Chapter Text
"I was just about to ask when Ronald Weasley started going to bookstores on his own," Hermione grinned and closed the door behind them. Ron pointed out that he did go to bookstores every now and then, which made both women chuckle before Andromeda asked: "What do you need?"
"A few books for my studies," Andromeda nodded and gestured toward the bookshelves: "You know where everything is." Hermione nodded and walked purposefully toward one of the shelves. Ron followed her and asked about the third book she’d asked him to hold: "Have you actually thought about tomorrow night?"
"You mean the dinner after the game?" He nodded, and she pulled the next book off the shelf, saying after a moment of silence: "Ron, don’t be mad at me, but Quidditch will probably interest me just as little in 300 years as it does now. So what am I supposed to do sitting at a table with your friends? You’ll just be talking about the game anyway."
"So what? I’m at home too while you’re rambling on about your lessons," she rolled her eyes slightly and tried not to think about the fact that this was one of their current points of contention. She was just pulling out the next book, shaking her head, when something caught her eye.
"What is it?" She examined the book and looked at Andromeda: "Dromeda? How much does this cost?" The older witch joined her, looked at the book too, and said: "15 Galleons, 5 for you, but you wrote down the price yourself last week." Hermione thought for a moment: "That’s why I’m asking… my teacher gave me this exact book and told me it costs 40 Galleons." Andromeda raised an eyebrow, pulled out another book, and asked: "Do you have this one?" Hermione nodded and told her she’d paid 20 Galleons for it.
"Hermione… this only costs 5 Galleons," Hermione looked at Andromeda and didn’t know what to say for a moment. She’d always had a strange feeling about her Potions master. Now she knew why.
"I know you don’t want to hear this," Andromeda began, and Hermione interrupted her: "I still don’t want to,"
"She’s good,"
"I couldn't care less."
"Hermione,"
"No,"
"Hermione, she wouldn’t rip you off," Hermione put the book back and looked at Andromeda, then said resolutely: "I’m definitely not going to her to ask her to teach me everything. I can manage on my own." Andromeda sighed after a long pause and continued gently: "Take the books with you." Hermione looked at her more gently, and the older witch said: "You’re buying us lunch next time," and with a smile, Hermione left the shop, determined to continue her studies on her own.
"Who was she actually talking about?" Ron asked, and Hermione couldn’t help but roll her eyes. Did he really not know who she harboured a deep-seated hatred for? Did he really not know who was famous for having a master of potions?
"I don’t want to pick on you, but you should have just accepted the offer from the Ministry. Then I wouldn’t have to lug your books around now," she spun around so abruptly that he dropped the books. She drew her wand, made them float, and said angrily: "Good thing you can’t do magic!"
"Why are you mad at me now?"
"How long have I been studying?" He shrugged and asked what that had to do with anything, and she asked him to answer the question.
"No idea, since last week?"
"For three weeks. I’ve been studying for three weeks. I’ve been studying day and night, giving him too much money for books I need, and which he claimed I couldn’t get at any other bookstore."
"Well, the fact that you study day and night isn’t exactly news," she didn’t want to believe what he was saying, turned around, and ran home, muttering: "I know why I'm thinking about breaking up with you..."