Parallels

AN- The story is starting now. I have this semi-mapped out to be about 5 chapters, if it cooperates. I don’t know if it will, though, I’m still on the hooks as to the ending. I have 2 possible ones, and I can’t pick. Anyways, it’s not mine.

Lemonade- With regards to the diary entries- first off, Laura isn’t very clever. She’s 16, but she’s very immature for the age- but you learn more about that later. Also, teenaged girls tend to write like that. For the purpose of writing this, I broke into my sister’s diary, and the exclamation points, exaggeration, and rambling are all realistic. As far as her view of sex/sexuality, remember that most of what she has learned or heard has been from Davy. So she has adopted a very warped view of sex. Hogwarts doesn’t have any sort of Health Ed, and Laura has very few friends, so she’s never had a chance to learn differently.

Miari- Hermione would have been just over 20, because she would have turned 18 early in her 7th year, then took a year off, so now she is 20. I didn’t really figure Time Turners in. I’m surprised you’re so focused on Gully, he hasn’t done anything, yet. Sex-ed classes are a nice idea, but most of this story will be an internal monologue of Hermione’s, so I don’t know if I could work it in.

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Hermione was almost afraid to continue, but she knew that she needed to keep on reading, if she wanted to understand why Laura ended up in the loo, alone and giving birth. With some trepidation, she continued,

September 19
I LOVE Gully. He’s the nicest man, ever. Gully told me to come down to his office tonight, and we could talk about what happened to me. He says that I am beautiful, and even if Stuart didn’t see it, he did. Gully always makes me feel better. He said that there were lots of men who would want me, better men than Stuart that would love me, all of me.

Woah. Gully was telling her she was beautiful? Hermione wasn’t sure it was appropriate, for a male professor to be telling his 16 year old students that they were beautiful, and that men would want them.

Then again, Severus told her that she was beautiful. He hadn’t said it when she was a student, of course. But it was still sort of similar, wasn’t it? They weren’t romantically involved when they were professor and student, but they had developed a sort of a friendship. She’d talked to him about potions articles, and the war against Voldemort. Not personal stuff, though. Not then. But it was the foundation for her relationship with him; it was what gave her the courage to approach him for an apprenticeship when she got back with the boys.

Besides there was nothing to show that Laura and “Gully” were physically involved. Maybe he was just trying to be comforting, but it sounded bad when written down. Maybe it was all innocent. Maybe Laura was blowing everything out of proportion, because she had a crush on her professor.

Shaking herself out of her reverie, Hermione returned to the diary.

September 20
I saw Gully last night. He made me feel soooo much better about what happened with Stuart. He said that I was his best student, and that’s why he would do this for me. He said that he felt things for me that he had never felt before. I can’t believe that GULLY feels that way about ME! He said I needed to keep our relationship a secret. He said the other students and teachers wouldn’t understand. I agreed. They would be jealous. They wouldn’t understand the special connection Gully and I have. I’m going down there tonight to see him again!!!!

Hermione couldn’t believe it. How dare Professor Raymond take advantage of a student in a weakened state like that? She was obviously hurting; she didn’t need her teacher trying to force a relationship on her. There was something wrong here, something bad. Hermione didn’t know what it was, other than the fact that he was older, and her teacher- but then, Severus was older than her, and she was his apprentice. What was the difference? What made her relationship with Severus one of love, but Laura’s something disgusting and perverted? Because there had to be a difference.

Hermione knew there had to be something different. Because when she was with Severus, she knew she was in love. When he was around, she was happy. She loved talking to him, she loved being around him. When they were together, Hermione felt loved, and cherished. They complimented each other perfectly. They loved each other.

Hermione paused. Didn’t she sound just like Laura? “they wouldn’t understand the special connection Gully and I have.” That was why it had to be a secret. It wasn’t that way for her and Severus, was it? They had only told a few people because… because he was once her teacher. Because he was still in a position of authority over her. Because he was so much older.

It wasn’t so different, was it? But at the same time, from an outside perspective, it made Hermione sick. Gully wasn’t in love, even if he was, there was something wrong with it. The age difference was too great. He was her teacher. She was recovering from a violent sexual assault. ‘Getting 2 out of 3 wrong is a failing grade…’ Hermione heard a little voice in the back of her head. But at the same time, Hermione knew it was different. She and Severus were in love.

She was really starting to scare herself.

AN2- Ok, I love reviews. I try to respond to questions you bring up in them, too. So please, tell me what you think, positive or neg!