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HERMIONE Jean Granger was having a bad night. Harry had thrown a tantrum in the boys dorm to her and Ron, ranting about Liana, and, once she'd left the boys dorms she'd had to deal with the drunken Liana trying to rock crookshanks to sleep in her arms till one in the morning.
She sat in her bed with the drapes drawn back so she could feel the warmth of the watery winter sun on her legs as the morning light crept into the room. She had officially stayed up all night.
She paused as her quill hovered over a clean piece of parchment, wondering if she should write to someone about Liana and Harry. Molly maybe? Or Remus?
However she frowned at once as she heard a loud noise coming from Liana's side of the dorm. It sounded like Liana fighting something behind the curtains of her four poster and Hermione quickly climbed to her feet and tip toed past Parvati and Lavender's beds to reach Liana's.
She pulled the curtain back an inch but had to duck at once as Liana's balled up fist shot out of no where towards her head. Hermione regained her balance and pulled the rest of the curtain back with wide eyes, ready to scold Liana for nearly knocking her nose off.
But Liana didn't have her eyes open. Instead she lay twisted among the sheets upon her bed , her forehead shiny with sweat and her arms flailing about above her as she writhed around like she was in pain. Her chest heaved like she was running a marathon and her eyelids constantly twitched.
Hermione opened her mouth. Maybe Liana was having the same nightmares that she had told Hermione about. But Hermione could recall in one of the medical magazines she had once read in her parents dental surgery that you should never wake up a person having night terrors. Unsure what to do Hermione simply drew up a stool and perched on it next to Liana's bed, waiting for the girl to wake up.
Only Liana didn't wake up, instead she began to flail ever more, her arms and legs thrashing about her the covers which were sticking to her skin with the sweat. Her red hair like a pool of blood that flowed around her head and her mouth moved all the time as she began to speak to herself. Hermione strained her ears curiously as she tried to understand what Liana was saying.
"Stop the noise, stop the voices," Liana muttered to herself sporadically as she clutched a hand to her head and ran her fingernails along her cheeks, leaving aggravated red marks.
Hermione began to panic slightly and stood up again, rocking on the balls of her toes not knowing what to do. Finally she gave in and shook Liana. Hard.
At first she didn't think it had worked so tried shaking Liana again, grabbing her shoulders and jerking her around firmly.
"Ouch," Liana groaned as she opened her eyes and tried to escape Hermione hold. "What the hell Hermione?"
"What is wrong? Are you okay?" Hermione pestered her with questions at once, peering at the scratches Liana had managed to give herself along her face.
"I'm fine," Liana huffed. Hermione raised an eyebrow skeptically.
"I had another nightmare where I was in the maze again," Liana admitted "but this time it was worse, I could hear Harry's voice instead of the noises, and he was screaming at me-" She shivered at the memory.
"Promise me you won't say anything about this?" Liana begged, reaching for Hermione's hands so she was forced to look into Liana's eyes.
"I don't know Liana- don't you think you should tell someone about all of this?" Asked Hermione doubtfully, biting her lip cautiously, she didn't want to make any promises she couldn't keep.
"No I shouldn't, they'll read too deep into it. I'm perfectly fine aren't I?" Liana assured. Hermione wanted to answer a very strong 'no' to that question as she still remembered how Liana had fallen apart at the party last night.
"I suppose- alright, I promise," Hermione sighed. She gave Liana a quick and rather unexpected hug.
"What's this for?" Smiled Liana, ignoring her pounding head from her disastrous hangover.
"I just thought you looked like you needed a hug," shrugged Hermione gently as she gave Liana an extra tight squeeze.
"Move over," Hermione instructed as she clambered into Liana's bed next to her. Liana grinned as she snuggled into Hermione's side and began braiding Hermione's long hair absentmindedly.
"Liana, just out of curiosity- how much do you remember of last night?' Asked Hermione, trying her best to sound casual. Liana groaned and buried her head in her hands.
"Too much," Liana told her "I remember screaming my drunk head off at Harry and Cho," she sighed. "I'm such an idiot Hermione."
"Well, Harry's not going to date Cho anymore," Hermione disclosed with a slight smirk.
"Really?" Liana exclaimed, unable to keep the excitement out of her voice. "Oh um- I mean- really?" She corrected herself, trying to sound disinterested and cool. Hermione just snorted.
"Cho left him at the party last night. Harry stomped off back to our common room and just sat in bed with a bottle of fire whiskey complaining about how his dad must've had it much easy with his mum," Hermione smiled at the memory. "It was quite funny really."
Liana giggled, "I bet, I've never seen Harry drunk before."
"You don't want to- he has worse mood swings than Ron. Honestly, he was fuming one minute and in tears the next."
Liana laughed but it quickly died away as she came to the realisation that she was the cause of all that.
"How do I apologise Hermione? How can I move on from this?" Liana questioned. Hermione patted Liana's shoulder. She didn't quite know how to answer Liana, as much as she wanted her two best friends to be happy it seemed they could only stop fighting long enough to kiss.
"I think time is key." Hermione decided after a few moments of silence. "I think you both need to mature first before you can even get along properly. You both have terrible tempers and until you can calm down and think rationally, it's probably best for you to keep your distance."
"Ugh you're right- I hate it when you're right," sighed Liana. "I guess I just miss him sometimes."
"So you didn't mean it?- Yesterday when you said you hated him?" Hermione asked gently. Liana shook her head after a moment.
"No, I don't think so- he drives me insane but I could never hate him. It's Harry after all."
Hermione just nodded. She knew what Liana meant without having to ask. It was Harry. The same Harry that bought Liana filibuster fireworks for her fourteenth birthday, the same Harry that she used to cuddle with every night in the common room and the same Harry who she rode Buckbeak the hippogriff with for the first time.
"Do you think we could ever date?" Wondered Liana, fiddling with her thumbs. "Not that I'd want to," she added quickly, scared of what it sounded like she was implying.
"Maybe one day, maybe not. But whether you're dating or not I hope we'll all be friends again soon."
"Ron as well- it feels like I haven't had a proper chat with him in months," Liana frowned at the thought of her red headed friend. She just sighed.
"Listen, do you think you could come to Madame Pomfrey with me?- I could really do with a hangover cure," Liana questioned as she clambered out of bed, noticing that she was still in her crumpled clothes from last night.
"Of course," smiled Hermione and she watched Liana cross to her dresser to get changed.
"Could you switch the lights on for me?" Asked Liana as she bent over, sorting through her robes slowly.
Hermione stood up to reach for the matches to light the candle by her bedside table, not wanting to blind Liana quite yet, especially since her head was probably splitting open already. However before Hermione could even touch the matches, the candle flickered alight.
"Thanks Hermione," Liana called behind her. Hermione stood frozen, her eyes glued wide open.
"How did you do that?" Hermione asked in shock as she stared fixated at the candle. Liana frowned as she looked around, holding a deep red cloak in one hand and a pair of mismatched socks in the other.
"Do what?" Liana frowned as she looked at the astounded Hermione in confusion.
"Light the candle?" Hermione encouraged, raising an eyebrow.
"Didn't you do it?" Liana scoffed as she eyed Hermione. Liana didn't have a clue what had just happened but she didn't have a good feeling about it.
"No- is this just a trick Liana?" Hermione sighed.
"Of course it's not a bloody trick!" Liana exclaimed as she rushed over to peer at the candle which was flickering merrily with a warm glow.
"I can't put it out!" Hermione panicked as she tried to blow out the candle. "You try!" She told Liana. Liana advanced towards the candle but before she had even touched it, it extinguished.
"Fucking hell!" Liana exclaimed as she leapt back, "what did I do?!"
"Try and light it again," Hermione suggested.
"But I don't know how I did it the first time!" Liana cried.
"Are you sure now isn't a good time to go to Professor Dumbledore?" Implored Hermione, her eyes wider than two tennis balls.
"I've changed my mind- I'll go," Liana nodded firmly as she bolted to the door, dashing down the stairs in her alcohol smelling clothes from last night. There had to be a reasonable explanation for this.
Liana never had been able to manipulate candles and light before, it must've been her hangover playing tricks on her. But all the same, Liana had an uneasy feeling that whatever had just happened wasn't going to be the last time.
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AN
I hoped you liked this chapter- it was just a filler really. I get kind of anxious updating new chapters at the moment idk.
I won't be able to update for probably a week or so as I'm on holiday :)
I love you all so much you have no idea <3 stay positive and strong for me.
Xoxo