Chapter 6
She was awoken by the sound of keys jingling in a lock. “Wha-“
She heard Levi's monotone voice but couldn’t understand his words. She held up a palm, signaling for him to wait as she released the silencing charm put in place to hide her nightmare-induced screams. They weren’t too common, but one could never be too cautious- especially after yesterday morning's debacle. She then cast the translation spell.
I’m getting real tired of this stupid translation spell- hope Armin’s a good teacher ‘cause I need to learn this language A.S.A.P. She motioned for him to continue.
“Get up, lazy ass. The Commander’s here.”
“Rude,” she rubbed the sleep out of her eyes. She stiffly stood up to greet the Commander, clothes still in array, but she tried for a smile, “Hello Commander Erwin.”
She spotted Hange and Armin behind. She gave them a small, tired wave. Armin waved back shyly while Hange waved back with both hands and a wide smile.
She did a double-take at Armin. He had his hair tied in a messy ponytail. Long blond hair framed his face while his bangs still fell loosely over his eyes. He looked... good.
To hide her silent appraisal, she turned her nose up in mock snobbery, “Hello to you too, Levi.”
“Yes, hello. Let’s hurry this up shall we?”
She sighed, “Yes, of course.”
The Commander sat on a chair in front of her cell. He pulled out the notes from yesterday and-
He’s one-armed... How did she not notice he only had one arm? How did he use the 3D maneuvering gear?
Yesterday, one of the first things she asked was how the gear worked. Hange had perked up at the question- though, how someone could perk up from an already perky state was a mystery to her. From what they’d explained it seemed quite difficult to use... So just how good was he then?
She eyed Armin as he sat down next to the Commander, essentially being his scribe for the day.
“Miss Granger- you claim to be a witch from another world. There’s obviously evidence to the former- but how can you truly prove you’re from another world?”
“As of now- I can’t,” she shrugged. “All I have is my word and a promise to show you any information that may help you believe me as you begin to learn about the outside world.”
He nodded.
“In addition to the examination held yesterday by Section Commander Hange and Captain Levi, Private Arlert has let us know everything you’ve told him so far. We’d also like for you to clarify some things, and of course, answer any additional questions.”
She looked over to where Armin was sporting a bright red blush. He mouthed a “sorry” then sought to avoid her gaze. She smiled.
She didn’t blame him for “snitching”, she was highly aware of the possibility- welcomed it even.
Armin and her got along relatively well. And hopefully, his sentiments would influence their decision- and besides, she knew he was genuine in his kindness and interest.
“I agree to those terms.”
“Good, let us begin-“
For hours they went back and forth. Somewhere in the middle of their talk, Erwin pulled out a black and white photograph of a family. “What can you tell us about this?”
She stared at them incredulously, “About… the photograph?”
“Aha! There’s that name again! Photograph. So it really just burns the light reflected from a scene into a special kind of paper?”
Hermione nodded at the Section Commander, “Yes, muggle ones. Magical ones work a bit differently. We don’t use special paper for ours... also... ours move.”
They’d already gone over the basic structure of her world, especially the magical vs muggle dynamic. So they already understand what she meant when she referred to muggles.
Armin hummed in understanding and his eyes held a satisfied gleam.
“How do you get them to move?”
“An enchantment to any material- doesn’t need to be paper per se.”
“I see,” Commander Erwin looked up from the notes, “The ones in your tent are obviously magical- but the color, is that magic too?”
“No Sir, muggles in my world also have color photos. See, we’ve had them so long that most have shortened the word and just refer to them as photos.”
She leaned forward to take a closer look at the picture, “Judging by the aging on this photo, I’d say they may be already referring to it as such outside the walls.”
He raised his brow at Hermione- that... might’ve been a very suspicious thing to say...
She cursed.
Unfortunately, Hermione couldn’t help herself; she liked making logic-based inferences, conclusions, and everything else under the sun. But internally, she was beating herself up at the slip.
She chose to act oblivious to the mishap, continuing on, “But all the colors we can see are just what light is not being absorbed into the object, but reflecting it instead.”
“The colors that we can see?”
“Yes. Different organisms see colors and the world differently than we do. Even some humans do not have full-color vision and are limited to seeing the whole world in black and white or in limited/skewed ways.”
She went on to clarify anything that they might not understand. These were entirely new concepts to these people, she had to be thorough.
“There are different spectrums of light that pertain to different spectrums of color and...”
There was much more questioning that day. They slid in many “trick” questions about someplace called “Marley”- that she was sure she would’ve remembered if there was one in her world and a race of people called Eldians- which just sounded straight-up fantastical.
It was another long day- though, much more tiring than the last. At one point, she even yawned halfway into the middle of her answer. But she powered through, knowing that cooperation was her best chance of getting back home.
Truly...? She could’ve escaped the moment they took her prisoner- but that would’ve cut off her access to any useful information. Because militaries always had some secret stash of knowledge that not even their own governments knew. Working with them was just her best chance.
One of the last things they’d discussed before she received their verdict was about the extent of her magic- mainly battle-oriented, which she could only lightly touch upon. They must want to use me as a weapon or form a military alliance of sorts...
“It’s true, is it not, that you could’ve left these cells anytime you wanted? Why do you stay our prisoner? What’s in it for you?”
“Information,” she said simply, “I need to know more about this world to get back home to mine, and running away from it seems like the foolish thing to do.”
“You could easily enter any government building, any military base-“
“-Oi, Erwin-” Levi interrupted, taken aback by his Commander’s candor.
“-why would working with us benefit you?”
“I find that results come faster when you work as a team,” she stared at the wall behind their heads, eyes glassy with the memories of her friends back home.
“Information may be limited to whatever we decide to tell you, as from what I understand you will not be able to read any of our texts yet... until you learn our tongue.”
“Yes, I understand- though, I am working on a solution to that problem.”
“You are?”
“Yes Sir, I just haven’t gotten around the logistics yet.”
Very suspicious Hermione... but the truth is the truth.
The Commander then rose from his seat, the others following in his steed.
Commander Erwin cleared his throat, “I’m sorry to say-“ her heart stuttered in her chest. Fuck, I fucked up. What should I say to- “but you’ll be staying here for a few more days. Just until we find a suitable room for you within the castle.” Hermione let out a breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding. She gave him a slight smile in relief.
“You will not go anywhere without a member of the Scouts accompanying you, though I’m sure that won’t be a problem,” and even though Commander Erwin had not hinted to anyone in particular, Hermione felt her cheeks warm. She looked up through her lashes to find Armin in a very flustered state.
Cheeks still warm, Hermione nodded, happy with those terms. “May I request one thing Commander?”
“If within reason.”
“May I request that Armin teach me your language?”
She heard a sharp scoff come from the Captain but she chose to ignore it. Hange was attempting to act low-key, nudging Armin in the side with a not-so-hidden smirk.
“I will permit it- as long as Armin also agrees to this request.”
Armin straightened his posture at the attention of the Commander, “I’ll agree- as long as she teaches me her language in return,” he said, fulfilling the promise they made to each other the day before. He sent her a knowing smile which she returned in kind.
“Then it’s settled. We’ll leave you for the night. Someone will come down to bring you dinner shortly after. Until tomorrow,” he nodded to her and they all took their leave.
Hermione was once again left alone inside the cell and she sighed at the quietness of her prison.
Hermione thanked Merlin that she was never put in one during the war- that would’ve made for a much different experience to the one she was going through in that moment. Instead of fear, she felt only boredom and began looking through her beaded bag for something to occupy her mind.
She took out her Discman- she’d brought it instead of the standard phonograph that wizards usually use- feeling it would be a better choice for a portable residence.
She was always a bit behind on the music trends of the late 90’s- well, except for a few albums and tracks- but she listened to her daddy’s music. And her dad said you could never go wrong with Michael.
She smiled, memories of slow dancing with her dad and “shakin” it with her mum fluttered through her mind. She was so lost in her own thoughts that she hadn’t noticed Armin looking down at her- and her Discman- curiously in front of her cell.
“Oh- hello,” she smiled tiredly.
“Hello Hermione,” he smiled back. He then frowned at the device in her lap and the tears she hadn’t noticed in her eyes. “Are you alright?... You look like you’ve been crying.”
She scrambled to wipe the tears from her face, “Do I? Oh dear, sorry about that.”
“No need to be sorry- it’s just- I’ve brought you dinner as promised...”
She was waiting for him to continue while he seemed to be debating with himself. “Is it because of that thing- the thing in your lap?”
She looked back down at the Discman, “Yeah, it kind of is... do you wanna see what it does?”
She began to feel giddy at the thought of showing him her music. Slowly but surely her sad mood was being left behind.
His face brightened just a tad at the suggestion, “Oh yeah, of course- is this magic too?” He slid her food through the slot and she thanked him.
She shook her head and placed the tray beside her, “No, this is more muggle technology. It plays music!” She beckoned him closer as she scooted to be adjacent to the wall behind her and bars to her side. He sat down next to her, almost shoulder to shoulder if there weren’t any bars in the way.
“Does it really- and with no magic?” He stared eagerly at the Discman.
“Mhm,” she nodded, eyes sparkling at the question. She pulled out her CD book and picked a song from an album that her father loved to listen to on lazy afternoons.
“Okay, so see this disc,” Armin nodded. She opened the Discman to place the CD inside. “This CD player- or Discman uses flashing laser lights- you know, like pew pew pew,” she shot imaginary lasers with her fingers. Remembering his ignorance to the Sci-Fi reference, she flushed and kept her eyes on the Discman.
She tucked some hair behind her ear, “Well it uses “lasers” to record and read back the information from this shiny metal disc- this “CD”.”
“So this “CD” holds the music?” He smiled at her flustered state, happy that he wasn’t alone in the feeling.
“Yes, exactly! Here, let me show you,” she skipped all the songs till it stopped on the track she wanted, then pressed the play button.
They heard the drums first, then the synthesizers which must’ve been such a new sound for him. She looked to see his eyes widen with confusion, but she dared not pause the music- she would rather let him just sit through the experience.
She started hearing the bass. An instrument which never failed to make her groove- even on the floor of a dungeon cell.
“The song’s name is Rock with You by a man named Michael Jackson.” It felt weird hearing her own voice say Michael Jackson in a slightly German accent but it couldn’t be helped. This was a weird set of circumstances after all.
She bobbed her head to the rhythm and once she heard the violins, she readied herself for Michael’s beautiful voice.
A wave of nostalgia waved over her as he sang. Blueberry muffins and warm cups of tea as they read in the sitting room or watched dramas on the telly or listened and danced to music in the afternoons. She sighed. I miss them... I miss all of them.
She mouthed the words to the song, eyes closed not only in the attempt to rid herself of her longing but also in the mild ecstasy of listening to such a sensual song.
“Out on the floor
There ain't nobody there but us
Girl, when you dance
There's a magic that must be love,” she sang softly.
She opened her eyes to see Armin’s foot tapping against the cobblestones and his Ocean eyes fixed on her singing lips. She grinned and stood up, grooving even bigger to coax him into dancing too.
He was a bit awkward at first, but as the music played it became less awkward and more... uncoordinated. For someone so graceful in the air, he sure is stiff on his feet. Just like Harry, she mused.
He began mimicking her moves. He let out a breathless laugh as he pointed his fingers diagonally in that signature disco move.
She laughed in return, having the most fun she’s had in weeks. They spent the better part of the night letting songs go by, just doing whatever felt right to the music. After a while, her body caught up with her and she collapsed with a tired laugh.
He followed her, sitting on the other side of the bars. He was noticeably less tired than she was- probably due to that soldier stamina that she just did not have.
She leaned her head against the bars, “So, what do you think of my world's music?”
He grinned, “I think it’s different and new and wonderful. There were so many sounds I’ve never even heard and the way he sang- I’ve never heard anyone sing like that!”
She avidly listened to his wonder, “What’s your music usually-“
A knock came from the door at the top of the stairs. She quickly turned off her music and stilled, letting out a not-so-quiet snicker. He seemed to be holding his breath as well, but his face was no less amused.
They both waited for something to happen and after a few moments of tense anticipation, she heard him giggle. It was such a pretty thing. He held his stomach at the action, body shaking with quiet laughter. She began laughing as well, feeling dazed and refreshed from the experience.
After their laughter died down, he sighed, “I guess I’ve got to get going.” He gave her an apologetic look, but she could only shake her head to signify that he’d done nothing wrong.
He slowly stood to leave, dusting and dirt off his uniform- he looks quite good in that green coat...
“I’ll see you tomorrow?”
She nodded, “Of course, I’m not going anywhere,” she joked.
He nodded back with a boyish grin, “Goodnight then.”
She waved from her spot on the floor, “Goodnight,” and she watched him disappear up the stairs once again.
She sighed to herself once he was gone.
Merlin, what am I doing?
Am I really getting attached to someone I might not ever see again?
She shook her head to rid herself of such cynical thoughts- making positive connections with people was not a crime.
And she’s been attached to many-a-people who she will, now, never see again.
She pressed play on her Discman once again, pulling out a book from her beaded bag to distract her from her more morbid thoughts. Hopefully, with the help of the book and the music and the good mood, she wouldn’t have any nightmares.
She certainly didn’t yesterday.
She yawned, this was going much more smoothly than she thought it would. They seemed like relatively “good people”- well, they were good to her- and she believed that with their help, she’d get home.
She had to.