𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐠𝐥𝐨𝐫𝐲 | 𝐝.𝐦.

twenty four

The library is desolate of students, since the passing of the examinations.

Nobody, unless dazed in the head, would be dawdling in the library, picking out books from the shelves, sitting by the empty tables, and scrawling attentively on their homework. Nobody, except for Hermione.

And forced to tag along with the studious girl, Betty.

While their friends are out in the courtyards, engaging in being an unruly bunch, Hermione and Betty has remained in the quiet library, under the judgemental eyes of Madam Pince, the librarian.

Betty had wanted to join Ron and Harry out in the Quidditch field for a last casual Quidditch match before the year ends, but Hermione had asked Betty if she'd like to join her at the library for a quiet study session. Not wanting to leave her friend alone in her library, she had settled for the latter.

It is uncommon for students to be resuming with their studies after the end of the examinations, but Hermione is determined to be the top of every year, even the next year which Betty winced upon hearing.

With Voldemort's rising, the query surrounding next year's school life has also risen tremendously, with people being queasy about what would happen once the Ministry was completely overthrown.

People are resolved to spend as much time having fun and being contented, seeing as it is pointless to study for next year's examinations when everyone will most likely be fighting to fend for themselves instead of their academics.

Hermione is the opposite. She is readily aware of the possibility her studies might go to waste, but optimistically, she perseveres, hoping she might learn a thing or two that could save her in the future.

Betty admires the girl for that.

The library is piercingly quiet, and every so often, Betty would adjust her head sideways, to see Madam Pince eyeing them beadily from behind her desk.

The librarian is annoyed, to say the least, that her cool afternoon has been ruined by them both.

It is difficult for Betty to focus her attention on the books when she has been lacking sleep for the past week since she's received the letter. She has been harrowed with worries and voices pestering her to come up with a new plan before it is too late.

Her eyes barely read the words on the book she loaned from a shelf. It is a book about magical creatures - she doesn't even take the subject.

She had also caught Hermione's strange and curious glance when she brought the heavy book to the table.

Unable to withstand the boredom, Betty closes the book loudly, causing Hermione to jump slightly.

"I'm going to find another book," she says to the girl, standing while trying not to scrape the marble floor with her chair. "If that's fine with you?"

She notices the librarian's frown going deeper and the warning finger she holds to her lips.

"Yeah, of course," Hermione says, a bit distraught. "I was wondering why you were reading a book on magical creatures anyway. You don't even take Hagrid's subject."

Betty grins awkwardly. "Right," she mutters, "Slipped my mind."

Hermione arches a bewildered brow at her before Betty hurries away, carrying the book in her arm.

The girl in the Ravenclaw robes walks towards the end of the library, hoping to get as far away from the sight of Hermione and Madam Pince, before taking her time to look for a book that might catch her eye.

She reminds herself not to wander close to the forbidden section, having grown familiar to that corner of the library and often forgetting that it wasn't part of the unrestricted half.