STARLIT SUPERNOVA. h. potter

viii. A Bad Friend? (Yes!)

starlit supernova
❛ viii. a bad friend? ❜

━━━━━ TO SAY THAT Nova was shocked to see a crying Hermione standing in front of the barrels in the Hufflepuff common room would be an understatement. The Gryffindor girl stood at the base of the barrels, sobbing as her hands shook. She was flipping through a page in a notebook or something, muttering to herself through sobs and sniffles.

               Nova glanced awkwardly at the walls surrounding them, tucking the extra books taken from the library under her arm. She had left the Hufflepuff common room after dinner that evening, feeling very perturbed by Professor Trelawney's attitude. (Something about death and dying — Nova tried not to think about it.) Feeling rather lost and knowing the silence of her dorm room would send her spiraling, Nova decided to go to the library to pick up some of the books she had left behind.

               Sure, she figured she might run into Peeves or Filch on her way to and from the library, but she never expected to find a crying Hermione Granger standing in front of the barrels in the Hufflepuff common room.

               "Um" — Nova cleared her throat — "are you, uh, okay?"

               Hermione glared at her weakly. "Does it look like I'm okay?"

               "Well, no. But I figured I should be nice since you're crying and all." Nova shuffled closer. "What are you doing?"

               "I was trying to get into your common room," Hermione admitted, wiping away a tear that traced its way down her cheek.

               "But you can't. You're not allowed!" Nova protested. "That's, like, against rules. It's against rules, isn't it? I dunno I don't care much for rules —"

               "It is against the rules," she agreed, her voice raw with crying, "but only if you're not invited inside."

               "But why do you want to get inside?" asked Nova rather plainly. She flinched, rubbing the back of her neck. "Oh, I mean, why are you crying?"

               Hermione stared at her. "You sound so concerned."

               "I am concerned!" insisted Nova. "But I'm just wondering why —"

               "It's this barrel, isn't it?" asked Hermione, pointing to the wooden barrel that was two from the bottom and in the middle of the second row. "I tap the rhythm of Helga Hufflepuff?"

               Nova blinked, wondering if she should lie. Students from other Houses shouldn't — and couldn't — enter any common rooms that weren't for their personal House.

               "... No. No, it isn't."

               Hermione huffed. "I know it is. Don't lie to me! I heard one of the Hufflepuff prefects reminding a first year."

               "Okay, fine. You're right. But why do you want inside? You don't plan on, like, ruining stuff?"

               Hermione didn't answer, instead, she tapped to the rhythm of Helga Hufflepuff on the barrel. The wooden lid slid aside, revealing a sloping, earthy passage into the Hufflepuff common room.

               "Welp." Nova popped the P. "You figured it out. But seriously, why are you here? And why are you crying?"

               Hermione's eyes filled with tears again, and before they could start falling, she climbed through the entrance and into the common room. Nova fought the urge to sigh with annoyance and followed the Gryffindor into Nova's common room.