Happy weekend, my freaky darlings! Enjoy the next chapter.
Chapter 5 Summer Days
Each boy promised to write, but only Marcus did with regularity. He professed to boredom. He and his older brother, Felix, were helping their younger brother, Jaspar, prepare for Hogwarts. Most of his friends were off on lavish holidays. Hermione admitted to a similar status but a different situation. She'd finished all of her regular homework and started on the meditations Amira gave her. The last skill she needed to perfect was shifting into animals. She struggled with it. She admitted to being easily distracted by the sounds of the surrounding city, even in her Nana's garden. She could not manage to create and maintain a level concentration.
'Hermione,
This might sound presumptuous, but you are welcome to visit and meditate to your heart's desire. We have a lovely meadow and a nice forest nearby.
Marcus.'
'Marcus,
If I had reliable transportation your offer might tempt me.
Hermione.'
'Hermione,
Use the Knight Bus. Even underage wizards can. Just stick out your wand. Our address is the Ramble.
Marcus'
Hermione considered the offer. It felt rude to visit someone and then abandon them. She supposed Marcus could join her. She didn't know any of the rules against it. And even if there were, who was around to stop her? She discussed the offer with her parents. "You have problems even at Nana's?" asked her father.
"Yes, I can't block it all out. Amira warned me this would be the hardest. Most apprentices are years older than me when they get to this point. I'm not supposed to get discouraged about my lack of progress."
Bethan frowned, "Should you be relaxing? Maybe not push yourself too hard?"
Hermione shook her head, "I asked. Amira says there's a reason I've progressed so far so fast even if we don't know why. Stopping could be dangerous. Also, this aspect might not be my forte, which makes it harder to achieve."
Richard looked at his wife. They conversed silently. "I expect his parents would be there?"
"I would assume, and his siblings. I can check."
"And you can get yourself there and back?" verified Bethan.
"Yes, the Knight Bus is available to wizards of all ages."
"Let us know when is convenient for his family. And that his parents, or at least a parent, will be present," said Richard.
'Marcus,
If you're sure it isn't an imposition, I would love to see if your house is better for the meditations. My parents would prefer if an adult is present for safety. Please let me know when is convenient for your family.
Thank you,
Hermione.'
Marcus read her note four times, blinking frequently. He reread it a fifth time. Yes, Hermione accepted his invitation. She wanted to know when was convenient, she wanted to come. Slowly, slightly stunned, he went looking for his parents. He found them in the living room, "Dad? Mum?"
Linus Flint looked up a his second son. He stood just inside the doorway shifting his weight nervously, "Did you need something, son?"
"Remember I told you one of our schoolmates is a Druid?"
"Yes," answered Gwendolyn Flint.
"And Theo and I befriended her?"
"I recall you saying something along those lines," replied Linus.
"She mentioned having trouble blocking out city sounds at her house. So, I offered her the use of the meadow or the forest. I hope that's okay."
Linus blinked twice and looked at his wife. She paled. "You invited the Druid to our house?" Marcus nodded. "When is she coming?"
"Hermione asked when would be convenient for us. Her parents would like an adult present for safety."
His father felt himself blink again. Not only did she wish to visit their humble home, she wanted to accommodate them. He looked at his wife, "Gwennie?"
"Um, Tuesday. I can get the house in order by Tuesday."
"Mum, Hermione won't care if the house isn't perfect."
"I care, young man," snapped his mother. "While she'll be gracious, our house will be spotless. First impressions are important. Remember that."
"Yes, ma'am."
"Let your friend know Tuesday is acceptable," Linus instructed.
Bright sunshine and clear skies greeted them Tuesday morning. Gwendolyn sighed with relief. Her son was excited for the Druid's visit. She hoped and prayed the young woman valued him as much as he did her. She knew he often felt overshadowed by his brother, and not as smart as his younger brother. Dahlia stood out as the only girl. Marcus seemed the one destined to live in shadows if they weren't careful. The Knight Bus arrived with a bang. A small curly-haired girl exited. Gwendolyn watched as she took three steps and launched herself at Marcus for a joyful hug. She stepped back and allowed him to introduce her to his siblings. The Druid smiled and waved. He led her up to the house. Gwendolyn couldn't contain her relieved smile. "Hermione, this is my mother, Gwendolyn Flint. Mum, this is Hermione Granger."
Hermione extended her hand, "Hello, Mrs. Flint, thank you for having me." They shook hands.
"Welcome, wise one. Please make yourself at home."
"Thank you."
"Where do you want to try first?" Marcus asked.
She nibbled on her bottom lip, "Hmm, how about the meadow? Though I want to explore the woods, too, please."
"This way," he lead her around to the back of the house.
Acres of green grass filled with wildflowers created the meadow. Hermione gasped in delight. "This is gorgeous." She moved forward into the grass. Marcus hung back on the edge. "Aren't you coming?" she called over her shoulder.
"I don't want to intrude," he answered.
"So don't scream at odd intervals. Come on." She kept walking. He shrugged and followed her.
Several meters out she stopped. She smiled at him. "Here feels good," she sat on the ground.
He dropped down next to her, "Now what?"
"We center ourselves. First, get comfortable," she flopped backward, stretching out on the grass.
"Should I lay down?" he wondered.
"Do you want to?"
"Not really."
"Then no, I said comfortable." She closed her eyes and wiggled a bit. "Second, close your eyes. Focus on your breathing. Inhale. Exhale. Feel the air moving in and out. Follow the flow as it moves further into the world. Feel it merge with the wind. Feel it return to caress your skin. Sense your connection to the world at large. Let that connection show you the connection to your inner animal or animals." She lapsed into silence to follow her instructions.
Sunshine warmed her skin. The gentle breeze danced over her. The reddish-gray haze behind her eyes faded to a calmer green. She felt wings, the sensation of soaring over treetops. It faded. She slithered through dense grass seeking the sun and its warmth. Another fade and shift and she loped through a dark forest on four paws. She felt solid and powerful. Her excitement at progress jolted her out of her meditative state. She sat up stretching.
The sun's position suggested the passing of several hours. She looked at Marcus. He sat cross-legged next to her. He opened his eyes. "I kept getting distracted by thoughts of quidditch and flying," he admitted sheepishly.
"I made progress, which excited me. That in turn broke my concentration," she laughed.
Marcus looked around, "Do you want to meditate some more?"
She climbed to her feet, "No, I want to explore the woods. They seem friendly."
"They do?" Marcus had never felt anything in the forest, friendly or not."
"They do to me," she smiled, "then again, so do parts of the Forbidden Forest. I'm not sure if that is a default in me or not."
"Let's go."
Birds called to one another. Insects flitted about in the tall grass. They entered the shaded area. Tall oaks stood reaching for the sun. Squirrels chased one another across branches. "Can you understand them?" asked Marcus.
She shook her head, "Being one with nature isn't one of my strengths. I don't think I'm going to be one of those druids. And that's okay. I can talk with snakes, though." She felt a shiver of recognition run down her spine, "Oh, this way." She rushed to follow the tremor of feeling.
A tiny circle of bare earth lay inside a ring of aspen trees. "A private circle! Someone worshiped and practiced here once." She reverently ran a hand over the trunk of a tree. "It misses them." She toed off her sandals. She pulled him into the circle with her. "Feed some of your magic into the ground. Reconnect your family with the land. It misses you." She guided Marcus through the steps.
A rush of warmth and welcome spread through him, "I feel it." He grinned broadly. Hermione briefly thought he looked extra cute when he smiled like that. She smiled back.
Her watch beeped. "Oh, it's noon. Are you hungry?"
"Yeah, are you?"
"A little. I set the alarm so I don't forget to eat. I do that sometimes," she rolled her eyes laughing at herself.
They went back the way they came. Hermione ran her fingers over the occasional tree trunk or caressed the leaf of a bush. Marcus also found himself reaching out to touch random plants. While the behavior was new to him, he suspected Hermione no longer even realized she did it. Being one with nature might not be her strength, but it still loved her and she it.
Jasper and Dahlia ran into the living room yelling the wise one and Marcus were headed towards the house. Gwendolyn quickly sorted something for lunch. She sent Dahlia to summon Felix for lunch. Hermione and Marcus arrived as the others entered the kitchen. "Just in time for lunch, my dears," announced Gwendolyn. Hermione smiled at the sight of chicken salad and other sandwich spreads. They each served themselves and sat. "Did you have a productive morning?" she asked Hermione.
"Yes, thank you. My mentor warned me this would be the hardest part for me. And not to get upset that elemental control came so easily when this does no." She sipped her water, "But our meditations today proved successful."
"Our? Marc meditated, too?" teased Felix.
"Yes," Hermione answered as if that had been expected.
"I kept getting distracted by quidditch," he muttered.
Felix laughed, "Sounds about right."
"Did you notice the passage of time?" she asked.
"No."
"Could you feel the wind against your face as you flew?"
"Um, yeah, why?"
"Your spirit animal either flies or your element is Air. You didn't get distracted by quidditch, you associate it with flying. So, your mind took you there," Hermione said matter-of-factly.
"Oh," Marcus started at her for a moment. Then changed the subject. "Mum, did you know there is a circle out in the woods?"
"I didn't," replied his mother.
"Hermione woke it up and connected it to the family again."
"No, I didn't," protested Hermione.
"Yes, you did. I was there."
She shook her head, "I told you what to do. You reconnected with it. It missed you. Now you and yours will always be safe there," her voice trailed off. She stared unseeing, "That's important. No matter what, or who, attacks the forest will protect you. You belong to it." She blinked three times. "Sorry, that happens sometimes."
"Are you taking Divination next year?" asked Marcus.
"I am. I don't really buy into most of it, either you have the gift or you don't, but we can study the methods used throughout history."
"What house are you in?" asked Jasper eagerly.
"Gryffindor."
Eyes wide he looked between her and his brother, "Then how did you become friends?"
"He introduced himself and asked," she shrugged. "We do keep it quiet at school as some small minded self-important fools might lose the plot. And I include all the houses in that statement," she sniffed.
"Why did you awaken the woods?" asked Felix.
"Felix Linus Flint! Find your manners," snapped Gwendolyn. "You do not question wise ones."
"I did it because I wanted to. Because it wanted to be awake. Because your family graciously allowed me to come here to meditate. It felt right to give back. And awake sacred spaces benefit all of us," she started eating again. Jasper peppered her with questions about Gryffindor until she departed that afternoon.
The evening news began reporting about a dangerous escaped convict, Sirius Black. The man's unknown location caused her parents to decide against camping for the rest of the summer. Theo filled her in about who Black was. She resolved to tell Harry as soon as she could. He deserved to know, but this knowledge needed to be told in person. She heard from Harry when he arrived in Diagon Alley after accidentally blowing up his Aunt Marge. After much convincing, her parents agreed to let her join him at the Leaky Cauldron when the Weasleys did. They gave her money to buy a familiar as her birthday gift while school supply shopping.
She headed to the Magical Menagerie before meeting the others. She considered buying an owl as it would be useful on several levels. She passed the cats on her way to them and stopped to watch. Kittens pounced on each other playfully. A large ginger cat with a smashed face stalked forward from the back of the pen. He sat in front of her expectantly, as if he had been waiting for her. She smiled, "Are you ready to go, then?" He meowed and came closer.
The shop owner looked at her in surprise. She had the cat, food, treats, collar, bowls, and carrier on the counter. "Are you sure, miss? Crookshanks has been here for a few years now. He's half-kneazle, to be sure, but he's a bit old. Perhaps a kitten..." he trailed off as the cat glared at him.
"No, I'm sure. Sometimes the familiar picks the witch, not the other way around," she paid for the things. "Come along, Crookshanks." She paused, "Do you like Crookshanks?" He meowed again. "Very well, come along." The cat followed her back to her room at the inn. His tail held high in the air.
Hermione put away her purchases. She sat on the bed facing the half-kneazle, "Right, hello, I'm Hermione. I'm a druid apprentice and student at Hogwarts. I'm rambling, I know. I formally ask if you would be my familiar, please." She offered her hand palm up. "You can just be my pet if you want." Crookshanks gave her a disdainful look and placed his paw on her hand. "We have an accord then." She filled his food and water bowls. "I have more shopping to do. You get comfortable and I'll be back."
Frustratingly, Mrs. Weasley refused to leave the three of them alone, or rather leave Harry alone. Prevented from telling him about Sirius Black, Hermione found a copy of the Daily Prophet that told the entire sordid affair. She put it in his room square on the pillow where he would see it. Harry deserved to know what his school peers did. She noticed Mrs. Weasley kept shutting down all conversations about Black. This was most likely why she refused to allow anyone to speak with Harry alone. Because ignoring things made them go away. Oh, wait, no it didn't.
Harry showed them the paper the next morning," Do you know anything else?"
Ron shrugged, "You may have noticed Mum shuts down any conversation about him."
"I know what's in the paper. When I realized no one intended to tell you and were preventing others, no judgment," she added hastily. Ron nodded that he took none. "I left it for you. You should not be left in a position where Malfoy and his minions know something so devastating about yourself that you don't. I also read a quote that Black was best mates with your dad and Pettigrew in school."
Harry's emotions sped across his face: sorrow, rage, apathy, and resignation. "I know they mean well, but why does everyone think keeping secrets helps anything?"
"No clue, mate," Ron clapped him on the shoulder, "but anything I learn, you'll learn."
"Agreed," said Hermione, "Any intelligence about Black will be shared." She felt a twitch of guilt at her secret friendships. She decided to start slow walking them to that reveal. They might not ever be friends, themselves, but they should know about each other.
Arriving late to the station due to the ministry's escort, the trio slid into the only available compartment. They ignored the sleeping man but kept their voices low to not disturb him. They discussed Black, Ron's trip to Egypt, and Hermione's training. Crookshanks glared at everyone and Scabbers trembled in Ron's pocket. Midday the skies darkened. The air grew cold. The three of them looked at each other in consternation. "What?" asked Ron.
The door slid open. A gray-shrouded figure floated in. Ron sagged back. Harry clutched his head before fainting. Hermione fell to her knees from her seat. Oppressive cold energy slammed into her. She felt the depth of the creature's evil. It's hate, contempt, and need to feed off of the misery of others. The drive to create the misery. She touched the soullessness of the being. It was despair incarnate. The older wizard sat up and cast a spell driving the monster out. Harry roused when the monster retreated.
"Eat this," he thrust pieces of chocolate at them.
"What was that?" asked Harry.
"A dementor. They're searching for Sirius Black. Why do they think he's hiding on a train of children, I can't say."
"How did you repel them?" inquired Hermione.
"Patronus charm. Complicated bit of magic, but useful." He handed her another piece of chocolate. "Here, you still look pale."
"Thanks, that thing was vile," she chewed on the next piece.
At the Hogsmeade Station, she gave Jasper a small wave as she disembarked from the train. He grinned broadly. She winked at Marcus when he raised a questioning eyebrow. She also shot Theo a smile when Malfoy's back was turned. The next afternoon she suggested spending more time in the back of the library, "I want to slowly reveal not all of my friends reside in a certain tower."
Theo chuckled, "Get them used to occasionally seeing you with other houses before going in for the shock?"
"Something like that."