Chapter 9
It has not even been two days since I met Hermione and she is already starting to bother me. I am grateful that she is nice to me and wants to be my friend. However, these past few days, she has followed me around the castle much like a stray dog follows a stranger that feeds them. From the way she is acting, I figure that she is trying to establish a friendship by the end of the week. I am not opposed to being friends with her since we do have a few things in common: curly hair that's hard to tame, muggleborn, very interested in learning about anything magical, and a sense to prove that we do deserve our magic despite what certain others say. Unfortunately, due to her constant smothering, I feel somewhat uneasy whenever she finds me and clings to my side, as if leaving me alone for five minutes would be dangerous to our friendship.
In an attempt to have time to myself, I try to use the excuse that I have to study. A part of me should have known that it was the worst possible excuse to use when dealing with the Hermione Granger. She instantly suggests that we go to the library so that she can give me studying tips. I humor her and head towards the library, pull out my herbology textbook, and attempt to focus on the words on the page. Sadly, instead of a comfortable silence I can enjoy and look over my notes, my ears are greeted with the sound of Hermione rapidly whispering new methods of note taking and how to better improve marks in all my classes. I try to bare the onslaught of information for the sake of sparing her feelings, but after a few minutes of hearing her gasp between every few sentences, I explode.
"JESUS CHRIST, HERMIONE! Just stop! I know you mean well but is it possible for me to have an hour or two to myself? I understand that you want us to be friends, I feel the same. But I also think that friends should be capable of having time apart and still being close. I didn't want to hurt your feelings and I don't want to lie to you either. If telling you the truth makes you hate me then I'll live with that. Just please, let me be for a bit. Please?"
My outburst caused many around us to pause in their studies and stare at the scene I started. Madame Pince even threw and icy glare our way, as if asking if I needed to be thrown out of her sanctuary. I look back at Hermione to see stunned shock spread across her face. To avoid seeing disappointment and hatred form in her features, I pack my belongings and run towards to doors. Once I am in the corridor I feel a hand grab me by the elbow and turn me around. I try to pull away, closing my eyes and wishing that disappear from the turmoil I just created.
"Aicela stop!"
I turn and open my eyes to her voice and see a softened sadness in her expression. She exhales and shakes her head before looking me in the eyes.
"I don't hate you. I know I can be, a bit much according to Ron. I didn't mean to make you feel overwhelmed and I understand completely how you need some time to yourself. It's fine. Trust me," she tells me with a small smile. I'm still worried that she might secretly hate me and I suppose that she can see it on my face because she hugs me. Actually pulls me in to hug me. And when she lets go she looks me in the eye, gives my hand a squeeze and smiles. "Go."
"Thank you," I say as I squeeze her hand back and return her smile. After knowing that I did not completely botch a still forming friendship, I happily walk to my tower of peace and quiet to enjoy some much needed alone time.
