Scattered (Book 1)

The Unfiltered Truth (5)

I feel like this picture shows snamione really well

Hermione wandered down the darkening Diagon Alley, her hood up, and eyes darting back and forth nervously. She had glamoured her face to look entirely different, but was still nervous that someone would see through the magic and the waning dusk light. She fought her terror as she passed a black-clad witch, and made her way into Flourish and Blotts.

Snape had stayed behind to guard the campsite, and she'd left him his wand, feeling after three weeks of him being cooperative, and non-violent, that she might actually be able to trust him. She'd been practicing her Legilimency every day, every time they spoke, trying to see if he lied, or gave anything away. She'd learned that his Occlumency was better than she'd even thought possible. He was able to let her see into his mind, and feed her information as she perused, making her whole venture useless, as she learned nothing he didn't allow. It'd been a trying few weeks, attempting to accurately interpret the mind of such a skilled Occlumens, but she felt as though she was at least getting the hang of sifting through thoughts, while holding a conversation normally.

Along with her errands today, she was practicing on other people, and as she took a few books, and inkwells to the counter, she met the sales wizard's eyes with a small smile. She could see her own face briefly, and feel his revulsion as he turned his eyes quickly away. 'Good.' She thought, smiling a little brighter. She'd added a giant mole to just under her eye, and opened the pores in her nose wider, in addition to her disguising changes. It kept people from looking at her too hard, or staring too long.

"Will this be all for you today, miss?" He asked, his fingers ringing her up on the register.

"Actually, do you have a copy of today's Daily Prophet? I've been on holiday a few weeks." She said, setting her purse on the counter, and pulling out a the amount she owed, careful to keep her guilt from showing. She'd had to steal the money, and couldn't let on that it wasn't rightfully hers to spend.

"Here you are. I've already finished with it, so you can keep it." He said, barely glancing at her, as he tossed a newspaper on top of her meager supplies.

"Thank you so much." She said, reading apprehension in his eyes in that brief glance. She quickly gathered her things and left, deciding not to push her luck too much. Perhaps the pores were a bit much...

"Hey there, missy! Care for a dragon amulet? It'll repel curses, and heat up when you're in danger. Only seven sickles! Quite a deal!" A man had shoved himself in front of her, blocking her path, and she stopped dead in her tracks, looking into his eyes, and seeing the drab metal necklaces being dunked into a nasty looking potion. The potion would slowly wear off of the amulet as you wore it, and soak into the wearer's skin, leaving them unconscious, and helpless.

"No thank you." She managed, and searched deeper. There was something else...

A tracking charm on each amulet. The faces of several women, and a nasty string of thoughts from the man himself as he looked over Hermione. He didn't seem too turned off by her charmed face, and instead leered at her hips and breasts, until she pulled her cloak tighter, feeling a wash of fury at what he was doing, with his eyes, and his merchandise.

"I'll lower the price for ya, miss! Three sickles! That's a steal! You can't find protection like this nowhere else!" The man pushed, jangling a handful of the necklaces at her. He would offer to give her one for free if she were prettier. She glared at him, torn by her desire to stop him from endangering future women, and to stay unnoticed. She couldn't be caught. She'd end up in Azkaban, with Ron. The last Prophet she'd read had told her he'd been locked away, without a trial.