Hermione Granger, Another Life - Year Two

33. Two SPEW or Not

The end of the year was fast approaching as April turned into May. Alicia was feeling better, but was worried about Gavin, who was still withdrawn from everyone and everything. He got special permission to go home on the weekends to visit his dad as he was hospitalized at St. Mungo's. The library was getting crowded again, but Hermione found her way to her hidden spot regularly and studied with Cedric and Blaise on the nights Katie took a break or went flying to keep up her own training schedule.

Just like tonight, Alicia convinced the others to play a friendly game of quidditch and tried to persuade Hermione to join, but she declined knowing she had to finish her revision for transfiguration. So, she was sitting in the library with the two boys as they studied in silence. After a few hours, Hermione started to rub her eyes as the sleep was getting to her. She clapped her book shut and leaned against the back of her chair as she watched the others. They both had their attention fixed on the books in front of them, but Hermione noticed that they both started to get tired too. She still hasn't told Katie about Blaise; she knew that she wouldn't mind. They all had bad experiences with Slytherins. Hermione mostly got called out for her bushy hair, being a muggleborn, or they snared at her if she knew something they didn't, which happened a lot. But Blaise was different; he didn't care about her blood status; he didn't care that she was smarter than him, he was pretty smart himself; he didn't have many friends in the Slytherin house itself. She knew he talked to Draco Malfoy once in a while, because they were forced to grow up together. But other than that, ... Hermione wouldn't mind talking to him outside of the library, but she knew he was afraid of what the other Slytherin's would say or do if they saw him talking to a muggle born. When they pass each other in the corridors, they gave each other a smile or a nod. Even Cedric acknowledged him whenever they passed each other.

"I'm going to put these back." She said quietly trying not to scare them into oblivion in the silent library. They both looked up to her for a second with a smile before they returned to their books. She picked up the library books and went on the search to put them back into their right spots. After putting a couple of books in the shelves she stood in the middle of the library, that was already empty. She looked to see if madam Pince was around, but she too was nowhere in sight. Hermione glanced at her watch and saw it was already half past nine and the library was closed. She quickly put her last book back and turned to go tell the two boys, was stopped in her tracks when she saw movement in the corner of her eye.

"Darla?" She whispered. The little elf jumped a bit, not expecting someone to be in the closed library.

"Miss Hermione." The elf said as she snapped her fingers and the duster stopped going over the shelves. "What are you doing here?"

"Oh, I – I was studying with Cedric and -"

"Mister Blaise."

"Yes, how do you know that?" She asked surprised as she lowered herself to the elf's eye level.

"I've seen you study with him over the past year, and mister Cedric of course."

"Oh. I never saw you."

"That's the point, missus Hermione. We keep out of sight of the students as we clean and prepare the food."

"You can always say hello if you spot me, Darla." She smiled at the elf. She looked down and noticed that the elf's dress had a few holes in it. "I think you need a new dress." Hermione said with a smile.

"We only get clothes if our master sets us free."

"What?" Her voice and octave higher and her voice echoed in the silent library. She quickly heard Cedric and Blaise's footsteps come closer and when she looked at their direction, the elf disappeared with a crack.