The Light

Chapter 61- The World

The days after that became a lot less constrictive. She no longer had to tip-toe around anyone to meet anyone else and even though Sirius was still a little weary of Avery, it seemed he was willing to not kick off every time Hermione spoke to him, which was an achievement, however small.

"And they're okay with it?" Avery asked unsurely, glancing at her friends who were stood further down the corridor. Hermione pulled a face.

"They will be."

On their way to breakfast the next morning, she had spotted Avery and made a beeline for him, much to her friends' chagrin. She'd told him what had happened and watched as his expression had soured.

"Well, just don't expect me to be all friendly with them," he said, and his lip was still curled which gave her the impression that he was not overly enthusiastic about this revelation.

"Oh don't worry! We won't be making daisy chains with you anytime soon either," Sirius called. Hermione shot him a poisonous glare over her shoulder and he immediately adopted the innocent facade. She rolled her eyes.

"I'm not asking either of you to drop your pathetic little prejudices," she said and they both spluttered indignantly.

"I don't have a prejudice," Avery sneered.

"It's not pathetic!" Sirius trilled.

Hermione narrowed her eyes at the pair of them. "I'm just asking you to stop acting like four year olds every time I speak to the other because you're both my friends. Like it or not."

She directed this last part to Avery, whose eyes were fixed on her.

"Fine," Sirius said loudly. He then wiggled his finger accusingly. "But don't think you're going straight on the Christmas card list. You have to earn that shit."

Avery looked deeply perturbed by this, and he shook his head. Remus sighed. Sirius appeared rather pleased that he had managed to convey his point effectively, and he turned on his heel and flounced off. The rest of them followed him, but Hermione remained.

"About yesterday," she said, looking at the floor.

"What about it?" Avery asked, also looking at the floor.

Hermione flicked her eyes to him. "I meant what I said."

"If I'm not a monster, Hermione, what am I?" He asked calmly, finally looking at her, and he seemed so much more accepting of his position than he had yesterday. There was nothing at all in his face to show he cared.

"You're Avery," she replied, and her voice was delicate. He simply stared and the silence evoked a desperation deep inside of her to say what she needed to say to him. It was something that she had avoided for as long as she could, but there were some things you simply had to voice. "You're not a monster. You can't be because I-"

But Hermione couldn't voice it.

"You can love a monster," Avery said quietly. His eyes were delving into her, and there was a darkness to them that made it so she could not look away. "It can even love you back, but that doesn't change its nature."

Hermione continued to stare at him because it was all she could really do and he must have known that she could think of nothing else to say, for a small smile curled his lips. Avery reached out to touch her hand fleetingly. He said, soft and teasing, "The great Hermione Granger speechless? Why, I never would've believed it. This is a day for the history books." And he turned and made his way down the corridor- she watched as he disappeared around the corner.