The Night is Young | Hermione Granger

18. The Aftermath

For once in my life, my appetite has left. I've always been a big eater, but this morning, the thought of lifting my eggs to my mouth makes me want to vomit, so I contend to just push them around my plate.

That is, until I see Daphne walk - or rather skip - into the Great Hall, and I force myself to eat in order to not be a hypocrite. I try and suppress my nausea.

"I'm guessing the date went well." I bite back my own negative aura in order not to dampen her mood.

Her cheeks flush at my words, and her face contorts into a shy smile and she sits down.

"You told him about the book." She accuses.

"Who said that."

Daphne scoots a little closer to me.

"Thank you." She lifts her eyes to meet mine. "It's the best date I've ever been on."

I find myself wanting to smile. At least I could be the cause of happiness for one of my friends, especially Daphne. After what she's been through, she deserves to be happy, and if I can have a hand in it, I'd do anything for her.

So I smile, telling her that she's welcome, and we go back to our breakfast, when Isola and Max show up.

I see the change in her demeanour - brighter - at the sight of him, but Max looks the same. For a second, I wonder if he didn't take as much from the date as Daphne did; I wonder if she got more invested than he did. But when he sits down in front of us and smiles, I can see the difference.

It reaches his eyes, for once, and the only reason I notice this smile is different is because I've seen it once before. I've seen it when I told him that I kissed Hermione for the first time.

"Morning." He goes, like usual.

"So, the date was a success." Isola says, and the two of them catch each other's gaze, smile, then nod to us.

"Are we not going to hear about it." I ask and they do the same thing, but this time shake their heads.

"Not yet." Daphne says, then leans over and whispers, "I'll tell you tonight."

And the time between when she tells me that, and tonight feels like a lifetime.

I swear, the universe knows that the only good thing in my life right now is hearing this date, because everything goes in slow motion: classes, lunch, classes, studying, dinner. It's so drawling that Professor Binns seems up to speed, which makes me think that I'm losing my mind.

Then, finally, when us three girls are finally back in mine and Daph's dorm room, pyjamas on, and absolutely nothing else in our way, Daphne still won't tell us.

"I can't wait any longer." I tell her.

Daphne just shushes me, eyes still on our roommates, who said they were going to leave, but have yet to walk through the door.

"Don't mind us," Parkinson says, "it can't be anything that important."

I nod my head, agreeing with Pansy for the first time in a long, long time.

"Fine." Daph gives in, so I ask what happened - a bit too eagerly, which catches Parkinson's attention again.

"What happened?" She asks.

"Daphne went on a date with Maxim." Isola says from beside me. She's hugging one of my pillows.

"Maxim Yaxley?" Her jaw drops, and Isola nods.

"No way." Tracey adds. "He's way too cute."

"Aren't you girls going to be late?" Daphne asks, a bit flustered.