Hermione didn't show up for lunch and neither did Professor McGonagall, they seemed to be in conference for hours now. Hermione had never been suspended in her life and such a thing could ruin her perfect score sheet, making it hard for her to enter the Ministry program.
Maggie was well aware of that and felt guilty for it, she wanted to undone the harm, but didn't know how. She barely had anything to eat. Remus kept holding her hand and telling her it was the right thing to do, but she knew she had taken it too far. Besides, being a student didn't seem so good anymore, there were things that no one had thought about.
Dumbledore told the students it was her birthday and most of them sang cheerfully, except the Gryffindors. Harry was upset, Neville did not know what to do or feel and Ron keep staring at the letter he had in his hands... The moment he saw Hermione things got worse.
"This is over Hermione, I should've never dated you." Hermione was obviously in shock and had been crying for hours, but she wouldn't hush. She wasn't the same sweet girl she used to be, she wouldn't let anyone hurt her, not even Ron. "Well Ronald, you are the biggest mistake I've ever made!", she took off to her room.
Neville took off looking for Jean a while after that, leaving Harry to talk to Ron. They were best friends and best friends should tell the truth to one another... "Mate, you're overreacting." Harry cleared his throat and went on, without looking at Ron's reproving look "Look Ron, she's obviously upset, she doesn't mean it" But Ron didn't care, she had lied to him and the proof was in his hands.
Ron didn't say a word, he just gave Harry the letter and he read it. It was a friendly letter, it mentioned some things that have been happening lately and that things with Ron weren't as happy as everyone thought. "So, I had to figure out we are having issues through that letter." His anger kept raising and Harry didn't know what to do to calm him down. They kept arguying about Hermione and their relationship and how Ron always stood up for him, to the point of having issues with Hermione "No, no, don't blame this on me now!" But Ron did "She was obsessed on figuring out who Marie is, all because of you. Can't you like someone normal? Someone like Luna? Or Ginny?"
Maggie was well aware of that and felt guilty for it, she wanted to undone the harm, but didn't know how. She barely had anything to eat. Remus kept holding her hand and telling her it was the right thing to do, but she knew she had taken it too far. Besides, being a student didn't seem so good anymore, there were things that no one had thought about.
Dumbledore told the students it was her birthday and most of them sang cheerfully, except the Gryffindors. Harry was upset, Neville did not know what to do or feel and Ron keep staring at the letter he had in his hands... The moment he saw Hermione things got worse.
"This is over Hermione, I should've never dated you." Hermione was obviously in shock and had been crying for hours, but she wouldn't hush. She wasn't the same sweet girl she used to be, she wouldn't let anyone hurt her, not even Ron. "Well Ronald, you are the biggest mistake I've ever made!", she took off to her room.
Neville took off looking for Jean a while after that, leaving Harry to talk to Ron. They were best friends and best friends should tell the truth to one another... "Mate, you're overreacting." Harry cleared his throat and went on, without looking at Ron's reproving look "Look Ron, she's obviously upset, she doesn't mean it" But Ron didn't care, she had lied to him and the proof was in his hands.
Ron didn't say a word, he just gave Harry the letter and he read it. It was a friendly letter, it mentioned some things that have been happening lately and that things with Ron weren't as happy as everyone thought. "So, I had to figure out we are having issues through that letter." His anger kept raising and Harry didn't know what to do to calm him down. They kept arguying about Hermione and their relationship and how Ron always stood up for him, to the point of having issues with Hermione "No, no, don't blame this on me now!" But Ron did "She was obsessed on figuring out who Marie is, all because of you. Can't you like someone normal? Someone like Luna? Or Ginny?"
Harry then realized what was bugging Ron. "This is not about me and Ginny, is about you and Hermione. You are lucky that she hasn't figured out yet that you cheated on her Ronald. And I hope for her sake she never does. You cannot tell her a thing. This is a friendly letter, and she's devoted to you, you jerk!" Neville came in to split them up and Maggie was right behind them.
"Hello guys, is Hermione around? I'd like to have a word with her" Harry mentioned she was in her room and Neville went looking for her (since he still had the "Head Boy" patch, she could come into the Girls' dormitories). Maggie stayed standing there, didn't ask what the quarrel was about, it was pretty obvious.
When Hermione came down her face was all red with tears. Harry checked on her but she kept looking at Ron with hate and pain, she didn't know what Maggie wanted with her, but didn't really care. She sat down and Maggie walked towards the sofa herself, asking the guys to leave them alone.
They obbeyed, but stayed behind the door to listen to them.
Maggie looked right into Hermione's eyes. They were both wrecked to pieces for different things. "Hermione, I came here to apologise." Only silence and a hurt look came from Hermione. "I didn't mean to cause all these problems with Ron, and if it was in my power to turn time back, i wouldn't hesitate and do it." Still silence. Maggie looked at the fire and thought she might be there next week, dressed as a student.
"I respect what you did, you were trying to figure out who I really am, and you were protecting your friends. If I were a student here, I'd feel so proud and grateful to be your friend." She kept staring at the fire "But I'm not. And I understand why you did what you thought it was best. So that you know, Charlie accidentally found that letter, Viktor never told him about it." Hermione smiled a bit, after all there was one person that was true to her. "And you won't be suspended. I already talked to Dumbledore to remove the suspension, you were doing what you do best." Hermione interrupted "Minding other people's business?" Maggie then smiled "Nah, not at all. You were protecting the ones you love and using all your skills to figure out if I'm lying."
They looked at each other with honesty, no more dismay or anger. "I'm not a bad person Hermione, I wish you see that. And If I had to lie or hide something in any way from you, it wasn't by choice. It was Dumbledore's orders." Maggie was tired of lying, specially to someone as smart as herself.
"I know that Professor, don't worry. No harm done really. Ron and I, this," she started soaking slowly. "This was bound to happen one moment or the next" Maggie took a handkerchief from her pocket and gave it to her. Hermione smiled slightly. Maggie looked at the Boys' Dormitories and talked outloud: "Guys, could you stop doing that? Grow up already."
"How does she do it?!" Ron took off to his bedroom, followed by Harry "Well, she's one scary witch bloke."
"Hermione, I know I shouldn't tell you this but-" Maggie looked at the fire and then to Hermione's eyes. She was already a wreck, she couldn't tell him about Ron's sneakouts at night. "I don't Ron deserves you. I mean, you were just protecting your friends, and you sent a letter to a friend of yours that could help you. I read that letter, it's completaly harmless really." Hermione nodded. "Yes, he is overreacting, but I don't care anymore. I'm tired of going around him in circles." Hermione started remembering everything she had went through with Ron and started crying heavily, Maggie held her and she didn't refuse.
Maybe this was the beggining of a beautiful friendship.
"Hello guys, is Hermione around? I'd like to have a word with her" Harry mentioned she was in her room and Neville went looking for her (since he still had the "Head Boy" patch, she could come into the Girls' dormitories). Maggie stayed standing there, didn't ask what the quarrel was about, it was pretty obvious.
When Hermione came down her face was all red with tears. Harry checked on her but she kept looking at Ron with hate and pain, she didn't know what Maggie wanted with her, but didn't really care. She sat down and Maggie walked towards the sofa herself, asking the guys to leave them alone.
They obbeyed, but stayed behind the door to listen to them.
Maggie looked right into Hermione's eyes. They were both wrecked to pieces for different things. "Hermione, I came here to apologise." Only silence and a hurt look came from Hermione. "I didn't mean to cause all these problems with Ron, and if it was in my power to turn time back, i wouldn't hesitate and do it." Still silence. Maggie looked at the fire and thought she might be there next week, dressed as a student.
"I respect what you did, you were trying to figure out who I really am, and you were protecting your friends. If I were a student here, I'd feel so proud and grateful to be your friend." She kept staring at the fire "But I'm not. And I understand why you did what you thought it was best. So that you know, Charlie accidentally found that letter, Viktor never told him about it." Hermione smiled a bit, after all there was one person that was true to her. "And you won't be suspended. I already talked to Dumbledore to remove the suspension, you were doing what you do best." Hermione interrupted "Minding other people's business?" Maggie then smiled "Nah, not at all. You were protecting the ones you love and using all your skills to figure out if I'm lying."
They looked at each other with honesty, no more dismay or anger. "I'm not a bad person Hermione, I wish you see that. And If I had to lie or hide something in any way from you, it wasn't by choice. It was Dumbledore's orders." Maggie was tired of lying, specially to someone as smart as herself.
"I know that Professor, don't worry. No harm done really. Ron and I, this," she started soaking slowly. "This was bound to happen one moment or the next" Maggie took a handkerchief from her pocket and gave it to her. Hermione smiled slightly. Maggie looked at the Boys' Dormitories and talked outloud: "Guys, could you stop doing that? Grow up already."
"How does she do it?!" Ron took off to his bedroom, followed by Harry "Well, she's one scary witch bloke."
"Hermione, I know I shouldn't tell you this but-" Maggie looked at the fire and then to Hermione's eyes. She was already a wreck, she couldn't tell him about Ron's sneakouts at night. "I don't Ron deserves you. I mean, you were just protecting your friends, and you sent a letter to a friend of yours that could help you. I read that letter, it's completaly harmless really." Hermione nodded. "Yes, he is overreacting, but I don't care anymore. I'm tired of going around him in circles." Hermione started remembering everything she had went through with Ron and started crying heavily, Maggie held her and she didn't refuse.
Maybe this was the beggining of a beautiful friendship.
***
Friday's lessons were dull and boring and none of the Gryffindors seemed excited about the Ball except for Neville. It was going to be his first (and last) Ball as Head Boy and he had Jean for a date. He owed those 2 things to Maggie. She believed in him when no other teacher had, and that had given him such a sense of self confidence that he couldn't even believe it. He also owe it to Harry, he was the one that created the moment for him to ask Jean to the Ball.
Beautiful Jean... He looked at her from his side of the Classroom and paid absolutely no attention to Prof Flitwick's question. He realized he had been asked when Draco hit him in the arm to wake him up "Bloke, the teacher, wake up." Neville asked Flitwick to rephrase his question and then answered it in a very Hermione way.
Harry felt deep down that all this kindness coming from Draco was just a part, a silly part to impress professor Matthews. The worst of all, is that it seemed to be working for him. Whenever Harry walked in to have his private lessons with Maggie, she no longer looked angry or upset, she looked proud. What he could sense coming from her was patience and kindness, the same sort of feeling he felt when Maggie was around her brother, but not what they both felt when Harry was close from her.
He knew in his heart that she had feelings for him. He no longer thought she might, he knew it. He could feel the butterflies in her stomach when he looked at her in the eyes, and the sudden burst of energy going through her spine when he touched her unintentionally. But she wouldn't do anything, she couldn't. And neither could he. They were student and teacher, at least until the end of the year.
Maggie interrupted the class apologising in as many ways as she could. She wanted to check with Professor Flitwick if he could take Maggie's charm leveling test on monday "I'll be picking her up in London on Sunday, I wonder if Monday worked for you." Flitwick had no problem, "great then, she'll take your test in the morning and then she can go to the divination tower and then on tuesday she'll take potions and defense, awesome!" She thanked him and was about to take off when she asked for 2 mins to talk to the class, to which Flitwick agreed.
"Great, thanks, so class, since we have the Ball tomorrow, just sit back a bit with those tests and you can give them to me or Remus on wednesday, or no, better, next Friday allright?" They all cheered at the comment. "2 more things before I forget, the private lessons today, if you want guys you can practise with Minerva for the Ball or for the Quidditch game on Saturday allright? You're all doing wonderfully so, no biggie." Hermione then remembered her she was gonna tell them 2 things. "Riiiite, almost forgot. So you hunny and Neville here will open the Ball, do you have your dates?" Neville said he did and Hermione was in the burst of tears again when Harry talked holding her hand "I'm going with Hermione Miss." Maggie smiled at the gesture and took off.
Hermione smiled thankfully, she didn't have to say anything really.
***
"You know how much I want this Remus, but, we didn't think this through." He couldn't believe his ears. All the arguments the had to put up with Dumbledore to make her a student... and now she wanted to give up everything. "If you want to quit, do so, just go to Dumbledore's office and tell him yourself. But forget of ever getting this chance again Magdaline!"
He was right, she couldn't believe they actually had conviced Albus once. "You're right, I know you're right. But I have a point too. Hermione got too close, I mean, she found out about my parents Rem" He had to agree, something had to be done. He still wondered how exactly she managed to look at those files, they were classified.
"I cannot be at 2 places at the same time, and I know what'char gonna say, but even if you do take the polyjuice, who has never tested in werewolves if may i add, she's gonna be suspicious. And not only her, everyone will, is just a matter of time." Remus asked her to sit down and started massaging her shoulders. "You don't have to worry about it allright? Leave that to the real teachers, okay? I'll figure something out, I'll ask someone to be you all the time and maybe after a while we can make Marie Matthews dissapear or something, we'll see, now Maggie, you need to relax and study for the test" he smiled cheerfully "and choose the dress for the Ball! You are going to the Ball, right?"
Someone knocked on the door and Remus realized what time it was and decided to go to his own chamber. Harry was at the door. "Yes Harry?" He told her he didn't want to practise for Quidditch and that he needed a word with her. She let him in and he sat in his sofa. She poured some coffee in a mug and sat beside him.
He wanted to tell her how she felt about her and kissed her. He didn't care about anything else. "Look Marie, I need to tell you something" Maggie slipped her coffee intentionally and got up, walking away from him. He got up to follow her, but saw a picture of her and Charlie, a magical photo, which was odd among all her muggle things. She looked slightly younger and Charlie was hugging her from behind kissing her cheek.
He took the picture with his right hand and looked at her. Maggie turned around and saw him looking at that picture. Harry took off with some excuse after five minutes, not before Maggie told him she was very happy for Hermione for having him as a friend.
She placed the picture above the fireplace again. It had served its purpose.
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