Ultimatums

Chapter 30

James and Lily (Jily was what the Hufflepuffs called them) were sickening.

So incessantly happy, that majority of the Slytherins tried to avoid being around them. Hermione, Rosier and Regulus in particular. None of them were romantics in the sort, preferring private and intimate relationships, but Avery thrived off of them. He seemed to be the only Slytherin to find them, dare he even think it, cute. Hermione smacked him when he mentioned it.

One day, Persephone and Hermione were hiding out in the library to avoid their PDA in the Great Hall at dinner. They took the opportunity to study for their potions work (the Slytherins shared with the Puffs, and the Gryffindors and Ravenclaw shared their potions classes) on Amortentia for the next day.

"Apparently Amortentia smells like everything you're attracted to simultaneously " Hermione scoffed, flipping through a book on her lap.

Persephone didn't even look up to negate her friend's doubts "if the book says it, Nita, then it's correct. I thought you had an infallible trust in books?"

She was stumped "well I do... but.."

"Then there's no buts Ninita"

"Ninita?"

The pair turned around to see the lanky boy from Slughorn's party standing awkwardly behind them. "Shit, I called you Hermione the whole time, I'm so sorry -"

Persephone laughed, snorting slightly "No her name is Hermione, mate. Her close friends call her Nita. Or Ninita. It's a whole story I'm sure she'll tell you when you take her to Hogsmeade. I'm Persephone. Sephy, actually"

By the end of her little speech, Hermione was beet red. Before she could say anything, Arlo gave a crooked grin.

"Well hi Sephy. I'm Arlo." He said, before turning to Hermione "And while I'm gutted I couldn't ask you myself, I'd look forward to hearing this story at Hogsmeade next week? Maybe then I could earn the privilege of calling you Nita?"

He bit his lip anxiously as Hermione digested the situation. "Sorry, Arlo, but I'm busy that weekend. Maybe another time, yeah?"

"Yeah. Yeah sure. No worries" he stood there awkwardly, Sephy looking at him pitifully, before he stuffed his hands in his pockets and left the library.

"You're not bloody busy" Persephone snapped, going back to her book.

"Well I couldn't just say no. Could I? Maybe I should've..." Hermione tapped her fingers on the desk.

Sephy scoffed "you should've said yes. Boys hardly have the courage to approach you because of Black."

"Well" Hermione bristled "I'm glad. I don't have time for dating. There's a war coming and -"

"The other Potter's dating"she pointed out "that's why we're stuck in here"

Nita used her magic to summon another book and it flew to her hand, if anything rather aggressively. "Which is foolish. Not exactly out of character"

Persephone saw her friend getting angry, but kept pushing. Anger lets emotion out, accidentally of course, but it was needed. "But why? Why not spend time with your loved ones while you have a chance?"

"My loved ones are Regulus, Avery, Sirius, Rosier, Lupin and you. It seems all of those are in relationships, besides you and Reg."

"Yes, me and Black"

Hermione raised a brow "you don't have a crush on me"