DEAD TO ME → (h. potter)

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

*✧･ﾟ:* DEAD TO ME *:･ﾟ✧*

WARNING: mature content towards the end of chap.

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THERE WAS SOMETHING terribly wrong with Indiana Jones. And Harry spotted it quicker than he would have ever imagined. At first, he saw it as a sort of blessing; perhaps his saving of her at the Slytherin party had opened her mind a bit and caused her to dial down on her insults and glares. She was quieter now, and Harry couldn't help but let it get to his head. But then he realized it wasn't just him — it was Hermione too, and it was Woods. Jones was fidgety and Jones was keeping her head down, and Harry didn't like it one bit.

"Hermione, what's up with Jones?" Harry had asked his friend before they left for the library, where Jones had to meet with Hermione another time that week due to her failing, yet again, another Charms quiz. Ron had run up to the dorm, claiming he forgot a quill or something Harry didn't really hear. "She's being weird."

"I dunno, she's been awfully quiet — wait, why're you asking?" Hermione raised an eyebrow curiously, shoving another Charms textbook into her bag. "Since when do you care?"

"I don't," Harry said much too quickly, and followed up with, "She might be plotting something."

Hermione let out a disappointed huff at this, slumping her shoulders and looking up at Harry.

"Is that really why you're asking?" Hermione inquired. "Or is it because you fancy her and you don't want to tell anyone?"

"What?" Harry practically choked. "No! No way! That's — that's not at all what this is!"

"Oh yeah?" Hermione wondered. "Then what is it?"

"Nothing! I'm — I'm just — I've noticed she's quiet and was curious as to why —"

"And what, you're asking me to talk to her?" Hermione furrowed her brunette brows, looking almost angry. "So I can feed into your stupid Death Eater theory?"

"Erm —" This was not at all what this was. "Yes, exactly."

Hermione didn't say anything to this as Ron came jogging down the steps, holding a ratted looking quill. He mentioned something about it being better than the new ones he bought, to which Harry hummed and nodded uninterestedly before the three Gryffindors exited the common room and made their way down to the library. Harry knew Hermione was pondering how to go about the whole Jones situation because she was scrunching up her face every few seconds and glancing at Harry as though he could silently convince her.

Jones came to the library seven minutes late (he only knew because he had counted the seconds on Ron's watch), her exterior looking perfectly normal minus her eyes, which were red and puffy. She sent Hermione a sort of half-smile as she slid into her seat, which just so happened to be across from Harry today. He tried to meet her eyes, hoping to maybe grab some sort of glare or scowl, but she kept her gaze away from him entirely.