Chiaroscuro

October

October came with an explosion of colors. All the trees near Hermione's house were varying shades of red, orange, and gold. The world had shifted from the vibrant green of summer into the sepia tones of autumn. Hermione could not have been happier.

At home, she filled her evenings with baking sweets for her friends and curling up with a book near the fire. Hermione indulged herself in anything autumn themed. She drank mulled wine and spiced tea. She made pumpkin bread and harvest soup. She spent hours in her garden pulling out the last vegetables of the year.

Hermione was stalking shelves when a dark-haired Wizard walked through the door. She greeted him with a smile and a 'hello'. He gave a rather quiet reply. When she asked if he needed anything, he said no. Figuring the stranger was just shy, she went back to stalking shelves while the man browsed.

An hour passed and she had almost forgotten about him. It wasn't until he walked up to the counter to check out when she realized he had been shopping that entire time. She hurried to the front and rang up his collection of books.

Much to Hermione's surprise and great pleasure, she knew many of the books. They were all books about healing, trauma, and overcoming the past. Some of them had been books she read shortly after the war.

"Wow," she said with a smile. "You've picked out some great books."

"Thank you," was all the man said. He kept his eyes down as if avoiding looking at her.

Hermione didn't think much about it. Instead, she told him his total and he paid with the exact change. She thanked him and he left the shop in a hurry.

The rest of the day was increasingly busy. It was so busy that she quickly forgot about the quiet man who bought the books on healing.

Hermione preferred busy days. She enjoyed talking to the customers and helping people find the books they were looking for. Every day she worked at Tomes and Scrolls she thanked Thomas secretly for all he had given her.

After work, Hermione found herself walking through the village of Ottery St Catchpole. She had returned home to find that she had run out of sugar and flour. She had promised Ginny that she would bake her some pumpkin cookies. So, when she found out she lacked supplies, she set off immediately towards the village.

Despite the Weasleys and herself living outside the village, it was a muggle town. Hermione rarely visited the quaint downtown, but it was similar to Hogsmeade in many ways. While Hermione could have apparated back to Hogsmeade, she decided a walk into the village sounded a bit nicer. Sometimes just because she could do something quicker, didn't mean it was the best way to do it.

The village was decorated with All Hollow's Eve decor. Ghosts hung from trees and scarecrows sat in the yard. Some of the shops were decorated with pumpkins and barrels of straw. Hermione was elated to be walking through the autumn decor. She bought a spiced tea at a local shop before continuing her walk through the village.

Finally, Hermione arrived at the local grocers to find that they had already closed up for the night. Her heart sank. She had liked the idea of walking to Ottery St Catchpole, but now she felt a bit foolish.

Standing on the sidewalk, Hermione looked around the town square. She looked around in hopes of seeing someplace she might be able to buy flour and sugar. Eventually, her eyes fell onto a small bakery at one of the intersections. From the looks of it, it was still open. So, she hurried there, hoping they'd be kind enough to sell her enough flour and sugar to make her cookies for Ginny.

Hermione walked in through the door and was met with a wave of delightful smells. Cinnamon, butter, and caramel scents lingered in the air and for a moment, she just breathed them in.