𝐓𝐖𝐈𝐒𝐓𝐒 | HPau

─ ⁰⁵. A BLOODY MARAUDER OFFSPRING

"I wrote dad a letter," Hermione lied as she pulled away from the hug. "It's in your pocket, can you give it to him?" asked Hermione, and though Remus felt surprised as he touched his pocket and felt the letter he nodded.

"Yeah, keep your head down and your eyes peeled," said Moody. "And don't forget, all of you—careful what you put in writing. If in doubt, don't put it in a letter at all."

"It's been great meeting all of you, and get a cousin!" said Tonks, hugging Hermione and Ginny. "We'll see you soon, I expect."

A warning whistle sounded; the students still on the platform started hurrying onto the train.

"Quick, quick," said Mrs. Weasley distractedly, hugging them at random. "Write. . . . Be good. . . . If you've forgotten anything we'll send it on. . . . Onto the train, now, hurry. . . ."

Hermione quickly bent down and gave Sirius a hug, saying goodbye to him only to then enter the train.

"See you!" they called out of the open window as the train began to move, waving their hands.

The figures of Tonks, Lupin, Moody, and Mr. and Mrs. Weasley shrank rapidly but the black dog was bounding alongside the window, wagging its tail; blurred people on the platform were laughing to see it chasing the train, and then they turned the corner, and Sirius was gone.

"Well," said Fred, clapping his hands together, "can't stand around chatting all day, we've got business to discuss with Lee. See you later," and he and George disappeared down the corridor to the right, not before he sent a smile in Hermione's direction making her cheeks grow slightly red—she hated how he could make her blush; she wasn't one to blush.

The train was still gathering more speed so that the houses outside the window flashed past and they swayed where they stood.

"Shall we go and find a compartment, then?" Harry asked Ron and Hermione.

Hermione beamed but saw as Ron exchanged a look with her—one she didn't get.

"Er," said Ron looking at Hermione for support—which he did not receive. "We're supposed to. . . . Er, go to the prefect's carriage, mate." Hermione groaned as she realized what all the looks Ron was giving her meant, and she shook her head.

"I'm so not going," Hermione refused, prompting Ron to roll his eyes at her.

"Oh," said Harry. "Right. Fine."

"We won't be there the entire ride, Harry," said Ron, trying to explain as Hermione subtly—and failing—tried to escape, only for the redhead to grab her arm, causing Hermione to sulk. "We only need our instructions and whatever."

"Fine," said Harry again. "Well, I-I might see you later, then."

"Yeah, definitely," said Ron, casting a shifty, anxious look at Harry while still grabbing onto Hermione's arm. "It's a pain having to go down there—"

"—So we won't!" Hermione cheered.

"But we have to—I mean, I'm not enjoying it, I'm not Percy," Ron finished defiantly.

"I know you're not," said Harry and he grinned.

Ron had to drag Hermione across the carriages, as she dramatically reached out her hands to Harry to take, which caused him to cheer up a bit and give her an amused smiled. After some time she gave up on fighting and quickly levitated her things that had stayed behind, and huffing she and Ron made their way to the Prefects' compartment.

During their meeting, Hermione couldn't have been more bored. She didn't seem to be the only one as she shared an annoyed glance with Ron, Anthony Goldstein from Ravenclaw, and Hannah Abbott from Hufflepuff, though the latter blushed in embarrassment when Hermione caught her yawning.