Trailblazing & Stargazing - Chapter 26

Of Drought and Downpour - Chapter 6

https://archiveofourown.org/works/57564421/chapters/146469688

The sky was clear, blue and endless, not a single cloud in sight. A warm breeze made the treetops sway and carried the smell of flowers, resin and pine needles. The sun shone bright, warming her skin as she walked towards the Quidditch pitch. Hogwarts was showing her its sweetest, most welcoming side on this glorious summer day.

“Ms Granger!” She heard a deep voice calling her. She turned around and saw Firenze, quietly approaching her at a languid pace.

“Professor Firenze, how are you?”

“Mercury crosses the Dragon’s path again. Venus is aligned, at last.” The centaur said.

“Ah, yes, absolutely. Have a good day, Professor.” And here she was, thinking he would say something useful, for once.

“Have a good day, Ms Granger. Perfect weather for Quidditch.” He smiled looking at the cloudless sky.

Hermione rolled her eyes as she continued on her path. She climbed the many stairs to the top of the stands, Daphne and Astoria were already sitting at the far back and waved at her, smiling. She walked towards them, shooting a glance behind her, towards the pitch. Ginny had just joined Harry and Ron and they were tossing the quaffle back and forth as they hovered on their brooms, not far from where Hermione was standing. 

Hermione Granger and the Dramione shippers - chapter 10

Breakfast in the Great Hall

If ever there was a Guinness world record for brightest blush, Hermione was sure she would win it. She felt her cheeks reach the temperature of Mount Vesuvius’ Pyroclastic cloud that burned Herculaneum.

“How?” She asked in a whisper, to avoid drawing attention from the few students still lingering in the Great Hall. She was, pointedly, not looking at him.

“It appears, we are both curious, Granger. I think I should smirk now. I heard it does something to your insides.” And he did, in fact, smirk. But her insides were too twisted to react to it. “Anyway, you gave me enough information, so I went on a quick trip to Hastings, yesterday. By the way, sorry for standing you up. Did you have a good time with Pomona?”

Hermione nodded slightly.

“Good. Perhaps we could start a new… what’s it called? Ah, yes, ship. Would it be Pomione or Hermona? Although, I must say, I’m pretty fond of Dramione. I’ve read some… rather creative things.”

Why sleep, when you can chase plot bunnies? Sleep is overrated anyway.

New Dramione short story coming up soon, inspired by the song "It's raining men".

Aparecium by LadyKenz347

Aparecium by LadyKenz347 is a beautiful book. It's a romance, not a lot of action but plenty of feelings. Some minor angst and lots of fluff. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Oh this sounds fun

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Trailblazing & Stargazing - Chapter 20

The month of February was a whirlwind. The Grangers had moved back into their home in Hampstead Garden Suburb, the reform was brought to the Wizengamot for a third time and, as expected, rejected. It would, hopefully, be approved in the second week of March. The Werewolf Integration Act had caused quite a stir and the Ministry had, again, received several howlers.

Her life had been, overall, hectic, but on Friday the 26th she had time to meet with Ginny and Luna for lunch. They met at the Leaky Cauldron because, as lovely as she was, Luna had a tendency to risk breaching the statute of secrecy when out around muggles. Her friends were already sitting at a table when Hermione arrived, she stopped at the bar to order her drink before joining them.

“Hello Hermione!” Said Luna in her dreamy, tinkling voice as she lowered her Spectrespecs from her head to her nose. “You are surprisingly wrackspurt-free. I’m glad to see things are turning out all right.”

“Hello Luna! I am, in fact, doing rather well, all things considered. How are you?” Hermione said as she sat down with her friends at the wooden table, hanging her bag on the back of her chair.

“I’m doing well, settling down in Hogsmeade, I’ve already met with Minerva and Hagrid about my teaching position next year. But Ginny has news. Her head is full of wrackspurts but she won’t tell me why, she wanted to wait for you and not have to repeat it.”

“What news, Ginny?” Asked Hermione as she accepted her butterbeer from the waiter.

“I’ve received an offer from the Harpies. They want to hire me as second coach, I’d become Head Coach when Sylvie Goray retires next year.” Said Ginny before taking a long sip of her butter beer.

“That is great Ginny!” Exclaimed Hermione.

“Oh, yes. A thrilling prospect!” Chimed Luna.

“It is, and I’m honored. But I’m not sure. I haven’t told Harry yet.” Ginny sighed, slouching.

“Why not? Surely he’d support you.” Hermione placed a comforting hand on Ginny’s arm.

“He would, but working as a coach would mean I’d be away most weekends. During the week Harry comes home late every night. We would hardly see each other anymore.”

Say it with me now

You are never late to a fandom. Your fic is never "invalid" for being "late". Your fic doesn't need a high word limit. Your fic does not need a high standard. Your fic does not need to be highly popular. Your fic isn't less valid than a popular author's fic. Your fic isn't inheritly bad. Your fic is amazing. Your fic is valid. The only thing that matters is that you're having fun. Fandom is not consumption and consumerism. Fandom is fun, free and for the people. Fandom is not a popularity contest. We're all nerds at the end of the day.

That same evening, after supper, Draco enters the Slytherin common room, black robes billowing behind him in a rather impressive Snape impersonation.

"Snake meeting in the den!" Shouts his sonorused voice.

One by one all Slytherin students file into the common room. Draco waits, brooding in a corner, arms crossed. When they are all accounted for, Draco speaks.

"Flint! Why did you tell Professor Granger about the ring?"

"I thought..."

"Yes, in the future, please refrain from thinking. All of you."

The students lower their gazes.

"Your job is to talk about me when Professor Granger can hear you, not tell her I want to marry her! I have to at least take her on one date first!"

A seventh year raises her hand, Draco nods.

"We talked about how handsome you are, she was sitting beside us on the Quidditch stands when you were acting as referee. She ogled you after we said your arse looked good."

"Thank you, Avery. See? That's what I want from you! No more mistakes."

PART 1

TO BE CONTINUED

Of drought and downpour - chapter one

Inspired by the song "It's raining men"

Last night's plot bunny brought me here, more to follow over the next few weeks.

Hermione and Luna were sitting at the Sugar & Spice, a muggle-style coffee shop on the corner between Knockturn and Diagon Alley. A muggle born witch, who had graduated from Hogwarts a couple of years after they had, owned it and it had been a smashing success since it had opened a little over a year ago. It had become their safe haven for Saturday morning chats. Coffee tables and mismatched armchairs were distributed in small clusters, each area was enclosed in a privacy charm that allowed patrons to enjoy their time there without being ogled or overheard. People could see that someone was sitting but they could not focus their attention on anyone who didn’t want them to. White bookcases lined the lower part of the walls, everyone was free to take or donate books. Beautiful posters of magical and muggle cities as well as natural landscapes decorated the top part of the sage-green walls.

Hermione sipped her pumpkin spice latte and nibbled on a blueberry scone as she listened attentively as Luna recounted her date with Ernie McMillan.

"Hermione, believe me, it will take me a week to get rid of all the wrackspurts I caught. I can feel them crawling all over my head!” She scratched her scalp with an annoyed scoff. “He was 15 minutes late, and that alone is never a good sign. He was wearing dragon-hide boots! Can you believe it? They seemed vintage so I tried to ignore them. Vintage is the only exception I make, you know. We went to that posh French restaurant just beside Gringotts and he ordered for me, the audacity! He insisted I should really try the erumpent fillet! Me! Eat an erumpent fillet! I stood up and left." With a scowl and a sigh, Luna took a long sip of her double caramel oat latte followed by an indulgent bite of her triple chocolate vegan brownie.

Hermione shook her head disbelievingly. "It’s as if they don't even care to know anything about us. Everyone knows you became a vegan in seventh year! Ernie was with us, sat at the same bloody table!” she protested. “I went out with Hercules Monroe last night, he graduated from Hogwarts in 1994, Ravenclaw. As we were walking, he asked me what I thought of the House Elf Liberation Act. And before I could even reply, he started berating it and saying that whoever had written it had never met a house elf. We didn't even reach the theatre, we were going to watch the Phantom of the Opera in muggle London. I left him alone in the middle of Leicester Square." She scoffed.

Luna was shocked. “He is a solicitor, he should know who had that law passed! Was he just trying to insult you or is he that much of a moron?”

Just as they both resumed their breakfast, Ginny stormed through the door and headed towards the counter. When her order had been taken, she crossed the crowded sitting area and reached their table, throwing herself down onto the plush armchair her friends had kept for her and tossing a copy of the Daily Prophet on the small table. The words ‘The boy who lived to be dumped’ flashing in bold letters above a picture of Ginny stomping out of Grimmauld Place as Harry stood on the doorstep looking puzzled.

"I. Am. Done. The Boy Who Lived can go fuck himself! Why did I even start dating him? Why did nobody tell me I was idolising him for all the wrong reasons and he was only with me because he wanted to be a Weasley?"