The Stone Steps

Hermione laughs. "Except clearly my judgement cannot be trusted, because I thought I did find the perfect guy but now he's in another country. It's all a bit pathetic, don't you think?" she says, still laughing because what else can she do at this stage?

Audrey giggled, "Well if he's really the perfect guy for you then in two years you can be with him and it'll be even better."

"I know," Hermione sighs. "I don't know what's going to happen, really. I mean, we said we'd see how it goes, but we also promised we wouldn't hold each other back. Two years from now, you never know - he could be married or something."

Audrey shrugged, "Well then he's not perfect is he? And you might find someone else, you never know."

"Is it stupid that even after everything, I still hope that he is perfect?" Hermione asks, running a hand roughly through her hair. "Anyway, this is mad, running over it all. What else has been happening?"

Audrey smiled, "No darling, there's nothing wrong with thinking that." She shrugged, "Not much else has been happening. Just spending time with Nev, oh I met another gryff, Seamus Finnegan. Do you know him?"

"Yes, I know Seamus a little," Hermione says with a smile. "He's a good friend of Neville's. Used to have a bad habit of singeing his eyebrows off if I'm not much mistaken. So I suppose you're really getting to know his friends, then? That's a good sign, right?"

Audrey nodded, "Yeah it's interesting. Because aside from you and Lina I don't know all that many Gryffs, at least not well. I guess I recognize most people but I don't really know them." She shrugged, "You get what I mean."

"I know what you mean. It's frightening to think that we're half way through sixth year, and there's people I've shared classes with for years now, and I don't really know their names. There are some people in our year I've never ever said hello to, I don't think!"

Audrey nodded, "Yeah, except that most of them are Slytherins and wouldn't answer me anyway." She shrugged, "I'd say I know most of the sixth and seventh years in Claw and Puff then all of the gryffs in advanced classes. Also Mya, Auds is a seventh year.

Gah I always forget. >.>
"Well, yes, there are some that wouldn't speak to me if I tried," Hermione concedes. "It's just strange to think - I get so caught up with people from my own house most of the time, I think you're really the only one from another house I talk to regularly. Or at all."

Audrey smiled, "Well I'm glad that I'm the privileged one that gets to steal away your precious time. Oh! And I don't think I told you that when I was hanging out with Dean the other day he drew a portrait of me. It's incredible! But I'm still curious, has there been anything else happening in your life? Aside from the Viktor drama that is."

"Oh that's nice," Hermione says with a smile, even though she would much rather grimace because she well remembers the look Dean had given her last time they had crossed paths. "If it's half as lovely as you, I'm sure it's stunning. And no, I've not really had the time or the energy to do much else these days," she confesses, although she feels a little pathetic about that. "Maybe I should put some more energy into S.P.E.W!"

Audrey smiled at the compliment and nodded enthusiastically, "Yeah, get back into doing work that you love, take some time to enjoy being single. You're the most independent girl I know."

Tam just realized she never unpacked... whooops.....

Whoops.

Hermione is starting to think she's going to be 'independent' forever. She doesn't say that out loud though, instead she smiles again -it gets easier with each one she fakes- and nods. "Exactly. Besides, I've really neglected S.P.E.W. this year, what with Luna, and then Viktor. I shouldn't let my attention be so easily diverted, not when I've got so much to be going on with! I should be more like you - you always seem to fit everything in," she says, a little enviously.

Audrey giggled, "It's because I have such great friends to keep me sane and on track. I can't even count the times that you guys have reminded me of something that I need to do." She wrapped her arm around Hermione again, "And this summer you can come hang out with me and we'll go roam the mall on the hunt for a summer boyfriend. A little prize before your NEWTs kick in. Okay?"

"That sounds nice," Hermione says blankly. What really sounds nice to her is spending her summer curled up in an armchair by the window, surrounded by a stack of books taller than she, but she's learned enough to know not to say as much to Audrey, who seems determined to try and force Hermione to live a healthy and well-rounded life. "I was going to go to Bulgaria, but I guess that's off."

Audrey will make sure Hermione gets time with her books too. Heck they can even boy hunt in the bookstore. Would that make her happy? Audrey squeezed the hug a little and rested her head against her friend's, "Who knows. Maybe you can visit a little if you wanted to?"

Hermione will not see any boys in a bookstore, because she will be distracted by the books. But she'll never say no to that trip! "Seems pointless, really, to try and see him before I graduate. It would only either rekindle something and then we'd have to extinguish it again for another year, or we'd find ourselves too far apart and it would just be awful," she says flatly. "I'm much better off just staying home, or spending time with you and Angelina."

Audrey gave her friend sad look, "I guess so. Oh well we'll have a great summer, I'll even help you plan your mass study schedule."

"That'll be fun," Hermione says, perking up just a little. "Maybe if I really throw myself into studying and just forget almost everything else, the time will fly by. Perhaps I could take on enough classes to get a timeturner again!"

Audrey grinned, "If anyone could handle it it would be you. Though hold off a little because you might get to do a project with one of the professors, what subject would you want to do one in anyway?"

"Transfiguration," Hermione replies promptly. "I don't think I'd even care what the project is; just the idea of ever working closely with a witch the calibre of Professor McGonagall would be phenomenal, don't you think?"

Audrey nodded, "That does sound amazing. Work with Slughorn this year has been incredible, it's honestly made me realize that I could truly work in potions research and development for the rest of my life and never be bored."

-Hermione-

"I'm really glad," Hermione says with a smile, while deep down she feels a twinge of jealousy. Everything is working out brilliantly for Audrey, and while Hermione is happy for her friend, she can't stop the bitter little thoughts that worm their way through the darkest recesses of her mind; she wants that. She wants the happy relationship that seems so easy from the outside, and the fulfilling work in an exciting field. "You could do amazing things with potions; I bet you'll be inventing a new one every week!"