𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗸 𝘁𝗼𝗰𝗸, harry potter

˗ˋ 87

CHAPTER EIGHTY SEVEN
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-: fifth year :-

── IN WHICH HERMIONE 
HANDS OUT GALLEONS

. . .

Once again, they had arranged another D.A. meeting, because Hermione had come up with a particularly clever method of communicating when the next meeting would be, because Aviana had told Harry, quite shortly, the evening before that it was becoming too suspicious for some many people crossing the Great Hall to talk to one another, and that if it continued then they were bound to get caught out sooner than later.

And she sat next to him in the meeting as usual, arriving amongst the crowds and taking her seat, their knees brushing for something of a moment before shifting away, glare resting precisely on both Zacharias and Cho as they came through the door, disdain obvious. 

"Let's get started." Harry said, and gestured at Hermione, who got to her feet, holding a covered basket of something or the other. Aviana, again, was watching her all too carefully. Harry often got the sense that she was somewhat suspicious of something with him now, with all of them. Not because, like Zacharias continuously suggested (even if the thought crossed Aviana's mind, she would simply not do it out of spite), but another reason that he couldn't decipher, as though they were trying to trick her, somehow. 

"I had an idea." Hermione began, and Aviana let out a rather audible sigh. "To reduce the unnecessary back-and-forth trying to arrange dates, accommodating all three-"

"Four." Aviana interrupted. "I play Quidditch too." 

"Yes." Hermione nodded. "Yes... of course. Well, to accommodate all four Quidditch schedules." 

"It's fine because Slytherin will just keep having their practises after ours anyway." Angelina rolled her eyes. 

"Not my choice." Aviana's eyes narrowed. "I would appreciate it if you stop acting like I had anything to do with it. If I did, then it would have stopped already." She snapped, arms folded. 

It was not an unfamiliar sight. In fact, it had been like that for much of the past few weeks. 

"Everyone pass them around." Hermione spoke up, handing out what looked like handful of Galleons to a few people, and she stood, waiting, as they were passed around. "Has everyone got one?" She asked, and there was a murmur of agreement. 

Aviana pressed the Galleon between her thumb and forefinger. Certainly, she quickly deduced, it was not real. "What is the purpose of these, exactly?" She asked.

Hermione blinked once, ignoring the tone. "You see the numerals around the edge of the coins?" she asked, as she held one up for examination. The coin gleamed round and gold in the light from the torches. "On real Galleons that's just a serial number referring to the goblin who cast the coin. On these fake coins, though, the numbers will change to reflect the time and date of the next meeting. The coins will grow hot when the date changes, so if you're carrying them in a pocket you'll be able to feel them. We take one each, and when Harry sets the date of the next meeting he'll change the numbers on his coin, and because I've put a Protean Charm on them, they'll all change to mimic his." 

Aviana stared down at her coin, as every other member of the group turned to face Hermione blankly, as though everything she had say was gibberish.

 "Well — I thought it was a good idea," Hermione said uncertainly,"I mean, even if Umbridge asked us to turn out our pockets,there's nothing fishy about carrying a Galleon, is there? 

Aviana didn't hear what she said next, not did she hear what Terry Boot started going on about N.E.W.T.s and Hermione not being Sorted into Ravenclaw, because something about this coin unsettled her. She didn't like it, not at all. There was unease rising in her stomach, something all too familiar, something she had felt too often throughout her life. 

To her right, instead of reflecting in Hermione's initial genius, as he had been, Harry's gaze set on her. As always, he couldn't read her expression at all, as she stared down at the fake galleon, but it was different. It wasn't something he had seen before, because she so carefully regulated and chose her shown emotions when it wasn't just pure anger directed at Umbridge or someone similar. 

She looked... almost upset, which was something he had only been privileged to see twice. Once in the bathroom after a detention and the second after Umbridge tricked her into a meeting. And he recognised the tell-tale signs; her unusual distraction, and the fidgeting with the coin, but unlike the other times, there was such an anger combined into it that he didn't quite understand. 

"Granger." Aviana said sharply, all of a sudden, as she got to her feet. "I'm not taking this." She said, her voice harsh and cutting. 

"But-" Hermione protested. 

"I'm not taking this. I don't want to carry it around with me." Aviana replied, all the more cold. "I don't want it. I'm not going to take it." 

"Aviana-" Hermione once again tried, still not taking the coin from her outstretched hand. 

"Hermione." Harry shook his head, and for a moment, Aviana glanced over at him, and she looked somewhat grateful. "She doesn't need the coin. I can just tell her when the meetings are." 

"But she needs to-" 

"Hermione, seriously." Harry said. "I'll tell her when the meetings are. I see her all the time. It's unnecessary."

"Thank you, someone with some sense." Aviana pursed her lips. "Well, if that's everything." She said, and reached for her bag, weaving between cushions and out of the circle of D.A. members, and left the Room of Requirement once more. 

This time, Harry followed her, without another thought.

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