Ambivalent → Hermione Granger [3] ✔

I 17 I Starlit Sky

~*~

The sound of the portrait door opening drew Alexander's attention away from his book on Runes. He looked up, his legs sprawled lazily over the arm of the sofa and saw Hermione storming in with a thunderous expression on her face. He blinked slowly as she neared, practically spitting anger from her nostrils. He had never seen her this furious before so a spark of curiosity emerged into his chest as he raised an eyebrow at her.

"Hermione?" he prodded inquisitively. "You're a bit early. Aren't you meant to be in Divination? What's wrong?"

"Oh! That woman!" Hermione growled.

She scowled, her face as red as the scarlet tapestries hung around the common room. She threw herself onto the armchair near him and huffed, bringing out her Charms book. Her agitation seemed to permeate the air around her. She flicked open her book with more force than necessary, her fingers gripping the pages tightly as if she wanted to rip them apart. Alexander observed her with a mixture of amusement and concern, his lips quirking into a suppressed smile. Resisting the urge to laugh outright, he adopted a more neutral expression, though his blue eyes twinkled.

"Alright, Hermione, spill," he prompted gently, leaning forward slightly. "What happened? Did Trelawney manage to predict your impending doom again?"

Hermione shot him a withering glare, her bushy eyebrows furrowing deeper in frustration. "No, it was worse than that," she seethed, her voice laced with indignation. "She called me a mundane mind, can you believe it?"

The corners of Alexander's lips twitched, threatening to break into a grin. "A mundane mind?" he repeated incredulously. "Well, that's certainly a new one. What gave her that charming assessment?"

Hermione's scowl deepened, her fingers tightening around her book. "Apparently, I wasn't 'attuned to the cosmic energies' or some nonsense like that," she retorted bitterly. "She accused me of lacking the 'intuitive insight' required for the subject. Can you imagine?"

Alexander's attempt to stifle his laughter failed miserably as he chuckled, earning another glare from Hermione. "I'm sorry, Hermione," he apologised, though the mischievous glint in his eyes remained. "It's just. . . I never thought I'd see the day when Hermione Granger was told something was too complex for her. You have to see the irony in the matter."

Hermione's cheeks flushed with anger and embarrassment, her frustration evident in the way she clenched her jaw. "It's not funny!" she protested, though her tone lacked its usual conviction. "I'm failing Divination, and I can't stand it. I study and I try and try and try but it's like trying to decipher the ramblings of a lunatic."

Alexander's expression softened, his amusement giving way to sympathy as he reached out to place a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Hey, it's okay," he reassured her gently. "Not everyone is meant to excel at Divination. Besides, I think your practical mind is one of your greatest strengths."

Hermione sighed, her shoulders slumping slightly as she leaned into his touch. "Thanks, Alexander," she murmured, her anger dissipating a tad.

"So, go on what did you do?"

"What?"

"Well, you must have left halfway through, right?"

Her cheeks flushed in a way that caused him to momentarily lose his train of thought. "Yes," she admitted quietly. "I walked out, but you don't understand, Alexander. If you had to deal with Professor Trelawney and her constant predictions, you'd be throwing yourself off the Astronomy Tower in no time. It's such a woolly subject if you ask me."

She huffed, and Alexander burst into laughter. He was slightly impressed, to tell the truth. First-year Hermione, a strict, upright, stickler-for-rules type of girl, would sooner die than walk out of any Professor's classroom. The girl listened to Binns attentively for Merlin's sake and took copious notes. Fondness scratched at him as he stared at her with a wide smile, wondering at how far she'd come since then. He was also surprised at how rebellious she had become lately — punching Malfoy, walking out of lessons — and wondered if perhaps she had been influenced a bit by him, Ron, and Harry. They did have a knack for getting into trouble, those two more than others.