"Heartbound Secrets | Hermione Granger x Reader (GXG)

|| 29. Pheonix Burst

"Follow the spiders," Ron exclaimed angrily as he stormed out of the car and slammed its door shut. "Follow the spiders!? If Hagrid ever gets out of Azkaban, I'll kill him!" he threatened. Y/N stretched as she slumped onto Hermione.

The car suddenly roared back to life, as if it had a mind of its own, moving and driving back into the Dark Forest.

"What was the point of sending us in there, anyway?" Ron grumbled. "What have we found out?"

"We know one thing: Hagrid never opened the Chamber of Secrets; he was innocent," Harry murmured, glancing at Y/N, who was now fully awake and staring blankly into the air.

"We know one more thing, Y/N has unlocked a skill," Hermione chimed in as she wrapped her arms around Y/N's waist, hugging her from behind. Y/N didn't seem as thrilled as Hermione, her mind processing the recent events with a mix of shock and growing excitement, albeit momentarily delayed.

"Told you you'd be alright."

"I know."

✴✴✴✴✴

Y/N sat in front of the fireplace, Hermione next to her as they were supposed to be studying in the Gryffindor Common Room. Papers were scattered across the carpet, but there was little studying happening. Instead, Y/N rested her head against Hermione's chest, who was nestled at the bottom of the couch, her hands gently working on braiding Y/N's hair.

Y/N stared blankly at the flickering flames in the fireplace, her hand idly rotating as she inspected it, almost as if she couldn't quite believe it was her own.

Hermione paused in her braiding, noticing Y/N's distant expression. "Is something on your mind?" she inquired, her brows furrowing in concern.

Y/N's hand dropped to her side, and she shook her head slightly. "Not really, just spacing out," she replied softly, her gaze still fixed on the fire, lost in her thoughts.

"Congratulations, by the way," Hermione hummed as she continued braiding Y/N's hair, nearing the end of the braid.

Y/N's gaze shifted from the fire to Hermione, her brow furrowing in mild confusion. "For what?" she whispered softly, her head tilting slightly, her fingers idly playing with the hem of her robes.

Hermione continued to braid Y/N's hair with a small smile. "For making progress. You know, that Phoenix thing you did in the Dark Forest?"

Y/N let out a quiet sigh and nodded. "Oh, yeah," she replied, her tone still somewhat distant.

Hermione sensed that something was bothering her friend. "You seem a bit disappointed," she remarked, her fingers deftly working through Y/N's hair. "You can tell me anything, you know? I'm your best friend."

Y/N hesitated for a moment before she spoke, her voice barely above a whisper. "It's not that I'm disappointed. It's just that... I feel a bit weak," she admitted, her gaze returning to the fire. "I passed out after summoning one Phoenix and a few small flames. My body just completely gave out."

Hermione paused her braiding and shifted to face Y/N directly. She wrapped her arms tenderly around Y/N's waist, her legs comfortably entwined with Y/N's. "Progress is progress," Hermione reassured her, her voice gentle but firm. 

"You wiped out half the horde of spiders with one Phoenix. That's amazing, Y/N. We wouldn't have escaped without you."

Y/N turned to face Hermione, gently unwrapping herself from the girl before sitting facing her, her legs crossed. She studied Hermione's eyes, a mischievous glint in her own. "You really do have a way with words, don't you, Granger?" she purred, her voice carrying a hint of playfulness, her intense gaze catching Hermione off guard.