Hermione Granger (hjgranger) wrote in conversatempore, @ 2013-06-12 11:03:00 |
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Entry tags: | !complete, cassiopeia black, hermione j. granger |
Who: Cassieopeia & Hermione
Where: Diagon Alley
When: Mid Afternoon? Sometime?
Rating: PG
Status: Complete
The question was why, but that wasn’t something easily answered. If only she could find one of them, she reflected. She hadn’t had the time for anything but the most businesslike sorts of encounters with unfortunate Muggles lately, and it was putting her on edge. A good Crucio would set her to rights, and interrogating one of these future wizards would be the best of excuses. Her lips curved into a smile at that thought, one that was not particularly nice, and she barely noticed when she bumped into another person in Diagon Alley.
“Pardon me,” she said, and swept the bushy-haired witch with a critical look. It said better than any words that the other witch ought to be apologizing.
“Apology accepted,” she said ignoring the look that the other witch had sent her. She immediately recognised the look as an ’I’m better than you so you should be apologise to me.’ which was exactly why she didn’t, plus she knew that she hadn’t done anything wrong. After the war she had even less tolerance for Pureblood elitism, which she was willing to be this person was - beside the fact that the woman looked a lot like a Black and Bellatrix at that which creeped her out. Even after the three years after the war the thought of Bellatrix made her shudder in fear. “Just be careful next time,” she added with a slight smile.
One brow arched as Cassiopeia took in the girl and her reactions. Normally, she accepted wariness as her due - there was no denying what family she came from, the moment you looked at her face - but normally that reaction came from people Cassie recognized in turn. She didn’t recognize this witch, she thought, and gave Hermione a more considering look, checking her wardrobe to see if there was anything distinctly off. There wasn’t any one thing, really, but if the future-people were smart, they were trying to blend. Still, there was something that pinged her instincts, and she felt in the folds of her robe where her wand was hidden.
“I’ll be certain to do so, Miss...oh, I’m so sorry,” she said, blinking her eyes in a facsimile of pleasant innocence. “I don’t think I know you. So odd, because I could have sworn I knew everyone in this part of London.”
Hermione was wary and wanted to get out of this conversation but she wouldn’t be rude just yet no matter how much she disliked the family. Plus she didn’t know which family member it was and it could be a decent one... There was one or two of them around this time period from the stories she heard from Sirius.
“I’m Hermione,” she told her. “You are?” she asked curiously. “I”m rather new in town actually which could be why you don’t recognise me.”
“That would explain it,” Cassiopeia said with a beatific smile. “My name is Cassiopeia Black.” She reached into her robe to grip her wand, though she didn’t pull it out. “I do hope you’re finding London quite to your liking despite the blitz, Hermione,” she purred a little. “It’s odd that you’d come to London now. Most people are leaving it.”
“A pleasure, Miss Black,” she told her with a forced smile. She didn’t know much about Cassiopeia but she was still hesitant around her. “I do see why but unfortunately life brought me here for personal reasons,” she explained keeping it vague.
“Really,” Cassiopeia said with a tone that likely would remind Hermione even more of Bellatrix - though she sounded calm and just slightly amused, there was a thread of something unhinged in her voice that had most people backing off. “Personal reasons.” Her wand came out and pointed unobtrusively at Hermione’s midsection. “You’re not lying are you, Hermione? Because I would have guessed you were one of those people from the future.” It was only a guess, though; a shot in the dark solely to see Hermione’s reaction.
Bellatrix, that was who she sounded and looked like and it creeped Hermione out more than a little bit. Noticing the wand she moved so she was resting her hand on hers as it was better to be safe than not. Frowning she couldn’t help but look at the other woman confused. “People from the future?” she asked with a tone of confusion in her voice. She was grateful she had enough practice in lying while on the run that she was pretty sure she could pull this off.
“You haven’t heard?” Cassiopeia said. “It’s the most amusing thing. Apparently the the explosion at the Ministry broke the time continuum and dropped a good dozen people or more from the far future in 1941.” She was making up the numbers, really; no one had any idea yet how many they were - or at least no one had told a Black, which amounted to the same thing. “The poor things must be just like little lost puppies, don’t you think?”
“Really?” Hermione asked surprised. Partly because she hadn’t known exactly how much was known about their situation though it made sense if someone was to know about it a Black would. “Absolutely, if it’s true it would be so confusing and odd for them. Still I find it hard to believe. Is there even any magic strong enough for something like that?”she asked curiously and still surprised.
“There is magic powerful enough for most things, as long as the wizard - or witch - performing it wants it badly enough.” She was thinking of Grindlewald, the premier dark wizard of their time, but it would be curious if Hermione’s time had their own dark lord. She expected it did; some things did not change. “Haven’t you found that the case in your own work? Whatever that is?”
“That is true,” she agreed with a nod. She knew in this time there was Grindlewald and in her own time Voldemort was much the same when it came to power, even more so than Grindlewald had been. “Not really, I’m a researcher so I spend more time with books than casting magic but I do suppose it is true.” Hermione figured she could have been a researcher and she know enough about most things to bullshit her way through a conversation with someone who didn’t know things. Plus most people weren’t all that interested in researchers and their jobs.
“A researcher.” She gave Hermione an assessing look; research certainly suited her, and she could easily believe it. She could easily believe it, but didn’t - not quite. “With the Ministry, then?” She asked. “Or one of the more private organizations?” If she wanted to catch this one, she thought, it would have to be in the details. And in all likelihood, she wouldn’t be catching Hermione in anything today. That was fine, Cassiopeia thought. She could be patient.
“Oh, I’m privately employed,” she told her. While she could lie - she had lied to her Muggle family but she didn’t like doing so. Don’t give away too much information, just enough to help. She wasn’t sure why she was still there but it was better to be careful and not draw attraction to herself. “Do you work?” Polite. She has to be polite.
“Oh, no,” Cassiopeia said. “There was nothing I excelled at enough for that.” That was a bald-faced lie, as Cassie had excelled at many things in her school years - Potions in particular, but the dark arts had always been an interest. “Just a socialite, I’m afraid.” This corner of Diagon Alley was getting crowded, she reflected, and slipped her wand away as if it had never been out. “I shouldn’t take up so much of your time,” she said silkily. “Thank you for indulging my curiosity, Hermione. What did you say your last name was?”
“I’m sure that isn’t trust but still I suppose not everyone is destined to work,” she said with a shrug. “There is nothing wrong with being a socialite though I’d find myself bored you might be more than happy doing so,” she replied with a small smile. “Of course, it was a pleasure talking to you,” not. “I didn’t but it’s Granger,” she told her. She wasn’t sure if that was a good idea but she wasn’t going to outright lie about that.
“Hermione Granger,” Cassiopeia said, and smiled. “It was such a pleasure. Perhaps we’ll meet again soon?” She might do her best to guarantee it, Cassie thought, but the smile remained in place - almost but not quite sweet.
“Perhaps we shall,” she said with her politest smile. She unlike Cassiopeia would try her hardest not to encounter her again but who knew what would happen in this strange place.