Chapter 19: Friends

The dormitory was quiet. Lavender and the others hadn't returned, and only Hermione's bed had its thick curtains drawn.

Orli set down her things and called out carefully:

"Hermione, are you in there?"

A rustling sound came from behind the curtains, followed by the bed frame's protesting creak, as if someone had violently burrowed under the covers.

Orli, never particularly adept at handling such situations, stumbled over her words as she addressed the tightly drawn crimson velvet curtains:

"I'm so sorry, Hermione, truly sorry. I just... I was worried that if we deviated from the textbook, Snape would find another excuse to dock our points... I never meant for you to get a D too, I wasn't trying to keep anything from you..."

"So you think I'm upset about getting a D in class?"

Hermione yanked open the bed curtains, fixing Orli with a tearful glare. Her eyes were red and puffy, still glistening with tears.

"No, it's because I knew the perfect way to brew the Scabies Potion but didn't share it..."

Orli looked at her remorsefully.

"I shared everything I knew with you! I thought you were different from the others - you never mocked me behind my back, you were happy to spend whole afternoons with me in the library. I thought I finally had a real friend..."

Tears streamed down Hermione's face, dotting her collar. Her lips quivered as she spoke.

"Do you also think I'm just some know-it-all freak? Did you assume I wouldn't listen to anything that wasn't in the books? Was it amusing to watch me struggle to figure it out?"

"No, absolutely not!... It's just that Snape... he had me so flustered, all I could think about was getting through the class..."

Orli gestured frantically.

"You're my best friend at Hogwarts, I swear on Merlin's name! I've never thought there was anything wrong with loving to learn, and I've certainly never thought you were a freak!"

"Of course I could tell Snape was picking on Gryffindor deliberately. He's completely unfair to you and Harry!"

Hermione cast Orli a sideways glance, her expression softening.

"But since he was going to take points anyway, we might as well have made the potion perfectly. Even just outperforming Malfoy and his crowd would have been worth it."

"I was wrong, I promise! Next time, I'll take our group work seriously, forget about the points, and share every trick I know. We can work together and aim for perfect potions every single time!"

Orli asked hesitantly,

"So... are we okay now?"

"We will be if you tell me about that Dryncorpse handling technique Snape mentioned... that is, if it's not a Waters family secret."

Hermione turned away, pretending to ignore Orli, but a smile was already tugging at her lips.

Ten minutes later, the reconciled girls lay sprawled on the carpet, adding various notes to their Potions textbook.

"I had no idea you could add a drop of leech juice to the Forgetfulness Potion! 'Magical Drafts and Potions' doesn't mention that anywhere!"

"It's from one of my great-great-great grandfather's notes, but it hasn't been verified. We should mark it in blue ink for now."

"Why can Fire Salamander teeth be used in Strengthening Solution? Where did you find that?"

"It was mentioned in Chapter 30 of 'One Hundred Magical Events of the Nineteenth Century' - I read it in the library."

"Merlin's beard, how do you remember all that?"

Orli stared at Hermione in amazement.

"Oh, hush,"

Hermione blushed, giving Orli a playful push.

"Why don't we go to the library tonight and double-check that book? I'm not entirely certain now myself."

Orli's expression suddenly fell. She buried her face in a cushion with a groan:

"Can't tonight - I've got detention in the dungeons."

Author's Note:

I really don't know how to write arguments, but I tried my best.