Four: Fall
In the weeks after Jago’s return Hermia managed to sufficiently impress Hermione so that she was forgiven what Hermione had termed ‘a gross lapse in judgement’. She had avoided Ashtad as much as possible, as had been her habit since he sent her up to the owlery on her first night at Hogwarts. It was more difficult than usual though, he seemed to be around more often than he strictly needed to be. He was always coming into the office where she worked on errands, he would appear in the lift and in the staffroom when she was having her lunch. She had no idea what he was plotting, but it was deeply aggravating. She wished that he would get on with it quickly, so that she could be embarrassed and then blast him into the middle of next month.

After a long day of checking the clauses in laws for Hermione, Hermia scooted out of the office as quickly as she possibly could. She glanced at her watch and saw that it was almost twenty five past five, meaning that she had already kept Jago waiting for far too long. Thinking that he would be annoyed, she broke into a run and jumped into the lift, just as the golden grille closed. She breathed a sigh of relief.

“Hello Smith.”

Hermia, span around, away from the button that she had just pressed. She scowled, wishing that she had not bothered to run for the lift. The frustration that she had felt at him becoming her shadow suddenly boiled over.

“Djalili, what is it that you want from me? You been following me around for weeks!”

“Don’t flatter yourself. We work in the same department. I see Andrew Williamson just as often as I see you, it doesn’t mean I want anything from him.” His voice was neutral but the dull flush of his cheeks betrayed him.

“Oh right, okay, fine. Just get on with whatever pathetic joke you’ve got planned and leave me alone.” Her voice was dripping with distain.

“Is that what you think of me?” His voice was filled with genuine surprise and hurt but Hermia did not hear him, she had swept out of the lift and into the atrium, towards a wizard in midnight blue robes. He had dirty blond hair and when she embraced him, he lifted Hermia up and swung her around, both of them laughing loudly. “Happy Birthday, Beautiful Girl.”

Ashtad stormed out of the lift and past them to the first free fireplace. As he shouted his address he saw Hermia kiss the man on the lips. Ashtad closed his eyes as he span through the Floo Network, the sick feeling in his stomach having nothing to do with the movement. He fell gracelessly out of the fireplace in his tiny flat and onto the hearth rug.

*****

Hermia had been feeling lonely ever since she had started at Beauxbaton’s. Today she felt down right miserable. It was her birthday and apart from a card and a gift from Thea, no-one else even knew or cared. She hugged the book that Thea had sent her to her chest and walked quickly towards her dormitory, head down so that no-one could see her tears. She turned a corner and walked straight into someone. The someone in question was quite a bit stronger than she was and she fell flat on her back, dropping her book.

“Désolé ! Désolé ! Laissez-moi vous aider vers le haut!”

She looked up into a handsome face with dark with glittering black eyes. There was something wrong with his accent.

“You’re not French.” She allowed him to help her up.

“Neither are you Beautiful Girl.” She stopped brushing her robes down and looked at him, trying to work out if he was laughing at her.

“No, I’m not. I’m Hermia Smith and you are?”

“Jago Harwood. I think we may be the only two English people in this entire palace.”

She arched an eyebrow at him “Well, I’m not English.”

“My dear lady, with a cut glass accent like that, you most certainly are.”

She laughed. “I’ve never been to England. How can I be English?”

“Well, let’s see, there’s the accent, the fact that you have the whole ‘English Rose’ look down to a tee, and the fact that I’d like to bet that when you are really mad, you just get cold and haughty and punish the person later, when they least expect it. There is more to being English than just the ground beneath your feet. Or at least I like to think so. Now, why are you so sad?”

“Who said that I was sad?” She demanded, feeling wrong footed by his honest manner.

“Your tears did, Beautiful Girl, your tears.” He bent down to pick up her book and Thea’s card fell out of it. “Oh dear, did everyone forget your birthday?” He frowned giving her a look of sympathy.

“They didn’t forget. I didn’t tell them. I don’t need your pity.” She snatched the book and card from him.

He smiled. “See? there’s the haughty coldness that I was talking about.”

“Oh yeah? That was nothing. I wouldn’t waste my time on you.” she started to storm away from him.

“Teach not thy lip such scorn, for it was made for kissing, lady, not for such contempt.” He called after her.

“Don’t think that quoting Shakespeare will help you get round me like I’m some silly French tart.” She felt a hand on her shoulder and turned around, giving him the fiercest look that she could manage.

“Listen, you can spend the rest of your birthday hating my guts or we can start again and go have some fun. What do you think?”

She weighed up her options. She could, as he said, spend the evening hating everyone or go enjoy herself. She sighed, resigning herself to what she was about to do.

“Hi, I’m Hermia.”

“Nice to meet you Hermia, I’m Jago.”

*****

Ashtad sat in the Magical Law Enforcement staffroom reading in a low voice from a thick, old book which looked a little care worn. Hermia Smith walked into the room with out making a sound and stood behind him, listening.

“And I have known the eyes already, known them all—
The eyes that fix you in a formulated phrase,
And when I am formulated, sprawling on a pin,
When I am pinned and wriggling on the wall,
Then how should I begin
To spit out all the butt-ends of my days and ways?
And how should I presume?

And I have known the arms already, known them all
— Arms that are braceleted and white and bare
(But in the lamplight, downed with light brown hair!)
It is perfume from a dress
That makes me so digress?
Arms that lie along a table, or wrap about a shawl.
And should I then presume?
And how should I begin?"

She could no longer suppress the comment that was determined to burst free. Without bothering to suppress her mirth she asked “What’s the matter Djalili? Can’t you read without saying the words out loud?”

He looked up at her, with a look of disgust. “You’re such a philistine. Poetry is best heard aloud.”

She raised her eyebrows, insulted. “Philistine? I was raised in Venice, Berlin, Paris and Barcelona. I was encouraged to a have broad cultural horizons and be open to the avant-garde.”

“And you think poetry is better when you read it in silence?” His face was a picture of perfect skepticism.

“Yes, I do.” She said simply.

“Well, that just proves you’ve never had it read for you by the right person.”

He snapped the book shut and stood up, walking away from her without another word. She watched him leave, surprised by the hurt that had been all too evident in his voice.


The poem that Ashtad is reading is The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock by T.S. Elliot which is a poem that I've fallen back in love with myself recently. It is available online if you google it, but I personally think that everyone should have a book with at least one Elliot poem in it

The line of Shakepeare is from Richard the Third Act 1 Scene 2, when Gloucester is trying to woo Lady Anne. He compliments her on her eyes and she says : Would they were basilisks, to strike thee dead!

Apologies again for my rusty french. PM me if you can correct it!

Jago Wish I was an English Rose!
I feel bad for Ashtad, but her needs to step it up.

Jools!!! It is fantastic! Ashtad... bless him. Love the poem portion, it really captured his emotion!

PAMS! IT really was the cherry on top!

I agree I wish i was an English Rose.....or had Jago......i'd be happy either way : )
great post

PAMS PAMS PAMS

Shell

Ok. So here's what i've decided to do, HannahLongbottom. I'll post my replies to each chapter one by one, ok? This is going to be long. So here goes.

OMG! The banner is so nice! I love it! Hm... Is that Ashtad and Hermia? (Djalili - belly dance )

Yay! Bright Lights! Ok. I think i'm on the brink of madness. I'll calm down.

Yay! Hermia's back! Good on Hermia on getting a job on her own merit! Well done! And she's joining Hermione! Well done, Hermia!

That must be boring! I might like that but still. At least it gets things sorted.

I feel so sorry for her! She's going to be there for months doing that! I think she needs help. *runs off to help her*

Better to get it started now than later. I loved the way you said that she "rolled up her sleeves". It made me think of a long, hard work that she has to do - which i guess this is.

Poor girl. That's so sad. I get how she feels with the short thing (a tad off topic but: i forgot my oyster card which all 11-16 year olds have to have and i actually passed off as a 10 year old on the bus ) Anyways. Back to the story.

OMG! One question: is Hermia short-tempered? Ah! Now i see why the chapter is called "Avalanche". Sort of. Poor Hermia. Imagine getting an avalanche of books. That'll be sad.

Djalili! Go Ashtad! Yay! He's an Auror! I kind of knew that from Bright Lights but still.

Woah! Yay! He's meeting Hermia! Weird way to meet, though. Not that i'm complaining.

A pretty good question.

Haha! I love that sarcastic comment! Hermia's funny!

Haha! This remark is even funnier! They make an interesting couple!

Haha! These two are so funny! Things are going to get very interesting with these two around.

Wow. She really doesn't like him does she?

Ouch. Good comeback. I feel like it's a debate. She reminds me half of Tonks and half of Ginny. I don't know why.

He's so cheeky! That was still funny, though. I think i've been laughing too much. Ok. Time to get serious.

Ooh! Flashbacks! I'm so happy you're including flashbacks in this ff. Time to go back in time. *hops onto the tardis*

Ugh. Not him again. I seriously don't like this guy. Wonder what he's going to do now.

*gasps* He's insulting Teddy! That's not very nice, John! And blue isn't vulgur. Silly boy.

We can't wait for him to go as well. Does he live in a dumpster? Imagine. That would be hilarious.

OMG! "Eastman" That person! Haha! I remembered the story you told me. That is so funny! So the Eastman's and Smith go way back. Ah!

First of all: who on earth is interested in Smith? I'm only kidding. Anyways. Wonder why this person is interested in him? I think i've got an idea as to who it is but i'm not sure.

OMG! I knew it! So that's how it all happened! Why did he go to Morgana in the first place? He was a bit silly, wasn't he?

Aw! Remus looks like Marauder Remus! How cute! And he's chasing gnomes! Aw! Hermia's living in Lupin Cottage! With all the other Lupin's right? Yay! OMG! I just remembered! *bursts into tears*

Aw! He's so adorable! Especially the last question. He really likes Hermia doesn't he?

Aw! How cute! i think i need to stop saying that. I can actually imagine little Remus as being one of those silly jokey type of people.

Aw! *cries even more* I remembered this as well. I hope you know what i'm talking about.

I love the sound of the parlour. I think it would be my favourite room as well. Haha! Imagine coming from work where you had an avalanche of books and then coming into the one room with loads of books in it.

Aw! A comic! Woah! I don't like the sound of that bruise! Poor Hermia! I feel so sorry for her.

Haha! I'm guessing Amelia isn't too good at cooking. Ooh! A "guest". I wonder who it is. Hehe.

Haha! I guess i was right. She reminds me of Tonks and Teddy reminds me of Marauder Remus. Funny how that is.

A "trainee". Hm... I wonder who that is. Aw! Cosmo and Caitlin! I can't wait to find out Hermia's reaction when she finds out who it is. If it is who i think it is. (if that makes sense)

Aw! Poor little Remus!

Haha! I knew it! This is so funny!

Is she trying to get away? Bad Hermia.

Haha! "too much Quidditch talk". That's funny - or maybe it's just me.

She is trying to get out of the dinner. She has to meet Ashtad, though. Hehe!

Ok. So there's my long comment number one. Sorry for taking so long to reply! Great post! Loved it! Can't wait for more!
Kita

Hooray! The winner of the Longest Comment on Bright Lights has arrived

Sounds good to me!

Shadow Thestral made it for me and I love it! It is Hermia and Ashad. Are they like you thought that they would be? I can't type Ashtad or Djalili without thinking belly dance!

Deep breaths lovely!

I imagine that when she was offered the job she was like the cat who got the cream.

That's how it is sometimes when you're the new girl, you get all the jobs nobody else wants.

Bless you!

I'm glad that worked My dad says it, it's like his catchphrase.

I'm sort of average height, but my best friend at school was this short ball of fury, I kind of had her in mind when I created Hermia. My friend is a mellow yummy mummy now, it's so funny!

Short-tempered? Nah, she's foul tempered. She can go from lovely to murderous like that *clicks fingers*

Belly dance! We need a smiley for that!

They already know each other, remember?

He thought so. He also knew what sort of answer he'd get.

She is. I am too, but I usually think of the good retorts 20 mins after I need them.

Couple

Maybe!

She really, really doesn't like him at all. I would go as far as to say that she hates him!

Ha! I can hear Tonks making remarks like that, Ginny too come to think of it. I hadn't thought of that before.

Laughing is good though! Hopefully there will be more laughing with this fic.

Surely you mean into the TARDIS? Don't forget what happened to Captain Jack when he jumped onto the TARDIS!

I don't like him either, but he is kind of necessary.

Well, we know that he hates Teddy. And he's jealous because Teddy has an ability he can't have. Well that's what I think.

Nope, sorry, he's rich. He's very rich.

Ah! she says. Ah! indeed!

I'm interested in him, but he's my character so I should be. As to the other person... wait and see.

Silly is not a word for him. Most of the words for him fall into another category altogether.



He does He didn't at first, I have a feeling some bribery went on at some point.

He's a third generation Marauder, of course he's a jokey person

No, not a clue. PM me!

These books are Marauder Remus' books though. Far more interesting than dusty old law books.

It's her own stupid fault. There a were other ways to get that book down.

The woman could burn salad!

You're the second person to saw that and I didn't do it intentionally.

It makes sense

Well, he's only a kid and they have to go to bed when they are told to. That's how it always worked in my house, anyway.

Hee hee! It's got to be him!

She's not a nice person, sorry!

It could be "too much football talk" or "too much golf talk", when they just go on and on and on about it!

Does she? Really?

Hooray for your long quotes, I knew that you'd get to it eventually, I wasn't worried. I'm glad you loved it

HannahLongbottom: Here's my second comment. I'm going to try and keep up next time, ok? Enough of me babbling about nonsense and on with the story:

I will! Ok. Time for the story.

Ooh! "Araceli" Nice name. No honestly. Ooh! What did her owl bring her? Another question: is Hermia's owl female or male? Just out of curiosity.

"Artemis" Wow! Another good name. Is Artemis another owl? Wonder what the letter says?

Ooh! "Familiar handwriting". Ok. This is interesting (as ever). OMG! Who is J? I guess i'm going to have to wait and find out since you're not going to tell me, are you?

Haha! Hermia is sneaky! I love the comment in the brackets. That's so funny.

Ooh! She's "going out with a friend". Ok. Maybe i'm making too much out of a little thing. But still. Ah! Thinking about Ashtad. Ok. Now i need to stop. Moving swiftly on.

No she doesn't. Ok. Maybe she does but there's a fine line between love and hate.

Since they were at school? Wow! They go way back! Ooh! I want to know what happened as well!

Aw! That's so cute! The way they finish each others sentences! Haha! I love the way you said "lazy Marauderish grin". It emphasises on the fact that Teddy is a mini Marauder.

Aw! Remus is so adorable! He feels shy! Haha! "strict instructions to sit at the table and relax as he was the guest". I just found that really funny. I guess it's because i say that a lot with guests at my house. I can imagine Teddy and Amelia in the kitchen and telling Ashtad to sit down and relax at the same time.

Aw! Remus is so adorable! It can imagine this bit as well.

You sure about that? Only kidding. I like that trick. Wonder what's in his hand? Hm...

Aw! That's so cute! Ashtad is so nice! Haha! You've really kept it to Jo's books. "burly even in miniature". I found that funny. I'm guessing Remus is a huge Quidditch fan?

Wow! Oliver Wood left? He reminds me of Ludo in a way. Oliver not Remus. At least Oliver keeps to his promises. Aw! That's so cute! How Remus likes Oliver and Ashtad () gave him a miniature version of him.

Aw! Poor Amelia! That must be sad on her. Ooh! Wonder what Ashtad is going to make of Hermia all dressed up.

OMG! OMG! OMG! I knew it! Yes! He likes her! I love the way you described his feelings. I could do a dance - the belly dance! Actually i'm not going to - only Omid should do that dance.

So the letter was from Jago? Ok. OMG! That must be sad on Ashtad! Just as he was liking her as well. Poor guy.

Aw! Poor guy! That's so sad on him! It's ok, it's ok.

Just one thing: And they call it puppy looooove *wonders if that's an actual song*

OMG! French! I don't even know what it means and i've been learning it for five years! I think i've got the gist of it but i can't tell you whether or not it's correct. Sorry!

Wow! That can come in very useful at times. Wish i could do that. Why do they have to learn the spell in French?

Ooh! Valentin! One sec. One question: did you get the name from the Spanish movie? Talk about being on cloud nine.

Aw! Poetry and flowers! This guy is so romantic! Now i'm disgusted with myself. He's Parisian? Wow.

OMG! OMG! OMG! Bad Hermia! I thought he was her "friend". I like the sound of the room, though. It sounds elegant. Wonder what Amelia and Teddy are going to say to that? OMG! Ashtad! Poor guy! I feel so sorry for him now. He'll be heartbroken - if he finds out, that is.

Woah! First i thought she had a hangover! Glad she didn't. Or did she? Hm...

Er..."Beautiful"? Sorry. Moving on.

Ooh! Not good to be late to work! Especially if you're working with Hermione. Tut, tut, tut.

Wow! She is really late. Wonder what method Hermione is going to use to kill her? Only kidding.

Isit? I never knew that. Still. With Hermione there, you can't be late (at least i don't think so).

Wow! Turning bossy! I guess she's just angry. Coffee and banana? Caffeine and healthy? If that's what she likes.

Wow! Wonder what's going to happen when she gets into the office? Good luck Hermia (i thin you might need it)!

Mines not so good either but i can understand the gist of what you wrote. I can't tell you whether it's right or wrong. Sorry! Great post! Loved it! Can't wait for more!
Kita

Babbling? Who gave you a babbling beverage?

She's not Hermia's owl. It means "altar of the sky" from Latin ara "altar" and celi "sky".

Artemis is Hermia's owl. Her name is possibly related either to Greek αρτεμης (artemes) "safe" or αρταμος (artamos) "a butcher". Artemis was the Greek goddess of the moon and hunting, the twin of Apollo and the daughter of Zeus and Leto. She was known as Diana to the Romans.

Of course I'm not going to tell you!

She's very sneaky Remus is a messy boy!

Are you sure you're making too much out of it? Have a look at what she's thinking about him though.

Oh yes she does, she can't stand him!

Go check the next to last chapter of Bright Lights, there's a mention in there. One that made me laugh.

Well, they've been married for a long time at this point. They know each other inside out. Yay! My Mini Marauder!

See, that's just what I'm going for!



That was a sort of play on Remus' name. bite geddit?

He's one of those little kids that knows all the statistics for the last 20 years and goes on and on and on and on and on about it.

Teddy's 38, which makes Wood 62. That's a bit old to be a pro qudditch player I thought. He's Remus' favourite because he has met him and Wood was nice to him.

Amelia is a bit bored. Let's see what he thinks, shall we?

Bless him. I just had this image of him sitting there, slack jawed. That dance is just not the same without a pot belly and a microphone

The letter was from Jago. Ashtad is only noticing her because she is excited to see Jago...

I wouldn't feel too sorry for him.

You are kidding? I know it's from 1972 but I thought everyone knew that song!

It's supposed to be:
"Are you listening to me Miss Smith?"
"Sorry, Madame La Roux."

But I haven't studied French for oooooh, 14 years? So who knows!

She's at Beauxbatons, so she's got to learn in French. Luckily, she speaks French fluently. We just won't get to see her speak it much

No, I haven't seen that one. I just thought it was a good name for a first boyfriend.

A romantic first boyfriend. *sigh* She's a lucky girl. Now I'm disgusted with myself

He is her friend, she slept alone. She's of age, she's an adult, so Teddy and Amelia have decided that she can make her own mistakes and find her own way out of things. She's a very independent spirit, nothing else would work.

No, she wasn't drinking, just dancing. Lots of dancing.

He almost never calls her Hermia. You'll find out why...

Tut, tut indeed.

Something blunt would be my guess...

I have no idea, I've never had a job in an office before.

Guess what I have for breakfast? It's like rocket fuel!

Oh yes, she will!

Ah well, it's not vital to the plot. There's more for you online, but I'm getting really busy with uni so the next new chapter might take a while. Plus, it's kinda of locked in my head.

Hmm my French is far from perfect, I think you did a great job there

Great chapter too Sorry for taking so long with getting back to you on it. but anyways, hope you update soon!

I really like the way you're developing Hermia, by the way. Very 3-dimensional.

Thanks, I'll take that as a compliment! The 'let me help you up' bit actually gave me a headache!

I enjoyed that chapter, the next one is a bit long and umm explosive. I keep re-editing it, but I'll post soon 'cos I'll go loopy otherwise. Lots packed in there! New characters and some things get explained!

Thanks. I like Hermia, even though she's not actually a very nice person.

Here's Chapter Five, which would still be rubbish if not for the kind help of ginny37 and OtteryStCatchpole so for you two!

Five: Stunning

“Don't wanna sound full of myself or rude,
But you ain't looking at no other dudes cause you love me (uh oh)
So you think about a chance,
You find yourself trying to do my dance,
Maybe cause you love me (uh oh)”

Jago stood at the bar in the Hobgoblin, watching Hermia dance. The small pub was packed, tables had been moved out of the way and a small stage had been erected in one corner. The Ashwinders were playing their usual mixture of their own material and old muggle covers. Hermia, for a reason that completely escaped Jago, loved these old muggle songs. She had been unable to convince him to join her, so she was dancing on her own, swaying her hips in time to the music in a most seductive way. Jago glanced around the crowd, not surprised that his friend was gathering some admiring glances. The song ended and Hermia stopped dancing to cheer and clap. She worked her way through the crowd and back to him.

“You, Jago Harwood, are going to dance with me before the end of the night!” She laughed as she slid into the tiny space beside him, taking a grateful sip from the glass of mead he had bought for her.

“As soon as they play a song worth dancing to, Beautiful Girl, I will be more than happy to dance with you.” He smiled at her, seeing the happy twinkle in her eyes.

As if they had heard him, the band played the opening bars of one of the few muggle songs that Jago would admit to loving. Abandoning the drinks, he pulled Hermia onto the dance floor singing,

“Yes I'm stuck in the middle with you,
And I'm wondering what it is I should do,
It's so hard to keep this smile from my face,
Losing control, yeah, I'm all over the place,
Clowns to the left of me, Jokers to the right,
Here I am, stuck in the middle with you.”

Hermia threw her head back and laughed. Jago pulled her close to dance with him and she swayed her hips again, enjoying having him as her captive audience. She closed her eyes and breathed in his musky scent, feeling content and happy. The song ended and there was more applause, more cheers. She would have missed what Jago whispered, had it not been for the fact that the two of them were so close together.

“Oh no, not tonight.”

Puzzled, she followed his gaze and saw the very last person that she ever wanted to see: Adrasteia Harper. She stiffened as anger flooded through her and a very unladylike flurry of foul language fell from her lips.

“Come on now Beautiful Girl, there’s no need for that. She only wins if you let her.”

“You’re right. Of course you are. Drink? I think it must be my turn to pay.” She forced a smile, the anger seeping away in the face of Jago’s common sense.

“Not by my count.”

“You’ve got an odd way of counting Jago. It’s always your turn to pay.”

“That’s not odd Beautiful Girl, it’s gentlemanly.”

“Careful. You might just end up sounding like a Gryffindor.”

They both laughed. Jago had never set foot on Hogwarts' soil, he had finished his education at Beauxbatons. Hermia watched Adrasteia Harper‘s blond curls bounce as she made her way through the crowd, followed by a tall familiar figure with brown curls. As he pushed those curls out of his eyes, Hermia was surprised to find herself to be extremely jealous.

*****

The warm Parisian sunshine flooded through the windows and warmed the floorboards of the small apartment in Montmartre. Hermia dashed into Thea’s study and closed the door. She hurried over to the desk and pulled Thea’s wand out her sleeve. She stood still for a moment and listened. When she was sure that no-one was coming, she pointed the wand at the lock of a draw in the walnut desk and said “Alohomora” in a confident voice. She heard the lock click open and giggled gleefully. She yanked the desk draw open and grabbed a bundle of letters that she had seen Thea lock away the day before. Stuffing them into her waistband and covering them with her teeshirt, she closed the draw again, slid the wand back up her sleeve and crept to the door. As she reached her hand out towards the door knob, the door swung open. Thea was standing on the other side of it, hands on hips. Tall and willlowy with long blond hair, Thea was an extremely beautiful and talented witch. She was also extremely cross at that particular moment. Her pale blue eyes were narrowed at Hermia.

“Right then young lady, where’s my wand?”

“I don’t know.” Hermia said brazenly.

“So that’s not it up your sleeve, then? That wand shaped thing?” Thea arched one eyebrow with disbelief.

“Oh, this wand, I didn’t know you meant this one.” Hermia passed the wand back to Thea with a cheeky grin.

“How many wands do you think I have? Now, what else have you taken?”

“Nothing.”

Thea’s eyebrow shot back up in disbelief. “So what’s that very rectangular lump on your belly? Some strange new disease? Do you need a healthy dose of potion to make it go away?”

Hermia sighed, admitting defeat. She pulled up her teeshirt and pulled the letters out of her waist band. “I know they’re about me. That’s why you locked them away. You know where my mum and dad are. Who are they from?”

Thea looked down at the nine year old girl. She had been putting this conversation off for far too long. “They’re from my brother, Quirinus. Let’s go have tea in the garden and we’ll talk about it.”

Thea found out that Hermia had been investigating for months. She had found an old latin book with the name Morgana written on the inside of the back cover. Underneath that had been the name Alberich and under that had been Hermia Bellona. The girl had then scoured the apartment for more evidence of these people. Thea had to gently explain that Hermia’s mother had died in a battle and that she didn’t know where her father was. She told the girl that the names were just a coincidence, that the book had been bought years before with those names written in the back. It was a lie, to shield her from the truth of who her parents really were. They had provided for their daughter financially, but that was all. She had been left with Thea one stormy morning in Berlin. The child hadn’t cried as her mother said good bye, she just waved haughtily from the window as her mother walked away. That evening she had curled up in her bed with a book and read Thea a bed time story. Thea found this charming and did not have the heart to tell her that her mummy would not be coming back. Hermia turned out to be a voracious reader and Thea struggled to keep up with her demands. No subject was left untouched, muggle or magical. She never lost the haughty coldness that she had come to Thea with, although she had softened over the years.

“I didn’t know you had a brother.”

“I have twin brothers. Quirinus and Tyr.” Thea repressed a shudder at the thought of her brothers.

“Can I meet them?”

“One day, perhaps, when we move from here.”

*****

Ashtad Djalili walked at the back of the group, directly behind Adrasteia Harper. She had been flirting with him for at least half an hour that he had been aware of but he couldn’t have been less interested. She seemed determined to laugh at his every comment be it a joke or not, so he had stopped speaking. She was batting her eyelashes at him so often that he was tempted to ask her if she had an eye infection. Her perfume was cloying at his throat, suffocating him. He had sent looks at Elspeth Muir that clearly said ‘save me from this over painted tart’, but Elspeth just smiled back, the pleasure she was taking at seeing him squirm sparkling in her eyes. He walked over to the bar, trying to order a drink, just to get away from Adrasteia.

“Your two eyes they speak to me...”

The Ashwinders had stuck up again, this time with a song that seemed to tap into a pulse, an internal thrum that Ashtad had been aware of ever since he had seen Hermia in that purple outfit in the Lupins’ kitchen. Something within him awoke every time he was near her. He wanted to reach out to her and for the first time since he had learned to speak, words had deserted him. He looked across at the dance floor and felt sick.

"My girl she’s luminous
She gives me such a rush
Feels like a teenage crush
But I just can’t get enough

My girl’s a genius
She knows all kind of stuff
Feels like my head might bust
But I just can’t get enough"

There, dancing in the most alluring and enchanting way was Hermia. Dancing with her, his hands close to her swaying hips, lips whispering in her ear, nose close to her sweet scented hair was that blond man. The one who had bought her sapphires and had kissed her in the atrium. Jealousy threatened to rip him in half. It bubbled in the pit of his stomach. He downed his drink in one swallow and decided to leave. He couldn’t stand it anymore and started to make his way to the door. Halfway to the door he felt a small yet strong hand on his arm.

“Leaving without saying hello are we Djalili?”

He span around and to his delight saw Hermia, grinning up at him, sparkling chocolate eyes challenging him, as ever.

“Of course not Smith. Hello.” His voice was husky with want and whiskey. He noted that she had not taken her hand off his arm. “Who are you with?”

“Oh, just Jago,” she said dismissively. She said something else but her voice was lost in the din of the crowd. He stooped to listen, his ear close to her lips. He breathed in her scent, sharp and sweet, like acid poured over cherries.

“I said, are you going to come and dance with me?”

He was stunned by this question. The girl hated him after all.

“Dance? With you?” He was surprised, but from the look on her face she was insulted.

“Don’t worry, forget it. I wouldn’t want you to...” The rest of her sentence was lost in a screech and a flurry of blond curls.

“What do you think you’re doing? He’s with me!” Adrasteia had appeared from nowhere, wand drawn. The crowd around them tried to back away.

“No, I’m n-”

“Put your wand away you silly cow, I could destroy you with my wand hand tied behind my back.” Hermia’s voice was instantly cold and haughty.

“You’ve always been jealous...”

“There was nothing to be jealous of...”

“This is you last warning...”

Their thee voices blended mid-air. Hermia drew her wand and adopted a fighting stance. The two young women glared at each other. Ashtad was lost as to what to do. He drew his wand, he didn’t want to attack either of them but he couldn’t just stand there.

Jago had made his way through the crowd. He stood between the two young women, hands up in a placating gesture. “I really don’t think this is the time or place. Hermia,” Her eyes snapped to him, she was startled by the unfamiliar act of him using her name, “Put your wand away. Now. you too Blondie.”

There was no hint of the usual jokes in Jago’s voice, none of the aristocratic idleness that usually characterised his mellifluous tones. Instead, his voice was heavily with authority and the pair began to obey him, still staring daggers at each other. Jago advanced on Adrasteia attempting to move her away from Hermia, murmuring something in a low voice. Ashtad moved towards Hermia, reaching out to take her arm. He was about to breathe a sigh of relief but from the corner of his eye he saw Adrasteia whip her wand through the air, shooting a stunner at Hermia. Ashtad reacted instinctively, deflecting the spell. There were screams as it hit the ceiling, showering the crowed with chunks of plaster and dust. A silence stretched over the scene until the band played the opening chords of a new song and the sound crashed over them.

“Come one Ashtad, we’re leaving.” Adrasteia demanded of him coldly.

He gave her an incredulous look “You’re leaving, you mean. You just tried to attack a ministry employee in the middle of a crowded bar. I could arrest you. In fact, she could arrest you. I suggest you leave before we have the chance.” His tone was hard and official.

“But - ”

“No buts, leave.”

She threw a contemptuous look at all of them, tossed her blond curls over her shoulder and stalked away.

Elspeth had finally managed to fight her way through the crowd. “Did you just stand in between Hermia and Adrasteia and live to tell the tale? That deserves a drink, on me!” She dragged Jago to the bar.

Ashtad blinked down at Hermia, a smile slowly spreading across his face.

“Smith, did you just get into a fight with another girl over me?”

She blushed. “No! I was defending myself against that loopy mare.” She looked up at him, challenging him to argue.

“I could have sworn...”

“Oh dream on. I still think you owe me a dance though.”

“How’d you work that out?” He tried not to sound pleased, but failed miserably.

“Well, she did seem rather determined to kill me, just like when we were at school and she spiked my tea with Fever Fudge. She knew I was allergic to it.” Ashtad gulped guiltily, but she didn’t notice. “This might be my last chance to dance with the legendary Djalili.”

“Oh, well, when you put it like that, how can I possibly say no.”

Hermia smiled and led him back onto the dance floor, staying close. He saw Elspeth dancing with Jago nearby. She gave him a wink as Jago’s hand snaked around her waist. Well, he thought, it looks like I was wrong there.

The song changed again and this time it was more energetic. Ashtad looked down at Hermia, watching her move so divinely to the music. He was gripped by a sudden wave of daring and he tentatively took hold of her hips, matching her movements, dizzy at the sensation of being so close to her.

"Going away there's nothing to stay for
Everything we do is some disease
Love is hidden by your fear
So don't make the mistake

Can't sit down
And I can't stand up
Cos if I do I know I'm gonna break
I can't stay in, and I can't go out
Cos if I do I know I'm gonna break"

She looked up at him, her eyes sparkling with something he had never seen there before. He bent towards her and whispered; “It’s a good job your mother can’t see us right now.”

The effect of his words was instantaneous but it was not the one he had expected. He had expected her to laugh, maybe to give him a playful slap on the arm. Instead she stumbled backwards out of his arms, glaring at him coldly. She turned her back on him, hair flying and started to push her way through the crowd.

“Oi, Smith! Oi! Wait!” He did his best to follow her, but it wasn’t easy. Hermia was petite and slid through small gaps, where as he was rather muscular and could not manage to work his way through like she could. Over the top of the crowd he saw her pull the door open and disappear through it. By the time he reached the street she was gone. He turned to go back into the pub and saw that Jago and Elspeth had followed him.

“What happened? What did you say?” Elspeth demanded.

“Nothing.” She looked at him with disbelief plastered over her face. “Honest! I’ve said worse stuff than that to her before!”

“You must have said something.”

“All I said was that it was a good job her mother couldn’t see us. Y’know, dancing like that.”

Jago groaned and Elspeth covered her eyes with her hand.

“Would one of you please tell me what is so bad about that?” Ashtad was genuinely puzzled. “Clearly I’m missing something.”

Jago wrinkled up his face. “For Hermia’s mother to see you dancing, someone would have to dig her up first.”

“Eh?”

“She’s dead, you plum.”

“No she’s not, I saw her at work this afternoon.”

Elspeth frowned. “Who are you talking about?”

“Amelia, Hermia’s mother.”

Jago and Elspeth exchanged a disbelieving glance.

“Amelia’s not Hermia’s mother?” Ashtad swallowed thickly.

“Them having different surnames didn’t give it away?”

“People don’t necessarily have to have the same last name as their mother. They look so alike, their hair, their height, their figures... Oh Merlin, what have I done? I’ve got to go find her.” He glanced at them anxiously waiting for their answer. Jago simply shook his head.

“Mate, she’ll put you in St Mungo’s. Besides, I always got the impression the two of you hated each other.”

“Hated? No, I’ve never... She thinks I hate her?” The whine of panic in his brain was getting louder. “I’ve got to go look for her.” Without waiting to ask where she might have gone, he twisted on the spot and vanished.

Jago rubbed his chin with his thumb. He reached for Elspeth, pulling her into a close, familiar embrace. He kissed her neck and she sighed.

“So Aoife, do you know what’s going on with them? I don’t really know him.”

“Not a clue, I thought they hated each other. Looks like that’s changed.”

Jago kissed her deeply, causing her to sigh against his lips. “I think you might just be right, my celtic goddess.”

The songs, in order are:
Frontin' by Jamie Cullum (I know Pharrell sings it too, but Jamie just sounds so much more, ummm, manly?)
Stuck in the Middle with You by Stealers Wheel What do you mean you don't know this song? Have you been living under a rock?
Symphony of Sirens by Just Jack I love this song, but it's not got rather grown up lyrics, so ye be warned!
Breakin' by The Music I love this band - they come from just up the road from me! Very cool guys, brilliant live!

I only gave suggestions, you made the magic! Great chappie! Poor little Ashtad You should be ashamed of yourself for being so mean to him

You're far to nice to me you are!

Don't worry about Ashtad, he'll be fine! I'm not ashamed of myself! The man's a trainee Auror, he needs to toughen up a bit!

Ok. Here's comment 3 of 5. Wow! I've got a lot to catch up on. BTW: Can you delete the other 2 comments please? I'm really sorry about them! My cousins compter did something weird! Ok. Back to the story.

Wow! "Steaming" I always loved the titles of your ffs.

Wow! I wonder if Ashtad had anything better to do or if he was there to meet someone? Hm...

I wonder who this Hrld guy is talking about? So many questions so early on in the chapter. Not complaining.

Ok. "Big H"? Does that remind you of a certain part in Ootp? About this person they're talking about: she seems familiar. Hm...


Haha! I think i know who they're talking about now. I wonder what caught Ashtad's attention?

Haha! I knew it! "Teenage delinquent" That's so funny! I wonder who that person is? Haha!

Haha! Harold's funny! Ok. Time to continue.

Yes! I knew it was her

Hm... Considering it's Hermione, good luck Hermia!

Good luck on this as well Hermia!

Less than four hours? Wow! That's how much sleep i get on a day with a lot of homework. Now i feel sorry for Hermia. And she's wearing a short dress. Wonder what Hermione's going to say to that?

Now, now. Patience, Hermia, patience. Although i can get why she's being so impatient.

Ooh! This should be very interesting to read (not that your ff's aren't interesting).

Haha! That's so funny! Good start to an argument, Ashtad!

Haha! That's hilarious! These two always make me laugh!

Haha! Good comeback Hermia! Go girl power!

Good on Hermia for standing her guard! Well done! Ok. I know this isn't important but: Wow! Hermia's got a manicure. Did she get a manicure for the going out thing? Hm...

Wow! Good comeback! Go Ashtad! But the first bit sounds kind of rude.

What?! "a harshness in his tone"?! What's wrong with you Ashtad?! Woah! Someone's angry. Is it jealousy? Because he's just being a teenager again no offence).

OMG! What's wrong with him?! He's being very silly now! Ashtad: stop being so mean! You're a Djalili, you're not meant to be mean.

OMG! He's being seriously mean, now! I never knew Ashtad culd be so mean. I think its his dark side coming through.

OMG! Ashtad's being so mean!

OMG! Poor Hermia! Why was Ashtad like that? Silly boy. Talk about a good exit, though. I have to admit that.

Haha! That last bit is so funny! The "Behave Yourself". Reminds me of Fred and George, funnily enough.

Ooh! He meets Hermia! This is so exciting! His idea is funny, though. A Stretching Jinx. Imagine.

Djalili! Belly dance! Ok. Moving on. Elspeth reminds me of Hermione. And that bit reminded me of the time when the trio are going to be in their third year at Hogwarts and they meet Remus.

Yep. She does.

Haha! That was such a funny comeback!

Unfortunately, that's true.

Ok. That must have hurt Ashtad. It is still so funny.

They're in the same house! Yay! This should get very interesting. And there's only a year difference between them! Eep!

Aw! Someone's getting feelings for someone else! I think i should stop now. Really. I'm getting ridiculous.

Wow.

Djalili! I think i should stop doing that now.

Aw! Some time for the two of them to bond (do forgive me - i think someone's spiked my orange juice).

His thought is kind of true but she's still nice. At least i think she is.

Something tells me that something is wrong.

That was mean. Ok. A bit funny but still very mean. The "Djalili" part made me laugh. Tut, tut, tut.

Wow. Talk about being in a bad state! Poor Hermia!

Ooh! Imagine being caught by Teddy. At least he's cool.

Poor girl. I hate the walk of shame (never had to do it but still).

Wow! Poor Hermia! Having Hermione shout at you like that wouldn't be nice at all.

Aw! Poor girl. At least Teddy is nice.

Aw! That is such a cute moment! I felt so warm inside (that' saying something because it's been snowing here).

Aw! That must have been sad! Poor Djalili.

Aw! So nice of him.

Aw! It's sweet of Jago to give her such a nice braclet but poor Ashtad. Jago seems pretty romantic to me.

Aw! Poor Ashtad! I feel sorry for him.

Ok. First of all "old friend"? Not saying anything apart from i feel so sorry for Ashtad. You can tell he's sad. Is it just me or is it weird that he changed so much? He was so jokey in Hogwarts and now. *sighs*

I'm very sorry for completing this so late. Hope you forgive me.
Kita

Bless him!! You will have desensitized to all things bad by the time it's over with! Really though, Bravo!!

I wub this stowweee!

Reading right now, but will review soon.
Because y'aaaalll rawwwwwk. <3

Oh that boy is going to be brilliant, very soon! Thanks though, my wobble was bigger than I think you realised It had loads to do with my back.

I love you too! Have you read Bright Lights? 'cos this story could spoil that one!

You are too cool!

Just caught up! Woah, Hermia must be angry/depressed/confused... Poor thing!

Hello! glad you've caught up!

Yeah she's on a bit of a roller coaster, emotionally speaking. She's not exactly a calm, rational person at the moment. Scratch that, she's never a calm, rational person.

There's fun to come! Well, fun might not be the right word, come to think of it. New characters, and yummy palpable tension.

What do we think of Adrasteia Harper?

YUSH! I read it in pretty much one sitting... it was good, and very well-written. The wrap-up was beautiful, I adore the way you write. <3

The whole thing in one go? Good grief! I wrote the prologue and epilogue together and then sort of had to separate them!

Thanks for the compliment, it means a lot coming from someone as talented as your good self.

Ok, so for my usual pace it's been a long while since I updated but it was for a very, very, very good reason!

This chapter is dedicated to the brilliantly talented Miss Lissy Lou for a reason that will become obvious Lissy you are a star!


Six: Seal

Hermia stood in the splendid marble entrance hall of Gringotts Bank, steeling herself for a familiar argument. She walked up to the desk and saw Vatnok, one of the senior goblins, writing in a large ledger. He looked up at her, his lips slowly pulling back into an unpleasant leer. Hermia got the impression that he was going to enjoy taunting her. She put her shopping bags on floor and slipped off her opaleye hide gloves off.

“Good morning my dear Miss Smith. How can I help you?” His tone was mocking, he knew as well as she did how their conversations always went. It was like a script now, a duologue that they were locked into.

“Good Morning, Vatnok. I want to see the summary for my account please.” She kept her voice level but cold. She was not going to give him the satisfaction of knowing that she was already annoyed.

“But of course.” He climbed off his chair and disappeared from view. Hermia glanced around the entrance hall, noticing familiar faces here and there, either going into or coming out of the doors that led to the vaults.

Vatnok returned. “Here we are.” He deposited her own account ledger on to the desk and turned it so that she could see the columns of figures. She ran her finger down the deposits column. There, amongst the ministry salary deposits was a deposit for seven hundred and fifty thousand galleons, dated the twenty-ninth of October, her birthday.

“It’s happened again,” She said through gritted teeth, “And there’s twice as much as there was last time.”

“What are you referring to?” The old goblin was clearly taking a great deal of pleasure in her aggravation.

“You know exactly what I’m referring to! Seven hundred and fifty thousand galleons has been deposited into my account and there is no record of where it has come from. Again.” Her voice was a low, dangerous hiss. It had been happening all her life. At three points in the year, a significant amount of gold was transferred into her Gringotts account, no matter which country she was living in. The last four four deposits had been more than significant. Hermia was now extremely wealthy, a fact that she hated as it was not money she had earned. She glowered at the goblin.

“Our other clients would not be so upset to receive such a birthday gift.” The goblin told her blandly.

“Your other clients would probably know who had given them such a gift. I want an answer Vatnok.”

“I am sorry Miss Smith, but I am not at liberty to disclose the identity of your benefactor.”

Hermia’s hand twitched towards her wand pocket, a gesture that was not missed by the goblin.

“I can, however, give you this note.” He said silkily, holding a small sealed rectangle of parchment in his long fingered hand.

Hermia snatched it from him.

“Thank you, now I need someone to take me to my vault.”

“Of course, allow me.” He climbed down from his chair again and Hermia used the time it took him walk around the long desk to look at the seal on the note. Impressed into the wax was a stamp. On an ivy leaf were three letters: MAB.





*****

Ashtad watched as Hermia eat her breakfast quietly. He had been plotting his revenge for a week and now was the time to act. She had shown him up Transfiguration. It was bad enough that she had been put forward a year in Transfiguration and Charms after proving that she was already more than capable of handling the coursework, but now she was openly correcting him in front of the whole class. The fact that she had been right was incidental, it was just bad form to dish out corrections. That’s what the professor was there for! The two of them had spent the previous year sniping at each other; she had never forgiven him for the joke he had played on her first night. They had fallen into a comfortable rhythm of sarcastic remarks and oneupmanship with the occasional practical joke thrown in for good measure.

Ashtad steeled himself. If she caught him... He preferred not to think about what she would do to him if she caught him. He walked towards her. “Oi, Smith. Professor Webb wants to talk to you.”

“He does?” She turned to look at the staff table, where Professor Webb, the Arithmancy professor, was deep in conversation with Professor Longbottom. As she did this, he slipped a small phial out of the sleeve of his robes and tipped a generous amount of the Fever Fudge that he had liquidated into her cup of tea. Holding his wand over it, he caused the tea to stir itself. He put the phial and his wand back into his pocket just as Hermia turned back to him, with a look of suspicion clouding her features.

“Are you sure?” She arched one eyebrow.

He gave her what he hoped was his usual winning smile. “That’s what I was told. I dunno.” He shrugged and walked away swiftly.

Hermia turned back to her breakfast. She took a rather large mouthful of tea as it was going cold. As soon as it hit her taste buds she knew it was a mistake. She felt her temperature begin to shoot up. She pulled at the collar of her robes, feeling extremely restricted. She tried to stand up and get to the hospital wing but that proved to be a mistake. She lost her balance and fell back into the chair, her sudden motion causing the chair to topple over backwards. As if to complete the picture of humiliation, her robes pooled at her waist, leaving her underwear exposed. As she began to loose consciousness she saw Adrasteia Harper laughing and pointing at her gleefully.

*****

Hermia rushed out of Gringotts into a rainy late November morning. She pulled the collar of her cloak up around her neck, silently cursing because she had left her umbrella on the kitchen table. She rushed down the small cobbled street and pushed the door of Weasley’s Wizard Wheezes.

“Alright Midget?” George Weasley’s cheery voice called out to her over the hubbub of happy voices that belonged to his customers. “Did you get everything?”

No-one, not even Jago, could get away with teasing Hermia about her height apart from George. She had given up trying to stop him and just accepted it as his way of being affectionate. By way of a response she held up the bags of shopping that she had collected before her confrontation with Bladvac. She made her way through the crowd to the back room where the defence range was still on display. George joined her at the door.

“Does this stuff still sell?” She asked George as they made their way through the shelves of Decoy Detonators and Peruvian Instant Darkness Powder.

“It does,” George replied with a small sigh, “but even if we didn’t shift much, I’d still stock it.”

Hermia nodded. She had a feeling that George would stock the products so that people had the opportunity to protect themselves, in memory of Fred. She followed George up the stairs to the small flat where the shop assistant Clive lived. George collected several bags and grinned at Hermia.

“Y’know, I think that our little Remus is far more of a Marauder than Teddy ever was. The fact that we’ve had to keep all his presents out of the house until right now proves that. Even me and Fred weren’t that bad.” He laughed.

Hermia arched an eyebrow at him, taking an extra bag. “Are you sure? I’ve heard stories about you and Fred. Illicit trips into Hogsmeade and portable swamps? Not to mention that map.”

“Well, you might just have a point there.” George chuckled as he stepped towards the fire, taking a large pinch of Floo Powder. He dropped it into the fire and shouted “Lupin Cottage!”, disappearing in a whirl of green flames.

Hermia put her bags down and took the small square of sealed parchment out of her pocket. She ran her finger over the seal. Now was not the time to open it and she did not want to break the letters. She wondered what the Ivy was supposed to represent. Friendship? Fidelity? Eternity? Ivy represented these things to the celts. Or was it supposed to remind her of the ability of the plant to grow almost anywhere, to wind its around trees and creep up buildings, to always survive and win?

MAB. Well that was easy, she knew who those letters referred to. Morgana. Alberich. Bellona. She knew now where the money was coming from and she felt sick. Her father was still alive and he knew where she was. Would he come and see her? A jolt of anger burst through her, settling in her stomach. She dashed towards the fire and was just about to throw the note into the flames when they turned green again and George’s face appeared with a small pop.

“What in the name of Merlin's best y-fronts are you doing Midget? Amelia’s doing her nut here. Ted and Remus’ll be back soon and she wants everything to be just right.”

Hermia flushed with embarrassment. “Sorry, sorry, I’m coming.”

There was another pop and George was gone. She collected the bags of presents and stepped into the green flames, trying to banish all thoughts of her father from her mind.

~

Jago sat in the parlour of Lupin Cottage, watching the children play musical bumps. He noted that Remus was a terrible cheat and that Hermia was letting him get away with it, most of the time. He watched as Teddy and Ginny passed him, carrying Cosmo and Caitlin up to bed. They had fallen asleep under the kitchen table, after setting up a den in there that only twins were allowed into. That meant that George had basically been held hostage under the table for the best part of the afternoon and force fed large amounts of party food. The game ended and Remus was a rather gallant looser, handing over a prize to the young girl who had won. He was just starting to decide which game they would play next when gave a squeal of surprise and pleasure as Ashtad stepped into the room, holding a birthday gift. Jago watched Hermia’s reaction closely. She froze for a moment, clearly surprised and angry that Ashtad was there and then started to organise the children into a game of pass the parcel. Remus rushed over to Ashtad, giving him a high five and taking the present, ripping the paper off it. He ran over to Jago.

“Look! The complete works of Kennilworthy Whisp!” Jago had never seen anyone, apart from Hermia, look so happy to recive a book. He grinned at Ashtad who was now recieving another high-five from Remus as the young boy rushed to join in the game, his new book tucked under his arm.

“All right mate? You’re popular this afternoon.”

“Not with everyone, did you see the look on her face? I almost didn’t come.” Ashtad sounded dejected at his less than warm welcome from Hermia.

“You’re just lucky the room’s full of people shorter than she is,” Jago said, suppressing a grin. “I take it that you didn’t catch up with her that night?”

“This is the first time I’ve seen her since then. I thought she’d been ill but apparently she’s avoiding me. Has she said anything to you, about what happened?”

“No mate, she hasn’t.” Jago wouldn’t have said anything to Ashtad even if Hermia had told him how she was feeling. He had asked but she had shut down and refused to talk about it. Jago knew better than to push her.

Over the next hour, Jago watched as Hermia steadily ignored Ashtad. There was something else wrong with her though, he could tell. The cheesy false smile that she was wearing for Remus and the other children would drop and he could see a deadness in her eyes that he had not seen a very long time. He was worried but he had no idea what to do to get her to talk to him.

Eventually, adults began arriving to collect the children from the party. When only the family was left and Ashtad was in a deep debate about Quidditch with Remus in the kitchen, Jago forced Hermia, almost at wand point, up to her room. She sat on the bed while he sat in her leather arm chair.

“Well, what is it?” He looked at her expectantly.

She pursed her lips sulkily. “Am I supposed to know what you’re talking about?”

He frowned, this was not going to be easy. “Alright, be like that. I’m just worried about out you, that’s all. You can fool everyone else, but no-one else knows you like I do BG.”

Her scowl deepened. “Why is it that you can never use my name? Hermia. It’s not challenging. You’ve always got to find something else to call people. What’s that about? Your way of owning everyone? Is it because you’ve got all that money, you think everyone belongs to you?” Her voice was venomous.

Jago had heard this particular rant before and he knew that it meant she was really hurt by something or someone. He raised one eyebrow. “Oh, okay then Miss Hermia Beatrice Smith...”

“Bellona.” Her voice was barely a whisper.

“I’m sorry, what?”

“Miss Hermia Bellona Smith. That’s my name.”

Jago sucked in a breath over his teeth, making a small hissing noise. “When did you find that out?”

“When I was nine. I just didn’t want it to be my name.” She was pale, as though her heart had broken and was struggling to pump enough blood to her face. “He’s still alive. Alberich. He’s been putting money into my vault.”

Jago crossed the room in two swift steps and pulled her into his arms. She resisted him at first, trying to push him away from her. Eventually, with a little sob, she collapsed against his chest, tears running down her face. He stroked her hair and rocked her back and forth, attempting to soothe her pain.

“How do you know?”

“The goblin gave me a note. It’s in my cloak.” The words came out in a strangled whisper.

Jago let go of Hermia and went over to her wardrobe. She had hung he cloak on the door to dry out. He found the note in the pocket and looked at the seal.




MAB?

“So you haven’t opened it?”

She shook her head.

“Do you want me to?”

She nodded. He had known her to be lost for words only once before and she had disappeared for six months afterwards. He tapped the seal with his wand and it lifted in one piece. He read the note aloud.

Quote:

Dearest Bellona,

I am not at this moment able to see you in person. I have always been aware of your progress and I am proud that you are a strong, independent spirit like your mother.

Please accept the money I have provided for you. You deserve only the finest things.

Alberich.

Jago wasn’t sure what to say to her. She had turned grey. She stood up and walked out of the room. He threw the letter down on her dressing table and followed her.

When they reached the parlour, Hermia stopped short. Ashtad was sitting on the sofa, with Remus asleep against him.

“I think the excitement got to him.” he whispered with a grin. His expression became one of concern when he saw Hermia’s tears. She gave him a look that was so cold it could have frozen his blood. She swept out off the room.

“What did I do now?” he whispered, looking genuinely perplexed.

Jago shrugged and rushed out of the cottage, but Hermia had gone. He sighed and ran his hand through his dirty blonde hair. He wasn’t sure what to do to try and fix this. He wasn’t sure that anyone could fix this but Hermia herself.

Lissy designed the parchment and the seal. Isn't she brilliant? Don't we all love her?

Thanks go to ginny37 for convincing me to rename the goblin, he almost sounded like a viking!

I've put an album of photos that I have on the profiles I keep for each character. Take a look if you like. I will be updating it soon.

I've got the next chapter more or less done, so you won't have to wait too long for an update

This. Was. Great.

Poor Ashtad *pets him*

Hermia needs to remove the stick from her bum!

Yay for quick updates! And photos, too. I wanna know where Hermia disappeared to!

Yayieee chapter! Lovely graphics by Lissy, too. I had good fun, reading it with breakfast. Which was a bowl of sweeet dish. [/random]

Buttt where has Hermia gonnnne? ={
*wants to know*