Hp: Hermione and Darkness

A dull, grey light seeped into Hermione's sleep-filled eyes. She struggled to lift her heavy lids and stretched her arms above her head, eliciting a low growl from Crookshanks. He clearly wasn't pleased with her audacity to move while he was nestled comfortably. She smiled, scratching his ears until the growls transformed into contented purrs.

Hermione cherished lazy mornings like these, even though she rarely indulged in them. Her bed felt irresistibly cosy, and she was at the perfect temperature—not too hot, not too cold. Ginny's measured breathing was soothing, and Hermione contemplated drifting back to sleep for just a bit longer. Soon enough, school would start, and these moments would be rare.

School.

Harry's hearing was today. He'd find out whether or not he could return to school.

Hermione bolted upright in bed, her heart pounding. She felt sick to her stomach as she scrambled out of bed, grabbed her robe, and dashed out of the room. She flew down the staircase, skidding into the kitchen where Mrs Weasley, Sirius, and Tonks were gathered.

"Did I miss him?" she blurted out, breathing heavily.

"Just," Mrs Weasley said.

"Damnit!" Hermione exclaimed, clamping her hands over her mouth immediately. "I'm so sorry! I didn't mean—"

Sirius chuckled. "It's fine. I think I said that myself this morning, in fact."

"A few times," Professor Lupin added.

"I just wanted to wish him luck before he left," Hermione said, her voice tinged with guilt.

"Harry wasn't really in a talkative mood this morning," Tonks said gently.

Hermione felt a pang of regret. She would have woken up extra early to give Harry a pep talk if she were a better friend. She sank into the seat nearest Tonks and buried her face in her hands. She had so many ideas for his defence but had let him change the subject without much of a fight.

"It'll be okay," Mrs Weasley said kindly. "He'll be home in no time and completely vindicated."

"Don't give the girl false hope, Molly," Sirius said, his tone flat.

"It's just a misunderstanding," Mrs Weasley insisted. "Underage wizards can perform magic in life-threatening circumstances."

"Fudge is going to do everything in his power to ensure Harry loses," Sirius replied flippantly. "You know that."

"Well, I am sorry that I am trying to remain optimistic, Sirius," Mrs Weasley said sarcastically. "I know you hate that Harry will probably be cleared of charges because you'll lose your pseudo-best friend, but that's no reason to be irrational. You know the laws."

Sirius immediately stood up and stormed out of the room. Hermione and Tonks exchanged awkward looks before glancing at Mrs Weasley to gauge her reaction. Her lips were pursed, but she didn't seem angry for once.

"I do feel bad for the man," Mrs Weasley said, her eyes lingering on the doorway Sirius had stormed through. "Twelve years in Azkaban, wrongfully accused of the murder of his best friend." She shook her head and turned back to Tonks and Hermione. "But that is no reason to put his needs ahead of Harry's. Harry needs a parent who knows he needs to go to school, not a friend who wants to drop out and have fun."

Hermione nodded. She completely agreed. Harry had three more years of school. After that, he could do whatever he wanted, but not until then. "Do you know what time the hearing is set?" she asked.

"Nine o'clock," Tonks answered. "Shouldn't take too long, though. Like Molly said, it's pretty straightforward."

"What are we to clean today?" Hermione asked, eager to distract herself.

"I thought maybe we could take today off," Mrs Weasley said. "I know I won't be able to concentrate on anything until we hear from Arthur and Harry."

"Oh," Hermione said, looking down. She had wanted something to get her mind off everything.

Tonks laughed. "I'm sure Molly can find you something to do if you're really that chuffed about it."

"Oh, absolutely."

Hermione smiled weakly. "Cleaning is mindless, which is sometimes a nice break for me. I worry. A lot."

"Cooking helps me calm down," Mrs Weasley said. "Do you want to help me make some biscuits? I promised Ron I'd make his favorites before you lot go back to school."

"Sure!" Hermione said, a jolt of excitement running through her.

"Let me whip up some breakfast for the late risers, and then we can get to work," Mrs Weasley said with a smile. "Tonks, would you mind running to the market for me? I'll need some jam for the Jammie Dodgers. Ron loves raspberry or lemon curd. You can pick."

"Want to go with me to the market while you wait?" Tonks asked. Hermione glanced at Mrs Weasley for approval—they hadn't been out of the house all summer.

Mrs Weasley nodded. "I should be ready to bake in an hour."

....

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