𝙏𝙃𝙍𝙊𝙐𝙂𝙃 𝙏𝙃𝙄𝘾𝙆 𝘼𝙉𝘿 𝙏𝙃𝙄𝙉 | ⁽ᵈʳᵃᶜᵒ ᵐᵃˡᶠᵒʸ ˣ ᶠᵉᵐ!ʰᵃʳʳʸ ᵖᵒᵗᵗᵉʳ⁾

18. Kitchen Meetings

     Hermione uncapped the bottle of her ink and dipped her quill low enough for the ink to seep in. She tucked her hair behind her ear and shifted restlessly on her seat, before looking up and met Viktor Krum's gaze from the other table.

     Krum started going to the library weeks ago, and He is always sitting near Hermione's usual spot. She suspects that the book he is "reading" is in upside-down.

     His swooning Fanclub is also following wherever he goes, and that even includes the library, her safe-haven is completely disrupted with girly squeals. Hermione wonders where Madam Pince is. Surely. The head Librarian wouldn't just let this happen.

     But then, Hermione starts to feel something is off... like Krum is suddenly appearing everywhere. Like almost... Following her.

     That couldn't be it... Even to herself, it sounds like she is trying to delude herself that Krum is... after her. And that would be impossible, why would she think of such things? She needs to get a grip away from that kind of imagination.

     Hermione suddenly became aware that she is still staring at Viktor Krum and felt her cheeks heating up when he gave her a nod and a little smile. It's the first time Hermione saw Krum smile, and he looks like he's not used at doing so.

     It is kind of... cute.

     Hermione instantly looked away and fumbled on the quill she is still holding before thinking of leaving the Library. She mentally berated herself about the distractions and letting it distract her from working.

     But Jamie hasn't come yet, and she needs to wait for her best friend. Ever since the Tournament happened, Jamie became distant... Like almost too occupied with her own thoughts and constantly wandering around the castle and often not bothered to show up at dinners.

     Hermione is worried, very worried. She knew she was very vocal about the past killings of the Triwizard tournament and maybe, it made Jamie worried so much that it starts to bug her. She will sometimes catch Jamie sitting and looking out by the opened window of their dormitory in the middle of the night, as she treads her fingers on Hedwig's snowy feathers mindlessly. Her thoughts lost in million distance.

     Hermione will sometimes catch Ron too, staring at the usual spot where Jamie will sit in lunch and dinner with a questioning look baffling in his face before realizing that they fought and still not in good terms with each other.

     It was a silly argument, a very silly one that impacted their friendship by drifting apart and Ron did overstep that time. Hermione wanted nothing more but to shake both of her friends to finally wake up and forgive each other as it affects their friendship very badly. Jamie would surely forgive Ron when the time comes, but it was Ron who is stubborn and won't say the word.

     But this time, Ron surprised her this afternoon when he called her after Herbology class and Jamie was called by Professor McGonagall.

     "Hermione," Ron said, reluctance fleeting in his voice, "... How are you?"

     "You know how well I am, you should ask that to Jamie," Hermione suddenly snapped and Ron flinched, she sighed after, "I'm sorry, Ronald. It's just... Everything is not easy at these times."

     Ron's shoulders sagged down and he nodded defeatedly before looking down and scratched the back of his head awkwardly. "I'm sorry about everything, and to what happened back there. I was just... confused about everything."