Callidora ☆ Fred Weasley

[chapter 49]

Cheering Charm

Late afternoon sunlight streamed through the tall windows of the Hogwarts Library.

The place was unusually quiet.

O.W.L. season had turned Hogwarts Castle into a battlefield of parchment, ink, and exhausted students.

At one of the back tables, Callidora Nott was surrounded by books again.

Three open textbooks.

Two scrolls of notes.

A quill moving quickly across parchment as she reviewed advanced spell structures.

She didn't even notice someone approaching until a stack of books dropped onto the table.

Calli looked up.

Hermione Granger stood there.

Looking completely panicked.

Also her ears were pink.

And her hair looked slightly more chaotic than usual.

"Hermione?"

Hermione ran a hand through her hair.

"I've made a terrible mistake."

Calli blinked.

That sentence coming from Hermione Granger was deeply alarming.

"What happened?"

Hermione sat down quickly.

"I missed Charms."

Calli stared.

"You what?"

"I forgot to go."

Calli leaned back slowly.

"You forgot to go to a class."

Hermione nodded miserably.

"Yes."

Calli studied her face and pressed the back of her head against the younger girl's forehead.

"Are you ill?"

Hermione sighed.

"No. I just lost track of time while studying Arithmancy theory and Ancient Runes translations and by the time I realized, class had already ended."

Calli nodded slowly.

"Ah."

Hermione hesitated.

Then added quickly,

"And I may have also slapped Draco Malfoy."

Calli paused.

Her quill stopped moving.

"You did what?"

Hermione looked faintly embarrassed but also a little satisfied.

"I hit him."

Calli raised an eyebrow.

"With..?"

"My hand."

There was a brief pause.

Then Calli leaned back slightly with an amused but proud grin.

"Good for you."

Hermione's ears turned even pinker.

"He was being unbearable."

"Oh I don't doubt it." Calli said dryly.

Hermione cleared her throat and pushed her books forward.