A/N: Six years… Has it really been that long since my last update? All I can say is that I'm truly sorry for keeping you hanging. I had a bad writer's block at that time and then lost interest in FF altogether.

I'm not an active fanfictioneer anymore but want to finish PAOH. My writing probably hasn't gotten any better and my HP knowledge will most likely need some refreshing. So if you spot any mistakes or think the characters are too out of character, kindly let me know.

I`d like to go over all the old chapters at some point as well since I feel like some of them are pretty cringey. Anyway, here we go.

Chapter 10: Something Sweet For Breakfast

Hermione sighed happily as she sipped her hot cocoa and scanned the Daily Prophet. Feeling an elbow nudge her side, she fished out the sports section and handed it over to Ron. Or Harry. Well, whoever was sitting to her left.

"Can't believe Puddlemere lost again! They're now last in group D," Harry huffed.

Hermione gave him a sympathetic pat on the back. Seven years later and she still didn't really care about Quidditch beyond the school teams. But since her friends did, she would feign interest every now and then. After all, they likely did the same with many things she was interested in.

Manchester man arrested for smuggling endangered Black Forest Pixies

Former Gringotts director appointed finance minister

Dragon pox on the rise again

Oh, now this sounded interesting:

Wizarding World to be exposed by a Muggle book series?

London. A children's book series is taking over the Muggle world by a storm. So far, over ten millions copies have been sold.

The books tell the story of an ordinary girl named Angelica Button who, on her eleventh birthday, finds out that she is not so ordinary after all. She is, in fact, a powerful witch who survived an attempt on her life by a vicious mage when only a mere toddler. A scar on the forehead as a reminder of that fateful night.

Does this story sound somewhat familiar to you? Then you are not alone! The popular book series raises some serious questions about the so-called "Muggle" author T. R. Francis and the safety of our community.

Find out what our insider at the Ministry of Magic knows about the ongoing investigation led by the infamous Aurors…

"Hey Hermione, do you really think you can't hit up Krum for European League tickets?" asked Ron, tapping her shoulder. Hermione looked up at him with a frown.

"Again. No." Ron had been pestering her about this for two weeks now.

"Again. Why not? You two were a thing a while back. Can't you ask for a favour?"

"Ron, he and I were like a thing for a hot second three years ago. We still send each other birthday and Christmas cards but that's about it."

Ron wrinkled his nose at her and then turned to Harry. "Hey Harry, do you think you could hit him up? I mean, you saved his life-"

That's when Hermione tuned him out and went back to reading her newspaper article.

… the infamous Aurors Bruce Hobkins and Geoffrey Dale.

Our insider reveals, "The Muggle Prime Minister has been informed and has agreed to task a special unit-

"Hello there, Granger. I must say that I'm surprised to see that the little tart is not up and throwing herself at you yet," a snide voice interrupted.

Malfoy. Hermione sighed tiredly.

"Good morning to you too, Malfoy. Now if you're done harassing me, kindly shove off. I'd like to continue reading the news in peace."

Draco gasped in faux outrage. "Why so rude, Granger? Haven't your Muggle parents taught you any manners?"

Hermione whipped out her wand. Insulting her was one thing, she could easily ignore that, but bringing her parents into this?

"My parents taught me just fine. It's just that any good manners would be completely wasted on you. Now shove off before I hex you."

Draco, however, didn't even flinch at her threat.

"In such a bad mood, Granger. Well, perhaps the little tart can cheer you up. Her flat arse is stalking up here right now," Draco replied in a disturbingly sugary voice.

Hermione glanced subtly over her shoulder. Malfoy was right. Astoria Greengrass was indeed walking up to their table with a bounce in her step. Seeing Draco, her smile twisted into a sneer. Draco gave her an equal dirty look before rejoining his friends.

"Good morning, everyone!" Astoria chirped brightly as she plopped down on the next best seat a. k. a. the closest to Hermione – which happened to be the one next to Harry.

"Morning," a few Gryffindors, including Hermione, echoed.

Satisfied with the positive response, Astoria decided to small-talk about the weather, occasionally sending longing looks in the Head Girl`s direction. While Hermione seemed oblivious to them, Harry was not. Harry couldn't help but raise a brow and smirk at Astoria. Still not giving up, huh?

His little smirk wasn't lost on Astoria. Feeling mocked, she proceeded to throw him the most chilling glare that she could manage. It would have sent lesser men six feet under but the Boy Who Lived had dealt with far more threatening things in his life. His smirk widened.

Then all of a sudden, Harry felt a sharp pain on his arm. He yelped loudly.

"OW!"

That sadistic little cow had ripped a patch of his arm hair out!

"Are you all right, Harry?" Ron asked as both he and Hermione looked at him worriedly. Harry`s yelp had spooked them quite a bit.

"Is it your… scar?" Neville asked carefully. Harry could swear that he saw Neville shudder slightly.

"Oh, no, no, no, no, no! My scar has not hurt since the Battle of Hogwarts. Voldemort is gone. Trust me. I just had a… charley horse. A bad case of a charley horse.… It's okay now though," Harry quickly reassured Neville, who sighed in relief.

"Glad to hear that. I mean, not that you had a charley horse but you know…" Neville answered awkwardly.

"No worries," Harry again reassured. Neville had fought bravely but was still left traumatized like many others. Harry still often thought of that fateful night himself… A faint and gleeful giggle snapped Harry back to reality. That evil cow!

Astoria had resumed her chit-chat with Hermione. They both now laughed at something the Slytherin said. Harry caught a few snippets of the conversation and to him, it sounded awfully boring.

Harry observed the two a while longer. The more he observed, the less he liked what he saw. Not that Harry minded Hermione being friends with students from other Houses. It was just that her interaction with Astoria was odd.

Too friendly.

It was almost as if his best friend was encouraging the misguided crush. He knew that he needed to put a stop to this somehow. But first, he wanted to feel out Hermione about this newfound friendliness. Harry actually already had a brilliant idea on how to.

"Hermione, could you pass me the tarts, please?" he asked, looking at her intensely.

Hermione cocked an eyebrow at his expression, not sure how to read it, but handed over plate with the tarts. "Sure, Harry. Here you go."

"Thank you, Hermione," he said politely, that look still lingering on his face. "Would you like a tart as well?"

Hermione eyed the plate and shook her head. "No, I don't like eating anything sweet for breakfast."

"Oh, okay… but generally, you do like tarts, is that correct?" the Boy Who Lived pressed before pushing the plate right under her nose. Hermione pushed the plate back with more force than necessary.

"I guess so. Don't want one now, though," Hermione added, so Harry would leave her alone.

He did not. "No tart?"

"No tart." What was it with him and those little pies?

Harry was frustrated. Why did Hermione not get his hint? He decided that he needed to be even more obvious.

"You don't want this tart then," Harry answered diplomatically as if he was going to drop the issue. The side-way glance he threw at Astoria (who was making herself tea) told Hermione otherwise.

A lightbulb went on.

"What? NO!", Hermione spluttered, catching Ron's attention.

"I am not interested in… tarts," she insisted. Harry sighed in relief.

"Actually, I would like a tart if you don't mind, Harry," Ron chimed in, pointing at the delicious treat with strawberries.

Harry's question bothered Hermione. She wasn't interested in Astoria that way. They were just friends. Plus, her sexual orientation didn't change just because she looked like a guy now. She was still interested in men.

"Harry, what gave you that impression?"

"Tart, please," Ron repeated.

"Well, just the look you had… I don't know," Harry offered, shrugging at Hermione.

"The look I had," Hermione repeated slowly.

"Yeah."

"Oi, there! I want a tart," Ron huffed in the background. He was getting annoyed at being ignored. Harry picked the tart he wanted and shoved it in Ron's demanding hand.

"There."

"Thanks," Ron said grumpily. The things you had to do to get a tart around here. Pssssh.

A/N: As some might have guessed, I took the character of Angelica Button from the Simpsons. Just like with Harry Potter, I obviously do not own any rights to the character nor do I make any profit etc.

Hope you guys enjoyed the chapter. I will try to make the next one longer.