A Hufflepuff heart | Hermione Granger

LXXIII

The next morning, the storm had passed, but the weight in Bea's chest hadn't. The sky was overcast, casting Diagon Alley in a dull gray light as the three of them walked alongside Narcissa, blending into the early morning crowds.

The plan was simple. Buy their supplies. Go to Knockturn Alley. Assess the vanishing cabinet. And leave. No unnecessary stops. No running into familiar faces. No explanations.

Draco walked ahead with Narcissa, heading toward Madam Malkin's for new robes, while Bea and Mattheo turned toward Flourish and Blotts for their books.

"Stay quiet," Narcissa had warned before they split. "You can't afford to be noticed."

Easier said than done.

Bea kept her hood up, fingers curled around the edges of her sleeves as if the fabric could hide the brand seared into her skin. She wasn't used to feeling like this in Diagon Alley. This had always been a place of life, of magic, of warmth. But today, it felt different. She felt different.

Mattheo walked beside her, hands shoved into his pockets, eyes scanning the streets like he was waiting for something to go wrong. "You alright?" he murmured.

Bea swallowed hard. "Define alright."

Mattheo huffed a quiet laugh. "Fair point."

They stepped into Flourish and Blotts, the scent of parchment and ink wrapping around them like a memory from another lifetime. The shop wasn't crowded, only a few scattered students browsing for their school lists.

Bea forced herself to focus. They were just here for books. Nothing else.

She scanned the shelves, fingers grazing the spines of textbooks, but her mind was elsewhere.

Hogwarts. Her friends.

Hermione.

The thought of seeing her made her stomach churn.

Would she know the second she saw her? Would she take one look at Bea and see the monster she had become?

Her hand clenched around the book she was holding. She had spent every night gripping her necklace, clinging to the warmth that connected them, but that warmth would be gone the second Hermione looked at her differently.

Bea exhaled shakily. She couldn't think about this now.

Mattheo nudged her. "We should go."

She nodded stiffly, tucking the book under her arm as they made their way to the counter.

Bea pulled her cloak tighter around her. "Let's just get this over with."

As Bea and Mattheo stepped away from the counter, a familiar voice cut through the low hum of the bookshop.

"Bea?"

Her stomach dropped.

She turned slowly, already knowing who it was before she even saw her.

Hannah Abbott stood near the entrance, clutching a stack of books to her chest, her blue eyes wide with disbelief-and worry. Too much worry.

Bea felt her heartbeat slam against her ribs.

The last time Hannah had seen her was at the Ministry. The last time anyone from Hogwarts had seen her. Before everything went to hell. Before the Dark Mark. Before-

Hannah rushed toward her, barely noticing Mattheo. "Bea, where have you been? I- we- Hermione-" She swallowed hard, clearly struggling to keep her voice steady.

Bea flinched at Hermione's name.

Hannah noticed.

"We didn't know where you were, we thought something happened, and then Harry said-"