The Last Black (Hermione Granger x Male Reader) Vol.2

CHAPTER THREE: August 1995

Two weeks after I had settled into Grimmauld Place, we were joined by the Weasleys, and Hermione Granger - since her family had gone away on holiday and would not return before school started again. Mum had asked for my permission to invite them to stay with us, and I couldn't refuse her. My only condition was that I wouldn't have to spend too much time with them. I missed Hermione enormous amounts, but I knew it was probably for the best that I discreetly ended things with her. This started with giving her the cold shoulder, as much as it pained me to do so.

The only people who knew about my condition were Mum, Remus, Sirius and Dumbledore. I'd yet to speak to Dumbledore about whether or not I'd be able to return to school in September since I hadn't been in an Order meeting with him yet. Lupin said he was busy a lot of the time on his own personal missions, and only really came to the crucial meetings. It was insanely difficult keeping it a secret from Hermione and Bridgett, who were constantly sending me owls. They were the people I wanted to tell the most, but I dreaded to think of the way Hermione might react, and I couldn't lose Bridgett, she was my best friend.

The Order meetings were pretty boring. I usually just sat in silence as the others talked. It was good seeing Dora though; her jokes and banter always made me laugh, even if they only annoyed Mad-Eye. It was quite nice to get to know Moody properly. He'd came and told me himself about what had happened after the third task. The cup being a portkey made a lot more sense now though. It was Barty Crouch Jr. who had placed it in there, so he would have been able to put a spell on it. We'd all come to the decision that my involvement with the order would be mainly research. I wasn't too bothered about not being able to go on missions or anything, it wasn't as though I could, since I couldn't use magic outside of school. All I needed to do was listen out for any whispers or anything in school - if I was allowed back - and use my skills in divination to assist in any planning.

Professor Snape came along to quite a few of them too, but I didn't particularly want to talk to him; it was too strange seeing a current professor outside of school.

The day Hermione arrived with the Weasleys was the worst. I stood at the door to my bedroom with my ear against it so I could listen to whatever was happening downstairs. Mum was greeting them at the door and helping them bring their stuff inside. "Where's (Y/N)?" Hermione asked my mum worriedly, "he hasn't been responding to my letters."

"Oh, he's just a bit unwell, dear," Mum told her sweetly.

"Could I see him?" Hermione questioned; her tone laced with concern.

"Probably best we just left him alone," Mum replied, I could tell she wanted to let Hermione come up to my room, but I'd made her promise she wouldn't make me see anyone.

I heard footsteps coming upstairs and locked my door, just in case anyone walked in on accident. The last thing I wanted was to be bombarded by questions I didn't want to answer.

The bite no longer hurt, and I'd learned loads from Remus about werewolves; like how our senses were heightened, which explained why I could tell what Mum was cooking for dinner from my room two floors above, and why I could hear conversations from a few rooms away. He'd also told me about how I might feel sick when the moon began its final phase into the full moon. Remus had also explained how the wolfsbane potion worked. If I ever got my hands on it, all I would have to do is drink one, once a day for the week leading up to the full moon, and then the transformation would be a lot less painful, and I'd be able to retain my human mind with little effort. The potion was expensive and difficult to get a hold of though, and incredibly complex to brew, which meant I'd have to just endure the full moon until I could either find somewhere that sold it, or I could brew it successfully.

I wanted to talk about all this with Hermione, or Bridgett, but I knew I couldn't. At least not right now, perhaps not ever.

Ginny and Hermione had been assigned the bedroom next door to mine, which was bad planning on my mother's part. The walls in the house were thick, but I could hear every single word they said inside their room. "He didn't reply to any of my letters," Hermione complained, "and now he won't even let anyone see him!"