A/N: So college is proving to be a real time suck. I'm sorry for the long wait but I haven't found a lot of time to write recently, and when I did there was no inspiration there whatsoever. Thankfully, I got over that for a few hours and spit out this lovely piece of work. I can't tell you when the next update will but because even I don't know. But rest assured that this story will not be abandoned. Ever.
Disclaimer: Harry Potter isn't mine.
Enjoy!
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Magique
Chapter 15: Stranger in a Strange Land
She had been walking for three days. Her food was low, her water more so, and yet she still pressed forward, her destination only a mile away. She could see the castle from the plains in which she treaded, its high towers nearly glittering in the midmorning sun. Her brow was slightly wet with perspiration and her back was beginning to ache. Despite the number of shrinking and weightless charms she put on the items in her backpack, they still added up. Especially when she had packed every article of clothing and other various items she could find inside her old home.
She sighed as she thought of the place that she had left Harry. It had nearly broken her to leave him in such a way but when she was awakened by the sound of horseshoes against the cobblestone street, she knew that she had to leave before the choice wouldn't be hers. As quickly as she could, she made rounds in her own room to find a pillow and blanket and then to her parents room to grab clothes once more from the armoire. She had had to purchase food with the remaining money she had on her, which was only enough for two loafs of bread, some jerky, and two sacks of water, leaving some money for when she arrived in the new kingdom.
When she had stopped to make camp on the first night, she had been a wreck. Tears flooded her eyes as her body was wracked with sobs. She thought of Harry, Ron, Sirius, Remus, and Gryffindor and how the chances of her seeing any of them again were slim to none. In the note she had left Harry, she had sounded so confidant and sure that this situation would only be temporary, and at the time she certainly thought so. But when she was alone under a blanket of unfamiliar trees, chilled to the bone in the cool night air, it was hard to be so optimistic.
Now, on the morning of the third day, after two nights of restless sleep, she had finally arrived at her destination. She stopped in her stride and looked up at the black and yellow banners billowing in the light breeze. Hermione still didn't know why she had chosen Hufflepuff as her new residence. In all actuality, the smarter place would have been Ravenclaw, but since both Clara and her mother had resided there at one point, she thought of the place as tainted. Slytherin was simply out of the question as she had heard horror stories to what some of the hierarchy did to Muggleborns.
She took a deep breath and walked into the kingdom, immersed in the new environment. It was alike to Gryffindor in so many ways, and yet so different. She had thought the entrance would lead to the lower towns, where she would find a cheap inn to rent a room. But instead she emerged into a center point of the city. She could tell by the moderately sized and decorated buildings and giant fountain in the middle of the road. She walked up to the fountain hurriedly and dipped her hands in to splash water on her hot face. She felt her entire body relax with the contact of the cold liquid. Using her sleeve to wipe the excess drips from her skin, she looked up at the beautifully carved form of a badger perched on the pedestal in the fountain. It was standing with its paws facing the sky and a tumble of vines winding at its feet. Hermione smiled at the carving and continued on, hoping to find a nearby inn.
She walked down the road for a few minutes, passing thin crowds of people here and there, until she spotted a sign that read The Leaky Cauldron. She knew this place to be an inn because there was one placed in every kingdom of Hogwarts. They were known to have great food, excellent service, and cheap rooms. Thanking her lucky stars that this was the first place she came across, she entered the lowly lit building.
There were a few people scattered among the handful of tables distributed about the room. Her eyes traveled the perimeter until she saw a man behind the bar. Not seeing any other employees around, she made a path for the man.
"Hello." She greeted cheerily.
"Mornin' miss. What can I do you for?" He responded kindly.
He was an older man with a bald head and a few missing teeth. But the smile lines on his bow gave him a kind demeanor. Hermione smiled. "I was wondering who I could speak to in order to rent a room for a few days?"
"You're looking at him." He said with a grin. "And you're very lucky. We have one room left. But I'm afraid it's not the best we have, a bit on the cheap side."
"I'll take it." Hermione said quickly.
The barman nodded. "How many nights will you be staying?"
"Three." She replied. Three days would give her enough time to find a job somewhere and pay for a longer stay.
"That'll be four galleons, please."
Hermione shook off her bag and reached inside, rummaging around for her coin purse. She found it and dumped the contents into her hand. She had five galleons and a sickle left from her purchases at the Gryffindor market. She plucked the amount for the room and handed it to the man.
"I'll show you to your room."
"Thank you, sir."
Hermione placed her purse back into her bag and followed him up a flight of rickety old stairs. They arrived on the second floor landing and he led her down the hall to the very last door on the right. He opened the door and gestured for her to go inside. She obliged.
The room was slightly smaller than her room at home and vastly so from her tower in Gryffindor castle. The furniture was all made of the same dark oak, a few spots of dust covering the larger items. There was a single bed in the far right corner with covers that looked well-worn with use. A small armoire was against the left hand wall, one of the doors hanging open from what Hermione assumed to be a broken lock. A chair and end table with a small candelabrum were directly on her right. To complete the room, a large ornate rug covered a third of the floor and echoed past beauty aged with dirt and dust.
"Like I said, it's not our best…"
"It's perfect." She interrupted.
Not questioning her, the man pressed on. "Your stay comes complete with free meals for the remainder of your stay. Here is your key." He reached into his pocket and fished out a small brass key. He handed it to her and she clutched it in her fist.
"Thank you."
"You've very welcome, Miss…"
"Hermione." She finished for him.
"Hermione." He repeated with a smile. "I'm Tom and if you need anything please don't hesitate to ask. Enjoy your stay." Before she could thank him once more, he took his leave.
Hermione turned to her new residence and let out a deep breath. She threw her bag onto the bed and looked out the window just past the end. There was a spectacular view of a wall on the other side, the wood mere inches from the glass.
After a pause, she set to unpacking her things. She had to clear a few dust bunnies from within the drawers before setting her small pile of clothes inside, but she didn't mind. A room was still a room and she was lucky to have that. When all of her things were unpacked, she folded the bag inside out, intent on washing it. She was stopped, however, when a piece of parchment floated to the floor. Curious, she reached down and picked it up.
It was the portrait of Harry, Ron, and her painted after the final battle. She had requested that a copy be made after she had the idea for Harry's coronation present. She stared at the portrait and felt tears begin to well up in her eyes. The younger trio smiled and waved enthusiastically at her and she had to bite her lip to repress a sob. She looked around the room and walked over to the end table to set the picture so it was leaning on the candelabrum. After her initial sadness dissipated she smiled at the portrait. It was a reminder of what she was fighting for and what she would go back to in time.
Peeling her eyes from the picture, she straightened her composure. If she were to fight in order to see them again it would do well to find a source of income so that she wouldn't be fighting from the streets. Clutching her room key tightly in her hand, she exited her room with the intent of finding a job fitting to do just that.
As she wandered the streets she began questioning every shop owner she could. Some were kind in their refusals, telling her that they were not looking for new employment. Others practically threw her back onto the streets, yelling profanities and other slanders.
After a particular nasty trip on the pavement, Hermione felt her stomach rumble. She sighed and headed back to the inn. When she arrived, the place was packed with customers. Tom was at the bar, pouring a stocky man a mug of ale. Hermione walked up to him just as the man left and he gave her a kind smile.
"Evening, lass." He greeted. "I just cooked up a fresh brew of broccoli stew."
"That sounds lovely." Hermione said halfheartedly, not bothering to leave the exhaustion out of her tone.
Tom's brow furrowed. "You all right, Hermione?"
"Fine," She replied. "I just spent the entire day looking for a job so I could pay for a longer stay here only to find that no one within a two mile radius is hiring."
The older man frowned. "Aye. It's tough trying to find a job these days in Hufflepuff…" He trailed off.
"You're telling me." Hermione confirmed sadly. "I don't know what I'm going to do."
Tom looked at her and saw a broken woman, sorrow etched into every inch of her drooping composure. He pitied the poor child and hated to see a kind face in such misery. Suddenly, an idea struck him. He looked at Hermione with serious eyes and spoke in a hushed tone so as not to be overheard.
"I've been wanting an extra hand." He said in a whisper. "If you want, you can help me at mealtimes to cover your board."
Hermione's face lit up like a morning sunrise. "That would be incredibly kind of you."
Tom waved his hand in a nonchalant manor. "All in good spirits. Besides, your company can't be too unpleasant."
Hermione giggled and suppressed a wide grin. "I will be forever in your debt."
"Oh poppycock." He said. "It will be my pleasure. Just… don't go spreading it around. Like I said, it's hard to find a job in Hufflepuff nowadays. I don't want ten unfortunate townsfolk coming here asking for jobs, although I would love to give them some. This place is only so big and doesn't need more than a handful of people running it."
"I understand." Hermione said.
Tom nodded. "Good. You can start tomorrow."
~*~
After four weeks of working at the inn, Hermione still hadn't thought of a way to get in contact with anyone of the Gryffindor hierarchy. She contemplated sending a letter, though that was highly dangerous seeing as all mail directed to the castle was monitored. She thought about sending word with a messenger, but that was also risky because the person could get intercepted and questioned. So far her ideas, as well as her hopes, were dwindling fast.
She was wondering the streets on break from her morning shift when she saw a window display that caught her eye. A new shipment of books had just come in! Hermione made a beeline for the shop and entered. She had been here many times before, whether just browsing, researching, or finding a new book to read. It smelled of worn parchment and pipe tobacco.
She found the new shipment pile and began ruffling through it, eager to see what new treasures were waiting for her. She stopped, however, when her hand collided with another's reaching for the same novel.
"Sorry." They both said at the same time.
Hermione looked up and saw a familiar pair of gray eyes.
"Cedric?"
"Hermione?" He responded with equal confusion.
"What are you doing here?" They both asked in unison.
Smiling, Cedric answered the question first. "I'm picking up a few books for my father. What are you doing here? You're a far way from Gryffindor."
"It's a long story." She said, bowing her head.
Cedric's eyes narrowed but then a look of realization passed over his features. "Oh. Right. The Council banished you for being a threat to the crown."
"Something like that, yeah." She said lowly.
"Hermione, I'm sorry." He said sincerely. "The Council is insane for passing judgment so harshly."
Hermione nodded. "It can't be helped."
Cedric frowned. "Let me take you out to lunch. You look like you need someone to talk to."
Hermione smiled. "That's incredibly kind of you but I have to work at lunchtime."
"Brunch, then."
She giggled. "Alright. Lead the way."
A friendly face was just what she needed. She let Cedric lead her away from the books, which she knew all too well would be there later (society and its lack of appreciation for literature - honestly!). They walked a few minutes in silence before Cedric spoke up.
"Where do you work?"
"The Leaky Cauldron, just down the street."
Cedric nodded. "Tom's a good man. I've eaten there plenty of times."
Hermione agreed. "Yes, he's wonderful."
"Are you staying there as well?"
She nodded. "I work to pay my board."
"Sounds like you've made quite the living here."
She frowned and spoke in a monotone. "Yes, I suppose I have."
He looked at her with worry but didn't say anything. The mute answer was all he needed to confirm that she wasn't in a right state of mind. How could she be? She had been banished from the one place she called her home and was forced to live in an unfamiliar kingdom where she knew close to no one.
They arrived at a small bakery and Cedric ordered them each a slice of garlic bread and a serving of pumpkin juice. He then led them to a small table in the front of the shop where they sat and began eating.
The silence was growing thick and Cedric knew that he had to be the first one to speak again. He looked at the young witch and spoke kindly.
"If you ever need anyone to talk to, I'm here."
She looked at him with sad eyes. "That's very kind of you. But I don't want to burden anyone with my problems."
"You also don't have to carry that burden all by yourself." He said. "Even if you don't want to talk, I can still help anyway you need me to."
"I don't think you can do much to…" She trailed off. Cedric was part of the hierarchy of Hufflepuff and his father on the Court. If she could have help from anyone, the safest bet would be him. She looked at him seriously. "Perhaps you can help."
"Name it." He said.
"Could you possibly relay a message next time there is a Court meeting?" She asked hopefully.
Cedric thought for a moment. "Yes, I suppose I can. I'll just ask to accompany my father the next time the Court convenes. What's the message?"
"I'll write it down and give it to you when the time comes." Hermione said, feeling butterflies begin to well up in her stomach. She may actually get into contact with someone in Gryffindor! The thought alone was enough to make her giddy.
Cedric nodded in understanding. "I'll do my best."
"Thank you." Hermione said, reaching across the table and grasping his hand. "If there's anything I can do to repay you…"
"Don't even mention it." He said with a smile.
Hermione grinned, removing her hand and taking another bite of her garlic bread. The stench was a little much to get used to at first but the sweet buttery taste made her forget all about it. She set the bread down and took a sip of her juice, washing it down. The butterflies in her stomach were now gone and were replaced by a sudden wave of nausea. She had gotten too excited over the new turn in events that she had practically swallowed her slice of bread. Shaking off the feeling, she finished her brunch and waited as Cedric returned their plates and goblets.
"Let me escort you back to The Leaky Cauldron." Cedric said when he returned, holding a hand out.
Hermione took his hand and allowed him to help her up. "That's very kind of you but… oh."
"What is it?"
"Nothing I - I just got a little light headed is all." She said.
Cedric looked at her curiously and his eyebrows knitted together in concern. "Your face is as pale as a ghost. Are you sure you're alright?"
"I'm fine, just a little dizzy is all."
"Dizzy? Hermione you look like you're about to pass out. Let me take you back to The Leaky Cauldron."
"Perhaps that's a good idea." She said, feeling her body begin to teeter. Cedric put a hand around her waist to steady her. "I do feel a bit off."
"Maybe it's the heat. Have you drunk enough water today?" She didn't answer. "Hermione?"
She couldn't hear him. The world around her began to spin, words and places blurring around her. Her world faded to black just as she heard her name being called out in earnest.
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