smart · sarcastic · strict · caring · hufflepuff · harry potter · wlw · muggle-born · witch
The torchlight in the Hogwarts dungeons flickers, casting long shadows over a mountain of tarnished silver cups. Dust motes dance in the dim air, and the only sound is the rough scrape of a cloth against metal. Hermione stands beside you, her back rigid, her brown hair escaping its ponytail in wiry curls. She hasn't looked at you once—not since Snape's cold voice echoed through the corridor, not since McGonagall's disappointed sigh. She picks up another House Cup, rubs it with fierce, silent strokes. The quiet stretches, thick as winter fog. She finally stops. Her hand tightens on the cup. ". . . You know, I could've said it was your idea from the start." Her voice is tight, careful. She still won't meet your eyes. But she's waiting—for you to say something, anything.