Fight With Me | Hermione Granger x Female OC (Book 2)

08 - Sunday Journal

It was September 8th, 1995.

...the Ministry has now [passed] Educational Decree Number Twenty-three, which creates the new position of Hogwarts High Inquisitor. This is an exciting new phase in the Minister's plan to get to grips with what some are calling the falling standards at Hogwarts. The Inquisitor will have powers to inspect her fellow educators and make sure that they are coming up to scratch. Professor Umbridge has been offered this position in addition to her own teaching post and we are delighted to say that she has accepted.

Hermione let out a loud sigh as she put down the week's edition of The Daily Prophet. She carried a clearly distraught expression, but she attempt to conceal it by placing a kiss on her girlfriend's forehead.

Ellie laid in Hermione's lap comfortably, her legs outstretched in front of her. Though the Hufflepuff had her eyes closed in relaxation, hearing Hermione's sigh caused her to look up worriedly.

"You okay?" Ellie asked as she reached up to tuck a brunette curl behind Hermione's ear.

Hermione looked down at the Hufflepuff and ran her fingers through her Ellie's dark hair, the smooth strands falling between her fingers.

They were seated at a secluded area just off the school's grounds, a place only few students knew about if they strayed any further than the commonly taken paths. The two were concealed by the shade of a large tree while the early morning sun battered down around them.

"Umbridge's presence is making me uncomfortable," Hermione admitted, frowning at the thought of the wretched lady. "I mean, it's ridiculous! She's definitely up to something. And it isn't good."

Ellie sat up abruptly, removing her head from Hermione's lap as her eyes lit up with an idea. She turned to face the Gryffindor, placing a reassuring hand on her knee. Ellie stared at Hermione for an uncomfortable amount of time, earning a raised eyebrow from the girl.

"What is it?"

"Oh, nothing," Ellie replied innocently, knowing that Hermione's curiosity would get the best of her.

"No, it's not. Tell me," Hermione demanded.

"Uh... I don't think it's the right time yet," Ellie shrugged casually.

"No, I think it's a perfectly good time," Hermione urged, leaning forward with an itching eagerness.

Ellie smiled with success, knowing that her plan had worked. She proceeded to fumble in her bag, eventually withdrawing a small, leather-bounded book, its parchment frayed at the ends. It appeared to be fairly new, but it had some visible wear and tear.

"Well, uh... I know your birthday isn't until next week, but I really couldn't wait any longer to give you your present," Ellie started, knowing that this notion would distract Hermione from thinking about Umbridge. "Besides, it looks like you could use a smile right now."

"Ellie! You didn't have to!" Hermione objected, though she still appreciated her girlfriend's gift.

"But I did," Ellie countered, flashing a warm smile. "It's not extravagant or expensive. It's really not much at all. It's more personal, really."

Ellie proceeded to hand over the small book to Hermione. She ran her fingers down the spine, brushing her thumb over the initials E.E. that was engraved in the leather. Hermione opened up the book to the first page, placing her thumb in the corner to hold it still.

The first page read: October 1994. I don't recall what day it is. I met a girl a few weeks ago. Hermione Granger. A smart young lady, if you ask me. Curly hair and honey-glazed eyes. She's made Hogwarts feel more like home than the one in back in London. Hell, Hogwarts feels more like home than the one back in America. I'm writing to document my journey here. I would have made more entries, but I haven't really found anything interesting enough to write about. I guess I'll just start here. I don't know what I'm feeling. Every time I'm with her, I feel a fuzzy feeling coursing through my veins. I feel safe when I'm with her...

The words were scrawled across the page but still had an elegant touch to them. The entry was skewed to the left, leaving enough space to portray a drawing of Hermione, sketched out to portray the Gryffindor laughing wildly. The ink was carefully mastered to capture each detail, down to the wild strands that usually drifted from her head and the crinkles beside her eyes. The drawing almost looked alive, as if it had been taken at that exact moment.

"My love..." Hermione trailed, her voice softening in amazement.

"It's really nothing. It's just little notes about the day and doodles—how I felt when we first became friends. I started writing in it when I felt something between us, a spark every so often. I didn't have anybody else to confess my feelings to, so it's all in there," Ellie explained with a slight tint to her cheeks. "There's actually two journals. I have one and you have the other. I did some research in the library on how to enchant them. They're connected so that if I write in one of them, it automatically transfers to the other. I know phones don't exactly work here, so I figured it'd be the next best—"

Her explanation was cut short by the crash of Hermione's lips, aggressive and passionate. The Gryffindor leaned forward impatiently, forcing Ellie to lean back slightly at the weight while she matched the fierce pace of her girlfriend. After a few moments, Hermione broke away, breathing heavily as she bit her lip in attempt to slow her racing heartbeat.

"Ellie..." Hermione gasped eagerly, but she hiccuped loudly.

"Calm yourself before you speak," Ellie chuckled.

A few seconds passed before Hermione spoke again, this time with a much more calmer tone.

"Darling... this journal..."

"I know. It's a little cheesy—" Ellie blushed, bringing her palm to the back of her neck shyly.

"No, I love it," Hermione interjected confidently.

"You do?" Ellie questioned with a raised brow, looking up with astonishment.

"No one's ever gotten me something like this before. It comes from your heart, and that's what I love about it," Hermione grinned as she clutched the journal to her chest.

Ellie smiled widely as she leaned over to kiss her girlfriend again, pulling back slightly to whisper to her.

"Happy early birthday, darling."