Notes:
Content Warning: Stalking
HOGSMEADE, SCOTLAND; 8th OCTOBER 1977
The small wooden sign about the door read Scivenshaft's Quill Shop, its curling letters etched in elegant silver that shimmered faintly, and the windows were fogged from the warmth inside. Hermione could make out the shelves lined with gleaming quills, parchment rolls, and bottled ink in every imaginable color through them.
She hesitated before going in, the cloak Regulus had gifted her for her birthday wrapped tightly around her against the chill of the October air. The reminder of him made her chest tighten, her thoughts drifting unwillingly back to the party the previous week, to what Regulus had done to her and how everything had shifted.
She'd told him no, but he'd continued as if it was his right to possess her. To make matters worse, her body had responded to him, even while her mind was screaming for him to stop. Then, the past week, he'd been a perfect gentleman, respecting the boundaries she'd put in place. He did not sit with her at meals or in class, though he escorted her to help carry her bag.
The dramatic shift in his behavior had her mind spinning.
Taking a steadying breath to ground herself, a shiver ran down her spine, causing Hermione's body to tense. Turning to glance over her shoulder, Hermione was sure someone was watching her.
But the street was empty, just a few students hurrying past in the cold. She let out a slow breath, though the unease clung to her skin. After weeks of Dumbledore's sharp eyes and Professor Cunningham lurking at the edges of every corridor, she should have been used to the feeling of being watched.
She wasn't, and she cursed Pandora for getting detention on their first Hogsmeade weekend of the year, leaving her utterly alone.
Getting caught running naked through the Forbidden Forest with a herd of Unicorns wasn't how Hermione would have spent her Thursday night, but who was she to judge?
Stepping into the shop, Hermione looked around, her eyes going wide at the impressive displays. The warm scent of ink and parchment engulfed her. She made her way toward the back, scanning for a new quill and parchment set, when the bell above the door rang again.
Hermione didn't pay it any attention as she pulled an eagle quill from its display, rolling it between her fingers as she examined the nib. She licked her lips; it was perfect, and it wasn't as if Helen hadn't sent her plenty of galleons to shop with.
"I told you it was her!" A familiar voice said brightly behind her, pulling Hermione's attention away from the display. "Hi Hermione, we met at the game last week. I'm Marlene McKinnon, and this is Mary, remember?" The golden blonde girl asked, her hair hanging around her shoulders in soft waves as she stepped closer to Hermione, dragging her friend along.
"Hiya," Mary said, her easy smile showing off a prominent gap between her front teeth. Her mousy brown hair was cut short, and a pair of glasses made her eyes look almost looked lonely. Did you want some company?"
Hermione blinked at them, her expression neutral as she looked at the two girls. Their Gryffindor house pride was evident from the crimson and gold they were both wrapped in, their faces pink from the unforgiving Scottish October wind. Unlike Sirius, they at least seemed friendly…
"Uh, sure. I need to get ink…"
"Then you've come to the right place!" Marelene said with a laugh. "They just got a shipment of quick-drying ink and some new spell-reactive quills."
"Did you want a particular color?" Mary asked, taking hold of Hermione's hand and pulling her toward the selection. "I really like their red, when it dries on parchment, it's so pretty."
Hermione let them lead her through the shop, nodding when she had to, but saying little. Their energy differed from Pandora's—loud, bright, and eager. Pandora would have warned her to be careful, to keep her guard up around Gryffindors, not to chatter about quill colors like they didn't notice the way Hermione kept flinching at every slight noise.
She barely heard them. Her focus stayed on the shelves, her fingers trailing along the parchment rolls until she found what she was looking for—an enchanted sheet that only the writer could read. Perfect for her research into neuromagic.
Still, her gaze kept flickering to the window. The street outside was busy, students passing by in laughing clusters, but no one stood watching the shop.
And yet…the feeling gnawed at her.
Maybe she really was going mad.
"Did you find something?" Marlene's voice cut through the haze, and Hermione jumped, her heart thudding painfully against her ribs.
"I—yes," Hermione said, blinking away the threat of tears and tightening her grip on the bundle of parchment she'd just selected. She turned slightly to look at Marlene, ignoring the gripping feeling of being watched through the window.
Marlene beamed.
"Brilliant! Do you have any other plans for the day? We were thinking of going to Madam Puddlifoot's for a cuppa—you'll come, won't you?"
Before Hermione could find the words to decline, Marlene was already slipping her arm through Hermione's, steering her gently but insistently toward the front of the shop.
Hermione stiffened at the touch, instinct screaming at her to pull away and make an excuse, but Marlene's chatter was too cheerful and casual. Mary followed close behind, still discussing the various types of tea they could obtain.
It would look strange if she refused, even more so if she were to make a scene.
Swallowing down the knot in her throat, Hermione allowed herself to be led toward the register, her mind racing.
Outside, the street bustled with students, but she still couldn't shake the feeling of eyes on her, somewhere just beyond her line of sight.
The little bell over the door chimed again as they stepped outside. Hermione instinctively tried to free her arm from Marlene's, but the Gryffindor only tightened her hold, grinning at someone approaching from the direction of the Three Broomsticks.
"There she is!" Marlene called, waving her free hand. "Lily! Lils, over here!"
Hermione blinked against the wind, her heart rate picking up as she spotted the fiery red hair of the head girl weaving through the throngs of students on the street. Her Gryffindor scarf was flapping behind her, as if reminding everyone just which house she belonged to. While most of the students had shed their house affiliations for the shopping trip, it seemed she wanted a reminder for everyone, so as not to forget her Gryffindor traits.
Lily Evan's smile grew warmer as she closed the distance, and instead of putting Hermione at ease like it was supposed to, Hermione's body locked up, becoming stiff as Lily reached them.
Without hesitation, Lily leaned forward and wrapped Hermione in a soft hug, the scent of her faint soap and the autumn leaves that clung to her robes lingering as she pulled away and looked Hermione in the eyes.
Those eyes…
"Harry?" Hermione breathed, but Lily must not have heard her over the street chatter, her facial expression not shifting in the slightest.
"You must be Hermione," She said, those familiar emerald eyes bright and curious. "I was able to get us a table for four and a plate of biscuits already ordered." Lily continued, taking hold of Hermione's hand and pulling her down the street. There was a faint crease between her brows, as if she'd noticed Hermione's stiffness.
The trip to the tea shop was short, but Hermione's mind was swirling the entire time, preoccupied with who Harry was and why Lily Evans had been the key to unlocking that particular piece of her past.
She hadn't registered their walk down the street or anything else the three seventh-year Gryffindors were saying as they made their way toward the tea shop. Hermione was merely a body being dragged along, none of them noticing that she wasn't engaging in the conversation.
When they sat at a table tucked away in a corner, far from the crowd of couples, Hermione sat stiffly, the unease of what these witches might want from her coursing through her mind. The lace-draped table and the softly glowing fairy lights above their head made the space feel friendly and relaxing, but Hermione felt none of that.
"Do you like it?" Mary asked, nudging Hermione as she gestured around the space. "The tea isn't as sweet as it smells." She explained as she poured a cup for Hermione, pushing it in her direction.
Hermione smiled politely, her hands cupped around her mug to hide the tension in her fingers. She knew something more was happening—no one had been this eager for her company. Well, Sirius and Pettigrew, but they were both hopping mad.
As if right on cue, like they'd rehearsed this, Marlene leaned forward, her voice dropping just enough that Hermione could still hear, but the tables around them would be none the wiser as Lily waved her wand, causing a slight buzzing to wrap around them, trapping the four witches in a muted bubble.
"You're a Slytherin," she said, studying Hermione carefully. "Part of the Sacred Twenty-Eight, and your family's not with You-Know-Who. That's a rare combination."
Hermione's body stiffened involuntarily, the fear coursing through her body at the mention of 'You-Know-Who,' but her mind brought nothing forward.
Her silence didn't seem to deter Marlene from pushing forward. "There's a war coming, Hermione. People are already turning up missing, and no one can stay neutral in it."
Hermione's hands trembled, holding her teacup, but she didn't break eye contact with the intense blue gazepinning her to her seat. "I don't see what this has to do with me," Hermione said, her tone sharp. "I've lived in Australia most of my life, and I don't know anything about this supposed war. Not to mention, I'm only a sixth-year student."
"You're in a unique position," Lily said, taking the lead, keeping her face open and friendly. "Your name carries weight, even if you haven't lived here, your family has a legacy. You're a pureblood from a Sacred Twenty-Eight family. People will trust you, people like Regulus Black."
Though her stomach twisted at the sound of his name, Hermione schooled her face to remain blank, showing no emotions either way. "What would you want me to do?" She asked, pursing her lips, thankful she hadn't drunk any of the tea Mary had offered her. "Spy on Regulus Black? Is that it?"
"Yes," Lily said, leaning closer to Hermione and reaching across the table to touch Hermione's arm. "Watch, listen, tell the right people when something's wrong."
"The right people, like Dumbledore?"
"Exactly," Mary said, her expression earnest. Hermione kept herself from reacting based on how they looked at her, their eyes bright and determined. The fools were oblivious to being pawns in the Headmaster's scheming; he was nothing more than a puppet master, pulling all the strings, happily using students in whatever war he was in against whoever this You-Know-Who person was.
"This isn't an official offer to join the Order," Marlene explained, leaning back in her chair, crossing her arms over her chest. "But if you say yes, you could help stop something terrible before it grows worse."
Hermione turned away from looking at the Gryffindors. They were still waiting for her answer, but as Hermione looked onto the street, she deep down knew that if she took them up on their offer, she would be signing her death sentence.
The thoughts of the danger she was being put in with just this conversation churned in her mind when something caught Hermione's attention, and her mouth opened in shock.
Regulus Black stood in the street, his slate grey gaze filled with fury, and she could feel the stone drop in her stomach as his nostrils flared. Where Lily's hand remained on Hermione's arm suddenly felt like a scorching touch, not the casual gesture of someone trying to show comfort or support that it had been moments before.
The girls continued to pitch their offer, but Hermione could only focus on the dread that was filling her as she watched Regulus unmoving in the street. She'd never seen that coldness on his face, and it took everything within Hermione to keep from jumping from her seat and racing toward the exit.
"Hermione?" Lily asked, pulling Hermione's attention back to the head girl, her eyes hopeful, like Hermione would agree to join whatever the Order was.
Fat chance.
"Let me think on it, yeah?" Hermione said, giving the girls a tight smile as she moved away from Lily's hold and pushed herself away from the table. "Is there a back exit through here? I promised Pandora I'd bring her a few things from the sweet shop, and just thought it'd be faster to cut through an alley."
"Oh yeah, of course," Mary said, not a hint of suspicion on her face or in her tone. "I can show you, it's past the washrooms down this hall."
"Perfect," Hermione said, putting a false cheerful look on her face. "It was very nice to meet you, Lily, and Marlene, it was a pleasure." She needed to get through the exit and back to the castle. If she could make it to Pandora's room…
The knocker used to bar entrance to the Ravenclaw Tower just told a riddle to get in, but Pandora had shown her how to get to the high tower, cutting at least some of the secrets that protected the students away. If he did know where the tower was and how to get in, the charms and enchantments that led up to the girls' dorms would protect her enough until Regulus had a chance to calm down.
Hermione had no idea what had him looking so murderous, but she sensed that keeping a good amount of distance between herself and the Black Heir would be in her best interests.
"Thanks for the afternoon," Hermione said, giving Mary a tight-lipped smile when they reached the back exit.
"Of course, and," Mary dropped her voice, looking around to ensure they were alone. "Just send an owl or something. We'll be in touch," the short Gryffindor straightened up, plastering an overexcited smile on her face, and waved as she entered the loo. Before the door shut, Hermione was out the door, racing through the alley, sticking to the shadows.
How long would it take for Regulus to realize that Hermione wasn't coming back to the table with Mary? Would he look for her in other shops in the village, or would he assume she'd returned to the castle?
As she reached the edge of the village, a line of carriages stood ready for students to use for transportation back to school after their shopping. Prefects on duty held lists, charmed with each approved student, as they visited the village to track who was still wandering about and who had returned.
"Hermione Greengrass, I twisted my ankle and wanted to go back to rest it. Can I—"
"Yeah, yeah, go on," one of the Ravenclaw fifth-year prefects said, gesturing toward the horseless carriage. "I hope you had a relaxing and rejuvenating trip to the village." The wizard said in a monotone voice.
Hermione didn't give him a second look as she said, "Thanks," and jumped in the carriage, hopeful she could get to Pandora before Regulus found her.
Notes: Next chapter, we're going back to Regulus's POV... and he's not exactly pleased with Hermione's choice of company...
