Monday morning started much as it has every other Monday morning since the trio's first year; alarms went off, students buried their heads in their pillows and asked for five more minutes, please, and Hermione Granger stood in the common room, waiting patiently for her friends.
'So how goes the anatomical discussion of my fellow Quidditch players?' Harry yawned as he came plodding down the stairs. Hermione's face turned cross, and Ron herded both of them out of the portrait door before Hermione could explode.
'So, today's the day, eh?' Ron asked as Hermione steered the boys, both yawning, towards the Great Hall.
'That it is,' she said brightly, annoyance vanishing like mist. She rubbed her hands together briskly. 'I hope everything goes well with Greengrass,' she added a bit anxiously. 'She seems nice enough, I've seen her paired with Gryffindors and Muggleborns and she's no more rude to them then she is with anyone else. I've even seen her tell off Pansy Parkinson.'
'She told off Parkinson?' Harry asked increduosly.
'Parkinson's smart enough to be in Arithmancy?' Ron asked in disbelief.
'No, she's not,' Hermione said with a bit of a grin. 'Hence Greengrass telling her off.' She chuckled as they swept into the Great Hall. Plopping themselves down at the end of a table, Ron and Harry both began to shovel their food in as Hermione tsked and began to eat her eggs.
Ginny wandered over after a bit and asked, a tad meekly, 'Can I sit here?', pointing at the space next to Harry.
' 'course you can,' Harry said around a forkful of bacon. Ginny took her seat and smiled brightly.
'Oi, Gin, got a question for you,' Ron asked, wiping his mouth. 'You know any Lovegoods?'
'Oh, yeah!' she said. She pointed towards the Ravenclaw table; Harry looked and saw a long cascade of silvery-blonde hair reaching to the waist of a short girl.
'Luna Lovegood,' Ginny said, nodding. 'She's in my year, but a Ravenclaw obviously. She's a bit...' Ginny hesitated, 'unusual. But she's loads of fun to talk to, and she's really, really nice! We sit together sometimes on the train. She didn't even care what people said after- after-'
'As well they shouldn't,' Hermione said kindly. 'It wasn't your fault.'
'And I'll hex anyone who says it is,' Ron added darkly. Hermione's mouth twitched.
'So long as it doesn't involve slugs, Ron.'
'Huh?'
Ginny interrupted. 'Why do you ask about Luna, Ron? They live near us, remember?'
'Oh,' he said airily. 'This and that, that and this.' Ginny opened her mouth to say more, but Colin Creevey appeared and sat next to her, and they began chatting about that day's Herbology lesson.
'Okay,' Hermione said quietly, leaning over, 'finish up, so we can go talk outside.' Ron looked rather sadly at the heap of sausages that appeared to be calling his name, but all three quickly finished their food, said their goodbyes, and vanished out into the hallway.
'So we know who Lovegood is now,' Ron said. He looked around. 'Harry and I are going to ask Diggory, you're going to ask Greengrass, but how should we approach Lovegood?'
'I suppose I could,' Hermione said, though a bit doubtfully; she had noticed Luna reading a newspaper upside down on their way out. 'I know a fair amount of Ravenclaws from some of my classes, so I suppose it'd look less fishy.'
'Wonderful,' Ron said. An ever-growing tide of students began to emerge from the Great Hall, sweeping the threesome away. Soon, they began to descend the long flight of stairs that would take them towards Potions, and the professor who taught it.
---
Harry, Hermione and Ron were all busy stirring their cauldrons halfway through Potions. Harry had only half-heard Snape talking the entire class, his concentration flitting between the fact that the man who seemed to have it out for him was, in fact, his mother's best friend, and his upcoming discussion with Diggory. He didn't know which one set his stomach up in more knots.
'Counter-clockwise, Harry,' Hermione whispered under her breath. 'Twice clockwise, thrice counter, remember?'
'Oh yeah,' he said dully. 'Thanks, Hermione.' She looked up nervously at Snape, but he was busy yelling at Seamus for letting his potion slop over the sides of his cauldron to notice. She quickly went back to her potion, which was shimmering nicely and turning a pleasant green colour. Ron looked over a bit enviously before returning to his own concoction, which smelled like a skunk that had been run over on the road and left in the sun.
'Mister Evans.'
Harry looked up, a bit blankly, at Snape, who was looming over him, arms crossed.
It was so difficult to believe that his mother had ever been close to this creature.
'I see,' Snape said softly, 'that you believe that you are above the rules of this classroom, which includes- but not limited to- creating your potion in the manner that I have instructed.'
Harry made a quiet, slightly strangled noise as he looked down. His potion had gone rather pink, with specks of orange and yellow. It hissed and popped, and Harry and Ron both let out a little yell as it began to eat through the bottom of the cauldron. It left a smell worse than Ron's dead skunk potion; Harry could hear retching in the background.
'Detention, Evans,' Snape said, still as softly and oilly as ever. 'Tonight, at seven pm. You too, Weasley.'
'It wasn't his fault!' Harry shouted at the same time as Ron, who said 'What did I do?' Snape merely raised his eyebrow before raising his wand. For a moment, Harry thought he was going to curse Harry, but instead, he merely Vanished Harry's potion. He looked over at Ron's, and then Vanished his too, for good measure.
Harry and Ron spent the rest of the class in a deep funk, refusing to look at anyone but one another and occasionally Hermione, who looked sympathetic as she brewed her potion to perfection. The only time they looked up was when Neville and Parvati managed to blow their cauldrons through the roof of the roof; Snape awarded them detention as well, but for the following evening.
It was a sweet mercy when the class was over. Ron and Harry picked up their bags and hauled out of the classrooms, leaving Hermione to give her potion to Snape for grading. They sulked by the door, nodding as Dean and Seamus gave their sympathies and Neville and Parvati commiserated in their joint pain.
'What's taking Hermione so long?' Ron grumbled.
'Dunno,' Harry replied, shrugging. He chanced a peek into the classroom, and his jaw gaped a bit.
Hermione's potion was on Snape's desk, sparkling merrily, but Hermione was talking face to face with Snape. She didn't look angry, so Harry very much doubted that Hermione had suddenly found the urge to tell off Snape (as if she'd have done so even if it had occurred to her). In fact, it appeared that Snape was telling Hermione something, and by the looks of things, she considered it very important. After a minute, she slung her bag over her shoulder and trotted out, looking mildly confused. She patted her chest a bit, as if her heart was racing.
'What was that all about?' Harry asked in a low voice.
'Huh?' she said. 'Oh... it's.... oh, I have to use the restroom!' she said suddenly. 'I'll tell you both in a bit, I'll meet you in Herbology, yeah?' Without another word, she took off towards the bathrooms.
'What's going on?' Ron asked, looking at Harry, and then Hermione's retreating back. Harry filled him in as they started making their way towards the greenhouses. Ron was just as confused once Harry was finished.
'Girls,' he said, shaking his head, 'are absolutely mental. Don't understand them.'
They trudged the rest of the way in companionable silence, taking their usual places between Neville and Susan Bones. Hermione zoomed in at the last minute, looking a bit pale and tired. 'Later,' she hissed, when Harry opened his mouth. Harry pursed his lips in annoyance, but nodded his head. The trio barely spoke for the remainder of the class, simply potting different plants and listening to Professor Sprout's brisk but cheerful lecture.
---
Lunch was soon upon the Trio again, and Ron refused to even contemplate talking to Diggory or anyone else unless he got to eat. As much as both Harry and Hermione wanted to drag him away, both felt the insistent nagging of their stomachs, and agreed to eat.
'I talked to Daphne,' Hermione said unceremoniously as they sat down.
'When?' Harry asked.
'Oh,' Hermione said. 'I- I ran into her on the way to the bathroom. She asked me about the latest assignment, and we chatted for a bit in the loo. I brought up the picture, but didn't mention your mum, Harry,' she added as an aside. 'Turns out the the F Greengrass is her father, Ferran, and that Eirian is her mother, before she got married, obviously.'
'Excellent,' Harry said, grinning.
'I also talked to Luna-'
'When did you get a chance to talk to her?' Ron asked, confused.
'Oh, er,' Hermione said, blushing. 'I, um, ran into her in the bathroom too.'
'Must be your lucky day,' Ron said, grinning. Hermione flashed a quick smile, then carried on. 'Martin Lovegood is her uncle, but he's dead now. Her dad's name is Xenophilius-'
'Zenu-what?' Ron asked, a bemused look on his face. 'That sounds like some sort of horrible sympton of dragon pox.' Harry snorted into his mash.
'-and Eleanor Cavizel is Luna's mother, also dead,' Hermione finished. 'Martin died during one of You-Know-Who's attacks, I read it in that book I found. I don't know what happened to Luna's mother, I didn't want to press her.' Hermione looked down at her plate. 'Luna didn't know a thing about Lily or that either of her parents knew her. I'm guessing that Martin and Eleanor knew Lily, but Xenophilius didn't.'
'What about Greengrass?' Ron asked, prodding her a bit.
'Oh? Oh! Daphne knew quite a bit,' Hermione said, nodding. 'She says both of her parents still talk about Lily from time to time, and occasionally about Professor Snape and Professor Lupin. You remember that girl mentioned in the books, Roberta Flannigan?' Harry and Ron both nodded. 'Well, it seems that Daphne's father dated Roberta before he met some woman named Caroline Abbott, who was in the Charms Club, and through Caroline, he met Daphne's mother. Eleanor met Lily through Cordelia Diggory, who had a class with Sirius Black and Lily.'
Hermione smiled slightly at the bewilderment on Harry and Ron's faces, but pressed on.
'She said she'd like to meet up with you, Harry. Well, with all three of us,' she said, a bit hesitantly, 'so you can talk about it more.'
'Why didn't she say anything before?' Harry asked, feeling a bit irritated that Greengrass herself had never come forward with this information.
'I think...' Hermione trailed off and fell silent for a bit, leaning her chin into her hand. 'I think she didn't want to come off like Malfoy did on our first train ride here, Harry. All brash and looking to join up with someone famous. I don't know, but I don't think Daphne wants to be perceived as a hanger-on, someone who clutches to other people for respectability.'
'That,' Ron said, 'made absolutely no sense whatsoever. Plenty of people talk to Harry, and they're not automatically inducted into the 'We Kiss Harry Evans's Toes' club, either.'
Hermione gave him a look, then shook her head in exasperation. 'It's just a thing, Ron. Don't worry about it.'
'Don't worry,' Ron said, 'I won't.' Hermione shot him another look, much darker this time, before going back to her food.
'So,' Harry said, a bit awkwardly, 'what was it that Snape wanted to talk to you about?' Hermione chewed on her sandwich for a bit before deciding to answer.
'Professor Snape,' she said, a bit coolly, 'informed me that I'm to go with you to detention tonight. And no, I'm not in any trouble,' she added, when Ron opened his mouth to say something, 'he just said I should be there. And to not tell anyone else, so don't either of you go opening your mouths!' She said the last bit quite fiercely, and Ron and Harry both nodded their heads fervently.
'We promise,' Ron said solemnly, making an x over his heart. 'Wizard's honour.' Hermione sniffed a bit, but seemed satisfied. 'She wants to meet later; I said around nine o'clock, in the library,' Hermione continued. 'We probably won't be in the dungeons for more than an hour and half, so we'll have time to spare. Library closes at ten, but it's usually fairly empty by nine-'
'I wonder why?' Ron asked no-one in particular.
'-so we should have enough privacy,' Hermione finished. She didn't bother glaring or huffing, just set her napkin neatly on the table and got up.
'You two,' she said briskly, 'have a meeting with a Hufflepuff. I have a Runes quiz I need to study for.' And without another word, she got up and walked away, her bag bouncing off her hips as she set off.
Ron and Harry looked at one another.
'I wonder what's gotten into her?' Ron asked, chewing on his sandwich.
'No idea,' Harry replied. 'She seems a bit..'
'Testy?'
'I was going to say tired, but that too.' Harry shrugged. 'She's right, though. We should go outside and wait for Diggory.'
Ron looked like he was going to curse his inability to sit down for an entirety of the meal, but started gathering his things together. 'Might as well get this over with,' he said. Harry nodded, and they stood up to go. Waving goodbyes to their friends, they sauntered out of the Great Hall, finding a small stone bench right outside the doors. Twiddling their thumbs and smoothing out their robes, they waited in silence until a tall boy with fair hair and an easy grin strode out of the Great Hall.
'Guess it's time,' Ron said under his breath. Nudging Harry, they stood up, gathered their things, and strode over towards the tall Hufflepuff.