Intertwined

Hermione

Even though she felt weathered down and slightly frightened, the girl sat with ease in the small café. It gave her a sense of calmness she hadn't had in a while. Just the way of everything sent a nice feeling through her body. She'd gotten the wrong thing by accident, and her fingers tapped ever so nervously on the small table before her, but she didn't care.

Little spotlight lamps were shining on spots of tables and on the floor. She sat near the ledge, in a dark corner on the upper floor. A small part of her felt dirty for sitting in the spot. It was like she was hiding something.

Technically, she was.

She shook her head and took a sip of her drink. The foul taste burned her mouth more than it's hotness did. She just scrunched her nose a bit and went back to her writing.

She was working for a publishing company, but also on a book of poems alongside her usual work. Her company definitely didn't reflect her. Several of the books they declined turned into best sellers around the world. She'd offered to edit them all herself, but they didn't believe she was good enough.

A man with a blue backpack got up from his chair and distracted her from her thoughts for a moment. He wasn't anything special, really, except for his incredible height in such a small space and his lanky arms. They dangled past his knees easily.

She let her gaze fall to her paper as he glanced at her. A glimmer of a smile seemed to tempt his lips, but he kept a firm glance. The man simply grabbed his cup and walked down to the lower floor. A part of her screamed to say something to the man.

Her mouth sewed itself shut, a barrier locking around her heart. She couldn't already be talking to new people. Her whole life felt entirely unstable, like even a wrong touch could shatter it to pieces. It was the most vulnerable feeling and she hated it with all her might.

"Excuse me miss?"

"Wha?" Her head snapped up, having slowly dropped down as she gazed off into wonderland. A man maybe just a bit shorter than her with dark brown eyes gazed fondly at her. His nose seemed to twitch a little at the tip.

"We're closing early due to the storm coming. Boss man doesn't want anyone getting trapped in the cafe, since you'll have to stay far beyond closing time." He gave a small, apologetic smile, scratching at the back of his neck.

"O-oh, alright, then. Give me just a few minutes to collect my stuff." She tucked a strand of blonde hair behind her ear, returning a polite smile to him. Her fingers twitched a little as she collected her stuff.

The man still stood there, nervousness evident in his eyes as he continued to fidget. "A-alright then, g-great!" His voice suddenly shook, "May I ask your name, aswell, miss?"

It took her a swift moment to recognize he even asked it. Many people went on without knowing her name, and she hadn't said or heard it in so long, it was like she forgot it. Which was a truly odd thing.

"It's Hermione."