Hermione Granger

Mundanes and Muggles

Hermione cleared her throat. "Let's go through the plan one more time," she said. "Ron, you're going to be-" she stopped as she looked up from her notes and spotted Ron ogling the brunette.

Harry nudged Ron, who had his hand raised and his eyes on the waitress.

"What?" Ron turned to Harry, before he looked at Hermione. "What?" he said again, this time to his girlfriend. "I wasn't looking at her like that," Ron said defensively. "I'm hungry. And she's a waitress. You have to raise your hand and really look at them. That's how it's done in the muggle world. Tell her Harry, tell her."

"Ron, her parents are muggles..." Harry said.

"Oh." Ron made that famous "stupid face" of his. "They are, aren't they? I don't really see them much... I forget sometimes."

Hermione sighed. "You're an idiot," she said before she turned back to her notes. "As I was saying-"

The door to the café opened and in walked a loud couple. One had blond hair and reminded Hermione of Draco Malfoy.

"And then I totally tore him up," the blond one said. He had a drawling voice, another similarity shared with the Malfoy. Although, this one seemed to be American. His eyes fell on her at that moment and a smirk appeared on his face. "Hey, Clary," he said to the redhead gazing up at him adoringly, "look at the way those clowns are dressed. England is so weird."

Hermione's eyes narrowed as Harry and Ron turned to look back at the newcomers. The smirk on the blondies face grew into a wide smile. "Look at those blank eyes. Mundies."

The redhead, Clary, tore her eyes away from the blondie to glance at the direction in which he was pointing. She had on an empty expression, one Hermione had seen Ron wear countless amounts of time. Of all the people in that school, of all the Weasleys even, how had she ended up with this one?

A little focus seemed to appear in Clary's eyes. She pulled on the blond ones' hand. "Jace, I think they can see us."

"We can hear you too," Harry said, being his usual helpful self.

Jace stopped smiling. He raised his hand and waved at them, his hand moving at a very slow pace. Hermione sighed again as Harry and Ron followed the hand like five-year-olds, their heads moving left to right and back. No, not even five-year-olds did that anymore. It occurred to her then, she tended to sigh a lot around these two... Maybe if she had been in Ravenclaw... Why on earth did the stupid hat put her in Gryffindor? She sighed again. It was no use thinking of lost opportunities.

"You Mundies can see us?" Jace asked.

"What's a Mundie?" Ron asked, making his stupid face again. "Is that American for muggle?"

"No, it is not American for muggle," Jace said, and he made a face too. One that really reminded her of Draco. Why did she keep thinking of that boy? He was no good for her. He was the type of boy that would break her heart. No, Ron was better, Ron was safe.

"How can you see us?" Clary asked.

Hermione's brows furrowed. "You walked in through the door. You're not wearing an invisibility cloak. Why would we not see you?" she asked.

"What are you? Demons?" Jace asked aggressively. His hand reached into his blue jacket and he pulled out a long blade that started to glow.

Harry and Ron both stood up, their wands out. Hermione remained seated. There was really no need for the dramatics. A simply spell under the table would do. And then they could go back to the business at hand. That reminded her, she still hadn't been able to tell Ron what he needed to do. She sighed again. God knows, she would have to tell him at least another ten times before he finally understood. And then, he would probably mess it up anyway.

Jace laughed. "You know you're holding small sticks, right?"

"Put the blade away or you'll be sorry mate," Ron said.

"You can see the blade?" Jace asked, surprised.

"Yeah... you're holding it out... it's in the open... in your hand. It's quite big and long too... and its glowing... You olrite in the head mate?" Ron asked.

It was a valid question, Hermione thought. She smiled. And that was why she was with him. He might not be Harry, The Chosen One, and he definitely was no Viktor... Ah, Viktor... She wondered what he was doing. Now that was a man. Big, tall, strong, and sensitive too.

"I think they're the demons," Clary said to Jace. She reached into her leather jacket and pulled out a blade too. "Do you want to take the one with the lightening tattoo? I'll take the other one. The girl looks harmless. Maybe she's one of their victims."

It was at that point that Hermione decided she'd had enough. It was one thing to say they dressed like clowns, but to draw out their blades in a pub and then threaten her and her friends, and then to call her harmless? Why? Because she was a girl?

Hermione pulled her wand out and held it under the table. With it aimed at Jace, she mouthed one of the paralysing spells. What happened next, she did not expect. The blond one raised his blade like a shield. The spell bounced of it and hit and hit a tea cup on the table opposite theirs.

Hermione turned to look back at the brunette waitress, expecting a reaction. But there was none. The waitress had her back towards them, headphones plugged in her ears.

Hermione turned to look back at the couple with renewed interest. Jace had moved remarkably quickly to block her spell. He shouldn't have even seen it coming. She supposed it was a good thing to be surprised every now and then. Life with Ron had become a little boring...

"What the hell was that?" Clary asked.

"They're some sort of wizards," Jace said. "I saw that girl mouth something before she tried to jinx me. Luckily, I'm so awesome, of course I blocked it with my blade. Now, Clary, stand back while I kill these filthy downworlders."

Jace moved towards them quickly, pulling out another blade in the process. Ron and Harry both fired curses at him, but he managed to block them as he came closer and closer. Hermione stood up and grabbed hold of the two and just as Jace was about to slice them up, she evaporated. The three of them disappeared and reappeared next to Clary.

Hermione let go of the two boys and grabbed hold of Clary, wand poking her in the back. Harry and Ron both looked a little surprised. Hermione mentally sighed. Of course she was better than them at this. Why wouldn't she be?

"Drop... drop the blade goldilocks," Ron said nervously as he steadied himself.

"Or what?" Jace spat. "You'll poke her in the back with that stick? What kind of Warlock are you?"

"It's a wand you prat. And what are you holding? You look like a reject band member with that crappy haircut. And your sword looks like a glow stick."

"You, insulting my looks? Ever seen your reflection in a mirror? You're about as appealing as you insulting my looks? I am a gift to womankind."

"Womankind? Its mankind you melon, and you, a gift to-"

"Oh, will you both shut up!" Hermione had had enough. "What are you, and what do you want?"

"Don't act like you don't know what we are!" Jace said proudly.

"We don't know what you are," Harry said. "But obviously, you know who we are."

"You're some kind of a warlock that needs sticks for magic," Jace sneered.

"I'm Harry Potter..." Harry said, slightly crestfallen.

"What a stupid name. Fits for stupid warlocks that use sticks! Now let go of Cary you filthy downworlders or I'll slice you in half."

"I'm getting tired of this muggle calling us downworlders. Hermione," Harry turned to look at her. "Cast a spell on him. Make him dance like the clichéd boy-band he looks like he stepped out from."