It's OK To Not Be Ok...Right?

6. Who Are You?

Hermione allowed herself to be pulled from the room and down back through the foyer and off towards the lifts again. As she moved, she thought of Sloane. The little enigma wrapped in a mystery. Hermione loved a good mystery. Harry was rushing. He didn't stop to catch his breath or even check to make sure he was heading in the right direction. He had promised Luna to be there for her, and he didn't want to let her down. He had let so many people down this summer already. When the doors to the lift opened on the Minister's floor, Harry finally slowed his pace and walked side by side with Hermione. "So, Sloane," he started. 

Hermione smirked. "I was wondering how long it would be before you brought her up. What about her?" She looked at Harry waiting. She had only just met the girl, but she was already very fond of her and, for some reason, felt very protective of her. 

Harry could tell Hermione was daring him to speak ill of her new friend. Not that he was planning on it. "What I was going to say is that the thing she did with her mind or hands even is pretty amazing. I mean, she cured him essentially, with a touch. It would be incredible to be able to do that, wouldn't it?"

Hermione thought for a second. Being able to cure people would be tremendous, but she saw the look in Sloane's eyes and the fear. When Sloane grabbed her hand in the foyer, she was shaking. "I don't know. I suppose it would depend on the circumstances. I mean, she moved around a lot when she was growing up like she was in hiding. It must have been scary for her mother to always be worried about being caught. We were on the run for a few months, and it was horrible. Imagine years."

Harry frowned. He hadn't considered that. It must have been horrible. "Yeah, you're right."

They rounded a corner and almost walked into Kingsley. He turned to see them smiling. "I was wondering where you two had gone off to." 

Harry moved around to see Luna standing with Ginny and Ron. He smiled at his friends. "Sorry everyone for keeping you. We were just -"

"Hey, Potter!" Sloane called running up the hallway to catch up with them. She stopped just next to Hermione to catch her breath before holding the jacket out. "You left this behind you."

Harry took the jacket and gave her a grin. A grin that didn't go unnoticed by Ron or Ginny. Or Kingsley. "Thanks, Sloane."

"Sloane?" Luna asked, surprised. 

"Well, hello, Luna," Sloane said, leaning forward to hug the blonde. It had been weeks since Luna had seen Sloane. She looked a lot better than the last time the Ravenclaw saw her. "How have you been?"

"I have been great, thanks to you." Luna smiled and turned to her friends. "Sloane saved me during the battle. She blocked a curse that was aimed at me, and when I was hit by falling debris, she healed me. A non-verbal spell, too. She is very gifted." Luna looked at the young girl. She knew very well that it wasn't a nonverbal spell. She knew that Sloane didn't even have her wand on her at that moment. But she wasn't to expose the girls' secrets. 

"It was nothing," Sloane said nervously. "I was happy to help."  Sloane turned to the ginger. She recognised him instantly. "You must be Ron," she held out her hand, which he shook roughly before pulling his hand back. She frowned, turning to Ginny. "And you must be Ginny, it's nice to meet you."

"Who are you?" Ginny asked, not shaking the girl's hand. 

"Oh, sorry," Sloane dropped her hand. "I am Sloane Sage and -"

"That's your actual name?" Ginny asked her lips forming a tight line. 

"Yip, since the day I was born. Or so they tell me. I know the alliteration is a little weird, but my mother loved the name, and she is Irish, so it -"