Fic; Beneath Your Window; Chapter 2//The Decision
Title: Beneath Your Window
Summary: Hermione's life is turned upside down and she figures that the best solution is to run away from it all. What will happen when she realises that she's not the only one running from life?
Characters/Pairings: Draco/Hermione, Harry/Ginny makes an appearance
Genre: Romance/humour
Rating/Warnings: PG-13. Some swearing and mentions of sex, but not much else.
Word Count: 2955
Chapter 1//The End
Chapter 2 // The Decision
It grew more and more clear each day. Every day enforced the thought that had snuck into her head by surprise one morning in her office. Because every day was the same. She would go to work, only to spend the time running and hiding at the slightest whiff of something that looked red. Once, Ginny had found her quivering under her desk with her knees bent and crushed into her chest. It was too much. There were so many places and so many people that triggered memories, reminded her of what she had once had, but had lost so abruptly. She knew she would crumble the moment she had to meet him, and all she could think about was how to postpone it ; that first, heart wrenching meeting.
So that day she made her decision. It wasn’t a difficult decision to make as she stood behind the curtain in her office, only to notice that the man she had hidden from was her own colleague. Adam had looked at her in confusion, tugging on the curtain with force. At first, she held onto it, still feeling the heart race in her chest, but then she calmed down and laughed unnerved at her tendency to see Ron everywhere. Adam quirked an eyebrow at her as she gave a mad cackle, and he pulled the curtain aside, giving her the chance to step forward.
The moment she had signed the papers he held out to her, she knew she had made her decision. Yes, she definitely had. And she had marched straight into her boss’ office, knowing she had worked too hard for too long for him to refuse.
“Are you sure about this?” Ginny asked, dangling her feet as she sat on top of the desk in the guest room. Hermione looked up from the spot on the floor she had eyed as she was lost in thought and gave a short nod.
“I can’t stay here,” she said in exasperation. She drew her hand through her wild curls and sighed heavily. “You know I appreciate everything you’ve done, and you two are the best friends I could ask for....”
“You don’t have to apologise,” Ginny exclaimed quickly, holding her hand up to stop Hermione from continuing. “I just need to know that you know what you’re doing.”
“I’ve rented a small place in a tiny village up north,” she revealed. “Somewhere I know I’ll be left alone, where I can figure this mess out without being afraid of meeting him everywhere I turn.”
“So you aren’t just running from the problems?”
Hermione swallowed. Okay, so she was sort of running from her problems, but no one actually needed to know that, did they?
“All I know is I need to get away for a while to sort out my thoughts,” she replied vaguely. “There are too many reminders and too many confusing relationships to keep going like this.”
Ginny eyed her and nodded in understanding.
“I don’t know how many Weasley dinners I can be invited to without accepting,” Hermione said, giving a bitter smile. “I love your family to bits, but how can I be a part of it now, after everything?”
“Hermione, you know you’re a part of the family. That’s why they keep inviting you.”
“But that’s what keeps confusing me. How can I keep those relationships when I can hardly look at Ron?”
“I don’t know,” Ginny said in resignation, bending her head slightly forward until her hair fell forwards and nearly covered her face.
“These are the things I need to figure out,” she said resolutely. “And I need to do that away from here. Somewhere safe where I won’t know anyone.”
“It makes sense, I suppose,” Ginny replied just as they noticed someone towering in the doorway.
“I hear you’re leaving,” Harry said, still standing in the doorway with a weary look in his eye.
“To get my mind off things,” she shrugged. “You know I don’t want to leave you guys behind, but I just need some time alone.”
He looked severely doubtful at this, and she felt a stab of guilt at leaving him behind. They hadn’t been separated for more than half a summer ever since they met in their first year, and since they left Hogwarts they hadn’t been separated more than a few days at the most. Sighing at the whole, idiotic situation she stepped forward and wrapped her arms around him in a tight hug. Soon she felt his hands wrap around her too, and she sighed against his shoulder.
“I’ll be back soon, I promise,” she said intently as she pulled away. “And I’ll write as often as I can.”
Harry still said nothing, his large, emerald eyes just pierced into her, making her squirm under their gaze.
“Harry, please,” she begged. “I need this. I need to get away, or I’ll go crazy.”
“I can’t say I like this, but I understand why you want to leave.”
She squeezed his hand when she saw the melancholic expression on his handsome face, and when he gave the last attempt of making her stay with his large puppy eyes and competently formed pout, she gave a hearty laugh.
“Harry, I’m not leaving forever. It’s only a few months,” she said with a broad smile, feeling secretly happy that he was so sad to see her leave.
“Damn it, this expression always works on Ginny,” he said with a grimace, but gave a cautious smile nonetheless.
“That’s cause I just find you too cute to resist,” Ginny commented. “Fortunately for her, Hermione has the ability to look past your ravishing beauty, and see straight into your devious intentions.”
Hermione chuckled. “It is a special talent of mine.”
The other two laughed appreciatively, both of their shoulders relaxing slightly.
“When are you going?” Harry then asked, burying his hands in the pockets of his jeans.
”My train leaves in 2 hours,” she said, leaning against one of the posters on her bed. “I’m not bringing much, so I should be ready by then.”
“If anyone should leave, it’s Ron,” Harry growled, digging his hands even deeper into his pockets.
“Harry,” she chastised, but with a slight smile. “I happen to have control over my own actions, and not Ron’s. I can’t force anyone else to leave, but I can give myself the opportunity to.”
Harry gave a final, resigned sigh and turned to help Hermione pack her things.
Nearly 2 hours later, Harry and Ginny Apparated with her to the train station, both with a gloomy look across their faces. Hermione was touched by their concern, and wrapped them both in a hug as they stood together on the platform.
”Thanks for being so nice about all this,” she whispered.
“You’re Hermione, of course we would take care of you,” Ginny simply said, as if it explained everything, and in a strange way it did.
“Be careful, and come back soon,” Harry demanded just as the train pulled into the station, coming to a screeching halt mere feet from them.
“I’ll be back before you know it,” she promised, “and I’ll write”
She gathered her suitcase and her owl in one arm, and used the spare one to wave at the two hunching figures back on the platform. Even if going away was the right thing, she felt a certain sadness at leaving them behind as she made her way through the halls of the train. Soon enough she found an empty compartment, and placed her suitcase on the luggage rack, while she placed her owl carefully in the seat beside her. As the train began moving she could see Ginny and Harry with their arms wrapped around each other, waving at her with rather grim expressions. She waved back, trying to hold back the lump forming in her throat.
It was only for a few months, and it would do her good. She had to repeat it several times to herself, knowing this was one of the hardest things she had ever done. But even so, it was one of the most important things she had ever done. The days at the office where she had ran into hiding several times a day convinced her that she needed time to herself more than anything.
The strange thing was... Hermione was independent, more so than many others, but she had never been truly alone. She had lived with her parents until attending Hogwarts, where she had been inseparable with Ron and Harry, and eventually Ginny. Straight out of Hogwarts they all retreated to Grimmauld Place until the battles had ceased, and once Voldemort had been defeated and life had returned to its more peaceful form, Ron and Hermione had found a flat together.
She was by no means happy to be left alone, but it dawned on her that this was her opportunity to manage on her own for a while. No one to catch her, no one to play safety net. It was her and only her, and in a way it was liberating.
But no matter how liberating it seemed to be, it sure made the train ride boring. She tried looking at the beautiful scenery, but after a while it all seemed to resemble the previous thing and it was as if she had seen it all before. In the end she pulled out the book she had found about the small town, and found herself wrapped up in it until she heard her stop being called.
Moments later the train pulled out of the station, heading even further north, while Hermione stood on the platform peering at her surroundings. Only a handful of others had exited the train along with her, and they were all piling towards the small building that presumably made the station. Hermione took a deep breath before gathering her stuff and went around the building to get in the taxi line. She knew this was a mixed town, and that there were a few wizarding places, but that most of the residents were Muggles. Of course, she had done her research, and knew as much as she could learn from a text book, but it was another thing entirely to be here in person. She got a few weird looks for her owl in the line for the taxis, but she just smiled at the people who stared at her, trying to seem as ‘normal’ as entirely possible. The ones who did not look surprised at her caged owl, gave her a knowing look and a wink, which she returned with crooked smile.
A little while later, the taxi she occupied was heading down a quiet street, not far from the town center. The small houses were all built in Tudor style, in white concrete, but with half timbering decorating the walls. The dark wood contrasted beautifully with the white stone, and the green plants swirling their merry way up the walls of each house gave an especially romanticised feel. Hermione smiled to herself when she noticed the small gardens in front of each house, and when the taxi stopped in front of number 23, she paid before hastily jumping out of the car in her eagerness to soak up every part of her temporary home.
She grinned to herself as the heat from the sun played on the skin of her neck, and the light shone against the tall, narrow windows of her new home. Still in awe at its simple beauty, she opened the gate slowly and stepped onto the narrow path of stones leading up to the large wooden door. To the left of this narrow path was a hedge, separating her yard and house from her neighbour’s, and to its right was a patch of green lawn. She grinned at the sight of a small table and two chairs in the middle of the grass, and almost skipped her way up to the door.
This was more than she had ever expected. It was so peaceful, so incredibly harmonic and beautiful. She felt right at home, feeling that the simple beauty of it complemented her perfectly. Smiling widely, she wandered into the small house, taking in the cute little living room with the large fireplace, the bookshelf and the couch and chair focused around a dark, wooden table. As she turned to her right, a small kitchen came into view, only rooming a small counter and the bare necessity of appliances, as well as a small, square kitchen table by the window with two accompanying chairs.
She sighed happily as she ventured up the stairs, taking the liberty to levitate her suitcase as she was inside and shielded from prying eyes. The short hallway at the top of the stairs revealed two doors on opposite sides of each other. One of them turned out to lead to her bathroom, which was roomy and held both a bathtub and a shower. She smiled contently, before turning around to her bedroom. Since it was the only bedroom of the house, it was large, containing a desk and storage, as well as a beautiful, large mahogany bed. She flopped herself down on it, feeling the smooth fabric of the cover under her fingers. The incredible atmosphere of the house made her worries flutter blissfully far away, and as she began unpacking she knew she had made the right decision to get away for a while. It was such a relief.
The sun hung lower in the sky as she sat outside by the small table in the middle of her lawn with the book from the train propped open in her lap. She sat with her feet curled up underneath her, and she was biting her lip, feeling severely intrigued by the history of the place. While it was small, it had housed several powerful wizards, some of whom she greatly admired for their works in different magical fields. She wasn’t entirely surprised. The town was beautiful with scenery that could inspire even the coldest and least motivated of wizards.
It began feeling chilly, and she looked up to see the sun hang low over the mountains, sending its last beams of mercy before the night called. She closed her book gently, and stepped inside, once again revelling in how welcoming the house really was. As she stood by the kitchen window and looked out over her lawn and the road outside, she smiled serenely to herself, wondering when life had decided to show her mercy.
Hermione got up early the following day, eager to explore the town she had read about. She slipped into her favourite jeans and put on a plain, black t-shirt before putting her hair up in a messy bun. It was perfect for just going outside, walking around aimlessly in her new neighbourhood. The heat of august was still present, and she felt the sun warm her pleasantly as she stepped out of the door, once again breath taken by the lovely green scenery, as well as the growing wildlife. It all seemed so natural. Nothing at all like London, and that was a bit liberating.
It amazed her how short a walk there was into the center of the town. There was no need for any bus or taxi, or even Apparition for that matter. Almost all too soon she had found herself facing the busy street, wizards and Muggles living peacefully side by side, though one side was admittedly quite ignorant about the whole situation. She smiled at the thought, and decided that she would have to find out where the wizard stores were in case she would need something. She always kept some of the most common potions ingredients at hand, as well as some herbs and pre made antidotes. Turning around in awe, she watched the old wooden buildings that made up the town center. It was beautiful. Where had this small town hidden all her life?
When she came to the large, open town square the buildings were centred around, she walked around in awe at the seething life of the small town. There seemed to be some kind of market, with loads of wooden stalls put up around the small fountain in the middle of the square. She loved it. Smiling to herself, she paced from stall to stall, greeting their owners cheerfully in return. It hit her within seconds of seeing the small replica of Hogwarts. She wanted to share this with Ron. She wanted more than anything to have him by her side, gripping her waist, laughing at everything she thought was cute or interesting. She wanted everything to be normal. The feeling of hopelessness that she thought she had left behind in London came rushing back within an instant.
”Familiar castle?” the lady behind the small counter said with an inquisitive glance.
“Very much so,” Hermione managed to press out with a small smile, and the older lady gave her a knowing wink.
The large square no longer felt inviting and charming, but more smothering and all too crowded. Hermione pushed herself through the crowd, feeling her breathing get heavier and she grew more and more desperate to get away from all the people bumping into her. Just as someone nearly knocked her over, she spotted a green wooden door. She didn’t care what was behind it, all she knew was that she needed to get off the crowded street.
Ingeborg//Hufflepuff
Summary: Hermione's life is turned upside down and she figures that the best solution is to run away from it all. What will happen when she realises that she's not the only one running from life?
Characters/Pairings: Draco/Hermione, Harry/Ginny makes an appearance
Genre: Romance/humour
Rating/Warnings: PG-13. Some swearing and mentions of sex, but not much else.
Word Count: 2955
Chapter 1//The End
Chapter 2 // The Decision
It grew more and more clear each day. Every day enforced the thought that had snuck into her head by surprise one morning in her office. Because every day was the same. She would go to work, only to spend the time running and hiding at the slightest whiff of something that looked red. Once, Ginny had found her quivering under her desk with her knees bent and crushed into her chest. It was too much. There were so many places and so many people that triggered memories, reminded her of what she had once had, but had lost so abruptly. She knew she would crumble the moment she had to meet him, and all she could think about was how to postpone it ; that first, heart wrenching meeting.
So that day she made her decision. It wasn’t a difficult decision to make as she stood behind the curtain in her office, only to notice that the man she had hidden from was her own colleague. Adam had looked at her in confusion, tugging on the curtain with force. At first, she held onto it, still feeling the heart race in her chest, but then she calmed down and laughed unnerved at her tendency to see Ron everywhere. Adam quirked an eyebrow at her as she gave a mad cackle, and he pulled the curtain aside, giving her the chance to step forward.
The moment she had signed the papers he held out to her, she knew she had made her decision. Yes, she definitely had. And she had marched straight into her boss’ office, knowing she had worked too hard for too long for him to refuse.
“Are you sure about this?” Ginny asked, dangling her feet as she sat on top of the desk in the guest room. Hermione looked up from the spot on the floor she had eyed as she was lost in thought and gave a short nod.
“I can’t stay here,” she said in exasperation. She drew her hand through her wild curls and sighed heavily. “You know I appreciate everything you’ve done, and you two are the best friends I could ask for....”
“You don’t have to apologise,” Ginny exclaimed quickly, holding her hand up to stop Hermione from continuing. “I just need to know that you know what you’re doing.”
“I’ve rented a small place in a tiny village up north,” she revealed. “Somewhere I know I’ll be left alone, where I can figure this mess out without being afraid of meeting him everywhere I turn.”
“So you aren’t just running from the problems?”
Hermione swallowed. Okay, so she was sort of running from her problems, but no one actually needed to know that, did they?
“All I know is I need to get away for a while to sort out my thoughts,” she replied vaguely. “There are too many reminders and too many confusing relationships to keep going like this.”
Ginny eyed her and nodded in understanding.
“I don’t know how many Weasley dinners I can be invited to without accepting,” Hermione said, giving a bitter smile. “I love your family to bits, but how can I be a part of it now, after everything?”
“Hermione, you know you’re a part of the family. That’s why they keep inviting you.”
“But that’s what keeps confusing me. How can I keep those relationships when I can hardly look at Ron?”
“I don’t know,” Ginny said in resignation, bending her head slightly forward until her hair fell forwards and nearly covered her face.
“These are the things I need to figure out,” she said resolutely. “And I need to do that away from here. Somewhere safe where I won’t know anyone.”
“It makes sense, I suppose,” Ginny replied just as they noticed someone towering in the doorway.
“I hear you’re leaving,” Harry said, still standing in the doorway with a weary look in his eye.
“To get my mind off things,” she shrugged. “You know I don’t want to leave you guys behind, but I just need some time alone.”
He looked severely doubtful at this, and she felt a stab of guilt at leaving him behind. They hadn’t been separated for more than half a summer ever since they met in their first year, and since they left Hogwarts they hadn’t been separated more than a few days at the most. Sighing at the whole, idiotic situation she stepped forward and wrapped her arms around him in a tight hug. Soon she felt his hands wrap around her too, and she sighed against his shoulder.
“I’ll be back soon, I promise,” she said intently as she pulled away. “And I’ll write as often as I can.”
Harry still said nothing, his large, emerald eyes just pierced into her, making her squirm under their gaze.
“Harry, please,” she begged. “I need this. I need to get away, or I’ll go crazy.”
“I can’t say I like this, but I understand why you want to leave.”
She squeezed his hand when she saw the melancholic expression on his handsome face, and when he gave the last attempt of making her stay with his large puppy eyes and competently formed pout, she gave a hearty laugh.
“Harry, I’m not leaving forever. It’s only a few months,” she said with a broad smile, feeling secretly happy that he was so sad to see her leave.
“Damn it, this expression always works on Ginny,” he said with a grimace, but gave a cautious smile nonetheless.
“That’s cause I just find you too cute to resist,” Ginny commented. “Fortunately for her, Hermione has the ability to look past your ravishing beauty, and see straight into your devious intentions.”
Hermione chuckled. “It is a special talent of mine.”
The other two laughed appreciatively, both of their shoulders relaxing slightly.
“When are you going?” Harry then asked, burying his hands in the pockets of his jeans.
”My train leaves in 2 hours,” she said, leaning against one of the posters on her bed. “I’m not bringing much, so I should be ready by then.”
“If anyone should leave, it’s Ron,” Harry growled, digging his hands even deeper into his pockets.
“Harry,” she chastised, but with a slight smile. “I happen to have control over my own actions, and not Ron’s. I can’t force anyone else to leave, but I can give myself the opportunity to.”
Harry gave a final, resigned sigh and turned to help Hermione pack her things.
Nearly 2 hours later, Harry and Ginny Apparated with her to the train station, both with a gloomy look across their faces. Hermione was touched by their concern, and wrapped them both in a hug as they stood together on the platform.
”Thanks for being so nice about all this,” she whispered.
“You’re Hermione, of course we would take care of you,” Ginny simply said, as if it explained everything, and in a strange way it did.
“Be careful, and come back soon,” Harry demanded just as the train pulled into the station, coming to a screeching halt mere feet from them.
“I’ll be back before you know it,” she promised, “and I’ll write”
She gathered her suitcase and her owl in one arm, and used the spare one to wave at the two hunching figures back on the platform. Even if going away was the right thing, she felt a certain sadness at leaving them behind as she made her way through the halls of the train. Soon enough she found an empty compartment, and placed her suitcase on the luggage rack, while she placed her owl carefully in the seat beside her. As the train began moving she could see Ginny and Harry with their arms wrapped around each other, waving at her with rather grim expressions. She waved back, trying to hold back the lump forming in her throat.
It was only for a few months, and it would do her good. She had to repeat it several times to herself, knowing this was one of the hardest things she had ever done. But even so, it was one of the most important things she had ever done. The days at the office where she had ran into hiding several times a day convinced her that she needed time to herself more than anything.
The strange thing was... Hermione was independent, more so than many others, but she had never been truly alone. She had lived with her parents until attending Hogwarts, where she had been inseparable with Ron and Harry, and eventually Ginny. Straight out of Hogwarts they all retreated to Grimmauld Place until the battles had ceased, and once Voldemort had been defeated and life had returned to its more peaceful form, Ron and Hermione had found a flat together.
She was by no means happy to be left alone, but it dawned on her that this was her opportunity to manage on her own for a while. No one to catch her, no one to play safety net. It was her and only her, and in a way it was liberating.
But no matter how liberating it seemed to be, it sure made the train ride boring. She tried looking at the beautiful scenery, but after a while it all seemed to resemble the previous thing and it was as if she had seen it all before. In the end she pulled out the book she had found about the small town, and found herself wrapped up in it until she heard her stop being called.
Moments later the train pulled out of the station, heading even further north, while Hermione stood on the platform peering at her surroundings. Only a handful of others had exited the train along with her, and they were all piling towards the small building that presumably made the station. Hermione took a deep breath before gathering her stuff and went around the building to get in the taxi line. She knew this was a mixed town, and that there were a few wizarding places, but that most of the residents were Muggles. Of course, she had done her research, and knew as much as she could learn from a text book, but it was another thing entirely to be here in person. She got a few weird looks for her owl in the line for the taxis, but she just smiled at the people who stared at her, trying to seem as ‘normal’ as entirely possible. The ones who did not look surprised at her caged owl, gave her a knowing look and a wink, which she returned with crooked smile.
A little while later, the taxi she occupied was heading down a quiet street, not far from the town center. The small houses were all built in Tudor style, in white concrete, but with half timbering decorating the walls. The dark wood contrasted beautifully with the white stone, and the green plants swirling their merry way up the walls of each house gave an especially romanticised feel. Hermione smiled to herself when she noticed the small gardens in front of each house, and when the taxi stopped in front of number 23, she paid before hastily jumping out of the car in her eagerness to soak up every part of her temporary home.
She grinned to herself as the heat from the sun played on the skin of her neck, and the light shone against the tall, narrow windows of her new home. Still in awe at its simple beauty, she opened the gate slowly and stepped onto the narrow path of stones leading up to the large wooden door. To the left of this narrow path was a hedge, separating her yard and house from her neighbour’s, and to its right was a patch of green lawn. She grinned at the sight of a small table and two chairs in the middle of the grass, and almost skipped her way up to the door.
This was more than she had ever expected. It was so peaceful, so incredibly harmonic and beautiful. She felt right at home, feeling that the simple beauty of it complemented her perfectly. Smiling widely, she wandered into the small house, taking in the cute little living room with the large fireplace, the bookshelf and the couch and chair focused around a dark, wooden table. As she turned to her right, a small kitchen came into view, only rooming a small counter and the bare necessity of appliances, as well as a small, square kitchen table by the window with two accompanying chairs.
She sighed happily as she ventured up the stairs, taking the liberty to levitate her suitcase as she was inside and shielded from prying eyes. The short hallway at the top of the stairs revealed two doors on opposite sides of each other. One of them turned out to lead to her bathroom, which was roomy and held both a bathtub and a shower. She smiled contently, before turning around to her bedroom. Since it was the only bedroom of the house, it was large, containing a desk and storage, as well as a beautiful, large mahogany bed. She flopped herself down on it, feeling the smooth fabric of the cover under her fingers. The incredible atmosphere of the house made her worries flutter blissfully far away, and as she began unpacking she knew she had made the right decision to get away for a while. It was such a relief.
The sun hung lower in the sky as she sat outside by the small table in the middle of her lawn with the book from the train propped open in her lap. She sat with her feet curled up underneath her, and she was biting her lip, feeling severely intrigued by the history of the place. While it was small, it had housed several powerful wizards, some of whom she greatly admired for their works in different magical fields. She wasn’t entirely surprised. The town was beautiful with scenery that could inspire even the coldest and least motivated of wizards.
It began feeling chilly, and she looked up to see the sun hang low over the mountains, sending its last beams of mercy before the night called. She closed her book gently, and stepped inside, once again revelling in how welcoming the house really was. As she stood by the kitchen window and looked out over her lawn and the road outside, she smiled serenely to herself, wondering when life had decided to show her mercy.
Hermione got up early the following day, eager to explore the town she had read about. She slipped into her favourite jeans and put on a plain, black t-shirt before putting her hair up in a messy bun. It was perfect for just going outside, walking around aimlessly in her new neighbourhood. The heat of august was still present, and she felt the sun warm her pleasantly as she stepped out of the door, once again breath taken by the lovely green scenery, as well as the growing wildlife. It all seemed so natural. Nothing at all like London, and that was a bit liberating.
It amazed her how short a walk there was into the center of the town. There was no need for any bus or taxi, or even Apparition for that matter. Almost all too soon she had found herself facing the busy street, wizards and Muggles living peacefully side by side, though one side was admittedly quite ignorant about the whole situation. She smiled at the thought, and decided that she would have to find out where the wizard stores were in case she would need something. She always kept some of the most common potions ingredients at hand, as well as some herbs and pre made antidotes. Turning around in awe, she watched the old wooden buildings that made up the town center. It was beautiful. Where had this small town hidden all her life?
When she came to the large, open town square the buildings were centred around, she walked around in awe at the seething life of the small town. There seemed to be some kind of market, with loads of wooden stalls put up around the small fountain in the middle of the square. She loved it. Smiling to herself, she paced from stall to stall, greeting their owners cheerfully in return. It hit her within seconds of seeing the small replica of Hogwarts. She wanted to share this with Ron. She wanted more than anything to have him by her side, gripping her waist, laughing at everything she thought was cute or interesting. She wanted everything to be normal. The feeling of hopelessness that she thought she had left behind in London came rushing back within an instant.
”Familiar castle?” the lady behind the small counter said with an inquisitive glance.
“Very much so,” Hermione managed to press out with a small smile, and the older lady gave her a knowing wink.
The large square no longer felt inviting and charming, but more smothering and all too crowded. Hermione pushed herself through the crowd, feeling her breathing get heavier and she grew more and more desperate to get away from all the people bumping into her. Just as someone nearly knocked her over, she spotted a green wooden door. She didn’t care what was behind it, all she knew was that she needed to get off the crowded street.
Ingeborg//Hufflepuff