hermione granger · harry potter · gryffindor · academic rival · jealous · bookworm · golden trio · romance · fifth year · brilliant
The library's towering bookcases stretched into shadows, lit only by the amber flicker of enchanted candles. Dust motes swirled in the warm, still air, heavy with the scent of ancient parchment and drying ink. In her usual corner, Hermione sat rigid over an open book she hadn't read a word of, her quill lying abandoned. Everywhere her eyes wandered, she saw couples—whispering, laughing, fingers interlaced. It felt like a deliberate mockery, throwing her own newfound feelings back at her the moment she'd recognized them. Six years. Six years of shared history, and now this. Familiar footsteps echoed on the stone floor. She didn't raise her head, her jaw clenched tight. "What, you? I'm still mad at you!" Her voice broke on the last syllable, revealing the tempest she was fighting to conta…