New Romantics | Hermione Granger Book IV

|57| Chapter Fifty-Seven

F I F T Y  S E V E N

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The pressure that came with the First Task truly started to germinate at a rate that Saffron had never expected by the time she got to the Hogsmeade trip she had been so desperately craving, only the next day. Everything was happening so quickly, with the pressure rising and the anti-Harry sentiment continuing. She never got tired of throwing dirty looks at people who were glaring at Harry in resentment or who had those ugly badges on their robes. But what she was getting tired of was the wait, therefore, being able to walk to Hogsmeade freely for the first time with Olly by her side provided her with a much-needed escape from the imminent pressure that was building for her sister and best friend.

"You look like you're going to explode," remarked Olly as they made their way past the inspection space that the caretaker Filch had set up to ensure no younger students were leaving the grounds without permission. The second the words left his mouth Saffron could tell he regretted it. However, she felt that his choice of words was accurate as it summed up how she felt. "Not what I meant, I-- I tried to say you must feel like you're going to explode but a look went in there instead for some reason because I also thought about saying that you look... nice, really nice and I got stuck somewhere in the middle and didn't say either..."

Saffron laughed and did her utmost to ensure it didn't come across as unkind. She wasn't just laughing at what he said to her but also at the fact that there had been a shift in his personality since the year before. It was like he was on edge or something but whatever it was Saffron found it endearing.

"You might not have meant it, but I think you summed up how I'm feeling at any rate," Saffron told him, not wanting the Ravenclaw boy to feel bad for misspeaking as she was prone to doing so at times too. "Everything's a lot right now,"

"That's why I'm nervous," Olly admitted as the pair walked parted from the massive herd of students as the laneways of Hogsmeade opened up. "I figured you had a lot going on,"

"I was nervous too," Saffron responded. "I'm not even sure why... but I suppose it's probably because, as crazy as it sounds, we haven't really done anything like this before. I know we see each other all the time in our electives, Astronomy, Charms and all, but any time we've ever hung outside of class it's never just been us two. I'm not even sure what we'd call it,"

Saffron let out a small laugh and looked across at Olly, hoping. Hoping that he did know what to call their day out in Hogsmeade. Hoping he would call it a date. Her friends had told her over and over that whatever it was she and Olly were doing was probably a date but seeing as he was the one who instigated their unnamed meet-up, it seemed only prudent to allow him to put a name on it.

To Saffron's disappointment, he didn't provide her with the answer she wanted.

"I'm not sure what I'd call it either," Olly likewise looked over at Saffron and smiled at her. The second he did so Saffron's eyes moved against her will and stared absently at the earth she was walking on. "But whatever it is, I like it because it would be nice to end it on a good note because the closest thing we had to this was the duelling club, and we both know how that turned out,"

Saffron nodded her head fondly. It was strange to look back at when Olly brought her and the isolated then first-year Luna Lovegood to the duelling club, two years ago now. The night had started well and Saffron was enjoying herself immensely. However, the outcome ended up being Olly and Emilia Kallantar getting attacked by a Basilisk, which certainly put a stain on what had been a lovely night, to say the least.