Just Hermione

Chapter 6

I came across a fallen tree
I felt the branches of it looking at me
Is this the place we used to love?
Is this the place that I've been dreaming of?

As the days passed, Hermione began having doubts about her plan. The thought of it all going wrong and Draco disowning her as a friend began to worry her and had her on edge until Saturday. She had begun biting her nails and playing with her hair a lot, both signs of her worries kicking in. Draco had tried to get her to talk to him about what was wrong, but she kept waving him off, claiming it was just because of their upcoming OWLS that were in a few months time. He didn't seem to believe her but he just let it go.

Now it was Saturday, and here she was pacing outside the Hog's Head, waiting for her friends to show. Everyone else was already inside, sitting and wondering what was going on. They're just three minutes late, she told herself. But when another two minutes had passed, she started to think they weren't coming and had put her hand on the door handle when she heard a familiar voice.

"This better be worth it Mione, otherwise I will be holding you accountable for wasting my Hogsmeade visit."

Spinning around on her heel, a wide smile developed on her face when she saw Blaise with Pansy at his side. Part of her couldn't believe they actually came while the other part was relieved. "You guys came!"

"Yeah, now can you tell us what we're doing here?" Pansy said as she rubbed her hands together, trying to keep warm from the Autumn chill.

"Wait! You mean she didn't tell you?" At Pansy's "no" an evil grin appeared on his face. "You're in for a treat then."

Ignoring Pansy's persistent questions and complains about Blaise knowing and not her, Hermione led the way into where the rest of the group waited. They all looked just as confused as Pansy. 

When their presence became known, whispers and stares were shot their way. Hermione couldn't really blame them. Slytherins were after all known to associate with people within their house.

"Ok, now that everyone's here I suppose we'll get things started by jumping right to the point as to why we're here," Harry stood up from the front of the group, grabbing everyone's attention. "As you all know by now, Umbridge isn't going to be teaching us how to defend ourselves and with Voldemort out there, we need to learn how to now more than ever."

Hermione heard Seamus scoff somewhere near the front and rolled her eyes. Blind, the lot of them. Do they just think Cedric Diggory dropped dead? After Draco saying how strange his parents have been lately, Hermione just knew he was back. It wasn't hard to put two and two together.

"Not this rubbish again," Seamus stood up to leave and Dean Thomas followed his actions.

"It's not rubbish! Cedric Diggory didn't just drop dead," Harry was getting angry but Hermione found it strange that he just voiced something similar to her previous thoughts.

"So then what did happen?" Hermione wasn't sure who spoke this time but rolled her eyes yet again. Bloody nosy Gryffindor.

"He was murdered. But if that's why you came here, to find out what happened to him then you might as well leave because that's all I'm going to say," silence followed Harry's words. No one knew really what to say so they just sat there twiddling their thumbs, some looking ashamed with themselves.

"Is it true you can cast the patronus charm?"

Everyone's eyes flew to the source of the voice. Looney Lovegood. She was a year younger than Hermione and was often made fun of. Admittedly, Hermione had also been a part of those conversations at times. In her defence, she was a really odd girl who said the most odd things. Currently, she was wearing radishes as earrings and staring with a dreamy gaze at Harry who just nodded his head, not even looking up.