Breaking the shadows

Hermione's Birthday:

1997

Friday September 19th

I wake up early and rush over to Hermione's bed, but when I reach it, I see Ginny's red hair, instead of Hermione's and I quickly realise, Hermione isn't here, and she isn't my roommate anymore. Ginny sits up in her bed as I had accidentally woken her up. As she rubs the sleep out of her eyes she says: "What's the matter?"
"I'm sorry for waking you, its Hermione's birthday today, and I really miss her."
Ginny lifts her sheets and I crawl under and we cuddle as she says: "I miss her too, and funny I should say this, but I miss Ron too."
"You do?"
Ginny: "He's my brother, he's annoying but I miss him."
"Thank you."
Ginny: "For what?"
"Just being here, and understanding."
Ginny: "I'll always be right here."
Ginny kisses my forehead and I fall asleep in her arms.

--

A few hours later we both wake up; I yawn as I say: "What time is it?"
Ginny: "Breakfast time."
"Alright."
I get out of bed, and put on my ropes, as I pick up the white button up I see the name tag in the collar: "Hermione Granger"
The white button ups are the only hand me down I have now as I grew taller than Hermione over the summer.

I feel a tear in the corner of my eye, but I wipe it away and put the white button up on.
As I put my tie on, I remember how to tie it correctly, Hermione always helped me, but as she knew she was needed elsewhere she taught me to do it right.

I take the tie around my neck and remember what Hermione told me: "Wide side on the right and narrow side on the left, the wide should be longer than the narrow side like this."

I adjust the tie, so it's placed correctly.

"Now cross the wide end over the narrow end and bring it up over that loop."

I remember Hermione's instructions: "Bring the wide end down and through the loop, and the pull it tight. Now cross the wide end over the narrow end again, from the left to the right this time. Next bring the wide end up and over the loop once again, and the down though the loop. Now all you have to do is adjust the tie as needed making sure its snug but not too tight. And there you have it, a perfectly tied tie."

Hermione's voice in my head help me remember how to do it, and I always do it correctly after she taught me.
Now I just miss her even more.

Ginny takes my hand as I'm done getting dressed and we head down to the great hall to eat breakfast.

Today all I eat is few pieces of jam toast.

--

During breakfast Hedwig flies down with a letter for me, once again I hide it in my rope, Hedwig knows what to do by now, she trusts me, she knows that when I hide the letter she flies on to my shoulder, as Astra would. Luckily no-one has noticed that the owl bringing me letters aren't my own. Astra and Hedwig are almost identical, except Hedwig is a tad smaller than Astra, but no-one notices as they are both small in the air.

"Dear Harlow, today is my birthday and I want you to spend the day with your friends, everything is going as planned and we are safe. Stay with Luna, Neville, and Ginny, have fun with them don't worry about me. But I do want you to do one thing for me, tonight before you go to bed, take a candle, light it, let it burn and then when you blow it out, make a wish on my behalf.

Take care of yourself and your friends. We'll be reunited before you know it.

- Hermione"

I clutch the letter to my chest as I take Hedwig from my shoulder to my arm, I open Astra's cage, Astra happily flies out, and Hedwig hops in the cage, I give her some food and water, Astra flies out the window and I head down to library where Ginny, Neville, and Luna are waiting for me.

We sit and talk for a while, then we decide that we fancy a butterbeer.

At the three broomsticks a few of our teachers are seated at a table in the back. I think nothing of it.

As we sit and drink our butterbeer Luna says: "Why isn't it your owl bringing you letters?"

"What do you mean."

Luna: "The owl, it's not Astra, its Hedwig isn't it, Harry's owl."

"I don't know what you mean."

Luna: "Suit yourself, but you do know."

After a while the teachers leave one after one, I don't know what has been going on, but this strange meeting has me wondering.

I see Ginny's gaze becoming more curious than mine.

Ginny and I get up at once and say: "We'll see you later, we need to check this out."

Neville: "We'll join you."

"No need, we'll be back in a bit just stay here."

Luna nods, and we follow our teachers.

We take our broomsticks and fly above the teachers, we can't catch all of it but there is something about a war, and Snape mentions Hermione and how she hasn't been to any classes. It doesn't concern any of the teachers, but I feel bad about eavesdropping, so I fly even higher and fly back to the three broomsticks, Ginny follows and as we land, she says: "What so you think they are up to?"

"I don't know, and it doesn't concern us, McGonagall would tell me if we needed to hear anything."

Ginny: "Okay, let's get into Luna and Neville then."

As we walk in, we see them snogging and therefore we get up and order another round of butterbeers, mine with a bit of ginger in, as a reminder of Hermione.
As we sit down Neville and Luna acts like nothing has happened and Neville asks: "Did you find anything?"

"Nah, we just need to wait, I'm sure they will tell us if there is anything we need to know."

--

We stay at the three broomsticks all afternoon and as I get up to my room I sit down and draw for a few hours, before I see that the stars have started to show.

I find a candle, one Hermione gave me for Christmas, I sit down in the window lighting the candle.

I take my book and read a chapter, but I can't really concentrate so I don't read as much. I put my bookmark in the same place as before as I didn't think that any of my reading were successful. The candle has been burning for a while and as I blow it out, I wish for Hermione to come back home soon."

Just before going to bed, I open Astra's cage and Hedwig hops out, I give her a note to Hermione. Hedwig flies out and Astra flies in just a minute after, I sit in the window petting with Astra for a while.

I put her in her cage and close it for the night.

I kiss Ginny goodnight just before going to my own bed. 

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Puplished: 30-06-23