Unavoidable Attraction

A small lie

"How's your arm doing?" Neville came up by Hermione as she was studying in the common room.

"It's ok. It's still hurting but it will be fine soon enough."

"What are you reading?" He said sitting down in the chair across from her.

"Advanced potions." Hermione closed it and set it down on the table. "I noticed an error in one of the potions today in class, so I'm seeing if I can find anymore."

"You really don't have anything better to do?" Neville laughed. "Why don't you go for a walk outside with me?"

"It's freezing outside!"

"That's why you take a coat. come on. Just a quick one?" Neville smiled really wide.

"Alright fine."

She went upstairs and grabbed her coat out of her trunk and came back down to meet Neville.

They walked down the semi deserted corridors to the front door. They pushed it open and stepped into the cold air.

"How are you liking all your herbology?" Hermione asked as they walked down the stone path by towards the lake.

"I love it! But you already knew that." Neville said laughing. "Everyone does."

"Yeah." She smiled and pulled her jacket tighter.

"Hermione?"

"Hm?"

"Can I ask you something?"

She stopped and turned to look at him. "Of course Neville"

"Well, you've been acting really strange since your detentions started, and you did hurt your arm during detention." He paused for a moment to think of the right way to phrase it. "Well I think what I'm trying to ask is, is Snape... hurting you?"

"Neville no!" She seemed really relieved at this. She put her hand on his arm and laughed a little. "No. I did fall and cut my arm on something on the wall. I think it might just be... well it's weird not having Ron and Harry here, and it's been tough knowing they're going on with their lives without me." Hermione didn't want him knowing about anything going on with Snape for obvious reasons. "Snape has nothing to do with any of it."

"That's a huge relief Hermione! I was really worried." He let out a huge breath. "Well it's really cold! Are you ready to go back inside?"

Hermione looked around. "You know what, you go. I'm going to stay out here a little bit longer. "

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah. I just need some time alone with my thoughts without any distractions."

"Alright. Don't be too long."

Hermione smiled and watched him trek back up to the castle. She turned and went to sit on a rock under a tree that overlooked the lake.

She breathed in the cold, crisp November air. She thought about how different things would be if she hadn't come back. She was offered numerous wonderful jobs but none of them felt right to her. School was what she wanted to do.

She wondered if the reason school felt so right was because of Snape. He had been unusually kind to her recently and he did not punish her for the kiss.

The kiss. Hermione smiled when she thought of that brief moment. She felt so wonderful when that happened. She felt something she never felt with Ron. Everything about returning to Hogwarts felt right to her. Especially the kiss.