Innocent

c h a p t e r s e v e n

SINCE HERMIONE HAD EXHAUSTED THE LAST BOOKS about werewolves, she was starting to get bored. Unlike normal, there was a deficit of books on the topic. They all seemed to repeat similar ideas and recycle previous concepts. She decided to test these "werewolf senses" some of the books mentioned. 

She sat in Snape's classroom with her eyes closed. She wasn't sure where else to practice, and she wanted to do things in private- away from the crowded Gryffindor common room. Hermione was curious about the sensation she felt when others moved around. None of the books mentioned anything on it, besides "new instincts." She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to feel any presence. 

A slight pulse, followed by faint movements was the only thing she could center in on. 

"Focus."

 The ghost of an outline faintly formed in a corner. The outline shifted and faded away. She wasn't able to tell who it was; the being was so blurred. She opened her eyes and slid the door open. The back of a male student wandered off in the hall. Had that just been a coincidence? Any student could have walked down the hall, and maybe the shadows were her imagination. 

She closed the door behind her and squeezed her eyes shut again. For minutes, there was nothing but blank space. Then another shadow moved along in her mind. She could almost feel it walking across her skull. This shadow was bigger than the last one and divided into two people. She slid the door open. Lavender and a friend were giggling in the hall. She looked at them and then forced her eyes shut. The shadows stayed there. They moved, they shifted, and when Hermione opened her eyes, the two girls were exactly where the shadows were. 

She smiled slightly before heading out of the classroom. There had to be a way she could use this to her advantage. At the end of the hall was a large mass of students. She spotted Malfoy and pretended no to see him. She had other things to focus on- much more important things. 

Her important things revolved around several theories. Evidently, with transforming came strange reflexes. The book she'd finished this morning said something along the lines of...

Many werewolves are known to have wolf like reflexes. Often the user will have reflexes they never had before. 

The dark part of her mind craved an immense power to make up for the normality she lacked. She hadn't noticed anything strange, but then again, she wasn't looking out for it. If she tripped, would she have some amazing sort of catch? Probably not, but she wanted to test the ludicrous idea. She jammed her eyes shut and uneasily walked forward. Maybe her body would sense the walls and avoid them, or catch her. Her feet walked faster, but her head leaned back. Subconsciously, she tried to remember the hallway format to know what to avoid, but without eyesight, her mental map was useless. Any second, she would be slamming into a wall, and she knew it. Her hands were stretched out in front of her to brace for impact. Her hands brushed against a surface, and she opened her eyes. She'd reached the corner of the hallway. 

Like usual, no one wandered the hallway. It lead to a dead-end of vacant rooms and aimless stairways. Hermione glued her hands to her sides, turned around, and closed her eyes. Amazingly, she felt a slight power in the darkness of her head. Her legs started slow but then began charging towards the end. Her mind was jammed on the idea of testing, and her norma human anxieties stripped her body. Her head slapped into something softly. She opened her eyes and felt herself falling backward. Her body jerked as it hit the ground, lightly on her hands. Confused, she looked down. Her hands had caught her body, quickly. Her fingers ebbed out over the floor in perfect balance. She stood up, almost in a daze. She didn't know how far this worked, but somehow her body knew and reacted. 

Throughout the day, she tested this theory. She allowed herself to get pushed, pulled, bumped and watched as her body flowed with it. She almost dropped her plate, and then her hand jerked out, catching the plate. Even though it was subtle things, she noticed it all with a slight smile. 

Ginny gave her a strange look as Hermione tossed her quill and caught it on repeat. It wasn't even a challenge as her body moved on its own. They were sitting in History of Magic together, and Hermione had been attempting to catch things all day. Every time, it landed in the center of her palm perfectly. While jotting things down, her other hand was at work, shifting the paper, moving her books, or tapping the desk nonstop. Adrenaline rushed through her mind as she thought of diving through clouds on a broom. 

Or falling off a cliff. 

Or punching something.

The idea of hovering above the ground on a broom didn't seem so nauseating now. Her legs felt like they were floating, almost as if she was jumping on a trampoline. Normally Hermione was petrified with controlling her broom. The idea of gliding in the sky made her stomach queazy but left a residue of exhilaration in the pit of her stomach. She kept the secret locked in her mouth. Hermione kept the idea in her mind and focused back on the class. Her paper was barely written on, but she didn't feel like it. Hermione glanced at the feeble header on "Innocence," before concentrating on her new capabilities. 

**********************

Ron, 

Tell Mrs. Weasley I adored the scarf she sent me. I love it and will wear it when winter comes in. I hope you are doing well. I do not have much time to write today. 

Please shoot me back soon. It's been a few weeks. 

Miss you, 

Hermione Granger

Philippians 4:13 - I can do all this through him who gives me strength.