After the double Charms class ended, a pink faced girl with blonde hair came up to the group. Hermione recognized her as Hannah Abbott, one of the returning students, alongside herself, Neville, and Draco. She watched as Hanah looked over at Matt and then back to Neville. Matt was already moving off heading towards the Great Hall for lunch.
"Hey Neville, your friend, the transfer, is he alright?' Hermione heard Hannah ask and she stopped in the corridor.
"I think so, why do you ask?" Neville replied.
"He was getting picked on pretty badly by the Slytherins. They're showing off today's Daily Prophet. It's got a nasty article in it about him." Hannah explained. "I was in the compartment beside yours on the train. I heard him, what he said, to Pansy and her gang. It was brilliant. But they've got that article now…Pansy's already trying to make it sound like he's one of them…He…shut down. It wasn't anything like on the train. I don't know what happened."
"He's not, I assure you." Hermione interjected. "I spent a lot of time with him over the summer, as did Ginny and Luna. We all know he's not a blood supremacist and he's not a Death Eater or anything like that at all!"
"So, then the article wasn't completely lying, you two do fancy each other?" Hannah asked bluntly. Hermione turned red and did not know how to respond.
"I-I wouldn't-" Hermione stammered trying to find a response. "I'm not a Black Widow and I haven't got a confirmed kill count of twenty people! I'm not going to kill Matt either!" she tried to shift the attention and point off Matt and onto herself, although it did not seem to be working especially well.
"Well, you best be ready to back that up. I don't know how you're going to show him any loyalty without gossip. His actions on the train… they were good, but he's made an enemy now, several in fact. Looks like you have too, or at least renewed some old feuds. You better watch out." Hannah said and gave Hermione's arm a reassuring pat. "Ernie and I, we're on your side too! I'll see you in Herbology, Neville!"
Hermione looked worried. Neville followed her through the halls, knowing they were slightly behind getting to lunch.
"Matt's strong right?" Neville asked.
"Well, yes, magically speaking." Hermione replied. "He's at least as good as Harry or I am…" there was uncertainty in her voice.
"Hermione, I know you. What is it?" Neville pressed as they walked.
"I just don't know how he is emotionally. He seems like the wrong things may set him off. He had a tough time the other day when we were in London…"
"What happened in London?" Neville asked, curious as he had not been with them and was lamenting the fact that he had been left behind yet again. Although he could not blame them, they did not exactly spend a lot of time together outside of school.
"Well…you see…Matt, he, he wandered off…" Hermione was trying her best to not cast Matt in a terrible light.
"And?" Neville pressed.
"And well…he ran into an old classmate…they had a bit of a duel you see…Harry and I, with Gin and Luna, we…well we sort of bailed him out of it…" Hermione was trying desperately to not make it sound like Matt was inept or incapable.
"So, he's not a great duelist, neither am I. What's that got to do with him being emotionally strong?" Neville asked.
"No, it's not that Matt needed the help…afterwards…she told us some things. Painful things, for him. He…that is…we…well…I had to really bring him around again. He shut down." Hermione admitted, her cheeks flushing. She had to admit to even herself, she was being protective of the new guy. Why? It was obvious she liked him on some level, she accepted that.
"I see." Neville responded. He paused in thought for a few moments as they walked through the halls. "So, you did move on from Ron? Not criticizing or anything, just wondering is all. Matt seems like a better match." Neville asked.
"I-we're not- that is to say… we're not a couple. We're friends." Hermione sounded less like she was making a statement and more like she was trying to convince herself that was the case.
"I won't judge you Hermione."
"Thank you, Neville. Seems as though you're fancying Hannah." Hermione said, trying to change the subject as they found Matt back in the Great Hall for lunch.
"Yeah, I do. I think she likes me back, too." Neville had a dreamy and happy look in his eyes as they all entered the Hall. Matt was sitting at the front of the table for Gryffindor, but Luna had joined him, sitting across the table from him. Hermione chose to sit next to him as he was writing on a piece of parchment. Matt shifted on the bench and turned, so he was sitting properly next to her, instead of sidesaddle.
"Are you doing homework already?" she asked as he nodded, taking a bite of an apple.
"Figured I'd get a head start." Matt said between mouthfuls. "Feels like I'm behind. And I'm seriously considering asking McGonagall if I can retake my O.W.L.s before we get too far into the school year. Just so there's a clearly established record."
"I don't think you need to go that far. Especially given that the Ministry here records all O.W.L. scores, I'm sure MACUSA does as well. McGonagall's probably already got them." Hermione reassured him.
"Oh, that's true." Matt said sheepishly, taking a bite of a sandwich. "What do we have next?"
"It's double Transfiguration with the new Deputy Headmaster, Professor Sharp." Hermione replied.
Matt swallowed hard and shifted uncomfortably in his seat. Hermione had caught the scowl Sharp had given them the night before as he looked over the student body. She understood why he seemed a little nervous.
Hermione would not leave Matt's side for the rest of lunch. She wanted to be sure no one was going to bully him or at the very least he would not face it alone. She really cared; he instilled that in her. Things did not seem to get much better as they entered the Transfiguration classroom. It felt different, the décor had changed somewhat from McGonagall's touch to what Sharp considered appropriate.
He swept into the room after the few students who were there had taken their seats. Hermione made sure Matt sat next to her right at the front. When they had been working over the summer, she found he was adept at this particular subject as much as herself. She would have to ask him what he was planning on after Hogwarts, he seemed to have the makings of an Auror if he wanted that career.
"Quiet, all of you!" Professor Sharp snapped. "There will be no tomfoolery or jokes in this class. This is a serious branch of magic and you're all in the absolute most advanced class we offer. You're going to be attempting the most difficult spells and the most dangerous, so I ask that you…pay...attention!" Sharp yelled the last statement as he slammed a copy of Daily Prophet from that morning on his desk.
Matt and Hermione both had wands and quills out along with parchment and the textbook, completely prepared for whatever the professor asked for. He looked at the small group of students before him and he scowled as his eyes landed on the couple in front.
"Mr. Santini, Hogwarts latest celebrity…" Professor Sharp spat. "It would seem as though our school has acquired a reputation for attracting students of…fame. First Harry Potter, who turned his fellow classmates to fame as well." His eyes moved to Hermione for a moment before settled back on Matt. "And now you…American transfer student, and practitioner of Dark Arts…or so they say." Sharp tapped the newspaper on his desk. "Tell me, Mr. Santini, what are the exact steps to becoming an Animagus?"
Matt was completely caught off guard, not expecting to be singled out for something like this.
"Uh, well it's extremely complex. You have to hold a Mandrake leaf in your mouth for an entire month, full moon to full moon…once that's done…" Matt was wracking his brain, trying to remember all the steps involved. He had not needed this information since his third year. Hermione was nodding as he correctly stated the first step. Sharp approached him and loomed over Matt as he thought. "They then have to put the Mandrake leaf in a phial with dew and their hair…"
"Enough! Stupid boy! You don't even know the proper ingredients. It's not just any kind of dew, it's a specific kind. A silver teaspoon of dew that has not touched sunlight or human feet for seven days as well as the chrysalis of a Death's-head Hawk Moth. The potion, the only potion not brewed in cauldron, must be stored in pure darkness until the next electrical storm. The witch or wizard then must recite the incantation 'Amato Animo Animato Animagus' without fail at every sunrise and sunset until said electrical storm occurs." Sharp slammed both fists onto the shared desk of Matt and Hermione and moved off in disgust.
"Five points from Gryffindor for lack of preparedness." Sharp said as he turned. "Miss Granger. I was told you are responsible for him." Sharp motioned to Matt. "I thought you had him prepared. Apparently not. The two of you must have been wasting time in broom closets when you should have been studying for this year!" Matt was already flushed and looking down at this desk. Hermione was suddenly also red faced. "I have seen your O.W.L. scores and have exceedingly high expectations for you." Sharp turned back and stalked behind his desk, throwing the Daily Prophet into a waste bin with such force that the bin toppled over. He ignored it and turned to address the class.
"Obviously, as Miss Granger and Mr. Santini have demonstrated, we will need to spend this first class reviewing previous material so I can tell you're up to snuff." Sharp said and the class opened their books.
As everyone filed out of the room after four long hours of revision Matt and Hermione were both given additional homework to complete in addition to the assignments everyone else had. The pair were exhausted by the time they reached the Great Hall for dinner.
"How's the broom closets?" Pansy called out as the pair walked into the Great Hall. She made kissing sounds at them and neither acknowledged her.
"This isn't going to stop, is it?" Hermione asked as they sat, Matt not bothering to take his usual spot at the end of the table, instead sitting on her left.
"No, I don't think it is." Matt replied darkly. "I don't know what to do about it. Sure, we can snipe back all we want but it's not going to make a difference."
"It doesn't help we've now got a teacher against the both of us as well." Hermione added, knowing that Sharp was going to be like Snape, but with nothing to keep him in check.
"You're going to have to lean into it, I think." Ginny said as she and Luna joined them.
"What do you mean, 'lean into it'?" Matt asked as he pulled a plate of food over.
"You know, if they want to think you're going into broom closets, well…"
"Wait, you're suggesting Hermione and I make a big show of actually walking into a broom closet together?" Matt raised an eyebrow. Hermione dropped her fork and turned a shade of red bright enough to match Ginny's hair. Ginny giggled at Hermione's reaction.
"Well, it seems like Hermione might like that!" Ginny teased.
"Stop it!" Hermione hissed. "It's bad enough the teachers are making comments about our love lives, we don't need it from you as well!"
"Sorry, I was just trying to help! All I meant was they can't talk about you if there's nothing to talk about. And right now, there's plenty to talk about." Ginny replied. Matt let out an exasperated sigh.
"Ok, broom closets aside, Ginny isn't wrong." Matt said as they ate. "We may have to take a more…literary approach to things."
"What are you talking about?" Hermione asked, sensing some kind of reference coming from him.
"…Never forget what you are. The rest of the world will not. Wear it like armor and it can never be used to hurt you." Matt quoted.
"What movie or TV show is that from?" Hermione asked, confused.
"It's not. It's from a book. A Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin. It came out last yearer no wait, two years ago. I think I was reading it…before…you know…"
"And what do you mean by it?" Hermione asked, turning to look at him.
"That maybe if people want to say stuff, we agree with them, go along with it, lean into it. If people start saying I'm a Death Eater, I might just start asking what they're gonna do about it if I am." Matt said.
"Don't." Hermione said and put her hand on his arm. "You're just going to get yourself jinxed or worse, expelled."
"Fine." Matt relented and sighed. "We could pretend to be in a relationship." He suggested. Hermione flushed again.
"Or you could, you know, actually be in a relationship!" Ginny piped up. Hermione's blush deepened and even Matt turned red.
"We would need to discuss that…" he said.
"Yes, some other time, perhaps." Hermione said and quickly got up and rushed out of the Hall. Ginny quickly followed her, leaving Matt, Luna and Neville looking bemused.
"Hermione, wait!" Ginny said as she caught up to the fleeing Hermione.
"What now Ginny?" Hermione asked breathlessly.
"I'm sorry." Ginny started.
"You're pushing it, aren't you?" Hermione said as they moved through the hall.
"I didn't mean to. I didn't think that it would bother you so badly!"
"Why? Why now? Why today all of a sudden?" Hermione asked, flustered.
"Oh, come on! Hermione, you fancy him! Haven't we done this before, just a few years ago?"
"I've only just recently lost Ronald. Yesterday-"
"Don't use that as an excuse! You and Ron were over well before the platform incident and well before he met Matt, and you know it! We all knew it. You were just doing it for Harry's sake. And Harry's on your side. Ask his blessing if you must, but stop being a prat about it! He fancies you too! You can see it in his eyes. He follows you wherever you go, not literally, but almost. The pair of you have been almost inseparable since London! That broom closet comment wasn't by mistake, Hermione, wake up!" Ginny was practically shouting by the time they arrived at the Common Room.
Hermione climbed inside and let out a sigh of frustration. Ginny had a point.
"I'll think on it." Hermione replied.
"Good." Ginny said. Hermione slipped off to her dorm to turn in early.