MAGIANIMA // Hermione Granger

Lousy Lion

During breakfast, the morning after her return, Atlas was bombarded with a multitude of questions, some asking about the task while others asked where she had disappeared to. She'd told them all the truth, saying she needed time to heal and recover from her injuries which they seemed to buy. There was a lot less hostility also, many had gone back to wearing the S.P.E.W. badges they had bought from her in favour of the tags dedicated to hating on the two underaged Hogwarts Champions.

In a word, it was better. And Atlas was thankful.

Now was no different, Atlas was going through another run-down on how she'd pacified the Albanian Agoniser, telling the small crowd she had always bonded quite easily with magical creatures since she was young. They were, of course, enamoured, a few people - most not even from her own house - leaning up against the table with their heads in their hands, probably not even paying attention to her story. A good number of them were staring, fixated, at how her jaw worked and though Atlas could feel their gazes none of them were as fiery as the one fixed firmly on the crowd as a whole, those eyes belonging, of course, to Hermione Granger. It wasn't even aimed at her and she could feel second degree burns all over.

"So, yeah. Dragons are incredibly misunderstood creatures. She was just trying to protect her young," Atlas finished with a tense smile, noting how they just nodded dazedly and got uncomfortably closer, waiting for something. "Uh...the end?"

"Piss off!" The crowd snapped back to reality, shooting harsh glares to Ginny Weasley who promptly flipped them off and slumped down in the seat beside Atlas, letting out a long deep sigh.

"Thanks..." Atlas breathed, finally turning back to her food.

"No problem. Hey, what does Zasha like?"

"Zash...?" Atlas peered over at the Slytherin table where Zasha was trying to pry her arm away from Tracey Davis and then back to Ginny who clearly looked unhappy. "Quidditch?"

"I already know that."

"Swimming?"

"I can't swim..." Ginny flushed.

"Really?"

"Yeah and...I'm deathly afraid of water, I really really hate it..."

"Huh," Atlas mused and then smiled. "Well...she likes photography, she has a whole collection of really old cameras."

"Honestly?"

"Yeah."

"Cool...I'll need to find Colin, later..." Ginny turned back to her food, rubbing the back of her neck quietly. Atlas eyed her a moment before smiling and turning to the other side of her, nudging Hermione quietly. She twisted to look at her questioningly, earning a cheeky grin in return from Atlas.

"Those two have made some progress."

"Did you not see them last night, sleeping in the Common Room?"

"What? Course not, my attention was entangled and utterly taken by the beauty beside me," Atlas grinned again and Hermione rolled her eyes, pushing her face away as she turned to look along the length of the table. "Sorry," She laughed, "saw the opportunity."

"Idiot."

A small figure came running into the hall, a package half his height held snugly to his chest as he hurriedly advanced on the Gryffindor table. Atlas watched him, an eyebrow raised and an amused smile on her face, she winced slightly when he tripped up but applauded lightly when he caught himself and continued, shockingly, over to Ron. She and Hermione exchanged a quizzical glance before turning back to the scene.