One Last Try [HP Jamione fanfic]

24. Mad Woman

A/N: Here's a new one!

I'm currently working on chapter 52, and in February of 1979, so still got a couple years left to write haha! I still have no idea how long this is going to be! Some of the choices made are going to surprise you guys, so I'm really looking forward to your reactions!

2nd September 1975

Hermione was one of the last to breakfast on the morning of their first day of classes for their fifth year. It was an uncommon occurrence. She'd been up late last night writing a letter to her parents, and had thus slept in in the morning. She collapsed tiredly onto the bench between Frank and Lily - her customary seat - and jerked a little with surprise when Lily rested a gentle hand on her arm.

"You okay, Hermione?" The redhead asked. When Hermione turned to look at her tiredly, her eyes were immediately drawn to the shiny Prefect's badge attached to the breast of Lily's robes. She was surprised by the amount of relief she felt that she wasn't a Prefect again. The level of power and responsibility had been a little satisfying, yes, but she had enough on her plate right now without having to worry about those duties too.

When Professor McGonagall had pulled her aside to talk about it before the summer break she had staunchly denied the position, insisting she didn't want it. She'd actually been kind of surprised her Head of House had considered her in the first place. Professor McGonagall most certainly thought Hermione Prewett was more of a troublemaker than Hermione Granger had ever been, (or would ever be? Hermione tried not to think about what would happen when she was born to the Grangers - or whether it would even happen).

Hermione had purposefully been keeping a low profile throughout her schooling, holding herself back from being the highest scorer in their year - staying just behind Lily and Remus' marks - so that she would be overlooked. She didn't want bloody Voldemort coming after her for her intelligence as well as the family name and money he'd no doubt already be attracted by.

Hermione blinked a couple of times, pulling herself out of her reverie, and nodded blearily, "Yea. Sorry, I didn't sleep the best." It wasn't a lie, Hermione's mind had kept her up, see-sawing between worrying about this being their O. year, and the Horcrux hunt and when she should start looking more seriously. She hadn't been able to find a book in Potter Manor detailing a warding box and how to make one, so she was determined to find some way to make one. She obviously knew the diadem was in the Room of Requirement, but didn't want to fetch it before she had a way to properly store it. Lily was frowning at her, obviously worried about her. Hermione waved her hand, "I'm fine, Lils. Just worrying about O. ."

Further up the table Sirius scoffed, and rolled his eyes fondly at her, "You're ridiculous, Kitten. You've got the whole year, and you could not even revise and still get O's in everything." Hermione blushed a little at the praise.

"Bugger off, Sirius." She muttered, and scowled at him when their friends all laughed. They all soon turned back to their food, or were distracted by the owls flying in with the post. An owl landed gently beside Hermione and she took the Daily Prophet from its claws with a murmured thank you, and dropped some knuts in the pouch wrapped around its leg.

Before she was able to look at the paper, Frank passed her a cup of tea, prepared just how she liked it, "Here, 'Min." She smiled happily at him, a light flush rising in her cheeks. They'd not had a chance to discuss their kiss at Potter Manor yet. The rest of their time there had been dominated by friends, and then Frank had been travelling with his parents and Hermione had been distracted by planning for the Horcrux hunt for the rest of August.

She took a sip of her tea, and picked up the paper. She distractedly scanned the headline and went to turn the page when the words she'd just read sunk in.