2nd Floor Common Room, Thursday Afternoon

[fh_jackass]

Logan was in the kitchen. Cooking. Because when you were in a kitchen, working with a blender, you could call it cooking. Even if the result was more beverage-y than food-y. It was practically summer, anyway. Perfect time for a cold iced drink. With tequila.

The television was playing "Annie".

Comments

[smartestone]

Hermione can only stare.

[auroryborealis.livejournal.com]

"It was like a punishment," Rory clarified.

[smartestone]

"That is not an appropriate punishment!" she says emphatically. "Every week? It's a miracle the Ministry of Magic didn't haul her away!"

[auroryborealis.livejournal.com]

"Maybe that's why she left," Rory said, shrugging. "No one seemed to really suffer any ill effects. I mean, John got that treatment on a bi-weekly basis, almost, and he was fine."

[smartestone]

"Well, no, there are no lasting side effects as long as it's done correctly, but transfiguring someone as punishment is hardly called for! At least she's gone now."

A second later, she's back on it again, with, "And I can't even use my wand here!"

[auroryborealis.livejournal.com]

"You're a witch too?" Rory asked, eyes wide. And then facepalmed. "Duh, if you know Skeeter...."

[smartestone]

"Yes," she says, glad to say it out loud. "I can't cast spells at the moment, but I can do magic."

[auroryborealis.livejournal.com]

"Why'd they take your wand? They let Skeeter keep hers," Rory said, frowning.

[smartestone]

"I still have it. Principal Washburn let me keep it," Hermione clarifies. "I'm underage. I'm not supposed to use magic outside of Hogwarts."

[auroryborealis.livejournal.com]

"Draco did magic," Rory told her. "But...he probably wasn't supposed to, huh?"

[smartestone]

"Probably not, but I'm sure he would never actually get into trouble for it."

[auroryborealis.livejournal.com]

"But...you would?" Rory asked skeptically.

[smartestone]

"His father is... influential," she says. "It isn't fair, no."

[auroryborealis.livejournal.com]

"Is he influential here?" she asked, still confused. "Because I've never heard of him."

[smartestone]

"You probably wouldn't have, unless you're involved in the wizarding world," Hermione explains. "Muggles- that's non-magical people- don't actually know much about the other world. That just doesn't seem to matter much here."

[auroryborealis.livejournal.com]

"Yeah - I actually know what you mean by 'muggle,'" Rory said with a wry grin. "Skeeter called us that, sometimes."

[smartestone]

Hermione facepalms.

Then says, "It doesn't matter here, it doesn't matter here, it doesn't matter here..."

[auroryborealis.livejournal.com]

"...I didn't think it was an insult or anything."

[smartestone]

"It isn't. Not at all," she says quickly. "I'm just not used to it being so... open in front of Muggles."

[auroryborealis.livejournal.com]

"I'm from a small, completely un-supernatural town in Connecticut," Rory said, nodding. "But...Fandom's weird? And it's like the lines between, um...I guess 'dimensions' is the best word, is kind of blurry. So magic's kind of rampant, we have aliens and vampires, and we all just kind of have to adjust to a new kind of normal."

[smartestone]

"When I left home, it was August of 1995," says Hermione. "It has to be a very quick adjustment."

[auroryborealis.livejournal.com]

Rory's eyes went wide. "Oh. Yes, it's 2006 now? Which, um, you probably figured out. We have a few people misplaced out of time. One of my best friends is from the early nineties."

[smartestone]

"I don't mind, exactly. I just want to be sure I get back to my right time when I actually need to," says Hermione, who has some small experience with messing with time.

[auroryborealis.livejournal.com]

"Understandable. You wouldn't want your arm here and the rest of you in '95, right?"

[smartestone]

She pauses, thinking of accidents she's read about due to mistakes while Apparating. "I should make sure that can't happen."