang's eyebrows flew up at his own words, he had never cursed before.
Holy Shit indeed. This was to be no ordinary battle. This was a classic stand-off. Brain vs. Brawn. It was no secret that Hermione was a well disciplined, extremely well versed witch, who had the ability to coolly use her intellect in grave situations. Plus, since the Battle of Hogwarts her dueling skills had greatly improved. However, since fifth year, it had become clear that Ginny was an unusually powerful witch. She was capable of producing magic that did damage far beyond the average witch her age.
"He…Hermione…Ginny…please." Neville whispered.
Ginny was furious, the items around her started to shake, as if her magic was emanating from every pore in her body. Hermione's eyes became slits, her eyes flashed towards the shaking objects causing them to immediately become deathly still.
Hermione whipped her wand around her head and silently cast an incarcerous spell, Ginny barely jumped aside but was hit by a stinging jinx Hermione had sent to the spot she knew Ginny would land. Ginny yelped out in pain, picking herself up quickly she yelled 'incendio', causing Hermione's cloak to catch fire. Hermione gasped, quickly dousing the tremendous fire, but as she looked up she saw the light of a spell speed towards her. She quickly turned her head to the side and felt a sharp, unbelievable pain up the side of her face. She reached up and ran her hand across the damp gash that was causing blood to trickle down her face. With one eye, Hermione spied Ginny running towards the nook, "Bombarda!" She yelled, causing the bookcase to explode at Ginny, knocking her several feet across the room.
Neville shielded Aang and Luna from the explosion, quickly ushering them towards the stairs, he bolted towards the door of Harry's bedroom. "HARRY! FOR THE LOVE OF MERLIN GET YOUR ARSE OUT HERE!" He screamed as he heard Ginny screech 'STUPIFY!' He got no answer. How could Harry not be out here? How could he not be hearing this?
"Of course!" Neville said, among the sounds of another small explosion and Luna's cry of 'protego.' Harry must have a silencing charm on! "Alohomora!" Neville yelled, to his surprise the door cracked open. Neville forced his way in to see Harry standing on the suite's balcony, looking at the stars. Neville rushed over to him, when another small explosion caused Harry to turn suddenly towards Neville.
Harry looked at Neville curiously, as if he had just been broken out of a coma. "What was that?" He asked quietly.
"Get off me Aang, I'm going to make her HURT." The voice of Ginny screamed from inside.
"You think you know pain Ginny? I KNOW PAIN, YOU STUPID GIRL!" Hermione screeched back. Another sound, as if something had just fallen over, followed by an unidentifiable yelp.
Harry stumbled forward. His confusion turning to realization, then turning to horror.
"Harry! Hermione and Ginny…they've…THEY'VE GONE MAD!" Neville exclaimed, desperate to get across the severity of the situation.
Suddenly, Harry bolted towards the door. The scene shocked him, the head's suite looked like a disaster zone. Ginny and Hermione were slowly circling each other. As if each were animals about to strike. Harry was briefly brought back to another memory of two enemies circling each other. Half of Hermione's face was covered in blood. Ginny's eye was swollen shit, her lip busted open.
Suddenly, the door to the Head's Suite burst open to reveal Ron rushing into the common room, Katara, Toph and Sokka in tow.
"What the…" Sokka muttered. Just then both Hermione and Ginny reeled back about to utter their curses when suddenly a giant rock flew up between them, causing the entire suite to shake, dust engulphing the room. As it settled, Katara saw Aang standing in the classic horse stance, his arms stretched towards the sky.
"ENOUGH!" Aang shouted. Hermione and Ginny moved to get around the rock when Harry ran up from behind and grabbed a struggling Ginny, Ron doing the same to Hermione. Slowly, the rock descended back into the stone floor.
"Great Zhao's ghost! What the hell is going on!" Sokka exclaimed. They all looked around for a minute and surveyed the room. The bookcase in the nook no longer existed, its shattered remains strewn about the room. The couches were upturned, there were holes all over the wall. The tattered remains of the Gryffindor flags that once hung ornately from the ceiling now littered the suite. The window was blown clean out.
Then, Ginny broke free of Harry's hold but she didn't move to curse Hermione. Hermione stopped struggling against Ron and, finally, he let her go as well. The girls stared at each other with pure, unadulterated hatred. The room was deathly quiet.
"This isn't over." Ginny uttered.
"Oh believe me, you will KNOW when it's over." Hermione hissed back.
With that Ginny stalked out of the room, Harry following her as if to make sure she didn't launch herself at Hermione on the way out. Harry and Ron locked eyes for a moment and it was clear that their altercation was far from over as well.
Once again, the room was quiet. Hermione quietly shook with rage, as she stared at her reflection in a semi-shattered mirror across the room. So much blood. She turned to see Ron staring at her in utter disbelief.
Sokka looked around the room and let out a slow whistle. "Man…girl fights." Sokka said, completely inappropriate. He turned to see Ron and Hermione, just staring at each other and in that moment, he knew what he had to do.
"So… Katara…you know what I haven't seen? Any room in this suite except this one." He announced, trying not to look at a badly injured Hermione. It finally hit him how dangerously powerful she was, to take a blow like that and keep on giving out punishment. He quickly grabbed Toph's hand and made his way up the steps. Neville and Luna following in horrified silence. Katara slowly followed behind them, looking down once more at Hermione. Her heart broke.
Ron continued to stare at her. When Katara rushed into his room, he was fully prepared to tell her to piss off. He was livid, enraged, betrayed…ashamed. You name it. He sat on his window sill staring out into the stars, knowing full well that Sokka and Toph were watching him cautiously from across the room. Katara burst in and yet he didn't move an inch. She called out his name. He noticed the panic in her voice but he just thought she was going to do that mothering thing she always seemed to do. Suddenly, she appeared before him as if demanding that he pay attention to her. He was a second away from letting her have it when she launched into the happenings of Harry's suite. At first he couldn't believe it, he thought she was being dramatic. Hermione and Ginny were friends. They barely argued. She was just trying to trick him. Get him to go there and talk to that git, Harry James Bastard Arse Potter. He prepared to dismiss her once again when she grabbed his arm and practically begged him to come. He conceded, the sight of her so upset awakened his more chivalrous side. So he left the room, walking briskly towards the suite, hoping to Merlin he wouldn't have to see Harry's face. He walked on, continuing to dwell on the git when he heard a muffled sound coming from Harry's suite. His steps quickened a bit as he reached the portrait; the wolf didn't even bother to wait for the password and just swung open. That was when he saw the wreckage. That was when he knew that the situation was EXACTLY like Katara had warned.
Hermione took a step forward, Ron stepped back. Her lips trembled slightly and Ron's hands balled into fists.
"Ron…I…" She started.
"Don't." Ron whispered, shaking his head as he looked at her in horror…in terror. He backed away a few steps, turned his back on her, and walked out in silence. He stumbled through the corridors, his vision blurring with tears. Finally, he reached one of the more secluded nooks of the castle and collapsed against the wall, slowly sliding down it as he crumpled into a ball. He couldn't look at her. He couldn't take looking at her. Not because he was angry or disgusted, but because it reminded him too much. Reminded him too much of her broken form sprawled across the floor of Malfoy Manor. He cursed himself through tears. He should be furious with her, if not for neglecting him then CERTAINLY for attacking his sister. And yet…all he could think about was all the blood. All he could think about was the sheer terror he felt when confronted with the thought of losing her. All he could think about was her screams. He was paralyzed on that stone floor, in that out of the way nook of Hogwarts castle. He couldn't face her…he couldn't face that day in Malfoy Manor.
…
Draco and Zuko walked into the Headmistresses office, taking care to sit as far away from each other as was feasible. The head mistress had yet to arrive, leaving the two to sit in solitude. They both stared straight ahead, focusing intently on the mohagony desk.
Zuko was still nervous, even with the remnants of searing rage still coursing through him at Draco's words. He quickly ticked off the possible consequences of his foolish decision to side with a snake like Draco:
Detention
Kicked out of Hogwarts
Locked in a dungeon
Turned over to muggle authorities
Azkaban
Turned into a dementor
Forced to join the slug club
Fight a Dragon
Agni Kai?
Tied to a chair and locked in a room with Lavender Brown for 47 minutes
Chug Firewhiskey
Forced to listen to that magic rock band…what was it, the Wicked Witch Guys?
Make out with McGonagall
Ok, now he was being ridiculous. Still, Zuko hated uncertainty. He hated suspense. He hated waiting. Waiting, the cruelest punishment of all. Zuko could feel himself starting to sweat. He had to get himself together.
Draco sat aristocratically. Unike Zuko, he wasn't nervous. Honestly, what could the school do to him that the Dark Lord hadn't? What could be worse than having the Dark Lord squat in your house for 2 and a half years. What could be worse than watching agony? A tortured smirk carved it's way across his face at the thought. Draco's soul was dead to Hogwarts. Draco's soul died a year ago. Draco's soul died everyday.
The door opened and Zuko turned instinctively to look at the approaching figure. Draco sat stock still, looking at the mahogany table. A man strode in. Tall, jet black hair, neat three piece suit. His face had no expression. Zuko supposed he was a handsome man but his face held startlingly statuesque features, almost un-human. His skin was marble white and looked just as hard. He walked to the mahogany desk and stood in front of it. He surveyed the two boys in front of him and Zuko swore he could have seen his eyes spark just a bit.
The man reached in his pocket and pulled out a long black, thin, business like wand. He flicked it and a chair came to rest behind him. Zuko thought it odd that he didn't just sit at the chair behind the desk but he supposed the Headmistress would probably be along shortly. The man sat down fluidly, still saying nothing, and stared intently at the boys.
Draco sat, staring at the mahogany desk. He could feel the man's eyes boring into him. Draco finally looked at him, not out of fear or discomfort, but to size him up. The man said nothing. Draco's eyes narrowed. Enough of this. "Well?" Draco inquired, somewhat defiantly.
The man grinned. "Well?" He echoed back, his voice was eerily melodic.
"The headmistress? Will she be along then?" Draco demanded more than asked. He straightened himself a bit to match the man's poised stature. His tone was flat, commanding.
"Oh, I'm afraid she won't be joining us." The man said, relaxing his stature as if to establish that he didn't see Draco as any threat to him. Draco's eyes narrowed.
"What!" Zuko said, his nerves and irritation at the man's mysterious conversational style getting the best of him.
The man turned his head a bit, now resting his full attention on Zuko. He crossed his legs as if he was getting comfortable. "She will not be joining us." He finished simply.
Draco rolled his eyes, "And what are you doing here? Are you the messenger boy?" Draco said, smirking.
The man once again turned to Draco, landing his full attention on him. Zuko was a bit creeped out at how this man seemed to just completely zoom in on people.
"No." He said calmly.
"And? What are you doing here?" Draco demanded, his irritation starting to show.
"Well…I believe I am sizing you up. That's what your doing right now isn't it?" The man said.
Draco arched an eyebrow but did not respond. He wasn't sure how to respond. He felt like saying anything to this man was like giving up vital information.
Zuko seemed to catch on as well, his tone becoming much more guarded, "Why has she requested us here, if she isn't coming?" He asked carefully.
The man smiled at him. As if he had just acquired something he needed. "I'm afraid Professor McGonagall is a very busy woman. It will be just us today."
"And who are you?" Zuko hesitantly asked.
"Clarence. Clarence Clavicula." He replied shortly.
Zuko looked at the man curiously. This world had the most ridiculous names. Draco interrupted his train of thought.
"The healer?" Draco inquired.
"The very same." He replied, smiling. His smile was off-putting, mysterious. As if each one had a message that needed to be decoded.
"And why has McGonagall sent a healer to speak with us?" Draco drawled.
Clavicula cocked his head just a shade to the side. "Well, I'm a very special kind of healer." He drawled back. "I specialize in a… different kind of magic."
Draco just arched another eyebrow. Zuko looked at him cautiously. Clavicula continued, "I like to think of it as…magic of the mind. Mind Healer."
"Mind Healer." Draco replied chuckling. Sounded like a wooly discipline to him. "And what, exactly, is wrong with our minds?"
Clavicula smiled that strange smile again. Draco couldn't put his finger on that smile. It wasn't warm nor cold. It seemed to hold no affect at all and yet it seemed to hold so much in it.
"You tell me Draco. Do you think something is wrong with your mind?" Clavicula asked calmly.
Draco rose, "I don't have time for this. When Professor McGonagall is ready to see us, owl me." Draco turned to walk out of the suite when he heard Clavicula chuckle.
"I wouldn't do that, Draco." He said. Draco had never heard an adult say his name so comfortably, even his father.
"You are obligated to be here, by order of your headmistress. I can assure you that failure to comply will result in much steeper penalties." Clavicula finished, an amused air to his tone.
Draco turned and stared stonily at the man. Slowly, he walked back to his seat, staring daggers into him.
Clavicula looked intently at the boy. "I see you still care."
"Excuse me?" Draco replied, acid dripping from his words.
Clavicula ignored him, turning his attention to Zuko, who stared at him just as icily, distrust and suspicion emanating from his gaze. Zuko crossed his arms as Clavicula looked at him.
"Boys. As I said earlier, I am…a healer of sorts. Of the mind, if you will. Specifically, I specialize in a very specific technique."
"And what is that, siiiir." Draco drawled out again.
Clavicula stared at Draco curiously and smiled that damned smile. He spoke,
"Pensieve Therapy."
Authors Note. Hey kids! Quicker upload this time! I've recently discovered that I can work on the story at work if it looks like I'm actually working and not screwing around. I could get fired because of you people! That's how much you mean to me. Lol, j/k, but I did write most of this at work and will prolly be doing that until the end. ANYWHO, some of you are probably horrified. I decided long ago that I wanted to see Ginny and Hermione fight. It would be such an epic battle. I thought that having the guys duel would be too predictable, girl fights are usually much more brutal and to see these two fight would be especially unexpected. I have tried to illustrate the insidious nature of trauma and what it can make people capable of. This would be my end all be all consequence. So! What'd ya think? Crazy right? I think that will do it for the overt fighting. We will see how these situations resolve themselves. I feel like I'm not including the Avatar characters enough, so I will try to incorporate them more in later chapters. I'm starting to wonder if I'm going to get to Slughorn's party...I really want to get to Christmas at the Burrow and move along the loose ends I have created. I dunno, we shall see. Also, I think we need another drinking chapter, guys and gals. The comedy would be epic. So, special thanks to my glorious beta traviswj for kicking in some grammar changes and good perspective, also check out his story. Check out my real life friend Anima Requium's piece as well, excellent if you love action scenes. Also, special shoutout to Poppy Marina, who is the one who got me off my arse to finish the tenth chapter and thus the 11th. Don't hate me too much! It had to be done! Later kids.