Madness

Chapter Fifteen

Hermione wanted that. She used to be like that.

She just felt so empty now.

Hermione needed her purpose back. She needed a mission.

She needed to gather all intel she could as she waited for a chance to escape. Focus back on that. Get back in the game.

Back to fighting this war. This time, she would be fighting it from the inside. Yet again, she would be alone. From taking care of a silent Harry, to studying on her own to escape her captivity. Hermione could only depend on herself.

Hermione needed to start with building the strength within her mind. Perhaps the library held some books on the subject.

Astoria paused before the double doors before pushing them open and revealing a quaint room full of books. It was still larger than Hermione's home growing up, but compared to the entire estate, it was nothing.

Hermione smiled. Looking around, she didn't know where to begin. The moss green curtains that ran from ceiling to floor paired wonderfully with the dusty rose wallpaper and brown antique furniture. The shelves were a gorgeous, thick wood. Hermione felt almost at home.

"You may borrow anything." Astoria spoke up, watching Hermione bloom again. "We don't usually have houseguests, and this room doesn't get used as much as it should. I'm sure that you will quite enjoy your time spent here."

Hermione thanked her and walked up to a shelf. She turned her head back to look at Astoria. "What do you usually do all day?"

A pause.

"Oh!" Hermione spoke again. "I didn't mean it like that. I was just wondering."

Astoria laughed, actually laughed. "I know what you meant. I usually rest a lot, eat, practice chess and read some. Blaise finds me paperwork to occupy my time. I find the more I am out of sight of everyone, the more out of their mind I remain." She winked.

Hermione tried to figure out the organization system that Zabini used for his books. By author or subject or year... there were many ways to put together a library this wondrous. There were so many that she recognized and a few that she even owned herself before the war. Though Hermione doubted that Zabini would have the basic Guide to Occlumency, she would check for it, just in case. She figured that she should be keeping a conversation with Astoria, and though she didn't want to admit it, Hermione did enjoy the company.

She pulled two books off a shelf and studied them. Zabini organized by subject, definitely. "What do you like to read? In school did you... did you have a subject you liked best?" She turned to look at Blaise's wife, who had settled in a window seat with a blanket over her lap.

Astoria gave her a soft smile, though she looked tired now. Like the walk had exhausted her, and she was now forcing herself to stay alert. "Astronomy. And Runes, but mostly Astronomy. Though I like to read more fiction novels now, to keep my mind off reality. I find it helps with the Madness."

Hermione paused while flipping through the book.

The Madness? Astoria said it like it was a thing, not just the madness of it all. The war.

"Distraction from all the violence during this time can help, I agree." Hermione decided not to question Astoria straight forward, in case she clammed up.

Astoria was massaging her hands together, and then murmured something under her breath. "Accio lotion." A small bottle came flying through the air and she caught it, opening it and rubbing her hands together again, adding a dollop of the lotion to her palm. "Ugh, do you mind if I drop my glamour? I know, I know, it's ugly and we are supposed to be ignoring it until it goes away or whatever, but Moooorgana, my head aches at keeping it up."