II. Borrowed

"Hermione, can I borrow your Potions book for a day or so?" Lavender's voice dashed Hermione's concentration with one quick slash, destroying any chance she had of finishing her revisions on the Potions essay that was due at the end of the week. Surely, that was what Lavender needed the book for. With a sense of reluctance, she shut the book and stood, walking to Lavender's bed.

"I don't really understand how you could've lost your own book, but here." Hermione spoke coldly as she handed over the text. "Just get it back to me by tomorrow, at some point." Lavender nodded and muttered something that Hermione didn't much care to understand, before Hermione turned around and walked back over to her spot at a desk. Just like she'd predicted, all she could do was stare at the section of wall in front of her, unable to concentrate on anything other than that damn girl.

Foolishly, she'd allowed herself to get her hopes up when Lavender had said that she was pretty, the night of the Gryffindor party. What she was hoping for, she didn't even know. Nor did she understand. Her feelings (urges, desires) towards Lavender were something she'd never experienced. No matter what she tried to do to stop them, thoughts of the girl would not leave her head. She couldn't stop the butterflies when Lavender looked at her, the way her heart seemed to beat faster and her cheeks flush when she thought of Lavender's lips softly kissing her neck, and everywhere else.

Hermione fiercely shut her eyes, biting down on her lower lip, the momentary pain making Lavender's pale gaze fade out of her thought process. The girl had been acting completely and utterly normal towards her since the night of the party, nothing had changed since her admission. Hermione doubted that she could even remember it, considering how drunk she'd been. A faint trace of metal hit her taste buds, she must've bitten a little too hard on her lip. Her hand quickly moved to her lower lip, where she could feel the warmth of blood on the pads of her fingertips. Standing quickly once more, Hermione hurried for the door, so she could go wash off her lip and inspect the damage she'd inadvertently done to herself.

"Are you okay, Hermione?" Lavender asked her from her position on her bed.

Hermione could've sworn she heard concern in the other girl's voice.