MAGIANIMA // Hermione Granger

And Me / And You

Three days. Three days until the second task. Atlas sat in the library studying and munching on a box of chocolates she'd had leftover from some anonymous valentine. She'd, of course, been suspicious at first but after checking the box over, she'd concluded they were safe to eat and had taken them to the library as a snack between reading. Harry sat across from her, reading through another charms book he hoped was on things that would help him breathe underwater, or at least, would allow him the immunity of the need for oxygen.

Atlas did the same, though her mind wandered whenever she saw a pale flicker of lamplight that looked too much like a pair of glowing white eyes. Eyes drifting again, Atlas caught herself rather suddenly and forced her gaze back to her book, plopping another chocolate in her mouth as she ignored the solemn sadness she'd found had settled to the very depths of her gut ever since that encounter in the forest.

True to her word, Atlas had told Minnie all about the sighting and security had been tripled, much to the inhabitants of Hogwarts's curiosity. It soon went back to normal, however, Atlas did find her nights more restless than they had been in a while, it didn't help with how close the next task was as well and, of course, both Harry and Hermione acting more jumpy and nervous than ever was just the cherry on top. Not only that but for some reason, Harry thought--

"I'm telling you," Atlas looked up from her book and eyed her godbrother silently, "why would two dark wizard catchers be rifling through Snape's belongings? Ron says Moody might think Snape put our names in the Goblet."

--Harry thought Snape had it out for them. More so than usual. The night he'd figured out the true message of the Golden Egg, he'd bumped into Snape, Filch and Moody, the three of them talking on vague topics and whispering in minced words, and since then, Harry had been mumbling accusations against Snape all day every day. Even in his sleep, as Ron had mentioned once in passing.

"Did you not see how furious he was when we were chosen? Besides, shouldn't we really be asking why Crouch is pretending to be ill?" Atlas asked. "You said Percy told you he was super weak right now, that's why he couldn't manage to go to the Yule Ball, which is why he was there in his stead, yet he managed to get all the way here, in the dead of night, without anybody noticing him? Besides, Moody isn't the most reliable of sources..."

"I thought you liked Moody?"

"I do...I mean, I like the man my mum wrote about in my journals. But...the Moody we've met, he's just...off. My mum described his presence in her journals and it's nothing like he is now, it's weird and I can't believe you just handed him the Marauder's Map. I told you I wanted it back," Atlas grumbled, flicking a page of her textbook.

"I said I was sorry. He caught me off guard," Harry defended, his hands up. "Moody said Snape was on his second chance, I just want to know what he did with his first one. Anyway, I sent a letter to Sirius about it, I should get this response soon."

"Good idea."

"He did say to update him," Harry shrugged and then looked at Atlas, regarding her silently. "have you been getting enough sleep."

"As much as I need."

"That's a lie."

Atlas huffed. "I've been listening to the tapes Hermione got me for Christmas, they help me get any sleep at all and honestly, it's enough. I'm functioning, aren't I?"

"Barely."

"Very funny."

"Seriously, I can tell something's been bothering you. After not seeing you at Hogsmeade, I thought you'd just skipped but clearly, something did happen because your whole demeanour has changed since then," Harry retorted, his arms crossed and book discarded. Atlas glanced up at him and sighed, rubbing her sunken eyes, proof of just how fatigued she was.