MAGIANIMA // Hermione Granger

I Love You

"Can you tell Ron and Hermione?"

They were on their way back down from the Owlery, Harry and Atlas, after sending their letter off to Sirius, telling them of all the things they had just seen, all the things Dumbledore had told them and most notably, Harry's dream. Atlas had uttered her usual strengthening charm before they left and now they had just entered the Entrance Hall, welcoming the subtle warmth that melted the light cold that had settled underneath their skin from the cool evening's breeze.

Harry looked up at Atlas when she said this, taking the girl in and seeing the heaviness that hung just behind her eyes. She looked exhausted but he supposed after everything that had happened to her lately, it was a valid reaction. In fact, he was surprised she wasn't crashing and burning. He also couldn't help but think back to the way she had looked when he and Ron had finally caught up to her in Divination. The wet hair, dishevelled clothes and reddened eyes. All tell-tale signs of a breakdown, yet Atlas hadn't mentioned it, so, should he? He wanted Atlas to rely on him but didn't really know how to help when she did, they usually just hugged it out.

"Er -- sure," he nodded, seeking to alleviate some stress. Although he did feel the need to remind Atlas of something. "You still need to talk to Hermione though."

"...I know."

"What will you say?"

"I don't know," she shrugged, stumbling up the stairs, Gryffindor Tower growing ever closer and with each step, Atlas grew more and more troubled. "I think I should stop coming to training, I don't want to hurt Ron or Hermione again."

"Hermione won't like that, not one bit. You better not run off again, she was so...not Hermione, it was unsettling and having you missing will just make it worse," Harry pried, idly offering that weeks password to the Lady who offered Atlas a curt hello, the girl returned it but didn't delve into deeper conversation, instead, she continued inside, her insides now churning.

She'd spotted Hermione and Ron by the fire.

"Harry! Atlas!" But Ron was the first to notice them, standing up and beaming, but the look on Atlas's face coupled with Harry's unease seemed to put a dampener on his mood and he immediately grew concerned, intrigued and definitely ready to throw questions at them. Only, Hermione beat him to it but with a much less Harry and Atlas question, in fact, it wasn't a question at all.

"Atlas, we need to talk."

"Harry has something he wants to tell you," Atlas muttered and made for the girls' staircase, "you should listen to him first...I'm gonna go to our dorm."

"But this is urgent --"

"I never said I wouldn't talk to you, just --" Atlas felt herself cracking, a sharp rock lodging itself in her throat as her eyes started to burn but not from their golden glow, no, she was on the brink of breaking. "Give me a moment."

"...ok," Hermione agreed softly.

"Thank you," Atlas nodded and then turned to hurry up the stairs, reaching her door and gently pushing it open, letting it quietly close behind her. 

The little zoo that greeted her at least lifted her spirits, even if it was a minuscule amount, she ended up smiling slightly, sitting on her bed with Crookshanks in her lap, her assortment of flying pets sat on her headboard by her head.

She didn't know how long had gone by, didn't feel the need to check, it felt like an eternity and that was all she needed to know, and she knew Hermione had come up to bed after that eternity, not making a peep as she sat at the foot of Atlas's bed. Atlas didn't know what she was going to say so she waited for Hermione to give her a question to answer. Only it never came, instead, Crookshanks had suddenly left her lap and Hermione was suddenly in her arms, holding her tight.