The Secret Relationship: The Angelic Witch and Draco Malfoy (Book 3)

Seven Patronuses

Heroneka returned to the Gryffindor Common Room around eight-thirty that evening. The place was buzzing with chatter and excitement. But Heroneka simply ignored everything and went straight to Hermione, who was busy with her Ancient Runes homework. She glanced at Heroneka once and then got busy again.

Draco had asked Heroneka to not think much of whatever Andrew Bolton had said. He told her to simply focus on strengthening her shields and abilities. But how was she supposed to do it? She needed someone to guide her! She felt so helpless. Although Gemma's book gave her a lot of information about her evolutionary process and abilities, sometimes, Heroneka couldn't figure out how to do things. When Heroneka didn't say a word to Hermione, she started getting distracted from her homework.

"Are you alright?" Hermione asked Heroneka for the fifth time. "Say something, please?"

Heroneka sighed looking around as if snapping out of a bad dream. She looked at Hermione. Her hair was bushy and tangled. Her eyes had dark circles... And it seemed like she hadn't slept for an entire week.

"You need some rest!" Heroneka told her.

"I can't!" She said. "I've been helping Hagrid with Buckbeak's case as well, remember? If I start resting he might not stand a chance!"

Heroneka felt so bad. It wasn't just her, but a lot of other people had so many problems going on. Still, they were fighting. Heroneka sat straight and then took a deep breath.

"I need to work on my shields!" She told Hermione. "I really think that this is the time! If somehow Black comes face to face with me, I want to be strong enough to face him."

Hermione stared at Heroneka with watery eyes. "I wanted to say that to you as well. But... We all have been so busy with everything."

Heroneka looked at the table where Hermione's books were scattered and saw an assignment that Lupin had given them.

"You should complete that one first!" Heroneka nodded at Lupin's assignment. "We have to submit it tomorrow."

Hermione ignored her suggestion. "How are you going to get better at your shields?" She said looking a bit more active.

"I don't know, Mione." Heroneka felt mentally drained. "I need someone to guide me... Someone like... Someone --" her eyes darted back to the assignment Lupin had given them.

Hermione followed her eyes and picked up the half-written assignment. "You could ask him." She suggested. "I mean, Professor Lupin helped Harry with the anti-dementor classes."

Heroneka stared at Hermione for a moment. "I miss you." She mumbled.

Hermione smiled sadly at her and then looked back at her scattered books and notes.

"I have no choice, Snitchy!" She wiped her eyes and then turned back her attention to her Ancient Runes homework. "We will talk some other time."

Heroneka knew that even though Hermione was busy, she needed her friends. Ron was yelling at her all the time she tried to talk to him because he was still angry about Scabbers. Harry had stopped trying to fix things between them because he knew it was Ron and Hermione who could talk it out.

Heroneka sat there next to Hermione and began to help her. She completed Hermione's half-written Defence Against the Dark Arts assignment that Lupin had given them. Hermione was uncomfortable at first, but then Heroneka called her a 'filthy little mudblood', mimicking Draco, and she laughed.

After around fifteen minutes, Percy came and pinned a notice to the bulletin board. Students begin to gather around it and squealed with joy.

And, that was the moment when Harry and Ron entered the common room through the portrait hole. They went straight to the bulletin board to check the notice.