"An eye for an eye will only make the whole world blind."
― Mahatma Gandhi
Do Not Go Gentle
Hermione was in a jubilant mood as she entered the Great Hall for the Halloween feast. It had been decorated with live fluttering bats and giant pumpkins. Feeling reminiscent of her early years in the school, she sat down next to Aurora.
"How pretty." Aurora was clearly just as admiring of the decorations as her. "The weather is perfect out isn't it, Rose?" She added, turning to Hermione. "It's cool but not freezing, with the trees all sorts of colors."
"Yes, but unfortunately the leaves won't stay that way." Professor Flitwick had entered the hall and overheard them. "The weather will then turn colder and we will lose the leaves entirely." He beamed then. "I have always loved the snow though, so that might make up for it. Have an excellent feast girls!" He walked off looking as jubilant as always.
"He helped decorate as usual," Aurora told Hermione as they watched him make his way to the Head Table. "Flitwick always gets excited for the holidays."
Hermione felt incredible fondness towards the professor as well as Aurora, and probably most of the castle at that moment. Her marks were high; she had friends, and for the first time ever: a boyfriend.
Remus Lupin was already sitting with his friends at the Gryffindor table. Hermione caught him glancing at her and smiled at him. Her smile was returned with interest, much to the amusement of Sirius and James, who began making kissing faces at him.
"So how's the new romance treating you?" Pandora asked as she took a seat across from Hermione and Aurora. "You're grinning like an idiot so it must be going well." The food had appeared on platters just then. She didn't wait for an answer before she began to serve herself.
"She has got a great guy for it," Aurora said. "He is one of the nicest in our year." She sighed dreamily. "Just treat him right mind."
"You think he's more than just nice," Pandora said, rolling her eyes.
They were about to start bickering again. Yet Hermione was getting used to it. Unlike her arguments with Ron, there were clearly no hard feelings between the two after they argued. Aurora and Pandora were both far too laid back, as well as far too fond of teasing each other. She let their words fall over her, feeling unusually content as she dug into her dinner.
Remus Lupin was still grinning in spite of his friends' behavior. Catching Hermione's eye, he mouthed 'library' to her. 'Tomorrow,' she mouthed back, ignoring the smug looks of his friends as they watched this exchange. With a last smile and nod, she went back to her chicken and ham pie as James flung his arms around Sirius in an exaggerated manner, only to pout in misery as Sirius shoved him, Pettigrew's plate hitting the floor as collateral damage.
In the past two months, Hermione had gotten very good at nonverbal spells. She could make most things work without saying the incantation now, something that her teachers had quickly noticed. It was with a lightness of heart that she practiced her nonverbals. Not all of her classmates were quite as quick as her though. While some, like Emmeline and Snape, seemed to have picked it up even faster than she had, there were others who were doing rather poorly at it. Pettigrew had yet to accomplish the act of silently summoning so much as a feather; while Mary Macdonald had been held after class by Professor McGonagall after she broke down in class when they were supposed to be silently changing their gerbils into hatboxes.
Her defense magic was getting better as well. Stunning and disarming spells were things she had mastered in the D.A the previous year, and she had known how to do a full-body-bind for ages, but now she could do them silently. Professor Marchbanks was a vigorous instructor but she was at least thorough. They covered a whole multitude of blocking spells, silencing spells, jinxes and hexes that might be used. Hermione found herself taking out extra material from the library and bringing it back to the common room to read in the evenings.
There were some interesting books on magic in the Ravenclaw common room as well. She found a book on Occlumency and another on using meditation to help with ones silent spellwork. There were books on wizarding and muggle mythology and how they compared to each other, what muggles read too and what were just wizard myths. The bookshelf by Hermione's bed was inadequate to hold half of the books she wanted to read.
Her classes going well and with her learning loads, it was with a feeling of deep happiness that Hermione entered the library the day after Halloween. Even the sight of Regulus Black sitting at his usual table reading couldn't dampen her spirits.
Apparently he wasn't in as good a mood. As she passed him, his head jerked up, his eyes following her as she headed by him. "Not meeting with Lupin today?" He hissed at her. "What's the matter, has he gotten tired of you already?"
For her part, Hermione ignored him. There was no reason to be riled by the haughty fifth year. Her back to the Slytherin boy, she searched the shelves behind him, her eyes out for a particular text. She had an Ancient Runes essay due soon and there was a book she needed badly, 'Unraveling the Cryptic.' Her eyes lit up a moment later and she snatched the book off its shelf.
Without a word towards the dark haired Slytherin, who had his eyes still on her, she left the library. Not that it was his business but Hermione and Lupin seemed to be doing fine. They had taken to sitting together in class sometimes, much to his friends' amusement, and, much to the equal amusement of hers, more than once he had popped by the Ravenclaw table during meals.
Hermione climbed the stairs to Ravenclaw Tower, her mind awhirl at the thought of how shockingly good and quiet things seemed. She supposed it wouldn't last, but while it did, she was going to take her good fortune while she could.
Within minutes she was back in the comfort of the Ravenclaw common room and sitting in a seat near Emmeline. "Perkins," was the only response she got from the quiet girl, who did not bother to look up from her homework.
"Vance." She answered back just as curtly. Hermione then set to work, feeling comfortable in the light circular room as Ravenclaw's around her studied, worked on projects or just talked. Aurora was painting, Pandora was practicing silent magic and Trixie and Andrew Ryan were taking purchases for their color-changing ink. Life in Ravenclaw was good.
Hermione's good mood lasted for the rest of the week, all the way until she came across Evan Rosier tormenting a third year Hufflepuff.
He was slowly taking apart the boys things: his bag, his books, and his notes, while the third year struggled and tried to get his wand back. Rosier's face was twisted into a grim smile as he tore a textbook apart with his wand.
"You want your wand back, you little mudblood, you're going to have to beg," he was saying to the angry child. "Beg like the filth you are."
Hermione wasn't aware that her feet had started moving, nor that she had taken out her wand until she was right next to the two. Rosier had just time to turn her way before a jet of red light hit him squarely in the chest, sending him flying backwards. He flew across the hall, his head connecting with the bare stone wall, before crumbling in a heap on the floor.
There was a moment's silence. Then Hermione could hear scrambling from beside her. The Hufflepuff victim had gathered up his damaged things and was shoving them into his bag as fast as he could.
"Wait!" He froze then looked up at her in fear.
"Reparo." His books began to reknit themselves. She handed him his wand. He took it, eyes wary. "He will be fine," Hermione told him. "Madame Pomfrey will make sure of that. So you just head on your way and leave it to me."
He did just that, leaving Hermione to approach Rosier, who was just starting to stir. She had not meant to hurt him so badly, but couldn't muster up any pity now that she saw he was awake. The Slytherin fifth year sat up, rubbing his head as he did so.
"You should see Madame Pomfrey to make sure there is no damage." He glared up at her, his blue eyes icy. "I'll bring you." She picked up his wand, as a just in case, and the two set off for the infirmary. Madame Pomfrey was bustling about the several students already there. It was cold season, and a number of people were succumbing.
Hermione smiled at the Healer. "Mr. Rosier here hurt his head after a tumble down the stairs," she said simply. "We thought it best that we come here to get it checked out."
Madame Pomfrey nodded approvingly. "Then you did best my dear." She then turned to Rosier and began to inspect the back of his head, where a bump was forming.
Hermione handed him back his wand. He took it, his eyes as cold as ever. They seemed to say: this isn't over. She was not fussed, having dealt with actual full grown Death Eaters, instead of one fifteen year old wannabe one. Nonetheless, it was best to leave Madame Pomfrey to her work, as Rosier was looking about ready to lunge for her throat.
"I hope you feel better." Rosier's glare was all the answer she needed before leaving him to be patched up.
"I should give you another detention."
Hermione put down her book with a sigh. It was beginning to become a theme, her sitting in the library, just trying to work on her homework, and Regulus Black intruding. It seemed that he always needed the library lately whenever she was in it.
"Are you listening to me? I should give you a detention for attacking Evan."
"If you wanted to, no one is stopping you," Hermione told him. "I am warning you though; I won't stand for him bullying people because of their blood status." She cut him off before he could answer: "It is repulsive how many times I've seen a child being harassed for their being a Muggleborn."
"It's okay though if they are bullied just because the bullies are bored though, isn't it?" Regulus was looking smug as she paled. They both knew exactly who he meant.
"I don't think that's okay either."
"No? Then why are you dating one of them?"
Hermione glared at him. "I wasn't aware that it was your business exactly who I dated." As he looked about to say something else, she continued: "and Remus is not a bully."
"That you know of."
Hermione blinked. 'What exactly was he trying to say?' "Remus Lupin is a good guy. You just don't like him because he is friends with your brother."
"What the hell does that have to do with anything?" Regulus Black snapped. "As though I care who that blood traitor is friends with! I was just saying that your boyfriend isn't as innocent as you think."
In her mind, Hermione could hear Bertram Aubrey's words from the Hogsmeade trip: 'like you haven't helped them pick on students before.'
She tried to block this out as they faced each other. "You're obsessed," she told him, her temper starting to rise. From out of the corner of her eye, she could see Madame Pince who was checking out books to a small group of third years, throw them an ugly look. Sighing, she gathered her things and headed out. For once that did not seem to be enough as he was apparently intent on following her, muttering under his breath as he went. He followed her down to the Great Hall and towards the door leading into the grounds.
"You think just because you're obsessed with Lupin that it means we all have as boring of lives as you." He told her smugly. "Well I could care less about Sirius and his little group of blood traitors and half-bloods and I could care even less about an uptight Ravenclaw bitch like you."
And that was it. Hermione turned on her heel, "We both know that is a lie. You watch him constantly, relentlessly, always on the lookout to see what he's doing, and for nothing. Sirius never gives you the time of day, does he?" Taking his angry looking face as confirmation, she continued: "I know that he left you, just ditched you behind. I'll bet he never wasted a second before deciding that you were worth ditching if it meant being free. And it drives you mad! It just hurts so bad that big brother has no time for you doesn't it?" She then added with satisfaction: "That James Potter is more of a brother to him than you will ever be."
Hermione had crossed a line and she knew it. His wand was out before she had even finished her sentence, his fingers griping it so tightly they were turning white at the knuckles.
"You little bitch," he hissed in anger. "You should keep your filthy mouth shut about things you don't know. Just because you're shagging Lupin doesn't mean you have the right to…" He was cut off with a silencing spell a moment later. Hermione had fire in her eyes.
To her surprise a spell crashed into her a moment later, nearly knocking her off her feet. 'He knew silent magic?' The silencing spell canceled, he cast a disarming charm.
Hermione was for once faster. Her shield was up and blocking him in seconds. 'Thank you Harry.' The next spell that came from him was a simple jelly-legs jinx, then Impedimenta. Hermione blocked them both, though with a bit of difficulty, flinging back her own disarming spell as she did. She may have been older and more knowledgeable, but he had the better reflexes due to years of playing seeker and it was all she could do to keep on her toes.
"Scourgify!"
"Stupify!"
"Accio books!" It was experimentive at best, but as several of Hermione books shot towards her, she redirected them in his direction, noting with satisfaction his failure to block the last two.
The next spell flew past her, only barely avoiding her face. One of the books, Unraveling the Cryptic, knocked into her, its cover tearing and she couldn't help but think that Madame Pince was going to have a fit if she couldn't fix it.
"I say, what is going on here?"
Regulus and Hermione barely paused long enough to acknowledge the ruffled ghost watching them before continuing. Nearly-Headless Nick was looking put out as they kept up flinging jinx and hexes.
"Now really!" he added indignantly as a bat-bogey hex flew through him. "If you two were in my house, I'd be grossly offended. This is a most irregular duel; none of the niceties observed…I shall get a professor if this doesn't stop at once!"
As neither seemed inclined to listen, he headed to do just that, another spell sailing through him as he glided away.
"Stupify!" Hermione blocked it with a flick of the wand. "Impedimenta! Protego," she added, as he tried to blast her wand out of her hand once more. "Is that the best you can-"
She never got to finish her sentence as his next spell slammed into her. Lifted off her feet, she flew backwards, straight into the niche in the hall holding the house points. As sapphires and emeralds flew down around her, the last thing she heard was an angry shout sounding through the hall."
"WHAT IS GOING ON HERE?"
It couldn't have been much worse. It was not five minutes after Hermione came to in the hospital wing that she was informed by a Ravenclaw prefect making their rounds that she was to report to Professor Flitwick as soon as Madame Pomfrey released her. For once Hermione found herself in no hurry to be let out, and Madame Pomfrey, irritable and determined to keep an eye on Hermione, made her stay until the following day.
So she found herself, on an early, crisp Saturday morning, making her way towards the Charm's professor and Ravenclaw heads office. The door was ajar, light from its several windows spilling out into the hallway. Professor Flitwick was already awake and grading papers, his wand charmed to move across the parchment. At her knock, he ceased what he was doing at once.
"Miss Perkins," he said, looking grave. "I heard that Madame Pomfrey was keeping you overnight. How are you feeling? It could not have been too serious, or she wouldn't have released you now."
"I'm alright," Hermione told him. With a wave of his wave, he conjured up a simple chair and Hermione took it, thanking him. There was a moment's awkward silence.
"Miss Perkins, Professor McGonagall told me that she came upon you and young Regulus Black fighting in the hall yesterday," he told her, his tiny face surprisingly stern. "One of the ghosts had seen you both and unable to stop you had gone off to inform her. I would like to hear what caused this."
Hermione's stomach lurched unpleasantly. She had never liked getting in trouble at school, even before attending Hogwarts. It was very uncomfortable having a professor she respected as much as Flitwick looking so disappointed in her.
"We had a fight," she told him. "We both said some nasty things and…and I cast a silencing charm to make him stop and then he struck back and…" she was feeling awful now. Never had she fought in the halls like that, not even with Draco Malfoy or Pansy Parkinson, and here she was starting a fight with a boy at least a year younger than her. "It, it got out of hand." Hermione couldn't even look at him, she was feeling so embarrassed by this time.
"I see." He was silent a moment. "Miss Perkins, I should not have to tell you how bad this looks. A member of my house, fighting with another student; one who tells me that you hexed a housemate of his just earlier that day." Hermione's head jerked up at the mention of Evan Rosier but she didn't dare interrupt. "I have spoken to Professor Slughorn and we have both come to an agreement as to how to handle this. Twenty points are to be taken from each of you and you will both receive two weeks detention starting tomorrow."
Hermione's surprise at getting off so easily must have shown on her face, because Flitwick added: "The detention will be in the company of Mr. Black. The pair of you will be required to put aside your differences and talk to each other, for an hour each evening, and then write a ten-inch essay on what you have learned about each other."
Her mouth dropped. It would take a miracle if they didn't kill each other on the first evening.
Professor Flitwick was not done, however. "There is one more Hogsmeade visit before we break for the holidays," he told her. "If you are unable to get along over the next two weeks, then neither of you will be attending. Professor Slughorn quite agrees with this decision."
And that was that. There was no argument to make. With an effort to appear calm, Hermione asked him where the detentions would be held.
"You will both meet in my classroom for the first week and Professor Slughorn's for the second at nine-o'clock. We will be keeping an eye on you both and neither of you will be allowed to have your wands during the hour."
Hermione nodded in resignation. Seeing her looking so downcast, Flitwick offered her a small smile. "There now, it is only two weeks and who knows, you might find that you have more in common than you think!" He obviously sensed that she wasn't too convinced as he quickly changed tactics. "You should get to breakfast. A good meal and some time with your friends will put things to rights."
Thanking him, Hermione got up and excused herself. Well, she thought as she headed down to breakfast, at least they couldn't hex each other during these detentions. 'Thank God for some small favors,' she thought as she passed the entrance hall, her tired eyes trailing over to the hourglass, which had since been fixed.
"Rose!" Hermione turned to find Remus Lupin heading towards her out of the Great Hall. "I just found out why you weren't at dinner last night." To Hermione's pleasure, he slid his hand in hers, his touch comforting and warm. "Did Regulus Black really attack you?"
"More like we both attacked each other but he got a lucky shot," Hermione told him. Seeing him frowning, she added: "I'm not proud of it, but he seems to rile me lately." She sighed. "We have both been given two weeks detention together, which isn't going to help but…"
"Is he harassing you?" Now Remus was looking worried. "As a prefect, he shouldn't be starting fights in the hallway like that."
Hermione shook her head. "It's more like we have both been thrown together a little too much. We are both in the Slug Club and spend a lot of time in the library and well…" It struck her that the younger Black spent a rather large amount of his time reading, a trait he certainly didn't share with either his older brother or his friends.
As though he knew she had thought about him, Sirius Black came into view, along with James Potter and Peter Pettigrew.
"So what has my git of a little brother done now?" Sirius asked. He looked more annoyed than Hermione had seen him since the old days at Order headquarters. "Is it true he sent you to Madame Pomfrey's?"
"Well yes," Hermione admitted. "I don't think he meant to do that though," she added hastily, as both James and Sirius were looking mutinous. Pettigrew for his part seemed amused.
"I've been meaning to have a talk with my dear brother and his little friends about their behavior," Sirius told her. "I think I'll do that today."
"You don't want to be getting in trouble on my account," Hermione told him. "We both already have detention."
Sirius wasn't listening. This was beyond Hermione, or Rose rather, as she was just a girl he barely knew that Lupin was interested in. She could see from the steely look in his grey eyes that she had only added fuel to the fire that was soon to be erupting between the two Black brothers.
So the plot thickens. I can't see Mcgonagall or Snape being the sort to make two of their students try to work out their differences, but I can see Flitwick and Slughorn thinking that it's a good idea. I'm sure that both of Hermione and Regulus will have a delightful time together. Thanks for reading and review with your thoughts!
