[fifteen]
It's been several days since their almost-kiss, and they haven't once talked about it. Things have been perfectly normal, and Hermione wouldn't have it any other way.
"You still up for our study date later, Granger?" Theo grinned as he passed her table at potions that afternoon
"Of course, why wouldn't I be?"
"Right, I forgot that was happening this week." Draco muttered and sulkily went over the shelves to grab their cauldron of Amortentia
"Right, everybody, settle down and open your cauldrons! Stir clockwise thrice and your potion should finally be ready." Slughorn announced "After this, grab a parchment and quill, and jot down the scents that you smell."
Hermione took the initiative of stirring their potion thrice until it turned a nice shade of pearly white before taking a whiff
"Old books, freshly laundered sheets, and....Crème Brûlée?" she whispered as she wrote down neatly on a parchment that had her name on it
With a confused frown, she turned it in to Slughorn, along with a vial of their potion "Perfect, miss Granger." Slughorn smiled widely as he took the vial, carefully examining it
'Chocolates, butterbeer and flowers?' he thought confusedly, flowers, but what kind?
he wrote it down on his parchment and turned it in, ignoring Slughorn's fearful glance at him. "You're all free to go once you've finished!" he announced quickly
"Granger, let's go?" Theo asked her as he grabbed his bag from behind his chair and left Blaise to finish cleaning up "You're a real prick, Nott" Blaise called after him
"Uh, yeah, hold on." Hermione said, still confused from what she had smelled earlier. Perhaps the scents weren't of one person, perhaps they were just scents in themselves that Hermione found attractive. Not necessarily of a person, right?
"Granger, don't forget rounds later." Draco said
"I never forget rounds, Malfoy." She flashed him a smile and left the room with Theo
"Nice, now I'm left to clean this." Draco scowled
It was a quiet walk to the library as Hermione mulled over the scents. They were really different from what she had smelled in their sixth year, perhaps that was why it left her so unsettled. Then again, the war changed a lot of things, maybe in changed her taste in men too.
Maybe.
"You look serious." Theo said observantly
"I'm sorry." Hermione smiled, but offered no explanation to Theo's observation "We're going through our Transfiguration notes, right?"
"And Charms." Theo nodded "If we finish early, I've got something to show you."
"Oh, okay, sure." Hermione smiled
As soon as they reached the library, the scent of old books hit Hermione like a wave
That's it! She was attracted to--
"Hermione?" Theo called as he settled down on one of the study tables
she almost choked
"Coming!" her voice was small
"What's happened? You look pale." Theo frowned and worriedly placed his hand over Hermione's forehead to check for her temperature
"I'm okay, I'm alright." Hermione smiled sheepishly and gingerly took his hand off of her head "We should start. This twelve-foot Charms essay wont write itself."
"Of course." he smiled and started
It can't be Theo, can it? she thought hardly, but then again he's the only one that she's been going to the library with the past weeks
The library, which had tons of old books
Hermione couldn't help but watch Theo as he worked. He was beyond attractive, look-wise and brain-wise, there was no doubt about that. However, was she really attracted to him? Can it really be Theo? Because that almost-kiss with Dra--
"Are you sure you're alright, Hermione?" Theo smirked "You've been staring." he smugly leaned back on his chair and watched Hermione blush and fidget shyly
"I'm sorry. It's just--" Hermione shook her head. No, she shouldn't tell him about the potion, otherwise he might get the wrong idea.
"Come on," Theo stood and offered his hand "you could use a break"
"What?" Hermione's eyes widened "But our homework--"
"We're three weeks ahead already," Theo rolled his eyes "come on." he finally grabbed Hermione's hand himself and walked through the doors of the library
Neither of them had noticed that the time had passed so quickly in the library - it was already dark outside. "Where are we going?" Hermione asked
"The pitch." Theo said, still holding her hand
In different circumstances, Hermione would be flushed red, but they were going to the pitch "We're going flying?" She squeaked
"Why? You don't seem afraid of heights." Theo glanced at her with a chuckle
"No! It's not the height..." She mumbled, she hates flying
"Don't tell me you're scared of flying, Granger?" Theo laughed
"" she squeaked again
"Oh you so are" Theo laughed heartily as they trudged through the grounds "Don't worry, 'Mione, I got you."
"Sure." Hermione said, she was already queasy and they weren't even on a broom yet
They reached the pitch in no time, and Theo summoned his broom - a humble Nimbus 2001 as opposed to Harry's Firebolt "Didn't expect this broom, huh? Kinda old compared to Potter's"
"It's very you." Hermione smiled "Though, you should consider getting a faster one if you want to have a shot against Gryffindor this season."
"It's not always about the broom, Granger." He smirked and offered his hand as he mounted it "It's about the rider."
"You sure about this?" Hermione eyed the Nimbus worriedly
"I won't let you fall, don't worry."
"Okay." she said quietly and mounted the broom in front of him. Theo carefully circled his arms around Hermione and held onto the broomstick. "Ready?" he asked with a smile
"As ready as I can be." she squeaked
"The view will be worth it." Theo assured "Once you've seen it, you'll ask to come back there every night."
"Ha-ha if we have to fly going there, I don't thi--" but Theo had already zoomed into the air, send Hermione into a scream
"Easy, Hermione." he laughed, he hadn't felt this carefree since...forever
"Are we there yet?" she asked in a small voice, her eyes shut tightly
"Almost, just close your eyes until we get there." He said, his mouth was ridiculously close to her ear - and this sent goosebumps down Hermione's spine.