Hermione decided to create a ley line to Exmoor on Wednesday after classes. Wednesday was her lightest class load, and that would give her two days to recover before the equinox. Hopefully it would be enough time.
In History class, Lockhart was thrilled with their essay responses. He took great delight in reading some of the horrors they had predicted aloud, pointing out the thought process behind each one and why or why not it was realistic or likely.
"Escaping magical shackles… not very likely, I'm afraid, Mr. Goyle. There's no drama or sense of impending doom with escaping manacles. Maybe if the champions were hung upside-down above an alligator pit?" Lockhart tutted, flipping to the next essay and scanning it. "A race on dragon-back… this has potential, Mr. Malfoy! Well done – importing a dangerous creature and assigning the champions a task that seems simple enough but in fact defies the creature's very nature – that's exactly what we've seen before. Very possible!" He scanned the next one. "Escape from a cavern of tunnels while being chased by—chased by what? What is a Blast-Ended Skrewt?" Lockhart's head came up, scanning the class. "Mr. Hopkins, what exactly is a Blast-Ended Skrewt?"
Wayne Hopkins flushed as he explained Hagrid's 'secret' illegal breeding project, Lockhart nodding thoughtfully.
"That has potential, but the logistics of it seem unlikely," Lockhart said. "We have no underground cavern of tunnels, and no means to make one particularly easily. Creative thinking, though." He flipped to the next essay, scanning it, his eyes growing wide. "My, my, my – Miss Bulstrode, this is extraordinary."
Millie, who had not been paying attention, sat up straight at her name. "It is?"
"Oh, quite," Lockhart assured her. "The detail in this is exquisite. Listen, class: 'A maze shall be erected the size of a Quidditch field, composed entirely of mirrors, drapes, and curtains. The top of the maze shall be left off, allowing spectators to watch and the champions the ability to see the sky. The challenge shall take place at night in the dark. The maze shall be filled with will o' the wisps, hinkypunks, and lethifolds. Champions will be told to reach the end of the maze to claim the Triwizard Cup'."
Hermione felt a chill go down her spine. Lethifolds were known to look like hanging cloaks and attack at night, suffocating their victims and consuming them. There was only one successful Lethifold escape on record – one.
"Lethifolds in a maze of hanging cloth, Miss Bulstrode…" Lockhart was shaking his head dramatically, at the presumed disaster that would occur. "Oh, that would be absolutely horrible and terribly deadly, but it is exactly the type of challenge that might occur."
Hermione chanced a look at Millie, who was desperately trying to appear like she had heard this idea before and not like Voldemort had done her homework. Tracey, next to Millie, seemed torn between horror and hiding her giggles.
"This, though, Mr. MacMillain – a duel? Really? Have you been paying attention at all the last few weeks? And how would a formal duel between three contestants even work?"
Hermione left dinner early, returning to her dorm to change into muggle denims and a jumper. She was wondering exactly where on the grounds she should hide to do this when someone stepped out from an alcove in the Entrance Hall. Hermione gave them a cursory glance, then did a double-take.
"…Cedric?" she asked, confused.
It was Cedric Diggory. He gave her a faint smile.
"Hi, Hermione," he said.
"…Hi," Hermione said slowly. She looked him over, puzzled. "Can I help you?"
"I just wanted to talk with you," Cedric said. "I wanted to say—"
"I'm not allowed to talk to you," Hermione cut him off, eyes wide. She took a step back. "Daphne said because you lost the duel—"
"I'm not allowed to court you for a year and a day," Cedric reminded her. "You're allowed to speak to me, Hermione. You don't have to run away."
Hermione bit her lip. She watched Cedric, an uncomfortable, anxious feeling buzzing inside her. Cedric held his hands open, showing he was unarmed, and gave her a small smile.
"I saw in the paper that you've been allotted land," Cedric said. "Somewhere in the west?"
"Yes. Exmoor," Hermione said slowly. "The poisoned goblin lands, for now."
Cedric nodded. "But—land. For your House of Granger, someday."
"Yes…" Hermione looked at Cedric quizzically. She wasn't sure what he was getting at.
"And your coven," Cedric went on. "I saw what you achieved for Rince and Bexley. Two women having a natural-born child – that's incredible, Hermione. What a gift of creation and Light."
Hermione felt like she wasn't getting something. Cedric kept giving her meaningful looks, like he was trying to tell her something, but whatever he was trying to communicate, it wasn't coming through.
"What are you doing, Cedric?" she finally asked.
"Doing?" Cedric seemed caught off-guard. "I'm just talking to you—"
"No. What is… this?" Hermione asked, gesturing to the space between them. "Because for you to come up to me months later, suddenly telling me my coven's doing good things, congratulating me on getting land for my House – what is this?"
"This is me…" Cedric seemed to struggle to find the right words. "This is me trying to connect with you," he said. "This is me indicating… that…"
"That my coven isn't Dark?" Hermione finished for him, raising her eyebrows. "That I might actually stand a chance of forming my own Great House?"
Infuriatingly, Cedric nodded, and Hermione's hands went to her hips.
"Well, message received, then," she said flatly. "Is there anything else?"
Cedric looked taken aback. "What?"
"I'm busy," Hermione said. "So if there's nothing else—"
"I'm just—I'm trying to make up with you!" Cedric shot back, frustrated. "I'm trying to tell you it's okay, that I approve—"
"I never needed your approval!" Hermione said viciously. "I never wanted it. For you to presume that I cared what you think—"
"Look," Cedric said, running a hand through his hair. "I think I approached this wrong. Let's start over, alright? I—"
"Hermione?"
Hermione and Cedric both turned to see Luna Lovegood approaching them. Luna walked up to Hermione immediately and gave her a sudden hug, Hermione's arms going around Luna instinctively.
"Luna? Is everything okay?" Hermione asked, suddenly worried. Luna burrowed her head into Hermione more, and Hermione hugged her tighter, protectively. "What is it? Who's upset you?"
Luna murmured something into Hermione's jumper and burrowed deeper, and Hermione shot Cedric a look from over Luna's back. Cedric winced but nodded, and he drifted away, leaving the Entrance Halls.
"He's gone now, Luna. It's okay," Hermione coaxed. "Come with me – let's go outside and sit."
Luna went with Hermione, still clinging to her, until they reached a fairly secluded area on the side of the school. Hermione sat down, Luna sitting next to her, and waited.
"It's quite nice out tonight, isn't it?" Luna mused, looking up at the fading sun. "Look, there's the moon."
"…Luna?" Hermione looked at her friend strangely, worried.
"You seemed to be in trouble," Luna said, not looking at Hermione. "I wanted to help."
A warm feeling blossomed inside of Hermione, filling her up and making her grab Luna again, hugging her tightly.
"You're the best Luna," Hermione told her. "The best. You know that, right?"
Luna laughed.
"Am I?" she mused. "Or am I just the best at helping right now?"
"The best," Hermione declared. "You're my first friend, Luna. Ever. Oh, I wish we were in classes together – I never get to see you during the day."
Luna's lips quirked upwards.
"I'm not clever enough to advance a year," she commented. "And I doubt you're willing to be held back."
Hermione snorted, then sighed.
"At least I get to see you now," she said, lying back on the grass. "It's nice."
Luna laid back beside her. "It is."
Hermione smiled. "How have your classes been?"
Luna's classes were interesting, according to Luna. She was enjoying her coursework, frustrating Professor Snape with her questions and unorthodox substitutions, mildly horrified at Hagrid's breeding experiment, and, of all things, struggling with Divination.
"Really?" Hermione said, astonished. "I mean—there's nothing wrong with that—I just thought—"
"I did too," Luna said, amused. "It doesn't bother me. But… I look in the teacup, and I just see soggy tea leaves. There's nothing there of any meaning to me." She shrugged. "I can try and find things and translate from the book's chart, of course. Just…" She sighed. "I guess part of me thought it would come intuitively to me, you know? That I'd just be good at it."
Hermione gnawed on her lip.
"Professor Vector had a really good explanation about Divination, but I really do have to get to work on making this ley line," she admitted to Luna. She turned to look at her. "Want to come to Exmoor with me, and we can keep talking there?"
Luna's whole face lit up. "Oh, Hermione – I'd love to."
"Brilliant." Hermione smiled. "I'll go first and create the line, and you can follow a minute or two after. I don't know quite how this is going to go,"
"Burrowing through reality in poisoned ground," Luna quipped, smiling. "Hopefully so long as you don't get any in your mouth, it'll be fine." She paused. "...hopefully."
