Filia Corvi

by Kasing

In just a few weeks, a bullied girl's life changes forever. In a story where Harry Potter is the key to defeating Lord Voldemort, but not the main character, the most brilliant witch of the millennium will begin her education at Hogwarts. Over the course of seven years, she will experience the highs and lows of growing up as a teenager, learning about her powers and her body.

10. Trials

Quick note: This is my longest chapter so far, as I didn't want to split it in the middle just for the sake of keeping chapter size consistent. Hope you enjoy the read!

---

"Professor Flitwick! I need to speak to the Headmaster!" exclaimed an upset Hermione, out of breath. She had run from the lake to Professor Flitwick's office on the third floor without pause.

"Miss Granger, how do you do," her lively little Head of House greeted her.

"It's really important!" she called out and Flitwick seemed to understand, but he put on an apologetic face.

"The Headmaster is out of the school for the weekend, Miss Granger. But possibly I can help you?" he said, looking at her with a smile. But Hermione just looked at him in disbelief. Then, after a few seconds of consideration, she decided on a warning.

"It's about the Philosopher's Stone. The stranger who let the troll in and hexed Harry Potter's broom. He or she wants to steal it," Hermione said, already turning to leave when Professor Flitwick called her back.

"My dear, I do not know how you found out about this, but I assure you, it is well protected," he said in a whisper. He looked a little shocked that the well-kept secret of what was hiding in the third-floor corridor was known to his best student.

"As good as the castle grounds for a dimwitted troll to break into?" asked Hermione, hissing. She knew she was being very sassy at the moment, but the situation didn't allow for being friendly right now. "I don't doubt that the stone is protected, but there is someone in the school who wants it. And if the Headmaster is not in the house, that's one less protective factor," Hermione said and Flitwick seemed to start pondering.

"Are you the only one who knows about the stone?" he asked seriously and Hermione shook her head. "I assure you again, the stone cannot be stolen. It is impossible to get hold of the stone if you want to use it. The Headmaster has seen to that," he said seriously. Hermione looked at him, weighing whether he was just saying that to get her off the subject. But she believed the small and wise teacher. She nodded. "I'll still take your warning seriously and report it to the Headmaster," he said and Hermione thanked her Head of House. It was good to know that he was taking her seriously.

It was April by now, classes continued to be no problem for Hermione over the last few months and she was developing well in private lessons with Professor Snape, Flitwick and McGonagall. She was getting better at duels with Professor Flitwick and her mind-reading ability was developing well. Professor Snape had practised with her every weekend, strengthening his mental block while she improved the range and duration of her ability.

Not much else exciting had happened, apart from the fiasco of what Hagrid had confessed to her red-faced the previous week. She hadn't been to see him for some time and when she had visited him, he had been very sad. What he had told her was about a little dragon baby called Norbert, whose egg he had won in a card game.

Hagrid had tried to raise him, but at some point, even he had had to realise that a dragon was not a pet. He also told her that Harry and his friends had helped him get the dragon out of the castle. Hermione felt respect for the achievement of the three of them until she learned that they had been caught and given punishment work in the Forbidden Forest with Hagrid. She had then been told about this event today by Neville, who had dropped angrily beside her against the tree by the lake.

"I told you you'd only get into trouble with them!", Hermione had told him, but she could also understand that Neville had defended his friends.

"I know," he said meekly. "They're getting completely worked up about this. I can' take any more of it. The Forbidden Forest was enough for me," he said with a pained expression. He told her about the mysterious figure who killed unicorns in the forest and drank their blood. Hermione looked at him with wide eyes.

"And now they think this figure wants the Philosopher's Stone to prolong their lives. We know the stone is guarded by Fluffy, but he can be tricked," Neville said.

"What's Fluffy?" asked Hermione, confused.

"Hagrid's three-headed giant dog. He guards the trapdoor on the third floor," Neville said casually.

"The part of the third floor we're not allowed in?" asked Hermione, both interested and annoyed at the same time.

"Exactly, we've been scouting that out since before Christmas," explained the blushing Neville. Hermione rolled her eyes. Students from Gryffindor house were known for courage, but Hermione also got the impression that a lot of the people who ended up there acted first and thought afterwards.

"Anyway, the dog can be tricked and the figure knows it because it gave Hagrid the egg in exchange for that information.

"Let me guess. Harry is now going to single-handedly stop the figure who supposedly wants to steal the Philosopher's Stone?" asked Hermione sarcastically. But Neville's look told her she had hit the mark and she slapped her forehead with the flat of her hand.

"Anyway, I'm out of this now, I'm not getting myself into any more trouble with them," Neville said firmly, but Hermione could tell he was a little sad too.

"You're doing the right thing, Neville. We need to tell Dumbledore about this. We can't let Harry and Ron risk its live!" she encouraged him. He nodded and stood up. They ran to the castle and separated in the Entrance Hall, for Hermione was going to Professor Flitwick to report what they had just learned. Neville had been glad not to have to go to Professor McGonagall, for he doubted she would have believed him.

After her conversation with Flitwick, she went in search of Neville, who she found in the courtyard. He had put his heads together with Harry and Ron and the three of them were whispering. Hermione joined the three of them and tried to calm the two hotheads down. However, she was talking to a wall.

Harry was convinced that they would have to stop Professor Snape the next night. Hermione had only snorted at his suspicions, never would Professor Snape try to steal the Philosopher's Stone. The four of them had argued for quite a while, but Hermione quickly realised that she couldn't get through to the two Gryffindors with words.

She eventually let it go as the discussion went round in circles. Since Harry and Ron would be trying to stop 'Snape' tonight, Hermione and Neville had set out to stop them. As Hermione posted herself in an alcove in front of the Fat Lady that night, she was silently cursing the two boys.

"Thank goodness Professor Flitwick granted me that wish," she thought to herself. She stood leaning relatively relaxed against the cold stone, for her Disillusionment Charm had made her take on the colour of that very wall. As long as Mrs Norris, Mr Filch's observant cat, didn't happen to pass by, anyone would miss her at first and second glance.

Hermione held her breath as the portrait of the Fat Lady swung aside. But a moment later she exhaled again, for it was only the Gryffindor's prefect, who seemed to be out on his nightly patrol. Time passed and Hermione was annoyed not to have pocketed her Blotts Book. A little later, when the portrait swung aside once more, Hermione looked puzzled for a moment, for the portrait had slid shut again without anyone stepping out.

She thought that she felt a gust of air glide past her, but she was still preoccupied with what she had glimpsed through the crack of the portrait hole at the last moment. There had been a person lying motionless on the floor, arms against their body. Hermione knew that posture. It was the Full Body Bind. Confused, Hermione looked down the corridor. There was nothing to be seen there.

A disillusioned person would have stood out from the surroundings if they weren't walking very carefully and slowly. Hermione squinted her eyes thoughtfully. Then she made up her mind to look in the third-floor corridor. If Harry and Ron had somehow managed to get past her, she would hopefully be able to intercept them there.

She had to inch her way along slowly so that the disillusionment spell would help her adapt to her surroundings. When she arrived in the third-floor corridor after five minutes of sneaking, she knew she was too late. A loud, polyphonic snore came from a door at the end of the corridor, to the accompaniment of a harp. She dropped all caution and sprinted to the door.

She took a sharp breath as she opened the door, which was only ajar, and caught sight of the gigantic three-headed dog. Beside his body, an enchanted harp played a lullaby. Behind Hermione, the door clicked shut and the harp quietened. Hermione, recognising one of the dog's eyelids lifting, acted instinctively. She ran and took a great leap towards the trapdoor, which she opened with a wave of her hand.

As she fell, she heard the furious barking of the three dog's heads overhead, which had reawakened. She landed softly in a pitch-black room. Instantly, small snakes coiled around her legs as she hit the ground. Beside her, Hermione heard a gurgling sound.

When her stomach was also entwined, Hermione realised it wasn't snakes, it was a snare. Hermione gasped and reacted immediately. "Incendio!" she screamed, pointing her wand in the direction of the Devil's Snare below her. Instantly the vines let go of her and she fell about a metre and a half, where her breath was taken away briefly on impact.

Next to her, she heard two bodies thudding to the ground. Then the brief silence was shattered by a rasping cough. Hermione scrambled to her feet and drew her wand to give her light. In the hazy light of the Lumos charm, Harry's glasses gleamed as he remained on the floor, still coughing. Hermione continued to look around, hearing only Harry coughing and was startled to see the red-haired Gryffindor boy laying there motionless. She immediately rushed to him and bent over him. She felt for his pulse and breathed a sigh of relief when she felt the slight throbbing against her fingers.

"Ron!" she heard Harry call faintly beside her.

"Enervate," Hermione said, pointing her wand at Ron. A few moments later, his eyes snapped open. Confused, he looked at Hermione, who was lit up by her wand.

"You idiots!" shouted Hermione at the two of them so loudly that Ron, startled, scrambled a metre away from her towards the nearest wall. "You'd be dead by now if it wasn't for me!" continued Hermione screaming. She was absolutely furious. "What are you thinking? That two at most average students can crack the protective spells in front of one of the most valuable items in the wizarding world in the blink of an eye? Are you even capable of thinking?" she talked herself into a frenzy, tapping her index finger against her head at the last question. The two boys looked very intimidated, but also somewhat defiant.

"We..." began Ron, but Hermione pointed her wand at him, glinting in anger, which silenced him instantly. Harry, slowly recovering from his cough, stood up.

"Hermione. You saw the harp, didn't you? That wasn't us!" he shouted, as best his battered voice would allow. Hermione pointed the lit wand at him, but her anger had faded.

"You mean ..." she began, but Harry cut her off.

"Yes, I mean Snape was here before us!" he said defiantly and Hermione rolled her eyes.

"Professor Snape doesn't want the Philosopher's Stone, Harry!" she said.

"How would you know that? We overheard him pressuring Quirrell once. There's no time to lose. We have to go on and stop him," he said determinedly, drawing his own wand to make it glow as well.

Hermione was torn. She wanted to drag them both out of the dungeon and throw them at Professor McGonagall's feet. However, it wouldn't be easy to get back through the trapdoor from below with the awake dog lying on top of it again. She could just restrain the boys here, the Full Body Bind was something she too could perform.

But the two had also sown doubt in her. What if the stranger actually got past all the spells. There had to be a reason why the stone was so well protected.

"We've lost enough time already, we need to keep moving," Harry said.

"If it weren't for me, you wouldn't have any time left in this world at all!" cried Hermione angrily. But the two of them pushed past her through the door, which was the only way out of the round room. Hermione pressed her lips together and followed the two wordlessly.

If the protective charms worked, they would meet the stranger sooner or later and Hermione doubted the two would even be able to fight back. Through the open door, she could hear a hum and clatter of metal on metal. As she entered the brightly lit crypt, she immediately let her eyes wander upwards, for it was from there that she heard the sound.

It looked as if a swarm of insects was buzzing around on the ceiling of the tall room. Again and again, the insects flashed in the moonlight that filtered through some windows.

"Here's a broom," she heard Harry say faintly. Before she could say anything, he had swung onto it and taken off. Hermione shook her head, feeling confirmed in her assumption that thinking before acting was probably not his strong suit.

"They're keys!" he shouted after a while of slowly approaching the swarm. The moment he shouted, sudden loud chaos erupted as the keys were now flying around at high speed. Harry groaned as he was hit by some of them.

"I'll help you!" shouted Ron, swinging himself onto a second broom. He too pushed himself off.

"Don't just stand there! Help us!" shouted Harry from above. Hermione rolled her eyes and went to the door where the key had to fit.

"We're looking for a big ancient key!" called Hermione up. Turning around, she spotted a third broom leaning against the wall. She took a breath and swung herself onto it. After a short while, Harry spotted the key, it had a broken wing and matched the description of the key they were looking for.

"We have to surround it!" he shouted and gave instructions as to what Ron and Hermione had to do. Hermione pursued the key relentlessly while Ron and Harry tried to cut it off.

Finally, Harry had let himself hang upside down from the broom to catch the key. In a different situation, Hermione would probably have complimented him on his flying skills, but she was still mad that they had dragged her into this.

The key fit and flew away pitifully as it was released by Harry with battered wings. The three continued on to the next room where their footsteps echoed loudly. As they entered the room, light flooded through the room and they were presented with a breathtaking sight. They were standing at the edge of a huge chessboard with life-size chess pieces made of stone on top.

"Very good!" exclaimed Ron with instant confidence. "Chess I can do!" he added.

"So can the stranger," Hermione added, drawing attention to the absence of anyone else in the room.

"Then let's get it over with quickly. How can we start the game?" asked Harry, looking around the room. Around the field, Hermione could see debris that had apparently once been the figures that stood on the board. A shiver ran down her spine. As Ron entered the board, the king standing next to him suddenly reached out and blocked his way.

Hermione recognised Professor McGonagall's handwriting and admired the more than advanced magic for a moment before she became aware of the situation again. Ron looked over at the two of them with an apologetic look. He had just asked one of the chess pieces if they had to play their way across the room. The knight on the horse had nodded.

"I'll be playing," he said, instructing them to take the places of two of the figures. Hermione closed her eyes. She glanced once more at the shattered figures at the edge of the hall.

They lined up and Ron initiated the game. Hermione shrieked as the first pawn was decapitated by another. Ron looked down at her from his horse a little fearfully, but Harry encouraged him. The game went on for about a quarter of an hour. Ron played in a manner that Hermione and Harry were not exposed to any danger, while he chased across the board on his steed, hitting one white piece after the other. When he reached a point where he had to think longer, Hermione started to get nervous.

"Yes, that's the way it has to be!" exclaimed Ron at last, and instantly had his mount driven into a field. Before Harry or Hermione had realised what Ron was up to, he was hit hard on the head by the White Queen and dragged off the field. Hermione and Harry cried out at the same time. Hermione, however, realised what Ron had been up to.

"Harry, you have to put the king in check!" she shouted, pointing to the square that was no longer covered by the queen due to Ron's sacrifice. Harry audibly swallowed and ran to the square, where he shouted "Check!" loudly. Thereupon the white king took off his crown and threw it at Harry's feet. Behind the king, a door that had previously been hidden in shadow lit up. Hermione and Harry rushed to Ron, who lay unconscious beside the field.

"We have to keep moving, we've wasted enough time already!" shouted Harry when Hermione had confirmed to him that Ron was alright, considering the circumstances. As the two walked through the door, a sickening stench rose to their noses. In front of them lay a troll, all fours stretched out from him and with a bloody wound on his head on the floor.

"Move on quickly!" shouted Harry through his robe, which he held over his nose. Hermione nodded and the two ran towards the opposite door. The two rushed through the door, which instantly began to burn with a crimson flame behind them. Across the hall, the door to the next room was lit up by black flames.

Hermione looked around the room and spotted a table with several differently shaped bottles on it. In front of it was a sheet of parchment. Hermione walked forward and read the parchment. The corners of her mouth twitched because the task suited Professor Snape. Those who were perceptive would decipher the riddle and get on or back. Those who didn't understand would be poisoned or stuck here until the teachers caught him.

She read through the riddle several times while Harry shuffled his feet beside her. He stopped quickly, however, when Hermione shot him a vicious look.

"There is a problem," she finally said. "Only one can go on. We have to split up. Harry, are you sure about this? Dumbledore's spell will certainly stop anyone who wants to use the stone, Professor Flitwick assured me," she said. Harry, however, looked determined and only asked what potion he had to drink to move on. Hermione sighed and pointed to the potion. In an instant, he gulped it down.

"Try not to die," Hermione said, nodding at him. He nodded in return and walked through the flames without being burned by them. Then the door closed behind him and Hermione was alone. She took a deep breath. It was out of her hands now. She thought of Cathubodua. Was Harry Potter the lion? The boy who lived?

"The boy without a brain," she said aloud and took the potion that would bring her back. She had to get help. When she got to Ron, she surveyed the wound on his head again. He was breathing calmly as if he were asleep. She stood up and was startled because as she turned around, she collided with something. Her face pressed into long white hair. Hermione looked up into the serious blue eyes of Professor Dumbledore.

"He's in there, isn't he?" he asked her and she nodded. "Stay here, the professors are on their way," he said and walked quickly through the door towards the troll. Hermione sighed in relief and slid down the wall beside Ron, where she remained seated, exhausted.

"My goodness!" exclaimed Professor McGonagall as she entered the room with Professor Flitwick, Professor Sprout and Professor Snape. Hermione smiled at him. She had known all along that he was innocent. The professors looked at her with wide eyes, apparently, they hadn't expected their spells to be overcome by her. Professor Flitwick picked Ron up with a levitation spell and took him to the hospital wing with Professor Sprout.

"You really are extraordinary, Miss Granger!" said Professor McGonagall.

"For me, this would have been the end of the line," Hermione said, pointing to the chessboard.

"I'm miserable at chess," she added, giggling. The corners of Professor Snape and McGonagall's mouths twitched. But then they both looked up and Hermione turned her head in the direction in which the professors were now staring. There stood Dumbledore, holding a limp body in his arms.

"He's alive," he said tersely as the two professors walked towards him. A load was taken off Hermione's mind and she leaned her head against the wall, exhausted.

---

Hermione gasped. Wide-eyed, she looked at Dumbledore, who was sitting opposite her. It was the next morning. The Headmaster had called her in before breakfast. He had offered her fruit and juice while he told her what had happened to Harry in the room with the mirror Erised.

"He - isn't dead, then?" asked Hermione incredulously.

"Unfortunately," he said, looking out the window. "He's less than human and yet more than just haze. I don't know how he managed it, but he survived the failed Death Curse that was hurled back at him at that time. And Harry fought it off again."

"How?" asked Hermione incredulously.

"It's complicated, ancient magic. Harry is protected from Voldemort, who cost Quirrell his life, by the sacrifice of his mother, who died for him," Dumbledore replied.

"Did Quirrell also commit the break-in at Gringotts?" asked Hermione, who had remembered the connection with the break-in at Hogwarts on Halloween.

"Correct. The vault was emptied hours earlier at my request by Hagrid. That was certainly when Voldemort was closest to the stone," Dumbledore said thoughtfully.

"But could he have got the stone here at Hogwarts in the first place? He was going to use it to be able to survive, wasn't he?" asked Hermione and Dumbledore looked amazed at what she knew.

"Quite right. The mirror would never have revealed the Philosopher's Stone to Voldemort. He would have been stuck in that room until I had confronted him there," he said, slightly amused at his trap. Hermione snorted and looked at him grimly.

"I have to thank you, Hermione. Without your courageous intervention, Harry and Mr Weasley could have died," he said, looking at her seriously. Hermione nodded. She was still a little sour. She had been right all along, no one could have obtained the stone.

"But it has also given us the knowledge that Lord Voldemort is out there, striving to regain his former strength," Dumbledore said and Hermione's anger faded a little. "You should continue to rest now, you are excused from classes for the rest of the day. Watch out for new fans, stories like last night spread like wildfire through this school," Dumbledore said with a smile.

Hermione nodded and yawned. She could still feel the strain of the night in her limbs. Groaning, she stood up and walked to the door.

"Hermione!" called Dumbledore after her.

"Yes, sir?" asked Hermione, turning around.

"Is there anything else you might want to tell me?" asked Dumbledore in a casual tone, as if he had asked for the weather forecast for the weekend. Hermione took all her willpower to close her mind.

"No, sir," she said, looking Dumbledore in the blue eyes.

"Very well then, have a good day!" he said warmly and Hermione turned back around and left the office. She took a deep breath as she passed the gargoyle. It had been very difficult for her to lie to Dumbledore, but she didn't want to tell him that she was the Daughter of the Raven just yet.

Dumbledore had not exaggerated. When she had woken up, the common room had been deserted, as usual, because none of the students got up as early as she did. However, when she had solved the riddle of the eagle at the door and gained entry, she was literally grabbed by the robe and carried on hands into the common room, where she was being bombarded with questions.

"Is it true what they say? Did you fight a three-headed dog? Is Professor Quirrell really You-Know-Who?" they all asked in a jumble. Hermione was too exhausted to give all the details, but she gave a summary of each room that the teachers had set up as a barrier.

They all listened spellbound, praising Hermione for her astuteness and wizardry. Hermione blushed when she was told she was a true Ravenclaw. She was flattered but didn't enjoy being the centre of attention so much. However, she was not the centre of attention as much as Harry Potter was. Since no one knew exactly what had happened in the last room, there had been the most daredevil stories.

Hermione put her classmates off until the evening because she really wanted to go to bed. Once there, a wonderfully restful trance awaited her, in which she filed away the memories of the night before in the Pensieve. The night before she had been so tired that she had fallen asleep in the chessboard room, Dumbledore had told her. Hermione looked at the memories again in their entirety.

As she did so, she began to wonder more and more. Had Dumbledore deliberately had his teachers set solvable challenges to trap the desperate Quirrell in his last room? At the end of the day, it would probably have been easy for any trained wizard to get into the crypt with the mirror, assuming he knew how to win a game of chess.

Dumbledore had highlighted the realisation that Lord Voldemort had stepped back into the light. Perhaps he had set the trap for him to find out how he had kept himself alive. When she had left the Pensieve again, she was arranging the new books she had received from the events of the night. When she woke up, the sun was just setting. She looked at the clock and gleefully realised that it was only a quarter of an hour until dinner.

When she entered the Great Hall, there was excitement at the Ravenclaw table again and she was invited to join them by what felt like everyone. But she didn't feel much like telling them everything again. So she went to the very end of the house table, towards the teacher's table. Just before she was about to sit down, someone tapped her on the shoulder.

"Hi," Ron said a little sheepishly when Hermione turned around. "I wanted to thank you for saving our lives, Hermione," Ron said, his eyes getting a little moist. After a day, he too seemed to have realised how narrowly he had escaped death. Hermione nodded.

"I know you would have done everything in your power too. Even though you're fools," she said and they both laughed. "Just promise me that in future you will at least think once before you do anything. Or even take a look at a book," she added and Ron blushed. "Where's Harry?" asked Hermione, looking up and down the Gryffindor table.

"In the hospital wing, he's still asleep. But Madam Pomfrey says he'll be fine," said Ron and Hermione could tell he was worried.

"You were really brave in the chess room. Not everyone would have sacrificed themselves," she said and his complexion took on an even darker red. He said goodbye and Hermione sat down to enjoy a sumptuous dinner. Her housemates seemed to realise that she needed her rest, for their excitement died down. Hermione was very grateful for that. In her opinion, she had caused enough of a stir anyway.

Two days later Hermione came into the hospital wing with a few chocolate frogs in her hands and Lancelot on her shoulder. She had overheard that Harry had woken up and was able to receive visitors. She was the only one besides the teachers and Ron who was allowed to visit him.

"Hi, Harry! I'm glad you're feeling better," she said with a smile and handed him the chocolate frogs. Harry looked at Lancelot with wide eyes as he waved at him. Laughing, he waved back.

"Thank you, Hermione. For everything," Harry said seriously. "You saved our lives. And I would never have got this far without you," he said. Hermione nodded. "Ron said you weren't angry with us anymore?" he asked tentatively and Hermione giggled and shook her head.

"You told us, several times. But I couldn't take the risk of just letting it happen. You understand?" he said sheepishly. Hermione nodded.

"In the end, you were a little right too. While it wasn't Professor Snape, someone really did try to steal the stone that night," Hermione said. "Can you tell me what exactly happened in the mirror room?" asked Hermione cautiously. Harry told her everything and Hermione was astonished that Lord Voldemort had been able to implant himself in someone else's body and had also managed to escape in the end. Harry had no explanation for this either.

"Listen, I hope you don't think me and Ron are stupid now and don't want anything to do with us," Harry said seriously.

"I definitely think you're stupid!", Hermione interrupted him, laughing loudly. Harry joined in her laughter after a moment.

"I have a feeling this won't be the last time I have to bail you out," Hermione said, and Lancelot crowed with a cackle of laughter. "He - he tried to kill you, didn't he?" she asked after a while of silence and Harry nodded.

"Dumbledore just managed to pull Quirrell off me, he said," Harry whispered.

"Do you have any idea why Voldemort would want to kill you and wanted to back then?" asked Hermione cautiously. Harry shook his head. Hermione could see by his eyes that he didn't want to talk about it. Then she remembered something. "Tell me, how did you actually get past me, I posted myself right in front of the Fat Lady, but I didn't see you?" she asked.

Harry's features changed to a mysterious smile. He explained to her when asked again, that he had received his father's invisibility cloak for Christmas, which they had used to sneak around to the third-floor corridor and also various other times in the castle. Hermione laughed and congratulated him for tricking her. She said goodbye and wished him a good rest.

Peace quickly returned over the next few days. Hermione could hardly feel joy for Ravenclaw's victory over Gryffindor in Quidditch because Harry hadn't been fit enough to play yet.

"Next year!" thought Hermione. She continued to practise with Susan's broom and was by now just as good as her. Her individual lessons also continued to be productive. The teachers had praised her effusively for her courage and brains in tackling the trials ahead of the Philosopher's Stone. Hermione, however, was glad that soon it was back to business as usual. Professor Dumbledore had stepped in as Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher for the rest of the school year.

It had instantly gone from being the most boring class to by far the most exciting. The exams had gone well too. Because of Hermione's work in trance, she had no problems remembering all the details of the school year. The rest of the first-years had also passed their exams, some with difficulty, and so one of the best times at Hogwarts was about to begin, the free time after the stress of the exams. They had a whole month to practise magic without pressure, to enjoy the weather and to make new friends. It was like a holiday at Hogwarts, despite the lessons.

---

"It really has been an exciting year, don't you think?" asked Hermione to Lancelot, who nodded with a crow. It was a balmy summer evening and Hermione sat with her animal companion by the great oak tree by the Black Lake as the sun set behind the Forbidden Forest. Occasional whoops and hollers could be heard from students who, like Hermione, were spending the evening outdoors. Most of the students, however, were busy preparing for their departure the next day.

The evening reminded Hermione of a day in her life that felt so distant as if she had spent a lifetime since then. Almost a year had passed since she had sat alone on the swing in the park in Fulham. She pulled her legs to her chest and rested her hands on her knees.

"You can't imagine how much you've changed my life," she said, stroking Lancelot's back, who clawed gently at one of her fingers like a bird perch. He just looked at her with his sharp gaze this time and Hermione understood that she would find his answer in his thoughts.

"I didn't change your life, you did. You embraced your destiny, without fear."

"You are still part of that destiny. I'm so glad you chose me," she said, lifting him closer to her face. She rubbed her nose gently against his beak and gave him a kiss on the top of his head. "Without you, I wouldn't have made such rapid progress with my skills. Besides, I'd have a lot less fun, even if you are a glutton," she said and laughed when Lancelot, as expected, raised his beak in the air indignantly.

"Life is good here, but there will be harder times ahead. Enjoy every moment, every gust of wind that passes through your feathers," she read from Lancelot's thoughts and chuckled at the raven philosophy. She nodded and let her eyes wander into the distance. Somewhere out there was the ghostly enemy she had to protect the lion from.

It was still not certain who this lion was that the Elder had told her about, but the events of the past school year and his past with Voldemort suggested that it was Harry Potter. She still wasn't sure what to make of him. He was almost a whole year younger than her and had a lot of nonsense in his head, but he wasn't as stupid and incompetent as he had seemed at the beginning of the year. He was more gifted than he probably knew himself.

Lancelot was right. She had to enjoy every day she got to spend in this new life that had begun a year ago when Professor McGonagall's letter had arrived. From her pocket, with a summoning charm, she levitated a hazelnut into her hand for Lancelot, which he snatched up immediately. Then he took his leave with a waving wing and fluttered away.

Hermione watched the black shadow glide silently across the lake and wished for a moment that she could join him. She sighed and picked herself up. Without further ado, she decided to have a cup of tea at Hagrid's and set off for the small hut, from whose chimney wisps of smoke were rising in little curls.

---

The reunion with her parents had brought tears to both their eyes and Hermione's. They hadn't seen each other since January because Hermione had stayed at Hogwarts over Easter to prepare for her exams. Martha Granger could hardly believe how much Hermione had grown up. Both externally and internally, there was nothing left of the child who had lain crying in her husband's arms a year ago.

Her daughter, who was an image of herself except for a few facial features, was unlike her, not a late bloomer. She reminded Martha of herself at 14 or 15, although Hermione would only turn 13 in September. The three of them stood close together in a group hug on Platform 9 3/4 enjoying their reunion.

"Hermione!" someone called behind her and she turned around after wiping her tears of joy. It was Susan, who pulled her into a tight hug. Hermione hugged her back tightly. "My parents have asked if I would like to invite someone from school over for the holidays. Would you like to spend two weeks with us in the Cornish countryside? We could do some flying?" asked Susan and Hermione's eyes widened. Immediately her head snapped around to her parents who nodded, beaming.

"I'd love to! Thank you, Susan. And say thank you to your parents too!" said Hermione, pulling Susan into another hug before they said goodbye. Lancelot crowed a little restrainedly but waved from his cage at Susan, who waved back with a laugh. Hermione spent the very first day of her holiday in Diagon Alley, where she went for ice cream with Neville, whom she happened to meet with his grandmother.

"Well, how does it feel to be the new hero of Gryffindor?", Hermione asked him with a smile. Neville blushed and his grandmother looked at him questioningly. "Didn't Neville tell you? He got the final points for Gryffindor from Professor Dumbledore at the end-of-term feast because he bravely stood in the way of his friends who were planning to do stupid things. That's how Gryffindor won the house cup," Hermione told the older lady, who was wearing a stuffed vulture on her pointed hat. As she listened to the story, her eyes began to light up.

"You should have told me, Neville!" she exclaimed. Hermione giggled as the latter just continued to eat his ice cream with a red head. As they said their goodbyes, she could still hear his grandmother promising to buy him a gift of his choice. She smiled to herself and walked down Diagon Alley towards Gringotts.

After withdrawing some money, she went first to Mr Oculus to have her glasses adjusted. He greeted her with pleasure and adjusted the glasses to accentuate her cheekbones, which had developed somewhat over the past year. She then went to Madam Malkin to buy some new robes.

So far she had only had one robe beside the school robe and she wanted to add a little variety to her wardrobe. Madam Malkin was initially less than pleased to see Lancelot on Hermione's shoulder, but Hermione managed to convince her that he wouldn't make any trouble or mess.

Patiently, he watched as Hermione re-dressed herself. Occasionally he would comment on a robe with a crow and a bob, which then brought a smile to Madam Malkin's face. She kept one robe on straight away and had the other sent home with her old one. Then she set off for her last stop, the Magic Menagerie. The owner was delighted with the development of the now fully grown raven and praised Hermione for the way she kept Lancelot.

"That's why he has such beautiful shimmering blue feathers!" she said, laughing as Lancelot proudly spread his wings. Hermione bought lots of snacks and toys for Lancelot so he wouldn't be bored at home. He had enough to do at Hogwarts, but at home, Hermione wasn't going to let him be miserable.

On the way home, instead of taking the bus, she decided to walk home from the tube station. Even though she couldn't explain it, she had missed London. She found life at Hogwarts wonderful and idyllic, but the big city also had its charms for Hermione. When she was not that far from her parents' house, she saw a girl coming towards her from a distance whom she knew only too well. It was Debbie Winters. Hermione had to force herself to keep a straight poker face.

"Come on, approach me," she said under her breath. The girl eyed her in her robe, which Hermione wore with a belt over her waist to make it look more like a dress in the Muggle world. Debbie didn't seem to recognise her. When their eyes met, however, something seemed to click into place in the girl's mind.

She opened her mouth with a sardonic look, but coughed a moment later and grabbed her throat. It seemed as if her tongue was glued to the roof of her mouth. She tried to say something, but only indefinable sounds came out of her mouth. Hermione looked at her with a feigned look of disgust. She read Debbie's emotions and could tell with satisfaction that Debbie felt shame and fear. Hermione turned without comment and continued walking. In a few minutes, the Langlock Charm would wear off.

She had learned the spell from Professor Snape before the holidays, as self-defence against Malfoy, who must have become so bored after the exams that he had insulted Hermione at every opportunity. Since he and his goons Crabbe and Goyle didn't know any counterspells, they had quickly stopped harassing Hermione.

Sticking her tongue to the roof of her mouth with a nonverbal spell seemed to work wonders on Debbie, too. Hermione grinned, for revenge was sweet. Over the next few days, Hermione wrote a lot to Susan, partly to get Lancelot some work. She had also been pleased to discover that from the next school year the textbooks would be published in the Blotts Book as well.

While there were probably still difficulties with mass production, which was why the traditional books were still on the list, that was irrelevant to Hermione. She was looking forward to being able to walk around the school with only one book. Apparently, Professor Dumbledore had found a new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher. Looking at the textbooks for the subject, all written by Gilderoy Lockhart himself, Hermione got the impression that next year she would be taught by a real hero.

"And he's not even bad looking," she thought to herself, looking at his portrait which was emblazoned on each of his books. Hermione diligently practised emotion and mind reading during her time with her parents. Although Professor Dumbledore had made her aware of the moral difficulty, she couldn't resist reading the minds of all the Muggles around her.

She didn't feel too bad about it, as she wouldn't abuse it, but only wanted to strengthen her abilities. She also listened to her parents' thoughts at almost every opportunity, at least until one dinner, when she spluttered and spread her sip of water over the table when she heard in her father's mind how he was going to spank her mother over his lap that night.

With her crimson face, she had just been able to camouflage her behaviour by pretending to have choked violently. On the one hand, she found it very strange that she had overheard her father thinking about having sex with her mother, but she also found it kind of great that the two of them were still living out their relationship physically and had lust for each other.

Maybe the flame had flared up again when Hermione had left the house for a long time. She still decided to close all the doors between her bedroom and her parents' bedroom every night from now on. Before she would move in with Susan for a fortnight before the end of the holidays, she was anxious to discuss one more subject with her parents. She was a little nervous as she didn't know how her parents would react.

"It's about my teeth," she said at the dining table after dinner. "I don't want to leave you out of the issue because I respect your profession. But there are easier and painless methods in the wizarding world to correct my dentures," she said, looking at her parents with a serious face.

"There would be the possibility for me to have my incisors shrunk at St. Mungo's Hospital. It is a matter of five minutes for the healers there and is painless for me. If you don't want it, I understand, but if there is no method in your science to correct my dentition in the short term, I would ask you to allow me to do it," she explained.

Her parents had been listening intently to her and exchanged a glance. Out of respect, Hermione refrained from reading their minds. After a brief exchange of glances, they nodded to each other and smiled at Hermione.

"Of course, you have our permission. But the fact that you care so much about what we think makes me proud, Hermione," her mother finally said, beaming at her. Hermione beamed back even wider and let out a little squeal of delight. This was the best she could have hoped for. She also promised them both that she would take them to Diagon Alley before she left to join Susan.

That had really surprised her parents, but also made them very happy, because seeing this part of their daughter's life had so far eluded them except on Platform 9 3/4. The day in Diagon Alley had been very nice, even if she had had to make the acquaintance of Draco Malfoy's father, who was just as slippery as his son, even if he had reprimanded Draco for calling her a mudblood in the middle of Flourish & Blotts.

She knew exactly who had taught the boy that ideology. All in all, though, it had been a lovely day. She had met Ron's family and Harry and had met Ron's little sister, who was going to be in her first year at Hogwarts soon.

Harry had told her that he had had to be rescued from his Muggle relatives' house by Ron and his brothers after a strange house-elf had got him into trouble. She had just shaken her head. The boy seemed to get into trouble even when he was bored and stuck at home.

Afterwards, she had gone with her parents to St Mungo's Hospital, which was in central London, disguised as a Muggle department store called Purge & Dowse Ltd. It had cost 20 galleons to have her teeth treated because it was a cosmetic procedure, but in return, she would have perfect teeth for the rest of her life and they would never fall out again.

Her parents had been a little envious of the lifelong durability but had looked around enthusiastically, as they had in Diagon Alley. Her mother had slapped her hand over her mouth in shock when a wizard had come into the emergency room bleeding profusely with only one arm left, the severed arm in his still healthy hand. In no time at all, the healers had reattached the arm. Hermione, too, had felt a little sick to her stomach after seeing it.

---

"Hermione!" exclaimed the excited Susan as she came running towards her already in the garden of the small estate. "You've got a broom!" she exclaimed, wide-eyed, as she took the suitcase and Lancelot's cage out of the packed Hermione's hands. Since Hermione couldn't officially do any wandless spells for a fortnight now without giving herself away, she had had to take half her household goods and carry them herself. Hermione laughed and hugged her friend with one hand, as the other was in fact carrying a broom.

"It's a rental broom," Hermione said, grinning. Just before they had set off, it had occurred to her that it was hard to practise Quidditch with only one broom. So, without further ado, she had raced to Diagon Alley and rented a Comet 260 from Quality Quidditch Supplies for a fortnight. She had also bought a practice quaffle, which was cheaper than a match quaffle because it didn't hold as many spells.

"Your teeth!" exclaimed Susan, her eyes wide and she let out a pointed cry as she pulled Hermione back into a this time bouncing hug.

"Susan! Why don't you let your guest arrive first!" her mother called over to them from the front door. Susan looked at Hermione with an apologetic look and blushed slightly around the cheeks. Hermione laughed and the two of them walked towards the house after Hermione had said goodbye to her father who had driven her over. "Welcome Hermione!" she greeted Susan's mother, a slim blonde witch who looked like Susan's older twin sister.

"Pleased to meet you, thank you so much for inviting me, Mrs Bones," Hermione said, handing over her hostess gift, a large bouquet of flowers. Mrs Bones thanked her and stepped aside so Hermione and Susan could get her belongings into Susan's room.

"Wow!" marvelled Hermione as she took in Susan's room. It was the first room in a wizarding household that Hermione had laid eyes on. On the walls of Susan's room were a lot of scarves and posters of a Quidditch team, the Wimbourne Wasps. They wore yellow and black striped jerseys and really did look a bit like wasps flying in zigzags in a picture of them flying a daring manoeuvre.

Susan had a beautiful white dressing table with a huge mirror. Hermione's eyes fell on the huge bed, behind which hung a huge magical panoramic painting of a mountain landscape, in which a couple of birds could be seen flying.

"We'll sleep together in my bed, naked, of course," Susan said, eyebrow twitching. Hermione put on her best Professor Snape-trained poker face and looked Susan in the eye as she said, "I'll take your word for it." Susan, who had obviously said this to tease Hermione, looked at her incredulously.

"We - would have a spare bed ready. I'd just have to have Mum enlarge it in the evening," she said after blushing.

"I guess that was the actual, harmless plan then," Hermione thought. "I'd like to sleep next to you. Maybe I'll leave something on," Hermione said with a wink. Now it was her turn to tease Susan. They both laughed and Hermione walked over to Lancelot's cage where Susan had put him. Hermione could read in his emotions that he had been stuck there far too long for his liking.

"Can I let him out? If your parents don't want him inside, he can sleep outside in a tree," Hermione asked.

"Sure you can! My parents are dying to meet him, I've already told them about him," said Susan smiling broadly.

Hermione was on cloud nine. The Bones' mansion was plain but very warm and inviting. 'Cosy' had been the first word that had come to Hermione's mind when she had been given a tour of the house by Susan. Lancelot, now cheerful again, was also apparently comfortable, bobbing exuberantly on Hermione's shoulder.

"I want to try the broom now, I haven't even been able to fly it yet!" exclaimed Hermione, pulling Susan out onto the large green space that lay behind the house. She let Lancelot fly, sat on the broom and pushed herself off. From below she heard the laughing Susan, who had yet to run to the shed to fetch her own broom.

Hermione enjoyed the wind brushing against her face. She closed her eyes and let out a whoop. Finally, after six long weeks, she was up in the air again. All of a sudden, Susan shot past her on her Cleansweep and challenged her to fly a race. Hermione didn't need to be asked twice. She knew her comet was slower, but it was still fun to fly as fast as possible.

Laughing, they both went into a dive to continue their race close to the ground. In the end, Susan won by two broom lengths, but Hermione didn't care. She sat up on her broom and let her eyes wander over the Cornish countryside. She liked it here. Below her, Lancelot sailed along. He glided up the wind currents like a black ghost. Suddenly something red flew at her from the left and she just managed to catch the quaffle. She looked reproachfully over at Susan, who flew beside her, giggling.

"Good catch!" she exclaimed and immediately dived down because Hermione had just dropped the quaffle with a grin. She also swooped down and tried to wrestle the quaffle away from Susan. A couple of times she missed, but then she was able to kick the Quaffle out of her friend's arm and it flew high into the air.

They looked for a tree that had a large forked branch, like a big Y. The fork was used as a goal ring and Hermione and Susan took turns flying towards it and trying to score against the other.

They both had some practising to do, as their accuracy still had room for improvement. To make up for it, Hermione was good at feinting and Susan had a brutal throw, knocking Hermione two feet backwards with her broom every time she caught the quaffle in front of her chest. Exhausted, the two got off their brooms that afternoon and tidied them up in the shed before going to help Mrs Bones in the kitchen.

However, the latter sent them straight to their room with lemonade as she did all the work with her wand. Susan and Hermione flopped down on Susan's bed and sipped their lemonade, exhausted but happy.

"It's really nice here," Hermione said, sitting up to look at the posters of the Quidditch teams.

"Yeah, I'm homesick for Hogwarts too though, you know what I mean?" asked Susan and Hermione nodded. "There just aren't enough cute boys around here!" exclaimed Susan, with a snort. Hermione rolled her eyes but had to laugh too. "Speaking of which," she said with a mischievous grin. "Have you ever managed to get anyone under the mistletoe now? I hear a lot about you and Harry Potter, after all."

"What?" asked Hermione in surprise. "Susan, we're both almost a year older than Harry. And at least three years in the head. He's still a kid!" she said shaking her head. Susan shrugged her shoulders.

"There were one or two stories that you would have given him a passionate kiss before he met his fate through the flames," Susan said with a grin, tilting her head. She seemed to be watching every motion on Hermione's face to see if there was anything to the story. Hermione snorted loudly.

"Believe me, I'd tell you about it if it were true, but before I kiss Harry, he has yet to find his second hemisphere in his skull," she said and Susan laughed out loud.

From downstairs Susan's mother called for dinner and the two made their way to the dining room. Susan's father, a contented-looking little man with a full beard, stood up delightedly to greet Hermione as the two entered the room.

"Pleased to meet you," Hermione said politely, smiling at Susan's father.

"The pleasure is all mine! Susan's told us a lot about you already. It's too bad you don't get to give us a taste of your sorcery during the holidays," he said, his eyes shining. Susan's father worked at the Ministry of Magic like his sister, but in the Department of Magical Transportation, in the same office as his wife.

"How was work, Dad?" asked Susan, and her father smiled.

"Relaxed today, we finished the final preparations to transfer a Common Welsh Green spotted in Canterbury to a dragon reserve in Romania. That will keep us busy for the next few days, so we will enjoy tonight, won't we?" he said, looking around as he raised his glass of wine. Mrs Bones also raised her wine glass, Hermione and Susan raised their juice glasses and so they toasted each other.

"Very tasty!" said Hermione after she had tasted the first bite of the roast duck. For the next few minutes, only the satisfied sounds of eating could be heard from the four of them. After Mr Bones had sent the plates and cutlery to the kitchen to be washed up with a wave of his wand, he poured himself a generous gulp of gin and invited Hermione and the rest of his family to the armchairs that stood around the fireplace.

Susan's parents were very inquisitive and so Hermione and Susan told how they had met on the Hogwarts Express, how they had flown brooms together and Hermione, at Susan's father's request, told a summarised version of what had happened in the dungeons of Hogwarts in the spring.

"Amazing!" he exclaimed when Hermione told him about Professor Snape's potion riddle. Susan's parents also told her a little about their work, but Susan quickly became bored. She took Hermione by the hand and excused them both to adjourn to Susan's room. Mrs Bones told Susan that she would have to work late tomorrow like her husband, but that she had provided enough food. The two took some snacks upstairs and sat cross-legged on her bed in Susan's room.

"Do you know what position you want to play for Ravenclaw yet?" asked Susan and Hermione thought for a moment. "Well, I don't think I'd make a good beater. I think chaser would be great. Seeker is great too, of course, but you're the centre of attention there," Hermione explained and Susan nodded.

"I want to be a chaser too. I don't fancy being a Keeper and our Seeker is Cedric, I can't get past him," Susan replied, glancing to the side to examine the poster of her favourite team. Hermione did the same and they both gushed in a moment of silence.

"But at least you already have a broom! I have to do the tryouts on a petulant school broom," Hermione said, grimacing.

"If you don't break it, I'll lend you mine!" said Susan, and Hermione's eyes began to light up. With Susan's Cleansweep, she would have a real chance of convincing the captain of the Ravenclaw Quidditch team of her flying skills. Hermione pulled Susan close and hugged her gratefully.

"Thank you, Susan!" she said.

"Point of honour, if I can play against my best friend next year, I'll do everything in my power," she said with a smile. Hermione smiled broadly back. Even though it wouldn't sound special to others, having a best friend was special to Hermione.

"So if I'm your best friend, then I must know your dirtiest secrets too!" said Hermione, giggling. Susan blushed a little around the tip of her nose but joined in Hermione's giggles.

"Only if you tell me one of your secrets for each of mine!" retorted Susan, grinning mischievously.

"Okay, then we each get to take turns asking a question," Hermione defined the rules of the game. "Or should we start with truth or dare right away?" said Hermione with a grin. Susan looked at her in confusion. "Don't you know that one? We used to play that in Muggle school on school trips," Hermione said. Susan shook her head.

"I've never been to any school other than Hogwarts. What is that exactly, truth or dare?" asked Susan. Hermione was surprised for a moment that wizards left their children at home until they turned eleven. But then this time she smiled mischievously and explained to Susan that they each had to take turns indicating whether they wanted to answer a question truthfully, or do a dare instead. Susan laughed and nodded. Hermione let Susan go first, as a beginner, and chose truth for herself.

"Hmm, have you had your 'talk with Madam Pomfrey' yet?" she asked, supporting the paraphrase with her fingers forming inverted commas in the air. Hermione knew immediately what she meant and nodded shyly. Susan grinned. She too picked truth first.

"Who did you kiss at Hogwarts?" asked Hermione, giggling as Susan blushed. She had only told Hermione before the holidays that it had happened, but wouldn't say who it had been at the time.

"My first kiss was with Cedric," she said softly, looking down at her fingers. Hermione gasped and went wide-eyed. Cedric Diggory was by far the prettiest boy in Hufflepuff. Next year he was going to be in his fifth year. Hermione whistled appreciatively, but Susan just looked at her fingers again.

"Dare," Hermione said. Someone had to start, she thought to herself.

"That means you'll do anything I ask?" said Susan, grinning as she looked up from her hands at Hermione. By the look Susan was giving her, she regretted it a little, but Hermione nodded tentatively.

"Then ..." said Susan, thinking for a moment. "Hop on one leg while shouting 'Tornados suck!' three times!" said Susan and Hermione burst out laughing. She hadn't expected that, but she instantly stood up and started hopping on one leg.

After laughingly shouting 'Tornados suck' three times, she dropped back onto the bed with the guffawing Susan. Now it was Susan's turn, she took truth again.

"What was the kiss like? And how did it happen?" asked Hermione.

"That's two questions, but I'll let that pass. We kissed in the black lake when we went swimming in the summer. We didn't have a date, but we happened to keep bumping into each other in the water all day. And then he said I was pretty," Susan recounted. She looked at her fingers again for a moment. "The kiss was - nice," she said with a brief pause and Hermione frowned for a moment, but immediately said 'truth' as it seemed to make Susan uncomfortable.

"Are you into Harry Potter?" it came immediately out of the blue from Susan, but she wasn't as exuberant as before. Hermione snorted.

"Stop it! But if you say it a thousand more times, I might fall in love with him after all," she said with her face twisted into a grimace and laughed. Susan, too, smiled again. She stuck to truth.

"Are you into Diggory?" asked Hermione, but Susan shook her head.

"Hermione, I think I want to stop," she said and Hermione looked at her worriedly.

"No problem," she said gently. She guessed that she had asked Susan too much about Cedric.

"Susan, you don't have to tell me everything, okay? But you can trust me. If Diggory has hurt you in any way, or worse, I'll turn him into a farting music box on September 1st!" said Hermione seriously, which made Susan giggle. Hermione saw that her eyes were moist. She sat closer to Susan and put an arm around her shoulder.

"What's wrong, Susan?" she asked worriedly. Susan shook her head slightly. "Did he - oh God, did he ...," Hermione began, terrible thoughts rushing into her head, but Susan didn't let her finish.

"He didn't do anything, Hermione. Really!" she said and Hermione took a breath. But she could see that Susan was still staring down at her hands.

"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to. But I'm here for you, okay?" said Hermione gently, lifting Susan's chin with her fingers to look into her eyes. Susan nodded. Then she stood up and examined her Quidditch posters. Hermione watched her intently but said nothing more. After a few seconds, Susan took one deep breath and turned around.

"It sucked!" she exclaimed. Hermione frowned. "It felt like I was doing something wrong like I was kissing my dad!" Hermione was confused. "And not just him! It was the same with Robin Summers! What am I doing wrong, Hermione?" she asked with a pained expression. Hermione frowned and got up to go over to Susan, but she had opened the door and disappeared into the bathroom.

Hermione heard the lock click and began to worry again. She didn't want to talk out loud to Susan through the door, but she wanted to help her best friend and find out what her problem was and how she could solve it. Hermione hesitated for a moment, but when she could hear Susan sobbing from inside, she let caution be caution and opened the door with a wave of her hand, thinking 'Alohomora'. Quietly the lock clicked and she opened the door. She quickly stepped inside and closed the door behind her.

"Susan!" said Hermione, walking towards her friend who was sitting slumped on the closed toilet seat, crying. "Hey. Come on, let's get ready for bed. And if you don't want to tell me anything, that's fine. And if you do want to tell me something, I'll listen and I won't judge or blame you for anything," Hermione said softly, stroking Susan's back.

Susan took another faltering breath, but nodded and stood up. Wordlessly, she picked up her toothbrush and began to brush her teeth. Hermione stood beside her at the sink, stroked her back again and began to brush her teeth as well. When they had both re-entered Susan's room, Hermione hugged Susan once more before digging her pyjamas out of her suitcase and disappearing briefly into the bathroom to change again. When she arrived back in the room, Susan was sitting on the edge of the bed.

"Would you rather I slept in the guest bed?" asked Hermione, but Susan shook her head. Hermione then sat down beside her and put her arm around her back. But Susan seemed to want to sleep, so Hermione crawled across the bed to the other side.

"I'm sorry, Hermione," Susan said, looking at her sadly. "I've ruined the whole evening."

"You didn't. Now let's get some sleep and tomorrow we'll see what the day brings, ok? I want a rematch!" said Hermione and was glad to see Susan's smile. The two lay down and extinguished the candles that still lit the room slightly. For Hermione, after a year at Hogwarts, it had become normal to light up a room with only candlelight.

Hermione lay on her back and looked up at the ceiling through the darkness. What could have hurt Susan so much? Diggory and the other boy had done nothing wrong, Susan had said. If that was true, something else had to be the cause of Susan's sadness. She didn't want to push Susan into anything, though. If she wanted to tell, she would sooner or later.

Finally, to avoid lying awake all night thinking about it, Hermione put herself into a restful trance. The next morning, when she was tickled on the nose by the sun's rays shining into Susan's room, she awoke from her trance well rested. She heard soft breathing and something warm lay over her shoulder. After a second of being a little more awake, Hermione realised that Susan must have snuggled up to her during the night.

Her head was resting on Hermione's right shoulder and her leg was resting sideways over Hermione's hip and legs. Hermione smiled as she realised that she too had come to terms with this during the night, as her right arm wrapped around Susan's back, keeping her firmly in this cuddly position. Hermione didn't want to wake her, so she stayed as she was and closed her eyes again.

She thought back to the previous evening and speculated a little more. She had several guesses, one of which was that Diggory had done something to Susan after all and she was just afraid to tell anyone. After a while, Susan sighed softly and pulled Hermione closer to her. She then rested her hand on Hermione's upper body. Hermione had to suppress a laugh and at the same time enjoyed the surprising tingling sensation Susan's touch caused in her.

Hermione continued to lie motionless, enjoying the warmth that Susan radiated. Usually, she had only ever snuggled briefly with her parents while watching TV, but waking up like this was a nice feeling, even if it was 'only' her best friend. Susan woke suddenly and moved her head a little. She seemed to notice the position they were in and slowly rolled out of Hermione's lying embrace. Hermione stretched and opened her eyes.

"Good morning!" she said with a smile to Susan, who eyed her thoughtfully.

"Morning," Susan said and was about to get up. But Hermione was quicker and held her by the pyjamas, causing her to fall back into bed with a little shriek. They both laughed.

"Truth," Hermione said. Susan looked at her a little shyly but smiled. She sat cross-legged on the bed and thought for a moment.

"How did you get the bathroom door open yesterday? I locked it, didn't I?" asked Susan, frowning. Hermione sighed. She had hoped Susan hadn't noticed in her excitement. "Tell me! I know the lock isn't broken," she added.

"Promise me you won't tell anyone. This is really a secret now. No one can know about this," Hermione said seriously. Susan's eyes widened and she nodded.

"I promise," she said, looking at her expectantly. Hermione made a finger gesture. Susan looked at her confused for a few seconds and Hermione started to laugh. Susan hadn't noticed anything.

"Why are you laughing? Are you going to tell me or not?" said Susan, somewhat offended, but in the next moment gave a sharp squeal as she fell onto her bed from a height of about five centimetres. Hermione had stopped the levitation charm again and was doubled over in bed laughing at the puzzled-looking Susan.

"Did you - do magic? Did you levitate me? And last night Alohomora? But - where's your wand? I didn't hear anything? We're not supposed to do magic!" gushed Susan, looking increasingly incredulous.

"That's the secret you mustn't tell anyone about," Hermione said sternly, summoning the half-burnt candle on Susan's bedside table into her hand. Susan's eyes got so big that Hermione thought they were about to fall out. "I can control my magic without a wand. And cast spells without saying the formula," Hermione said. Susan shook her head in disbelief.

"And you won't get in trouble with the Ministry?" she said after about a minute of looking back and forth between Hermione's eyes and hands.

"No, the trace is on the wand. I got quite a fright when I found out, though. I thought they were going to kick me out before I even set foot in the school," Hermione said, scratching the back of her head sheepishly.

"You could do that before Hogwarts?", Susan yelled at her incredulously.

"Yes," Hermione said with a laugh.

"You're incredible," was all Susan said, shaking her head. "No wonder the Sorting Hat only had to look at you to send you to Ravenclaw!" exclaimed Susan, a little quieter again this time. Hermione smiled and nodded.

"Dare," Susan finally said, signalling to Hermione that the game was continuing.

"Not in the mood for truth yet?" asked Hermione cautiously, with a worried look on her face. "Then I'd like breakfast in bed, please," she said, sticking her tongue out at Susan teasingly. Susan laughed and nodded. After a quarter of an hour, she came back into the room with a tray on which were two plates of sandwiches and scrambled eggs. Hermione gratefully accepted one plate and promised Susan she would use a spell to hoover the crumbs out of the bed later. Susan was still shaking her head at the fact that Hermione could cast spells without a wand and nonverbally.

"Truth," Hermione said before biting into the second piece of toast. Susan eyed her thoughtfully, tilting her head slightly. Susan's face turned slightly pink as she seemed to have found her question.

"Have you had sex yet?" she asked, and Hermione almost choked on her piece of toast. She shook her head with a red face. "With yourself counts too!" said Susan with a grin and Hermione looked at her with wide eyes. Then she nodded slowly, still coughing slightly. "Oh ho! I know what I'll be asking for the next few rounds then," Susan said with a grin. Hermione put both hands over her face in embarrassment. "Truth. I know what you're going to ask. But it's what I told you yesterday. It didn't feel good to kiss Cedric or Robin," Susan said and Hermione nodded. She was glad there was nothing bad behind it.

"Dare," Hermione said teasingly, still making Susan squirm with her question.

"Show me how you do it to yourself," Susan said dryly and Hermione looked at her in disbelief. "Or pick truth and tell me about it," Susan added with a grin. Hermione sighed.

"For only playing the game for the second time, you're really good. Fair enough," Hermione said. Then she grinned mischievously at Susan and pretended to take off her pyjama bottoms. Susan hadn't expected that and Hermione laughed at her dumbfounded expression. "Just kidding. So, it's a long story. Sit back," Hermione said, telling Susan about her holiday at the mountain lodge. "You asked," Hermione said shrugging her shoulders as Susan looked at her in disbelief. Throughout her story, Susan had blushed a deep red and exhaled loudly.

"Hmm. Dare. But I'm not clearing the plates now!" said Susan and Hermione laughed.

"Kiss me," said Hermione, who had just been waiting for Susan to choose dare.

"What?" asked Susan incredulously.

"You heard me already. If Diggory wasn't good, maybe I am?" said Hermione, batting her eyelashes teasingly. She thought she knew why Susan had been so upset yesterday.

"I - please pick something else, Hermione," Susan said, looking down at her hands in shame.

"Do you think I'm ugly?" asked Hermione, pretending to be genuinely offended.

"No!" exclaimed Susan. "It's just ..." she began, but she was interrupted by Hermione.

"Then kiss me, what's the big deal? I'm your best friend," she said firmly, looking sternly at Susan. As Susan sighed and crawled towards her, Hermione grabbed her by the top and pulled her the last few inches towards her.

Susan shivered slightly as their lips touched. Hermione let go of her top and Susan dropped back into her cross-legged seat.

"Well, was it that bad?" asked Hermione, blood rushing to her face just as Susan had. "Was it as bad as with Diggory?" continued Hermione when Susan just looked at her. She shook her head wordlessly. "Are you just saying that because I'm your best friend?" asked Hermione with a serious face.

"No. It was really ...," Susan began, but her voice choked.

"Good? I thought so too," Hermione said, surprised at her own courage. She had actually expected the same thing to happen with her as Susan had with Diggory. That it would feel like she was kissing her mother. But it hadn't. Susan's soft lips had sent an electrifying wave through Hermione's body. She thought back to the mountain cabin where she had watched Amelie. Susan looked at Hermione in shock.

"It was really nice," Susan said embarrassed, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear.

"Are you going to tell me now?" asked Hermione directly.

"Tell you what?" asked Susan, confused. But Hermione came up to Susan and kissed her again, this time longer. It was her first kiss apart from the one just now and it was exactly as she had wanted it to be when she was a little girl. Except that the other pair of lips belonged not to a prince but to a princess.

"That you like women," Hermione said softly when their lips had parted again but still lingered a few inches apart. Hermione looked up into the blue eyes that were inches from hers. Susan's eyes closed again and the two melted into a third kiss. Susan threw Hermione over and sat on top of her, where she kissed her again. Then their lips parted and Susan leaned back. Hermione could feel her weight on her lap, but it didn't feel uncomfortable.

"Yes," Susan said softly. Then she looked up at the ceiling and Hermione knew she was fighting tears.

"Hey, that' s not a bad thing!" called Hermione up to her from below. Susan looked down at her, and she looked angry. A tear rolled down her cheek.

"You take truth now. Don't argue!" she said. Hermione nodded. "Did you just do that to find out if I like women?" said Susan, her lower lip quivering slightly after she asked the question. Hermione sat up under Susan and was now closer to her face again. She looked into her eyes.

"Yes. No. I mean - actually, I did, I just suspected it. But it felt good. Much better than I expected. I thought it would feel like your kiss with Diggory like I was kissing a relative," Hermione explained. She felt guilty and wondered if she had gone too far.

"So you - really thought it was good too?" asked Susan shyly. Hermione swallowed and nodded, not breaking eye contact.

"But you - like boys too, right?" asked Susan cautiously and Hermione nodded.

Susan eased back and was now lying opposite Hermione, her head stretched over the edge of her bed. Then, to Hermione's relief, she began to laugh. Hermione watched as Susan's stomach rose and fell with laughter. Then she leaned forward and took Susan's arms in both hands, pulling her back into a sitting position.

"You're not angry with me?" asked Hermione anxiously. Susan shook her head. "That kiss was great," Hermione said, feeling the blood rush to her head again.

"What did you expect? You kissed me after all!" exclaimed Susan and Hermione laughed. Susan had found her teasing ways again.

"You - are into men and women?" asked Susan hesitantly for a second.

"Apparently so!" said Hermione, laughing. Susan laughed as well.

"What you said earlier. You're not ugly, Hermione. You're beautiful," Susan said seriously when they had calmed down again.

"Thank you," Hermione said in a choked voice and she realised that now, for the first time, tears welled up in her eyes. No one had ever said that to her in such a direct way before and she realised how much it meant to her to hear it from someone who wasn't related to her. She couldn't stop the tears and so they ran down her cheeks and gathered at her chin.

Susan looked at her worriedly, but Hermione smiled. Susan pulled her into a hug and Hermione cried into her shoulder, smiling.

"If I was as beautiful as you, I wouldn't cry," Susan said and Hermione had to laugh.

"What are you talking about? You're the prettier of the two of us," Hermione said, wiping her tears with the back of her hand. Susan leaned over and gave her another soft kiss. Hermione closed her eyes and enjoyed Susan's soft lips on hers. Then she abruptly broke away from Susan.

"Susan? You're beautiful, but you're still my best friend to me," Hermione said tentatively. She was afraid of the next moment. What if she had broken Susan's heart and she kicked her out? But Susan grinned mischievously at her.

"You're still my best friend too. My best friend that feels bloody good to kiss!" she exclaimed, lunging at Hermione, who let out a surprised shriek. Susan was now sitting on Hermione again, holding her arms above her head so that Hermione was defenceless beneath her. "I have a cousin in Ireland who has a best friend with certain benefits, if you know what I mean. Will you be my best friend with benefits, Hermione?" she asked, making a kissy mouth. Hermione looked at her with wide eyes.

"Only if you promise me that we will remain best friends forever," Hermione said seriously, but could not hide a sign of excitement as Susan's eyes began to sparkle. Susan nodded and lowered her head down to kiss her. They melted together and Hermione closed her eyes. She couldn't stop a lustful sigh as she thought again of Amelie and their holiday in the mountains. Susan broke away from her and looked at her a little anxiously.

"I don't know if I'm ready for that yet, Hermione," she said softly, looking into her eyes. Hermione giggled and shook her head. She gathered all her strength and reared back, trying to escape Susan's grasp. Susan laughed and released her.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be so loud, but I was thinking about my winter holiday," Hermione said with an apologetic expression and Susan's eyes twinkled.

"I wish I'd experienced something hot like that too," Susan said, sitting down on the edge of the bed.

"You just did!" said Hermione and they both laughed. "Listen. We'll decide together where the benefits start and stop, okay?" she said seriously to Susan, who smiled.

"Thank you, Hermione. For all of this. You're great," Susan said.

"So are you. Now let's go play Quidditch before we start crying again!" shouted Hermione and stood up.

"Deal!" exclaimed Susan and began to undress. Hermione looked at her with wide eyes. "What, never seen a naked woman before?" said Susan, spinning on the spot with her arms spread out.

"Yes, I have, I told you!" said Hermione laughing and taking off the top of her pyjamas.

"Never seen a naked woman before?" said Hermione, mimicking the tone in which Susan had said the words.

"No. You're only half naked," Susan replied dryly and Hermione laughed. This time it was Susan's eyes that grew wide at Hermione's naked appearance. "You - are shaved," Susan said, blushing slightly.

"Hair removal spell," Hermione said, turning now just as Susan had done.

"Wow. Does that hurt?" asked Susan, and Hermione shook her head.

"I'd leave a little on if I were you, blonde suits you!" said Hermione and they both giggled.

After they had dressed and freshened up, they ran laughing to the shed where their brooms were stowed. They spent the rest of the morning playing Quidditch on the branch fork they had chosen as a goal the day before.

Around noon, something black suddenly sailed into Hermione's field of vision and she greeted Lancelot a moment later, who settled on her broomstick mid-flight. Hermione flew a circle with him until he spread his wings and sailed through the air again on his own.

As Hermione flew towards the ground, where Susan was already waiting for her, the raven followed her and sailed alongside her towards the ground. When she arrived, she held out her arm and Lancelot settled on it.

"You seem to be comfortable here, have you found enough to eat?" asked Hermione and Lancelot crowed happily. She read the latter from his emotions. "Don't cause any trouble though, will you?" called Hermione after the raven that was already taking off again. Susan giggled.

"You really are Ravenclaw personified!" she said teasingly and Hermione grinned. The two of them grabbed a snack from the Bones' bursting fridge, which, to Hermione's amazement, had a spell cooling the food. Hermione looked at the enchanted item with interest. She had not yet learned how items remained permanently enchanted.

"Dare," Hermione said as they lay down on a picnic blanket in Susan's garden, looking at the blue sky above them.

"I won't say no to that," Susan said, turning her head to Hermione. Hermione understood and also turned her head to give Susan a kiss. It felt heavenly to feel those soft lips on her own as a warm summer breeze danced over her body.

"I didn't think I'd have 'that kind' of holiday again so soon," Hermione said in a crooning voice. Susan giggled.

"It's not 'that kind' of holiday yet if I understood you correctly earlier," she said, looking up at the sky again. Hermione giggled.

"Truth," Susan said casually as if she had spotted an interesting cloud shape.

"Are you really comfortable with this?" asked Hermione, not taking her eyes off the sky.

"With you and the benefits? Absolutely!" said Susan and Hermione smiled.

"Dare," Hermione said again.

"You just want to kiss me again, just you wait!" said Susan laughing. "Take off your robe," she added, turning her face to Hermione again with a grin.

"Out here?" asked Hermione in surprise, looking around. "No one lives here for five miles. And did you say dare or not?" retorted Susan teasingly.

"Never mind!" exclaimed Hermione, playfully annoyed, and took off her summer robe. Underneath she wore only her knickers. Bras were non-existent in the wizarding world and Hermione didn't shed a tear for her first bras, which she had bought with her mother.

The wind brushed against her bare skin and Hermione's nipples stiffened. A comforting shiver ran down her spine. She looked around again but saw no one and lay down beside Susan again.

"Truth," the said again, grinning mischievously at Hermione, who pouted at her.

"What were you thinking about last time you did it to yourself?" asked Hermione, grinning triumphantly as Susan blushed beside her.

"About your prefect," Susan said, her face turning an ever darker shade of red.

"Penelope? Yeah, she's really pretty," Hermione said, thinking of the blonde girl with her long curly hair and blue eyes. The two of them began to laugh. "What's got into us anyway?" said Hermione a little absently as she looked at the fleecy clouds and enjoyed the wind on her bare skin.

"You started it, remember?" asked Susan with a mischievous smile.

"Like it was yesterday," Hermione replied dryly and Susan rolled her eyes theatrically. Then she began to giggle.

"You don't realise how perfect you are, do you? You're lucky we didn't just meet," Susan said, looking Hermione in the eye with a smile.

"If you keep flattering me like that, I'll reconsider," Hermione said. "You should take your clothes off too, it's lovely!" she said dreamily, stroking her stomach with her fingertips.

"Your turn first," Susan said, twitching her eyebrows teasingly.

"Dare," Hermione said.

"Make yourself bald!" exclaimed Susan, laughing at the thought of a hairless Hermione.

"I can't do that, once removed I can't bring the hair back!" said Hermione.

"Oh, then I want you to braid my hair the way you wear it," said Susan after a short pause.

"Can do!" exclaimed Hermione, commanding Susan to turn around with a circling motion of her hand. Susan was already wearing a braid, however, this was her normal hairstyle, a single side braid laid over one shoulder. Hermione removed the ribbon holding the braid together and untangled the hair. She began to braid the Dutch plait, which, like her own, started at the top of the hairline. The rest of the braid she wove with the charm she now used to braid her own hair every day. Within seconds, the long blonde hair was done and Hermione secured the braid with the ribbon again.

"Done," Hermione said, grinning as Susan turned to her in disbelief. She pouted a little.

"I was just going to lean on you," she said with feigned sadness. Hermione laughed.

"Your turn," Hermione said.

"Dare, or you'll never give it a rest," Susan said.

"Take your clothes off too and enjoy the wind on your skin with me!" said Hermione with her arms outstretched to the sky and a sing-song in her voice. Susan giggled and pulled her robe over her head. Hermione looked down at the slender blonde, who was remarkably developed for her age. Her gaze lingered on her breasts. Susan's nipples were also responding to the wind on her skin.

"You have great breasts," Hermione thought aloud and Susan laughed.

"My eyes are up here, Madam!" she teased Hermione, playfully covering her breasts with her hands. Hermione laughed and dropped back onto the blanket.

"So, just a question. When are your parents coming back?" asked Hermione.

"Are you afraid they'll see your boobs?" asked Susan with a grin. Hermione's face turned slightly pink.

"They won't come until it's time for dinner. They've got that dragon to ship, or whatever. Besides, they're apparating to work, so they'll be back at the garden gate. I'll let you know if they make a sudden appearance," Susan said with a dismissive wave of her hand and Hermione giggled.

"Dare then," Hermione said with a mischievous grin that now made Susan blush.

"You're really going for it, hmm?" said Susan thoughtfully. "I want to lie down with you like I did this morning," she said and Hermione smiled and stretched her arm up invitingly for Susan to lie on her shoulder.

"That's nice," Hermione said, closing her eyes.

"Don't fall asleep or my parents will really surprise us!" said Susan.

"I don't care," Hermione said sleepily.

"That happened quickly," Susan said with a laugh. She stood up again and pulled the sulking Hermione up by her arms. "Off to bed!" said Susan laughing and gathering up their clothes. Hermione smiled and went ahead into the house. In Susan's bed this time it was Hermione who wanted to lie on Susan's shoulder. Hermione locked the door with a wave of her hand and lay down on Susan's soft skin. In the blink of an eye, both of their eyes had fallen shut.

Hermione woke up to a giggle that had its origin very close to her ear. She opened her eyes and looked up at Susan who was grinning at her.

"You've made yourself comfortable," she said and Hermione didn't understand until she followed Susan's gaze. Her free hand had clasped Susan's right breast. Hermione grinned.

"Can you blame me?" she said, kissing the piece of skin from Susan's shoulder that was closest to her mouth.

"Mhh," Susan sighed. Hermione lifted her head.

"You're not ready, remember?" she said teasingly and Susan grinned sheepishly.

"How am I supposed to make it two weeks with sexy Hermione in my bed?" she said.

"Have you ever put yourself in my shoes?" asked Hermione, punctuating her words by squeezing the breast still encircled by her hand. Susan sighed and closed her eyes.

"God, I really can't do this for two weeks," she said, looking pleadingly at Hermione. Hermione grinned and took her hand off Susan's chest.

"Let's see how long you can hold out," she said, rolling to her side to get out of bed.

"Mind if I use your bathtub?" asked Hermione.

"You think so, huh? Only under my supervision! If I have to do without, so do you," said Susan, who had jumped up. Hermione rolled her eyes affectedly and bit her lower lip.

"Stop that!" said Susan, her eyes wide.

"Stop what?" asked Hermione.

"If you bite your bottom lip like that again, nothing can stop me," said Susan and Hermione could see in her eyes what she herself was feeling. Longing for release. She commanded Susan with a motion of her index finger to come with her. Susan stood up and Hermione unlocked the door with a wave of her hand. Susan ran Hermione a bath and got into the shower across the room herself.

By the time she had finished, Hermione had just stepped into the warm water covered in foam. She was enjoying the relaxing effect of the water on her muscles, which were a little sore from the unaccustomed amount of Quidditch practice. Susan stepped out of the shower and was stretching for a towel when a pleasant warmth enveloped her.

"Thank you!" she said, stretching her arms out so that the heating sphere could dry her skin better.

"I can't have me being the only one here naked, can I?" said Hermione, smiling. Susan shook her head, giggling, and began to braid her hair again.

"Do you need any help?" asked Hermione after she had opened her eyes again and watched Susan braid it.

"No, thank you," Susan said.

"Alright, that way I can admire your bum for longer," Hermione said teasingly, laughing as Susan wiggled it towards her.

"What's wrong with us since this morning anyway?" asked Susan after they had both regained their composure.

"Wrong you call it?" asked Hermione, playfully indignant.

"You're a bad influence," Susan said, but couldn't stop an amused snort.

"So technically you started tonight when you snuggled up with me," Hermione said, giggling as Susan froze in the act of braiding her pigtail. She was turning slightly pink.

"I actually didn't do that consciously, I was quite surprised when I woke up," Susan explained her nightly wandering on Hermione's shoulder.

"I hope I get to sleep on your shoulder tonight to make up for it," Hermione said, grinning at Susan who was smiling at her in the mirror. She nodded and continued braiding her hair. There was silence for a while as Susan concentrated on perfecting her hair.

"If you do that, you'll be sleeping on the floor for the next two weeks!" she said as her gaze wandered up in the mirror for a brief moment.

"Killjoy!" exclaimed Hermione, levitating the water-filled bowl she had silently hovered over Susan's head back towards the bathtub. But the threat had had its effect. Hermione wanted to sleep in only one place in the Bones' house. In Susan's bed.

Susan was putting lotion on her skin after tying her black and yellow ribbon to the end of her braid. Hermione got out of the tub and let a heating sphere dry her off as well.

"I envy you, Hermione," Susan said at the effortless wandless magic.

"I envy you," Hermione said with a grin as she smacked Susan's bum from behind. Susan laughed and opened the door to go to her room. Hermione followed her after she had applied lotion as well. When she thought the lotion had soaked in enough, she slipped into her light summer robe without putting on her panties. Susan whistled and did likewise. Hermione felt a slight tingle at the thought that only she knew Susan was wearing nothing under her robe.

"Look, your parents are coming home!" exclaimed Hermione, pointing out of the window where Mrs and Mr Bones were just coming up the little gravel path. Susan took a quick look around her room and quickly made the bed before pulling Hermione out of the room by the hand.

"Hello, you two! I'm glad we didn't have to pick you up at St Mungo's. Well, how was your day?" asked Susan's mother with a smile, taking off her travelling cloak as she came in.

"We flew most of the day!" exclaimed Susan excitedly.

"And we did a bit of sunbathing, it was a lovely day," Hermione added. Susan's parents smiled at them, pleased that their daughter had had a good time. A little later, the four of them sat at the dining table. They had the roast duck again, for Susan's mother had cooked a portion for two days.

After dinner, Hermione and Susan helped their mother with the washing up. Actually, Mrs Bones didn't need the help, but Hermione wanted to make herself useful and return the hospitality. In the evening, the four of them played a magical card game, which Hermione liked very much. The cards were enchanted in such a way that they pinched you, or, for example, secreted a slimy liquid if you didn't react quickly enough to your opponents. They had all laughed tears when Susan's head had been enveloped by a green cloud of a particularly nasty card that smelled like rotten eggs.

Tired from their eventful day, Susan and Hermione said goodbye after the second round. The two went to brush their teeth and put on their pyjamas, neither of them omitting to watch the other do so. Hermione saw Lancelot sitting on the windowsill and opened the window for him.

"Would you like to sleep here?" asked Hermione, getting the answer from his thoughts as well as the delighted crowing. She pulled out his woolly beanie and prepared it for him on Susan's desk. Immediately, when Hermione had finished, he hopped into it and settled into the soft cap.

"He's so cute," Susan said with a smile.

"Don't say that too often or he'll start to get an attitude!" said Hermione and they both laughed as Lancelot, as Hermione had expected, raised his beak indignantly and closed his eyes. "Goodnight, sweetie," Hermione said softly and gave him a kiss on the head. From his feelings, she sensed the love she herself felt for her mother.

Happily, she walked over to the bed where Susan was already tucked in. Hermione yawned and stretched. She was really exhausted from her exciting day with Susan. She lay down next to Susan and crawled under her covers with her instead of her own. Susan giggled and tickled Hermione's tummy briefly. Then she turned her head and looked into Hermione's eyes.

"Thank you for everything, Hermione," she said, smiling. "You're the best friend I could ask for," she added.

"With benefits!" said Hermione with a grin, closing the gap between them with a small kiss on Susan's soft lips. Susan grinned too and took a deep breath. Hermione didn't know why she was rushing forward so dominantly with Susan. Usually, it had always been her way to wait and see what others did. But Susan teased her, just as Amelie had done. She hadn't known it in the winter, but it had been Amelie she had wanted to see, to share her feelings.

"Hermione?" said Susan, interrupting Hermione's mental leap to the cosy cottage in the Alps. "Will you kiss me goodnight?" asked Susan shyly. Hermione giggled and rolled over Susan. They melted into a long kiss that sent tingles through Hermione's body. After moving her lips inches away from Susan's, Hermione whispered, "Goodnight," and rested her head on Susan's shoulder as she cuddled up to her side. She put her leg over Susan's hip and moved her head, sighing softly, to find the perfect position. Susan put her arm around Hermione's torso and so after a few moments, they both fell asleep snuggled close together.

Hermione was awoken the next morning by a soft knock. It was Lancelot, tapping his beak against the window. Hermione tried not to wake Susan and got up to let him out.

"Good morning," she whispered and stroked his back before quietly opening the window. He hopped out and flew away. Hermione turned and looked at Susan, who was still asleep in bed like an angel.

"This wouldn't be a bad time to provide unnoticed release," Hermione thought and a shiver spread through her body. She dismissed the thought, however, and crawled back under the warm covers to Susan, who sighed softly and turned onto her side. Hermione snuggled close behind her and hugged her upper body from behind.

Susan lifted her head slightly in her half-sleep so that Hermione could get her arm underneath. She pulled Susan close to her and enjoyed the warmth radiating from her. Hermione couldn't sleep anymore, so she reflected on the last day. It was crazy how fast everything had gone. From a silly idea to help her friend admit to her interests, to discovering her own.

She thought about what it would be like at Hogwarts. Many students were open about their relationships and it was also known that individuality was valued in the school. There was even a couple of two male students who were completely open about their relationship. Apart from a few Slytherins, no one seemed to have a problem with it, very different from the Muggle world, Hermione thought to herself.

Hermione was glad that most wizards were tolerant and friendly. It would possibly be difficult for Susan to find someone suitable at Hogwarts, but that also meant Hermione could enjoy the benefits of their arrangement for a while longer. Hermione grinned. Like being on holiday at the cottage, she didn't recognise herself. There was something about Amelie and Susan that drove her wild. She felt an irrepressible desire to touch Susan, to kiss her. But she also felt fear for the friendship she didn't want to destroy.

It would take a lot out of her to wait until Susan was ready to enjoy the benefits to the fullest, but she firmly resolved not to push too far. At Hogwarts, it would be hard to get as close as they did here anyway. She would be taking private lessons again and besides, there were few places in the school where one was truly undisturbed.

She wanted to enjoy every minute with Susan until they were separated again by their houses at school. Hermione closed her eyes happily. The warmth of Susan's body was balm to her soul. After about half an hour, during which Hermione had dozed some more, Susan moved. She pushed her bum towards Hermione, who pulled Susan even closer to herself.

"Good morning," Hermione whispered and breathed a kiss into Susan's neck. She shivered and Hermione could see the fine hairs on the back of her neck stand up. She did it again and Susan pushed her bottom towards Hermione again, sighing. Hermione grinned. She leaned forward over Susan's face and gave her a little kiss on the cheek.

"Morning," Susan said, smiling contentedly before opening her eyes. "I don't want to get up," she said, yawning. Hermione giggled and dropped back onto her side.

"Are you hungry? I can make us breakfast," she offered and Susan nodded eagerly. Hermione gave her another peck on the cheek and then got up to go to the kitchen. Since Susan's parents were back at work, Hermione was able to use all her magic to prepare a nice English breakfast.

With each hand, she directed pans and their contents. It was very pleasant not having to touch anything. Susan's eyes widened when first a tray with two plates floated through the door before Hermione came into the room half a metre behind. Hungrily, the two enjoyed their breakfast.

"Really yummy!" said Susan with bright eyes and Hermione smiled. When they had both finished eating, Hermione floated the plates and tray onto the desk.

"Fly first, or truth or dare first?" asked Susan and Hermione laughed.

"Truth," she replied and slumped back into the pillows.

"Is there a boy at Hogwarts you could imagine yourself with?" asked Susan. Hermione thought about it for a moment.

"Not really, no one really caught my eye," she finally said. Susan looked a little disappointed but nodded. She too started with truth.

"Why did you kiss Diggory and the other boy? Didn't you know you liked girls?" asked Hermione and Susan looked a little sad.

"I think I wanted to force it a bit. Somehow I believed it was just a phase. I've always thought of women as being very pretty, but it didn't seem special to me. I do think some guys like Diggory are pretty. But nothing more than that," she explained, raising her arms in perplexity. "Until our kiss. That's when I realised how good it could feel. I was getting a bit resigned after the two boys and thought it always felt so lame," she added, smiling at Hermione. "Thanks again for opening my eyes and showing me that I don't have to pretend," she finally said, pointing at Hermione to signify that it was her turn again.

"Dare," Hermione said.

"Take off your pyjamas," Susan said, biting her bottom lip lightly. Hermione smiled and took off her top first and then her pants. She crossed her legs so Susan couldn't see all of her right away.

"Dare," Susan said and Hermione immediately instructed her to undress as well. Grinning mischievously, Susan took off her pyjama bottoms first. Susan also crossed her legs and it was Hermione's turn again. She picked truth.

"How far are you willing to go with our benefits?" asked Susan and a pleasant shiver ran down Hermione's spine. She closed her eyes for a moment and answered.

"God, right now I'm about to explode just thinking about all the things I want to do to you," Hermione said, letting her hands gently run over her stomach. When she opened her eyes, she saw Susan watching her hands with a red head.

"Truth," Susan said and Hermione asked her the same question. Susan looked a little uncertain.

"I'm not sure, I think I'd like to take small steps. We still have almost two weeks," she said, looking shyly at Hermione, who nodded with a smile.

"I'll do anything you want. And when you want it," Hermione said, looking at Susan seriously to signal that she wasn't going to force her to do anything. Susan sighed in relief and Hermione watched Susan's nipples stiffen. Again a pleasurable feeling spread through her.

"Dare," Hermione said, eagerly waiting to see what Susan would ask her to do.

"I want a kiss with tongue," Susan said, coming towards Hermione. Hermione leaned forward and closed her eyes as their lips touched. Hermione allowed Susan's tongue entrance into her mouth and sighed as this new sensation sent shivers through her body.

She could now clearly feel herself becoming wet. Susan moaned into her mouth and gently stroked Hermione's cheek with the back of her hand. Neither of them wanted the kiss to end. After what felt like an eternity, Hermione broke away because she had begun to tremble with arousal. Susan leaned back again and was now sitting opposite her once more.

"Dare!" said Hermione aloud, unable to stop a tone that sounded pleading with arousal.

"I ..." said Susan, hesitating for a moment. "I want to watch," Susan said and Hermione looked into Susan's eyes for a moment to check that she had understood her correctly. Susan bit her lower lip lasciviously and nodded, whereupon Hermione exhaled with pleasure and relief and opened her legs. Susan watched her with shining eyes while Hermione first briefly massaged her breasts before letting her hands wander lower. Hermione dropped any inhibitions and moaned as she massaged herself with trembling legs in front of her friend.

"You're so sexy," Susan said softly, watching Hermione spellbound. It didn't take Hermione long to arrive at the edge after the preliminary teasing, which had now been going on for a day. Her whole body trembled and with her eyes closed, she let the orgasm roll over her. Several times her hip twitched and her breath caught in her throat.

It was the longest orgasm she had ever had. After what felt like minutes, during which waves of pleasant tingling surged through her body, again and again, she slowly came to rest. Still trembling slightly, she looked into Susan's eyes, who was staring at her. Hermione blushed slightly but was not ashamed. She had done exactly what she had been asked to do. The fact that Susan was sitting so close to her, watching everything, had further aroused her.

"That was the most beautiful thing I've ever seen," Susan said somewhat breathlessly. Hermione sighed and relaxed into the cushions.

"Thank you, Susan. I don't think I could have held out much longer," Hermione said and Susan smiled. "Your turn!" she said, sticking her tongue out at Susan teasingly.

"I know, and I'm a little afraid to pick dare," Susan said shyly.

"You don't have to do anything you don't want to, Susan. But honestly, you look just like I felt earlier. Ready for release," Hermione said. Susan closed her eyes. She looked like she was struggling with herself.

"Dare," Susan finally said, and Hermione smiled.

"Do what you want," Hermione said.

"No, you tell me what to do," she said, looking Hermione long in the eye.

"Caress your stomach," Hermione said, after trying to interpret what Susan meant exactly. Susan dropped onto her back and gently massaged her stomach.

"Go on," Susan said and Hermione was momentarily surprised. Apparently, for Susan, the task was not yet done.

"I want you to massage those pretty breasts of yours," Hermione said, sitting up a little straighter so she could see Susan fully. Susan bit her lower lip lightly and massaged her breasts as she sighed softly with her eyes closed. Hermione was unsure how far to go, as Susan had seemed indecisive several times.

To get a better overview of the situation, she read Susan's feelings and thoughts for the first time. She exhaled sharply as she sensed Susan's arousal. Everything Hermione received from Susan screamed for more.

"Show me," she said firmly. Susan's legs flew apart, revealing her wet pussy. Hermione smiled at the instant execution of her command. But she could tell from Susan's emotions that she liked this commanding tone. She paused for a moment, taking in the scenery. She was fascinated by how different Susan's vulva looked compared to her own. Until now, she had only really been able to look at herself from this close-up in her memory.

"You are beautiful," Hermione said. "Look into my eyes," she said softly and Susan's eyes opened again. "Sit with me," Hermione said, tapping her hand beside her where she leaned against the head of the bed. Susan straightened up and came to Hermione, who pulled her into a long kiss before letting Susan take a seat beside her. "Are you alright?" asked Hermione, looking at Susan with some concern. She didn't want to force her into anything. Susan sighed and nodded vigorously. "Then I want you to get some release," Hermione said, leaning sideways against Susan who was sitting there with her legs wide apart.

Instantly Susan's hand went between her legs. Hermione gave her light kisses on her shoulder and neck, making Susan shiver each time. Hermione took Susan's free hand and clasped it tightly in her own. "Come for me," Hermione whispered softly in Susan's ear. She could sense from Susan's emotions the wave of arousal the words had caused. "Please," Hermione continued to whisper and Susan shivered violently. She moaned loudly and squeezed Hermione's hand tightly as she was shaken by her orgasm. Hermione watched her in fascination and covered her neck with soft kisses again until Susan calmed down. "Thank you for your trust," Hermione said, smiling at the still speechless Susan, who relaxed into the pillows and signalled Hermione to lie with her.

"That was perfect," she finally said, pulling Hermione into a tender kiss. "I can't believe I'm so lucky to have you," she said softly and Hermione smiled.

"Stop it Susan, or I really will fall in love with you," Hermione said teasingly, kissing the patch of skin on her shoulder where her head now rested.

"Don't joke, our friendship has to survive this. But for me, that was just pure pleasure," Susan said and Hermione agreed with her. The two cuddled for quite a while until they decided to shower and play some Quidditch. After the release, Hermione felt much better and was able to enjoy flying to the fullest.

They tried a manoeuvre that Susan knew from her favourite team. It was not easy, because they had to pass the quaffle back and forth quickly and catch it behind their backs at the end. After several attempts, they managed it and cheered profusely high up in the air. Afterwards, Hermione wanted to watch Susan throwing to study her technique.

She could tell at what stage of the throw she herself lost the most power and tried as best she could to imitate Susan. She was getting better but was getting more tired as time went on and so the two of them landed to make themselves something to eat.

"Shall we cook something for your parents? They looked so tired yesterday and your mum hasn't prepared anything for today, has she?" asked Hermione as they surveyed the contents of the fridge.

"Great idea! Mum will be thrilled," Susan replied enthusiastically. Hermione looked around the fridge and got an idea.

"My mum makes great Cornish pasties. She got the recipe from my great-grandmother. I've helped her with it many times, should we try it?" asked Hermione and Susan nodded.

"Do you guys have a pantry? You have everything in the fridge except flour for the batter and some spices," Hermione said and Susan showed her to the pantry where they found the rest of the ingredients. Hermione talked through the recipe with Susan once and gave her the choice of which preparations she wanted to do. While Susan cut the vegetables and meat and Hermione mixed the dough, the two talked about their respective pasts.

Susan told Hermione what it was like growing up in a wizarding family and Hermione had stories to tell about how different the Muggle world was, of which Susan knew only a fraction. Again and again, the two laughed at each other's tales.

"There, all set now," Hermione said finally, clapping her hands to get rid of the flour sticking to them. "Do you think your parents will be here soon? They were home by this time yesterday," Hermione asked.

"No problem, I'll ask quickly," said Susan and ran to the fireplace where she took a handful of powder from a large bag.

"Is that Floo Powder?" asked Hermione, intrigued. Until now she had only read and heard about this method of communication used by wizards. Susan nodded and threw the powder into the flames, which flared green.

"Office of Magical Transportation, Chimney 42, Ministry of Magic," Susan said aloud and then stuck her head into the flames. Hermione grinned at the amusing sight. There was her friend sitting in front of the fireplace, sticking her bum out at her while her head disappeared into the flames. Hermione grinned and knelt down next to Susan, who was probably still talking to her parents or a department official.

She briefly considered doing it, but the opportunity might never come again. With a mischievous grin, she pulled Susan's robe up so that her pretty bare bottom was now exposed. Hermione gently stroked it and gave Susan's left cheek a little kiss before pulling the robe back down. Susan's head was still in the fire and Hermione couldn't suppress a laugh at the idea that Susan had just been talking to her unsuspecting parents while Hermione had been kissing her bum. She got up and sat down on the couch to wait for Susan. After about a minute, she pulled her head out of the flames, which died down again.

"Are you insane?" asked Susan, and Hermione looked at her guiltily. She put her index finger between her teeth and looked at Susan with an apologetic expression, but couldn't hide her grin. Susan laughed and shook her head.

"My parents asked why I stopped talking in the middle of a sentence. I just managed to come up with an excuse," she said, putting her hands on her hips.

"I couldn't resist, sorry," Hermione said still grinning.

"Don't be, it felt bloody good. Only I wouldn't have expected it on the Floo Network!" said Susan, smiling. Hermione was glad she wasn't mad at her. "Still, I don't know if I'll let you sleep in my bed again after what you did," she said teasingly and Hermione laughed.

"As if you could bear that," she replied and Susan stuck her tongue out at her.

"Back to the real reason I stuck my head in the fire. They'll be home in an hour. I haven't told them about dinner yet, will we be able to make it?" told Susan, looking questioningly at Hermione. Hermione smiled and nodded. She jumped up and went into the kitchen to heat the oven. She placed the prepared pasties on a tray, which was part of the old-fashioned oven that still used fire.

She had to light the fire without magic, as she had only managed elemental spells with the wand so far. It was very difficult, for example, to let a jet of water spring from her finger. When the oven was warm enough, she levitated the baking tray into it.

"Now to clean the kitchen," Hermione said, walking over to the flour-covered table. She made the flour disappear with the cleaning spell and cleaned the rest of the kitchen with magic, much to the delight of Susan, who usually had to clean by hand when her parents were away.

The surprise was written all over Susan's parents' faces when they came through the door and were met by a wonderful aroma. Susan's mother clapped her hands and thanked Hermione and her daughter profusely. She took over taking the pasties out of the oven as Hermione now had to hold back on the magic again. It turned out to be a happy evening where Susan's mother in particular was able to switch off as Susan and Hermione insisted on doing the washing up.

"Should we go for a little evening flight?" suggested Susan, pointing to the sky bathed in evening glow. Hermione nodded eagerly. Susan's parents urged them to be careful, for it could quickly become confusing on the broom in the dark. They promised not to fly for too long and pushed off into the pleasantly cool evening air a few moments later.

Hermione enjoyed the sight of the red horizon and flew just for fun. It was very relaxing to fly with Susan for a little tour over the countryside where lanterns and windows were gradually lighting up. When the sky on the horizon was only slightly bluish dark, the two decided to fly home before they could lose their bearings in the complete darkness. Back home, they put the brooms in the shed and went to the house where the lights had already gone out.

"My parents must have gone to sleep already," Susan said.

"Or, they've gone 'to sleep'," Hermione said with a grin, emphasising the word sleep very clearly.

"Why, Hermione? Why?" asked Susan, closing her eyes briefly as she understood what Hermione meant. Hermione giggled and opened the door. They both paused for a moment to listen in the silence after closing the door behind them. But nothing could be heard. Giggling, the two went upstairs to brush their teeth. Hermione then let Lancelot in, who was already waiting for them on the windowsill. He settled down in his cap and closed his eyes on the spot.

"Must have been an eventful day," Hermione said and Susan giggled. They lit a few more candles so they wouldn't have to sit in the dark.

"That was a great day," Susan said after they had both changed and sat down in the big bed.

"Especially the morning," Hermione said, playfully twitching her eyebrows.

"Oh yes," Susan said and sighed.

"You'll have to tell me if you need it, Hermione. I don't want you to suffer like this again," Susan said and Hermione's face turned slightly pink.

"But it also led to the most intense orgasm I've ever had. So maybe it wasn't so bad," she said and Susan grinned.

"So you mean you want me to make you squirm for two days again?" she asked teasingly and Hermione shook her head vigorously, causing them both to laugh.

"And you need to tell me what you want, okay? I think we've played enough truth or dare. I'm running out of stories and questions," Hermione said.

"We can just play dare if you like," Susan said with a grin.

"Not a bad idea," Hermione said grinning. "Now?" she asked and Susan shook her head, yawning. Hermione was infected by her yawn and stretched contentedly. "But I do get a goodnight kiss, don't I?" asked Hermione, making a pout.

"Oh, of course, you poor thing!" she said, leaning in to Hermione, whereupon they melted into a long kiss. "Good night! Sweet dreams," she said, sliding her hand along Hermione's body once. Hermione sighed and raised her right arm for Susan to lie with her. Susan blew out the candle and lay on Hermione's shoulder. She decided to visit her mind library that night to file away the memories and review some of the school material she had already read once for the next year before visiting Susan. She had to restrain herself from looking again at the memory of the morning with Susan.

"At Hogwarts, maybe, when I'm lonely," she thought to herself and set to work. She had noticed at the beginning of the school year that even her motor skills, like flying, were represented by shelves in the library. Her training with Susan had enabled her to file new books, so it seemed to be bearing fruit.

She was reading one of Gilderoy Lockhart's books in her comfy wing chair when the book in front of her became transparent. She realised she was waking up and put it down. She folded her hands together and was suddenly shaken in her chair as if a sudden earthquake had struck.

She wondered because this had never happened before when she woke up. Once again her chair shook and she was suddenly hit by a wave of arousal as she woke up. She sighed and exhaled sharply as she opened her eyes. Susan was still in her arms as they had fallen asleep. Except her hand had disappeared into Hermione's pyjama bottoms, massaging her in slow circular motions.

"Good morning, sleepyhead," Susan breathed beside her ear. Hermione closed her eyes and moaned at the new sensation of stimulation. She moved her pelvis towards Susan's fingers and drew in a sharp breath as Susan slowly slid a finger inside her.

"Oh my God," was all she managed to moan. Susan giggled at the muggle expression and continued to massage her as she kissed Hermione's neck. Slowly she let her finger slide through her moisture and Hermione thought she was going to explode any second.

"Do you like my morning greeting?" asked Susan softly against her ear and Hermione moaned loudly in arousal. She lifted her upper body to remove her top. Immediately, as she freed the skin, her breasts were littered with kisses. Hermione couldn't think. It wasn't long before the orgasm announced itself. "You have to be quiet, my parents are still home," Susan whispered, giggling as she slid her finger in and out of Hermione faster and faster.

Hermione pressed her hand over her mouth to muffle her loud orgasm. Her pelvis twitched and Susan let her finger slowly circle inside Hermione to intensify her orgasm. Hermione sighed and let her hands roam over her body, which was tingling as if all parts of her body had fallen asleep.

"That was magical, thank you," she said softly and opened her eyes. Susan answered her with a kiss. Hermione pulled her towards her so that she was now sitting on top of her. Her hands went under Susan's top and cupped her breasts.

"Mhh," Susan sighed and closed her eyes.

"I won't let you get up without returning the favour," Hermione said and Susan nodded with her eyes closed. She massaged Susan's breasts extensively, eliciting longer and longer sighs from her. She let one hand wander lower and gently massaged Susan's flat stomach. Susan bit her lower lip excitedly and took off her pyjama top.

Hermione performed a levitation spell on Susan and bent down to remove her pants. Susan let out a small whoop when she realised she was levitating. Hermione slipped the trousers over her still bent legs and kissed her stomach below her belly button before lowering her back down on top of her. Susan was now kneeling over her pelvis again, massaging her own breasts.

"I didn't think you'd want to take it a step further so soon," Hermione said teasingly, placing her thumb on Susan's most sensitive spot. She shivered and her pelvis instantly began to move back and forth on Hermione's thumb. Hermione smiled and increased the pressure slightly, which was commented on by a loud moan from Susan. She seemed to have forgotten that her parents were still at home.

"Shh," Hermione made with a giggle and Susan turned red in the face. She didn't stop sliding back and forth on Hermione's thumb though. Hermione increased the pressure again and began to connect with Susan's feelings, sharing in her arousal. She kept sliding her thumb left and right, making Susan shiver with each movement. She quickened as Hermione's thumb pressed against her pearl and Hermione could tell it was about to happen.

She bent over and with her free hand covered Susan's mouth, who was immediately shaken by her orgasm. Hermione surrounded one of Susan's nipples with her lips and nibbled on it lightly, which made her shiver even more. Her friend's movements slowed and so Hermione removed her hand from her mouth, which immediately found her other breast. A moment later she pulled Susan down to her, enjoying the soft and warm skin that was now resting comfortably on her own.

"That was hot," Hermione whispered, nibbling Susan's earlobe. Susan dropped exhausted onto Hermione, who hugged her tightly.

"I thought to myself, why wait and waste precious time. After all, every day before Hogwarts is precious," Susan said, which made Hermione laugh. "What? I'm right and you know it!" she said, giggling. She gave Hermione a kiss and sat up. "Hermione, would you do me a favour?" she said, looking at Hermione a little shyly.

"Of course," Hermione replied with a smile, wondering what else Susan could be asking of her.

"Can you remove my hair too? You felt so great, perfectly smooth," she said, looking at Hermione with flashing eyes. Hermione laughed and nodded.

"But not all of it, I like the blonde hair above your pretty pussy," Hermione said and Susan blushed. A moment later Susan only had hair where Hermione thought was good. She lightly stroked her fingers over the areas where Hermione had used the spell.

"That's great, you'll have to teach me that spell at Hogwarts," Susan said and Hermione nodded with a smile.

"Now let's go and have a shower or we'll have to do a second round," Hermione said with a mischievous grin and offered Susan her hands to pull her up from the bed to her. They spent the rest of the day practising Quidditch and taking a trip to Diagon Alley, where Hermione travelled by Floo Powder for the first time. She had some respect for it after learning from Harry that he had ended up in the gloomy Nocturn Alley because he had slurred his speech.

But she made it unscathed and, coughing up ash, patted off the light layer of soot that had settled on her robe as she stepped out of the fireplace. Flea powder would not become her favoured method of travel. They ate ice cream at Florean Fortescue's ice cream parlour, tried on some robes at Madam Malkin's, looked around Gambol and Japes Wizarding Joke Shop, and finally browsed through the Quidditch shop where the new Nimbus 2001 was on display.

The two of them had stood in front of the perfectly crafted broom with bright eyes. Susan had finally bought a book introducing flying manoeuvres and Quidditch tactics, which she planned to work through with Hermione for the rest of the holidays. When the two arrived back home, they made themselves comfortable on Susan's bed and snuggled until Susan's parents got home.

They were less stressed than the days before because the dragon transport had succeeded. After dinner, they played cards again and enjoyed the evening by the fire. Hermione found it hard not to snuggle up to her in front of Susan's parents. Their eyes met again and again and Hermione knew that Susan felt the same way. When Susan's parents had gone to bed, the two of them moved together on the couch.

"That was a nice day," Hermione said, leaning against Susan. Susan hummed in agreement. After a while, the two went upstairs and Susan locked her bedroom door behind her after Hermione had walked through.

"We don't want any unexpected visitors," Susan said, pulling Hermione to her in a long kiss.

"I want to enjoy every second of the rest of the holiday with you," Hermione said when they had broken away from each other and were still hugging lightly.

"Me too. I can't even imagine how bad it's going to be at Hogwarts. We'll have to figure something out so we don't have to completely give up our benefits," Susan replied.

"Susan?" asked Hermione a little timidly.

"Yes?"

"What do we do if one of us finds someone at Hogwarts?" asked Hermione and Susan giggled.

"Tell the person that he or she will have to live with the fact that our best friend has needs too. Unless we both have someone," Susan said and Hermione grinned. It was typical for Susan to insist on what she thought were her entitlements.

"And if they won't let that happen, we'll find someone better," Hermione said and gave Susan a kiss.

"Okay, now that we've cleared that up, I want to try something," Hermione said, putting on her best bedroom look. Susan understood immediately and bit her lower lip. Hermione pushed Susan towards the bed and shoved her slightly, causing her to fall backwards onto it.

She grabbed the waistband of Susan's pyjama bottoms and pulled them off her. Susan sighed and closed her eyes. Hermione checked Susan's mind again to make sure it wasn't too much for her, but she was greeted with blazing lust. Hermione thought back to her winter holiday and began kissing along the insides of Susan's legs. Susan's pelvis trembled with each kiss closer to her centre. Finally, Hermione settled on the edge of the bed and pulled Susan's pelvis towards her, where she let her friend's scent wash over her for a second. Then she kissed Susan gently midway between her legs, causing Susan to exhale sharply.

"Hermione, what ...", Susan began, but the rest of her sentence was replaced by a long moan, which was triggered by Hermione's tongue running over the now smooth, soft skin. She explored every nook and cranny and was pleasantly surprised at the taste of Susan's sweet moistness, which was unlike anything Hermione had ever tasted.

She let her hand slide into her own pyjama bottoms and began to massage herself. Moaning, she pressed her mouth into Susan's wet pussy, causing her to tremble violently again. Hermione maintained a connection to Susan's feelings, which increased her own pleasure. She paid attention to Susan's every emotion, what felt good and what felt less good, and adjusted the movement of her tongue to it, to pleasure Susan perfectly.

After a while, she knew what Susan liked. She let her tongue circle her pearl slowly as she moaned softly under her own stimulation and shared arousal.

"Oh Merlin. Hermione!" sighed Susan over and over again, finally rearing back as a violent climax overtook her. Hermione, still sharing Susan's feelings, was also carried over the edge by it and pressed her mouth into Susan's pussy, trying not to moan too loudly. Susan's soft thighs closed around Hermione's head and she instantly remembered the scene in the mountain lodge where Amelie had also clutched her boyfriend's head tightly. Hermione had to tap Susan once on the thigh to get out of the grip and gasped when she came free.

"Sorry," Susan said, smiling guiltily at her. "Hermione, that was amazing," she finally said happily, using her finger to direct Hermione to join her on the bed.

"I saw that on winter holiday," Hermione explained after Susan asked her how she knew so much. Susan started to pull at Hermione's pyjama bottoms, but Hermione pushed her hand aside with a smile.

"Not anymore today, I came with you," she said and Susan looked at her with wide eyes.

"I didn't realise," she said, turning a little pink. Hermione grinned at her.

"This tops anything we've done before, Hermione," she said and Hermione laughed at the enthusiasm with which she spoke.

"I'm glad you enjoyed it. I really liked it too, by the way. You taste lovely," she said and Susan blushed even more. Hermione lifted Susan's pyjama bottoms off the floor to her with a levitation charm so she could get dressed again.

"You're the best friend I could ever imagine," Susan said softly, stroking Hermione through her bushy hair, which was worn loose today. Hermione smiled, reassured that she was still only receiving happiness and feelings of friendship from Susan's emotions, for she felt the same way and wanted to keep it that way forever. She covered herself and Susan and extinguished the candle. Susan lay on her side and pulled Hermione's waist to her so that they fell asleep snuggled close together.

"Good morning, Princess," Hermione was greeted by a grinning Susan as she opened her eyes. She was lying inches away from her so Hermione could see every detail of her blue eyes.

"Good morning," she replied with a smile. It felt nice to wake up so close to Susan.

"I'm going to miss this when we get back to Hogwarts," she said and Susan nodded with a slightly sad look.

"But before then, we'll enjoy every second of it," Hermione said, giving Susan a small kiss on the forehead.

"I'm hungry, shall we go downstairs?" asked Hermione and Susan nodded. They greeted Susan's mother who was off work today and sat at the kitchen table with the Daily Prophet. Hermione giggled as Susan looked a little sad when her mother told her that she would be home all day. They spent the day with the new Quidditch book and went on a broom trip where they had to be careful not to be seen by Muggles.

"I've been waiting for this all morning," Susan said after kissing Hermione. The two of them had taken a break on a spectacular cliff, which Susan had immediately taken advantage of. Hermione giggled. Lancelot crowed happily. He had accompanied them and had always taken turns sitting on Hermione's broomstick or flying part of it himself. Hermione was pleased that her raven could spend so much time in nature. In London, he was usually in her room, because it was a long way to the countryside for him after all.

"Tonight I want to do what you did yesterday," Susan whispered in her ear and she felt the words having their effect between her legs. Susan looked at her with an intense gaze and Hermione shuddered slightly. "I don't want you to think about anything else on the flight back," she said, grinning mischievously as she could see the arousal in Hermione's eyes.

When the two arrived at Susan's house, they stowed the brooms in the shed and went into the kitchen to have some lunch. As they entered the kitchen, a small paper aeroplane flew towards Susan, circling her head. Susan reached out and it landed in her hand, whereupon it unfolded to reveal a message.

Susan read the message briefly and a moment later took the surprised Hermione by the hand and pulled her up the stairs. Apparently, Susan's mother had had to leave the house after all, because she didn't even bother to lock the door before she began to undress Hermione.

Hermione sighed as every part of her body that Susan had exposed was covered with little kisses. She too began to undress Susan. When they were both naked, Susan complimented her onto the bed and willingly opened her slightly trembling legs. As Hermione had done to her last night, Susan kissed her way down Hermione's legs.

However, she took more time in doing so, making Hermione squirm as she put another tour back to her ankles on each leg. Hermione clasped her breasts and kept stroking her nipples, sending additional waves of arousal through her body. Finally, Susan had reached her destination and let her tongue roam once over Hermione's moist centre.

A loud moan escaped Hermione and she thrust her pelvis towards Susan. Her body craved more of the warm, soft touch of Susan's tongue. Hermione could now feel in her own body what Susan had meant and moaned her arousal louder and louder. Susan additionally sank a finger inside her, which catapulted Hermione even higher.

She was so suddenly overtaken by an orgasm that she let out a sharp cry of pleasure and shivered violently all over her body. It took a while before she awoke from her trance-like state. Still trembling slightly, she pulled Susan up to her on the bed and drew her into a long kiss, tasting her own flavour still on Susan's tongue.

"You weren't exaggerating," Hermione said with a smile when they had disengaged again. "Do you also want?" she asked and Susan blushed. Hermione pulled her pelvis up towards her so that she was now positioned right over Hermione's face. She pulled it down onto her mouth and immediately began to circle her tongue. Susan moaned loudly and moved her pelvis rhythmically.

Hermione let her tongue penetrate Susan as deeply as she could, which she acknowledged with a long drawn-out moan. She let her pelvis slide up and down on Hermione's tongue and became wetter and wetter. Hermione was giving Susan exactly what she needed through her mental connection. It wasn't long before Susan was trembling and pressing her pelvis firmly onto Hermione's mouth as she came moaning loudly.

Hermione enjoyed watching Susan from below as she gave herself over to her orgasm without inhibition. She gently stroked Susan's back and bottom while still trembling on her face. When Susan regained her senses, she gently let her pelvis slide back so that she could kiss Hermione.

"That was sexy," Hermione finally said, stroking the smiling Susan's cheek.

"Oh yes," she confirmed and gave Hermione another kiss before getting up to draw them both a bath. Susan was amazed when Hermione enlarged the free-standing bath with a sweep of her hand so that they both had room in it. After the two had bathed, they decided to take a nap after a snack.

"You two are cute," said Susan's mother, who had woken them in the evening. The two had slept snuggled close together until it was time for dinner. Hermione thanked all the powers that be that they had slept in their robes as a precaution.

For the rest of the holiday, the two of them never missed an opportunity to pleasure each other when they sensed one of them was feeling arousal. After another visit to Diagon Alley, Hermione took Susan to the Muggle world, having lent her a summer dress that would make her less conspicuous in London. Susan was fascinated and delighted by the busy world Hermione had grown up in.

She was especially surprised by the fashion, which was so much more diverse than the fashion of the wizarding world. Susan was gifted a beautiful blouse by Hermione that showed off her feminine nature well. It felt a bit like Hermione was guiding an alien through the completely normal world, but even for her, London in some corners took a lot of getting used to.

Susan's eyes widened as they passed a sex shop, but she was dragged on by Hermione with a pout on her face. The sensory overload of the bustling big city soon made Susan tired and so they let their day of shopping end in a relaxed manner.

They spent the next few days working through the Quidditch book Susan had bought in Diagon Alley and were getting better every day. Hermione also started reviewing last year's material with Susan over the last few days and preparing the new material. The two of them had been a little conflicted when the last day of the holidays had arrived.

On the one hand, they were incredibly excited to return to Hogwarts, but on the other, they were sad to leave this intense time behind for now. Hermione's parents were happy to see her again briefly on Platform 9 3/4 and Hermione asked them to go skiing with her again during the winter holidays.

They had been delighted and Hermione had decided to write to Amelie while still on the train so that they could take the same lodge again. On the train, Hermione and Susan joined two soon-to-be first-year girls who peppered them with questions about Hogwarts. Hermione recognised Ginny Weasley, Ron's younger sister. She wondered if she herself had looked so small and inexperienced when she had first ridden the Hogwarts Express a year ago.

A lot had happened since then. She let her development, both mental and physical, run through her mind as she kept looking alternately out of the window or into Susan's eyes.

---

Author's notes: Phew, guess i got a little carried away writing this, but i didn't want to publish a chapter that solely takes place in the holiday without further story development next, so this was a bit longer. I hope you liked it.

If you liked the chapter, I would be happy to read a few lines from you. Also thank you to all the people that already reviewed, it really means a lot!

See you in the next chapter!

Kasing