Between Two Worlds

09

In the library, Hermione found a quiet corner and took a seat at one of the tables, carefully laying out her notes and books for the EPQ. She organized her thoughts, reviewing the information she had gathered so far on the Protego spell and its various applications. The soft murmur of students studying around her created a comforting background noise as she awaited Draco's arrival.

Five minutes passed, and Hermione glanced around the library, still seeing no sign of Draco. She checked her watch, feeling a bit impatient. Wondering if he might be delayed, she decided to review her notes again, double-checking everything to make good use of the time.

As more time passed and students began to leave the library, Hermione grew increasingly concerned about Draco's absence. With a sigh of resignation, she decided to start working on their project without him. Pulling out a fresh sheet of parchment, she began jotting down ideas on how they could incorporate practical demonstrations into their presentation on the Protego spell.

After almost 30 minutes, Draco finally walked up to where Hermione was sitting in the library. He approached quietly, sensing her initial annoyance at his tardiness.

"Hey," Draco said softly as he pulled out a chair opposite Hermione.

Hermione looked up, a mixture of relief and irritation evident in her expression. "Hey," she replied, trying to keep her tone neutral.

Draco sat down and glanced at the notes Hermione had already written. "Sorry I'm late. Pansy wouldn't let me go," he offered, sounding genuinely apologetic.

Hermione sighed, but her expression softened slightly. "It's fine. Let's just get started," she said, pushing the notes she had prepared towards him.

He pulled out his own stack of books and parchment, ready to contribute to their project. "So, what do you have so far?" he asked, trying to ease the tension.

"I wrote down some ways we could implement practical demonstrations," Hermione stated, gesturing to the parchment in front of her. She slid it over to Draco, who leaned forward to read through her ideas.

Hermione looked at Draco as he read her notes, noticing a shift in his demeanor when they were alone versus in the presence of others. He seemed more focused, more genuine somehow. As Draco looked up from the parchment and their eyes met, a flicker realization went over his iris.

Draco's gaze lingered on Hermione's face, and in that moment, he noticed details he hadn't before: the way her hair fell perfectly around her shoulders, the depth of her eyes, the earnestness in her expression when discussing their project. It dawned on him that the connection he had been feeling lately wasn't just about their return to Hogwarts—it was attraction.

He quickly shook his head, trying to dispel the thoughts. Draco couldn't afford to complicate things further. They were partners in a project, and any romantic entanglements would only complicate their already strained relationship.

Clearing his throat, Draco focused back on the notes. "These ideas are solid," he said, trying to steer the conversation back to safer ground. "I think if we structure our presentation around these practical demonstrations, it could really showcase our understanding."

Hermione nodded, grateful for the return to their academic discussion. "Absolutely," she replied, her voice steady.

After a brief moment of awkward silence and pages flipping, Hermione spoke up, breaking the concentration that had settled between them.

"You know, I heard Ron and Harry whispering about their EPQ," she began, her voice thoughtful. "They mentioned a creative part where they were going to summon statues of different types of Patronuses. I thought maybe we could also add something creative to our presentation."