"I wonder what she'll teach us." Daphne was saying, nervously tugging on her hair. Hermione had never seen her nervous, and it did not look good on her.
"Still I'm sure I already know." Pansy sneered arrogantly, "It's all weaponry. I've been practicing for this since it began!"
Hermione bit her lip to keep from saying a rude comment, but someone else beat her to it. Hooch arrived to see Pansy with Elizabeth Archibald off the ground, a fist ready to strike.
"Parkinson!" Hooch's shrill voice was like a slap to the face. The black haired-girl dropped Elizabeth, who stuck her tongue out at the older girl, which luckily Pansy did not see, "You will be killed first thing in the games if you behave like that!"
"No one can kill me, I'll kill them first." Pansy shrugged off the threat.
"I wouldn't worry about the opponents, I'd worry about the game makers." Hooch said, and then pointed in the corner, "Today, we will begin basic training with a bow, a sword, daggers, and bare hands. You will work at the simplest exercises and master all four of them. I must give you the green to head to the next station. If you finish early, you may go back to your rooms until the next class. If you are still trying to achieve these easy instructions after two hours and fifty minuets, then your dinner time will be used for private lessons with me." She said, "Get into groups of six- I could care less but each gather at a station, so it's at least a little manageable."
Hannah grabbed Ernie and Hermione's hands at once, and Hermione grabbed Elizabeth because she already liked the little teenager. Ernie called over Collin to add another boy, and Hermione wasn't sure who their last person would be, but they went to the archery first. Hermione was picking up the bow hesitantly when she heard the last person speak.
"I guess I'm with you five."
Ugg, Draco.
Hermione spun around, "What? Not budding up with your Slytherin pals?" She asked in a harsher tone than she intended.
"No." He said simply, "Was that not obvious?"
The topic was dropped, and Hermione looked at the instructions. Hooch would be by soon to instruct them on the finer points, but they were free to give it a go until she appeared. She was currently showing Tracy Davis the correct way to swing a sword at the station next to them. It seemed as though she'd be there awhile.
"I've shot a bow before," Collin said, lifting one in his hand and testing the weight, "It's none too difficult. All we have to do is hit the target at least six times, not in a row, but one has to be a bulls eye. Easy."
"Easy for you!" Hannah rolled her eyes, "Show us, oh great Master?" Collin picked up a bow, and strung the arrow. He breathed deeply, and aimed for one of the six targets at the end of the little area, and steadied himself. The arrow was let go with a twang and had nearly hit the bulls eye. Hannah muttered sourly. Hermione was not hesitant to pick up the bow, but shooting it was a whole other story.
Wand fights were so...easy. All you had to do was aim and be a decently good spell caster. It was vastly different to hold something so bulky in your hands, and then be expected to string something, pull back, aim, and shoot with deadly accuracy.
He first try was an epic fail of large proportions. She didn't even make it to the target, but only a little half way there. Okay, she needed to pull back farther. Beside her, Hannah was swearing up a storm as she attempted miserably to even get the arrow on the string. When she did, she couldn't hold it up, and she hissed sourly. Collin was letting them fly with ease, and Hermione knew that he would be done soon. He was giving Hannah side comments as he saw her struggle, but they were more exasperated than anything.
Ernie was strong, but a horrible aimer. All his arrows embedded themselves in the walls all around the target, anywhere but. "You should have at least hit one of those!" Collin cried in frustration. Ernie gave a shrug, before stopping everyone and jogging out to pry his arrows back. Elizabeth was at least shooting, but they all hit the rim of her target, and Hermione could see her shaking fingers as she raised the arrow to her face, squinting one eye in the hopes of making it farther up the circle.
And then...there was Draco, the smug little bastard, standing next to his shooting line causally. Hermione was at first going to ask if he didn't know how, but then noticed that he was already done. Bullocks. Draco noticed her watching.
"How do you know how to shoot a bow?" She asked, the words slipping out.
"My mom." He shrugged, "Thought it was manly and worth a little heirs time." There was an acidic tone to his voice, and Hermione could at least understand his anger. Never in a million years had he imagined that the Dark Lord's golden boy would be dragged into this mess, he thought he'd graduate and learn the finer things of being a millionaire. Life was a bitch, wasn't it?
"Of course." Hermione was not letting any filters stop what she had to say, they might be dead anyway soon. She ignored him, and lifted her bow, this time making it a wee bit closer to the target. Draco sighed.
"No, no. You'll never hit the target like that!" He insisted. Hermione groaned, spinning on him.
"How do you know?" She asked, and Draco silently glanced at his own completed activity in response. Okay, so maybe he knew a few things, but that meant he had no right to judge.
What really surprised Hermione, thought, was he set down his own bow and remaining arrows and came to where she stood. He made a pose, "You're slouching, and all. You need a firm, steady posture. Use your mouth as an anchor."
"My mouth as a what?" She repeated, not getting what he was saying. Draco motioned for her to get into the stance, and fixed her arms. Then, he picked up his own bow and pulled the arrow back by his jaw line.
"See, an anchor. Steady it there, and you'll aim much better."
"But I feel like it's pulled back too much." She argued.
"Just try it, Granger." He snapped and Hermione swung it up.
"Fine!" She said, and did what he said, and let the arrow go. It would fail, and then she could tell him to-there was a soft thud, and she turned. The arrow was almost at the bulls eye, just an inch away. Draco gave a slightly arrogant smirk, then waved Hooch over. Hermione was positively sour finishing her archery, which she thankfully did after half an hour. Hannah was catching up, and the men had already moved on. Elizabeth was close to being done too.
"Maybe I'm just not cut out for archery. Maybe I'll be better at daggers or something." She sighed, looking at her three arrows on the target. Hermione was waiting for Hooch to dismiss her.
"You'll get it eventually. Look- half way done!"
"Blaise already lapped me." She said grudgingly.
"Yeah, he lapped me too. What else is new?" Hermione shrugged, unworried. Hooch came over, and Hermione left her friend regretfully, as she moved onto the swords. The first one she picked up was too heavy, and she buckled forward, groaning. No, this was not how it was supposed to work. Surly not.
"Perhaps, a lighter one." She muttered to herself, and examined them all carefully. The next one she picked up was not too strenuous, although she was slightly afraid on any back swing she'd hit herself, but nothing could fix that.
Her assignment was to battle a magical simulator until she won. It was set to the beginner's level, and first it took her through a few basic steps. She recalled in the muggle word once her best friend had dragged her to one of her fencing matches, and the moves here seemed rather similar. Step and swish. Block. Again. Go. Her thoughts became little emotions of detached thought, as she really focused. Her arms ached totally.
But she made it through in much better time than her archery. When she was done, of course, she dropped the sword. It hit the ground with a loud clatter- that no one paid attention to- and Hermione resented the fact now she'd have to move to the next station. She was sweating, thirsty, and her whole body was all ready too sore. How did she ever expect she'd finish daggers and bare hands? She thought about calling Hooch over for a moment, to ask for some water before she moved on, but then took a moment to place herself in Hooch's shoes.
"When you're tired in the games, and thirsty, do you simply think you can just have a nice cup of water? Get to the daggers." She hated how good her Hooch impression was.
Seamus, who for sure she thought would be done, was on of the few people milling around. And he was doing horribly. Much the same concept with the archery- but instead of a bow, there was little sets of deadly knives.
Seamus saw Hermione's glance, and scowled. "I'm not usually a lefty." He growled sourly, and now that Hermione saw his right hand- bandaged and swollen, she averted her gaze.
She wasn't going to ask what had happened. She didn't really care. But Seamus told her anyway.
"First round was hand to hand. Blaise fights dirty, nasty Slytherins. Hooch wasn't even going to bandage my hand, bleedin' all over the place! I pointed out we need to be our best for the games, and losin' a pint of blood wasn't gunna help me. Can't do anything with it. Migh' not even be better by the games. Wanker sabotaged me, and Hooch didn't even say nuthin!" He ranted, and Hermione felt a little bad for him. He had a week, but his dominant hand was going to be awfully gentle and needy when he went in.
Bloody Slytherins indeed.
"Can you throw at all?" Hermione asked. Seamus gave her a dead-panned look, his gaze sliding over to where all his daggers lie innocently on the ground.
"I could'a been done by now." He shook his head, "Like Draco or Caligula. But I'm gunna be here during dinner cuz I can't throw straight at all."
He stepped back, offering Hermione his throwing spot, stating that he wasn't going to get much use of it, and Hermione should at least have the chance to move on. Hermione had better accuracy here, as it was like throwing a spell. Her spell arm was strong, and she wasted no time completing her series. She waved Hooch down, about to move on...and then looked at Seamus. He was twirling a sheathed knife around his fingers, and kept dropping it. He would be here all night.
Darn it, she was just too nice.
"Seamus finished his set. He couldn't flag you down." Hermione made an impulsive decision, lying with accuracy. Seamus nearly dropped the knife on his foot. Hooch seemed suspicious.
"With that mangled hand?" She asked.
"It took him a long time. He's really strong though. And good aim." Hermione lied quickly, trying to shoot him a glare that said to just accept it.
"Let him talk fro himself." She scrutinized the Scott.
"Uh...yes ma'am. I did." Seamus recovered his surprise swiftly, and nodded. Hooch looked at the knife in his hand.
"Prove it. Throw that one. Hit the target." She barked.
"I mean, it took a long time I may-," Seamus blubbered but Hooch silenced him. He gave a defeated sigh and took the cover off. Hermione watched and prayed to Merlin he just made this ONE shoot- and it hit. Sorely off target from the bulls eye, down almost off the board, but by Scott he did it.
"Fine. Finnigan, you can be done." She said, "Impressive."
She left, and Seamus looked at Hermione.
"Don't say a thing. Just go." Hermione walked over to the board and pried the seven knives away, "You don't owe me anything."
Seamus seemed conflicted, but she turned to him, knives in hand. She must have had a threatening look on her face, because he scrambled away and out the doors of the training area.
Hermione took even less time on her own set. She was pretty sure Hooch knew what she had done for Seamus, but didn't say a word. Small miracles.
A bigger miracle was at the bare-hand station. All the highly trained people had already gotten done, leaving mostly girls and under-qualified fighters at that. Not that Hermione was a karate master or anything, but she was slightly confident in her abilities.
There was this raised platform, surrounded by obnoxiously squishy pillows about five feet below. You just had to knock your opponent from the platform. McGongall was referring, saying she was called in after Blaise had 'accidently' crushed Seamus' hand with his foot, to make sure there was no foul playing.
She climbed onto the platform to face Elizabeth. She felt bad, really bad, about fighting the young girl in hand-to-hand combat. She looked so tiny, so little. Elizabeth shook her head.
"Susan's up next. I'll let you beat me, because I know I can beat her next. I don't want to waste my energy on this." She said.
"Let's make it look a little believable." Hermione compromised, mentally adding this girl to her list of allies, and the fight began. They play-fought for a bit, fake punches and hits, until they were rolling on the ground. Hermione knew it was silly to pretend she was really getting bested by a small 13 year old, but they kept up this pretense until Elizabeth nodded, and made it look like she failed as Hermione 'roughly' pushed her off the platform.
Elizabeth gave a thumbs-up to Hermione as she got down, one that no one else could see. As she had said, Susuan was up there, looking terrified. Hermione decided a nice shower before he next class was quite in order.
A little flutter rose in her chest when she saw who was next-Fred.
He looked same as always, the wide smile, the ginger spiked hair, the galaxy of freckles across his nose. And when she entered, he scooped her up big in a bear hug.
"Hermione!" She squawked as he lifted her feet from the ground. She pushed against him, and he let her go, but then a little smile just melted off his face. He set his hands on her shoulders, "Ah, Hermione. I am so sorry." He murmured, "About...this..."
"I chose it, Fred. Unlike the unlucky ones. I didn't have to be here." She reminded him.
"You are a true Gryffindor and I want you to know that I'm rooting for you." He said in all seriousness.
"But your brother..."
"Ron is Ron." Fred touched his neck, "I want him to win too, but he's not like you are. Would he have sacrificed himself for a small child? Maybe- I really couldn't tell you. But you, as soon as her name was called I got this sick feeling because I knew what you were going to do."
"I didn't even know what I was doing."
"Exactly. It's in your blood, it's an instinct. This also makes you someone that quite a lot of people are now going to be watching. No pureblood wants to see eleven-year-olds fight. They're not that sadistic."
"I would disagree." Hermione coughed under her breath the names of some particularly nasty death eaters.
"Not the majority." He argued firmly.
Hermione gave a long sigh. "Okay, what are you supposed to be teaching me? Other than winning the first games, what skills do you have?" She asked. Fred slapped a hand to his heart.
"Mione! I'm hurt!" He gaped, "C'mon think harder."
"All I can think of are the little pranks you and George made when you were younger." She shrugged. Fred snapped.
"Exactly!" He nodded enthusiastically, "Did you think just anyone could make those?"
Hermione thought about it for a moment. It had been eons since she'd seen a Weasley product, and it had been in her younger years. But come to think about it...
"Those were rather advanced skills and spell work." She admitted, frowning, "Actually, it's all rather brilliant."
"Hermione Granger called me brilliant. I can die happy now. No really, can I get that in writing?" He teased, and Hermione playfully pushed his shoulder.
"It's different than potions..." She murmured out loud.
"Someone compared us to what you muggles call...oh, a chemist?" He scrunched his nose, "But look- we didn't have a lot of money,"
"None if I recall," Hermione interjected.
"So we couldn't buy really high tech ingredients. We began by raiding mother's kitchen and dad's array of muggle cleaning supplies and went from there. What I'm trying to say is that first, the ingredients are not too difficult to come by, and second we specifically engineered them to be pranks."
"But...?" She asked. Fred gave her a long look.
"But they can also be deadly." He finished and a shiver ran up her spine.
"But the magic! I can't do magic without my wand in the area."
"We both know MG will enable you to do wand less magic, and most of the magic came from the ingredients over spell work." He said, and then went to a back cabinet, and took out a thick folder, "I've mapped out at least two dozen different things that could be possibly be useful and made in the area. Over the next few days, also utilizing the practice of your wand less magic, we are going to have you make these over and over until you can at least make ¼ in your sleep." He said proudly.
Hermione glanced over the schematics. The first one she picked up was a darkness bomb, which she recalled from a more playful prank. But, she realized, in the area, this could be offensive or defensive. But that looked difficult to make.
Fred stood by silently, like a proud parent, as she carefully leafed through the forty or so designs. It seemed each was more complex and different from the next. But yet, all were seemingly able to be re-created with little ingredients or magic. "These are incredible." Hermione murmured.
"Hold your applause," Fred said, and his fingers traced over the mass of papers, "Which one first?"
"Oh, there's so many, and I..." Hermione paused, "Pick your favorite."
Fred, quick as a bolt, swiped up one seemingly randomly from the middle of the pile. "I had hoped you'd say that."
They spent the time re-creating about eight of Fred's creations from real bombs to a dizzy cloud. Each were numbered and Fred made Hermione copy down a list with little key words. "In the area, if you ever need one of these, just find some way to trace the number really big in dirt or something, and I'll get you what you can't get there." He assured.
Hermione tucked the list into her back pocket as she went to the next lesson; Oliver back in the large room. Ugg, Hermione didn't even have to guess what this lesson was on.
"Flying!" Oliver said enthusiastically when all the Gryiffindors were present, "Is what got me through the competition. If you can have someone send in a broom, or even make one yourself, you are on a whole different level than anyone else that is stuck on the land." Hermione felt her stomach clench.
"How do we make our own broom?" Lavender asked, smacking her gum and tilting her head, "That seems like a ton of effort."
"Well it is, but it could save you. I made my own." Oliver let his pride seep over everyone for a moment than nodded, "I only have an hour- not NEARLY enough time- but for the first half-hour I'll assess your flying skills. For the second, I'll give you a crash course on broom making."
Hermione didn't have to be in divination to know that this was going to be bad. An hour later, she realized she had been wrong.
It was horrible.
After the first few minuets of her flying, Oliver had called her back down and informed her that her flying was less than desirable. Although he'd kept and optimistic smile on his face, it was perhaps clear in his tone that the broom get-away should be a last resort, which she whole-heartedly agreed with.
The last fifty minuets of classes for the day was with Cedric. Maybe it was just her imagination, but he looked happier than usual. Or she could be wrong; Hufflepuffs were naturally a cheery group.
His instruction was with a joint class of Gryffindors and Slytherins. The two houses firmly separated into the different groups by themselves, until Cedric put a stop to that.
"Look, you might think that you can always trust your teammates in the games, your house, but think again." He said, a pained smile on his face.
"And you're saying we can trust those snakes better?" Ron spit a little when he asked.
"Perhaps." Cedric shrugged.
"Bull," Blaise scoffed, "You can't trust anyone."
Cedric paused. "Okay, true, you are all fighting for yourself. But trust me, I've watched and played this game. Believe me when I say that you will not make it to the end unless you have any sort of alliance." He said.
"That sounds like a challenge!" Pansy said. Cedric hit his forehead.
"Ugg, no!" He frowned, "I mean, do you guys even know each other?"
"Do I want to?" Pike asked, raising an eyebrow.
"I know their names!" Tracey said raising a hand, "There's Sea-Mush, Ron, Uh...Collin something...Her-moi-ne, Lavender, and Fairy!"
"It' Faye." Faye said, irritated.
"Exactly what I mean." Cedric said.
"Don't group me in the same idiot grouping as her." Daphne gave a disgusted scoff, "I know their names."
"But do you know much else? I doubt it. What I had planned was something totally different, but this changes. We're going to do a little get-to-know each other.
The groan that emitted was mutual.
"See! You already all have something in common!" Yes, Hermione decided Cedric was usually this happy. Cedric pulled out his wand and waved it at a stack of papers. He handed a packed out to everyone.
"You will meet with everyone here- house mate or not- and do this little questionnaire. It won't let you go until you answer it and answer it honestly." He said with a smirk.
It was a fairly simple and not too personal questionnaire. Full Name, Date and Place of Birth, Blood-Type (Magical and Non-Magical), Favorite Food, Favorite Animal, Favorite Spell, Favorite Childhood Memory, Last Person You Said 'I Love You' to, and One Secret They Don't Know About You.
When Hermione figured it was fairly simple, she underestimated the stubbornness of her house-mates and savageness of Slytherins. She, logically, knew that the sooner they got through this the sooner she could go up and eat and have free time or learn something more useful. No one else seemed to think this way, though, and just stood around the groups of chairs set up, waiting until Cedric literally forced them into a chair.
It was interesting, if nothing more. True, most answers weren't surprising, but also not unsurprising, but average at most. The average part was what surprised her. Pansy, when replying to these questions, seemed almost normal. It wasn't like her favorite food was blood, which Hermione may have been expecting just a little.
Draco was clearly missing from the group, the one Slytherin Hermione could even somewhat stand. His disappearance was very curious to her.
It was just strenuous to get through everyone. Cedric finally sighed.
"You all seemed tired, and I'm not going to fight you all anymore. You're dismissed." He said with a wave of his hands. There was almost a fist-fight to get out of there.
Hermione went straight up to her room when she saw Seamus heading there to inform him she'd have company tonight. It was only the polite thing to do.
"Really? Me too." He said.
"Hannah's coming up for dinner and hot tubs, and I'm putting up a curtain. I swear to Merlin, Seamus, if you try to peek at us I will find a way to hex your balls off." She threatened, stringing up a bed sheet. It wasn't like they had thought to bring swim-suits, so underwear would have to do.
"Hear ya' mate. No lookin'." He said, "Me 'nd my boys are gunna be up 'ere just having a pint."
"Seamus you're-," Hermione stopped to yell at him for drinking.
"Being sent off into an area o' death. Yeah, I think we can have some liquor without bein' mothered." He said, and Hermione shut her mouth.
At a little after 9:10, Seamus' friends arrived. Ron, Michael, Colin, and Justin all came in loudly through the door.
"Hermione's not saying anything about us drinking? What kind of alternate universe is this?" Ron asked, tipping a fire-whisky can to her. She clamped her mouth shut, and turned around.
"You're welcome to join us!" Justin called after, and she gave a fake smile.
"No thank you, I'm fine." She said in a hard edge, straining the noodles from the pan. The men all laughed about something, and Hannah thankfully came to her rescue. She said noting as they took their plates of spaghetti and milk glasses over to behind the curtain where the hot tub lay. There were a few cat-calls and whistled, and she figured Seamus told the boys where they were going. Hannah opted to strip down completely, to which Hermione raised an eyebrow.
"I thought Hufflepuffs had more shame."
"I'm done with being afraid of life." Hannah muttered, throwing her ball of clothes angrily at the window. Hermione, who decided to stay in her knickers and bra, didn't say anything.
The hot tub was heavenly. Hannah seemed ravenous, and ate her whole plate and half of Hermione's.
"How was Cedric?" She asked, and Hannah blushed really hard.
"He kissed me." She whispered softly, touching her lips.
"...And?" Hermione asked, "How do you think it's going to work?" She asked, "You're going to an area soon..."
"It's technically probably not allowed, but he's coming up to my room tonight. Sneaking in to be with me. I feel so lucky."
"Hannha..." She began, sighing.
"Hermione. This time next month, I might be dead. I've been a perfect, pristine, pure little girl my whole life. I never drank or did drugs, I only kissed a boy sweetly when I turned sixteen, still a virgin, never went to a party, missed Quidditch games to get perfect grades...and I thought, I would be rewarded for this. But where did it get me? Chosen by random to be killed by psychopaths in some stupid 'game'." She said.
"If you want to see it that way..." Hermione started uneasily.
"I'm done being that girl, Hermione. I'm not going to go whoring around or anything, but I'm going to live what little life I have left and not worry so much about consequences or what society would say. I'm not going to die in there wondering what could have happened between Cedric and I, but that I never did because I wanted to save myself for my wedding night. I'm not thinking that day's going to come anymore..."
Hermione sat in silence. She sunk farther into the water, considering her friend's words. "it's not the stupidest thing I've ever heard..." Hermione admitted.
"Exactly." Hannah agreed, and then tilted her head to hear the boys all loud outside, "Yo Justin! Bring one of those bottles in here!" She called.
"Hannah!" Hermione dove to cover herself, "You're naked!"
"Oh, whatever. I'm pretty sure Justin is as straight as my curls, which as you see, are perfect today. And he might be bi, but this is sorta that not caring I just told you about."
"You're crazy." Hermione began to laugh at everything.
"Crazy people win wars, Hermione." Hannah said, and accepted the bottle from Justin, whose eyes were wide. He left, backing away and Hannah shrugged, "Bi." She decided.
"Gee, if there was one person I could have the pleasure of being trapped in a death area with, I'm glad it's you."