Blitz

Chapter 5

A/N: I really couldn't have done this without the magnificent infallible angel for her excellent alpha/beta skills.

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blitz - the german air raids on Britain in 1940-1941

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June 1940

Wool's Orphanage

Central London, England

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Any way Hermione looked at it, living in the orphanage was much different than her life before the orphanage. There wasn't much in the way of treats and that proved to be exceptionally true the summer after the war had begun. Rationing was in effect, all meat, butter, sugar, tea, and even margarine were on the list. Which meant they ended up eating a lot of potatoes.

"Do you think the orphanage will fail?" Hermione asked Tom one day after lunch. All they'd had for lunch that day was boiled potatoes and stale bread and Hermione was still hungry. She longed for any other vegetable.

"I don't see how it could," Tom replied. "Isn't it guaranteed by the government?"

"I have no idea how orphanages work," Hermione responded glumly. "I suspect that it's a little bit of both: government handouts and charity from regular people. Who was Wool? Why was the orphanage named after him?"

Tom shook his head. "They never told us anything about the orphanage or how it was founded. Hopefully, the war won't last long," Tom replied and pulled Hermione in for a hug. She was surprised at the show of affection, and heat bloomed in her chest in response. She was sure that Tom was going to call her a marshmallow again for whining about the rations. She cuddled into his side for a long moment, just pleased that they weren't fighting anymore.

A few weeks later, Hermione was looking for Tom. He wasn't in any of his usual haunts around the orphanage, not classrooms, empty for the summer, nor the small room that was used for the library, or the playroom, or his room. He wasn't in the courtyard either. And he was finished with work for the day. The grocer only had him work through lunchtime most days.

It wasn't until she decided to look in the administration wing of the building that she tracked him down. He was in Mrs Cole's office and Hermione's heart stopped. Had he done something to get in trouble? Were they going to send him away? Panic overwhelmed her and she burst through the door of the office, without knocking.

"Tom, are you alright?" Hermione asked. Tom's face was a stormcloud. He glared at Mrs Cole and stood from his chair.

"It's fine," he snapped, shoving past Hermione and to the door.

"Tom is just upset that I don't know more about his family," Mrs Cole said quietly. "Unfortunately, his mother was only here for a few days before she gave birth."

Hermione breathed a sigh of relief and thanked Mrs Cole. Then she went to go find Tom to calm him down. She could understand how frustrated he was that his search was coming up futile.

This time she found Tom in their room, sulking. He was doing a lot of that this summer.

"You knew she didn't know anything," Hermione said quietly.

"I had to ask again," Tom snapped, slamming the book he was leafing through closed. "What are you doing here?"

Hermione lifted her eyebrows and propped her hands on her hips. "I'm here to try and figure out why you're being such a moody bugger."