Adamo Mortalis

Adamo Mortalis

Chapter 7

The earliest accounts of demons can be found in the ancient cultures of Mesopotamia, Persia, Egypt, and Israel, where a variety of evil spirits were blamed for disease, crop destruction, floods, fires, plagues, hatred, and war. Demons with names like "the Croucher" and "the Seizer" were thought to lurk anywhere and everywhere--in the deserts and forests, in cellars and on rooftops, and inside homes that had not been properly protected by amulets or magical incantations. Capable of assuming many forms, ancient demons--

"Bugger," Hermione said fiercely, and slammed her copy of The Sorcerer's Guide shut on her desk.

Not only was it eleven o'clock at night after another busy day, but also Hermione had something else on her mind besides demons and found it impossible to concentrate.

Hermione and Harry hadn't been alone together since the first day of school when they had fought and then he had kissed her. Quidditch practice had started for Harry, and even in September the teachers were starting to pile more homework on the fifth-years in preparation for the O.W.L.'s at the end of term. All of Harry's free time was spent on the Quidditch field, she knew, except in the evenings when he did homework with Ron in the Gryffindor common room. Hermione found it impossible to concentrate without near-silence, so she was always in either her dorm room or the library; Harry frequented neither location, and consequently they'd hardly had a moment to speak since the awkward night two weeks ago.

Since that awkward night two weeks ago when I ran away like a frightened rabbit, Hermione thought glumly, staring out the window into the warm summer evening. When his mouth was first on hers, she'd been too shocked to move or do anything, but then her body responded involuntarily of her mind and before she knew it she was kissing him back, and he tasted of Quidditch and grass and magic--

And it scared her. She had loved him for so long that it scared her when he finally made a move, because what if he didn't mean it, what if he was just doing it because he pitied her, what if he decided he didn't really want to be with her? The thoughts had torn through her mind like pages being ripped out of a book, and she had gasped and pulled away from him and fled down the corridor back to her room, where she lay curled on her bed trembling for several minutes, unable to even think about the fact that she'd left all of her school books in the Transfiguration classroom.

Of course she hadn't told anyone, either. She wasn't quite sure how Ron would react upon hearing that his two best friends had kissed, and although Lavender and Parvati would have squealed with excitement and reassured her, she knew that within a few hours the entire school would have known, and going public with her confusing news wasn't really something she wanted to do.

Instead, Hermione threw herself into her schoolwork with even more vigor than usual, and avoided almost any sort of social contact. She sat with Harry and Ron at mealtimes, but she ate quickly and left, and neither boy questioned her about her irregular behavior. Harry seemed to be just as uncomfortable as Hermione when the two were together, and even Ron had been oddly distracted lately. Hermione had wondered what was going on with him, but asking would have given him the right to shoot the same question back at her.

Even Ginny was so completely wrapped up in Draco such that she wouldn't have noticed if Hermione had told her that she and Harry had been having wild sex underneath the Quidditch bleachers once a week. To everything Hermione had said to her in the past two weeks, she'd replied with, "Hmm," and presumably returned to thinking about Draco. Even details like, "And then we covered each other in mud, and licked it off," wouldn't have grabbed the attention of Ginny's now one-track mind.

The pair basically had to keep the relationship a secret, and Hermione didn't envy them sneaking around. She didn't understand why the other Slytherins hadn't yet risen up to beat Draco back into being his normal self, but she wasn't going to question it. Ginny seemed happy, and as far as Hermione knew, Draco hadn't done anything to hurt her.

It was lucky, Hermione thought absently, that Ron seemed to be completely involved in some issue of his own, or he would have noticed his sister's new boyfriend and hexed him within an inch of his life. But Ron wandered around with a blissfully happy expression on his face, even occasionally walking into walls and doorways and such, but not really seeming to mind. Harry had given up trying to ask Ron what was going on, because he would just sigh and say, "Nothing. I'm fine," and an even dreamier expression would come upon his face.

Hermione privately suspected that Ron fancied someone, but she couldn't figure out whom. He didn't seem to look at any of the Gryffindor girls in particular, paying no attention to them even when they spoke to him, as Lavender and Parvati had tried at the beginning of the year. But neither did he look especially at another house table, and so Hermione had no clue who he was thinking about.

Her mind went back to Harry. She didn't know what he was thinking; he seemed hardly be able to look her in the face when they ate their meals together, and was particularly introverted. He probably hadn't told anyone about their kiss, either, and maybe he was struggling with it as much as she was. She hoped so.

Biting her lip, Hermione decided that she didn't want to go down that road of thought again. Instead, she opened up The Sorcerer's Guide and trudged on with it.

Capable of assuming many forms, ancient demons were often said to appear as flies, dogs, bulls, or many-headed monsters...

***

In the middle of an early-afternoon Quidditch practice the next day, Harry was so surprised to see Professor McGonagall standing on the sidelines with her arms crossed that he was nearly hit by a Bludger. He swerved away from it in time, but watched closely as she glanced up, seeming to be searching for something, and then, upon seeing him, waved him toward her.

Shrugging, Harry ducked into a swooping descent, hearing Fred call after him, "Harry! What're you doing?" but not having time to reply.

"Hello, Professor," Harry said, breathless from his effort. He swiped at dark black hair that feel into his eyes, vaguely realizing that it needed cutting, and gently laid his Firebolt on the grass.

"Headmaster Dumbledore would like to speak to you in his office immediately," Professor McGonagall informed him curtly. "I am sorry to interrupt your practice, Mr. Potter, but I believe you will find it to your benefit."

Harry turned to wave up to his teammates in the air, who had been watching the affair with great curiosity, then picked up his Firebolt and left. He followed the Gryffindor house head back inside the castle, and up to the entrance to Dumbledore's office, where said, "You know the password," and departed.

Biting his lip, Harry said quietly, "Fizzing Whizzbees," and stepped on the ascending staircase that led to the Headmaster's office. He could feel his fingertips tingling with anticipation, and squeezed his hands together nervously, despite the fact that he was still wearing all his Quidditch gear, which included his protective fingerless gloves.

Professor Dumbledore sat at his desk, seeming to sort through paperwork, with Fawkes perched on a pedestal to his left. The bird squawked and Harry stepped forward to run a gentling finger over his beak.

The Headmaster looked up at Harry kindly, and smiled. "I was hoping you would arrive soon. Finite Incatatem," and with a wave of his wand, two dark figures emerged from the back of the room where they had not been a moment ago.

Throwing back the head of his cloak, Sirius took a few large steps toward his godson and wrapped his arms around him. Harry's eyes had lit up like fireworks as soon as he had recognized Sirius, and he gratefully returned the hug.

"Sirius--what did you--how are you--and Professor Lupin," Harry said joyfully, moving to shake Remus' hand. "Are you--what happened?"

Sirius laughed and ruffled Harry's hair affectionately. "Dumbledore here came to rescue us after I snuck into town and owled him. He tells me that Hedwig couldn't find us."

"Yes--I sent an owl, and she didn't come back for weeks, and then she brought my letter back," said Harry, still marveling at the fact that they were both alive and well. "I thought--well, I suppose it doesn't matter now. Professor Lupin--do you know what they're accusing you of?"

Remus' gray eyes became opaque. "Yes, Harry, I know. I--we'll deal with that later."

At that moment, an elderly gray-haired witch came tumbling through the fireplace to land with an oomph on Dumbledore's floor. The Headmaster's eyes twinkled as he stood to assist the woman, and Harry's eyes went wide when he recognized her.

"Mrs. Figg!" said Harry. "You--you're a--"

"Of course, my dear. Always have been. I was assigned by the Ministry to keep a watch on you when you were a child--to make sure those relatives of yours didn't treat you too badly, although it was difficult to control that family." She smiled fondly at him. "I'm glad to see you're doing well here." Turning to Dumbledore, Mrs. Figg said, "We should speak with Remus, Albus. I've been to see the other judge."

Dumbledore nodded gravely. "Sirius, if you and Harry would like to move to my study and talk, feel free. It's just through that door there. Remus, Arabella and I must have a discussion."

With Sirius' hand on the back of his Quidditch robes, Harry entered Dumbledore's study, feeling more relaxed than he had the entire school year.

***

Ginny lay with the back of her head in the crook of Draco's arm, and absently wondered how it had become that her favorite place in the world to be was with a Malfoy.

Having known Draco for the four years they'd been at school together, Ginny never would have suspected that he was a closet romantic. But the way he'd been treating her in the past two weeks...she gave a lazy half-smile when she thought of all the sweet things he'd said and done for her lately. Draco made her feel pretty and smart and so incredibly special that she couldn't resist anything about him, and consequently when he'd started inviting her to spend time with him down in the Slytherin dungeons she had agreed. There had been some nasty looks from Draco's house-mates early on, but he had easily quelled them with a threatening stare, and Ginny would now venture to say that she almost felt welcome in the cold stone basement of Hogwarts.

Now Draco bent down so he could look her right in the face and said softly, "Gin?"

"Hmm?"

"Will you come with me to Hogsmeade on the trip this weekend?"

She snuggled against his chest and listened to his heart beat: slow, steady, rhythmic, just like his drawling tone of voice that had become so familiar to her. "Of course."

"Good." He stroked her crimson hair, spread out over his chest and one of his shoulders. Even he had to admit that it was stunningly pretty. "We can go to the Three Broomsticks, just like the last time."

"I liked that," she murmured into his shirt. "Can you believe that was two weeks ago?"

"Hardly," Draco said, and snorted inwardly. Two weeks, and he still hadn't been able to put a move on her. He would have thought even a Weasley couldn't be that prude, but she still shied away when he tried to kiss her, and offered him her cheek instead of her mouth. He vaguely wondered at what age she would lose her virginity. Probably never.

Draco smiled. "I have a little something for you. A two-week gift."

Ginny sat up, pushing her hair behind her ears, looking startled. "Oh, Draco, you didn't have to. I didn't do anything..."

"That's all right," he said, his irises today the shade of wood smoke, warm and inviting and faintly reminiscent of autumn. He looked Ginny over, finally resting on her face: she was looking at him with an expression of gratitude and anticipation, something he was hardly used to. Standing up, Draco dug through the top drawer of his dresser until he found what he wanted.

"Here," he said simply, handing her a small wrapped package with a white silk bow. Ginny accepted it, and with a shy glance at Draco, untied the ribbon and deftly removed the wrapping paper. Inside lay what was obviously a jewelry box.

"Draco," she breathed, hardly daring to look at him. "I hope it wasn't...expensive."

He laughed and ruffled her hair, and she flushed. "Don't worry about it. Open it."

Sliding a fingernail underneath the lid of the box, Ginny pushed it open, and took in a surprised breath. "Oh, it's beautiful," she said, holding the dainty silver bracelet up to the light. "I love it. Thank you."

Draco accepted her light embrace. "You're beautiful, and you deserve it. I hoped you'd like it. I picked it out in Diagon Alley this summer."

She glanced up at him curiously, and then went back to examining the bracelet. "This summer? You already...had this all planned?"

He shrugged elegantly. "I didn't know it was all going to work out so nicely, of course, but I was hopeful. I wanted to impress you."

Ginny covered his hand with hers. "You don't need to do that with jewelry, Draco. I like you."

Merlin knows why, Draco thought, but he smiled and interlaced his fingers with hers.

***

Arabella Figg lowered herself into a Victorian-style chair upholstered in blue velvet, and gestured for Remus and Dumbledore to do the same. Remus realized as he sat that his hands were trembling, and his pulse racing in his chest. He swallowed.

"I don't know precisely how much you are aware of about the new system for wizarding courts, Remus," Mrs. Figg began, "but I shall explain all of it to you, even if it is just a review. Since it was only implemented as of late, even the most knowledgeable of our kind are often unaware of the procedure.

"There are two High Judges which sit at the top of it all. I," and she pointed to herself, with arched eyebrows raised imperiously, "am one of those two. Fran*ois Pr*vost, from France, is the other. The two of us pick and choose which case we hear out of ones that don't automatically qualify. In addition, for the cases we hear, there is a jury of nine witches and wizards randomly selected that offer their opinions to us before we make our decision, although they do not have any formal powers. In general, we use the process of judicial review to decide, as well as the written law.

"Lower court systems exist, within individual countries, states, regions and so forth, as well as local judiciaries. Do you have any questions?"

Remus nodded. Although he felt he already knew the answer, he asked quietly, "What does all of this have to do with me?"

Figg turned, and focused intense dark eyes on him. "I thought you should have a fair chance to understand the system before you are tried for murder within it."

***

Ron straightened his shirt in the mirror and smiled at his reflection. He stood in one of the Gryffindor dormitory boys bathrooms, admiring himself, all the while internally plotting ways to attract Fleur's attention. "Fleur," he whispered to the mirror, and the taste of the word was sweet on his tongue. Even though she was constantly reminding him that she was Miss Delacour and not just Fleur, he couldn't stop himself from calling her by her given name.

Unfortunately, she hadn't allowed any more incidents to occur between the two of them, but he was sure now that she was just playing hard-to-get. He was constantly watching her as she taught their class, and he could easily see that she was always looking in his direction and smiling flirtatiously, or twirling her hair in a seductive way, or just looking at him with a loving gaze. After two weeks of observation, Ron now knew that he was seeing the truth.

And so Ron always checked himself out before he went to class, trying to make sure that he looked his absolute best for Fleur. School was over for the day, but he was planning to swing by her classroom to see if she needed any extra help with anything. He secretly hoped that she would ask him to lift something heavy, and he would be able to show off the muscles he'd acquired over the summer. Ron rolled up his shirtsleeve, flexed his right arm in the mirror, and gave a satisfactory smirk.

"What are you, turning into Malfoy?" a teasing voice asked from the doorway. Ron flushed, turning to see whom it was.

Harry, cheeks pink and still in all his Quidditch gear, stood holding a towel and leaned against the doorframe. Ron grinned and said, "Well, you know, I have to make sure I'm still...ripped, you know, and all."

Harry snorted. "Who are you trying to impress in here? Moaning Myrtle?"

Ron didn't know how to respond, so he shrugged and looked away. Harry looked right at him and said, "I just got called to Headmaster Dumbledore's office. Sirius and Professor Lupin are there."

That drew Ron's attention. "Are they really? What happened?"

"Sirius rescued Professor Lupin, who'd been forcibly turned into a werewolf after his Wolfsbane Potion didn't arrive, and they were stuck in a forest without any way to communicate with Dumbledore. So Sirius snuck into a...town, or something, that was nearby, and owled Dumbledore. He came and rescued them yesterday--Sirius wasn't allowed to tell me how."

"That's great," Ron said enthusiastically. "See, it didn't mean anything that Hedwig came back with your letter. They're both all right."

"I know," Harry said, and flashed a bright grin. "I'm glad. Dumbledore doesn't know where they're going to stay, now, though, and I guess Lupin has to go to trial or something. Oh, and it was really weird--this woman Flooed in while I was there, because I guess you're not allowed to Apparate on Hogwarts grounds, and it was my neighbor from when I lived with the Dursleys. The Ministry assigned her to keep an eye on me when I was little."

Ron scoffed. "Doesn't seem like she did a very good job, did she? I mean, the Dursleys were horrible to you."

Harry shrugged. "It was probably hard to control them without using magic. Anyway--it's not important now. I'm just glad that Sirius and Professor Lupin are okay." He stretched with a slight grimace and said, pulling off his t-shirt over his head, "I think I'm going to take a shower now. I got called out in the middle of practice, and it's been over for a while."

"Right," said Ron. "Well...I'm going to...you know, do that thing. Bye," and he made a hasty exit with his flimsy excuse.

"Hey, wait," Harry called, taking a few large steps to catch up with Ron. "I wanted to tell you--I saw Charlie in the hallway a minute ago. I guess he's...visiting. Did you know he was coming?"

"Erm...no," Ron said, thoroughly surprised. "I hadn't heard anything about it. That's odd."

Shrugging again, Harry said, "Anyway, I'll see you later." He gave a mischievous smile and flexed his bare arm in Ron's direction. "I have to make sure I'm still ripped, you know, and all." He poked his flat stomach. "Look, I have a six-pack, too."

"Oh, shut up," Ron said, grinning. "Later."

And he walked away with a purposeful sort of sense, smoothing down his crimson hair as he went.

***

Ginny, now wearing her silver bracelet and once again leaning against Draco's shoulder, yawned and checked her watch. She blinked once at the time, but realized with a feeling of dread that it was correct. "Draco...I'm sorry, I have to go. I promised Liza I'd meet her in the library for a bit of Charms work before dinner."

As she sat up slowly, Draco said, "Don't worry about it. I have homework to do, anyway. I always put it off when you're around."

Adjusting her cardigan, Ginny turned to face him, then took one hand to flip her hair back behind her shoulders. She smiled. "I'm just that distracting, huh?"

"Yes, you are," he said, standing up and leaning forward to take her hands in his. "It's one of my favorite things about you, that you can make me forget everything else when I'm with you."

Ginny turned her eyes up to meet his. "Draco, you can't do this to me now! If you make me think about you, I...I'll never leave."

Draco grinned, and Ginny felt her heart give a little leap. "Well, maybe that's what I'm after." He leaned forward for a moment, taking his hands out of hers and bringing them up to caress her face. "Ginny...can I ask you something?"

"If it's quick," she teased, and said more seriously, "I really do have to go."

"Can I kiss you?"

She froze in her position. Draco could feel the muscles in her jaw tighten up beneath his touch. "Draco, I don't know if...I mean...I've never..." Looking up at him with such huge frightened eyes, he nearly felt bad for her.

"Shhh," he whispered, and moved his fingertips to gently close her eyelids. His lips brushed against hers, but when he felt her heartbeat race in the hollow of her neck, he pulled away. "Relax," he said softly, and kissed her again, this time with more pressure, and finally felt her acquiesce and twine her hands around his waist, opening up her mouth to his.

Everything was going well, or so thought Draco, until Ginny yanked herself away with a little squeak and put her hands over her mouth. "I have to go," she whispered, from behind her hands, and dashed out of the room.

Draco, who had been enjoying their kiss--she was, after all, a pretty girl, and he was a fifteen-year-old male--sighed with exasperation. After all the work I've put in, he thought furiously, I can't even get a kiss. And after two goddamn weeks! Anger rose up in him, and he picked up a glass on his bedside table and threw it at the wall with all of his strength, allowing it to shatter into tiny pieces with a dramatic crash.

***

Remus closed his eyes for a moment, hoping that the situation would be gone when he reopened them, but it wasn't. Figg was still there, giving him her penetrating gaze, along with Dumbledore, who sat calmly at his desk, also watching Remus.

His voice shook when he finally spoke. "How did--how--how did you know I was here?"

"I believe I should interrupt here, Arabella," Dumbledore said gently when Figg opened her mouth to answer. He turned to Remus. "It was I who turned you in. Wait--" He held up a hand as Remus stood in indignation. "Listen to me. I believe you have a fighting chance at winning your case in court and proving your innocence, as well as the fact that you are completely harmless under the influence of the Wolfsbane Potion. I will do my best to assist you in clearing your name, and have called upon a former student of mine to serve as your lawyer, if you will--"

A knock sounded on the door, and all three figures seated in the room jumped. A tall, red-headed young man poked his head around the door, and grinned. "I hope I'm not interrupting anything," he said, and stepped all the way through. "Hello, Professor Dumbledore. Ms. Figg, it's a pleasure to finally meet you. And Mr...Lupin, is it? I believe we've met before."

"Do come in, Charlie, and close the door if you don't mind," Dumbledore said, and winked at Lupin.

***

Harry hadn't bothered to bring a new set of clothes along with him to the bathroom, so he was stuck in just a white towel when he finished showering. He poked his head outside the door, and no one was coming, so he decided to make a run for it towards his dorm room, even though there was still the possibility that someone could come around a corner quickly and still see him. Both the boys and girls bathrooms shared a hallway, and one could go either left or right to find their desired dormitory.

Unluckily for him, someone did round the corner during his dash towards the room. But his gaze brightened when he saw it was Hermione. He'd been waiting to talk to her for weeks, and even if then wasn't an opportune time, they could at least set up another.

Hermione, of course, had felt her cheeks redden at the sight of Harry in so little, and politely ducked her head from the sight of him as the passed in the hall. But she was forced to look up and find him when he called her name.

"Harry..." she said hesitantly, as she approached him. "Are you...I don't...we shouldn't..."

He grinned, and tossed his head to get the wet hair out of his eyes. "Afraid you can't resist me with only this little towel to provide as a barrier? I thought better of you, Hermione."

That stunned her into speechlessness. She had hardly expected him to joke about their kiss, which she had been worrying about almost constantly since it had happened.

"Er," Hermione said helplessly. She couldn't manage any more.

Harry smiled down at her, green eyes sparkling mischievously behind the lenses of his glasses. "I need to talk to you sometime."

"Good, because...well, it's just good," Hermione said, still flustered. "Why are you so...happy? Did Ron perform a Cheering Charm on you behind your back?"

Another smile flashed across his face, and Hermione vaguely wondered if maybe someone had put something in his pumpkin juice, or maybe he'd intentionally been hitting the butterbeer a little too hard. He seemed almost giddy with joy, which was rare for Harry in general, much less as of late.
"Sirius and Lupin are all right," he told her. "Dumbledore rescued them, and they're in his office."

"Oh, oh, that's good," Hermione said, eyes alighting and lifting to meet with his. "I'm really glad for you, Harry."

"Me too," he said, and there was a bit of an awkward silence until a particularly large drop of water plopped from his nose to the floor. Hermione giggled, and half of Harry's mouth turned up in a way that made her have to stop laughing because he was so beautiful that her breath caught in her throat.

"I think I'm going to go get dressed, although I know you prefer me in this state," he teased, and began taking the route to his dorm. "We'll talk later, all right?"

Hermione gave a shy little wave and went into the girls' bathroom, where she took several minutes to splash her flaming cheeks with cold water.

***

"Why, Mr. Weasley!" Figg said, and got up to shake Charlie's hand vigorously. "I wasn't aware you're a lawyer!"

Charlie frowned, and turned to Dumbledore, still perched calmly in his chair. "I'm...not a lawyer. Why did you send for me, Headmaster?"

Dumbledore smiled. "You were extraordinarily successful in the law field, once. I know you say you've given it up entirely, but I would beg you to help a friend of mine."

Charlie nodded cordially at Remus. "You taught at Hogwarts a few years back?"

Remus smiled benignly. "That is correct. I had the task of attempting to instruct several of your younger siblings, I believe."

Charlie grinned. "I hope they paid you well." He sat down. "What's the story here?"

Sighing, Remus began his tale yet again. Both Figg and Charlie listened attentively, frowning here and there, and when Remus finished, the second-eldest Weasley child was stroking his chin in a thoughtful manner.
Charlie was the first to speak. "I have to say, it is intriguing. And dangerous, which is of course attractive."

Figg said calmly to Remus, "I don't think it's right for me to make a snap judgment, if you will. I tend to believe your tale, but the other judge still needs to be convinced of your innocence."

Remus nodded. He and Figg and Dumbledore all looked at Charlie, who sighed, rubbed his neck, and finally said, "I'll do it. It's a pretty slow time right now in terms of the dragons I'm working with, and I can take some time off. Besides, I'm just as curious to find out what happened."

Closing his eyes briefly with relief, Remus sighed and felt some of the tension he'd been feeling since Figg arrived drain from his body. He took Charlie's hand and said soberly, "I am greatly indebted to you, Mr. Weasley. I will help you in any way I can."

Smiling again, the red-headed man said, "Please, call me Charlie. And I sincerely hope I can win your case for you. We'll start working as of tomorrow--right now, I need to make some fireplace visits to tell my supervisors where I'll be, and so forth."

Dumbledore stopped Charlie before he left. "Please feel free to stay at Hogwarts. Remus, you too," he added.

Charlie nodded. "I think that's a good idea. We'll be protected here."

"I wish I knew what I need protecting from," Remus said under his breath, but smiled and accepted Dumbledore's offer to live in the castle.

***

As Harry came to stand by her the next day in Care of Magical Creatures, Hermione noted that he still looked at least calm and contented, if not joyously happy like the previous day. There was a scratch across one cheekbone, presumably from Quidditch at some point, but he didn't look exhausted and ill like he had for the past weeks, and his cheeks were flushed with healthiness.

Hagrid had just started talking when Ron joined her on the other side. Hermione smiled. It wasn't always a wonderful and beautiful thing to be best friend with two boys, but some days, she absolutely adored it. Especially since she felt that the three of them had hardly been together lately, at least in a situation that wasn't awkward for at least one of them.

"Now that yeh have remembered all tha' yeh learned las' year, we can move on," Hagrid said, and his beetle-black eyes were shining with excitement. "Over th' summer, I got m'self a new pet. Can anyone tell me wha' a mastadon is?"

Hermione, who of course knew the answer, was so shocked that it took her a moment to raise her hand, which was rare. When she did, Hagrid called on her, and she said, a little shakily, "Mastadons are creatures that roamed the prehistoric human world, and are thought to be long extinct. Basically, they are similar to elephants, except for their longer tusks and shaggy coats. In the wizarding world, mastadons, who are also called woolly mammoths, have some peculiar characteristics, including the ability to become invisible at will as well as the ability to communicate relatively well with some specially trained wizards."

Hagrid beamed at her. "Exactly righ', 'ermione. Good. Now I'd like ter introduce yeh all ter Milly. The one thing is, yeh have ter remember ter be gentle, or she'll get frightened and turn invisible."

On the whole, the fifth-year class of combined Ravenclaws and Gryffindors was waiting with eager anticipation for the mastadon, but Hermione felt like covering her face with her hands. She glanced at Ron and Harry, and they, too, seemed apprehensive.

"Do you ever feel like you just know something's going to go wrong?" Ron muttered in an undertone to them, and Hermione had to smile just a little bit.

"Hermione, do you know if mastadons are naturally nice creatures?" Harry asked. "I mean, do they have the temperament of a Blast-Ended Skrewt? Because if so, I'm not going near--er--Milly."

Hermione giggled. "No, I think they're supposed to be fairly placid creatures," she told him seriously. "Still, it...makes me a little nervous. I like Hagrid and all, but..."

"But he can be a little irrational about his--er--pets?" Ron suggested gently.

Hermione smiled. "Yes. Exactly."

Harry shrugged. "I guess we should be glad that this class isn't with Slytherin. You know they'd be bound to upset the mastadon and it would turn invisible."
"I don't know," Hermione said thoughtfully. "Malfoy's been pretty nice lately."

Harry raised his eyebrows. "I still don't trust him, though. He's--up to something."

"Yeah, like Ginny," Hermione muttered.

"What did you say?" Ron asked, frowning.

"Oh--nothing," Hermione said, quickly covering her mistake. "We're just talking about Malfoy."

Ron shot her a puzzled glance. "I know. I still basically think he's a prat, even though he's putting on this great show to seem nice."

Hermione made herself keep her mouth shut. Ginny would surely not appreciate her brother rushing in to save her, particularly if it involved Ron doing bodily injury to her boyfriend.

Finally, Hagrid reappeared from where he'd wandered away to find Milly. All the students oohed and ahhed as he gently led the mastadon forward.

Milly was huge. She was giant, about ten feet tall, Hermione approximated, and she even made Hagrid look small, which was rare for a half-giant. Her coat was a light toasted brown, and her tusks pure ivory. She nervously eyed the group of fifteen-year-olds, and pawed the ground anxiously.

"Shush," Hagrid whispered, and ran his hands over Milly's side, calming her. Her stamping stopped, although she still seemed apprehensive. At least, Hermione thought the mastadon seemed apprehensive, although she truthfully had to admit that she knew absolutely nothing about the expressions of mastadons.

Hagrid's eyes lit on Harry. "'arry, why don't yeh come 'ere and meet 'er first?"

"Erm," said Harry, and Hermione had to stifle a giggle at the look on her face. But he bravely walked forward--he was a Gryffindor, after all.

Hermione waited, with Ron peering over her shoulder, as a large trunk snaked over to Harry's hand and waved over it, whuffling gently. Finally, Milly gave Harry's shoulder a light touch. To Hermione, she seemed to relax.

"Good," said Hagrid quietly. "I thought she might like yeh, 'arry."

Harry walked back towards Hermione and Ron, and came to whisper in her ear, "I think that might actually be a bad thing. What about you?"

This time, she couldn't help but laugh.

***

Ginny avoided Draco at school all the next day. She went through her schoolwork in a mechanical fashion, not hardly allowing herself to consider what she was doing. It was dinnertime now, but the thought of food made her feel queasy, so she was wandering aimlessly around the castle.

The feelings that had arisen in her when Draco kissed her were so strong that she'd had to pull away. She hadn't had feelings like that since...

Ginny felt her heart thump painfully in her chest, and made herself abruptly cut off her train of thought.

Feeling a light touch on her shoulder, she whirled around, backing against the wall. She stared with shock at the tall figure that now stood in front of her.

"Charlie...what are you...what..."

He smiled, and reached out to pull her into a one-armed squeeze. "I suppose I should have told you before, but Professor Dumbledore only just called me yesterday."

"For what?" she asked, her voice still muffled against him.

"I'll explain in a bit. Have you eaten dinner yet?"

"No, but I'm not hungry," she said flatly, her voice inviting no line of questioning.

He frowned at her, but then ruffled her hair and said simply, "How've you been doing? I suppose I haven't talked to you since you left for school."

"I'm fine," she said irritably. She vaguely wished that he'd come earlier, so that he could have seen her when she was happy about Draco, and not upset like she was now, because she knew he would worry and tell his mother about it later.

"All right. Do you want to go to my room, and I'll tell you everything? I'll be staying here for a while, now."

"I suppose," she said, a little bewildered, then, "Have you seen Ron yet? Or Fred and George?"

Charlie shook his auburn head. "No. Do you want to go tell them I'm here?"

Ginny thought about this, then said, "Not right now. I'm not sure where they are, anyway--Fred and George are impossible to track down, sometimes."

He laughed. "That I can believe."

Slinging an arm around her neck, Ginny's brother led her down the hallway.

***

Gathering her courage and reminding herself that Harry had been in a good mood the past two days, Hermione took a break from her schoolwork and sought him out.

He was in the Gryffindor common room, as she'd expected, with Divination papers spread out all over one of the many tables. When she arrived, he was scribbling furiously at something, but he looked up once he realized she was there.

"We should talk," Hermione said awkwardly, but in a firm tone. Her hands shook, so she clenched them together until they stopped.

"All right," said Harry, and gathered up his books, papers, and quills. "Where do you want to go?" He glanced around. "Actually, it's pretty empty in here--we could just move to that corner over there."

"Ron's studying with Seamus and Dean in the library," Harry said, and half-smiled. "I know it sounds weird, but I actually think they're getting work done--and for Charms. I would've gone, but I have Divination stuff that's due tomorrow."

"You sound busy," Hermione said, and realized that she should have already figured this out. If she and Harry hadn't been awkward with each other for the past few weeks, she would have known about all of his homework and activities and tried to coordinate his time for him as she had for the past few years.

Harry sank into a great overstuffed chair and laid his head back in a manner that made Hermione think he was probably tired. She sat down across from him, twisting her hands together.

There was an awkward silence.

"I--"

"We--"

"Sorry, you--"

"Go ahead."

Hermione felt hysterical laughter rising inside of her, but she choked it back and curled a strand of hair around her finger. "What we did--before--it was odd," she said lamely.

Closing his eyes briefly in what seemed like a relieved manner, Harry said, "Yes. I agree. It was a mistake."

"A mistake," Hermione repeated. "It shouldn't happen again."

"Right," Harry clarified. "Not again."

"So...is that it?"

"Yeah," he said, looking up at her seriously. "I guess so."

Feeling her hands start to tremble, Hermione shoved them behind her back. "Ah...so. How's Divination going for you?"

He shrugged. "Fine, I guess. The usual amount of death threats from Professor Trelawney. We're still making up star charts, though they're more complex this year. And trying to do some crystal ball readings, although neither Ron nor I ever see anything."

Hermione snorted derisively. "Well, of course not. I think it's bullocks, to be honest with you."

"I think you let us all know your opinion when you walked out of the class," he pointed out, half-smiling.

She flushed a little. "I suppose. It just--seemed like a waste of time."

"Yeah," said Harry, and they were quiet again.

Finally she said softly, almost in a whisper, "I hope things get back to normal now. I hated the--awkwardness."

Nodding firmly, Harry said, "I still don't know exactly what's up with Ron, though."

"He has been very strange lately," Hermione agreed, "but he doesn't seem upset. Do you think he fancies someone?"

Harry raised his eyebrows at her. "Ron? I don't know. The only girl I've ever seen him flirt with--or at least, try to flirt with--is Fleur. He doesn't really seem interested in any of the girls in our year."

"I suppose we'll find out in time," she said, and then, "At least now he isn't tired anymore. Since I gave him a while's worth of the Dreamless Sleep Potion, I guess he's been better."

"I still wish I knew what that was all about," Harry said soberly. "And the Dark Mark on the train, and the accident with the SkyThunder, and Lupin, and everything. It's all very odd."

"Well, the potion I'm brewing to make Ron remember his dreams should be ready in about a week or so," said Hermione, "so we can find out what's going on there. About the other things, I'm still not sure."

Harry nodded again, and said, "Are you going to go to Hogsmeade on the trip this weekend?"

"I'm not sure," she replied carefully. "I was thinking about just staying here and working--my classes have been really intense this year, you know--but I might come."

"Well, I think Ron and I are going to, if you want to go," Harry said, green eyes focused on her. "He didn't seem very excited about it at first, but all of a sudden he really wants to go."

"Who knows what's going on with him, anyway?" Hermione said, suddenly a little exasperated. "He's been so...I don't even know how to say it. Distracted, maybe?"

He shrugged. "Well, he won't talk to me about anything, either." Glancing at his watch, he said, "I really have to get back to my homework, though. Like I said, my Divination stuff's due tomorrow."

"Sure," Hermione said lightly, and then, "I should go back and work some more, too."

"Good. Let me know when you decide about Hogsmeade."

"Right," said Hermione, and stood up to leave, watching his back as he went back to his schoolbooks. She felt the sting of tears and gritted her teeth at her own weakness--It's not like I expected him to declare his undying love for me, really--and firmly strode towards the stairs.

To her surprise, someone called out her name, someone with an unfamiliar voice and an Irish accent. She turned and Seamus Finnigan was coming at her from across the common room, his clear blue eyes looking right through her.

"Hermione." He caught up with her and smiled. "How's it going?"

"I'm doing pretty good. How are you?" she said politely, wondering why he was talking to her.

"I'm...er...fine," he said quickly, and bit his lip. "Er...I have something to ask you."

"What is it?" she asked calmly, expecting a question about a school assignment, or where to look for something in the library. She was used to those sorts of requests.

"Would you like to go to Hogsmeade with me this weekend?" Seamus blurted out in a rush, and his cheeks turned fairly pink.

"Oh, I...oh," said Hermione, startled. She paused for a moment, not sure what to say.

"It's all right if you don't want to," he amended quickly. "Or if you're already going with Harry or someone, that's fine."

Just behind Seamus, Hermione caught a glimpse of Harry, who was holding up a piece of paper to Parvati and seeming to explain something to her. Even from across the room Hermione could tell that Parvati was nervous, and likely rather thrilled that one of the wizarding world's most desirable bachelors was talking to her. That's the way things were, she knew, sometimes, with girls and Harry, especially more recently.

"I'd love to," she said, and smiled brightly at him.

An unexpected grin flashed across his face, and the flush in his cheeks intensified. "Er...wonderful. I'll find you before we go, all right?"

"Great," said Hermione firmly, and smiled bemusedly as he rushed away.

***

After changing his shirt and rearranging his hair, Ron casually wandered down the corridor where Fleur's classroom was located. This had become an evening habit for him, although he had never actually found her there. Who knew when she would need assistance, and he would be there to help her?

Usually, the door was closed and locked, and the lights in the room off. Tonight, to his surprise, the door was open a crack and he could see light flooding out into the dim hallway. Heart beating anxiously, he pushed open the door, which squeaked, and peered into the classroom. It smelt oddly--sort of like Potions classroom always did, as though there was a combination of obscure ingredients spilled and rotting all over the floor. But a rush of disappointment filled Ron as he examined the classroom, which was empty except for the faint buzzing of a fly somewhere.

Ron's shoulder's slumped a little bit, and he turned off the light, shut the door, and left.