𝓢𝓲𝓵𝓮𝓷𝓽 𝓢𝓮𝓬𝓻𝓮𝓽 | 𝓢𝓪𝓫𝓮𝓻 & 𝓐𝓵𝓪𝓬𝓻𝓲𝓽𝔂

[Saber]

It was cruel the way that people could grow up so fast. At only sixteen, Hermione Granger felt like she had experienced more in her short life than the average middle aged person. Sitting outside of a little diner on the outskirts of London with a cup of tea in front of her that was quickly losing heat, she watched the rush of people move around, immersed in their own lives. The brunette found herself wondering what it could've been like if she'd had a more normal life. Blissfully unaware of the dangers that lurked in the corners of the country that could very well put an end to muggles as a whole. Would she be happy?

A snide chuckle as she shook her head and sipped her lukewarm tea and tried to piece together what had happened at the Ministry earlier that year. Her hand coming up unconsciously to press against her chest where a gnarled scar was healing still. The flesh was still tender to the touch, but lacking the electrified nerve pain she had experienced while recovering in St. Mungo's, but she was still half expecting to feel the pain every time she took a deep breath. Something had changed Hermione that night. She couldn't put her finger on what, exactly, but she could feel it in the core of her being. Her mind was still having trouble making sense of the whole ordeal no matter how many times Harry and Ron recounted it for her. It felt like a dream that was slowly beginning to fade from her memory against her will

"Hermione?" She jumped slightly, yanked from the silence of her mind to the bustle of the city once more and found the green eyes of her best friend. Who, probably like her, looked a bit more down than usual. "You all right?" Harry took a seat in the wrought iron chair across from her and Hermione glanced around in search of their red headed friend.

"No Ron?" Her voice was quiet as she focused back on Harry who just shrugged his shoulders with a light sigh. "Is he following Ginny again?"

"He won't leave her alone after what happened at the Ministry." Harry replied as he sat forward, resting his arms on the table. "I assume she's a bit annoyed, but she hasn't told him off quite yet."

"He's just being over protective." Hermione chuckled as Harry combed his fingers through his hair. There were dark circles under his eyes and he was paler than normal. They hadn't actually sat down and talked about the events that had taken place, let alone the loss of Sirius. They hadn't even been able to hold a funeral since his body had been lost and he had technically been in hiding. She had hoped he would talk more about it more, but he seemed content to brood on his own. Their conversations of late had been about Harry's meeting with Professor Slughorn before he'd arrived at the Burrow.

"Are you ready to head to Diagon Alley?" Harry asked as he adjusted his glasses. Hermione just nodded silently, leaving a bit of money for the waitress under the saucer of her teacup. The path to the Diagon Alley could have been trekked with her eyes closed, she'd taken it so many times. With the news of Voldemort's return, the usually bustling village was a bit emptier than last year, or perhaps people had just come early for their school supplies. Their first stop was Flourish and Blotts to pick up their school books. As soon as they entered, Hermione could hear Ron and Ginny arguing over something in the back corner and Harry rushed away to try and diffuse the situation. The brunette released an exasperated sigh as she massaged her forehead before heading up the stairs to look for a few books for her personal collection, not that she needed any.

 

[Alacrity]

It had never been easy after her sixth-year.

After returning from Hogwarts in June, Cho Chang's mind was reeling under the effects of everything that had happened. She wouldn't have considered it possible that anything would have left her more devastated than her ex boyfriend's death, but right now she was doubting that notion. She had, of course, called it off with Harry over him being more concerned about another

(Hermione Granger)

woman, but then she had read that interview. It had left her both disappointed and confused at the way she had treated him. She had apologized, but it hadn't really been the same between them since that point. She learned later that he had fought at the Ministry along with the other members of the Army, and it hadn't done anything to assuage her. She was present, of course. Many of them were.

If there was someone who should have been called, it was her. Or had he not thought of her as good enough to fight against the Death Eaters? She would not necessarily call herself as one of the best members of in the group, for that moniker went to a person he'd rather not think about at the moment, aside from Harry himself. And yet she was a Ravenclaw who had shown her capabilities already.

She wasn't entirely sure what the matter was either. Was she lost in her heads-space because she wasn't together with Harry? Maybe the way he had been proved correct all along made her guilty... in a way, she had contributed to making his time harder.

"Are you all right?"

Having been snapped out of her reverie, she glanced up to meet the eyes of an anxious looking wizard, who was looking her over appraisingly. She was outside Flourish and Blotts, although she couldn't remember having reached the place. It seemed as if she had just walked on without conscious thought.

"You appeared to be--"

"I am all right," she said, not wanting to have further conversation with a stranger. He possibly meant well, but there were more reasons than one why she didn't have to indulge in it. Instead, she glanced at what she was carrying, and made her way towards the front door. Pushing it open, she let herself into the misty scent of books that enveloped her immediately.

There were quite a few things she had to get, and she would prefer to do it on her own. She walked towards the further end of the shop, skimming the section which dealt with school textbooks. Her eyes followed the lines etched across the spine of various books enclosed in glass-cages as she perused them.

And then she saw her.

It wasn't voluntary on her part. She had just turned around when her eyes landed on her. For a moment, she wasn't sure what she should be saying. And then she was hit by mild surprise. She was about to move away, but then Hermione saw her too. A silence followed before she spoke.

"Good morning," she said testily.

 

[Saber]

Hermione didn't know why she was so shocked to see Cho Chang in Flourish and Blotts. It wasn't uncommon to run into other students in Diagon Alley, quite the opposite, it was just that this was very possible the first time she'd ran into the Ravenclaw. After what had happened with Dumbledore's Army and that it had been one of Cho's friends that had ousted them to Umbridge, she couldn't deny she had some mixed feelings around the older student. Not to mention that she had believed the rumors about her and Harry which was...beyond ridiculous. At least in her mind.

"Morning, Cho. It's good to see you." Hermione greeted with a small, forced smile. She cleared her throat as her eyes suddenly scanned the store in search of her friends...who were no where in sight. Small talk wasn't something that came easy for the brunette, hell, socializing in general with other witches and wizards was difficult for the fact that she only really cared to talk about wizarding politics or the goings on at school. If it wasn't that, it was muggle subjects that she was keen on.

"I assume you're here to buy your school books." That was a stupid statement. Far more imbecilic than she had intended, but again, small talk was her shortcoming, so she was trying her best. She cleared her throat after mentally smacking herself and looked around for Ron and Harry again. "Ron and Harry are around here somewhere, if you wanted to say 'hello'. I'm sure you would've heard Ron and Ginny arguing a moment ago."

There was something between Hermione and Cho that had gone untouched for a time, much longer than it should've been since it hadn't been true. Since Hermione's fourth year even when the rumor began to circulate that Harry was in fact dating his best friend, all thanks to Rita Skeeter. Denouncing said rumor had been the brunette's mission and even if she and her close friends knew the truth, it was hard to convince others. Even if Cho hadn't been a direct victim to that rumor, it was hard to ignore the Daily Prophet.

Regardless of the truth, it wasn't easy to clear her name to someone on the outside. Someone who only saw her hang around with Harry and Ron, and then of course the private lessons she would give Harry when he needed practice. From the outside, she was sure that it appeared like they were together when in reality Harry was the closest thing she'd ever have to a sibling. But once a rumor was planted, it was hard to uproot.

"Do you, uh," Hermione cleared her throat before standing up straight, steeling herself for the question she was about to ask. "Do you want to talk about what happened with Harry? Clear the air, so to speak?"

 

[Alacrity]

As the seconds ticked by, Cho was beginning to regret having initiated a conversation in the first place. She had almost been about to walk away, but it would have been rude to do so. She hadn't expected her to say anything in return, let alone talk about Harry.

She couldn't really believe that she had the audacity to do that.

"No," she said shortly. Registering that there was a chance she might be coming off of as weak if she didn't say anything else, the Asian girl added: "And I didn't hear anyone arguing. You're correct, however. I was here to purchase a few books." She took in a breath to compose herself. Now that she had actually said something, it appeared to be comparatively easier to get it going properly.

Of course, nothing like that would have happened if it weren't for the fact that she was interacting with Hermione. She glanced around her, as if expecting the two wizards to show up any moment. But then she decided that she didn't care. She wasn't going to rush things just to avoid someone, which was ridiculous.

There was a pause before she continued. "I suppose I could tell you, anyway," she added in a slightly jovial tone. "About what happened between Harry and I. He was paying a lot more attention to you, and I didn't like it that much. And then we just fell apart because I wasn't really able to understand him." She looked up at her, her expression suddenly stern.

"And you are now asking me whether I want to talk about it when you had a role to play in it." Despite her expression, there wasn't a tone of anger in her voice, and she spoke in a calm manner. She shook her head.

"How was your O.W.L results? I don't think--" But she was cut off as the other two arrived. Harry was talking to Ron about something, the latter of whom paused as he noticed Cho.

"Blimey," he said, just as Harry realized what was happening. "It's, uh..."

Harry was rather expressionless, but then turned away from her resolutely. "Are we ready to go?" he addressed Hermione. "Ron and I have got everything. Ginny's still shopping, though, so unless you'd rather wait for her..."

 

[Saber]

Hermione was silently kicking herself for attempting to make conversation with Cho. Hearing the words come out of her mouth was disheartening even though she had assumed as much. Still, she wasn't going to sit back and nurse her damaged pride. Hermione huffed slightly, trying not to let the cattier side of her personality breach the surface. So she took a deep breath before addressing Cho again in hopes that the Ravenclaw wouldn't be able to see the irritation on her face.

"Part of the problem?" Hermione asked as she took a step back and furrowed her brow. "I'm sorry you didn't understand my best friend or take the time to even attempt to understand him or you'd know that Harry isolates himself when he's stressed. Or that he's quiet when he's angry so he doesn't say anything he'd regret." The brunette folded her arms over her chest as she lifted her chin. "I played no role in the end of your relationship, but I realize you need someone to blame so go ahead. It couldn't have possibly been your fault."

Cho had began to mention something about O.W.L.s and Hermione was a bit floored with how quickly she could change the conversation, but before she could even finish her question, Ron and Harry reappeared, as if summoned by the awkward air of the conversation. Hermione's hand came up to cover her face as Ron fumbled over his words. Always the articulate friend. When Harry spoke, Hermione lifted her head and cleared her throat.

"I, well," She glanced at Cho and then back at her friends who were clearly ready to leave. "I'll wait for Ginny. I still need to go to a couple more places. So I'll meet up with you guys back at the station in a couple hours?" Harry's gaze moved back to Cho and then to his friend. "I'll be fine, go on."

One last glance at Cho and Harry nudged Ron and they both left the shop. Hermione sighed heavily as she massaged her temples and looked up at Cho. What an uncomfortable situation to be in, again. Regardless, Hermione hated having unresolved issues, especially ones that didn't directly involve her. So she inhaled slowly before letting out an exasperated breath.

"My O.W.L. results were great." Hermione turned then to peruse the book shelf and find the tome she had been searching for before plucking it from the others. "A bit too easy maybe." She glanced at Cho over her shoulder. "How were yours? And do you mind if we walk and talk? I have quite a few books to find still and I think we should try and get over this," Hermione waved her hand dismissively. "whatever it is." She didn't wait for an answer as she walked past Cho and continued to search the shelves for her prizes.

 

[Alacrity]

To her slight disappointment (which was mixed with a vexation of anger) both of them had left. She watched them leave Flourish and Blotts before Hermione spoke again. She turned towards her as she began to peruse book-shelves, listening to her words. Walk and talk with her? She had no idea what she wanted it to be about, and had half a mind to just plainly refuse. And yet she thought it wouldn't really be a bad idea, after all. Of course she couldn't deny that as it was she, the person responsible for it, who would be speaking to her, it wouldn't do anything to help her.

She had registered the tone in which she had spoken to her before Harry and Ron had arrived too. Having said that, she couldn't help but fall in with what she had said, at least for now.

"My O.W.Ls were appropriate. And that would be fine," she said, following in her wake as she pulled out a few books of her own. "I know what you are going to say," she told her after pulled everything out minutes later, arranging all of them properly in her handbag. "That it was my fault... it's not surprising that it's what you would do. You took Harry away from me, and when I am upset about it, you are attempting to manipulate and convince me that it's my doing."

Normally, she would have never said something like that, but weeks and months of disappointment were just piling out now.

"So, is he all right? After the fight at the Ministry... I wasn't there."

 

[Saber]

Hermione rolled her eyes dramatically as she let her finger tips brush along the leather spines of the books on a new shelf. Being blamed for the end of a relationship when she had nothing to do with it was frustrating. The brunette had actually approved of Cho when Harry showed interest. She was older, a responsible student from what she could see. Though, she was ruled by her emotions, or so it would seem. Something that Hermione struggled with sometimes, but she was technical when the situation called for it. This situation definitely called for it.

"Please explain to me in detail how I took him from you." Hermione asked as she moved to a different part of the shop, retrieving her wand and swirling it to pull four books down from a taller shelf so she could read the titles. "The fact that you're directing your negativity towards me and not Harry is beyond me. Why do women do that?" Hermione scrunched her face and looked at Cho with a frown. "You're not even mad at Harry for choosing to spend time with his friends instead of his..." She waved her hand at Cho. "whatever you both were."

When the Ravenclaw asked if Harry was doing all right, she paused for a moment. Though the memory of what happened at the Ministry was always fresh in Hermione's mind, she tried not to think about it. She couldn't even begin to imagine what Harry was feeling. "He lost the last piece of his family he had left." The brunette responded quietly. She swallowed before grabbing a book that was hovering in front of her and stacked it with the others that were floating behind her. "He's doing as best as he can, but he's, darker now. Struggling, and he feels alone, but he doesn't want to talk about it yet."

Hermione turned then to look at Cho with a firm gaze. "You should try to talk to him, if you're so concerned."

 

[Alacrity]

"He lost his family?" Cho repeated, slightly confused as to what she was getting at. The Daily Prophet had reported Sirius Black's innocence, but there had been nothing there about him being Harry's godfather. Not now, anyway. They probably would have printed it for days if they had gotten wind of the fact. All the same, a slight frown knitted her eyebrows at the comment.

"I don't want you to tell me that I should talk to him," she said quietly. "I will do that." He might not be interested at all, but she would give it a chance regardless. She didn't think that he would be against her even enquiring about his well-being as a friend. Her stomach constricted at the thought, for she did just want to be a friend? The truthful answer was a "no", but there was nothing she could do about it either.

"I know you are clever, Hermione," she said presently. "Clever enough to poison him against me and then accuse me of overreacting. Well... it does look as if you've got what you wanted. But I suppose you don't like him, after all. Maybe there's someone else you fancy?"

She arranged the last few books into her bag, and then made her way towards the counter.

"I would be careful of Ron if I were you. He and Lavender were having a not-so-friendly conversation in Diagon Alley a few days ago."

 

[Saber]

Hermione released an exasperated sigh as she walked while Cho talked. There weren't as many people in the shop which was fantastic only because Cho was spewing some sort of nonsense that the brunette was trying hard not to hear. She wasn't sure what Cho was expecting her to do. Admit that she was turning Harry against her? The thought was preposterous at the very least. She wasn't sure what had happened to Cho over the summer, but Hermione much preferred the sweet girl she'd come to know during the school year previously.

She paid for her books before stuffing them into her bag. "Then do it." Hermione raised an eyebrow before making her way towards the door. "The fact that you think I poisoned him against you really shows me that maybe you poisoned him yourself. Did you ever think about that?"

The brunette shrugged her shoulders before walking out the front door of the shop. She was now mildly regretting opting to stay back for a chance to speak with Cho Chang. It was clear that the conversation wasn't going to go anywhere, at least nowhere in a positive direction. When the topic of who she fancied came up, Hermione sneered and shook her head.

"Ronald can do as he pleases," She almost spat. While a crush had manifested over the years, Hermione knew Ron was not a viable partner, at least not right now. "I don't have the time or energy to put into another person right now, at least romantically." Her brow furrowed as she made her way towards Magical Menagerie to get some supplies and treats for Crookshanks. When she entered the shop, the calls and sounds of the animals filled the air, while dulled, she was sure, since she knew the calls of a Screech Owl were ear piercing. "Are you just trying to get close to me to find an opportunity to talk to Harry? Because you can do that one your own. After some time, perhaps."

 

[Alacrity]

Although her words had no effect, Cho had made her point. Her lips curled in a smile as she hinted at what her true intentions might be. "I wouldn't do anything like that. I can speak to him myself if I want to." She paused. Having gotten all of her supplies, it was time to leave. Maybe she did want to talk to Harry immediately... but no. She wasn't going to, not when he had ignored her like that a few minutes back.

"Well, then. I suppose I'll see you at Hogwarts." She gave her a meaningful nod, and then left Diagon Alley to make her way out.

---

The rest of her time passed by almost uneventfully, until it was finally the occasion where she had to board the train. She was presently standing inside one of the carriages, looking around as she figured out where she should help herself to a seat. As long as she didn't encounter anyone she didn't want to talk to at the moment.

That was when a voice carried towards her, fairly audible although its owner might not have meant anyone else to see it. It was coming from a carriage a little further away from where she was.

"Malfoy's a Death Eater," Harry was saying, looking indignant that the others wouldn't believe him. "How many times do I have to tell you?"

"I dunno, mate." The red-head turned towards Hermione. "You-know-who would never..."

 

[Saber]

Hermione was more than relieved when Cho wandered off on her own. Seeing her at school now would be even more awkward than it would've if she'd just ignored her at the bookstore. Either way, there was nothing she could do about it now, when Hermione finished with her shopping before meeting Ginny at the Leaky Cauldron. The two made their way to the station where their luggage was already waiting.

"So she wants to talk to Harry?" Ginny asked as the station came into view.

"I guess?" Hermione shrugged her shoulders as they made their way to the platform. "She was only clear on one point, which was that I somehow had something to do with their split. Which is ridiculous."

"I honestly thought she was still hung up on Cedric." Ginny mused as they walked through the platform arm in arm. "She never really seemed to be into Harry one hundred percent, but how could she when Cedric...well-"

Ginny didn't need to finish her thought. Hermione already knew and it was a subject that they had danced around for a long time, even around Harry. There was guilt there that he could've done something, but of course, there was no convincing him that he couldn't have saved Cedric. The brunette sighed softly as they both boarded the train. The whistle echoing throughout the station as the gaggle of students scrambled to say goodbye to their parents and board the train.

Hermione made the way through the train cars before finding her friends in their usual car. Harry and Ron were already in a heated debate as the brunette sat down next to Harry. Something about Malfoy being a Death Eater and she had to roll her eyes, again. This hadn't been the first time that Harry had brought Draco Malfoy up during the summer and honestly, the subject was wearing.

"Why would You-Know-Who want Draco as a Death Eater now?" Hermione asked as she folded her hands in her lap. "With Draco being at school, he'd be right under Dumbledore's nose. That's not exactly the smartest idea." Out of the corner of her eye, the brunette caught sight of who else, but Cho Chang, again, hovering outside of the compartment door. "Maybe you should talk to her, Harry." She nodded her head towards Cho. "It's clear you're the one she wants to talk to."

"I don't think I'm ready yet." Was all he said as he folded his arms over his chest. He was irritated that she and Ron didn't completely believe that Draco Malfoy was a Death Eater. "You can invite her in, if you want, but I don't think I'm ready to have a conversation with her."

Boys. Hermione rolled her eyes before waving her hand at Cho, signaling for her to enter.

 

[Alacrity]

She was supposed to enter now, was she? That was all right with her.

Her lips slightly twitched as she entered the compartment, looking around it carefully before his eyes settled on the two boys. "Good morning," he greeted them, and then helped herself to a seat next to Hermione. The only other place was next to Harry, and she didn't want to take that.

"'Morning," Ron said, glancing at his companion who appeared to be going through some internal struggle. Finally, he gave a sigh, and then looked Hermione in the eye. He had the air of someone who had been forced into something he'd much rather avoid. "Why?" he said, as if asking her why she wouldn't believe him. He wasn't looking at Cho. "Do you think Malfoy would care whether the plan is smart or not? When has he been one of the world's greatest thinkers?"

"Yeah, but she was saying that You-Know-Who wouldn't have wanted that," Ronald interrupted. "I reckon you are being paranoid, Harry--"

"Excuse me," Cho interrupted, a slight glint in her eye. "I couldn't help overhearing what you talked about, and I have to say that Harry's got a point." Whether she just wanted to get in his good books or actually believed what he said was hard to tell. "I would expect almost anything from a Slytherin, and especially him. You know how he was last year when he wanted to get the Army stopped."

There was a silence before Harry finally looked up at her.

"Well, thanks for believing me. It should have been these two who did, but it's good to have support nonetheless."

 

[Saber]

Hermione couldn't help but to roll her eyes, she didn't even care who saw. Cho feeding into Harry's delusion was expected, at least to Hermione. So the brunette bit her tongue when she wanted to snipe back with more facts. Clearly facts weren't on the forefront of either of their minds and Hermione couldn't deal with that sort of thing, she operated on facts and logic.

"Malfoy is a notorious suck up." Hermione added as she sat back into the seat. "Of course he wanted to be on Umbridge's good side. Anything to get ahead in anything." She glanced at Harry then and quirked an eyebrow. "When you can prove to me that Draco Malfoy is a Death Eater, then I'll believe you. For now, he's just another classmate. Albeit an annoying one."

Brown eyes shifted to Cho then and she wasn't really sure what should be said. This was a good opportunity for her and Harry to try and reconnect if that's what she wanted. Of course, she didn't know if that's exactly what Harry wanted. Regardless, it wasn't her place to say anything since she really had nothing invested whether their relationship continued or didn't. As the train carried on, the conversation turned to quidditch, which was normal for her friends. Though why Cho had decided to stay was a bit odd, but then again, if she still had feelings for Harry that made sense. It was just an awkward gathering of the four teens, mainly because Cho didn't exactly get along with all of them.

"Have you ever played quidditch, Cho?" Hermione asked, truly curious as to if the other girl had any experience with the game. "I'm not a fan of flying, myself."

 

[Alacrity]

Cho remained silent for the reminder of the time she was there, leaning against the seat as she stared out of the window instead. The others droned on, but it hardly reached her ears as she listened to the conversation vaguely. It was when Hermione spoke again that she was snapped out of her reverie and glanced at her.

"Yes, I have," she said. "I am not that bad at it, either. I--" Her words were cut off as someone entered the compartment, and looking around, she noticed it was a girl in her third-year.

"Excuse me?" she said, carefully not looking at Harry. "There is a message for H-Harry Potter..." She handed it over and left, eyeing him in what one might have considered fear, but Cho recognized it as embarrassment.

"A letter for you?" Ronald said, surprised. "What's that about?"

"I think I know what it is." Opening the letter, the wizard's eyes narrowed as he perused the contents, but then he smiled.

"Slughorn's Party. It says "I shall be obliged if you could join me in a short gathering"... well, I don't think it can hurt to go." He paused for a moment. "Hey, there's a post-script." He read it out aloud.

"If your friend Hermione Granger is available, I'd appreciate her joining too."