The Sight Of Eternity With You

Harper is our Queen

"That's why we all sing,
Weasley is our king!" 

****

Harper watched a nervous Hermione pacing her dormitory floor, Ginny sat beside Harper braiding Harper's hair. After Harper posted the latest decree about clubs, Hermione was a mixture of confidence and nerves, organizing the group to avoid all suspicion or detection.

"She knows," Hermione muttered, biting at her cuticles.

"We just have to be smart about things, you told everyone the meeting, the time, place...it'll work, Victor and I will be around the floor to help mitigate anything," Harper went over the plan for the hundredth time.

"Thank you for that," she smiled.

"'Mione! Please stop or you'll wear out the floorboards," Ginny added with a sigh.

Hermione looked at the flooring with a frown, looking over her makeshift galleon she'd made for the defense meetings. The one Hermione held was the main device that allowed her to communicate with the fake galleons she'd passed out to the people who had signed the signup sheet at the Hog's Head. Harper was always impressed by how clever Hermione was at the end of the day.

"I still think this is right, but...doesn't mean I'm not terrified of being caught."

"We'll be fine," Ginny nodded confidently, "I'm going to meet Luna. I'll see you in a few hours."

The two waved her off, Hermione looking at Harper with a worried expression as they both sighed.

"So you think this is smart? To keep going?" Hermione asked.

Harper offered her tin of lavender cookies, "we need to do this. Regardless of that woman potentially knowing what we're up to. We've taken literally every precaution."

Hermione let out a shaky breath, biting the cookie as she took a seat on the bed beside Harper.

"Harper? You came here because Dumbledore offered a way to help you with your ability, correct?" Hermione asked after a bit, Harper nodded, filing her nails into almond points with a raised eyebrow. "You said Snape is helping you controlling things?" Another nod, Hermione pursed her lips. "How exactly?"

Harper stopped filing her nails, meeting Hermione's scrutinizing gaze, Hermione looked as if she were holding her breath as she waited for the answer. "He...He goes through my mind, I try to block him. We're working on mastering my occlumency in stressful....situations," Harper sat up straight and glared at Hermione. "Don't tell me I'm not allowed in the meetings...."

"You would-"

"I would not!" Harper protested, tossing her file to the ground. "He doesn't look at my memories! I swe-"

"Harper...." Hermione bit her lip, looking beyond regretful.

"No, please don't kick me out before this even started!" She pleaded, tears pricked the corners of her eyes. This was something she needed, something to keep her grounded, something to look forward to in this living nightmare she was experiencing.

"I...we can't risk-"

Harper gripped the girl's hands tightly, shaking her head, "you can't be serious! Besides when you think about how much I've been betrayed by that tosser, if I showed him my memories of George and I sneaking in Honeydukes recently, he wouldn't even bat an eye at them."

Hermione bit her lip, sighing deeply. Tentatively nodding her head, Harper grinned. "If somehow he does find out through your lessons...I guess I should warn you about the jinx on the parchment I had you sign in case its triggered."