CANYON MOON ▇▇▇▇ VOLUME ONE
━━ ❛ 𝒎𝒐𝒎𝒎𝒚 𝒅𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒕 ❜

chapter no. 007!

     THE DAILY PROPHET LAY ON THE TABLE, THE EDGES CURLED, AND RANDOM SECTIONS HAD CLAW MARKS FROM THE OWL THAT HAD DROPPED IT OFF. Fawn's eyes racked the headlines and articles aimlessly, not really reading the words as her mind wandered from one thought to another. Hermione leaned over from the blonde's left and peered at the newspaper, curious as to what lies the Daily Prophet had spewed this time.

     The two girls sat close together, their shoulders occasionally brushing as they ate breakfast. Study sessions continued to occur every night in the back of the library, and Fawn found herself growing even closer to the Gryffindor ever since that Saturday last month. She liked getting to know Hermione more, even if that meant her crush grew only stronger. Her presence was warm and safe. Two things that many people lacked.

     "Anything new?" Ron asked, causing both girls to look up, their thoughts interrupted.

     "There have been more dementor attacks," Hermione spoke up.

     "And an arrest," Fawn added and saw the brunette glance over at her.

     At the mention of an arrest, Harry's ears perked up. "Excellent, who?" he asked, continuing to butter his toast.

     "Stan Shunpike," the blonde responded, chewing on her cereal.

     "What?" the raven-haired boy asked, startled.

     "Stanley Shunpike, conductor on the popular Wizarding conveyance the Knight Bus, has been arrested on suspicion of Death Eater activity. Mr. Shunpike, 21, was taken into custody late last night after a raid on his Clapham home..." Fawn read straight from the article, looking up at the boy who wore a dumbfounded expression.

     Quickly, Harry shook his head, "Stan Shunpike, a Death Eater? No way!"

     "He might have been put under the Imperius Curse," Ron shrugged reasonably. "You never can tell."

     "It doesn't look like it," Hermione mumbled, who was still reading. "It says he was arrested after being overheard talking about the Death Eaters' secret plans in a pub. If he was under the Imperius Curse, he'd hardly stand around gossiping about their plans, would he?" she asked, looking up with a semi-troubled expression.

     "It sounds like he was trying to make out he knew more than he did," Ron nodded, "Isn't he the one who claimed he was going to become Minister of Magic when he was trying to chat up those veela?"

    Sighing heavily, Harry shook his head. "Yeah, that's him," he mumbled. "I dunno what they're playing at, taking Stan seriously."

     "They probably want to look as though they're doing something," Hermione interjected, frowning.

     Placing down her spoon, the blonde Ravenclaw sat up. "People are terrified— you know the Patil twins' parents want them to go home? And Eloise Midgen has already been withdrawn. Her father picked her up last night." Fawn spoke quietly, mindlessly glancing at her house's table.

     "What!" Ron exclaimed, goggling at the girl. "But Hogwarts is safer than their homes, bound to be! We've got Aurors and all those extra protective spells, and we've got Dumbledore!"

     "I don't think we've got him all the time," Hermione mumbled, nodding toward the staff table. "Haven't you noticed? His seat's been empty as often as Hagrid's this past week." The other three looked up at the staff table. The headmaster's chair was indeed empty. "I think he's left the school to do something with the Order," the brunette started in a low voice. "I mean... It's all looking serious, isn't it?"

     No one answered, but Fawn knew that they were all thinking the same thing. There had been an incident the day before where Hannah Abbott had been taken out of Herbology to be told her mother had been found dead. Nobody had seen her since.

     Padma had been freaking out late last night about it. Hannah was one of her closest friends at the school, and the news of what happened to her mother brought on a meltdown of tears. Fawn felt awful. She knew what it was like not having a mother; she'd already lived without one for a few months, and it'd been awful. There was no one to go to talk about girl problems with, rant to, or show something interesting that she'd found in a textbook.

     "Fawn," Harry pipped up, and the blonde met his stare. "Do you mind if I walk you to class early? There's something I want to talk to you about."

     Blinking, her cheeks burned light pink. "Uh, sure. We can go ahead and leave now if you're ready." Fawn cleared her throat, grabbing her bag and hoisting it onto her shoulder. The raven-haired boy nodded and grabbed his things, the two waving goodbye to the others.

     Hermione glared slightly at the back of Harry's head as she watched the two leave the Great Hall together. Ron snickered quietly, drinking his pumpkin juice amused. "I reckon you're jealous," he smirked, causing the brunette to turn her head.

     "Jealous?! Of what?" she questioned challengingly, raising her brows.

     "More like who. Harry and Fawn. You were glaring so hard at Harry that I thought his bloody pants would catch fire." Ron chuckled, his brows flicking upward.

     Hermione gasped, her cheeks a flaming red color. "No, I was not!" she protested.

     "You know, Hermione, if you're interested in Fawn, you should let Harry know before he makes a move on her," the redhead suggested, biting into a slice of buttered toast.

     "What on Earth are you talking about?" Hermione asked, tapping her fingers against the table anxiously.

     The latter rolled his eyes. "It's so bloody obvious that you fancy her. I'm not stupid. I know you do. So, make your move before Harry does," Ron advised, wagging his finger at her.

     Narrowing her eyes, the Gryffindor Prefect huffed before hastily folding up the Daily Prophet and stuffing it into her bag. "Fawn doesn't even like guys, so Harry doesn't have a chance anyway," she mumbled grumpily, and this bit of information caused Ron to pause mid-way through chewing.

     "Wait, is she gay?" he whispered.

     "Yeah, she is. Half the school knew before we ever did. She's been out since last year." Hermione muttered, recalling the bit of information the blonde had shared with her the other night in the library.

     "Blimey, I'd never guess it," Ron murmured, mainly to himself.

     Hermione nodded. "It's why no boy has ever dated her here at the school. She's not interested," she sighed, slinging the strap of her bag over her shoulder. "I'll catch up with you later, I'm going to go ahead and get to Ancient Runes."

     Raising his brows curiously, Ron's lips inched upwards. "Right after Harry and Fawn left? Interesting." Hermione scowled, walking off unhappily as he just chuckled, watching her walk out of the Great Hall.

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     "WHAT'D YOU WANT TO TALK TO ME ABOUT?" FAWN QUESTIONED AS SHE AND HARRY TRUDGED UP THE STAIRS, HEADING TOWARD THE SIXTH FLOOR. It was silent in the corridors, for most students were still eating breakfast in the Great Hall.

     "You know how I have bizarre dreams?" Harry asked, glancing over at the blonde. She nodded. "Well, I've been having the same one for the past couple of nights, but it's different from my typical dreams."

     Furrowing her eyebrows, the Ravenclaw met his gaze. "How do you mean?" she replied, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

     "You're in them," the raven-haired boy clarified, awkwardly scratching the back of his neck.

     Turning a corner, Fawn glanced away. "Me?" she asked, ensuring she'd heard him correctly. Harry nodded. "But why? Why would I be in your dreams? I thought the dreams were linked to Voldemort," she sighed, an uneasy feeling settling in the pit of her stomach.

     "I dunno, but in the dream, you were standing in the middle of Knockturn Alley, holding a glowing orb in your left hand while you held some sort of tiara in the other. You looked a couple of years older and wore a silky blue dress." Harry confessed as he stopped outside of the Ancient Runes classroom.

     Facing the boy, Fawn frowned deeply, "Are you sure it was me?"

     "Pretty positive. Not many wizards have white blonde hair and sky-blue eyes. It'd be impossible for me not to recognize you somewhere," the raven-haired boy admitted, and she nodded, knowing that he wasn't wrong. The only wizard she'd ever met with white-blonde hair was Luna Lovegood. As for sky-blue eyes—a few people did, but most had blue eyes that were a different hue or shade. "Do you have any idea what it could mean?"

     Looking up, Fawn shrugged cluelessly. "Honestly, no. Which kind of bothers me because I like knowing what things mean, but I don't. Maybe ask Professor Trelawney. I know not many like her, but she's a seer. She might have some insight into what it means. I'm sorry I couldn't be of more help, Harry," she apologized, giving him a half-smile.

     "It's alright. I just wanted to tell you and see what you had to say," he said, giving her a smile, and she nodded, smiling back lightly. "I'll see you later."

     The Ravenclaw watched as the Gryffindor walked down the stairs, passing by a moody Hermione Granger, who ignored his wave.

      Stalking up the stairs, the brunette looked up to see Fawn standing outside the classroom door. "Hey, what'd Harry want to talk to you about?" she asked curiously, ignoring the pit in her stomach.

     "He's been having odd dreams that involve me. He wanted to ask me if I knew anything or what they meant. I told him I don't, which is true." This news caught Hermione's attention and she narrowed her eyes.

     "What kind of dreams?" she pressed.

     Sighing, Fawn flicked a strand of hair out of her face. "Apparently, he saw me standing in the middle of Knockturn Alley, holding a glowing orb in my left hand and some sort of tiara in the other. I looked a couple of years older and wore a silky blue dress. I told him to maybe ask Trelawney about what it could mean since she's a seer." Hermione rolled her eyes, causing the blonde to crack a smile. "Look, I know you aren't her biggest fan, but if anyone knows what it could mean, it'd be her." The Gryffindor Prefect nodded hesitantly, knowing that she was probably right.

     Turning around to walk into class, Fawn was stopped short when she felt someone grab her hand and spin her back around. Nearly crashing into Hermione, the blonde stepped back, her face flaming pink.

     Hermione took in a deep breath as she stared at the girl in front of her.

     The latter rolled his eyes. "It's so bloody obvious that you fancy her. I'm not stupid. I know you do. So, make your move before Harry does," Ron advised, wagging his finger at her.

     Ron Weasley's words echoed in her mind as she debated on whether she should even attempt to ask Fawn out on a date. It'd been over a month since her birthday, also known as the night that they almost kissed, which still played on a loop in her mind. Nothing like that had happened between them since then, and she really wanted something to.

     "Would you want to go to the Three Broomsticks with me this Saturday?" Hermione blurted out, knowing that this was when things could change between them or stay the same.

     The brunette's words threw Fawn off-guard as she blinked, trying to process what was happening or if she was just wishfully dreaming. "I uh, like a date?" she stuttered, watching as Hermione hesitantly nodded, slowly starting to regret ever asking. "Yeah," she breathed, looking into her eyes. "Yeah, I'd like that a lot."

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     IT HAD TAKEN AN HOUR FOR THE BLONDE RAVENCLAW TO DECIDE WHAT TO WEAR SINCE HER ROOMMATES HAD BEEN SO INSISTENT ON HELPING HER PICK OUT THE PERFECT FIRST-DATE OUTFIT. Even Mabel and Marietta had helped. Neither of the two had really talked since the breakup, but they surprised everyone this morning by assisting. They talked and laughed. Although everyone could tell it wasn't the same as it used to be, it was getting progressively better.

     Eventually, everyone had settled on denim jeans, a loose-fitted white sweater, and tennis shoes to match. Padma and Marietta originally wanted the blonde to wear a fancier outfit, but Mabel and Theodora reasoned that this was only a first date, and it was at the Three Broomsticks. Neither of those things called for fancy or flashy pieces of clothing.

     Glancing behind her, Fawn saw Theodora and Padma give her an encouraging thumbs-up before she entered the Three Broomsticks. A bell jingled as she walked in, and her eyes swept the place in search of the beautiful brunette.

     Across the room, she spotted Hermione sitting at a circular booth in the corner, two Butterbeers placed on the table. Making her way over, the blonde could feel her heart racing faster as she approached. "Hey," she breathed, and Hermione looked up, a nervous but happy smile spreading across her lips.

     "Hi! I went and already got Butterbeer for the both of us. I hope you don't mind." Hermione rambled anxiously, biting down on her lip.

     "I don't mind at all," Fawn smiled, sliding into the booth and scooting over, so she was closer to the brunette. "You're nervous, aren't you?" she asked, raising a brow as she noticed how the latter was tapping one of her feet against the floor.

     Hermione chuckled softly, nodding. "What gave it away?"

     "Well, the tapping with your foot, but I could also just tell. I'm assuming this is your first date with a girl?" Fawn questioned, giving her a reassuring smile.

     "Honestly, it's my first date, period," Hermione breathed. "I wouldn't count going to the Yule Ball with Viktor as my first date."

     Looking down, Fawn frowned at how the brunette was playing with her hands nervously. Reaching over, she grabbed her hand, their fingers naturally interlacing themselves. "I don't know if this will help any, but I'm nervous too," Fawn admitted, and Hermione raised her brows, surprised.

     "Really?"

     Fawn nodded. "I've fancied you for a while, and I might be premature in telling you that, but it's true. I just didn't think you liked girls, or me, like that. Sexuality is a sensitive topic for some, and I still don't know if it is for you or not..." she said cautiously, and Hermione scooted closer.

     "How could I not like you? You're beautiful, clever, funny... I think I've always felt something for you before you and Harry became friends. Even though we never talked much, I still felt drawn and attracted to you. I just never realized that I felt that way because I fancied you. I don't know entirely what my sexuality is yet. This is all new to me, I s'pose, but I do know that I fancy you. A lot. That's something I'm certain of," Hermione breathed, watching as Fawn's cheeks turned bright pink.

     It was extremely tempting to kiss her right then and there. Every part of Fawn's body was screaming at her to do it as their eyes stayed locked. Averting her gaze, the blonde took a gulp of Butterbeer, trying to contain herself. Placing the cup back down, she heard Hermione giggle. Looking over at the girl, her eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "What?" she asked.

     Hermione pointed to her lips, where a line of foam laid softly, a smile on her face. The Ravenclaw's cheeks burned as she reached up to wipe it away with her sleeve, but Hermione stopped her. "Let me," she spoke softly, turning her body.

     Reaching up to wipe it away, her hand stopped short as her eyes locked themselves on Fawn's lips. Temptation weaved its way into her veins, causing her to lean in slightly.

     Knowing that there was no going back once she crossed this line, Hermione paused in her movement. She glanced up at Fawn, who was watching her, those sky-blue eyes filled with anticipation of what was to come.

     Screw it, thought Hermione. She cupped the blonde's cheek and closed the distance between them, placing her lips over Fawn's. Her lips tasted of cinnamon, whip cream, mint, and honey against her own, and she savored their flavor.

     The sounds of laughing and talking faded away, along with the world, as their lips melted together. Hermione caressed her cheek with her thumb, placing her hand right below her ear as Fawn cupped her face, one of her hands resting on her thigh. Parting her lips, she slowly moved them against Hermione's, hoping that she wouldn't pull away. Hermione responded quickly, falling in sync with her.

     After a few moments, both of them pulled away, breathless. "I've been waiting for that kiss since my birthday," Hermione mumbled, causing the girl in her arms to giggle.

     "Hermione Granger, you have my heart."