Hermione Granger, Another Life - Year Two

16. New Announcement

Oliver Wood is a dictator! Hermione grumbled to herself as she bid the group farewell again as they had yet another practice. For the past two weeks it has been quidditch practice nearly every night. Leaving Hermione to fend for herself, she once again was making her way to the library. She was already ahead of her homework, so she looked back into third year lessons.

"Hi, Blaise." She said as she walked to the hidden corner.

"Hey, Hermione." He answered not looking up from his potions book. Hermione dropped her bag on the ground with a sigh as she let herself fall in the chair. "What's up?"

"They have another practice. I've barely seen them in two weeks."

"You still have the Hufflepuff kid-"

"Cedric."

"Yeah, that one." He said as he looked up. "He plays quidditch too, right?"

"Yeah, but his captain isn't a dictator."

"A what?"

"Never mind." She waved him of as she leaned forward and picked her third-year potions book out of her bag. "I just had dinner with him and his friends, since the others only had five minutes before Oliver called for them."

"Is he your..." He let the sentence hang in the air. Hermione looked at him with a frown before she registered what he was talking about.

"Oh, no. He is my friend. He's actually going to Hogsmeade with Alicia tomorrow. I wish I could go." She sighed. "To Hogsmeade, I mean. I've read so much about its history!"

"At least you get to go next year." Blaise smiled.

"Uhm, Blaise?" Hermione asked carefully. "Can I ask, why do you always sit alone?"

"I prefer it actually. The others in my house they're..." Hermione hummed as she understood what he was talking about. "I just let them do their thing and they let me do mine." He looked at her and suddenly a grin appeared on his face. "Don't change the subject, Hermione."

"About what?"

"You and Cedric."

"Merlin, Blaise. I'm twelve!" Hermione laughed and quickly lowered her voice when she remembered where she was. Blaise grinned at her reaction. It was funny how close the two had become, they never spoke outside of the little hide-out and only Cedric knew she would study with him on occasion. They didn't talk about their home life or about the other Slytherins, they mostly talked about school and classes. They fell back into their pattern as they both studied their own lessons. Blaise never asked her to go over his work, unlike what her friends did right now as they were so busy with practice.

It was almost nine when Hermione made her way back to the common room, when she walked through the portrait a large hand dragged her to the pinboard on the wall.

"Hey, Lee." Hermione chuckled as he pointed to the board. "What is it?" She looked at the paper that had been recently pinned against it. "A Halloween dance?"

"Yeah, it's been years since they organized one." Lee said excitedly. Hermione's eyes flickered over the announcement.

"Ah, well you have fun." Hermione smiled as she stepped away from the board and to the couch in front of the fire.

"What?" Lee looked back at her confused. He walked over and jumped over the couch as he landed next to her. "You're coming."

"Third year and up."

"Oh." He said and Hermione nodded sadly. "I always forget you're a year lower than us."

"That's because I'm more mature than any of you." She snickered.