What's with you, Hermione?" Ron asked for the fourth time. Hermione had been acting quiet strange. She had only been back in the Gryffindor common room an hour when Ron and Harry finally found her and sat down, telling her about the new Divination project.
"What?" said Hermione obliviously. She was biting her lip in deep thought, and trying to hold down the secret pleasure that kept rising up in her whenever she thought of what just happened. 'It was wrong,' she kept thinking. 'It was violating…' She kept trying not to think, 'it was fun.' It was all a mingled sentiment of disgust and pleasure.
"Hermione," Harry said in a long, teasing voice, waving a hand in front of her face.
She jumped, and looked at him, appearing offended. "What?" she barked. She was truly over-excited and they could tell.
"What is it?" Ron said slyly, trying to pull it out of her.
"Nothing," she spat, dreading the red feeling in her face. She almost smiled but it turned quickly into a frown. She kept going back and fourth though emotions: first fear, than anger, yearn, and flattery. She couldn't stop, and now she landed on suspicion. 'What if it was a joke?' she thought.
"You're acting very…odd," Harry said, shaking his head.
"What's it to you how I'm acting?" she flared up at him. Harry leaned back, unsure of what to do; Ron started sniggering. "What?" she barked, close to shouting.
"Nothing," he said quickly and defensively. "I'm not doing anything am I?"
"I'm going to bed," she hissed.
"Hermione," Harry said, trying to make her talk sense. "It's five o'clock."
"So?! Maybe I want some extra sleep." But she couldn't sleep; the excitement that had flooded her veins had not subsided. She had too much adrenaline pumping through her so she walked back downstairs after ten minutes of pacing around her room. She absentmindedly sat next to her friends and kept fidgeting and looking around.
"Twitchy, little ferret, aren't you?" teased Ron. Hermione stopped dead, turning to look at him. "Whoa!" laughed Ron; the effect of her sudden deadly calm alarming him. "Seriously Hermione, what's with you?"
"Maybe I just had too much chocolate or maybe I'm just energetic, huh? Ever thought of that?"
"Ok, fine, let's drop it," Harry said, tired of the subject. "Anyways, now Ron and I have to summon a dream," he coed in a spooky voice. "I guess we'll have to make it up again. What to drown?"
"For the hundredth time?" sighed Ron.
They eventually stopped bothering Hermione about her odd behavior, but they couldn't resist taking it up again the next morning. As they entered the Great Hall, moments after they had convinced Hermione to come down with them, Hermione ducked behind Ron who was the tallest.
"What?" asked Ron as Hermione slouched behind his back.
"Just keep walking," she breathed.
"Hermione, did something happen?" Ron said on a sudden suspicion, but she poked him in the back with her wand and he sped up.
After everyone sat down, Harry and Ron asked together, "So, are you going to tell us?"
"No," Hermione said simply, glancing over their shoulder to look at Malfoy. He didn't seem any different. He was eating with Crabbe and Goyle, and Pansy Parkinson was cuddling up to him, uninvited.
"Alright," Ron replied coolly, obviously offended. "So, Harry..." So the two discussed the matters of this year's Quidditch while they pretend not to notice Hermione's lack of concentration. She was still staring at Draco, feeling almost betrayed as Pansy played her fingers on his neck and kept whispering into his ear. 'Don't be a git,' she kept reassuring herself.
Later, passing Charms on the way to Arithmancy, Hermione heard something that caught her attention and doubled back, listening from outside.
"And why would you want to cast one?" Professor Flitwick asked suspiciously.
"I think it would help my presentation on Magic verses Natural Emotion," said a senior boy. "I would only cast a temporary one, but I think if I add that demonstration I'll get top grades on presenting."
"Hmmm…I suppose it's fine," Professor Flitwick said, sounding like he didn't agree. "Caritas or Amare, I suggest Caritas. It lasts shorter."
"Caritas," echoed the student.
"Watch where you say that," Flitwick corrected. "Just a simple pointing of the wand and say the word, don't do it now! But remember, besides your presentation-"
"I know, I know," laughed the student. "No using it."
"Amare," whispered Hermione with a grin, recognizing the Latin word.