Unrequited

    "Summer's almost over. Pretty soon we'll all be back at Hogwarts." The grassy hills near the Burrow were wind-swept that afternoon. The breeze was warm and sweet smelling and brought with it gifts of 'wishies'. Hermione Granger sat near a tangled web of Baby's Breath, her knees to her chest, watching Fred, George, Ron, and Harry playing a crude game of Quidditch above them.

    Ginny Weasley was sitting cross-legged next to her, braiding flowers together artistically. "Yeah. I can't wait! It'll be my fourth year." The red-haired girl was beaming as she finished the wreath and placed it on Hermione's head.

    Hermione grinned. "Me either." The sentence came out artificial, almost plastic like. Ginny paid it no heed. She stood and began to race up hill, for a Willow tree. There was a swing there among all varities of plant life. Hermione watched the boys on their broomsticks, flying around throwing an old Quaffle around.

    Inside her, somewhere behind all her academic anxiety, was an underlying of true worry. Nothing had truly been the same since last year. People were panicking, many wizards and witches were fleeing the country, afraid of Voldemort and his supposed return.

    Hermione went to remove the flowers, but her brown hair had become entangled in it. Ginny's laughter floated along the wind as she worked the strands patiently away from the flowers. When she had finally removed it from her head, She paused and studied it. The craftmanship was beautiful. Each strand was interwoven with extreme precision. It almost hurt to touch it..And then a hard gust of wind blew it from her fingers.

    Hermione cried out in surprise and stood, imediately taking chase. The wreath was flying high above her and she knew there was no way she was going to catch it but she kept running anyway.Before she realized what or where she was going, A gnome darted out in front of her and then skirted away as she tripped over it.

    The hill was bumpy but not as steep as before so she rolled in the dirt for only a few seconds. It was enough to disorient her though. In her haziness, Hermione looked up to see the wreath of flowers suddenly blow apart, the petals flying in different directions. One soflty floated through the gentling wind to land on her face. It was soft to the touch...

    Suddenly it began to burn as if on fire. She cried out and tried to move to rid her of the pain it was inflicting. Hermione found she couldn't move. Her screams attracted no attention..until she realized...no one was listening..

    "AHH!" Hermione awoke with a start, flying straight up in bed and gasping for air. Her curly, slightly bushy, brown hair had stuck to her sweat-sheened face. Her heart was racing.

    Ginny's lamp turned on instantly and her door flew open. The first one through the door was Harry, followed closely by Ron and Mrs. Weasley. Hermione found it hard to breathe when she realized she was choking on sobs rising in her throat. Before she knew what was going on, She was sobbing openly into Mrs. Weasley's shoulder. She didn't know what was happening...But she knew something wasn't right..

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    "You're ready for anything they throw at you."

    "Stop being silly." Two girl, both with flaxen hair and black and golden robes, were walking brisquely down a velveteen hall. The hall was lined with ornamental tables decorated with vases and roses. An occasional painting passed by, mumbling lazily about the lack of excitement.

    "Being an Auror is twenty-five percent smarts, twenty-five percent wisdom, twenty-five percent agility, and twenty-five percent confidence; All of these you have in an abundance. " The girl on the left turned her head, still keeping her pace, to look at the girl. Her eyes were blue only the whites of her eyes were black instead. She had a faint scar going from her right ear to her chin but it was thin and hardly acknowledgable.

    The other girl scoffed slightly but cocked her head and grinned. Her eyes were green and lined in black.

    Soon the two came to a large door. Both of them knocked twice.

    The door opened revealing a quite study. A fire was burning brightly in the large fireplace and there were three sizable, comfortable looking sofas around it. A large desk opposite the fire and chairs was bordered by numerous stacks of papers, each looking ready to topple at the slightly disturbance.

    "Sir?" The green eyed girl was moving forward cautiously until a deep rumble which sounded like snoring erupted from the chair behind the desk.

    "Erm..Ahem! Oh yes, Course, Hello." The chair swiveled around. Occupying, was a surly looking old man with greying hair and a nasty scowl. Would you have expected more from the head of the Auror Department.

    "Jewlianna Moorglen and Saarielle Darkstaff are-" A young attendant ran through the open doors. He looked to be in his younger twenties and one of those nervous types.

    "Here. Yes, yes..I know."

    Saarielle watched the young man walk out hurriedly. Her blue eyes flicked around to the old man who was rising to his feet and offering Jewlianna some coffee.

    "No thank you. We were told you'd like to see us," Jewlianna quickly commented, moving away from the bubbling green concotion that was supposedly coffee.

    "Ah yes yes. Well, Ms. Darkstaff as you know is fresh from our training facility. She needs an assignment as well as a Guide for a few months or so." The man walked over to the window near his desk, pausing to take a sip of the green coffee from his mug, " and you see, I just received an owl from Cornelius Fudge about a particularily important mission."

    He turned away from the window, looking pointedly over to both of them. When he turned away to take another sip of coffe, Saarielle excitedly rushed up behind Jewlianna.

    "He wants me to send someone over to Hogwarts to teach Defense Against the Dark Arts-"

    "WHAT?!"