The Golden Wand [Harry Potter/Percy Jackson]

Chapter 18: We Deserve Peace

Hermione POV:

I spent practically every second of the next two weeks with Annabeth - we didn't leave each other's sides. We had every class together, we spent most of our free time in the library or with the Mirror, we sat next to each other at every meal and she even let me join her on The Argo when she wanted to hang out with her friends in the evenings. I got to know the students of Goode better than I knew my own school mates, and they accepted me onto their ship as if I had known them all their lives. Leo even let me touch his dragon, Festus, which was an experience I would never forget.

One night, when I was in the Golden Room with Annabeth, Ginny, Luna and Hazel, I admitted that it felt weird having a dorm all to myself. By the time we made our way up to bed, Luna called out in surprise and the rest of us burst into her room to see what the problem was. The room was twice the size that it had been before, with five beds making a circle around the central fireplace and five en-suite bathrooms leading off from the far end of the round room. Our other rooms had been transformed into absolute luxury; a swimming pool, a sauna, a small library/reading room and a dining room. The next evening, Annabeth and I sneaked Piper into the pool and we spent all night there - we were so tired the following morning that it might have been the first time in our lives Annabeth and I didn't raise our hands to answer a question in class. 

On Sunday, Annabeth found me in the kitchen with Wally and stopped me from ordering breakfast. She invited me out to brunch with her friends and the group of us spent the entire day in Hogsmeade. I sat in the Three Broomsticks with Piper, Annabeth, Hazel, Katie, Clarisse, Reyna, Thalia, Juniper and Calypso, drinking butterbeer, eating food and sharing funny stories.

It felt strange - almost surreal - to be sat there, laughing alongside them all. I realized how utterly happy I was. I realized that these girls accepted me and liked me. For too long in my life, I had been worried about Voldemort, and after I had been happy for a while but then my relationship with Ron had turned bitter and I had returned to my usual, worried self. And I had never been accepted by my dorm mates in Gryffindor - they always saw me as an outsider. All I had ever known was Harry and Ron, and Ginny had been there to smooth out all of Ron's mistakes and Tonks had been there when I needed her most. But for the first time in my life I was understanding what it meant to be included in a group of friends that actually wanted me there - they could laugh with me and share inside jokes with me and comfort me and I could comfort them. Friendship like this was unlike anything I had known before - and it felt so good. 

"Do not tell Travis that story," Katie giggled, in response to the stories I was telling her about Fred and George Weasley. "Him and Connor will try to recreate it, and who knows what will happen when they do."

"Those two are probably still in Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes with Leo," Calypso rolled their eyes. "They can't get enough of that place!"

"Hey, isn't George's younger brother still in this school?" Clarisse asked. "Maybe we could talk to him to get to George? Chris basically idolizes the guy, it'd be great if he got a chance to meet him!"

I winced as Katie and Calypso both "oohed" in agreement and looked at me for an answer. "You know Ron Weasley, don't you?" Katie asked. 

 "I- um..."

"How about you ask Harry Potter?" Annabeth piped up quickly. "The two are best friends. Or I could ask Ginny; she's a Weasley... and a Competitor."

"And a great deal nicer than that Ron guy," Thalia grumbled. Reyna nudged her, as if to say 'don't be rude', but she nodded in agreement all the same. "He's so grumpy."

"I think he just wanted to be in the tournament, give him a break," Juniper said evenly. 

"It's been almost four weeks already," Clarisse scoffed. "You think the guy could let it go... I mean, Thalia's over it."