The Order of the Phoenix | Hermione Granger x Male Reader (Book Five)

16. A Christmas Kiss

Y/N's POV

Christmas was quickly approaching and whenever there was free time in between everyone's Quidditch practices and extra-curricular clubs, Dumbledore's Army would meet and would practice spells. Harry and I taught the other members a wide variety of defensive and offensive spells. It was clear that some people were improving and their confidence whilst performing spells was rapidly increasing.

"Today we're going to try to learn the Patronus charm, it drives away Dementors." Harry explained before looking at me.

I took over. "In order to conjure this spell you need to think of a really happy time, a really happy memory and think about it. Then use the incantation, 'Expecto Patronum' and your Patronus should appear. Everyone's Patronus is unique to the witch or wizard."

"So have fun finding out what your Patronus is." Harry smiled.

"Do you want to demonstrate for us?" asked Cho Chang.

Harry nodded, his grabbed his wand and calmly said. "Expecto Patronum"

A silver stag emerged from the tip of his wand and galloped around, as everyone gasped in awe, looking at the magnificent stag. After around a minute, the silver stag disappeared and Harry smiled, dismissing everyone and letting them focus on producing their own Patronus.

If I was being honest, I had never attempted the Patronus charm, I had no idea what my happy memory would be. My memory seemed to be quite limited and I barely knew anything about my childhood. All I could think of was my time spent with Hermione or spending time with Draco during the summer holidays. I decided to hide the fact that I hadn't properly conjured a full Patronus yet and instead walked around, praising and commenting the fellow members of the DA on their efforts to conjure a Patronus.

"What's your Patronus?" I asked Hermione, sitting myself on a chair near where she was practicing the spell.

She shrugged. "I haven't managed to get it yet."

"Just think of something happy, like, I don't know, when you and Y/N kissed or something." I said, a hint of jealousy in my voice.

Just after what I said, Hermione's face fell, I felt like such an idiot for mentioning Y/N. "Oh...I'm sorry Hermione...I didn't mean it in a bad way."

"It's fine...I guess you're right, that'll help me."

She cleared her head of all the sad emotions she was feeling and I could see her concentrate on her happy memory. "EXPECTO PATRONUM!" she said loudly and I saw something emerge from her wand.

I could make out the animal, an otter. It graced the room majestically and circled Hermione, who now had a very large grin on her face.

"That's awesome 'Mione!" I said excitedly, going over and hugging the girl.

Just then, I turned my head and saw Ron conjure his Patronus, a Jack Russell terrier and I frowned, otters and Jack Russell terriers could be connected with each other since the dog would often like to chase otters and I felt a sudden pang of sadness. It was known that people with similar or linked Patronuses were soulmates. Does that mean Y/N was never Hermione's soulmate? Would I not stand a chance with her? Was her real soulmate actually the Weasley boy?

I quickly exited my thoughts as some other people managed to conjure their Patronuses successfully, I was surprised that no one had asked me to demonstrate yet.

"Can I see yours F/N?" asked Hermione, looking at me.

Damn it, speak of the devil.

I didn't want to admit in front of Hermione that I had never tried to conjure a Patronus in front of Hermione but I didn't want to try and fail as well. In the end, I agreed to show her.

Thinking about everything I had experienced this year, I tried to conjure my Patronus. I made an effort to focus on all my memories with Hermione, concentrating I pointed my wand and shouted. "EXPECTO PATRONUM!"

I thought I had failed, but I saw something appear from the end of my wand, the silvery wisp formed a tiger, and it growled loudly and made its way around the room before coming and resting by my side, before finally disappearing.

Why it was a tiger I didn't know, I looked at Hermione and she had her eyes wide in shock, I expected a well done or something but I didn't get one. Instead, she looked at me, eyes wide in shock before quickly rushing away to where Harry was. He was currently teaching Cho how to conjure a Patronus. I was confused, but ignored it and made my way to some bookshelves.

"I need a book about animals." I thought to myself, the Room of Requirement listened and as I was looking, I found the book I wanted.

Flicking through it, I tried to find any signs of a relationship between otters and tigers, purely because I didn't want her soulmate to be Weasley, I wanted it to be me. I couldn't deny it now, I was head over heels for Hermione Granger.

It didn't take me long to find something, there was something about Muggle animal places called 'Zoos' and there were images of tiger cubs and otter cubs playing with each other. I smiled triumphantly to myself, tigers and otters could interact with each other. This gave me hope, maybe she wasn't head over heels for the Weasley boy.

I must've been deep in thought for a while since I heard a voice, snapping me back into reality. I looked around and realised that the majority had left. I turned and saw that Hermione was calling to me

Hermione's POV

I was shocked when I found out that F/N's Patronus was the same as Y/N's, there were so many conspiracy theories I had, I thought that it wasn't just a coincidence that F/N Malfoy, who was awfully similar to Y/N, arrived just after Y/N had died.

Harry and Ron said me I was crazy, they told me that I was just making things up to deal with my loss but I was positive, F/N had to be Y/N. I saw that he was still alone in the room after everyone had left so I told Harry and Ron to go back to the Common Room without me.

"F/N?" I called, looking at the platinum-haired boy.

He turned his head and looked at me, placing his book down hastily. "Oh hey 'Mione, sorry I'll leave now."

Every time he called me 'Mione I felt the same butterflies I felt every time Y/N called me by that nickname.

"Do you want me to walk with you?" I asked hopefully.

His E/C eyes lit up and he smiled. "Well we have different Common Rooms but I'll walk with you."

He got up and made his way to my side and we walked over, as we were walking I looked around. I didn't realise that the Room was now Christmas themed, normally there were too many people and they blocked my view but now I noticed the Christmas tree in the far corner of the room.

We were walking side by side when both of us suddenly stopped.

"Why can't I move?" asked F/N and I looked around. Then I looked up, a mistletoe.

"Um...look up." I said quietly and he looked up, noticing the mistletoe above us.

"Oh...and I'm assuming there's some charm so that unless we kiss, we cannot move." F/N said, looking at me.

I nodded, my heart was racing, I didn't know how I felt and I had millions of other thoughts but they quickly vanished when F/N's lips met mine. He kissed me so delicately, it felt so much like the times when Y/N kissed me. The kiss was short and when he pulled away, he was immediately allowed to move again.

"Well, that was the quickest way for both of us to leave." he stated, looking like he wasn't fazed at all.

I looked at him, and he looked back and all I could do was cry and run off.

I turned and I swear I could've seen Y/N looking at me, anger and sadness in his E/C eyes, he ran a hand through his messy H/C hair and gave me a look. I was so split, I wasn't still over Y/N and F/N reminded me so much of him, was it bad that I spent time with him because it felt like I was with Y/N again? Was I cheating on Y/N because we were still together when he died? Was I playing with F/N's feelings? These questions were invading my mind.

Harry and Ron were right, I was really going crazy and it was all that damn Slytherin's fault.

Screw you F/N Malfoy.