AN: Hello, FF and Harry Potter fans. I do not own Harry Potter, but feel free to enjoy this or hate it. If you enjoy it, please leave a lovely comment, if you hate it, then leave some constructive criticism, thanks!
Can You Take the Jump?
Warning: snusnu 😏 iykyk
Chapter 56
"Where is Severus?"
"Under interrogation with the Aurors."
"And I'm not?"
"Well, you fainted, and the Hospital Wing is currently being occupied with your sister's dead friend. Dumbledore ensured the Aurors that you wouldn't run away so they let you come here until you woke up."
…
Hermione woke up from the heavy weight of something around her chest and her hips. Out of pure instinctual habit, she flicked her hand over her face to place a minimal glamour charm on herself before even realizing that the weight on her was an arm and a leg and there was a softly snoring boy cuddled up next to her. Despite feeling like she was suffocating under the weight, she felt more rested than she'd been in months.
Sirius.
After everything she did to keep him at bay, to keep her feelings trampled down, she'd fallen into his arms once more. He'd wormed himself into her heart again. Although, did he ever even leave?
The pleasant and familiar ache between her legs made her blush from the memories of their night. It had been hurried and impatient at first, their time apart made them desperate for each other. Touching, grabbing, and kissing whatever parts of each other's body they could. It was fast and there was no foreplay, but it didn't matter when the earth-shattering orgasm made them both cry out simultaneously. They'd barely allowed themselves to catch their breath when they started again, this time slow and agonizing. Each crevice of their bodies was memorized. They restudied each other, reminding themselves how the other tasted, felt and looked like as they painstakingly brought themselves to the edge.
Hermione felt exhausted, but Sirius was far from done, telling her that he had imagined what it'd be like when they were back together for far too long for her to be allowed to retire this early. He bit her awake, leaving possessive marks all over her body, hickeys, bites, and handprints on her ass. He made her beg and beg to be allowed to cum as he consistently edged her towards euphoria, only to completely back away. He grabbed her hair and pounded her from behind as he held a firm but not tight grasp around her throat. He lifted her into the air, dropping her up and down on his cock, reaching depths that she didn't know existed. He took her against the wall. He tied her hands and feet with their uniform ties making her quiver and drip as she squirmed around searching for friction.
"Mine." He repeated over and over.
"Yours." She replied every time.
The pleasure was all-encompassing. There wasn't a single second where he allowed her to drift off into the depths of her mind. There were no hallucinations. No war. No guilt. No death. Just Sirius and tear-inducing desire to cum.
By the end, she was goo in his arms, falling asleep without the need for potions for the first time since she was a child.
The memories from their escapades made her wet in an instant. She squeezed her legs together.
"Sirius." She whispered. She tried to lift his arm and leg off, only for him to hug her tighter into his chest, enveloping her in his warmth. He kept his arm around her, his hand holding onto one of her breasts while intertwining their legs together.
"Hmm," he muttered in his sleep, but fell quickly back to sleep, his jaw slightly ajar. She wouldn't be surprised in his jaw didn't hurt from all the time he'd spent between her legs.
"Sirius," she called him louder this time, trying to wiggle out of his protective grasp. "I want to ask you something."
"Yes?" He replied, his voice deep with sleep, his eyes still closed.
"Can I give you a present?"
"Right now?"
She slid her hands down his body where his soft cocked twitched at her touch. "Yeah, right now."
Sirius peered his one eye open, then smiled at her, "My, aren't we insatiable."
"Pot. Kettle."
Sirius let out a deep chuckle, but loosened his hold on her, allowing her to climb on top of him.
She straddled him around the waist so that they were touching. "Are you going to be a good boy for me?"
"Yes, Mistress."
A small puff of laughter escaped her at how easily those words left his mouth. She slowly walked her affection down, starting from a languid kiss, a suckle on a pulse point on his neck, trailing down his chest, giving extra attention to his nipples that she knew were sensitive, although he didn't like to admit it.
His sleepy eyes were now alert and dilated as he stared deeply into her eyes with ravaging lust.
"How'd you know this was next on my list of things I wanted?"
She laughed for real this time, resting her head on his abdomen as her body shook as joy warmed her dying soul.
"I can't imagine there's much on that list left after last night… and morning." She touched him everywhere except where he truly desired.
"You underestimate me, Mistress."
"Do I?" She ran her hands up his inner thigh, stopping just below his now very hard and leaking cock with swelling balls.
"Can't you tell? My little friend is weeping for you, Mistress."
Hermione struggled to stay in character as another fit of laughter threatened to burst through her. He was doing this on purpose. In the past, when they role-played like this, he played the role of a begging panting sub exceptionally well, but now he was being sarcastic and cracking jokes. To be fair, they weren't really playing, it was just a morning quickie, but after her devotion to her role last night, she felt the need to make him beg.
"If you last 20 minutes without cumming once, I'll give you a wish, but if you don't, you'll owe me a wish."
He nodded fervently, looking almost confident.
She flicked her wrist, causing her wand to fly into her hand. She looked around, until her eyes landed on two galleons discarded on the floor, probably fallen out of one of their pockets.
"What are you—"
"Shh, patience." With the galleons in her hand, she pointed her wand at them. Suddenly a low-frequency buzzing could be heard. She smiled as she grazed the galleons over his skin, making him realize that the buzzing was the sound of vibrations coming from the galleons. His skin erupted in goosebumps when she placed the two galleons over his hard and sensitive nipples with a sticking charm.
"Wha—" He choked on his voice when a blindfold was gently placed over his eyes. "Y-you're cheating."
"Are you accusing your Mistress of something, Sirius?" She ran her finger softly stroking him down the side, wiping up everything he was leaking.
He raised his hips off her bed trying to follow her touch, but she pushed him down to the bed.
"Nuh-uh." She tutted. "Your sweet arse stays down, Sirius. And no touching."
Sirius couldn't respond except for various pants. The more aroused he felt, the faster the vibrations became.
"Ha!" He let out a breathy gasp when her hands enveloped him finally, warm and slippery. She was using a lubricant as well! Her one hand moved expertly up and down his shaft with the perfect amount of pressure and speed while her other hand rubbed continuous circles over his head with the softness of her palm.
This was going to be a very long 20 minutes.
"Oh my, Sirius. Your legs are starting to tremble, are you sure you're going to last 20 minutes?"
"Hmmmerghh." He muttered, trying to focus on anything but the incredible sensation of Hermione's hands and her devious little galleons.
"What's that?" She asked innocently, gently grabbing his balls and squeezing them while her ministrations at his most sensitive area continued.
"Oh my fuck, Hermione!" He shouted, gripping the sheets next to him.
"Sirius, you know I don't respond to Hermione."
"Mistress! Mistress, please let me cum. I want to cum."
"But it's barely been 5 minutes. What happened to our deal? Isn't there something you want from me?"
There was, there absolutely was, but this was basically torture.
"Your lack of effort upsets me, Sirius."
"Oh my gods," he let out a string of swear words trying to control his hands from grabbing her and fucking her into the mattress.
"If you truly can't hold on, you can just cum. But you'll have to owe me a wish."
The pressure building within him was near unbearable, but perhaps it was the tone of her voice or the fact he had something he really wanted from her, he held on.
He could practically hear her smile.
"Ah!" He gasped when she suddenly removed her hands. Without any sight, he relied on his ears. He heard her moving on the bed. What was she doing?
He had no sense of warning when his cock became surrounded by the inside of Hermione's mouth. It was impossibly warm, her tongue, soft and slick. She had no hesitation as she swallowed as deeply as she could.
Sirius wasn't sure if he was in heaven or hell.
Her pace was punishing to both him and her, throat-fucking herself on his cock, wrapping her hands around his waist to help herself go right down to the base every time, just like he liked it. His only issue was that he couldn't watch her give him this outstanding performance. Using the headboard and his neck, he pulled the backstrap of the blindfold off his head as much as he could until one eye was able to peek through.
Instant regret.
The sight was his ultimate undoing. Hermione was devouring him while one hand reached beneath her, rubbing and fucking herself. Her pussy was so wet that it made squelching sounds every time she inserted her fingers.
"Fuck!" He came with a cry.
Panting, he looked down at Hermione who stared him in the eye swallowing.
"I win."
…
Hermione and Sirius had missed most of the morning and early afternoon rolling around the bed or napping from their activities. She was avoiding the conversation as to what they were, too afraid to define it. Sirius had confessed, and she'd responded with a kiss. They'd had unbelievable sex throughout the night and in the morning, but now what?
Were they an item again? Could Hermione risk that? Could Sirius handle it if she refused it once more?
"Stop thinking," Sirius told her, watching her get dressed from the bed. Still naked from head to toe, he walked up to her and hugged her from behind, spreading his warmth like a radiator and relishing the feel of her against him. "I told you, I love you regardless and that nothing you said would make me stop. If you don't want to define us, I don't care. If you don't want to call me your boyfriend, I don't care. I'll be here, as long as you'll have me."
"If I decide to go downstairs and kiss a Slytherin, you won't care?"
Sirius growled possessively, placing his hand over her new knickers. "I'll kill him, then bring you here to show you how foolish you are for replacing me with some snake."
"What if it's your brother?"
"Oh!" Sirius pushed her away like she was something foul.
Hermione snorted at his reaction but used the opportunity to pull her shirt over her head. They'd been lazy today because classes were optional, due to the attack at Hogsmeade, but it was time to address the real world. She walked over to her table with a small stack of mail that she'd ignored.
"Don't worry Sirius, I see Regulus as a kid. He's rather ador—" She stopped when she saw letters with the Auror seal on them. "Shit."
"What?"
She lifted 5 letters from the Auror department, "I think I'm being summoned."
…
"I heard you collapsed, Miss Evans." Esther Bagnold circled her as she sat at a desk in the empty classroom. The makeshift interrogation room would normally be too large to make a big impact. Interrogation rooms were normally small and dark with no windows or a clock. They usually had an incandescent light that created uncomfortable heat. None of those elements were present in the classroom, however, there was a sense of foreboding pressure.
Granted, Hermione wasn't technically supposed to be interrogated, just questioned, but it was clear from the aura that Esther Bagnold held that a certain level of intimidation was intended. If she was being honest, she was impressed by the Auror's ability to hold tension and eye contact, however, it was too bad that it did nothing to her.
"Yes, I had used too much magic," Hermione asked.
"Hmm. Yes, I suppose that would happen after what you did in Hogsmeade." She placed photographs of the state of the village in front of her. The cobblestone streets were uprooted, leaving craters of dirt and rock. Shops were destroyed. Scorch marks, rubble, and shattered glass were everywhere.
"I hope they have insurance for whatever can't be repaired with Reparo," Hermione responded to the pictures. "Although I'm not sure if Death Eater attack is part of their coverage."
Esther Bagnold gave her a tight-lipped smile.
"You know, I've known you for quite some time, Miss Evans. Even before Mr. Black's miraculous escape from the Initiation this past summer. D'you know I was also the top duelist for my year's Duelling Championships."
"Congratulations."
Her empty words caused a shift in the Auror's eyes.
"You gave your statement about the incident of the Initiation directly to Mr. Potter, am I correct?"
"Yes."
"Do you know why you weren't called back to Headquarters for that case?"
Hermione shrugged, keeping a cool façade, but unease crept up her chest. This was not a usual line of questioning.
Esther Bagnold's eyes narrowed, "Are you particularly close with Fleamont Potter, Miss Evans?"
"No, not particularly."
"Are you telling me that you're unaware that the Head of the DMLE is about to be fired and one of the reasons is because of his improper conduction of investigation for that exact case?"
"Oh," Hermione's brow piqued slightly. "Well, it's not exactly my fault that the man was incompetent at his job. I was simply told to give my statement directly to him, so I thought nothing more of it. Besides, I thought he getting fired because was embezzling funds."
"Why do you believe that to be the reason?"
"The papers, of course."
"Do you think it makes sense that a man rich enough to buy a section of the Ministry of Magic to embezzle funds?
"Greed knows no bounds."
Esther cracked a humourless smile.
"What were you doing in Hogsmeade Village last night, Miss Evans?"
"I presume I was there for the same reason any other student was there."
"Answer my questions, Miss Evans."
"That is an answer, Ms. Bagnold."
"It is Auror Bagnold."
Esther Bagnold was a legendary Auror. Many seasoned criminals got nervous around her but this girl… barely blinked an eye.
"Miss Evans, what happened that night? Please recount the events from your perspective."
Hermione let out a deep sigh before recounting the previous night's events. "I was drinking some butterbeer with a friend, Severus Snape, at Three Broomsticks when I stepped outside alone for a breath of fresh air. I ran into Sirius Black when I suddenly heard a scream. We were on our way to the location when we were ambushed by a Death Eater. I sent him or her flying back with a Bombarda then continued to run towards the direction of where I heard the scream. Knowing Sirius's preference to run headfirst into a situation without thinking, I requested him to stay put while I tried to see what was going on. That was when I saw my sister, James Potter, and Remus Lupin facing several Death Eaters along with a few other students and villagers. Lyana Pearson was already dead by the time I arrived on the scene."
The woman nodded, as she followed along with Hermione's story, probably seeing how it aligned with others' stories.
"Some of the villagers said you were having a discussion with the Death Eaters."
"I recognized the voice of one of the Death Eaters, Bellatrix Black. I tried to talk to her to buy some time when she ordered another Death Eater to kill me."
"There was another Death Eater that was named at the scene. Lucius Malfoy?"
"I'm not aware. I was too busy trying to think of a way to get my sister out alive."
"So Lucius Malfoy wasn't there?"
"No, I'm saying that if he was, I wouldn't know of it. I wasn't paying attention."
"But you could recognize Bellatrix Black's voice?" Bagnold's eyes glinted, as though she thought she'd trapped Hermione.
"It's hard to forget a voice that haunts your dreams, Ms. Bagnold. Bella was quite an infamous bully when she was in school. I have a scar on my back to prove it."
"Auror Bagnold. And a scar? I don't see an incident report like that."
Hermione tilted her head to the side, "You were never bullied, were you, Ms. Bagnold."
Her eye twitched at the improper title.
"When you're bullied, you quickly learn to adapt and survive. One of the first lessons you learn is that unless you're able to get rid of them, and I mean all of them, for good, tattling is never a good idea." (AN: This is not true in real life if you're being bullied, PLEASE TELL SOMEONE. People do care. There are resources out there to help you!)
"It says that your school grades started improving in 3rd year. What changed?"
Hermione glanced at the files on the table. They had a list of incident reports with her name on them and her grades. What other information was provided to them? This wasn't just an interview for her statement about what happened last night at Hogsmeade. Everything she'd planned and strategized had already been said, but this was an interrogation under the pretence of something innocent. She was a suspect.
"Shouldn't you ask for a lawyer?" Draco asked, trying to peer through the files to see what they had on her. "You're legally allowed to ask for one."
"No," Harry shook his head. "That'll make you look suspicious like you're trying to hide something."
"She is trying to hide something, Pothead."
"Still. Being under Auror's suspicion means they'll keep digging. They might ask around even more. Your parents, Ollivander. Anyone who's had any type of relationship with you will be questioned."
"You need to act," Hermione Granger looked down at the young Auror with pity. "I'm a big fan of your great aunt's book, Hogwarts A History, but I'm afraid you're being too nosy."
Hermione Granger's piercing eyes bored holes into her mind. "Cue."
"The second lesson I learned after coming to Hogwarts was that in Slytherin, power is everything," Hermione smirked, she relaxed her posture and opened up her body language. She gave herself an air of self-importance, and a haughty tone, like she was teaching the Auror something. "As you know, I don't have the blood or the money. And while I'm handy with a wand, I couldn't overpower all of Slytherin at once, so I used information. The thing about being regarded as yesterday's garbage to pretty much all of Hogwarts is that you're invisible, at least until someone gets bored and decides to kick an empty can around, you know? I asked around, I listened, and I snooped. I learned something."
Hermione leaned forward and dropped her voice, causing Esther Bagnold to lean forward as well.
"I overheard a Hufflepuff talking about how their old Head Boy, Ted Tonks, was getting married." Hermione leaned back, throwing her arm over the back of the chair and brought her volume to a normal level. "Of course, I didn't think the information was of much importance until I was talking to one of the House Elves in the kitchens. Lo and behold, his long-time secret girlfriend was none other than Andromeda Black, the girl who was betrothed to Lucius Malfoy."
"So you do know Lucius Malfoy."
"I never said I didn't," Hermione shrugged. "Lucius Malfoy may be a bigot, but he was smart enough to realize the value of my information. He granted me safety until he graduated."
"That's where the rumours between you two came from," Bagnold realized. A long stretch of silence presided over them as Bagnold continued to write something down on her paper.
"Were you aware that your sister was holding a large gathering last night? A holiday party, I believe."
"I was."
"Why weren't you in attendance."
"Because I didn't want to."
"Why?"
Hermione cocked her head to the side this time, "Why am I obligated to attend my sister's party?"
"You aren't, but don't you think it would have made a better alibi?"
"Pray to tell, why would I need a better alibi? Am I guilty of something, Auror Bagnold?"
Hermione folded her arms, retracting and closing herself back up again, but not too much. She was protecting herself from attack, but not hiding anything. Offended, but not secretive. She could sense how Bagnold studied her. Aurors were trained to read body language and facial expressions. It was key to interrogation, to understand the psyche of the one sitting in front of you to plan the right strategy on how they were supposed to go about their line of questioning.
"It's been made known to us that you're not a frequenter of the village."
Severus must have accidentally let this slip.
"I'm not."
"What made this trip so special that you had to go there instead of your sister's party?"
Hermione pursed her lips, acting hesitant to tell her. Prideful and reluctant. A twitch in the eye.
"Hermione?" Bagnold urged softly, coaxing her, as though they were old friends.
A clench of the jaw and a small sigh: resignation. "My ex-boyfriend, Sirius Black, was supposed to be at the party. I purposely didn't attend so that I could avoid him, not that that was any help. Severus brought me out to buy me a drink to cheer up."
"Hm." Her curious studying eyes watched her. Just when Hermione thought she'd gotten her, Bagnold's eyes withdrew. "Miss Evans, are you aware that you killed 5 people last night? Crushed one until their skull caved in and lungs exploded and burned the rest alive. You don't seem very distraught."
Shit. There it was.
"It was self-defence."
Bagnold touched the files on the table, then glanced at her again.
"You are an interesting girl, Hermione."
They knew she was an Obscurial.
"Am I being accused of something, Auror Bagnold?"
"No, I'm just asking for your—"
"Statement. Something which I believe I've given to you. You've heard the rest from Severus and the villagers, have you not?"
Bagnold stared at her for a while before nodding, "Yes. I have."
Hermione stood from her spot, "Then good day."
…
A thick fog of various scents clouded the Potions classroom as the 6th years worked on their NEWT-level potions.
"I thought you wouldn't come to class today," Avery muttered under his breath.
"I thought none of you would come to class today," Hermione looked around the classroom to see all the Gryffindors and Slytherins in class.
"All the Gryffindors, minus Black, were in class since the morning. Looking dead tired, but here."
"Why were you in class?"
"Too close to NEWTS."
"As if you care," Hermione scoffed.
"I care," he was indignant. "I do!" He told her when he saw her expression.
"How come you slept in? You never sleep in after training." Avery muttered under his breath. "Black followed you afterwards. Are two…you know…"
"Don't." Hermione warned. "Or else I'm going to make fun of you about that black eye on your face."
Avery automatically reached up to touch the black eye that was already fading thanks to Hermione's brilliant bruise paste.
"It'll be gone by tomorrow. You should sell that formula for bruise paste, by the way. You'd make a bloody fortune. What's the alteration, add some arnica root gel to enhance the effects?"
"Actually," Hermione paused. "Yes. Wow Avery, good catch."
At Hermione's rare compliment, Avery's complexion reddened slightly.
"I've been working with you for years. It'd be weirder if I didn't pick anything up."
"I've also noticed that the Pain Relief Potion and Strengthening Potions were recently restocked, even though I hadn't had the time to do it myself. Was that you as well?"
"It's never going to be good as yours, but I took a stab at it. I tasted and smelled some differences when taking them, so I did some research and figured it out."
"They're good. Perhaps a little too thick to drink comfortably, but the effects are all there. It must've taken you quite some time."
"Not really, I looked back at some of the homework you did for me last year. You're pretty thorough. All I had to do was deduce from there and that was it."
"What about my Blood Replenishing Potion?"
He shook his head while perfectly measuring out the Valerian root for the Draught of Peace.
"Nah, you don't change anything. It's too fickle."
She caught his arm and forced him to look at her. "Since when have you been studying Potions?"
"Uhm," his eyes flickered back and forth between her and their simmering cauldron. "Was I not supposed to?"
"No, that's not—"
"Is there a problem back there?" Slughorn called them out, forcing Hermione to release Avery.
"No Professor, not at all."
Hermione watched Avery's movements during Potions, his cautiousness, his preciseness, and his attention to detail. Sure, he was still learning, and his knife skills needed work, but he was good. Very decent in fact. How did she not notice before? Plus, his ability to deduce her alterations purely by taste and smell was an impressive talent.
"So," he cleared his throat once their potion was done, just required some boiling and the occasional stirring, "is Curtis single?"
"Curtis? As is Mary Curtis?" She looked down towards the front of the class where Mary sat with Marlene. She looked back and forth between him and Mary. "Is that why you're in class? Were you worried about her?"
"Nevermind. Forget I asked."
"Weren't you with her?" Hermione tilted her head toward Cornelia Fletcher. "What happened?"
"That ended ages ago."
"Really?" Hermione looked confused. "Why?"
"What girlfriend is going to be okay with their boyfriend sneaking off to the quidditch pitch every night with two other boys and a girl."
"Well, no one if you explain it like that." She looked at him incredulously. "Please tell me you didn't explain it like that."
"No! Are you daft?"
"Mr. Avery!" Slughorn sounded aghast. It was understandable since Avery was such a quiet student. "If another warning must be made to your table, points will be taken from Slytherin!"
"Apologies, Professor." He muttered before turning to her. "I broke it off with her," he told her under his breath, "before she ever started asking questions. But I do hope you see how much your training is a hindrance to my life."
"Apparently training doesn't seem to hinder everyone the same." She sighed, mostly to herself, but Avery caught on. His eyes flickered back and forth between Hermione and Sirius. "Ugh. Ew. Is that why you're so…I don't know how to describe it, but you're different today. Oh, ew. I don't need to know that much about your life."
"Oh, sorry. Usually, when I talk, you don't listen."
"No, usually when I talk, you don't listen.
"Is that right…" Hermione mused when the door opened to reveal an Auror walking into their classroom. He leaned over and whisper something to Slughorn's ears. "That might be a good thing because I'm pretty sure that Auror is going to ask you to talk to them."
Avery's eyes widened, flickering back and forth between the young man and Hermione. "About what? No one knows I was at Hogsmeade yesterday!" He whispered.
"About me. Not about last night. Don't mention anything about Hogsmeade. Avery. Don't say—" Hermione immediately closed her mouth as the Auror came within hearing distance.
"Fredrick Avery?"
"Yes?"
"Hi, I'm Auror Eaton Berns, Auror Esther Bagnold was wondering if you could answer some of her questions."
"I'm in the middle of brewing a potion," he said, speaking clearly and loudly. "I can't leave."
"Your partner, Miss Evans, can handle it."
"You clearly don't know her."
He put on a serviceable smile that said, 'shut up and come with me'.
Avery sighed and rolled his eyes. "Evans, just stir it every 5 minutes, and then collect the silvery vapour once it starts to rise, all right? Don't fuck it up."
Hermione gave him a nod but kept her eyes on the Auror who also gave her a serviceable smile.
…
Ten minutes passed, but Avery was still not back. Hermione was getting nervous. Avery did not know how to handle expert interrogation. It was one of the many reasons why he was told to stay out of sight during Hogsmeade.
Despite their potion not being perfect, Hermione quickly submitted whatever Avery and she'd gotten done and started walking out of the classroom. Determined to go on a search mission to find him, her mind was mapping out the shortest route to the interrogation room when her path was suddenly blocked by none other than Mary.
"Mary," she looked tired. Granted, all the Gryffindors who took part in her training last night looked tired. Hermione didn't remember the last time she'd seen Mary without any makeup or a Glamour charm. The blonde's usual curls were a mess, and her doe-eyes held bags that Hermione's never seen.
"I want more."
"Pardon?" Hermione looked back to the Potions classroom and then back at the girl in front of her.
"I have the right shoes now, I want more training. I need it. I want some extra one-on-one training."
"You want more training? After last night? No, you need rest."
Hermione tried walking around Mary but was blocked by her again. Students loitering around the halls since the classes were optional, were starting to notice their unusual interaction.
"I want to train. You said that you'd teach me how to save my friends!"
"What's going on?" Mulciber and his lackeys sauntered over, somehow able to smell tension and discomfort from a mile away like a shark with blood in the water.
"Fuck off, Mulciber," Mary glowered. "I'm talking to Hermione."
"All I see is an overgrown cat talking to a fellow snake."
Although Hermione's relationship with her House was exponentially better than it had been, this display of…camaraderie was unusual. Being too afraid of her to push her out of their table in the Great Hall was one thing, but to stand up for her? This was very unusual.
"Stop acting like you guys are bloody friends or something everyone knows how shitty you used to treat Hermione."
Mulciber scowled. A crowd was forming, and his eyes landed on someone. "At least I never called my sibling a monster."
The crowd whispered amongst themselves, glancing back and forth between the sisters. Lily, who'd just gotten out of class and only stopped due to the crowd forming around her sister and her friend, looked as though she was about to cry from embarrassment and anger.
"That's enough, Mulciber," Hermione muttered through a clenched jaw. He gave her a sneer but leaned toward her and slipped a note into her hand.
The Slytherins left one by one, Sirius glaring at all of them, but especially long at Mulciber. By the end, the Gryffindors were left staring at her, Lily in particular.
"Mary, honestly when I sent out the invitation, I didn't expect you to take it up. You never struck me as a duelist."
"You said you'd help!"
"I can't. Not for you. That's the harsh truth. You can't keep coming to the Quidditch pitch, you'll just keep slowing everyone else down. The difference between you and your friends is too big. If you wish to come back to the Quidditch pitch, you need to find a way to get yourself up to speed. Your friends," Hermione looked around at the talented group. The truth was that they were diamonds in the rough, talented, smart, and brave. They were incredible, especially for their age. "They should help you in that regard."
With that, Hermione left the group only for the sound of familiar footsteps running after her.
She opened the note Mulciber slipped into her hand quickly, "You should be relieved that our Lord is leaning towards being impressed at how Bellatrix was handled rather than upset, but his benevolence will not last. This was the last warning. You are to make contact soon."
"Hermione!"
She burned the note in her hand. Her list of things to do was growing by the hour. She really shouldn't have been so lazy in the morning. Avery first.
"Hermione!"
She took off in a run, the footsteps getting fainter and fainter with every step.
…
"You need to stop this."
Dumbledore and Moody sat in the Headmaster's office sipping a cup of tea together when Hermione barged in.
"Miss Evans," Dumbledore raised his brows at her interruption.
She glanced hesitantly at Moody but quickly deemed he was safe enough.
"If I am to be your spy, you must stop the interrogation of me. I need to be removed from the suspect list."
Moody's spine straightened as he glanced back and forth between the two.
"You're a suspect?" Dumbledore asked her while looking questioningly at Moody.
"She's to be a spy?"
"Even Fredrick Avery was called in, presumably for questioning about me. You must stop Esther Bagnold."
Dumbledore watched her with his intelligent blue eyes until he nodded. "See it done, Alastor."
"Dumbledore!" Moody looked appalled. "I cannot just put a stop to a subordinate's investigation!"
"Miss Evans will be a vital key person for us. I will not have her hindered this early. You will stop it, Alastor. Please."
Hermione could see the conflict in Moody's eyes, "I don't trust her."
Dumbledore look straight at her as he rubbed his wrist where the Unbreakable Vow had united them. "You don't have to. I do."