Helena
Thursday the 29th of September 1977
Hermione frowned as she looked down at the book in her hand, three of her friends chatting behind her as they made their way through the corridors. Homework seemed to be piling up these days, almost impossible to keep up with unless they stayed up till stupid o’clock, which her and Lily had been doing, and exhaustion was starting to seep into their bones.
It didn’t help that not two days before Remus had been howling at the moon, with James and Sirius by his side, and thus the girls had found little reason to go to bed and instead had spent their nights walking through the corridors on Patrol, Marlene tagging along with a worried frown. The potion helped more than any of them could hope, but there was always that worry.
Her feet stumbled slightly, causing James to walk into her back with a groan. “Hermione.” He whined in her ear as she turned to glare at him, mouthing opening to speak only to slam shut.
A beautiful ghost floated not far behind them, grey and pale probably before her death with what would have been dark hair that hung to her waist and a floor length cloak. She didn’t seem to notice them as she hummed to herself looking at something that hung on the wall.
They had spent the past few weeks trying to spot her and talk to her in a way that wouldn’t draw attention to themselves only to fall short, but now they had their chance. An empty corridor, Sirius on his way to detention for some prank and Marlene on her way to meet Regulus.
A hiss left her mouth as she shut her book and moved to Remus, placing two hands on his tall shoulders and shoving him forward. “It’s time – go!”
He stumbled forward, looking over his shoulder to glare at her. “When did you get so fucking strong -” A quick glare had him rolling his eyes and moving forward. “Alright, I’m off – but don’t blame me if this doesn’t work.”
He moved forward slowly, a tiredness that the moon would always bring afterwards in his steps, the other three huddled together and following at a much slower pace, all but clutching hands as they watched Remus let out a small cough and smile nervously at the ghost as she turned to glare at him.
“Yes?” Hermione wasn’t sure what she expected but it wasn’t the slight Scottish tilt to her voice, but she would say she was pleasantly surprised.
“Hi, Helena, I’m Remus Lupin, and these are my friends.” Remus spoke softly, gesturing back to them with his hand but keeping his eyes on the woman before him as her eyes moved to glare at all of them, even more so as James lifted his hand to wave.
“I know.” She spoke, bored and haughty in a way that almost made Hermione roll her eyes. “Seventh year Gryffindor Prefects and the Head boy and girl – some of the best in your year.” She spoke as though it was a boring list that needed to be ticked off. “What do you need?”
“I – we were just hoping to ask you a question.” Remus spoke, stepping back and sending Hermione a nervous look as Helena’s mouth turned into a slightly bitter smile. “About something to do with Ravenclaw.”
“What could four Gryffindors possibly need to know about Ravenclaw?”
“What about people who are curious about the house they were nearly sorted into?” Lily asked, stepping out of their huddle to stand beside Remus, slightly taller than Helena, but meeker in a way against the glare she was receiving. “I was almost put into Ravenclaw.” She all but whispered warily.
“Yet instead you valued your bravery over your intelligence, so it makes little difference to me.” Helena spoke, shaking her head and looking between the two before her before she spoke again, resigned to whatever fate she thought they were asking of her. “What is it I can help you with?”
“We are looking for something – something that is connected to you, I believe – I think you can guess what that might be.” Remus stuttered out, wincing slightly as the woman gave him a glare. Dead a thousand years and yet she had somehow managed to master a look so fierce that even werewolves and Lily were all but quaking.
“I have no idea what you might be referring to.” Helena spoke as Hermione scoffed and stepped forward. This wasn’t the way she had thought it would go and her patience was wearing thin.
“Well that’s a lie.”
“I was not spea-”
“Your mother had an object, one that might have made the wearer more intelligent and one that vanished without a trace.” Hermione spoke, crossing her arms over her chest, unblinking as she looked at the ghost without care, Lily and Remus slipping back to let her take the stage.
She had no idea in what she was thinking in getting Remus to speak to her. It just seemed like everyone else Remus spoke to, teachers, ghosts and whatever animals Hagrid had, that weren’t scared of him, took one look at his scared face and soft voice and thought that whatever he said was good enough for them to stop and pay attention to.
And sometimes give him what he wanted. Spoilt and kind.
“And what would three of the most intelligent students in this school want with something like that?” Helena spoke, but again it didn’t seem like a compliment, but almost as if expected of them. That despite her last name, intelligence from anyone else was something that should have always been there.
“Unlucky Moony.”
“Shut up Prongs.”
“Do you not think countless of other students have come asking over the years? Eager to find something to make them worth more...and I have told none.” Helena spoke again, only focusing on Hermione. They were the same height when she stopped floating an inch in the air, but Helena seemed petite in a way that even Hermione wasn’t.
“But that’s not true is it?” Hermione asked, though it wasn’t really a question, raising her eyebrow as Helena almost seemed to pale under the accusation, one that Hermione hadn’t even been sure was true. “You did tell someone else, and I’m guessing he found it.”
“I don’t know -”
“Tom Riddle, maybe thirty years ago came searching, I bet he charmed you, told you everything you wanted to hear and in return you told him where to find it.” Helena’s mouth opened and closed, her eyes moving to her friends as Hermione smirked in satisfaction.
“This is irrelevant.” Helena hissed, shaking her head.
“I bet you didn’t know at the time that he was going to turn out to be Lord Voldemort, though maybe you know now.” Hermione whispered back, ignoring the hisses of her name from behind her. They would have to get used to the name when the war came, have to get used to poking answers from people.
“You look like him...the one named after a star, and just like Tom, many didn’t know what he might become when he left here – he once asked me about the diadem too – I denied him just as I am denying you now.” Helena spoke softly, almost gently as Hermione tried not to wince.
It wasn’t a surprise, she knew what Octans looked like, knew where she got most of her features from – how he had looked exactly like what he was, Half Potter and half Black, but Hermione wasn’t him and she wasn’t going to allow Helena to use that.
Instead she sidestepped, stopping in front of the ghost before she could float away. “Lucky for you that I am not Tom nor am I Octans.”
“Perhaps, but yet you seek to covert what is not yours.”
“And it wasn’t yours either but somehow you ended up with it and I’m guessing you’re the reason it’s been lost for nearly a century.” Hermione accused as Helena paled once more and shook her head. “And you handed it over to Voldemort, who I’m guessing didn’t want to wear it but perhaps use it for something else, and I intend to fix that, to end him – you want that too don’t you, Helena?” Hermione asked softly, tilting her head to the side and widening her eyes.
“Of course!” Helena exclaimed, a face like thunder as she leaned forward, her face a few inches from Hermione’s. “But this is not -”
“It’s a way to help finish him and not for our personal gain, but in order to do that I need to know where it is.” Hermione tried once again, all but pleading with her to understand.
It seemed to sink in as Helena all but sagged, her eyes closing and pearly little tears falling. Hermione hadn’t known ghosts could cry, not really, but Helena seemed to be doing just that. “It’s, or was, where I died.”
“I hate to disappoint you here, but they left that information out of the history books.” Hermione muttered sarcastically before she could stop herself, a glare sent her way and someone groaning from behind her.
“My mother fell ill when I ran away, and she wished to see me one more time, so she sent a man who had been in love with me to bring me back – I refused, and thus I was murdered, stabbed by a Baron of all people.” There was so much pain in her voice, but none of it seemed as painful as the wound that she hide behind her cloak.
“A Baron?” James asked as Hermione ground her teeth, none of this was important. “Like the Bloody one from Slytherin?” James asked as Helena looked at him, nodding her head, her lips curling as James scoffed and shook his head. “Always knew there was something dodgy about him.”
“Imagine having to face him for the rest of your existence.” Helena spoke softly, looking solely at James. Hermione turned with a frown, watching as Lily openly glared. “Even in death he could not truly leave me alone, he had to follow me beyond.” And now she was sad again.
“Sounds shit.” James spoke softly, wincing as Lily elbowed his side.
Merlin, they could have just sent James here to do this if they knew that Helena was going to look at him like that. “As disturbing as this story is – what does this have to do with the diadem?” Hermione asked, cutting off Helena before she could say anything else.
“When I heard the Baron coming, I hide my mother’s diadem in a hollow tree, in a forest in Albania.” Helena answered, looking back to Hermione now.
“Albania?”
“Beyond my mother’s reach.”
“And you told Tom this – did he go?” Hermione asked, frowning and trying to recall if she had heard if Voldemort had gone to Albania at any point in the past thirty years but she was coming up blank.
“I was never aware if he went or not, he asked me a few times – and I told him a few weeks before he finished Hogwarts, and I never saw him again until he came back a few years later to speak to Albus.” Helena spoke, shaking her head and adjusting her cloak as she realised it had still been left open with her wound on display.
“For the job interview?” Lily asked, eyes going wide as Hermione looked back to her best friend, the pair of them seeming to connect dots that the boys couldn’t see.
“I didn’t spend my time following him to ask.”
“He hid it here – when he came back for the job interview, he hid it here.” Hermione hissed back to them, grimacing as Helena let out a small cry. How awful it must be to know your mothers diadem was inside the walls you had spent your afterlife inside, and the reason you had died.
“What? In this corridor?” James asked as he looked around. They were on the seventh floor, not too far from the tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy, often known for being quite empty.
“No – no – Helena, the last question I have for you.” Hermione spoke, ignoring James as he mumbled something behind her. “There’s this room, tall ceilings, full of what looks like hundreds of years of rubbish from students – do you know where that is?” She made gestures with her hands, hoping it would help but the ghost looked at her as though she was insane.
“Perhaps...there is a room I heard of many years ago, a room that gives the user what it is they require in that moment.” Helena spoke softly, raising her hand before Hermione could speak. “I do not know where it is, I only heard of it through whispers.”
“Thank you Helena.” Hermione spoke, moving back a step and sending her friends looks.
“And...if you do find my mother’s diadem, then perhaps you could -”
“It’s all yours – happily.”
“Thank you.” Helena spoke, with an almost smile on her face as she floated away, leaving the four to watch her leave as Hermione frowned.
They all seemed to stand there in silence, taking in the new information, and the relative quietness, only to jump half a foot into the air when James let out a loud happy yelp and began dancing on the spot, in a way that was so bad it was almost good.
“What’s happening?” Remus asked as James started dancing in Lily’s and his face while Hermione watched.
“I told you both the diadem would need to be destroyed – but you were both like ‘oh no it’s lost that can’t be it’ – I told you.” He spun around elegantly as Remus and Lily narrowed their eyes at him, not that he really seemed to care. “It’s the snake – I know it.” He added as he kicked a leg in the air.
“I would be mad at you for being like this but it’s kind of hard to focus on that when you are doing this.” Lily gestured with her hand as James finally stopped, a large grin on his face and deep breaths leaving his mouth.
“Honestly, I just didn’t know you were that flexible.” Remus commented.
...
Sunday the 2nd of October 1977
Hermione threw another book on the table, ignoring the look Madam Pince sent her way, and instead glaring at the pieces of paper like they had done her personal harm.
She had been in here all day, going through the restricted section, looking for anything she could about the secret room and come up with nothing but a name ‘Room of Requirement’, that was only ever hinted at and thought to be a myth.
Supposedly created by one of the founders, either Ravenclaw or Hufflepuff – and much like Slytherin’s Chamber of bloody Secrets, there was no concrete evidence. Everything just seemed to be word of mouth, passed down through generations until they forget and no one except some writer three hundred years ago even thought to write it down, and even he had done the bare minimum.
A big fucking joke.
“Hermione!” She sighed as Lily slid into the seat beside her, hissing her name. “I’ve been looking for you for hours – you have patrol tonight!”
“Well, you found me just before I was about to leave.” Hermione muttered back with a small pout, as she moved to grab her bag.
“Have you been here all day?” Lily asked as she looked at the books on the table, eyebrows coming together in concern and hands tapping on the edge of the table in way that grated on Hermione’s already frayed nerves.
“What do you think?”
“Don’t take that tone with me.” Lily spoke, like a scolding mother – bringing forth her impression of Euphemia Potter in a way that made Hermione frown like a petulant child. “Listen, I love the library as much as the next person but this can’t be healthy.” Her voice was softer as she spoke again, reaching forward to grab Hermione’s hand.
“What’s unhealthy about broadening my mind?” Hermione joked as she gave the books one last look before standing up and heading for the exit.
“The fact that you’ve no doubt been researching the room of requirement for the past ten hours.” Lily hissed from beside her, keeping her voice low as they passed a group of studying students, her hand moving to grab Hermione’s elbow.
“I did my homework too.” She spoke, rolling her eyes as she gestured to her bag, full of finished essays from when she needed to take a break. A half productive day all in all, but one that still ended with her wanting nothing more than to climb into her bed, or Sirius’.
“Great then you can leave it with me tonight so I can cross reference with my own.” Lily grinned, holding out her hand and laughing when Hermione slapped it away.
“You do have the ability to do your own homework.”
“Which I have done, but yours is always better and I need to make sure I’m not over informing again.” There was a grimace on her face and a worried look in her emerald eyes that made Hermione sag slightly and offer her a gentle smile.
“McGonagall doesn’t know what she’s talking about.” A lie, kind of, McGonagall was always on Lily’s case for adding more information than necessary in her homework and after her O.W.Ls, she had claimed it wasn’t important in the grand scheme of things and she would still get top marks without it.
“Well she does in regards to end of year exams and knowing what people are actually looking for in regards to work.” Lily responded as they made their way down the stairs and towards the Great Hall, a bunch of students heading the same way it seemed.
“Lucky for you then that Belby is already climbing his way up the job ladder, and might be releasing Wolfsbane within the next year.” Hermione smirked, nudging her friend with her elbow as Lily frowned.
“Have you been reading my letters?”
“No, he sent me a letter too – but nice to know you and the Slytherin are still good friends.” Hermione remarked dryly, eyes narrowing as she focused on the head of Snape as he barged past a group of students, gone before she could even call him up on it.
“Friends is a relative term.” Lily muttered, eyes on the same thing before she shook her head and gave a slightly fake smile. “Now about -”
“How you know about the Room of Requirement?” Hermione asked.
“I read, as much, if not more, than you do – and most often the same books.” Lily spoke slowly, as though speaking to a child before rolling her eyes and hooking her arm through Hermione’s. “But unlike you, I don’t spend hours in here pouring over one book – any more.” She added before Hermione could open her mouth and comment on it.
“That’s because you’ve been spending time with James holding hands.” As if to make her point, she gripped Lily’s hand tightly in her own and began swinging them.
“Yes I have, and it’s been great, his hands are quite soft.” Lily spoke, pulling her hand away. “Now listen to me, we have eight months to try and find this room, and eight months to figure out why we have to have this diadem – but we only have one last year, so stop stressing and relax a bit.”
It always seemed to mean more coming from Lily. James, as much as she loved him, had always seemed to have the ability to relax – and an annoyance for using that to play his pranks. Remus had always been chill with things that didn’t involve his problem – and Marlene and Sirius had always been hot-headed but not without knowing how to have fun.
Lily was like Hermione, they took things seriously and they worked hard, and they stressed about the details they didn’t have figured out – and when one of them told you to step down you did. Because if they could see what you were doing to yourself then it was an issue.
“It doesn’t seem long enough.” Hermione admitted, letting the panic fill her voice as Lily pulled away her arm to instead wrap it around Hermione’s shoulders.
“It will be and we’ll figure it out.” A soft squeeze with even softer words. “Now, about tonight…”
“Patrol, right, how fun.” Hermione groaned, letting her head fall to rest back on Lily’s arm. “Who am I with? It’s not Snape, is it, because I can not be held responsible if he opens his mouth to say some stupid comment.” She held up her hands as Lily laughed.
“No it’s not.” There was something there though that made her worry even more.
…
“Edith?” Hermione asked her best friend, ignoring the girl stood before them at the meeting spot, a pout of her face and her stormy eyes slightly amused. “You’re pairing me with Edith?” It wasn’t that she was trying to be rude but Lily knew there were some issues there.
“Yes.” Lily spoke sternly before turning to Edith with an apologetic smile. “Sorry about this, she’s had a bit of a grumpy day and forgot her Prefect duties.” Hermione didn’t need anyone to apologise for her, but she supposed her friends had let her off the hook in regards to Prefectness in the past few weeks that she deserved to make up for it.
“Just like she and Black forgot that other Prefect’s use our special bathroom?” Edith spoke with a small smirk as Hermione blushed and Lily let out a disgusted sound.
“Are some peeping Tom now, Gilbert?”
“Already?” Lily all but screamed at Hermione before Edith could answer. “Are you two not content with a bed? Oh Merlin, I’m going to have make sure that place is scrubbed from top to bottom.” She shivered as Edith let out a small laugh, ignoring the nasty glare Hermione sent her way.
“It’s not like we were swinging from the fucking light – and in case you forget my brother sleeps in the same room, makes it uncomfortable to do anything fun with him snoring in the next bed.” Hermione hissed as Lily grimaced and then closed her eyes.
“Disgusting.” She muttered before shaking her head. “And so not the point of all of this – patrol -” She pointed at Hermione’s face with a stern glare. “Two and a half hours, walking the fifth to seventh floors, and any misbehaviour is to be marked down, detention given and points taken.” She turned back to Edith who nodded her head.
Obviously she already knew what to do, this was all for Hermione’s sake – being walked to where she was meeting Edith, being told what to do, like she hadn’t assisted Lily on the times Remus wasn’t able to, a clever note to the schedule by their teachers and unknown to the other prefects, though she doubted they knew Hermione had been with Lily on those nights.
“Lily -”
“Behave and be nice.”
“Yes mum.”
“Keep acting like this and I will inform your mum.” Lily threatened before she grinned and began walking backwards, nodding towards Edith who gave her a half hearted wave, before she smirked at Hermione. “See you in a couple of hours.” Doubtful, Lily would probably be passed out when she got back, far too late and tired herself.
Hermione shifted from foot to foot as Edith scoffed and began walking. “Well this is going to be awkward.”
“It doesn’t have to be – we could try and talk, get to know each other a bit better.” Hermione spoke as she walked beside her, eyes scanning every surface for whatever student would be out here, not that she really cared.
Once she might have but the truth was that she had been in their position, and the curfew and rules could be stifling. Plus Lily and Remus broke them all the time, no matter how much everyone saw them as goody-two-shoes.
“Why?” Edith asked as Hermione frowned, wondering what she was asking about before the blond continued speaking. “I mean, you only knew I existed a couple of years ago.” A sly dig that made Hermione frown and choose to ignore.
“People say we have a lot in common.”
“Because we’re both white and have curly hair? Seems the bar is set pretty low – who said this?” Edith asked with a laugh, gesturing to her skin and hair and then Hermione’s. Different types of curls and Edith was more pink to Hermione’s almost ghostly complexion but she had a point.
“I think they meant in personality.” Hermione commented, crossing her arms over her chest to keep from pulling on her curls.
“Strange – I don’t see it.” Edith spoke, looking Hermione up and down before she smirked, knowing and slightly teasing. “Unless they meant because we’ve slept with the same bloke, and we are both friends with Remus – sorry.” There was a wince as she cut herself off, but she didn’t actually sound sorry in the slightest.
“It’s fine, not like we haven’t spoke about it before.” Hermione mumbled even as jealously wormed it’s way around her stomach. “Though I will say your friendship with Remus has us all curious.” She added, to move off of the subject of her boyfriend and his ex fling.
“I can’t imagine why.” Edith commented with a small laugh, her tone deepening slightly and the Northern lilt coming out stronger. It made her almost sound stern and cold, but somehow like she was singing a song of some sort.
“Remus isn’t exactly open with people, it normally takes more than a single conversation to be friends with him – and for us it just seemed to come out of nowhere.” Hermione spoke hesitantly as she moved back one of the tapestries to check no one was behind it.
“It took more than a single conversation for me too.”
“Really? It seemed like you had him hooked, what with your open and progressive opinions on werewolves.” Hermione spoke, turning back around to raise her eyebrows at Edith and blinking in the face of the anger she saw there.
So tiny and fierce, and perhaps the one person that Hermione would be worried about drawing her wand. For everything about Edith felt like some big secret, every opinion and comment meaning something more, and they were the people you had to be hesitant around.
“Do you have a problem with werewolves, Potter?” Edith asked as Hermione held up her hands slightly, and not for the first time she wondered what had Edith so defensive about werewolves when it seemed she didn’t actually know one. Like Belby – eager to defend those less because they secretly seemed to have a heart of gold that didn’t match their strange actions.
“No, they’re people too – granted I don’t know any, but I have nothing to complain about.” Hermione spoke softly as Edith’s frown lessened and she looked away before Hermione could even comprehend what was happening.
“Right...well anyway, I should have assumed you would talk to me about Remus.” Edith spoke as they continued walking, a bit more space between them now.
“Isn’t that what friends do – check to make sure you don’t have someone playing around with him or trying to break his heart.” Hermione tried to joke, limiting the space to stand by the girls side and ignoring the look she got.
“It’s not like that.” But it was in some way, judging by the slight blush on Edith’s face or the way Remus avoided the topic, or maybe it wasn’t and Hermione was reading into things that she shouldn’t.
“Well I wouldn’t know, he’s very private about your friendship, all things considered – and honestly, I don’t really know you.” Hermione spoke even softer.
“Is this the part where you start finishing for information on me?”
“Is it fishing if I just ask for it?”
“I suppose not.” Edith sighed, albite a bit dramatically. “My name is Edith Gilbert, I’m eighteen, a Ravenclaw – I have two brothers, one older, you might recognise him, his last year was our first, and one younger brother who started last year – and both are Gryffindor’s.” She spoke with a large smile as they turned a corner.
“I did know all that.” Hermione spoke, rolling her eyes – she may have been blind to Edith for the first few years of their time at Hogwarts, but she had heard about Jason, and had seen Barney around – all them with their button nose and rosy skin. “So only Ravenclaw in your family, huh?” She asked instead.
It was always a topic of conversation between Wizards and Witches, what house their parents had been in or their aunts or uncles. A conversation for them that was easy when blood purity wasn’t involved, or even when it was.
“Yeah.” Except it seemed for Edith it was a slightly sour topic, one that her mouth twisted and her face darkening.
“What were your parents – if they are both Wizards – sorry I don’t mean to assume, not that it matters anyway…” Hermione trailed off with a grimace as Edith gave her a half hearted smile that fell just as quickly as it appeared.
“Dad was a Gryffindor and mum...a Slytherin.” Edith spoke, voice slightly raspy as Hermione nodded her head, staying silent even as Edith turned to smile sarcastically at her. “What...no judgement?”
“I can hardly judge when...erm...Octans was a Slytherin too.” Her voice was a whisper as she winced, worried to have overstepped by comparing Edith’s mum to Octans, which didn’t seem like the right move but if the way Edith’s eyes seemed even stormier, they might actually have a lot more in common than they thought.
“Which is hardly reassuring considering.” Or perhaps not.
“Understandable but not every Slytherin is doomed to be evil.” Hermione spoke, internally berating herself for assuming. “Parents preferences and morals rub off on most children, and then when you join children with similar beliefs and ethics, it makes it hard to step away – but that doesn’t apply for everyone.” She added as Edith eyed her.
“Right.”
“Sorry – I didn’t mean to overstep.” Hermione spoke, once again soft, the actual feeling of guilt settling inside her throat and making her feel uncomfortable.
“You didn’t, but let’s just say my mother is a touchy subject within my family.” Edith spoke, her voice but a whisper, eyes voice a sad sort of longing that Hermione could understand.
Her family, the one she had now, were great and she loved them and owed them so much. They had given her a new sort of life and love that she would have never really had with all things considering, but she could understand the longing that came with parents – maybe not with Octans, but with her real mother. With Marie.
And she had seen it first hand on people like Sirius, the strange hatred and longing that seemed to surround him when he spoke of his family, with wasn’t often, and was mainly directed towards his baby brother. Like a part of him still wanted him there even if he didn’t.
“Oh...I’m sorry.”
“She made her bed and her choices, no one else’s fault.” Edith spoke with a shake of her head, and although she was curious, Hermione wasn’t going to ask, and it seemed Edith wasn’t going to deliver anything else. “So what else did you want to ask me?”
“Nothing.” Hermione whispered, looking down to the floor.
“Oh come on, Potter, don’t be like that just because you’re worried the mention of my mum and whatever she did has made me sad – I know you’re dying to ask more.” Edith spoke, nudging her shoulder and smiling in a way that made her face look so much softer and delicate – prettier and kinder.
“And I know you won’t say anything else.” Hermione spoke back as Edith grinned, dimples showing, and it really was unfair that she had that ability to switch between brooding and overly cute within a few seconds.
“Maybe on our next patrol, we can build our way up to it – and for now you can tell me what’s going on with your brother and Lily.” Edith suggested with a teasing grin.
“Is that who you have your sights set on next?” Hermione teased right back as Edith shrugged her shoulders and gave a small laugh.
“I’ll admit that was kind of funny, but no – everyone knows he only has eyes for Evans, and I am not stupid enough to make McKinnon’s mistake.” Hermione winced, Edith was blunt in a way that even Marlene wasn’t and she didn’t seem apologetic for it, but she didn’t understand the way their friendships worked.
She didn’t understand why James and Marlene had done what they did, as stupid as it was. James had needed in some part to forget about Lily and Marlene had wanted some attention, for them it had probably seemed like a good idea. Two friends getting out their frustrations and thinking nothing of it and they were lucky it had worked out as it had.
“But if he was single…?”
“Probably not, don’t get me wrong, he’s handsome and he has that stupid charming grin, but honestly I prefer my men with a little more...darkness.” Edith spoke, stormy eyes crinkling slightly and a sly grin taking over her face in a way that made Hermione freeze.
“Makes sense why you chose Sirius Black then.” It was slightly sardonic but she didn’t really care. Sirius was hers and no one else would be getting their claws in while he was.
“No, that was because he’s a good looking lad, but nothing more...I like those that you can’t seem to get a pin on, like they are kind but you know something is lurking underneath.” Much like Edith herself – except perhaps kind wouldn’t be the word people used to describe her but there was something underneath that seemed to draw in.
A sense of darkness, of sadness and a lot in between. Like someone else she knew. “Like Remus?”
“Maybe.” Edith spoke quickly and softly, a sad smile making it’s way to her face. “Not that I think he’s interested in a relationship with anyone.” She added with a shrug of her shoulders.
“Maybe with the right person he would come around.” Hermione suggested lightly as Edith rolled her eyes. “I can talk to him if you -”
“No need.” Edith spoke before stopping, a frown on her face as she turned back to look at the broom closet they had just passed.
Hermione followed after her, a frown on her face as she finally caught wind of the noises that were coming from inside. She had hoped they would be able to avoid this kind of thing this evening but it seemed like some students were always going to try and get around and into places they shouldn’t be inside.
Personally she didn’t care who was inside, and she was half tempted to grab Edith and continue on their journey, but then she would run the risk of Lily finding out she had slacked off of her duties.
“Always one.” Edith whispered before banging her hand on the door. “Alright guys, put your clothes back on and step out before I open the door.”
The noises stopped, but the slight sound of clothes shuffling was heard before the door opened and Regulus fucking Black stepped out, hair a mess, robe hanging over his arm and his shirt half unbuttoned – and Hermione didn’t have to guess who was inside once Regulus gave her a look and grinned.
“Ah – Potter, Gilbert – can I help you?” He spoke as Edith stepped back, unable to look into the closet now that Regulus had shut it behind him.
“No, but you can put your clothes back on and get back to your common room before I give out a detention.” Edith spoke with a slight smile, pointing down the hall and almost shooing him away, her hand reaching for the door only for Regulus to block it.
“No need for detention, I was just taking a break on my own patrol.” He spoke, but the grin was almost worried now and his bright blue eyes were looking towards Hermione.
“And if I open the door will I find the thing you were patrolling?”
“Now that’s not very nice, I can assure you that she is not a thing but a rather lovely girl -”
“No one is interested in whatever Slytherin whore you are banging, Black, now just get out of our sight.” Hermione snapped, moving towards him and shoving back his shoulders gently, standing in the way of the door and Edith.
“You used to be so polite, cousin.” Regulus spoke, shaking his head as Hermione winced and sent him a glare.
“And you used to be a decent human being, how times have changed.” She snapped back, offering him a half apologetic smile that Edith couldn’t see before she pushed his shoulders gently again. “Now piss off.”
“Fine.” He spoke, bowing his head slightly and sending one last look to the closet before throwing his robe over his shoulder and strutting away, looking so much like a skinner version of his brother that she couldn’t help but cringe slightly.
Hermione turned back around, finding Edith glaring at the door, but Hermione spoke first, banging against the door. “You have ten minutes to get back to your dorm, and we’ll even let you do it without us waiting, but if you aren’t gone in ten minutes then you’ll have two weeks detention and if we catch you again then it will be a month.”
With that she moved to grab Edith’s hand, pulling her around the corridors and away from the closet with hopefully enough time for Marlene to sneak out and head back to the Common Room without them seeing her.
“What was that?” Edith asked as they stopped, not far from where Hermione had spoken to Helena a few days ago.
“I think whatever girl was in there deserves some decency in people not knowing she was sleeping with Regulus.” Hermione spoke, trying to keep her expression neutral as Edith frowned and shook her head. “Also if I found out then I would have to tell Sirius, which would mean the whole school would end up finding out.” She added, which would be a lie because they all knew it was Marlene and the rest of the school didn’t.
Edith narrowed her eyes, arms crossed over her chest and her tongue poking into her cheek. “Uh-huh...well I guess it’s done now, much like our shift.” She spoke, looking down at the thin watch on her wrist and smiling.
“Thank Merlin, I’m exhausted.” Hermione groaned out, running a hand through her hair as Edith smirked at her slightly.
“You and me both, Potter.” She commented, stretching her arms in the air. “I guess I’ll see you in class tomorrow.” She added before turning on her heel and heading in the direction of the Ravenclaw tower, leaving Hermione frowning after her.
Hermione didn’t think on it too much as she turned on her own heel and towards the Gryffindor Common Room, ignoring the tapestry of Baranbas. There was too much on her mind, with the room, the diadem and even her friends, that she doubted she would actually get that much sleep this evening, but she would try.
A groan sounded behind her, like moving stone, causing her to stop and look over her shoulder, but there was nothing there. The statues remained as they were and the faint light from torches.
Shrugging her shoulders she continued on her way.