Unique (Hermione x M! OC)

5. Cerberus in the Attic

I follow Hermione through the halls after lunch as she continues to lecture me for almost getting Harry in serious trouble. I listen to her, but I don't really register what she's saying. She's pissed. "Yeah, I get it, I screwed up, can we get off this?" I ask, a little more harshly than I'd have liked.

She sighs, "Yeah, sorry. I'm just really frustrated is all, it's not your fault."

"You're fine." I shrug, "You can vent all you want, just try not to take it out on me." So she does, I listen along, nodding, answering questions, not really giving my full attention, because I have a million other things on my mind, but paying enough that I can give her some consolidation at the end, only I don't even have to do that, she does it for herself as we sit down on a bench outside. "Well, hope tomorrow's better?"

"I mean, if I'm being honest, today wasn't that bad."

"Really?"

"Yeah."

"How so?"

"Well I had you to annoy, so it was okay."

"You annoyed me?" I ask in disbelief, "Sure, we'll go with that."

Suddenly, we hear Ron and Harry approaching, "Oh, go on! Harry, Quidditch is great. Best game there is! And you'll be great, too!"

"But I've never played Quidditch, what if I make a fool of myself?" Harry retorts.

"You won't." Hermione declares, "It's in your blood. Follow me." She leads us inside and up to a trophy cabinet, she points out one of the names. James Potter. Harry's dad. I presume.

"Woah Harry, you never told me your father was a seeker too." Ron says.

"I-I didn't know." Harry whispers.

"Someone answer me, what is Quidditch?" I ask, to no avail. "Whatever. Let's get back to the dorms." Hermione nods and leads us down a hall, we start going up a staircase, two pairs of close-knit friends, then the staircase shifts. My eyes widen, "Wait the staircases move?"

"Am I the only one that paid attention during the tour?" Hermione sighs.

"I didn't like the guy's attitude." I argue, "He was rude, so I ignored him."

"I second that assessment." Ron says behind me.

"Isn't he your brother?" Hermione questions to which Ron shrugs. 

"Let's go this way." Harry suggests.

"Before the stairs change again." Ron agrees.

"But don't we want it to change again, to get back to where we were?" I question. The two boys push past us and I sigh before following them. Harry pushes open a door that leads us into a dark hallway, I use my wand as a light. "We shouldn't be here." I mutter.

"Yeah, I feel the same." Harry nods.

"Yeah, that's because this is the third floor. It's forbidden." Hermione states. Suddenly a torch lights up, we turn and see the cat at the door. Shit.

"Maybe we could reason with him." I suggest, then I turn to see them running down the hall, "Or not." I chase them down. They get to a door at the end of the hall, "What's the holdup?!" I hiss, turning off the light of my wand.

"It's locked." Harry says, baffled.

"Move." Hermione grunts, pushing in front of him. "Alohomora." The door unlocks and she opens it, "Get in." We do as told and catch our breaths inside.

"Alohomora?" Ron asks.

"Standard Book of Spells, Chapter Seven."

"Shit, you're good." I say. Then we hear Filch and hitch our breaths.