Between Two Worlds

07

After Professor Hartswood dismissed the class, Draco made his way back to the Slytherin dormitory, throwing his notebook to the side as he walks in.

"Why did you recommend that class to me?" Draco asked bluntly, his tone betraying a mix of frustration and confusion.

Blaise looked up, eyebrows raised in mild surprise. "What do you mean?"

Draco sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "Me, in such a class, it's absurd."

Blaise shrugged nonchalantly. "It was just a thought, you know. You didn't have to go. Besides, didn't the first lesson go fine?"

Draco grimaced slightly. "I had to talk about my problems to Granger and Potter. Doesn't that say enough?"

Blaise leaned back in his chair, considering Draco's words. "But the class has been helping, hasn't it?" he offered tentatively.

Draco shrugged, not entirely convinced but unwilling to dismiss the idea outright. The memory of opening up in class still made him uncomfortable, but he couldn't deny that some of the techniques discussed had resonated with him.

Their conversation was interrupted by the sound of Tiberius snoring loudly from his bed. Blaise chuckled softly, shaking his head. "Sometimes he really does remind me of Goyle. How did we even meet this guy?"

Draco chuckled in response. "I'm not sure. He randomly spawned in the common room on the first day."

As they laughed about Tiberius snoring, the atmosphere in the room lightened, but the weight of Draco's earlier unease returned. The conversation had shifted back to its usual banter, yet Draco couldn't shake off the lingering discomfort from the emotional resilience class.

Blaise noticed the change in Draco's demeanor, sensing his friend's need for some space. "Well, I'm going to hit the hay," Blaise said casually, closing his book and stretching.

"Yeah, same" Draco replied quietly.

Blaise gave him a supportive pat on the shoulder before heading to his own bed. "Night."

In the dimly lit Gryffindor dormitory, Hermione sat at her desk, surrounded by books, scrolls, and parchment, meticulously working on her EPQ. Despite her focused demeanor, a hint of worry creased her brow as she scanned through yet another dense tome on advanced spell theory.

Ginny, curled up in her own bed with a book, glanced over at Hermione with concern. "Hermione, it's quite late. Maybe you should take a break" she said gently, noticing the exhaustion etched on Hermione's face.

Hermione looked up briefly, her eyes tired but determined. "I still have to research one thing, but I can't seem to find it."

Ginny sighed sympathetically. "Come on, Hermione. We have the whole year to do this. Don't rush it," she urged, setting her book aside and sitting up to face her friend.

Hermione shook her head, a touch of frustration in her voice. "No, not exactly the whole year. We have a month for each part of the EPQ," she explained, her voice tinged with the weight of the workload ahead.

Ginny considered Hermione's words, understanding the pressure she was under. "Right," she conceded softly. "But you've been at it for hours. You need to take a break and get some rest."

Hermione hesitated, torn between her drive to succeed and the fatigue creeping up on her. Finally, she relented, realizing Ginny was right. "Okay," she murmured, reluctantly closing her books and setting aside her quill. "I guess I could use some sleep."

Ginny smiled warmly. "That's the spirit. You'll figure it out later," she reassured Hermione, knowing her friend's determination would see her through.

The next morning, in the boys' dormitory, Ron's voice echoed loudly through the room. "Harry, I can't believe you took my sweater again!" he bellowed, his face flushed with frustration.