Snape continued holding Occlumency lessons with her coven every Saturday, to Hermione's continued thrill. She was getting much better at traditional Occlumency, and her coven mates were also improving with unexpected speed. Snape was suspicious of their unprecedented progress, but Hermione was pleased. She suspected their coven bond was helping them with it, and she was glad for it – the sooner they could all hide their secrets, the better.
At the end of May, Dumbledore announced that Professor Sprout had informed him that the mandrakes were ready, and that their Petrified classmates would be returned to them that evening, which had provoked loud cheers. Hermione had beamed to see Colin and Justin come into the celebratory evening feast that night, both hurrying over to speak with Harry. Hermione was glad so see Justin and Harry shake hands; she knew that Justin suspecting him of being the Heir had hurt Harry. Nearly Headless Nick was restored, as was Mrs. Norris, and Professor Burbage came in halfway through the feast and took her seat at the staff table to loud applause from the older Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff students, her face red.
The rest of the school year seemed to fly by for Hermione. Without the stress of the basilisk, coven ritual, and Dumbledore, Hermione found herself relaxing and genuinely enjoying her classes again. How long had it been since she'd thought about how magic worked, other than with her rituals? How long since she'd delighted in a new success? How long since she'd felt excited about school?
With DADA cancelled, everyone's schedule was more open for casually working on remaining homework or hanging out on the grounds, enjoying the beautiful weather. Though Quidditch was still cancelled (there was only a month left of the school year, and there would be too many matches to try and fit into such a tight time frame), students had taken to playing pick-up games in the stadium, reveling in the freedom to fly again. Hermione took great pleasure in borrowing books from the library to read outside, borrowing an Advanced Herbology book on animated magical plants, a book on metalsmithing and metals, and a book about druids. She hadn't read for pleasure or casual research in what seemed like forever, and she often found herself smiling or absently humming as she read in the sunshine.
The school seemed carefree and happy, enjoying bright sunny days as May melted into June. With exams cancelled, only the 5th years and 7th years were still hard at work (O.W.L.s and N.E.W.T.s were Ministry-run and weren't cancelled, after all), and everyone else seemed ready to relax and have fun. The Weasleys took great delight in setting off experimental fireworks at night against the sunset, and Hermione laughed and laughed, watching them explode into glitter, release booming bangs, or spell out naughty words before chasing Fred and George down to explode.
Hermione enjoyed the lazy pace of the remaining school year, taking great delight in spending time with her friends. She and Harry managed to get their Gryffindor friends, her Slytherin friends, and their coven to all spend time together a few more times, to their mutual satisfaction. It was fun to watch Tracey and Ron bicker back and forth, Neville laughing softly as Millie watched with gleaming eyes. One day Tracey had brought down the Chinese checkers box, challenging Ron, and six of the nine of them had engaged in fierce battle with strategic hopping marbles for over an hour, with Hermione, Blaise, and Luna acting as cheerleaders for the six playing. The whole thing had been great fun.
Though exams had been cancelled, Hermione made a habit of meeting Cedric before dinner to study at least twice a week. Occasionally they'd work together in the library, finishing actual homework, but more often than not, he would take her into the rose garden and teach her something new. Under Cedric's guidance, Hermione had managed to learn and master the Vanishing Charm, which neatly tied up that loose end. She also learned the Banishing Charm, the Flame-Freezing Charm, the Water-Making Spell, the Stasis Spell, the Sticking Charm, and the Shielding Charm, though the last she didn't much get to test.
"We didn't learn anything reliable for DADA with Lockhart, so I'm not about to duel you and hurt you by accident," Cedric told her, grinning. "We'll have to practice next year, if we get a real teacher this time."
Hermione laughed. "Agreed."
After each session in the rose garden, Cedric would gift Hermione another comb of roses, varying the colors over time. Each time she wore a new comb to dinner, Tracey and Daphne would excitedly tell her what the new colors meant and giggle and gossip with her, while Blaise and Draco carefully wouldn't look at her or meet her eyes. Hermione was a little miffed by that, but she pushed the feeling away and ignored it, instead leaning into the thrill that was her flirtation with Cedric, though she was careful to ensure no one new learned who she was meeting up with.
The colors of roses on the combs Cedric made her varied over time. He started with lavender and yellow (love at first sight and enchantment, with joy and friendship), then a lavender paired with a yellow with red tips, then he swapped out the lavender for a pale pink but kept the red-tipped yellow (light pink was admiration and sweetness, Daphne told her, while red-tipped yellow meant 'falling in love'), then swapped the pink out for an orange (desire, enthusiasm, creativity, and fascination, Tracey told her). Over time, the red-tipped yellow rose became one with more and more red creeping down the yellow petals, until one day, the rose he picked for her comb was entirely red, and he paused and grinned at her.
"Oops," he said, and Hermione laughed, watching as he paired the deep red with a yellow with the slightest red tips.
"Yellow's friendship, you know the red-tipped yellow, but a deep red is love, passion, beauty, courage, and respect," Daphne murmured, examining the latest comb at dinner.
"Red is for romance," Tracey said slyly, and Hermione's face flushed.
"You realize, if any of these were made of anything but flowers, these would be significant gifts of intent?" Daphne asked her, giving her a slight smile. "The moment you get one made of metal or crystal or jewels, it will put action behind the meanings of the roses."
"He's charming and flirting with me, but I doubt he actually means the roses he chooses," Hermione said, deflecting, her cheeks burning brightly. "I'm well aware he fancies me, but he agreed to wait until I was ready."
"What is 'ready' for you?" Tracey asked, and Hermione shrugged.
"I said 'not this year'?" she said helplessly. "I blamed the monster and attacks and said maybe over the summer, after I 'debuted'… though, with the monster taken care of, and my debut happening unexpectedly in the Daily Prophet… I suppose I don't really have much cause to put him off much longer, do I?"
"If you want to put him off, then you do so, Hermione," Millie told her firmly. "Don't put yourself out there for dating or courting if you're not ready, especially for an older boy. We're only thirteen."
"Are you being snide?" Tracey demanded. "I've been dating Adrian Pucey since I was twelve, and he's the same age as Hermione's potential beau!"
"You've been snogging Adrian Pucey all year," Hermione laughed, teasing her friend. "That's not quite the same thing as dating, Tracey!"
Tracey flushed hotly.
"Well, true," she admitted, tossing her hair. "I'm not in danger of losing my heart, like you are." She gave Hermione a sly look. "Yours is quite the charmer, isn't he? All these roses…"
"He is," Hermione admitted. She took the comb back from Daphne and pushed it back into her hair over her left ear, her face flaming. "We'll just have to see how it goes."
With O.W.L.s and N.E.W.T.s completed, the last week of classes was a half week, with final essays and projects returned in classes Monday through Wednesday, the Leaving Feast on Thursday, Friday for packing and good-byes, and Saturday to take the Hogwarts Express back to King's Cross Station.
It was an easy week, one that Hermione was enjoying. Her happy smile widened with each final paper she got back, her marks perfect for each one. Even if there were no exams, they would be ranked, and Hermione was confident she'd seized the top spot for her year once again, giving her a warm feeling of accomplishment and satisfaction deep inside.
On Wednesday, the last class of the year was Potions. Ever the taskmaster, Snape had them brewing a Cooling Concoction for a final grade, a potion given to those who were suffering heatstroke, often from over-exerting themselves playing Quidditch over hot summers. It was a messy potion, one requiring Bubotuber pus, rigorous stirring, and pulling tacky strands of sticky silk apart to add to the potion one by one. Though Hermione and Theo's potion was perfect by the end of class, both she and Theo were fairly covered in potions bits and muck, and Hermione was glad it was the last class of the day.
However, Potions ended with an unexpected request.
"Mister Nott, if you would bottle that potion for the Hospital Wing before you leave," Snape bid. "Your potion is the only potion out of these wretched messes I would trust to actually heal and not harm a patient."
His eyes flicked to Hermione's.
"Miss Granger, please stay behind," Snape said, his voice measured and neutral. He paused. "As well as Mister Zabini, Miss Davis, and Miss Bullstrode. "
Hermione exchanged a look with Tracey, who looked at her wide-eyed. She helped Theo finish cleaning up and then waited at one of the front tables, exchanging wary looks with Blaise, Tracey, and Millie as they waited for the other students to trail out.
After the classroom was empty, Snape's eyes fixed on her.
"Your presence is requested at the Ministry tonight," he told her.
His tone of voice indicated it was clearly not a request.
"The Ministry? Tonight?" Hermione's throat went dry. "Why?"
Snape raised an eyebrow.
"I daresay regarding your recent adventures," he said dryly. "It is what the Ministry has been having an inquiry over, after all."
A chill ran down Hermione's spine as her blood ran cold. The Ministry's Inquiry - that had been what Dumbledore had been working on.
"Why at night?" Blaise asked.
"Merlin knows why the Ministry does what they do," Snape said, distaste evident in his voice. "Perhaps they wanted to take into account that Miss Granger has had classes during the day."
Hermione swallowed.
"Although it is only Miss Granger's presence which has been requested by the Ministry," Snape continued, looking at the other three, "you three are permitted to come as well, if Miss Granger would like you there."
"Yes," Hermione said immediately. She shot a desperate look at her friends. "Yes, I'd want them to come with me."
"Of course," Blaise said, stepping next to her to rest a hand on her waist, squeezing her sideways. "We'll come with you."
"I'm coming," Tracey said, her tone defiant as she stared down Snape.
"Did you really think we'd let you go alone?" Millie asked, smirking.
Hermione gave them a warbly smile. "Thanks."
"Professor Dumbledore will meet you in the Entrance Hall at 7 o'clock, immediately following dinner," Snape told them. "Do not be late."
"Dumbledore?" Tracey said, alarmed. "Why Dumbledore?"
"He will be the one escorting you to the Ministry," Snape said, raising an eyebrow pointedly. He cast a critical eye over them all, eyes lingering on splattered potion ingredients on their robes. "You may wish to smarten up beforehand."
Hermione flushed. "Of course."
They left the Potions classroom together, carefully not saying anything until they found an empty classroom on the second floor. After closing the door, locking it, and barring it with old desks, they let down their guards, each looking to the others with alarm.
"What do they know?" Hermione asked, worried. "What could they know?"
"We don't know," Millie said. Her jaw was clenched, tight. "That's the danger. We don't know what they know."
"It's got to be something they got off of Rookwood, doesn't it?" Tracey despaired. "I thought I got all the necessary memories, but there was so little time, maybe I missed one—"
"We can't anguish about it like this," Blaise said firmly. "Whatever they know, they know, and we will have to handle it as it comes." He looked at them with determination. "We must meet their accusations with confusion, innocence, and denial."
"Will they believe us?" Hermione asked, despondent.
"We'll make them believe it," Blaise said fiercely. He held up his hands, gesturing to them. "Think about it. Anything they accuse us of will sound ridiculous. Making Polyjuice potion as second years? Magically knowing Parseltongue out of nowhere? Casting memory charms as a second year?"
"That's a fair point," Tracey said slowly. "The plan was crazy hard as it was. It shouldn't be hard to convince them that lowly second years couldn't possibly pull something like that off."
"We did, though," Hermione argued. "We did, so it's clear that we could."
"Yes, but we don't want them to know that," Millie said, giving Hermione a look. "Would you rather step up and take responsibility for your plan, or not be expelled and go to Azkaban?"
"No, I agree, it's just…" Hermione bit her lip. "They might not believe us if we deny it all, you know? I just killed a basilisk out of nowhere as a second year. I don't think it'd be a far jump for them to think I could do something else dramatic and powerful – especially if I'm Slytherin, and the jump is something that makes me look evil and guilty."
The four exchanged uneasy looks.
"Well, we'll deal with it as it comes," Blaise said, taking Hermione's hand and squeezing it. He looked determined. "Together."
"Together," Millie agreed.
"Together," Tracey said.
Hermione felt a small smile tugging at her lips despite the gravity of the situation. Blaise's unwavering loyalty, Tracey's fierceness, Millie's stubbornness, all helping to defend her and each other… How had she been so lucky to end up with such loyal friends?
"Together," she agreed, looking around at them all. "Together, no matter what."