Roommates || A Harry Potter Fanfiction

Chapter 17

Hermione's phone buzzed about 8:30 pm Sunday night. I'm back, Viktor texted. You free?

She stared at the message for at least a minute, feeling a knot develop in her belly. The moment of truth had arrived—and she had no idea what to do or say, or what she wanted to do or say. He was expecting a response and she felt pressure to respond quickly.

Can't, she typed. Studying to do. Tomorrow? She hit SEND.

The response came very quickly. OK. See you tomorrow. Night.

Hermione sat back, blowing out a breath. That was quick. He didn't seem too broken up about not seeing her tonight. Was that a good sign, or a bad one? And why was she disappointed?

She shook her head, though she was less successful at shaking off her worries. Still, her response wasn't really a lie. She did need to study. She watched her phone for a moment, waiting to see if any other texts arrived. When they didn't, she resumed studying.

Hermione approached Viktor's door with growing trepidation. The hallway was mostly deserted. The door of one room stood open. As she passed it, Hermione recognized one of Viktor's—and Draco's—neighbors sitting on his bed toying with his phone. He glanced up, then raised a hand in greeting.

Hermione returned the wave with a weak smile as she passed. She didn't remember his name, though she knew she'd met him. He was one of the guys who'd visited Draco's room while she was there. So he knew she'd slept with Draco, and probably knew about Viktor too. The thought that had been so exciting at the time was simply embarrassing now.

She stopped at Viktor's door, but didn't knock immediately. She touched her cheeks, wondering if they were flushed. Motion to her right caught her attention: the guy she'd seen was standing in the open doorway of his room now, watching her. He acknowledged her look with a nod, then retreated out of sight.

Hermione stared at the empty doorway for a moment wondering what that was about. Then she dismissed it and knocked on the door.

"Come in," Viktor called.

Hermione entered the lion's den, wondering what awaited her.

Viktor lay stretched out on his bed, a paperback novel in one hand. He looked up and saw Hermione standing in the doorway. He put the book down and sat up. Hermione's stomach knotted at the lack of expression on his face. He didn't smile in welcome. He didn't look angry, either. He was just—neutral.

"Hermione," he said.

"Hey," Hermione replied. She moved into the room and closed the door behind her. "How was your trip home?"

"Fine."

The knot in Hermione's belly tightened. He was acting weird. "Just fine?"

Viktor shrugged, then smiled. "It was home. What can I say?"

Hermione offered a feeble smile of her own, her anxiety easing a bit. "That's good, I guess." She didn't want to ask too many questions about his weekend because then he would ask about hers, and she really didn't want to get into that.

Viktor rose from his bed and walked over to take her in his arms. "It's good to see you," he said, and kissed her. "I missed you."

"Me too," Hermione said, when their lips parted. She wrapped her arms around him, leaning back to look up at him.

"Did you?"

"What?" Hermione stared up at him, her pulse thundering abruptly. His smile had vanished again. His expression was hard, eyes narrowed, lips thin, skin flushed.