New Romantics | Hermione Granger Book IV

|04| Chapter Four

F O U R 

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After bidding her goodbyes to her Godmother, who was about to go and join her son and Sirius in Hogsmeade, Saffron felt like she was floating through the still deserted Diagon Alley. She couldn't believe how lucky she was. If someone had told her before the meeting that it would go so well, she never would have believed them. It just proved to Saffron that being open rather than bitter was the best strategy, as she could have very easily of been a brat towards Sage, but where would that have gotten her? Nowhere. 

On paper, Sage should have wanted nothing to do with her. Many would have presumed that a woman who had remained in isolation for over a decade wouldn't have wanted to suddenly be very clearly out in the open, and willing to get to know people who she felt guilty about not helping, in spite of their fates being out of her control. But Sage clearly didn't fall on the normalities of what was on paper, for which Saffron was grateful for and excited about.

"How did it go?" Amanda inquired curiously. They weren't walking at any sort of pace. They were enjoying every moment together, for Saffron's sake. So long as Saffron was back in Holyhead before half-past eight, they'd be okay and they still had time to kill until then.

"A lot better than I expected," admitted Saffron with a small smile. "A part of me was worried that she wouldn't want anything to do with us. But it's the exact opposite, she wanted to get to know me, to know everything about me. We're definitely going to the World Cup now, too, for certain,"

"That's great to hear," said Amanda enthusiastically. "I'll admit, I was apprehensive of how Sage would be around you. I worried that she might not be able to split the difference between you and your mother, especially because you're wearing that red ribbon in your hair, Prina almost always had one in,"

Saffron touched her bright red hair ribbon absently. It had belonged to her mother and the girl wore it almost every single day. She hadn't thought to take it out but if it bothered Sage in any way, the woman didn't show it.

"I know it must be hard for her, I get that," Saffron was trying to justify her. "For all of you. It's weird for me because I miss my mum and dad, I really do. I know that they were good people, that's what everyone has told us. But at the same time, it's hard to miss them because I'll never know what I'm missing. I didn't know them, no matter how much I try to convince myself that I did,"

Amanda looked somewhat uncomfortable but tried to reply as best she could. "All I can say to you is that they would have loved the four you as much as they did when you were babies or in your mother's stomach. Just know, that the people that were their friends, their true friends, like myself, Sage, Remus, Sirius... we'll tell you what you want to know about them,"

"Yeah," said Saffron stiffly. She had already been told a lot and it didn't really do much except make her sad. "Thank you, we really do appreciate it," She paused and moved their talk in a very different direction. "Thing seemed very tense between you and Sage,"

Amanda raised her eyebrows, surprised that the girl brought it up. She probably didn't want to comment on it but she did nonetheless.

"It's going to take us time," Amanda told Saffron pointedly. "These things don't just mend overnight. Take Sage and Sirius, as far as I know, everything isn't back to how it used to be between them. Everyone's lives have changed drastically since we were all together last time, so we have to figure out how to make room for each other again,"

"Well, I hope you can make room," said Saffron solemnly. "I know that I didn't know my parents, but I can feel that they wouldn't have wanted their friends to stay mad at each other. Even if you didn't realise it at that time, you were all on the same side, it was Peter that wasn't..."