Hermione Granger and the Snakes party

2

Hermione's head was still throbbing painfully when she arrived at the Library. She could have cured herself with a potion easily enough, but she had decided not to, to remind herself how stupid her idea of drinking so much was.

She still couldn't realize what she'd done the night before, and the strange thing was that it wasn't just embarrassment. For the first time, she had really let herself go and not listened to her common sense, which was very intoxicating, even more so than the many glasses of sherry she had drunk.

Hermione felt even braver than before, more sure of herself, like a kind of pride hidden underneath the shame. She wondered if she should tell Ginny, who would be the only person to listen to her story. Hermione couldn't even imagine what Harry and Ron's reaction would be if they heard this, especially Ron, who would probably get angry.

She shook off all these strange memories and went to her favourite table in the library. She was in her element. Whenever she wanted to take her mind off things, she would go here, and all the thoughts that were constantly swirling around in her head would instantly evaporate.

Hermione took out her books and quills and spread them out on the large table in front of her. There was obviously no one there, except for Mrs. Pince. It was Sunday after all, no one wanted to come and study in the Library.

She took out her Arithmancy lessons, she had missed some of the calculations in the last lesson and she expected to be able to do them herself at the end of her study session. In the room, the sound of the quill on her parchment was all that could be heard, and Hermione savoured the sound as it slowly eliminated her shameful memories of the previous day.

After a good half hour of hard work trying to figure out the bloody calculations, Hermione let out a disgruntled grunt, and looked back at the calculations spread out before her on her Arithmancy book.

Suddenly she heard someone pull a chair up beside her and her trance burst, like a bubble. She turned her head towards the person who was bothering her, and could only let out a small surprised exclamation when she saw Draco sitting next to her.

"Malfoy?"

"Ah, are we back to the last name?" he said with a glint of amusement in his eye.

"I... what are you doing here?" she asked, mouth agape.

"Studying." he replied, as if it were the most obvious answer in the world.

"But... why?"

He widened his eyes for a moment, pulling out a Potions textbook.

"Because I want, how did you say it again? Ah yes, 'have a good future'." he replied with a sly smile.

"You never come to study in the Library, let alone on a Sunday."

"I do, but you don't notice. When you're working, you're so focused on your work that you don't see what's going on around you. The Library is big, you just don't see me."

Hermione sincerely doubted his words, but refrained from commenting on his sudden desire to work. He opened his textbook to the correct page, and Hermione asked:

"Why are you sitting next to me, then, if the Library is so big?"

Draco let out a sigh, a little amused:

"Do you want me to go?"

Hermione shook her head.

"You always want to know everything, understand everything. If I want to sit here, it's just because I wanted to, okay?"