Don't Act Like You Know Me

Year 5 - Valentine's Day

Hermione, Harry, and Ron's unplanned hiatus from school was soon over and they were back in classes. 

As the seasons were still clinging onto winter, Hogwarts began to envelop itself in snow. The soft white snow blanketed atop the high towers, leaving space for the warm glowing windows. Everything on campus seemed to be much quieter during winter. Everything was softer and more sensitive. 

Valentine's Day was approaching and everyone was buzzing at Hogwarts. It was all about 'Who is seeing who?' and 'Does he love me?'. 

Hermione's life had been very dull for the past couple of weeks after her desperate incident with Ron. They hadn't talked at all. They were only ever in the same vicinity if they both happened to want to talk to Harry at the same time. Things had been incredibly awkward and Hermione tried to minimize communication as much as possible. Since she-

Well, since she didn't have Draco anymore...

Since she didn't have much to do, with no exams coming up, she spent most of her time up in the open-aired towers. Most of the time she was either reading or just people watching. She liked to just watch from up above sometimes. She liked seeing the big picture. She liked seeing how small a single person was compared to the entire rest of the world that she has yet to explore.

"Come on, Hermione," a familiar voice said as it drifted up the stairs to the tower she was hanging out in. It was Harry. He came up the stairs briskly and sat down on the window sill next to Hermione. "We're all about to head down to Hogsmeade. It's the only trip this month."

"I don't feel like going."

"Hermione, I don't know what's going on between you and Ron. He won't speak about it, so he's either too embarrassed or too angry."

"Probably both."

"But I do know that this place, Hogwarts, being a kid, it doesn't last forever. We're fifth years. In a year and a half, we'll be finishing out our seventh year. We won't be living together anymore. We won't be eating together. We won't be spending every waking moment with each other."

"Harry, we'll have lots of trips to Hogsmeade together. You're being dramatic."

"But I'm not. Whatever silly grudge you and Ron have against each other, is not worth missing experiences of your adolescence." Harry paused. "So come on. I invited Cho to come with us."

"Cho? You mean you invited her to come with you," Hermione laughed.

Harry blushed. "Okay, yes, I invited her to come with me for Valentine's Day."

"I knew it." A smile crept onto Hermione's face. That hadn't happened in so long.

"So you can smile."

"Very funny."

"Now, stop being sad, and let's go have fun in Hogsmeade."

"Is he coming?"

"Maybe."

"Don't lie."

"Okay yes, but don't freak out."

"Do I have to talk to him?"

"No. We'll probably just sit around in the Three Broomsticks or something."

***

Hermione ended up in Hogsmeade with Harry (and Ronald) after all. She ordered a butterbeer and they all sat down. Harry was sitting next to Cho, so Hermione was forced to sit next to Ron on the other side of the table. 

"You know, Snape is doing this thing. To help me with You-Know-Who infiltrating my mind. Trying to keep my thoughts private," Harry said.

"Oh, of course," Hermione said. "Occlumency. An ancient form of magic that allows you to defend your mind from external intrusion."

Ron muttered something under his breath. Hermione chose to ignore.

"Why are you learning anyways?" she asked.

"Professor Dumbledore wants me to learn it because Voldemort is skilled as Legilimency?"

"Legilimency; the ability to extract thoughts and feelings from others."

"So Voldemort can read minds?"

"It's not so simple. The mind is not a book. It's complex. A connection must be forged before one is able to perform it. Usually eye contact. But since you and You-Know-Who do not have consistent eye contact, he has to have another connection to you."

"My scar."

"Precisely."

"Snape said that when my mind is most relaxed, like when I'm sleeping, I receive his thoughts and feelings. He says the connection between us is so powerful that he became aware of my vision of the snake."

"That gives him something to manipulate you with," Cho said.

Harry continued talking about his Occlumency lesson with Snape. Although, Hermione's attention was now on Ginny, who had just walked into The Three Broomsticks. She looked like she was boiling mad. Her eyes blazed into the back of Cho's head. Hermione gave Ginny a look. She rolled her eyes and left. 

"...But then I asked him what was inside the Department of Mysteries. He got all timid and started panicking. He said that there were 'many of things inside the Department of Mysteries, Potter, none of which concern you,'" Harry imitated Professor Snape's monotone garble.

"So you have to work on making your mind hard to get into?" Ron asked.

"Something like that, yeah."

Cho looked down at her watch. "It's almost time to head back."

"You guys go ahead, I'll clean up the table," Hermione offered.

"See you, Hermione," Harry said.

"Later, Hermione," Cho said with a smile. Ron, Harry, and Cho disappeared out the door into the snow. Hermione gathered all of the pitchers in which contained their butter beer and brought them up to the counter. She put on her coat, hat, scarf, and gloves and prepared to go back outside into the winter wonderland. 

On her way out the door, she bumped into someone and their scarf slipped off their shoulders. "Oh, I'm so sorry!" Hermione said as she bent down to pick up the scarf. "That's my mista-" Hermione looked up to see who the culprit was. She shoved the scarf into his chest and squeezed past him and out the door.

She didn't say a word to anyone on the way back to the castle. Luckily, she didn't have to because there was already commotion going on. "You cannot sack me!" Hermione heard a troubled voice tremble when she approached a large crowd of students and teachers inside the courtyard. Standing in the middle of the gathering was Professor Trelawney and Umbridge, who was wearing an utterly disgusting pink smock.

"I can do whatever I want," Umbridge squeaked in her annoying little shrill voice.

"This is my home," a tear slipped down Professor Trelawney's cheek. Her glasses were fogged with tears and cold.

"Not anymore." Umbridged grinned and her toad face wrinkled up. She pointed towards the gates. "Now remove yourself from this castle!"

"She will not be leaving," Dumbledore's voice said. A sea of children parted to reveal Professor Dumbledore in his winter clothes. 

"I have the authority, Head Master," Umbridge said.

"Oh, I agree with you, Professor Umbridge. You do have the power to dismiss my teachers. However..." Dumbledore moved closer to Professor Trelawney and placed an arm gracefully around her shoulder. "You cannot send them from this castle. That is still my decision. Professor Trelawney will remain here."

"And what of her quarters when I appoint a new teacher?"

"Happily, that will not be necessary. I have found a successor for good Professor Trelawney already. As you know, the Ministry can only appoint new teachers if I cannor find one. I think you will find him suitable enough." The doors swung open and Firenze, the centaur, sauntered through them. "This is Firenze."

The students began to chatter. "A-A centuar? As a teacher in the school?" Umbridge shrieked.

"There's no rule against it. And I am, in fact, the Headmaster." Umbridge had a scowl on her face. She was speechless. "Now, this is all sorted out, then. Back to your studies everyone! Dinner is in two hours."