The Most Wonderful Person - (Romione)

Returning To... Emptiness - Chapter 10

Alley by alley, she trotted by on the dirty pavement of slushed snow and dirt. Her eyes making a quick glance into each and every one of them on the way to the library.

She would slow her pace though when too many pedestrians were in the way of her view, obscuring a backstreet.

Empty.

Besides all the bins and bags.

Empty.

Except for all the clumped up grey-brownish snow.

Empty.

There's no sight of him, Hermione couldn't believe she was still having an eye out for him.

Am I worrying about him too much? I need to get my mind straight and focused on today's work and then tomorrow, she shook her head.

After the man, Ron, had left her flat, she made quick work of cleaning the area which he surprisingly left in an exceptional state. Compared to when he first arrived, there were just a few traces of dirt and crumbs and all that.

It made her cleaning job a lot easier... well... faster if that was a better word.

She didn't want to say it was easier because now the flat felt like it was... hollow.

It was just her now in the flat.

Hermione hissed through her teeth, still unable to fathom why she can't get herself back to normal before the whole situation with... Ron.

"Being a snake, are we?" the soft voice of an Irish-accent went, "Although I think your tongue should be pointing out... and if you have the technique, you may be able to have your tongue bend into some sort of split at the end."

Hermione didn't realize she was standing inside the library until her co-worker spoken to her.

"I'm able to make a cloverleaf tongue interestingly enough, but curiously I'm unable to make my tongue split to two at the end," she continued.

"Hello, Hermione," the petite blonde gave a warming smile.

"Oh, I'm here?" Hermione looked around, unnecessarily brushing her bushy hair after removing her beanie.

"Yes, unless you're talking about being behind the counter which is just around the corner and right next to where I am... yes, you're here," the blonde nodded and continued flipping through her colourful magazine.

"Sorry, Luna, I was just having some... stressful thoughts," Hermione apologized as she hooked her coat with her accessories onto the peg, before walking up next to her co-worker, Luna.

"I'm usually never this late," the bushy-haired woman groaned.

"I hope I'm not looking like some crazy witch here," she turned her head toward Luna with a raised eyebrow, "I look fine, right?"

"Exceptionally ordinary," Luna nodded, "and... you're never late, Hermione. You're just always early making your mind think it's the set time, but when you actually arrive later than the time set in your mind, you think negatively."

"But it's all right, you arrived right before the library's open," she smiled.

"Right," Hermione nodded, feeling a bit awkward.

She cleared her throat had her eyes quickly scan the library, "What have you done when you arrived?"

"I've did a simple dusting and reorganizing of the books... to make sure we weren't infested with nargles," Luna answered, flipping a page in her magazine.

"Right," Hermione replied, "don't know why I asked," she mumbled, remembering that Luna was one to believe mythical beings and creatures such as wrakspurts and all that.