MAGIANIMA // Hermione Granger

12

The library was unusually quiet, with OWLs around the corner Atlas would have thought it busier but instead, the only living breathing soul besides herself was Madam Pince, the woman at her desk, flipping through an old, leather-bound tome. It was clearly from the Restricted Section, the cover had an odd arrangement of body parts, from humans to half-breeds, depicted upon it but Atlas didn't really look at it further after her initial glance. Madam Pince was peculiar, Atlas knew that already, she didn't need to know just how peculiar.

She sighed and went back to her books, completing the rest of her homework silently, Minerva's essay sat in front of her, three-quarters of the way complete, her last scrap of work, then she could go out and practice, fly and try a few risky shots. That thought had her quill scratching with triple her usual vigour, the promise of the numbing cold against her cheeks, carrying away her problems with the breeze, inciting a newfound determination. She scratched at the back of her neck, the fabric of her gloves soothing her itch of anticipation.

A figure approached her and Atlas, unaware, too caught up in her essay didn't notice, not until another pile of books was plopped beside hers and the chair across was picked up and pulled quietly from under the table. Atlas only knew one person who did that, as to not disturb the others studying she had always said. That she being Hermione. Which was a true surprise really, after the night before they hadn't spoken all morning, an awkward tension in the air, but now, it felt normal.

And that's perhaps because it was, Atlas and Hermione always studied together.

"Hey, you," Atlas tried, offering her a small smile and Hermione looked up, brown eyes shining and flickering with a sort of affection before they flickered out again, though she still smiled, genuinely.

"Hello, Atlas," she replied softly and turned back to her books, arranging them as she always did, placing them in the orders she would use them, then she pulled out a stack of parchment, settling it on her right side neatly with her little notes book on top. Atlas watched all of this over the top of her book, noting her every motion and pause, smiling at the pages of her book and shaking her head as she turned her eyes back to the words, however, Hermione had seen her movement and quirked a brow, "what?"

"What? Oh --" Atlas looked up and shook her head again, "nothing, just -- you've had that same routine since I met you, although..." she leant over the table and picked up the girl's ruler, switching it over to her right side while she placed her ink well in front of her rather than on her left, "you always place your ruler on the side of your dominant hand and your inkpot in front so you don't knock it over."

"Why do you know that?" Hermione questioned a few silent moments later, Atlas looked up from her writing, dotting an 'i' absentmindedly while she took in Hermione's question and the context of their situation.

"About the inkpot?"

"Well, yes, but why do you know my studying routine?" Hermione chuckled.

"Because we always used to study together."

"So you watched me?"

"Merlin, don't make me look like a creep," Atlas groaned and Hermione smiled. "I used to get bored and my eyes would wander...it's not weird, you're just funny looking."

"Funny looking?"

"Ok, that was framed terribly," Atlas winced as Hermione continued to look at her in amusement. "Fun to look at is what I meant, which sounds like I'm objectifying you...Merlin, ok, I just like looking at you sometimes?"

"You're digging yourself deeper and deeper."

"Am I not complimenting you?" Atlas queried, "I'm saying you're eyecatching, Mi."