Flowers II
Ever since she received that bundle of flowers, Hermione has been finding more and more of them everywhere she went. Transfiguration class, Potions class, DADA, Charms class, even in Arithmancy AND Runes class she’s been receiving them. She’s been receiving them so much that she had decided to get a book about the Language of Flowers.
“So, last night, while I was at the library, a bouquet of cornflowers and sweet williams was left on my table after I left it to fetch a book.” she told Neville. “That means whomever this person is, they are swearing that they will always be true to me, right?”
“That’s right! You really do learn fast, Hermione!” Neville replied.
They were in the Great Hall, it was study period and Hermione had just helped Neville with his transfiguration assignment. With Harry, Ron, and Ginny occupied with multiple quidditch practices, she was just thankful that Neville decided to keep her company. Being in a state of not knowing who sent the flowers makes Hermione quite anxious. Is she going to like them? Should she even give them a chance? Is this even real?
“Oi, Granger! We all know how much of a packrat you are but don’t leave your shit all over the place.”
Draco Malfoy stood behind her, holding a bouquet of flowers. It was tied with a black ribbon - contrary to the twine usually used when she received flowers from her secret admirer. Malfoy sneered at her, with one of his elegant eyebrows raised in a well-practised arch. He tosses the flowers on the table and walks away. Hermione did not bother calling him back and instead focused on the flowers. Now able to take a closer look, Hermione easily recognized them.
“Rue and Hyacinth,” Hermione wondered. “How very out of character.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, almost all the flowers I’ve gotten were all about declarations of love. Now, they’re saying sorry about something?” Hermione’s eyes grew big. “Neville, do you think they’re saying sorry they pursued me?! Did I take too long to respond? Do you think they regret it?”
“Calm down, Hermione!” Neville said, trying to soothe the girl’s nervousness. “I’m sure there is an explanation to all of this. Tell you what, why don’t we go to the greenhouses and see if Professor Sprout has any blooms for you, ok?”
“But I don’t even know who they are.”
Neville looked at her like he was assessing something. “Maybe you can put it in your hair?”
“Neville, you sweetheart! That’s a genius idea!”
Hermione and Neville hurried to leave the Great Hall, not noticing how the eyes of a certain blond-haired Slytherin was tailing them. Unlike the start of the school year, his eyes were dark, and his cheeks were sunken - evidence of all the late-night work he had been coerced to do.
The next day, Hermione showed up to breakfast with a hair ornament that resembled a small bundle of pansies. She wanted to let her admirer know that they were in her thoughts. She had hoped that they would respond but no reply came. The day after that, she wore a bundle of hawthorne and camellia on her uniform’s lapel hoping that they would get the message that she was hoping for their return. But again, no replies. She was already starting to think that she might have waited too long and missed her chance.
That is until she sees two flower bundles tied to her cat.
“Hey Crooks.” Hermione cooed, picking up her cat. “Whatcha got there?”
Scooping up Crookshanks, she takes the flower bundles and immediately recognizes what they meant. One bundle was of lilacs and tulips - an obvious declaration of first love. The second one puzzled her. Begonia, holly, and basil did not make sense, or at least not what she expected. Begonias usually meant repaying a favour or giving someone a warning while holly typically means foresight. So maybe someone was giving her a warning? If that is the case, then the basil would make sense because its meaning is associated with hate.
With Crookshanks in tow, Hermione enters the Great Hall for lunch. It was a Hogsmeade weekend that day but previous radio silence from her admirer had her sulking. She knows it's unreasonable, but she can't help but feel bad; especially since Harry was taking Ginny out for some sort of anniversary date while Ron was being dragged around by Lavender.
“Hermione! You’re here too!” Neville called her over, Luna was sitting with him at the Gryffindor tables, and they seemed to be going over something while having lunch. “Come sit with us!”
“Hello Hermione.” greeted Luna in her signature whimsical airy voice. Her hair was tied up with some sort of vine while her usual ‘dirigible plum’ earrings have been replaced by weird looking flowers (or at least Hermione thought it was a flower.)
“Um… hello Neville, hi Luna,” Hermione greeted, taking the seat in front of them, her back against the Slytherin table. “What’s that on your…um… hair… Luna?”
Luna languidly gave the vines the slightest of touch. “Oh, this is collywobble ivy. I use them when I feel like my thoughts are scrambled. They keep the frumpleraths away.” She said it in a way like collywobble ivy and frumpleraths were common knowledge but given that this is Luna, Hermione only opted to keep the conversation going. Maybe she even needed some collywobble ivy for herself
“And the…” Hermione pointed to the flower-like earrings.
“Oh! These are jitterberries. They’re an excellent ward against the pothermomes.” Luna tilted her head to the side, looking at Hermione. “You look like you might need a few jitterberries. There’s a colony of pothermomes all over your hair.”
“Uh… sure, Luna.” Hermione said, putting her flower bundles on the table. Taking a plate of battered fish and some chips, she sighed in frustration. She poked on her chips before pushing her plate away.
Neville, who witnessed the whole thing, motioned to Hermione if he could take a look at the flowers. Luna, curious, looked as well. “Oh, isn’t that sweet.” Luna cooed as she took the lilacs and tulips from Neville. “You’re someone’s first love!”
“So it seems but it came with this,” Hermione said, raising the begonia bouquet to their attention. “These two are the first flowers I receive for an answer and one of them is as ominous as the Bloody Baron’s blood stains.”
“Well, they’re certainly warning you about something, that’s for sure.” Neville agreed, looking closer.
“Maybe it's another basilisk,” Luna mused.
“What do you mean, Luna?” Hermione asked. Having another basilisk attack on the students of Hogwarts was a big deal. They barely managed in their second year but if she could prevent another bout of serial petrifications, she was willing to hunt down the creature herself.
“Well, the Greeks originated the association of basil with hate because it resembles a basilisk opening its jaws. Personally, I don’t see it but it is what it is.”
Hermione took the begonia bouquet and looked at it closer. A second basilisk attack does not make sense, given the fact that Dumbledore assured everyone that the Chamber itself had been properly searched this time. From what Harry had told her, the basilisk needed to be controlled by someone - the Heir of Slytherin - none other than Lord Voldemort himself. Hermione now for sure needed to know who her secret admirer was - not just for the satisfaction of knowing who they were. This was now an issue of safety and security. Thanking Neville and Luna for their insight, she raced out of the Great Hall, not realising that Draco Malfoy’s eyes were carefully trailing her every move.
The next day, Hermione strategically put some monkshood and honeysuckle on her lapel. She wanted to let her admirer know that she was on board and will help them in any way she can, especially after that warning they gave her. She waited the whole day but got no replies until prefect patrols. It was a simple sprig of rue but this time it had a note attached.
Unless you can also protect my parents, there’s not much we can do. I need to do this to protect them.
The handwriting was in elegant cursive. Hermione swears she’d seen it before, she just can’t remember when or where. The paper used was not the typical parchment paper either. It was the good quality kind - not just the generic parchment most Hogwarts students use. Her admirer cannot be a teacher because they too use the same parchment students use. Whoever this person is clearly came from old money. One person comes to mind but the probability of it is zero, next to negatives - still, she’s not ruling him out.
The next day, she wears eucalyptus and sweet william, along with queen anne’s lace for good measure. She wanted to be sure that they would know she is offering sanctuary and protection. No replies come. She wore the same flowers for days on end but nothing. No responses, no notes, nothing. It was making her nervous and her anxiety was getting to the people around her.
“You don’t even know if this person really needs your help, Mione.” Ron told her between bites of french toast. “He’s probably just stringing you along.”
“Sure, Ron. But what if they do need our help, huh?” Hermione answered, looking around nervously, hoping she’ll have eye contact with someone, anyone. “What if I’m too late and the worst has happened?”
“I still think we should focus on Malfoy.” Harry interjected. “He’s been disappearing and appearing in random spots on the map. Not to mention that thing we saw at Bourgin and Burkes.”
Hermione chose her next words carefully. “Harry,” she began, “What if my mystery is connected to yours?”
“What do you mean?”
Leaning closer to Harry and Ron, Hermione whispered. “I mean, what if my secret admirer has information on what really is happening and they’re under threat and they cannot reveal themselves lest they get retaliation?”
“That can only mean one thing.” Harry concludes. “We confront Malfoy.”
Hermione wanted to interject but she knows there is nothing she can do to sway Harry once he has decided on something. Finishing breakfast, she made a conclusion of her own. She hasn’t found a reasonable cause to suspect Malfoy of anything. It was not that she doubts Harry but without anything concrete, they cannot accuse anyone of something as serious as being a Death Eater out of the blue. Just because they were seen inside a sleazy looking store or their family is associated with Death Eaters does not automatically make them one. The possibility is there, but the finality is not. She needed to take matters into her own hands.
The next day however, the most unexpected thing happened.