𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗸 𝘁𝗼𝗰𝗸, harry potter

˗ˋ 80

And she stalked out of the common room, knowing full well that she had nowhere better to go than her lessons, and began to make her way up into the main body of the castle, where students bustled. As she emerged into the Entrance Hall, her eyes landed on a familiar group of three she could hang onto for a moment, hoping that perhaps her Slytherin friends would follow her in just a few minutes and see her. 

"What's wrong Granger, too much knitting, too little free house-elves?" She asked as she approached, seeing the fretting look upon Hermione's face as she approached. "You didn't set one free and it instantly tried to off itself, did you? They have tendencies to do that." 

"Aviana..." Harry implored, although neither him nor Ron seemed to be too sympathetic towards Hermione in that moment. 

"What? S.P.E.W. doesn't work, forgive me for pointing it out." Aviana rolled her eyes. "If it had been started like... several centuries ago then maybe it would work, but this is what they know now. Have you ever been down to the kitchens? They're actually quite happy."

"What? Working like slaves?" Hermione frowned. "I'm not talking about S.P.E.W. before you start again." She added, as Aviana opened her mouth. 

"No, she just thinks Snuffles' judgement on the whole defence group thing is worthless." Harry replied.

"It's nothing against Snuffles, Harry!" 

Aviana blinked. "So you come up with the idea and then you decide it's not a good idea because someone other than myself, Ron, Harry and everyone else in the Hog's Head agree with it?" She asked. "Merlin, what is it with people and saying stupid things today? Has everyone actually lost their minds or something?" 

Harry's gaze flickered over to her. "Who else?" He asked, interested. Ron smirked, and Hermione could only glare.

"Draco. Dickhead thinks he would be happy if you lot didn't get to play Quidditch." Aviana replied, shaking her head. "He's actually stupid enough to think that Gryffindor is actually our biggest competition."

Harry's interested flickered, faltering in his words. "...Who is, then?" 

"Ravenclaw, obviously." Aviana brushed him off. "What's this then, Granger. We all know Mrs Weasley would never let anyone do anything ever-"

"Hey-"

"When has she let you do anything like this?" Aviana turned to Ron, expectantly. "I didn't know your mother until this summer, but I am well aware of a Howler you received in second year, and I was actually there when she actively told you, Harry and Hermione, the three people who have actually had more to do with the Dark Lord than any of the Order, excluding Dumbledore, and told you that you shouldn't know what he's been doing. Harry's been facing him continuously since he came to this school and she forbade you from the singular chance you have of being able to defend yourself this year. Considering the pattern, there's a high likelihood that you'll need to be able to do that."

Ron thought for a moment. "You're... right." He admitted, slowly. "As always." He muttered, under his breath.

"Thank you." Aviana hummed. "Well, as I was saying, Mrs Weasley would say no to anything like that. Sirius agreeing doesn't mean that it's a bad idea." 

"Well, it's just that," Hermione began cautiously, it was evident that she was very actively choosing what words she could say. "You don't think he has become... sort of... reckless... since he's been cooped up in Grimmauld Place? You don't think he's... kind of... living through us?"

"What d'you mean, 'living through us'?" Harry retorted, angrily. 

"Yeah, what the fuck does that mean?" Aviana asked. 

"I mean... well, I think he'd love to be forming secret defence societies right under the nose of someone from the Ministry." Hermione said, still ever so carefully. "I think he's really frustrated at how little he can do where he is... so I think he's keen to kind of... egg us on." 

Aviana was glaring, as was Harry. Ron shifted, uncomfortable. Hermione, who didn't really seem to understand her audience, looked between them nervously. 

"Sirius is right," Ron said, as he cleared his throat. "You do sound just like my mother." 

Hermione didn't reply.

"I don't think you know Sirius half as well as you'd like to believe." Aviana replied, loftily. 

"And you do?" Hermione blinked. "You had never even spoken to him until this summer."

"He's my dad, Hermione." Aviana said pointedly. "You don't think I'm well aware of that? And yes, he's reckless, but I don't think that's just because he's been cooped up for years. He's always been reckless. How can you think that he's egging us on simply by supporting a good idea - it's not just Sirius whose agrees with it." 

"Yes, I know that, but-"

"But what?" Aviana repeated. She glanced behind her, as though somehow she had sensed that the group of her Slytherin friends had emerged from the dungeons, because Draco and Theo were staring quite obviously, whilst Pansy made of a fuss of not looking whilst evidently failing. "For fuck's sake." She murmured. "Harry, we've got to go snog in a corridor for a bit, come on." 

Harry's eyes widened as Hermione rolled her eyes and Ron snickered, but he didn't complain as Aviana took his hand and pulled him away. 

And as he followed her through the Entrance Hall, that was a slight inkling of disappointment. Aviana had just stopped calling Hermione by her last name, but Hermione had to go and strike a nerve that she knew would never end well. 

Harry couldn't decide how he felt, but the look of discomfort on Draco Malfoy's face certainly made him happy.  

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