Breaking Hermione

End Times

Tom entered the Three Broomsticks with the subtle swagger of someone who had single handedly earnt Slytherin House the House Cup. Barely had the old door opened before him when Madam Rosmerta appeared as suddenly as though conjured out of thin air.

"Tom, my dear. Do come in, it's absolutely freezing outside!"

"Madam Rosmerta," Tom greeted quietly, inclining his head. "How have you been?"

"Not too bad, business isn't doing too good as of late but that's a discussion for another time. Now, give me your coat and find a seat." She gestured broadly to the room as everyone entered, talking and laughing amongst themselves.

Merlin I thought bitterly. People are actually enjoying themselves.

"We shouldn't have come." Claudia remarked, her characteristically rude manner still apparently well in tact, "Just look at the state of the place! It's not very well kept, is it? Who owns the Three Broomsticks anyway?"

"That would be me." Madam Rosmerta fixed Claudia with a look which I could only describe as one to have made both Mrs Weasley and Severus Snape proud.

"If the Three Broomsticks isn't suited to your taste you are more than welcome to walk straight back out of that door and back to Hogwarts." She said smartly.

Claudia fell silent at once.

"We have booked the entire pub." Tom shrugged off his black coat, casting a bemused look over the place. "Who are those people?"

I looked over to see a table of wizards in black cloaks in the far left corner.

"Not part of the congregation, of course." Madam Rosmerta explained. "They're Aurors."

"And they couldn't have gone to the Hogs Head for a few hours?" Tom raised an eyebrow.

"I'm afraid not." Madam Rosmerta seemed apologetic even though she had absolutely no need to be.
"The Ministry is cracking down on security around Hogmeade. There has been Aurors coming and going all week."

"Ah, so that's what the Ministry is up to nowadays." Tom said lightly. "Absolutely nothing."

"Well," Madam Rosmerta began sternly, "I wouldn't consider it as nothing-"

But before she could finish Tom was already walking towards a table on the far side of the room. Claudia and I followed, not that I wanted to but out of sheer desire to not lose my life.

"Ladies," Tom said, staring at me directly. "Drinks?"

"Yes." I said mechanically.

"Yes, what." Tom leant over the table, his eyebrows raised. "What drink?"

"She's going to have Firewhisky." Claudia reached over and snatched up Tom's hand in her own before turning to me with a death glare.

"Aren't you, Hermione?"

"I-"

"Let Hermione speak for herself." Tom shook her off, now staring once again directly at me. "Well? Spit it out."

I forced a smile.

"Butterbeer." I said robotically. There was no way I was drinking anything stronger, but the urge to was certainly there.

"Then Butterbeer it is." Tom stood, leaving to place the order. I shot Claudia a sideways glance to find her already staring at me.

"Your hair." She said, in a voice far too sweet to be taken kindly. "It's a bit crazy, isn't it? Didn't you have it in a braid before?"