"Why do you keep looking at me?" Y/N finally asked, her eyes still focused on the book in her hands.
Hermione's voice was gentle as she replied, "I like looking at you."
"Yeah?" Y/N asked softly, her voice barely above a whisper.
Hermione nodded, he...
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Y/N paced around Ron and Harry's dormitory, her hands on her hips, a sense of urgency in her voice as she addressed her two friends.
"Alright, sit down, you two," she instructed, gesturing to their beds. Ron and Harry exchanged puzzled glances but complied, taking a seat as they watched her.
Y/N hesitated for a moment, her words caught in her throat. "Actually, never mind," she muttered to herself in frustration, cursing softly under her breath.
Ron, ever the curious one, leaned forward. "No, come on, Y/N. You started something; now, you have to finish it. What's going on?"
Y/N took a deep breath and decided to share her strange experience. "I think Hermione's done something to me, hexed me or something," she confessed. Harry and Ron's eyes widened in surprise.
"Hexed you?" Harry echoed, clearly taken aback.
Y/N nodded, trying to explain further. "Whenever I'm around her, I feel strange. My stomach starts hurting, and my vision gets all blurry, and my face feels hot."
Harry and Ron exchanged bewildered glances. Ron, always quick to jump to conclusions, chimed in, "She probably cast a hex on you, then."
Harry, however, offered a more rational explanation. "Hold on, Y/N. Are you sure it's not something else? Maybe you just had some bad food earlier today?"
Y/N rolled her eyes at Harry's explanation. "No, it's not food poisoning. I know what that feels like. This is different. It only happens when I'm around Hermione," she insisted.
Ron scratched his head, clearly struggling to comprehend the situation. "So, you're saying that just being near Hermione makes you feel... sick?"
Y/N nodded, feeling slightly embarrassed about the whole ordeal. "Yeah, and it's been getting worse lately. I can barely concentrate when she's around, and I can't figure out why."
Harry and Ron exchanged puzzled looks once again. "Well," Ron finally said, "Have you tried talking to Hermione about it?"
Y/N's eyes widened at the suggestion. "No way! I can't just tell her that being around her makes me feel sick. She'd think I'm crazy."
Harry and Ron couldn't help but chuckle at Y/N's predicament. "You're not crazy, Y/N," Harry reassured her. "Maybe you should talk to Hermione. She might have some insight into what's going on."
Y/N sighed, considering their advice. "Fine, I'll talk to her, but if she thinks I'm loony, it's on you two."
The three continue to talk, deciding not to use Hermione's name anymore and refer to her as someone else. In fear that anyone would listen, and that was the last thing Y/N wanted.
✴✴✴✴✴
Y/N descended the stairs of Gryffindor Tower, her eyes catching the clock on the wall. A gasp escaped her lips as she realized she had exceeded the curfew; the time had already ticked past 10:30 P.M. Ordinarily, she might have sneaked back to her dormitory unnoticed, but she had received two warnings this term already, and the last thing she wanted was to risk suspension.
