The Library Girl | Hermione Granger

7. Inside the Hogwarts Express

The return to Hogwarts after the Christmas holidays didn't feel so exciting as it did before. Its students, those who left it, were coming back to a place that was full of ridiculous politics and restrictions. The Ministry's unbearable Undersecretary was ready to continue with her childish methods for learning and her desperate wish to find the members of the DA.

The only thing that gave Felicity a little joy was coming back to the Room of Requirement to keep practicing her defensive spell lessons that Harry was teaching. Those few minutes of forgetting about everything but just trying to get focused on her development in new spells and their use were the ones she needed to feel that that place, her home, was helping them with a good purpose. Hogwarts will always help the ones who need it the most. This time they were going to learn how to invoke their Patronus, one of the most powerful spells for more advanced wizards.

The train station, King Cross, was filled with lots of wizard families saying goodbye to their children and there was a wave of concern on every face that Felicity saw around. The constant worry about the current danger and events was causing the adults to not let their sons go to Hogwarts, for them that wasn't a safe place anymore. Felicity realized there weren't so many familiar faces this time, at least not so many as before.

- Goodbye my dear -. Molly said, giving Harry a big hug after saluting her sons and daughter.- Please be careful, and do not get in trouble -.

- I'll try -. Harry responded, freeing himself from Ron's mom. Molly made a mysterious but threatening expression and Harry automatically corrected himself - I will, Miss Weasley. But I can't make any promises -.

Molly had to accept his words and agreed that there wasn't anything that could stop Harry to get into another difficult situation, like every year. But one of the most concerning things was that Voldemort was getting inside Harry's thoughts and made him lose his control. That circumstance was making everyone around him more concerned, the fact that one of the most dangerous wizards was having the power to get into Harry's mind and had the possibility to discover the Order's movements and any other thing necessary to ensure his victory, was making everything more disturbing. Luckily, Snape was trying to teach him Occlumency, the art of closing one's mind to the ones who could read it.

- Goodbye Fel -. Molly said to Felicity, hugging her too strongly.- You all better take care of yourselves more than ever, these times are dangerous -. She said, directed to all of her children and Harry, Felicity and Hermione.

- Don't worry mom -. Ron said, smiling at her trying to transmit confidence so she doesn't start getting sentimental and cry.

- Yes, Miss Weasley. Don't worry, we are all together -. Hermione said, smiling too, and looking kind to Molly.

Molly smiled and went back with her husband, she put an arm behind his back and rested her head on him. Arthur bowed his head as a sign of goodbye and smiled too.

Felicity and her friends got into the Hogwarts Express and, once in the wagon, waved at the Weasleys and they left the station. Suddenly, everything looked a bit more grey for Felicity. She liked to spend hours walking through the school's grounds, reading at the library or the common room, and hanging out at Hogsmeade, but she was still wanting to stay a bit more at Grimmauld Place. Stay with her friends at Sirius's house, wandering around its rooms and trying to know what the Order of the Phoenix was planning to do this time.

Hermione sat next to Felicity and Ron next to Harry. For a moment, Felicity thought that they forgot the fact that they were school prefects and had to go to the prefect's wagon. She looked at them and realized that Ron was observing her in a weird way, mysteriously and curiously.

- What's up with you two? -. He asked, frowning at Felicity.

- What? -. Felicity asked, confused. She noticed that Hermione was as confused as her.

Hermione left the Daily Prophet resting on her laps, and Harry stopped looking through the window to figure out what Ron was up to for his question.

- Why are you acting in that way? -. He asked again, looking a bit more bothered at Felicity's question.

- Act like what? -. Hermione asked, also annoyed.

- Like... different. Different than before. Now, when you're together I feel a bit weird about you two -. Ron said, sounding more confusing for the two girls.- I don't know, but you two are weirder than you used to be. Especially after this holidays -.

Felicity took a moment to try to analyze his doubt and still wasn't sure about what he said. Hermione shook her head knowing that Ron used to do confusing questions without any other explanation. But, profoundly, Felicity knew what he meant.

- Guys, what are you doing? -. Ernie, a Hufflepuff prefect, said standing in the door.- We have to go to the prefect's wagon, I came to look for you two -.

- Bloody hell! Right -. Hermione said, standing quickly from the seat and leaving the newspaper on it. When she walked behind Ernie, Ron stood up and before leaving the wagon he stopped and looked at Felicity.

- Honestly, what's up with you, Fel? -. He asked once again.- You look different together, more close to each other. It's weird-

- Ron! -. Hermione interrupted him and took his arm, he stopped talking and walked away from where Felicity and Harry were.

- What was all that? -. Felicity asked Harry, who didn't look confused, like knowing what Ron meant with his question.- What he was meaning? -.

- You really didn't realize? -. He responded, raising his eyebrows. Felicity shook her head and Harry sighed.- He asked why you and Hermione are acting closer together, more than before, knowing that you're friends -.

Felicity didn't say anything and tried to swallow his words.

- If I have to be honest, I had the same doubt. But I have the answer, not like him -. Harry said, uninterested.

- Tell me then, don't keep it as you did with Ron -. Felicity said abruptly, impatient and frowning at Harry.

- You like Hermione, Fel. It's obvious -. Harry said confidently, saying it like it was obvious.- And Hermione likes you too, and she didn't even tell me. I can say it based on each other's attitude between you two -.

Felicity hadn't words to say, just kept frowning but was surprised. Hermione had feelings towards her? And Harry knew it before she realized. And maybe, that's why Hermione didn't want to say who she liked in front of her.

Because that one was Felicity.